Windows 8

Kurrelgyre wrote:
Malor wrote:

Do you really want Microsoft deciding what political news you're allowed to consume? Apple's already doing this.

Citation?

http://www.theverge.com/apple/2013/1...

Kurrelgyre wrote:
Malor wrote:

Do you really want Microsoft deciding what political news you're allowed to consume? Apple's already doing this.

Citation?

I believe he's referring to this: Apple rejects Endgame: Syria iOS game

MrDeVil909 wrote:

I really don't see desktop OSs getting as locked down as mobile OSs. It would just push enterprise and commercial customers to Linux.

It would probably end up good for consumers, but bad for MS in the longer term.

The day you can't install a programme because MS doesn't want you to is the day to start worrying.

This is the stance I take. I hate what Apple's done to the concept of consumer choice and I do tend to follow the stance that Malor does about how turning computing into that is a very bad thing for everyone except the companies in charge. Where he and I diverge is that I've seen no evidence that Microsoft plans to kill the desktop in favour of Metro. Maybe if it got the adoption rate that iOS did but that's not happening. Surface has sold well below expectations and Windows 8 is doing OK but apparently not fantastic. Some of this is attributed to shrinking PC sales but not all of it is. Malor says that Microsoft's deprecated the desktop but that's simply not true yet. The desktop side of Windows 8 came with some substantial improvements both in performance and usability. The second Microsoft hints that they're killing the desktop is the day I lose my sh*t at them but that simply hasn't happened. As long as Metro remains optional and I can easily avoid it if I want, I don't personally have a problem. If Windows 9 makes the desktop substantially worse or gets rid of it, Microsoft can die in a fire.

But the second they do that is the second they lose enterprise and make no mistake, that's where the money is. They make a lot of money from consumers but if they start losing big volume license customers, they're completely screwed. Those customers dictate much more of Microsoft's roadmap than you might think but those customers are also the ones that traditionally upgrade to every second version of Windows, hence why Windows 8 is squarely focused on consumers first. Without enterprise, they're lost and that's a space Apple has still largely not made a dent in. Microsoft will do whatever they can to not lose that space but Windows 8 is not really impacted in that thinking yet.

Windows 8, Windows RT and the rumoured Windows 8 core that will power the next Xbox are an experiment for Microsoft. Of course they want to make money but I firmly believe they're testing the waters with Windows 8 and the response to it will dictate some sweeping changes for Windows 9. So far, the response to Metro has been soft. People find it confusing, restrictive and app developers are not flocking to it in the numbers Microsoft wants. You're crazy if you think they aren't taking that to heart. I get why they want to copy the immense financial success Apple has had with their restrictive policies and bullsh*t spinning of it being a benefit to anyone but them but if the response to Metro remains this soft, they aren't going to keep pushing it this hard forever. They won't kill it off but if consumers and enterprise are telling them to run the other way from walled gardens, they're going to do that.

I don't like a ton of things about Apple but where I will give them all credit is that they're now putting up serious competition to Microsoft and forcing them to wake up and listen to people. Being different and better than the Apple experience are the two things that will keep people using Windows, embracing everything the competition done is the wrong move and I think a weak response to Metro will see a major course change in Windows 9.

For me personally, I still plan to install Windows 8 on my gaming PC with my TechNet license so I can give it a fair shake. I'll do a full backup of my Windows 7 installation first and while I'll try to use Windows 8 vanilla, I'll likely end up installing ClassicShell. I'm definitely still buying Windows 7 for my work PCs though and right now, customers who come to me looking for new computers I am advising to go with Windows 7 or if they go with Windows 8, I am making sure they 100% know what they're in for. This is a period for Microsoft unlike one they've experienced for a great many years, the next few are going to be very interesting for them and those of us who wouldn't buy a Mac with a gun to our heads.

Parallax: yeah I worked at a coffee shop at a bank that was redoing its entire backend. I got a glimpse of the value of corporate clients.

They had dozens of MS contractors; devs, project managers, the works, at hundreds of dollars an hour working there for years, working with bank employees and independent contractors. Plus add in tens of thousands of licences for the software itself. MS is not going to drive these people away by locking down systems.

I understand the concerns, I just don't see the end result being the worst case scenario.

