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Windows 8 Pro Upgrade to cost $39.99

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Re: Windows 8 Pro Upgrade to cost $39.99

#91

Post by nemo1618 »

jfoutz wrote: post #65
nemo1618 wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you actually used Windows 8? I don't make much use of the metro apps, but there are lots of smaller improvements that I appreciate, like the new task manager, file copy dialog, login screen, etc. The sight of the new start screen incites revulsion in most power users, but try to remember that you won't be spending much time there. Treat the start screen like what it really is: a fancier start menu. Like me, you'…

That's kind of the issue, right? There's no way a big enterprise is going to be using 8 the day after launch. I suspect most will be hostile to it. MS's best bet is to get 8 into the hands of as many users as possible, so they'll push work to upgrade.

agreed, they definitely seem to be targeting the more "casual" audience. But who knows, if the whole "shared kernel" thing has some practical benefits for businesses, we might see more widespread adoption.

Re: Windows 8 Pro Upgrade to cost $39.99

#92

Post by cooldeal »

WiseWeasel wrote: post #49
novalis wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll use it in a VM until the dev tools I work with start to support it, then I'll go all in. It is always the same thing when a full OS update comes, this is not any diff from the others. I'll keep my linux machines handy on the side as always. I don't see what the ten-foot pole security counter measures bring to the table at this point.

The pole is to keep that cluttered ribbon interface away from my relatively clean Explorer windows, the touch-centric gestures away from my mouse-driven desktop, and to ward off the mental expense of context changes as my environment switches between the classic desktop with classic apps, the start screen and various metro apps.

>The pole is to keep that cluttered ribbon interface away from my relatively clean Explorer windows

The ribbon is minimized by default.

What's cluttered about this more than Windows 7? http://techdows.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/expand-the-ri...

Re: Windows 8 Pro Upgrade to cost $39.99

#93

Post by spicyj »

zephjc wrote: post #90
spicyj wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Mac OS X price is essentially also an "upgrade" price because you can only install it on Macs (which already have OS X installed).

Except that I can install OS X on a blank hard drive when needed (which I've needed to do twice).

True, that is an advantage! I was just speaking in licensing terms.

Re: Windows 8 Pro Upgrade to cost $39.99

#94

Post by barrkel »

MatthewPhillips wrote: post #46
barrkel wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not the most frequent method for launching. According to MS, their metrics indicate pinned task bar items are, or are trending to be, the most frequent method. When I don't remember the name of the thing I want to launch (which is quite frequent), I rely mostly on positional navigation through a customized start menu. That is, I don't remember programs by name, I remember them by where I left them. Windows Vista…

For most people the "All Programs" menu quickly turns into a circus. Curating it is a chore. They are messing this up in Windows 8, as every time you install a application, including desktop applications, all of its start menu items get pinned onto the start screen. I'm afraid most users will never bother to unpin them.

I used to curate the All Programs menu. What that did was mess up uninstallers, because they could no longer find shortcuts to delete them, so I ended up with lots of dead shortcuts that needed clearing out.

So now, I create a bunch of category folders (Work, Development, Entertainment, you get the idea) in the Start Menu profile folder (rather than the Start Menu\Programs folder), and copy the handful of app and applet shortcuts that I actually need in. I leave the All Programs menu to fester and ignore it. With Classic Shell, this works well; the classic start menu, in XP mode, shows my folders as top-level expanding menu items.

Re: Windows 8 Pro Upgrade to cost $39.99

#95

Post by lifeguard »

joeybaker wrote: post #39

This is huge for webdevs. With MS making upgrades to Win8 (and therefore IE10) so cheap/easy, the death of OldIE is that much closer.

You are overlooking the fact that MS is introducing yet another browser variant that web devs have to accommodate. And also the QA dept. And also customer service. And also internal IT.

On second though; Yes, this will be exciting! ;)

Re: Windows 8 Pro Upgrade to cost $39.99

#96

Post by polshaw »

tzs wrote: post #57
polshaw wrote: post #23

Lets be clear; this has little/nothing to do with apple. You can't spend $40 to switch to the latest OSX on your regular PC, so it is just not direct competition. I can only assume they think this way is how they will get most money from selling to end users, and I wouldn't be surprised at that being the case. No doubt they make most of window's licence money from OEMs.

