Windows 8

I saw this trolling in twitter;

Matthew Shirey (@DuluenFSM)
3/3/12 7:59 PM
Mountain Lion: update Integrates more of iOS with OSX $26
Windows 8: update integrates WP7 features with windows 7 $179-699+
#OSXFTW
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Also lion server is $49.

With site licenses for business does the cost do down for windows and office products? How much? Been exposed to MSDN and what a deal that seems to be.
 
How long will Win 7 be available for purchase? I'm not so happy with it's extra layer of crap that slows me down, but it should usable for the rest of my life.
 
I'm seriously considering a family pack to cover myself just in case. Wondering about getting it now verses when 8 comes out and catching a clearance price drop which could be risky. Assuming they don't pull the family pack any time soon again.
 
I'm really very uninterested in Windows 8 the way it is now. I have yet to read a positive review other than how fast it booted up.

Significantly more interested in Windows server "8" for its virtualization capabilities.
 
MaxBurn said:
I'm seriously considering a family pack to cover myself just in case.
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Seriously, spend the extra $30 or whatever it is to get a Technet Standard sub. You'll get two keys for each version of Windows that can each be re-used 11 or 21 times (depending on version), plus you'll get MS Office keys.
 
I keep forgetting about that and I know we have discussed the benefits of it and being able to reactivate after expiration fine before here. On the standard do you get server 2008 R2 and Office? Basically you get every download listed here that mentions "TechNet Standard (Retail)" right? If so I didn't realize it was so broad, I might do it.
 
Come to think of it I think I will enquire through work to see if they can add me in to their technet volume license somehow. Worth a shot but I guess I will do it myself if they say no.
 
I find it very difficult to find the hot spots on the touch screen to bring metro back up and the charms menu and the like. My touchscreen is 1920x1080 rather than more typical resolutions, but it's not something that I should be fighting with.
 
Who wants to use Windows on a tablet? Isn't there a future with Andros? Likewise the touchscreen is awful for most desktop use.
 
In Microsoft's version of reality, they'd move to only supporting one OS and people would want theri tablet devices to be susceptible to the same malware bullshit so they could run a copy of Office. Android absolutely has a place, but it has drawbacks of its own.
 
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The second screen is hugely useful for making Win8 usable on a desktop. By default, it ALWAYS shows the Desktop application, and stuff that sits on that screen is always visible and available. Also, all views of the desktop show the full taskbar, including pinned applications, and each Desktop instance gets its own wallpaper.

Touch doesn't really seem to be doing anything useful at this point. I can't wedge my finger into the tiny little corner needed to bring up Metro.

I showed the whole thing to the people I work with today. Kittens were had. From a support and training standpoint it's kind of a nightmare.
 
The comments on that post are gold. I've never seen a tech forum with a hate-on for Windows XP *and* all inferior previous versions of Windows before.
 
I'm probably going to switch my work desktop to Windows 8 so I can get a better feel for it. I can't see making myself use it on a PC I actually care about. Anyway, Stardock software has a replacement Start Menu for folks who hate Metro. Like me. And other right-thinking human beings.
 
So it's a bit like going back to the good ol' DOS days, where you had to buy and install your own menu system?
 
Pshaw! Could you run VisiCalc and WordStar simultaneously using xTree?
I think I still have a copy of xTree Pro somewhere...

Edit: Yup, at least so it says on this 5.25 floppy; it is in the same case with some original grey Norton Utilities discs.
 
It might be useful to point out that Chris Pirillo is best known as an OSS advocate. His views on the subject of Windows are probably about as useful as those of the douche/Apple Troll who founded digg.com. Who is apparently some kind of celebrity. Whatever.
 
And yet I don't disagree with his dad, which is an XP user and the subject of these videos.

It has been mentioned elsewhere that it is interesting that his impression of "the internet" is the google search home page.
 
I showed Windows 8 to a half dozen people who were XP users in to learn about Windows 7. They had a harder time with the idea that the Windows they were used to being the "Desktop" or "Windows Explorer" tile than they did getting back and forth to Metro. People were moving their mouse to the lower left corner habitually. It wasn't my class so I only spent about 10 minutes.

The most interesting feedback anyone gave was that there was no need for Metro OR the Start Button. She just wanted some icons either on the desktop or pinned to the taskbar and a place to go to change other settings like she had on her phone... which is more or less exactly what Metro is anyway, other than the fact that we're not used to it.
 
Especially compelling was I had no particular trouble getting SiteScan 5 (WebCTRL 5) running in server 8 with SQL 2012. Internet Explorer 10 didn't work for me until I turned on compatibility mode though.
 
I like that I can just run a Ninite updater file from my thumb drive or FTP off my web space and never, ever sully a new computer with Internet Explorer in the first place.
 
MaxBurn said:
Especially compelling was I had no particular trouble getting SiteScan 5 (WebCTRL 5) running in server 8 with SQL 2012. Internet Explorer 10 didn't work for me until I turned on compatibility mode though.
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Interesting. I got locked out of SiteScan at work and had to get the boss to unlock my account. It was then I realised that SSWeb and Firefox don't make a happy couple. I have to have an IE window open for legacy apps like this :)
 
They say that 6 will bring multi browser compatibility but that is a huge jump away imo.
 
I know maybe two people who would be impacted by that. For the most part, when I explain what media center is for, people still say "Why would I want to hook my computer up to my TV?" and then look at me funny. And for everyone else, there's XMBC.
 
xbmc makes HTPCs usable.

The addon system is kind of retarded since addons break all the time, but at times you can have a single interface for local content, Youtube, Vimeo, Netflix, Amazon streaming etc.
It will also scrape your files for online metadata if your filenames aren't all jacked up and retarded. It's more reliable for TV shows than movies though.

If I had a wishlist it would be for a useful browser that worked seemlessly and scaled to the widgets of widgets in xbmc, but as it is it's pretty sweet.
 
I'm using Windows 8 with three monitors. Since it took me forever to figure out, you CAN move a Metro app to another screen. You do it with Win+PgUp/PgDn. Sort of analogous to the Win+left/right shortcut to re-arrange non-retarded applications in Win7.
 
The Verge (@verge)
4/16/12 7:19 PM
Windows on ARM officially named 'Windows RT,' joins Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro vrge.co/HNqbUD

Microsoft can't name things for shit anymore, or ever really.
 
... And Windows 8 Server is officially Windows Server 2012. Which really shouldn't surprise anyone given the last dozen years of Server product names.
 
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