Scratched wrote:
Kurrelgyre wrote:
Malor wrote:

Do you really want Microsoft deciding what political news you're allowed to consume? Apple's already doing this.

Citation?

I believe he's referring to this: Apple rejects Endgame: Syria iOS game

While that's unfortunate, until they block rss feeds or pull shenanigans with your browser it's not really controlling the news you consume.

MrDeVil909 wrote:
Scratched wrote:
Kurrelgyre wrote:
Malor wrote:

Do you really want Microsoft deciding what political news you're allowed to consume? Apple's already doing this.

Citation?

I believe he's referring to this: Apple rejects Endgame: Syria iOS game

While that's unfortunate, until they block rss feeds or pull shenanigans with your browser it's not really controlling the news you consume.

Little steps though.

Although I'd agree it's unlikely for a company running an app store to block a news source, I can see that different news sources have different agendas, biases, different areas of news they cover, etc, and many of those companies do have many interests of their own, partners that they work with that they want to preserve relationships with, and so on. If not Syria, how about preserving a relationship with a media company, and say, a news source from torrentfreak, or a game being critical of the media biz. It's a complex web.

Unlikely things have a habit happening every so often though, that's because they're not impossible.

Until they actually block a news source, let's say a particular outlet's app or IP, then all that is FUD.

@Malor - I don't think you can compare Windows 8 to IOS in regards to lockdown, perhaps me suggesting so was off the mark. I get that it is a little step towards that but I don't think it'll get as bad as IOS. You bought an IPhone for a ridiculous amount of money, for a good handset at the time, but after 6 months, seemed like a total waste of money, my house mate at the time got one hand had no end of troubles, partly cause of the locked down software and by that time the HTC Desire was out and a far better handset plus it was Andriod.

I got Windows 8 for £15, I have customized the Metro screen the way I want and added the Start Button back to the desktop, and now for me, it's just Windows 7 with a nicer GUI and seems to run better - certainly boots allot faster.

I guess because I'll never pay for an app off the store, and am quite happy getting the free ones, and other freeware off the net as I always have with Windows, I'm not really noticing this big lock down and unless I get into programming I don't think it will effect me that much. As my laptop goes, I have every piece of software I need and like I said in an earlier post, I'm not going to install it on my gaming PC.

MrDeVil909 wrote:

The day you can't install a programme because MS doesn't want you to is the day to start worrying.

You have a weird sense of time man, I'm pretty sure you should start worrying before that happens, worry preceding action and all that. Seriously, that's the day Malor and I are trying to avoid.

A round up on Ars Technica for programs that bring you back the 'Start' button.

Ars did a piece on start menu replacements. The first one, StartIsBack I had never heard of before. Apologies for the filthy skim if this had been mentioned upthread already.

http://arstechnica.com/information-t...

PaladinTom wrote:

Apologies for the filthy skim if this had been mentioned upthread already.

Really? LOL

Sparhawk wrote:
PaladinTom wrote:

Ars did a piece on start menu replacements. The first one, StartIsBack I had never heard of before. Apologies for the filthy skim if this had been mentioned upthread already.

http://arstechnica.com/information-t...

Really? LOL

Haha

It says to skip ClassicShell because it looks like a fake Win 7 start menu, but I don't think it looks too bad, and most importantly it's free. Why would I pay to put the start menu back when I don't have to, regardless of the cost.

Here's how it looks on my desktop;

IMAGE(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a309/dissposablehero/DesktopStartMenu_zps90510eb3.jpg)

IMAGE(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a309/dissposablehero/DesktopStartMenu2_zps8709e213.jpg)

Yeah fair enough, it's not IDENTICAL to the Win 7 one, but I think it looks OK and all the functionality is there.

ClassicShell works great...I used it.. and its free and has tons of customization options... not sure why theres a need to pay for something.

RolandofGilead wrote:
MrDeVil909 wrote:

The day you can't install a programme because MS doesn't want you to is the day to start worrying.

You have a weird sense of time man, I'm pretty sure you should start worrying before that happens, worry preceding action and all that. Seriously, that's the day Malor and I are trying to avoid.

The day it happens the internet will melt down, the market will push back hard enough for Redmond to fall into a black hole and MS will back track. Until then it's in the realm of 'Doomsday Preppers' paranoid fantasy.

