Our regular viewers know that I am not too fond of Microsoft’s recent vision; I will get that out of the way right at the start. I am a major proponent of open platforms for uncensored art with perpetual support and Windows 8 shows all the signs of Microsoft turning its back on that ideology.
And Steven Sinofsky, the one who allegedly came up with that vision, is no longer with Microsoft: effective immediately.
Not much in the line of reasoning is known about why Steven Sinofsky parted ways with his long-term career as head of Windows division. He had a clear and concise vision for his products and it was evident both in Windows 7 and in Windows RT.
Rumors exist that his fellow executives were not on pleasant terms with him. All Things D claims to have sources which suggest that his colleagues were unhappy with his conduct in terms of collaboration.
But that is all hearsay.
What it means for Microsoft is that the face that set sail is no longer at the helm. Microsoft could revert back to their twitchy attempts to appease everyone and abandon their vision. On the other hand it is entirely possible that the company could continue off on the last bearing set by Sinofsky.
No-one knows, but I stand behind my previous assertions that the PC industry will get messy in the next few years as things boil over at Microsoft.
…and the plot thickens.
…and the plot thickens. duh Duh DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
As long as Microsoft
As long as Microsoft maintains Windows 7 I’ll be happy. If Linux was a more viable gaming platform I wouldn’t even care that much, but Windows is still king. (Maybe not much longer?)
Funny you should mention
Funny you should mention that.
There are currently no plans to bring DirectX 11.1 to Windows 7.
Don't worry, OpenGL loves you though.
For me, I was okay with
For me, I was okay with windows 7, the UI works well and other than the changes to the startmenu layout (I like the search bar) Many other UI elements were improved (though the elements of the OS became more IO heavy thus things that were pretty much instant in windows XP, now have a noticeable delay in windows 7 if you are not using an SSD.
Even with that, it acceptable, especially with the file management improvements and dealing with multiple network drives and just managing multiple partitions.
But with windows 8, microsoft just ruined a lot of things, the metro crap is extremely inefficient in how it uses the screen space. It takes up my entire 1080p display and only shows a fraction of the content shown in the windows 7 start menu (that only takes a fraction of the screen). Furthermore, while you can zoom out in the windows 8 metro crap to see more, it just zooms out like if all of the icons were one large image so you end up with a tiny sliver in the center of the screen.
It sucks with dual displays unless you move your main desktop from the left to the right (which is even more annoying)
I am currently forced to use windows 8 because I offer tech support and need ample experience with each OS I provide support on, many beta test also require windows 8.
Overall windows 8 UI sucks, the hybrid hibernation crap (hibernate the kernel on shutdown) has certain annoying issues, eg certain driver fail issues where a normal reboot will fix it, wont fix it on windows 8 unless you disable the hybrid crap.
Microsoft has a lot more work to do when it comes to releasing a new desktop OS, and it would probably be better for them to recall windows 8, then just start over on making it
Windows 8 makes me glad that
Windows 8 makes me glad that I do pretty much everything in Linux now. The only thing I’ve regularly used Windows for over the last seven years is gaming. And if things turn out well with the Steam Linux client I may not need it for that much longer.
Darth Maul is dead, Always
Darth Maul is dead, Always two Sith there are, never more never less.
Microsoft Employee: Ah, MR.
Microsoft Employee: Ah, MR. Sinofsky. we need to make the Metro GUI optional on windows 8!
Sinofsky: No, Never! It will be Metro, The customers do not know what they want! until I tell I tell them, and They want what I tell them to want!
Microsoft Employee: But the surveys say otherwise!
Sinofsky: Then the surveys are wrong! Can’t you see this black turtleneck sweater I’am wearing! This means I am ALL KNOWING! Can you not see that I am the SECOND COMING!
Microsoft Employee: Okaaaaay!
And Now! we get Julie (The
And Now! we get Julie (The Ribbon Lady) Larson-Green! And the pretty tiles will be transformed into Ribbons! Ribbons of silver and gold! We have gone from Flooring to the Sewing and fabrics isle in the little Microsoft shop of horrible interfaces! Clean up in aisle 5!
