Microsoft wants to use the same OS from smartphones to PCs, drop the "Windows" name

[Deleted member 13524]

http://newsinabox.net/1690/microsoft-will-give-up-the-windows-brand.html

It is a brand that wrote the history, but even so, Microsoft is decided to put an end to „Windows” brand. For the majority of the computer’s users, „Windows” brand is synonymous with the operating system, like Google is for the internet search labor or Adidas for the sport’s wear.

It is one of the most well known brands from the IT history, but is not enough for Microsoft that wants to give up the name. The 25 years old brand became in time one of the most notorious brands in the entire world.

The Chief of the Windows Phone division from Microsoft, Andy Less, said that the software giant wants to build a single system for the computers, telephone devices, tablets and TV. This new system will probably be a common operating system that will work on all these devices.

Well I've been "preaching" the unified OS for quite a while, and their UI for Windows 8 shows they're headed in that direction.

I wasn't counting on them droping the "windows" name, though.
So Windows 8 will be the last Windows?

 

[Grall]

I'm not sold on the idea of the windows phone 8 interface on a desktop machine. It smacks of dumb-down syndrome IMO; like a mouse/keyboard-centric OS is unfit for touch-based devices, touch-based OSes seems unfit for mouse/keyboard devices.

 

[hoho]

I'm not sold on the idea of the windows phone 8 interface on a desktop machine.

The fact you don't like it doesn't really change much. Every time they release a new OS version there will be a few people rebelling against the changed UI and changing back to the old one. It was true for W98 vs W95, XP vs W98, Vista/win7 vs XP and it will be true for W8 vs W7

 

[Grall]

This is a much bigger change than win98->XP, or XP to aero glass. Much, much bigger.

The giant square shapes look good and work well on a tiny phone screen which people squish their big fat greasy thumbs all over to operate it, I don't see how it would translate very well at all to a widescreen 2k+ rez PC monitor.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Obviously it doesnt work when you have a mouse available. But windows 8 has the traditional desktop too right? I suppose that would be true for future versions too.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

I'm not sure whether to take that article seriously or not. If they can't afford a simple editor with English writing skills for an English article. I'm also pretty sure Windows 2.0 didn't launch in 1978.

Anyways, having one "OS" (nebulous term) doesn't mean that the UI has to be the same across very divergent platforms.

Regards,
SB

 

[Blazkowicz]

A web browser doesn't translate well to big widescreens either, yet we use one no matter what.

the tile interface sounds like windows 98 done right . windows 98 was supposed to be about weird html things squatting on your desktop.
too bad the microsoft web browser turned into a security disaster till at least windows XP SP2.

 

[AlNom]

*shrug* I'd hate to be switching the entire screen away from active windows/web browser just to look for the programs or folders I want to open. That'd be hella annoying. An auto-hiding quick bar is fine enough.

I'd actually prefer two quick bars... One that I can move the mouse to... and one that I can use the windows key to access. I sort of use the start menu program list for slightly less frequently used programs, but still ones that I use none-the-less, but still not as much as the usual quick bar stuff. The fewer programs/folders I have to look through at a time, the better.

 

[Blazkowicz]

what if you hit a key, such as the "windows properties key" (it's useless enough), then the tiles pop up around your mouse pointer, taking about a quarter of the screen surface. meanwhile the rest of the screen darkens but remains visible.
you can bind a mouse button if you have one for that, too.

it's a "gadgets" thing anyway so would you put some mail/IM notifications, notes and the like, controls for a music player etc.
i.e. things mostly unrelated to your work but still useful. it's also cool as you can develop your own tiles (so here's one with health status of servers, one I can use to switch off the lights.)

it should also be decently keyboard navigable if they don't fuck up.
really I find it cool, something new for once and that seems to have a purpose (unlike the gnome 3 and unity crap). and I say this as someone who always hated desktop gadgets, dynamic start menus and activeX shit.

I suppose someone will copy cat it under linux.
it's also a feature trivial to entirely ignore.

 

[Squilliam]

So what are they going to call their OS if not Windows?

Spoiler

Tiles???

 

[Silent_Buddha]

*shrug* I'd hate to be switching the entire screen away from active windows/web browser just to look for the programs or folders I want to open. That'd be hella annoying. An auto-hiding quick bar is fine enough.

