Windows 8

[trendless]

So...8, Pro, RT, Enterprise and localized. Thoughts? I'm glad they got rid of home/home-premium. Also seems like they recognize that MCE users are by and large tech savvy, so making it an addon to Pro is another way to monetize..although good on them for not killing it entirely. The end of "format & reinstall" as we know it, tho.

[tf76]

I wonder how many businesses will opt for 8 when 7 does the job fine?

I'll treat 8 like Vista

Regards,

[16k_zx81]

Originally Posted by tf76

I'll treat 8 like Vista

This^ exactly.

I reckon consumers will hate Metro on anything thats not a tablet. The first thing most of them will do when they get a laptop/desktop with 8 will be to look for a start menu hack.

From there, I really cant see there's adequate payoffs to 8 to justify an 'upgrade' from 7 on those devices.

Touchscreens are the machines that 8 get traction on. And rightly so. It will be market competition for Android and IOS.

For laptops and desktops though, for my money, 8 is a total waste of space and serves no real benefit over 7. Not enough additional 'value adds' to justify, and the hinderance of the new menu UI

The bigger picture though, is a lot more tablets and a transition to 'phone-based' computing. In a few years time, the notion of lugging around a laptop or sitting tied to a desktop will be a quaint, fading, blip on the computing radar. Your computer will fit in your pocket and will interface seamlessly with whatever screens you happen to be standing by.

[gunslinger]

I'll treat 8 like Vista

This exactly. Its just another extended beta test on the public.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Originally Posted by tf76

I wonder how many businesses will opt for 8 when 7 does the job fine?

I'll treat 8 like Vista

Regards,

Since that's my target client audience....yeah, I'll jump to 8 on my own rigs, and laptop. But for clients...when XP is still over 75% of the workstations out there....7 is still trying to get a foothold in the business computer world...there won't be a mad rush to 8.

Usually business/enterprise waits until the first service pack is out for a major new OS before they even think about adopting it.

So we're looking at 2 years or more...easily.

[Rosco]

im using the consumer preview right now. I really like it. That said i really wish it had a start menu. I will keep windows 7 as my primary os and recommend to wait to upgrade. When touch lcds become mainstream i think windows 8 will crush the competition.

[ArtemusComputerTechnology]

I read yesterday on Gizmodo and thought the editions are 8, Pro, and RT. From my perspective, I think 8 is more for touch capability. I am really going for an all in one after its release. I'm also playing around with the Consumer Preview to try to get use to the GUI. The Metro is ok but the start button should be on the Metro tiles. At work, I recently received a 7 Enterprise workstation and keeping my XP Pro workstation. LOL. Overall, 7 is not going anywhere. Can't wait to see how 8 will turn out.

[Tekguy]

Originally Posted by trendless

Also seems like they recognize that MCE users are by and large tech savvy, so making it an addon to Pro is another way to monetize..although good on them for not killing it entirely.

It seems to me that this is Microsoft's way of slowly killing WMC. From what I can tell nothing has been changed in WMC on Win 8. Why in the world would somebody pay extra for WMC & also have to pay more for a Win 8 Pro license to install it on when nothing has changed is beyond me.

I guess Microsoft's too busy working on crazy important stuff like writing Angry Birds & Facebook apps for Win8 on the desktop.

[trendless]

Originally Posted by YeOldeStonecat

7 is still trying to get a foothold in the business computer world...there won't be a mad rush to 8.

Usually business/enterprise waits until the first service pack is out for a major new OS before they even think about adopting it.

So we're looking at 2 years or more...easily.

I'm VERY interested to see how this plays out, because Microsoft is *aggressively* moving to shorter support windows and release schedules (see: Vista already being put out to pasture). I think they're going to hammer businesses hard to catch up and get on with 7 in this next cycle... there's never gonna be another XP that was 'current' for 7, 8, 9 years. 2 years, then onto the next one seems to be their play. And who knows, with that being the norm in portable computing (smartphones/tablets), I can see it worming its way into biz and exec's brains the same way mobile devices have.

[trendless]

Originally Posted by ArtemusComputerTechnology

I read yesterday on Gizmodo and thought the editions are 8, Pro, and RT.

I think RT is aimed at the tablet market, as it's the one that will support ARM, which is by and large what's going to be in most tablets. And there's still a fourth (Enterprise) for volume license customers, and fifth (localized versions) for overseas markets.

Really, they're adding one to the two commonly seen in the marketplace these days (7 home premium, 7 pro). Oh joy. Just imagine how much fun it's going to be informing all the unwitting 8 RT buyers who can't wrap their head around the fact that their all-in-one touchscreen unit that came with 8 and looks virtually identical to the tablet they bought that came with 8 RT does not and cannot run the same applications. Oy.