I really think this is just a
I really think this is just a coincidence. Microsoft has a long way to go in cleaning out the trash at the executive level, starting with mr monkey dance ballmer and miss hyphenated last name former small business CFO with only a bachelors in business then turned user interface expert responsible for such gems as eliminating top of window menus and the oh-so-well-researched left to right metro scrolling guaranteed to give a healthy human brain the biological equivalent of a seg fault (hint – she’s mentioned in the article).
For your entertainment search YouTube for ballmer going crazy.
It must be a challenge for
It must be a challenge for some to learn that you have to click a tile to get to the old desktop and the old start menu is now a graphical interface. Of course there were some who complained about the move from DOS to Windows.
people really don’t like
people really don’t like change.
and all the linux talk… sure you die hards that will try your hardest to run linux and will… the general population won’t, and never will.
everyone pissed and freaked over vista, i never had an issue with it that ruined my day, also other stations configed with it didn’t break anyone elses work day either.
tech geek blog reader people in general just like to bitch cause they like hearing themselves bitch.
The general population will
The general population will be able to get a PC with a Type 1 hyporvisor running, with Windows pre-installed on a VM running under the control of Type 1 hypervisor and hardly notice any difference! The only difference is that the user, if they so choose, can have the Type 1 hyporvisor initalize another VM on the same computer, and install another OS on that VM, and run it and the Windows OS at the same time, with a few clicks of the mouse! And the hardware and CPU instructions to do this has been on Intel CPUs, ARM CPUs, AMD CPUs, and others for some time! In fact VMs have been around on mainframe computers, since before there was a M$, and BIG BLUE(IBM), Burroughs, Uunivac, and others used VMs!
Bill In Alabama!
The windows
Bill In Alabama!
The windows metro(now called modern) interface is also a closed runtime, that does not interface with desktop Applications by design! Metro is a M$ land grab of the more open desktop applications and the more functional desktop API. Do you know of any open source applications that can run inside the metro run time! The Metro GUI and runtime belongs on a tablet, and not on a PC! Microsoft wants a cut of any profits, for any apps produced for the Metro runtime!
The time is not to far off in the future, when PCs will come with a Type 1 hyporvisor (VM) that can run any OS, but does not require the PC to come with any particular OS installed, PCs will come with a type 1 hyporvisor installed
and the user will install the OS on the virtual machine (VM) under the control of the Type 1 hyporvisor, the PC user can it they want install and run more than one OS at the same time! The PC hardware (drivers included) will be part of, or under the complete control of the hyporvisor, the OSs that are installed on the VM will think that they are on a normal PC all to themselves, but the OSs will be non the wiser! The era of PC chained to one OS is coming to an end! All the world is a VM, get with the play!
You sound like a whiner who
You sound like a whiner who can’t stand someone else’s success. Hence the use of M$. People start businesses to make profits. If you don’t like MS, don’t buy their products. There are alternatives. If you do use Win 8 and you don’t like the metro, go to the desktop. I don’t run metro apps – they are easily bypassed.
Where is it written that a PC has to come with a particular OS? I have four PC towers that didn’t come with any OS. I have four laptops that did, but two of them are not running the OS that came with them. Get over it!!! If you think you can predict the future, try that skill out with the stock market or perhaps the race track to see how good you really are.
Ohhhhhkay.
The concern is
Ohhhhhkay.
The concern is actually that people do not understand how much control Microsoft has with Windows RT/the modern half of Windows 8 and how little people understand about what prior Windows being an open-ish platform means.
People are being conditioned to losing functionality for shady reasons all the time, and they do not need to. In fact, that has pretty dang terrible consequences.
Yes and when business like M$
Yes and when business like M$ try to monopolise the market by using anticompetative measures against PC OEM’s and other software venders! Then the M$ rings true! The Type 1 hyporvisor is the Future of computing what do you think is running on all the servers! M$ will just have to get over its self, and run under a VM along with all the other OSs that a user wishes to run, one at a time or more that one OS at the same time! I am sure Acer and HP have access to so damn good Type 1 hyporvisors, HP sells a lot of servers!
By: SoreFinger.
Surface, Its
By: SoreFinger.
Surface, Its the Tab with the cracked keyboard, But there’s more! Its the Tab with the software bloat, behind the M$ app store Moat! If you write apps! You’ll have to pay, 30% to play, on the Surface!
