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| Windows 8's desktop mode: Microsoft's 'Classic' |
| By Thom Holwerda on 2012-03-06 23:27:08 |
| As you may have seen, David's been taking care of OSNews for a few days because I'm quite busy with work. Still, there's one thing I'd like to talk about: the desktop mode in Windows 8. I wish I could've added this to the first impressions article, but I only arrived at this conclusion yesterday: desktop mode in Windows 8 is Microsoft's equivalent of Mac OS X's Classic mode. |
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| RE[3]: Metro |
| By ilovebeer on 2012-03-07 17:16:14 |
|
> 1 - Windows 8 is a disaster, loss of desktop functionality leads to frustration with the operating system. MS bleeds a lot of customers You're making a terribly enormous assumption that most Windows 7 users _are_ going to switch to Windows 8. I can't think of a single person I've heard say they'll make that switch, and I can't count how many people said they're going to skip Windows 8 completely. > 2 - Apple continues to turn OS X into iOS and starts pushing mac computers with ARM processors and locks the user to the appstore for all software needs. People called you crazy when you proposed this will happen but I fully believe it is just a matter of time. I'm in your camp on this one. It would be interesting to see how many Apple users would care if this happened or not. The app store seems to be fully accepted by the vast majority so I'd bet the only ones who would protest would be a small handful. > I can def see Linux on the desktop becoming popular. We hear a lot about the 'war on general computing' and you have posted about it yourself. There is a war. As more people start waking up to the *freedoms* they are losing linux will start looking a whole lot better than ever. In your scenario the only way Linux becomes popular is with the complete failure of everything else. That doesn't speak very highly of Linux. I take another position. I do not see Linux becoming a popular desktop solution, ever, and it has nothing to do with the 'competition' at all. I come to my conclusion based on all the ailments Linux has as a desktop, and it's total inability to do so in many many many years of availability. Not to mention it's failure to gain support by companies in key areas, gaming for example. I also don't believe the vast majority believes in or gives a damn about any 'war on computing'. As long as they're able to do what they want to do, which is basically use the web, email, socialize, and media playback, they couldn't care less. When was the last time you heard an average user complain about feeling oppressed and his non-existent 'computer rights' being taken from him? Never, or damn close to it. I understand some people have a serious bromance going with Linux, but with any issues you _might_ solve by switching to it, you're introducing a whole host of others. Linux has it's place in the computer world, but it's not as a solid desktop alternative. I suppose now I'll wait for someone to list off the email clients, web browsers, and media players for Linux like that is somehow supposed to make everything I just said disappear. |
 - Score: 3 |
| RE[2]: Metro |
| By Anonymous Penguin on 2012-03-07 17:36:11 |
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Thom, I don't know why Linux is that horrible. KDE 4 and GNOME 3, plus severe shortage of good apps, I know. Personally, being the admin of one of the largest Mac forums out there. it is only normal that I prefer OS X. But in the past (that is now several years ago) I'd often prefer Linux to Windows. The Linux golden age has already come and gone, alas. |
| - Score: 3 |
| RE[3]: Metro |
| By WereCatf on 2012-03-07 17:37:52 |
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> 1 - Windows 8 is a disaster, loss of desktop functionality leads to frustration with the operating system. MS bleeds a lot of customers People don't just suddenly decide to upgrade to Win8. They use whatever their machines come with and if the machines come with Win8 and they don't like it they'll just take the machine back and demand something else, at which point they'll be offered either a Mac or Win7. > 2 - Apple continues to turn OS X into iOS and starts pushing mac computers with ARM processors and locks the user to the appstore for all software needs. People called you crazy when you proposed this will happen but I fully believe it is just a matter of time. I'm in your camp on this one. Of course this will happen, but people will still use Macs anyway. > As more people start waking up to the *freedoms* they are losing You're WAY out of touch with the rest of the world there. The general populace does not see things like that, they do not think what "rights" or "freedoms" they have or don't have as long as they get their carrot-on-a-stick. Access to Apple App Store and iTunes for example is one such carrot and it works just fine. The tactics is simple; have people focus on one thing while you're doing your thing behind their backs, then just say "No, it cannot do that, you must buy this-and-that" and people will do so. |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE[3]: Metro |
