OT: Windows 8

[wmp]

Microsoft: "We Dun Goofed"

Here, have a whole new way to do the SOS. We've rearranged the furniture and hidden the tools. You'll love it.

[zephonic]

Hey Tom, thanks for sharing these links.

 

This is an interesting article on Windows 8 design choices by Jacob Millera, a UX designer for Microsoft.

 

Takeaway: "Familiarity will always trump good design."

 

KLONK!

 

 

That Jacob Millera is full of it, as Paul Thurrot conclusively demonstrates:

http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/really-why-microsoft-made-windows-8

 

And:

 

Microsoft: "We Dun Goofed"

 

Coming this spring, Windows 8.1 Update 1 will repair the OS.

 

Will make the UI more familiar and more convenient for users with mouse/keyboard.

 

KLONK!

 

this directly contradicts what Millera says; if they meant to do all of that, why "repair" things now?

 

 

[joegerardi]

And can not see any compelling business case to upgrade to Win 7

 

Well, many many businesses are enamored with the idea of cloud computing. IBM is pushing it, and when the big boy speaks, a lot of people listen. The thought of central repositories for data, with one central location for redundancy and maintenance certainly does have its merits...

 

The account I work on (State of Georgia) has decided to go to Office 365, which is cloud based, and as such every computer in state offices have to be updated to 7 in order to do that.

 

So, there are actually business reasons to upgrade, but it's prohibitive- many organizations are sticking with XP because they don't have to upgrade hardware - which is always the terrible expense for the IT departments - and because it works, which is what organizations want.

 

..Joe

[Steve Force]

...actually..... Windows 7 is NOT a pre-req for Office365.. XP works just fine..

[NeedMoreBass]

Here's a Start Menu for Windows 8 that's free. It allows you to skip Metro and boot directly to the desktop. It's the only way I can use Windows 8.

 

http://www.iobit.com/iobitstartmenu8.php

[MoodyBluesKeys]

I believe that the real key to the interface change (and the forcing of the "Metro" interface as default with removal of many so-called "legacy" features - BTW, the same thing was done to Office 2013 in comparison to Office 2010) is that the primary person in charge of the development as President of the Windows Division of Microsoft, Steven Sinofsky, was the one person who really was determined to force the changes - and unfortunately no one in the higher ranges of the company paid enough attention to halt the scheme before it was released.

 

No public details have been released, but Sinofsky's sudden departure from Microsoft a very few weeks after the public release of Windows 8.0 (26 October, 2012) speaks volumes. His departure was 12 November, 2012. Interestingly, Sinofsky had also been in charge for the release of the successful Windows 7. He was also in charge of the release of the "ribbon" interface change first shown in Office 2007. Both Sinofsky and Microsoft publicly state that the change was based on "mutual agreement,"

 

General reaction from the public was likely not the primary driver in Microsoft's back-pedaling on the new interface. Corporate reaction has been almost totally negative (although Windows 8.1 Pro does integrate well into a typical server and domain based corporate network).

 

I've spent the past year in efforts to get as many of my clients as possible off of XP, the security challenges are just too high. I do prefer the Win 7 interface, but 8.1 can easily be made close to the Win 7 interface, and I fully expect the update to be released later this year to return even more.

 

I'm running Office 2013 now, although I have replaced the Outlook module with Outlook 2010 - my workflow depends on being able to convert "legacy" Lotus Organizer data into the Calendar, Contacts, and Notes section of Outlook - where it can then be converted into the BlackBerry.

 

I should have availability in the next few days of Office 365, and expect to convert some clients from Office 2003.

[joegerardi]

...actually..... Windows 7 is NOT a pre-req for Office365.. XP works just fine..

 

True, if you're willing to deal with a 32-bit Domain. Put in one 64-bit Domain and you run into a world of trust issues between the two which cause no end of login problems.

 

Ask me how I know about this on a 2300+-server network...

 

..Joe

[Six-string-man]

I do prefer the Win 7 interface, but 8.1 can easily be made close to the Win 7 interface, and I fully expect the update to be released later this year to return even more.

 

.

 

 

Well, this speaks volumes, doesn't it?

 

To put it another way: "Microsoft f***** up completely with the Win 8 interface, but are bringing out a fix so that it will look like Win 7"

 

 

SSM

[Steve Force]

...actually..... Windows 7 is NOT a pre-req for Office365.. XP works just fine..

 

True, if you're willing to deal with a 32-bit Domain. Put in one 64-bit Domain and you run into a world of trust issues between the two which cause no end of login problems.

 

Ask me how I know about this on a 2300+-server network...

 

..Joe

 

[Mr. Nightime]

And can not see any compelling business case to upgrade to Win 7

 

Well, many many businesses are enamored with the idea of cloud computing. IBM is pushing it, and when the big boy speaks, a lot of people listen. The thought of central repositories for data, with one central location for redundancy and maintenance certainly does have its merits...

 

The account I work on (State of Georgia) has decided to go to Office 365, which is cloud based, and as such every computer in state offices have to be updated to 7 in order to do that.

 

So, there are actually business reasons to upgrade, but it's prohibitive- many organizations are sticking with XP because they don't have to upgrade hardware - which is always the terrible expense for the IT departments - and because it works, which is what organizations want.

 

..Joe

 

The Department of Transportation, and by extension the FAA, is going to Office 365 as well, getting rid of Lotus Notes (Can't happen soon enough) They are also going to Windows 7, upgrading all XP machines. I'm already on Office 365, but the rank and file members are not due to change until April.

 

There are several reasons why the upgrade.

 

First, there was a mandate for the entire DoT that PIV cards be implemented for credentialing. These are badges with a chip that contains the log in information. The version used required Win 7

 

Second, with the cessation of support by Microsoft of Win XP, the DOT required the upgrade.

 

The FAA has a replacement schedule for hardware. Basically, when the extended warrantee ends, the hardware gets replaced.

 

As slow as the upgrade process is, the chances of going to Win 8 are slim to non-existent.

 

 

[RABid]

We are almost totally Win7Pro now. I keep an XP system available with an older version of Office and remote into it for a few tasks that will not work on Win7. I'm really hoping that Win8 goes the way of Vista and OS2. I can deal with the interface. I cannot deal with so many necessary programs not running on it.

 

Dealing with state government here is awful on the computer side. They are all over the place. They supply encryption routines that will not run in Windows 7. (That's one reason I keep a WinXP machine.) They have web sites that will not work with IE 11, even in compatibility mode. There are still some Medicaid files that I have to transmit over modem using ProComm Plus. (Another reason I keep the XP machine around.) On the other side, they are constantly sending us documents created in the very latest versions of Office or Acrobat. They also keep wanting to email our clinicians about clients. I have to keep reminding people at the state level and even in the court system about HIPAA regulations.

 

 

[RABid]

I used Win8 a few hours this morning and decided to research the possibility of connecting my ViewSonic MultiTouch to a Mac Mini. Searching Google does not give me much hope. This is one area in which Win8 excels. Even Win7 seems to have more support for touch screens than OSX. I did find one third party company that provides touch screen drivers for OSX. Not ready to spend $180 for a third party driver.