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Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

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231–240 of 323 posts

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#231
post #221

I will say right now I will never pay a subscription to windows. I'll switch back to Linux even though I feel like as a whole Linux has stagnated for at least the last decade in the desktop arena.

The Linux Desktop has many problems, but I'm not sure stagnation is one of them. If anything things are churning a little too much, and this is before the Wayland/Mir transitions have started to kick off yet.

Yeah all Linux offers us is more libraries and more APIs. Where are the applications? Why are there so many cli tools with no GUI interface. Desktop Linux is so far behind. I used Linux for about a year primarily and when I finally got frustrated enough I switched to windows 8 and realized that the Linux desktop experience is garbage in comparison.

As a server os I have no complaints though.

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#232
post #42

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

Maybe next Windows versions have canine names? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Subspecies_of_Canis_lu... Windows 10 Dingo. Would be funny.

I would like to go for dog breeds --

Windows 10 chihuahua

Windows 10 chinook

Windows 10 chippiparai

Windows 10 chowchow

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#233

Off-topic rant: I used to live in a remote area, with very little connectivity. Upgrading tech used to involve traveling to a retailer, and buying the latest version off the shelf. More recently, it involes traveling to a solid internet connection, downloading incremental updates and distributing them on location. In Australia, satellite internet was subsidized in the 2000s (and easily eligible). Now, although still…

I came to the conclusion last year that Australia will be left behind as developers make assumptions about fast connections. I think it was around the time of the Win8 to 8.1 upgrade which was about 2GB and not immediately available as an ISO/disc - it failed repeatedly overnight and consumed 50+% of my download quota for that month.

Australians: vote for a government who will build 21st century infrastructure. It's going to get ugly when we run out of shit to dig up and sell to China.

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OSX = Apple OS Ten, Windows 10 = Microsoft OS X?

Well to be fair they cheated and skipped 9.

Apple cheated too by renaming NeXTStep to Mac OS and using its version instead. :)

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#235
post #91

So this refers just to the branding of Windows, right? Unless they've figured out a way to replace versioning, surely there will still be "versions" to hint at compatibility and mark certain upgrades for the sake of developers.

For sure -- Microsoft needs to keep Windows advancing, but businesses will remain cautious and delay rollouts of major upgrades.

So there will still be major versions, each with their own security patches etc. -- I don't think there's any way around that.

At least this lets Microsoft keep more people up to date and minimize version skew -- "You want to upgrade, we want you to upgrade ... by all means go ahead and upgrade!"

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's much more likely they'll follow the OS X model of free updates forever, once you buy the OS.

Apple bundles the OS with the hardware. Once you buy a Mac, you get free OSX updates until they no longer support your model for the new OSX versions. The cost of OSX is bundled in the price of the Mac, which is why Macs cost more than PCs. Microsoft cannot do that because OEMs sell PCs and bundle Windows with it. A totally different business model than Apple has. Steve Ballmer tried to copy the Apple Business Model…

I don't see it as totally different. The vast majority of Windows users get their license with their PC purchase. That's where Microsoft makes the bulk of their money. I suspect most users never upgrade from that version unless they buy a new PC. So giving free upgrades is not a big loss for Microsoft; it was never a big income generator.

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#237
post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Wouldn't be the first, or worst, marketing whore-out to happen these days

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#238
That's great Microsoft. Debian has been doing this for over a decade now. I have Debian 'testing' installs which I've been using regularly now for over ten years and they are still up to date. Don't even reboot sometimes for a year. Nice to see the comercial guys catching up.

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#239
post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The parent was referring to " Steam boxes", i.e. http://store.steampowered.com/steamos

That's StreamOS, there's a different. Most of the Steam boxes come with Windows 8 ( http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2/186-2840984-5406453... ).

The Alienware Alpha is NOT a Steam Machine. It was supposed to be, but Valve couldn't figure out their shit soon enough, so they sold it as a normal small-form-factor PC before the hardware became obsolete.

Re: Microsoft to stop producing Windows versions

#240
post #76

The obvious question is, how are we going to pay for this? With no periodic releases of new versions, it seems that Windows 10 will either be a subscription based service or, in all likelihood, a collection of subscription based services and extra features with a free, but spartan, core. It's an interesting move, but I suspect MS is severely underestimating the backlash that will exist against monthly OS subscription…

It seems they're planning on selling your data, and locking you in to their other services.

I recently tried out the Win10 tech preview. It's very very hard to disable internet searching whenever you try and find a file, and it's even worse to try and remove OneDrive.

Granted, this is a tech preview, so disabling this will probably be a tiny bit easier in the future, but I think it gives an indication as to the direction Microsoft is moving. Yet another advertising company.

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