Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions • Hacker News Board

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#51

Post by semi-extrinsic » Sun, May 10, 2015, 9:18 PM UTC

rossng wrote: post #33

McGlockenshire wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Now, with windows 10, my security updates will come bundled with my unwanted OS changes. This is going to be utter and complete chaos for any organization that performs strict change management and compatibility testing. It's already hard enough to push out normal security updates for some organizations, so having to mix in feature or even kernel changes is going to be a nightmare...

I think there will be some problems, but I don't think it will be that bad. The web has coped perfectly fine with continuously-updated browsers. A significant proportion of 'change management' is pointless, box-ticking bureaucracy and achieves nothing. Just look at any large company's mostly semi-broken IT systems! Critical infrastructure probably shouldn't be running on desktop Windows anyway, so it's not going to a…

The problem isn't that Bob in Marketing's box doesn't work for a few days. It's that Bob (along with 90% of everyone over 25) hates user interface changes and works slower the first two-three months after a change. If MS starts throwing changes at him every 6 months that's a 15-20% decrease in Bob's productivity.

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#52

Post by idlewords » Sun, May 10, 2015, 9:19 PM UTC

fizixer wrote: post #37

tgbrter wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why don't you instead just make 10 better?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_to_eleven

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joke

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#53

Post by [deleted] » Sun, May 10, 2015, 9:20 PM UTC

derefr wrote: post #23

I would be intrigued by an Adobe Creative Cloud equivalent for Microsoft products. Especially if it meant that a subscription was per-person , instead of per-machine. This would work especially well coupled with the global "floating identities" introduced through signing in with your Microsoft Account. The image I would have is of Windows being automatically updated either way, but preventing sign-in to Microsoft Acc…

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#54

Post by daniel-levin » Sun, May 10, 2015, 9:20 PM UTC

tgbrter wrote: post #26

reuven wrote: post #16

I see the marketing people fell asleep at the switch here. With just a bit of effort, Windows could have been "the operating system that goes to 11."

Why don't you instead just make 10 better?

Well possibly the point here is the double pronged attack on the fact that Mac OS stopped at X (ten) and there is a common expression 'turn it up to eleven' [1]

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_to_eleven

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#55

Post by Mahn » Sun, May 10, 2015, 9:21 PM UTC

nathanaldensr wrote: post #29

vruiz wrote: post #10

I see 2 possible scenarios. 1) as others are suggesting, they'll adopt Apple's versioning model putting everything under the windows 10 umbrella. 2) they are setting the table for a rebranding/replacement of Windows in the same fashion as they are doing with IE.

I agree with #2. I think Microsoft is likely producing a new operating system as we speak--one that hopefully is focused on security first. Perhaps a realization of the Singularity OS is coming. OS APIs running managed code, perhaps? The future will certainly be interesting for the Windows ecosystem.

Windows as a brand is still way too big, and unlike IE its reputation is okay and its market share huge, Microsoft has more to lose than to win rebranding Windows. I don't see it happening, but IMO there's no reason why Windows can't be the new Windows eventually.

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#56

Post by digdigdag » Sun, May 10, 2015, 9:22 PM UTC

Sir_Substance wrote: post #5

I'm not happy with this. I waited on XP until they got over vista, and I'm still on 7 while I watch in bemusement at the windows 8.1 nonsense. Now, with windows 10, my security updates will come bundled with my unwanted OS changes. I doubt microsoft will let people opt out of unwanted cloud-based security risks or crazy interface experiments.

Care to tell me what your issue is with Windows 8.1? I've been using 8/8.1 for well over a year now, and it has been, perhaps, one of the best installments of the Windows line of operating systems I have ever used. There are a variety of third party applications and workarounds that can effectively re-patch explorer.exe to completely disable Modern UI and bring back the old start menu (think Start Is Back).

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#57

Post by txdev » Sun, May 10, 2015, 9:23 PM UTC

Mahn wrote: post #41

cleverjake wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I doubt microsoft will let people opt out of unwanted cloud-based security risks or crazy interface experiments. you're wrong. IE/Edge has the same type of updating, and it can and ill always be opt-outable because of the enterprise.

Well but if you op-out you op-out of everything, including security updates. There's no "I want security updates but no random feature/interface changes" button.

Link to source stating this?

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#58

Post by gabeio » Sun, May 10, 2015, 9:24 PM UTC

kossmoboleat wrote: post #2

Funny, isn't that exactly the same thing Apple does?

Apple releases new "minor" versions every year but it's still 10.x.x.x. I just see the first part as being publicity and the second number starting the real semver.

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#59

Post by vacri » Sun, May 10, 2015, 9:25 PM UTC

rossng wrote: post #33

McGlockenshire wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Now, with windows 10, my security updates will come bundled with my unwanted OS changes. This is going to be utter and complete chaos for any organization that performs strict change management and compatibility testing. It's already hard enough to push out normal security updates for some organizations, so having to mix in feature or even kernel changes is going to be a nightmare...

I think there will be some problems, but I don't think it will be that bad. The web has coped perfectly fine with continuously-updated browsers. A significant proportion of 'change management' is pointless, box-ticking bureaucracy and achieves nothing. Just look at any large company's mostly semi-broken IT systems! Critical infrastructure probably shouldn't be running on desktop Windows anyway, so it's not going to a…

> if Bob in Marketing's copy of Microsoft Word stops working for a day or two while Microsoft patches something

Why would such a problem only hit one user, in a place that rolls out an SOE?

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#60

Post by vacri » Sun, May 10, 2015, 9:29 PM UTC

daniel-levin wrote: post #54

tgbrter wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why don't you instead just make 10 better?

Well possibly the point here is the double pronged attack on the fact that Mac OS stopped at X (ten) and there is a common expression 'turn it up to eleven' [1] [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_to_eleven

The flip side of the coin is that they didn't want to name themselves after a satirical skit that is emphasising the stupidity of the phrase utterer.