The Windows event for the enterprise, which took place today in San Francisco, revealed the name of the upcoming OS. It is not Windows 9, or One Windows, or just Windows. It will be Windows 10. Other than the name, there is not really any new information from a feature or announcement standpoint (except the Command Prompt refresh that I actually will give a brief mention later). My interest comes from their mindset with this new OS — what they are changing and what they seem to be sticking with.
If you would like Microsoft's commentary before reading mine, the keynote is embed above.
Okay, so one thing that was shown is "Continuum". If you have not seen its prototype at the end of the above video, it is currently a small notification that appears when a keyboard and mouse is attached (or detached). If a user accepts, this will flip the user interface between tablet and desktop experiences. Joe Belfiore was clear that the video clip was not yet in code, but represents their vision. In practice, it will have options for whether to ask the user or to automatically do some chosen behavior.
In a way, you could argue that it was necessary to go through Windows 8.x to get to this point. From the demonstrations, the interface looks sensible and a landing point for users on both Windows 7 and Windows 8 paths. That said, I was fine with the original Windows 8 interface, barring a few glitches, like disappearing icons and snapping sidebars on PCs with multiple monitors. I always considered the "modern" Windows interface to be… acceptable.
It was the Windows Store certification that kept me from upgrading, and Microsoft's current stance is confusing at the very least. Today's announcement included the quote, "Organizations will also be able to create a customized store, curating store experiences that can include their choice of Store apps alongside company-owned apps into a separate employee store experience." Similar discussion was brought up and immediately glossed over during the keynote.
Who does that even apply to? Would a hobbyist developer be able to set up a repository for friends and family? Or is this relegated to businesses, leaving consumers to accept nothing more than what Microsoft allows? The concern is that I do not want Microsoft (or anyone) telling me what I can and cannot create and install on my devices. Once you build censorship, the crazies will come. They usually do.
But onto more important things: Command Prompt had a major UX overhaul. Joe Belfiore admitted that it was mostly because most important changes were already leaked and reported on, and they wanted to surprise us with something. They sure did. You can now use typical keyboard shortcuts, shift to select, ctrl+c and ctrl+v to copy/paste, and so forth. The even allow a transparency option, which is common in other OSes to make its presence less jarring. Rather than covering over what you're doing, it makes it feel more like it overlays on top of it, especially for quick commands. At least, that is my opinion.
Tomorrow, October 1st, Microsoft will launch their "Windows Inside Program". This will give a very early glimpse at the OS for "most enthusiastic Windows fans" who are "comfortable running pre-release software that will be of variable quality". They "plan to share all the features (they) are experimenting with". They seem to actually want user feedback, a sharp contrast from their Windows 8 technical preview. My eye will on relaxing certification requirements, obviously.
Am I missing something,
Am I missing something, because I’m pretty sure I can install a metro app now without going to the store to do it. Just a couple days ago I downloaded a zip file, extracted it, ran the file through PowerShell and it installed and worked fine. I did this on a Surface RT which is more locked down than a normal x86 machine. Maybe there are other caveats that I’m not aware of.
You may be able to side load
You may be able to side load an App, but can you put it online and sale it, and the Zip file, did it come from the store, how was it obtained and where? Did it come for an approved partner, tell us step by step? What SOC was the RT surface device running? How much does a MSDN subscription cost, and what server framework is hosting the PowerShell tools, and software to push to the RT device, that’s another subscription. Yes there are tools for folks with the big bulk licenses, and such, but that’s for mostly internal uses, and custom client software.
As far as I know there is no
As far as I know there is no way to download a zip file from the official app store. The zip file I downloaded was from the following link. http://www.wpcentral.com/mytube-windows-81-arrives-beta-everyone
I’m pretty sure the developer does not have extra privileges over other developers especially since the app is a YouTube app. If you are familiar with what happened when Microsoft tried to publish a YouTube app a while back you know what I mean. The Surface RT is just an off the shelf standard Surface RT that uses the Tegra 3 processor. It doesn’t belong to any company domain or anything special. You don’t need a MSDN subscription to develop or install the app. I don’t have an MSDN subscription nor have I ever had one. There is also no server framework hosting the PowerShell tools. This is the built in PowerShell that comes with every Windows 8 machine.
And now you are talking about
And now you are talking about 8, and not RT, and RT is the OS on the Tegra 3 based surface, and its a Google App, so maybe they have a partner exemption/contract agreement, and are thus licensed to push out their own! Let’s see you make an app, and try without the signed digital authorizations, that Google is able to get, and Wpcentral is hosting partner approved apps, or links to partner approved apps. Try to develop and sale for a profit, and see! RT on the tegra in not regular full 8, RT is a limited Run Time(RT), made to run RT(Metro style apps), RT being a limited locked down, to approved and digitally signed, RT apps. Yes there can be free applications, and yes there can be partners, that have their apps digitally signed, after M$ reviews and approves, its not a cost free service for Google and others, and Google has control, but M$ does the approving, and digital signing, and has to allow for access, at a price, at about what others are paying, no more no less! The lockdown is through the M$ digital signing process, and partner agreements, through M$ app store, or direct partner/licensed/approved signed apps pushed from partner servers. Try pushing something not digitally signed, and see.
And your hardware is forever chained to RT, try loading Android, or anything app wise that is not HTML/Browser driven!
Why do you think Google is experimenting with a browser based app ecosystem(the apps pushed down at web page load, but not installed permanently, but as apps as a service through web login/subscription), read the latest headlines! Google will run this ecosystem in the cloud, and the browser will be the client, the apps installed on the cloud account, no physical hardware permissions required, other than a standards compliant browser.
Personally I would never purchase any locked to a specific ecosystem Forever on my hardware, I own my hardware, not M$, Not Google. no win 8, or 10, or Android, win 7, and Linux, and not social, cloud or other service, except for Email, really the surface RT hardware, is truly not owned by anyone but M$, and that should not be allowed, but M$ gets away with it, same for Apple and its phone/tablets.
I wonder if “hair guy” had
I wonder if “hair guy” had anything to do with the number jump???Hmmm.