Windows 7

[Tareith]

Well, for better or worse, MS has given an offical release window for Windows 7(Jan 2010 if you don't feel like clicky). They go on to say that they aren't gonna budge on the death of XP as well.

[skimike]

To Microsoft's credit, they are at least working with their own OS. Apple just took a BSD derivative and Mach kernel and slapped their own GUI on it.

From what I've read online about it, I'm not pleased with how they're pushing their touchy-feely interface but I can see why they're doing it. I think they looking beyond the PC market and are instead hungry for the embedded market - they want Windows 7 running on smart phones like Blackberries and Treos since "touch" is where that market is headed. Need to write a "touch" interface for a new "smart" microwave control panel? Now you don't - you just need to embed Windows 7 on a chip and the touch panel becomes fully programmable. Need to write an interface for that new LCD-display universal remote? Not anymore. Embedded Windows 7 makes it easy on both the designer and end-user. They're looking to break into a market where Linux and proprietary operating systems are currently dominant.

Microsoft really needs to come up with a solid kernel that allows dynamic module linking and unlinking so that you don't have to reboot your computer every time you install or remove something (be it hardware or software). While they're at it, they should really try and do something about the registry (as in, get rid of it). I can't decide what I hate more about Windows - rebooting after installing something, rebooting a second time after installing something so that the installation completes, or that damn registry with all its inherent flaws (why does an application need to store its configuration in the registry anyway and what incentive is their for an application designer to make sure his application cleans up after itself in the registry when it's removed? Oh, that's right - none).

I was very pleased with Windows XP as an upgrade to Windows 98. XP to Vista is more of a downgrade. Microsoft's developers have basically admitted that UAC was designed to annoy the user. Yep. You can turn UAC off. Then you get an annoying warning that tells you UAC is off. Sure, you can disable that, too, by going into the registry which is pretty hostile environment to be playing around in since it's completely undocumented, everything relies on it, and one mistake can render your system inoperable. The one thing I do like about Vista is the resource monitor that actually gives you some idea of what's happening on your system.

I would be happier with Microsoft if Windows 7 shipped with a kernel and basic file utilities like a barebones implementation of Linux. I'd rather opt-in for things like Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player than have all that stuff installed by default. Heck, I'd even be happy if Microsoft went the Apple route and just took a Linux or BSD derivative and slapped a GUI on it and called it their own. I don't really pay for Windows - what I mean by that is that when I buy a Windows license, I'm paying for compatibility and convenience, not for the operating system. I'm paying for something to be able to run Assassin's Creed and Mass Effect and a host of other games on with relatively few glitches, easy installation, full hardware acceleration and all the bells and whistles (yeah, I know about wine and cedega, try again).

[Tareith]

Well, they are considering Windows 7 an upgrade from XP, which i found both funny and accuate. I know the kernel was supposed to be very lightweight and they are talking about how Windows 7 will be the most modular MS OS to date, but that worries me.

"We've noticed you're trying to access a .txt file. This file type is not supported by Windows 7 core, but you can lease the notepad add-on for $1.99 per month. Click here to add this new enhancement."

[osric]

holy ****!! where have you been skimike?!? it's good to see you back on the boards!

[skimike]

Thanks, osric.

The Basement got crowded with people so I had to move out.

Been busy with lots of stuff. Building computers for friends. Work. Games since Assassin's Creed and Mass Effect finally came out on PC. Was playing Exteel quite a bit but the last patch implemented way too many changes that I didn't agree with so now I've got additional time on my hands. Played Conan a bit - it plays very well on my system and I have had few issues with it though I know a great many people have had problems and a few of them have been real nasty ones. I put it down when Mass Effect was released because it's just so interesting to play through but maybe I'll pick it up again since Aion is still a long way off.

Originally Posted by Tareith

"We've noticed you're trying to access a .txt file. This file type is not supported by Windows 7 core, but you can lease the notepad add-on for $1.99 per month. Click here to add this new enhancement."