I'd actually prefer two quick bars... One that I can move the mouse to... and one that I can use the windows key to access. I sort of use the start menu program list for slightly less frequently used programs, but still ones that I use none-the-less, but still not as much as the usual quick bar stuff. The fewer programs/folders I have to look through at a time, the better.

I've always thought it would be fantastic if hitting the Windows key would bring up the search field at the bottom of the start menu where your mouse pointer was. It is by far the most used item on my start menu and the way I start any program that isn't pinned to the start menu or in my quicklaunch bar. It would be so very handy to be able to call it up at anytime and have just that field in a little window appear where my mouse was.

Regards,
SB

 

[hoho]

Several Linux desktop environments have had that functionality for ages SB. I've been running stuff with alt+f2 -> type (rough) name -> enter for years I was rather puzzled when Vista/W7 didn't combine the start menu search and run dialog to do the same thing

 

[Blazkowicz]

um, Microsoft Doormat?
Microsoft ReallyWorks
Microsoft Fence, or Microsoft Hedge (to surf on the walled garden fad)

 

[Rodéric]

Microsoft OS to immitate Apple ?

 

[Florin]

Well I can see how that might go..

Microsoft Windows 2011 becomes
Microsoft OS 2011 ->
OS 11 ->
OS XI

New and improved

 

[Arwin]

Microsoft OS to immitate Apple ?

Makes a lot of sense with the new prominence of portable devices, from laptops to pads to phones. I think I heard the other day that up to 40% of all our national internet activity is now on smartphones and tablets or something crazy like that.

I bought OS/X Lion for 23 euro (would be nice if Microsoft imitated that as well ) and the installer was running on my Mac Mini when I left home. Very curious to see how it's turned out and how it works in practice. The idea of having a desktop that works the same as the iPhone is appealing. I wonder if my wife would like it (she's one of those that doesn't like the change from XP to Vista/Win7 )

 

[Deleted member 13524]

I'm not sold on the idea of the windows phone 8 interface on a desktop machine. It smacks of dumb-down syndrome IMO; like a mouse/keyboard-centric OS is unfit for touch-based devices, touch-based OSes seems unfit for mouse/keyboard devices.

You can use Windows 8 without ever touching the Metro UI. Just close it and you're back to a Windows 7-like interface, perfected for mouse/keyboard interaction.


What you gain is the ability to use any software compatible with a Microsoft OS in any device. It's a whole new level of software portability, and I want it. Now!

 

[Arwin]

Microsoft does this in some kind of agreement with hardware manufacturors, making upgrading to the new version of Windows basically only viable by buying new hardware. It's a win-win scenario in theory, as it keeps the average hardware that runs your new OS high, and ties your hardware purchase to a platform as a bonus (there was a brief period where hardware was sold with Linux rather than Windows, but they didn't keep that up long enough - if they did it now, I'd definitely consider it for my wife's next PC).

Mac uses a different strategy in that older hardware simply loses support. Lion for instance no longer runs any PowerPC software (Snow Leopard still did). Your 2007 PhotoShop no longer works on Lion. So there's ups and downs to both strategies, and I wouldn't want to pick a clear winner.

However, if I were Microsoft I would have given all Vista owners a free or near free upgrade to Windows 7, to improve my public standing. My wife has Vista and upgrading to Windows 7 is just too expensive, but Vista is such a lousy OS in terms of the day to day use.

Apple on their side I think could gain a fair bit if they would allow any iOS App to run on Lion. At the very least they would make for great widgets.

 

[hoho]

Microsoft does this in some kind of agreement with hardware manufacturors, making upgrading to the new version of Windows basically only viable by buying new hardware

What they really do is having different licencing models. If you want to get it cheap it's stuck with your motherboard and is hard to move to new one. If you shell out more cash you can get a version you can install on any PC you like.

 

[Grall]

What precisely is it you have against vista? I find it no more difficult or annoying to use than say, XP, or even win7 for that matter. In fact I feel it's superior to XP. Aero glass is the shiznits, and I get DX10+ support.

So vista needs a lot of disk space... So what. Unless you want to install it on the smallest and cheapest SSD possible it's not an issue.

Seems to me, most people hate on vista just because that's what "everybody" does. There seems to be few to no rational reasons for it.