| By WereCatf on 2012-03-07 17:48:51 |
|
> Thom, I don't know why Linux is that horrible. While I'm not Thom -- obviously -- I do have to agree with him. I used Linux for almost ten years on the desktop and I still use it as a server OS, but eventually I dropped it and went full-time with Win7. Why? Because there's always something that breaks without any good reason, always this or that feature missing, things are often even more inconsistent than they are on Windows(!), and very, very often there are issues with hardware not being supported at all, or atleast some major feature not being supported. Oh, and it sucks for gaming. As a server OS it is exceedingly good, though, and I do wish I could use it also as my desktop. But I simply do not want that headache anymore. OT: I doubt I'll be using Win8 either. I do not like Metro and I especially do not like that I cannot freely move and resize windows how I like. Undoubtedly more and more software will automatically start using Metro if running on Win8 and as such the afore-mentioned feature will be stripped away from me. But alas, we do not have Win8 Final yet, it remains to be seen if Microsoft will amend some of my primary issues or not. |
| - Score: 1 |
| RE: Start menu |
| By Alfman on 2012-03-07 17:49:01 |
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sphere2k, "Switching back and forth between classic desktop and Metro all the time is simply ridiculous. I hope they realise that in time." MS know this too, and though this might sound silly, part of their goal is to make the traditional desktop as annoying to use as possible to convert people to metro. The windows desktop has a long term marketing problem in that it forces microsoft to compete with it's older windows versions. The more mature and "rounded" multiwindow interfaces have become, the less MS can justify making people upgrade to new "better" versions every 3 years when by far and large the previous versions would work just great with bug fixes. It's already apparent that people are holding back in droves. So, microsoft's top brass came up with a plan to kill the desktop, and generate longer term review streams. What they came up with is metro, and what will become an app store with exclusive distribution rights so microsoft can take a cut of 3rd party software instead of being so dependent upon "upgrades". Of course they want to make metro good, but they also need to make the desktop bad, which is fairly apparent with these win8 previews. Many people are aghast at how poorly the integration is taking shape in the previews, but it's likely a deliberate strategy rather than an accident. |
| - Score: 3 |
| RE[4]: Metro |
| By Anonymous Penguin on 2012-03-07 18:25:08 |
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In any case, if so many people still use XP after 10 years, I don't see why the ones who use Windows 7 now can't keep using it for several years. As to me, it is OS X 90% (or more) of the time. People like and want OS X, but many can't afford a Mac. |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE[2]: Start menu |
| By Anonymous Penguin on 2012-03-07 18:35:16 |
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Very good analysis. We OS X users are lucky, in a sense. Apple makes its money from hardware and gadgets, so it can't afford to disappoint its users with a poor OS. If only they could sell their computers at more reasonable prices, MS would lose a very large share of their users in no time. |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE[3]: Start menu |
| By ilovebeer on 2012-03-07 18:59:27 |
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> Very good analysis. We OS X users are lucky, in a sense. Apple makes its money from hardware and gadgets, so it can't afford to disappoint its users with a poor OS. If only they could sell their computers at more reasonable prices, MS would lose a very large share of their users in no time. I completely disagree. I have yet to see a long line of Windows users saying they would switch were Apple to offer their stuff at better prices. My observation is that Windows users by and large know how to use it, are content, and not interested in having to learn a new system. That being said, I think you have a case of Apple-user-wishful-thinking . :) |
| - Score: 2 |
| No no |
| By Tuishimi on 2012-03-07 19:07:11 |
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I disagree … First, Mac OS "classic" vs. OS X is not a valid comparison to this. Desktop to Desktop? It would be more like OS X to iOS interface... but the problem is (as an example) that sometimes having multiple windows open and visible at the same time (for reference sake) is necessary. I am a software engineer and I have SQL tools, editors, browsers all open at the same time AND visible so I can cross-reference them as I work. I don't see how full-screen apps can ever replace that. |
| - Score: 4 |
| Windows 8 |
| By adinas on 2012-03-07 19:32:03 |
| Windows 8 is the first product I actually want to fail. So that in doing so they get their sanity back. |
| - Score: 2 |
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