I've had that concern, as well, but not solely as it relates to Microsoft's OS - a lot of companies are moving towards applications as "services". Google. Adobe. Not just Microsoft. In any case, I don't think Microsoft will reach that level just yet. More likely they'll release a thin OS and then allow you to buy/download the add-ons at your leisure. XP and Vista really saw Microsoft hammered by the EU because they packaged a browser with the OS. I think it was stupid of the EU to think they have some right to tell Microsoft what they can and cannot ship with their OS but what do I know. Hopefully it'll mean that we'll have more control over what gets installed rather then the current all-or-nothing model. Personally, I think it would be a "win" for Microsoft if they did only ship a lean OS and then allowed people to download additional functionality as desired because then they could see what people downloaded the most and more appropriately focus their resources on those apps rather than having an entire team devoted to Minesweeper bugs.

[osric]

Those sound like worthwhile uses of your time, especially Mass Effect. Regardless, it's good to have you back. I suppose I should stop hijacking the thread now, though. >.>

/agree that a streamlined, bare bones OS that lets you choose any extras would be nice. The only problem would be the computer illiterate, and whether or not they would be able to find and download the options they want. I know my mom's head would explode if you told her she had to use the Windows update program to download Internet Explorer.

[Tareith]

Ugh, and here's what I was afraid of....please don't do this Microsoft, it's not a good idea, i promise you.

Microsoft to sell Office, OneCare for $70 a year - Yahoo! News

[RenegadeAngel]

Well, now there's gonna be a high demand for cracked version of Office.

[Diablo]

Makes perfect sense to me. And I could care less as long as I can get my traditional Office wts. via my MSDN.

[GrimFox]

I'd rather pay $500 on a full featured OS that i can run for 4-5 years than pay $250 a year to renew all my module subscriptions. On the upside if they are going to charge me a subscription i had better get the best indian support services for my products when they don't work. Along with that MS needs to put some money into improving the US backbones and network structure so that i can download all the modules i want in my new OS in less than 3 days. If you think that MS isn't to the point where they will charge you for everything you are dead wrong. when Xbox live came out it was the beginning of the end. With the new office lease thing that only confirms that Win 7 is going to be M$'$ Window$$even.

I think that takes care of that rant.

[Diablo]

Windows suck becuase bloat, windows sucks because you have to pay for bloat if you want it.

[skimike]

Originally Posted by Tareith

Ugh, and here's what I was afraid of....please don't do this Microsoft, it's not a good idea, i promise you.

Microsoft to sell Office, OneCare for $70 a year - Yahoo! News

The entire industry is moving this way, not just Microsoft. The industry doesn't want you to own software - they want to sell you "services" over the web where you never actually have the software, thus making contemporary pirating techniques obsolete. I read somewhere that HP, for example, wants to start giving away their print cartridges and, instead, start charging on a "per print" basis. It's all sectors of the industry.

The story misrepresents the cost a little. If you were to buy the Full Retail version of Office, it would cost you a little over $300 . Divided by $70 a year, that's over 4 years which is approximately the lifecycle of the product before a refresh comes out. Now they do hit you on upgrades which become irrelevant at that point.

The catch is that they're not actually selling you MS Office - they're bundling it with OneCare and charging a $70 renewal fee which is both good and bad. It's good in the sense that many people are already familiar with paying an annual fee for security software (McAfee, Symantec, ESET/NOD32, Kaspersky, etc). The bad news is that the subscription fee is so high. We'll see how well this actually plays out in the real world, however, as I'm positive that the aforementioned companies will strongly object to MS bundling Office with their OneCare security product, much like they objected to MS locking down the Vista kernel (and, consequently, causing MS to cave and give them access).

I don't think this is over yet as it generates a strong reason for people to not buy those other companies' security products and, where MS is concerned, the governments of the world always seem too eager to step in and tell MS what they can and cannot do with their products (which I personally find quite scary - what MS can do is more heavily regulated than guns).

[newpick]

how can microsoft compete with this, there trashing vista like it never happened so there actually behind 1 in os, besides they are toast
Apple - Mac OS X Leopard - Snow Leopard

[Cyroth]

Originally Posted by newpick

how can microsoft compete with this, there trashing vista like it never happened so there actually behind 1 in os, besides they are toast
Apple - Mac OS X Leopard - Snow Leopard

you are probably lookin at windows 7

[Tareith]

I do think it's a bad move for MS to make if they want to do the OS that way. When they said it'd be the most modular OS to date, that's when I started to worry some. The only reason I even have a windows machine in the first place is for games.