Are you saying they are
Are you saying they are trying to monopolize the tablet market with the Surface? It doesn’t even look like they’re in the race.
If you don’t want to pay 30% to the MS store, then write apps for the iPad. Oh, they also charge 30% to those they deem suitable and there’s no guarantee that after you put forth all that effort that Apple will let you in. Life isn’t fair.
Bill In Alabama, Its about M$
Bill In Alabama, Its about M$ forcing Win 8, on third party OEM PCs. Its about M$ trying to force windows 8 on new computers, and not giving OEMs the option of selling new laptops with Windows 7 pre installed, windows 7 is only 3 years old, some people do no need or want windows 8! and to have no downgrade rights on a new PC to windows 7, M$ is trying to force the Win 8/Metro closed ecosystem onto the desktop! What microsoft does on its own branded hardware is microsoft’s own business, but what M$ trys to do to third party OEM’s PCs is everybodys business, including the Antitrust Arm of The Justice department! The Type 1 hyporvisors that will be installed on PCs in the future will level the playing field for Thrid party PC makers, PC users, and all points in the middle!
TrustBustingTeddy says, I’ll ride up that Hill on my Type 1 Hyporvisor! and knock M$ off its high horse!
Bill In Alabama, I’ll write
Bill In Alabama, I’ll write my Applications for the windows 7 desktop, I do not want a touchy feely interface on my desktop! I do not have to owe my soul to the M$ company store, or the Apple store for that matter! My desktop applications work just fine, and I will not slide down that Windows 8 slippery slope to the Bottomless Pit of any closed OS ecosystem!
See the future Bill
A
See the future Bill
A hyporvisor for tablets and cell phones!
http://www.tomsitpro.com/articles/mobile_virtualization-mobile_device_management-consumerization,1-34.html
You are talking about
You are talking about something that most individuals could care less about. When they need to replace their computer, they go to a retail store, big box warehouse, online, etc. and buy whatever fits their budget and accepts whatever OS is preinstalled on that computer. Small businesses are locked into the system that runs the application they need for their business. For example if you have a private medical practice, you need to comply with the federal governments laws regarding erecords. If you fail to comply, you are penalized by the federal government on the reimbursements from the feds. There is a list of federally approved applications that the feds permit in order to comply. Most of those (if not all) are Windows applications. Other business genres also use applications that are unique to their business that are mostly Windows based. They don’t have the technical skills to implement those with a VM solution and you don’t run a business with a tablet or cell phone. They be a tool that connects with their system, but not the basis for the system. Will your predictions come to pass? Perhaps, but not in my lifetime. I think most of the income for MS is from enterprise. You seem to have your head in the clouds.
Bill In Alabama, No Just a
Bill In Alabama, No Just a few mouse Clicks, Most PCs will come with type 1 hypervisor and your favorite OS installed on one VM, and if the user so chooses, they can add a 2nd VM, or more and install another OS! Great for testing out a new Linux distro, or other OS pre release! for those with little technical ability, they can stay with a single OS on a single VM! They will hardly notice any difference!
Just Google type 1 hypervisor, and read up on the subject, then go to some of the company’s web sites that have VM wares and see!
Bill In Alabama, VMs have
Bill In Alabama, VMs have been around for longer than microsoft! You probably would have said the same thing about multitasking OSs on PC, Oh no never PCs and microprocessors can not multitask, but for how long now
have PC been able to multitask! Hell! my laptop has as much power as the old mainframe I used back in my college days!
And that mainframe ran VM370, and every student in the advanced 360/370 assembly language class had their own
370 VM to run their code on! The days of M$ octopus are coming to an end!
Yes, I first learned about
Yes, I first learned about VMs in the 1970s about the same time that MS was founded. I worked with the person (Chuck Peddle) who designed the Motorola 6800 eight bit processor a couple of years earlier. I’ve also written 360 assembly language code. That was in the 1960s. I still think the prediction of the death of MS is premature. As you might guess, I’m older than dirt.
Consider how many years
Consider how many years people have predicted that Linux would put an end to MS.
Yes Ballmer, get your damn
Yes Ballmer, get your damn dirty stinking hands off of my Bare Metal, because the only thing that can touch my Bare Metal, is a Type 1 Hypervisor!