> Lets be clear; this has little/nothing to do with apple. You can't spend $40 to switch to the latest OSX on your regular PC, so it is just not direct competition. I can't use Chevy parts in my Honda, but if Chevy started charging 1/10th of what Honda is charging for similar parts, Honda would need to lower prices if they wanted me to stick with them for my next car, or to use genuine Honda parts instead of third pa…

I completely reject that anyone who would have paid $x for a windows upgrade has then decided not to because of the price of OSX upgrade. It's either worth it for them, or not. Lowering the price simply increases the number in the first category.

And your forced car analogy is seriously flawed.

Re: Windows 8 Pro Upgrade to cost $39.99

#97

Post by joeybaker »

lifeguard wrote: post #95
joeybaker wrote: post #39

This is huge for webdevs. With MS making upgrades to Win8 (and therefore IE10) so cheap/easy, the death of OldIE is that much closer.

You are overlooking the fact that MS is introducing yet another browser variant that web devs have to accommodate. And also the QA dept. And also customer service. And also internal IT. On second though; Yes, this will be exciting! ;)

True, it's another IE version, but an auto-updating, mostly-standards compliant version. IE 10 brings IE into the "modern browser" realm.

Re: Windows 8 Pro Upgrade to cost $39.99

#98

Post by TazeTSchnitzel »

MatthewPhillips wrote: post #46
barrkel wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not the most frequent method for launching. According to MS, their metrics indicate pinned task bar items are, or are trending to be, the most frequent method. When I don't remember the name of the thing I want to launch (which is quite frequent), I rely mostly on positional navigation through a customized start menu. That is, I don't remember programs by name, I remember them by where I left them. Windows Vista…

For most people the "All Programs" menu quickly turns into a circus. Curating it is a chore. They are messing this up in Windows 8, as every time you install a application, including desktop applications, all of its start menu items get pinned onto the start screen. I'm afraid most users will never bother to unpin them.

Not all of them. It seems to filter some of them.

Re: Windows 8 Pro Upgrade to cost $39.99

#99

Post by polshaw »

greenyoda wrote: post #35
neovive wrote: post #14

I wouldn't chalk this up as just a competitive response to the relatively low price Apple charges for its OS upgrades. I think Microsoft really wants/needs to accelerate the adoption of Windows 8 even if that means taking a hit on license fees. Whatever they can do to accelerate adoption of W8 in the enterprise and consumer markets will more than pay off in the long-term. A major reduction in legacy support requireme…

My guess is that it will take a long, long time for enterprises to move to Windows 8, with most sticking with Windows 7 for as long as Microsoft continues to provide security patches for it. If you're an enterprise with 10000 or 50000 non-technical users running Windows 7, the cost of moving to Windows 8 will be primarily IT staff hours, including all the support questions from users puzzled by the new user interface…

I don't disagree with you, but this is the exact argument I've heard with every Microsoft OS since windows 2000 (and no doubt it was made before then, too).

Re: Windows 8 Pro Upgrade to cost $39.99

#100

Post by metrop0219 »

tzs wrote: post #57
polshaw wrote: post #23

Lets be clear; this has little/nothing to do with apple. You can't spend $40 to switch to the latest OSX on your regular PC, so it is just not direct competition. I can only assume they think this way is how they will get most money from selling to end users, and I wouldn't be surprised at that being the case. No doubt they make most of window's licence money from OEMs.

> Lets be clear; this has little/nothing to do with apple. You can't spend $40 to switch to the latest OSX on your regular PC, so it is just not direct competition. I can't use Chevy parts in my Honda, but if Chevy started charging 1/10th of what Honda is charging for similar parts, Honda would need to lower prices if they wanted me to stick with them for my next car, or to use genuine Honda parts instead of third pa…

Except that they also lower the expectation of what an OS upgrade should include.
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