Anyone check out any non-Metro games yet on Windows 8 using mainly touch input? I'm very interested in playing point-and-click adventure games or even something like FTL using touch. Is there a touch gesture for right-click? (I'm guessing long press?) Just curious what everyone's experience gaming with a touch screen has been like.

I also especially like the idea of plugging in a wireless controller for some more action-based mobile gaming (if the tablet is powerful enough). Maybe that's what the rumored XBox-branded Surface will be: a Surface Pro with a 360 controller.

Sigh, Every morning I am greeted with this dialog box
IMAGE(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7779045/openfile.jpg)
No mention of what file it is or anything. I've tried selecting some of the applications but nothing "opens" it.
I've looked in the event logs and can't find what it could be.
Any thoughts or suggestions?

Did you look in your startup folder to see what is running

Also you can try using Autoruns. Both of us are assuming that this happens when you log in, not just when you come to an already on computer after it has been idle all night. Do you have an antivirus program?

Not when I log in. The computer is set to not sleep, EVAR! so when I come down stairs this is sitting in the middle of the monitor. There is no cancel button, and when I click off of the window, like on the desktop, it disappears.

My antivirus is the built-in new Windows 8 replacement to Windows Security Essentials. I'll check that and see if it is updating and scanning.

I was at a VMware training yesterday with an IT veteran as speaker. He told us that (looking at memory consumption per VM) Windows 8 memory management is really impressive. Even compared to the already great memory management of Windows 7 it's really fast and smart. Any thoughts on that?

Hmm, that's a strange assortment of associations. uTorrent throws up a red flag. I'd check Task Scheduler and your running processes too.

edit: Wrong thread

LiquidMantis wrote:

Hmm, that's a strange assortment of associations. uTorrent throws up a red flag. I'd check Task Scheduler and your running processes too.

I havnt actually uTorrented anything in ages, but thanks, I'll look there too.

Kind of reminds me of what happens if you try to open something without a file extension, it just says "take your pick".

I wonder if it's trying to run say "C:\program files\something\thing.exe" but without the quotes, so instead it tries to run/open "C:\program" and that file actually exists.

I was thinking that as well, the trick is finding what that is and why it's trying to launch it in the first place.

I assume I should be able to take a Windows 8 Pro upgrade and use it on a Win 8 regular install to go to Pro somehow. Anybody done this?

I bought a Lenovo Yoga, but would like to use Windows Media Center when I'm traveling to play shows recorded at home and transferred over, and since you have to have Pro to get WMC, I need to upgrade. I have a box upgrade I was going to eventually use for my main PC, then also bought the $30 AR deal from newegg this weekend, so plan to use one of those to go to pro instead of spending the $70 through the in place upgrade.

Unrelated to Windows 8 specifically but how are you liking the Yoga? All the preview coverage I saw of it looked great and I have a client who may potentially be interested in something like that.

MannishBoy wrote:

I assume I should be able to take a Windows 8 Pro upgrade and use it on a Win 8 regular install to go to Pro somehow. Anybody done this?

You just need the key. Off the top of my head, I believe it's on the Computer Properties page that you'll have a link to "activate Windows features". That will prompt you for a higher tier product key. No media is needed.

LiquidMantis wrote:
MannishBoy wrote:

I assume I should be able to take a Windows 8 Pro upgrade and use it on a Win 8 regular install to go to Pro somehow. Anybody done this?

You just need the key. Off the top of my head, I believe it's on the Computer Properties page that you'll have a link to "activate Windows features". That will prompt you for a higher tier product key. No media is needed.

Cool, I'd just saw that in a Yoga thread over on notebookreview.com. Thanks.

I signed in with Windows 8 (Admin) by making a new account, not thinking of using my Live one. I just did the painless progress of linking this system's account with the Live one. Question is, will my 8 Store purchases also be tied to that account, and will I be able to use my Xbox (Live) account with my Win 8 apps? If not, is there any easy way around this? I haven't bought anything yet, so if I can switch it won't be a problem. Mainly asking because I want to pick up Skulls of the Shogun and play with others already on my friends list. Of course, it'll be a recurring issue anyway.