Windows 8 Thread

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Ok, time to start this as Windows 8 is coming up soon.

I am gravely concerned about this OS. It is an OS designed for hardware that is not used on desktops. It is a more restrictive OS more than ever before and with a huge potential to be as-restrictive as Apple's Mac OSX, if not worse. The interface looks like a mess, and while tiles seems to be this great idea, I just don't see it. So I'm opening this discussion here to see what you guys think about it all.

A few other opinions from the gaming scene:

Gabe Newell considers the OS a catastrophe and will likely ruin the PC market. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-07-26-gabe-newell-calls-windows-8-a-catastrophe
Notch is concerned it could make or break Indie Developers if Microsoft locked the OS down. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/118846-Notch-Windows-8-Could-Be-Very-Very-Bad-for-Indies?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=news
Blizzard states it isn't awesome for their company.

Geez...this doesn't build my confidence any.

[Volatar]

I think and hope that W8 will flop really hard in the desktop market. It's just not designed for what desktops are designed to do. I also expect that it will be rejected by their corporate customers for the same reasons, plus the more restrictive environment. (Many, many corporations rely on custom software that will have to go through approval, or legacy software that will not be moved up. Corporations hate such change.)

Heck, these restrictions and interface abominations changes even are being put on the new version of flipping Windows Server. If that alone doesn't point out that Microsoft have no idea the misstep they are making, what else does?

I can't wait for W8 on tablets though. It should be great and will give Apple a nice competitive kick in the pants.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

I can't wait for W8 on tablets though. It should be great and will give Apple a nice competitive kick in the pants.

Maybe, but the iPad has a solid grip on the market and so far the W8 phone hasn't really grabbed any traction. But hey, I suppose someone should try right?

[Volatar]

I can't wait for W8 on tablets though. It should be great and will give Apple a nice competitive kick in the pants.

Maybe, but the iPad has a solid grip on the market and so far the W8 phone hasn't really grabbed any traction. But hey, I suppose someone should try right?

That's what people said about Android vs the iPhone, and look what's happening now.

Apple sells expensive stuff. I expect the cheaper tablets to catch on quick. Especially with the ability to run familiar software like MS Office on them.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

I can't wait for W8 on tablets though. It should be great and will give Apple a nice competitive kick in the pants.

Maybe, but the iPad has a solid grip on the market and so far the W8 phone hasn't really grabbed any traction. But hey, I suppose someone should try right?

Apple sells expensive stuff. I expect the cheaper tablets to catch on quick.

So far hasn't, despite Amazon and Google trying very hard to usurp the iPad with their tablets and those were cheaper too. Question is, will Windows 8 actually be good enough on the iPad? We'll have to wait and see.

[Misery]

Gotta say, I'm concerned about this one as well.

The idea of developing stuff like this, focused on tablet devices and whatnot, is fine by me.  I have an iPad myself, and it's one of the best purchases I've ever made.  It's my secondary gaming device, right after the PC, and I've got some 200+ titles on there;  Some simple stuff like Angry Birds, and some really freaking complicated or difficult stuff like various roguelikes, and a bazillion shmups.

So I'm not against THAT aspect.   But the idea of taking something like that, and ALSO making it the central thing that all PCs will revolve around....  just.... argh.  How can ANYONE think that's a GOOD idea?  Clearly, SOMEONE in that company needs to be fired.  Not sure who, but someone does, if they had an idea like THAT.

And this, after Windows 7, which is the best version of the OS I've seen since..... er..... well, since 3.1, actually.  I liked 3.1.  It bloody well did what I told it to do.  7 has been very good about that as well.   8 though, sounds like it's going to be the opposite.

[zespri]

I can't wait for W8 on tablets though. It should be great and will give Apple a nice competitive kick in the pants.

Maybe, but the iPad has a solid grip on the market and so far the W8 phone hasn't really grabbed any traction. But hey, I suppose someone should try right?

I think you are mixing up w7 phone and w8 phone. As far as I know there is no w8 phone yet, and when it does happen it promises to be awesome.

[zespri]

And this, after Windows 7, which is the best version of the OS I've seen since..... er..... well, since 3.1, actually.  I liked 3.1.  It bloody well did what I told it to do.  7 has been very good about that as well.   

I second that Windows 7 was the best one for quite long (evolution) time.

[Mánagarmr]

To be fair though, XP was the best since W7 is just XP with a souped up GUI (stolen from the KDE project).

[Aklyon]

And Win8 stole its look from the ubuntu unity interface by the looks of comparing the two.

Also, Apple keeps suing or attempting to sue people for using the only possible touchscreen tablet design (anything else isn't using all possible space on the front for the touchscreen) because they look like the iPad. I doubt sticking the word Windows onto one will help with that at all.

[keith.lamothe]

If the W8 platform is really as restrictive as all that, it would seem the appropriate response is for developers (e.g. us), distributors (e.g. steam, etc), and customers (e.g. you) to... completely ignore its existence

[Volatar]

If the W8 platform is really as restrictive as all that, it would seem the appropriate response is for developers (e.g. us), distributors (e.g. steam, etc), and customers (e.g. you) to... completely ignore its existence

That seems to be the plan this far by all the big names linked in the OP.

[zespri]

http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/133669-could-this-be-the-year-of-the-linux-desktop

[Volatar]

http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/133669-could-this-be-the-year-of-the-linux-desktop

Man, that is a good article on the matter.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

I can't wait for W8 on tablets though. It should be great and will give Apple a nice competitive kick in the pants.

Maybe, but the iPad has a solid grip on the market and so far the W8 phone hasn't really grabbed any traction. But hey, I suppose someone should try right?

I think you are mixing up w7 phone and w8 phone. As far as I know there is no w8 phone yet, and when it does happen it promises to be awesome.

I think of it as a W8 phone, because, well, it certainly doesn't look like Windows 7 now does it?