Wednesday, December 7th 2011
Windows 8 'Irrelevant' For PC Users
Well, it looks like the Windows 8 flagship feature, the Metro interface, isn't going down too well with PC users, according to leading market research firm International Data Corp. On top of that, there aren't really any killer improvements in the operating system that make shelling out for a new version compelling. The Metro interface, while suited to a smartphone or tablet, really doesn't do anything for a desktop PC, because it's operation is very restrictive compared to the standard desktop that's been around for over 15 years on Windows and is now a very refined and sophisticated user interface. Also, the fact that many organizations have only recently migrated to Windows 7 and are not looking to spend money in the current economic climate and go through the pains of another upgrade cycle again isn't helping. The poor economy looks like it will hamper sales of Windows 8 on its target devices, tablets, too. Finally, IDC said: "(T)here will be intense scrutiny on Microsoft's ability to deliver a successful tablet experience aboard both x86-based tablets and on devices running ARM processors. This is a tall order for Microsoft, and while the x86 tablet strategy makes sense as a transitional solution for today's PC users, it will be the ARM-based devices that need to shine and clear a high bar already set by Apple."
Sources:
xbit labs, zdnet
150 Comments on Windows 8 'Irrelevant' For PC Users
Won't that help in power efficiency? Won't it help multi-threaded games?
Windows 7 is thread blind so to speak. In your diagram if left to right thread 1 was assigned to core 0 out of three threads the application was running total it would execute them simultaniously. If thread 2 on core 1 was depending on information from thread 1 on core 0 to process and for example if we had Intel Hyperthreading running it might assign it the following way.
Core 0/Thread 1 Real core
Core 1/Thread 2 HT core
So the dependant workload would be running on the same core creating at least two cycles of waste as the first thread has to fully execute and the results have to be written to the registers before the second thread can execute.
Windows 8 on the other hand will look at cores and HT cores, or other versions of multithreading per core differently and allocate dependant threads to individual real cores, and hopefully even within the same module so the shared resources will allow optomized processing.
1 core with HT VS 2 cores is not the same. Up till Windows 8 however the difference and the minimal number of true multithreaded applications has been limited, however this is changing as we are going more cores and less Ghz, if it went the way they thought it was we would all be running dual core 10Ghz processors and it woudn't matter.
it looks nice but placing it as first screen? i dont think its a nice for desktop
why dont they put it as start menu?
i guess windows wants people get familiar with that so they familiar with windows phone too so windows could assume if they buy phone, win phone would be in their list
You are saying that windows 7 and 8 are irrelevant to PC users... I am disagreeing with that and I'm sure many stats will disagree with it too
or just hope someone release apps to control it :toast:
Or voice differencing allowing for data to be shown at a work meeting depending on the speaker demand whoever she/he is, or Excel filling data by voice and touch combination... Yes, Excel and touch seems like a perfect match, the same way WORD and Voice also will easily fit.
The technologies Steevo and others here list: handwriting and voice recognition, speak to text, facial and partial body recognition, motion and voice activated features, bio and NeuroControl.
All are already mature to have existing products on the shelves:
www.gamesradar.com/mindwave-a-99-brainwave-sensor-now-on-sale/
To show the rarest.
But to hint the functionalities now at reach, better read on some new functions of recently released 2nd Kinect SDK, of which apps are starting what seem to become a BIG Wave:
*Sound source localization for beamforming, which enables the determination of a sound’s spatial location, enhancing reliability when integrated with the Microsoft speech recognition API.
*Depth data, which provides the distance of an object from the Kinect camera.
*Highly performant and robust skeletal tracking capabilities for determining the body positions of one or two persons moving within the Kinect field of view.
What we DO need is an OS that actually facilitates the interconnection and merge of all these, allowing for new functions and vast efficiency improvements in one environment.
To me this is not just creating an ecosystem, its allowing for the evolution of Era in control and IT funcionalties. This is not just about fast and compatibility. It's radical new functions and ways of doing the old and new.
One good example of how this evolution comes to be possible, is The Touchable Hologram. It has been in our fantasies since the 70s, and several attempts have been tried by adding soundwaves, air pressure shaping and who knows what else to "densify them". However now
www.mobiledia.com/news/113457.html
Techs left holograms in their physical band while adding Kinect and CPU to it, allowing for precise in air control from users wanting to interact...with whatever an hologram conveys... This is the kind of new capacities found with the interaction of several techniques, instead of trying to force certain technology, device or software, to do it all by itself.
Nice to see the industry predictions were right all along. :)
Also, why the fruck do you bump your own angled stories? I know you have a huge ego, but this is retarded.
If that includes Windows Phone then Windows Phone too.
Instead, they opted for forcing consumers into unfriendly OS usage and functions, really planting the basis for their increased control respect software to be installed, control over laptops/PCs use in or out the web, even making difficult to turn off the device....
In sum, they want increased control.
Whereas now, any OS developer is really at a crossroad; either to facilitate an ecosystem growth or to remain a closed (and smaller) environment...
Microsoft seems to have opted for OWNING the ecosystem and thus bought and re/manufactured; Skype, Kinect, Game consoles, released its own tablets, aim to control phones, etc, etc.
Instead of... embarking on the construction of a wide and deep long-term net of associations and contracts in order to open the gates to add and develop new functionalities. By now every appliance manufacturer, and really, any electronic-related manufacturer should have some kind of approach by Microsoft in order to -at least- begin to explore the possible synergies thru Windows with existing software or hardware...
And this should be some kind of publicly open push.
I sort of understand this initiative is yet to be made, taking in account Microsoft culture. What is difficult to conceive is that Microsoft failed to incorporate their already own tech into Windows8 in some kind of novel way. Skype being the notorious one, but Kinect is a gross omission as well, as their speech to text, voice recognition, etc... All pointing to their actual administration lack of understanding of the world we are growing into.
///In that context, some predictions were quite spot on, regardless the aid to their actual sales numbers provided by their corporate customers.
You're absolutely right: it is indeed all about control and maximizing profits by locking the customer up tight in Microsoft's restrictive ecosystem, like Apple.
Cool avatar btw, what is that a picture of?
@frick
Whinge! Whinge! Whinge! You're such a plonker, you crack me up! :toast:
I think unintentionally upsetting you with a completely innocuous observation about Windows 8 that everyone else found useful but you was the highlight of my evening. :) It would be worth writing for TPU again just to see the look on your face...
Anyway, about MS wanting control: Why shouldn't they want this? The Windows Everywhere concept is sort of neat IMO. If they could integrate all those things djcl.ear speak of (Skype, Kinect, whatever) to a coherent user experience across platforms it would be very nice. If it works, and they make it simple obviously and more or less seamless.
What is sort of amazing is that all they have to do is slap an opt-in start meny on Windows 8 and pretty much every single being on the planet will be pleased. More or less. People will still dislike them because [insert whatever ideological mumbo jumbo you happen to follow], but whatever.
End point I will take a copy of Windows 7 any day of the week and have had to reinstall it on about a dozen people I am deployed with that despise Windows 8.
Also, every tech pundit out there is reporting how sales have fallen off a cliff, it's doing even worse than Vista, yet our little frick is oblivious to all this (he admitted this just now in public, no less!) and thinks whining at me yet again is the way to go, lol.
Here's an excellent example of what I'm talking about: Windows 8 pushes PC sales off a cliff