Poll Thoughts about Windows 8?

[Rtyh-12]

And Windows 7 was made by taking Vista and modifying it, and Vista was made by taking XP and modifying it, and XP was made by taking 2000 and modifying it, and 2000 was made by taking NT and modifying it... It's pretty rare for a subsequent version of a given software product to actually be starting from scratch.

Err... I know...

 

[Ghostrider]

Well, why not. NT was quite stable. There is no real need to reinvent the wheel everytime, but it pays off to shed excess baggage along the way.
But I'm curious about Windows 7 (which I haven't tried in any form yet): is it a reworking of Vista or a parallel development? Because it sounds way too much of an improvement judging from the comments.

 

[Hielor]

Err... I know...

Then perhaps I misunderstood something. I fail to see how this:

What Microsoft is doing right now is taking Windows 7 and modifying it.

has anything to do with this:

Well it doesn't exist yet.

 

[Rtyh-12]

I mean that the 'true' Windows 8 doesn't exist right now. There's this modified Windows 7, but nothing more.

 

[jedidia]

Because it sounds way too much of an improvement judging from the comments.

Don't know exactly, but it's not bad. Not quite as stable as XP yet, but that's partly due to poor driver support by hardware companies. Samsung for example doesn't do any Win7 drivers for its pre-Win7 DVD-drive. It works with the old drivers, but easily leads to a crash when in a crunch (damaged disks or such). Not really Microsofts fault, but I hope they improve the "bomb-shelter" with the next service pack...

 

[Hielor]

I mean that the 'true' Windows 8 doesn't exist right now. There's this modified Windows 7, but nothing more.

In your mind, at what point does the next version become a "true" next version and stop being just a modified version of the previous one?

 

[Rtyh-12]

I agree, there's no exact line, though you can't say that Windows 7 with a couple of new features is a new version.

 

[Mantis]

Guilty as charged.
To be honest I'm quite satisfied with Windows 7, so I don't mind having paid for it...If I absolutely wanted a free OS I guess I'd use Linux.

Same here. Windows 7 is a very good quality operating system in which they have eliminated the annoyances of WIndows Vista. The reality about Vista is that it isn't nearly as buggy as people like to believe. Most of the probles with Vista were not Vista problems at all but issues with poorly written device drivers and application software. Vista did have it's share of problems - the UAC while useful was so annoying that most people turned it off.

---------- Post added at 07:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:09 AM ----------

I agree, there's no exact line, though you can't say that Windows 7 with a couple of new features is a new version.

Windows 7 is a LOT more than just Windows Vista with a couple of new features though.

 

[IronRain]

I've heard that Windows 8 beta should be ready later this year.. anyone that can confirm this?

Since I'm doing an IT training, I can download the beta and eventually the official release for free (and legal).. Lucky me :lol:

 

[orb]

I wonder will Windows 8 be actually 6.2 or 7.0 (Windows 7 is 6.1)?

 

[Rtyh-12]

I've heard that Windows 8 beta should be ready later this year.. anyone that can confirm this?

I've heard that too, but I can't confirm it either.

Windows 7 is a LOT more than just Windows Vista with a couple of new features though.

What I meant is that Windows 8 that exists right now is just Windows 7 with a couple of new features. Windows 7 is much better than Vista. It is what Vista had to be.

The reality about Vista is that it isn't nearly as buggy as people like to believe.

Have you seen this?

 

[Mantis]

[quoteIronRain]I've heard that Windows 8 beta should be ready later this year.. anyone that can confirm this?

I've heard that too, but I can't confirm it either.
[/quote]

Not likely. It's not slated for release until 2012 at the earliest. They have probably scarely even begun to code anything let alone being close to a beta release. I wouldn't expect a beta until early - mid 2012 with a launch of late 2012 - early 2013.

What I meant is that Windows 8 that exists right now is just Windows 7 with a couple of new features. Windows 7 is much better than Vista. It is what Vista had to be.

It doesn't exist at all right now beyond planning and design documents. About the extent of what is known about it is this:

"At the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft announced that it would be including support for system-on-a-chip (SoC) and mobile ARM processors in its next version of the Windows operating system, which is expected to be called Windows 8. It is anticipated that Windows 8 will be released in 2012 or later."

Have you seen this?

I have seen that and similar lists and it contains a few minor bugs with Windows, bugs with poorly written third party software that people blame on Windows and the bulk of the items are not bugs at all rather features that people don't like. Someone says "I don't like having to click <insert key combo> to do this. I didn't have to in <inert previous version> so this is a bug."

 

[Wishbone]

Mantis, this stuff is a usability bug anyway. But Windows is only a tip of the iceberg - Microsoft does a stunning load of things under the surface - check MS Research.

OTOH, there's one epic failure - Office 2007... sigh...

 

[tl8]

How is Office 2007 a failure, I actually think it was one of their better products.

 

[Mantis]

How is Office 2007 a failure, I actually think it was one of their better products.

Same here. I've done a number of large deployments with it and never had a problem.

 

[Keatah]

I haven't even made it to vista yet, let alone 7, and now there's talk of 8 ?? Why bother? The computer is a tool to be used, nothing more. And xp serves my needs just fine! I got it customized (just a little) just perfect with all the necessary shareware and freeware stuff I need.

Once I get used to something and get everything working *I* don't like to change things or be upgrading just because... You see, in my experience when upgrading operating systems it seems my most important utilities and drivers break or don't work correctly. Then there is more time wasted in hunting down updated versions or crafting work-arounds.

If I'm going have to beta-test windows 7 or something *I* better damned well see some neat features and cool things that enhance the way I work and what I do. And they better work correctly.

---------- Post added at 06:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:54 PM ----------

To keep this short, what do you think about Windows 8? It sounds like a very innovative design (meaning, not very good, we'll need to wait and see, but something really new).

When I hear the word innovative, I tend to steer clear of something. That word, when used in marketing-speak context, means something is so different that I have to go and relearn and redo everything. Oft-times it can only make sense to the developer. Or perhaps it is so new, it is still in alpha-testing stages.

 

[Turbinator]

Alpha version of Windows 8 shown at CES 2011:

It is running the Windows 7 interface, same thing happened with Windows Vista, where the early builds ran with the Windows XP interface.







.

 

[Xyon]

6.2? Microsoft seem to be afraid of version number 7...

 

[Wishbone]

Re: Windows 8 - we'll see, very likely if my bosses cough up for a 64-bit multicore (and in about the same time frame)...
Re: Office '07 - forcing the user to re-learn interface is not good (TM). Won't...

 

[Fabri91]

Are you referring to the new interface standard as found, for example, in Paint, the newer Offices and Track-IR5 or Plan-g (the latter being a freeware tool for flight simulator, but just to have some examples of non-microsoft software)? To be hones I don't mind it, and the "previous standard" with the toolbar (is that the correct name in English? The thing listing "File", "Options", "Help" and so on, anyway) dates back to win95 days, and with more and more options in many programs it could get somewhat cumbersome.