Microsoft offers first look at new Windows - and gives it a name

Reuters ^ | Fri Sep 26, 2014 7:07am EDT | Bill Rigby

[WhiskeyX]

(Reuters) - Microsoft Corp will unveil a new name for its best-known product on Tuesday when it offers the first official glimpse of its latest Windows operating system.

The project, known for the past few years as "Threshold" inside the software company and "Windows 9" outside it, will likely get an entirely new brand, or just be called Windows, analysts said, ahead of its full release early next year.

[dennisw]

I am always puzzled by the Windows 8 haters. Windows 8 is basically Windows 7 plus a few performance enhancements plus a “start screen” instead of a start menu plus a tablet friendly mode for apps that want to use that. You can still have your desktop just as before (sans start menu).
What is it about that which is “so egregious” to you? I generally want to understand what people find so objectionable.

I cannot bear to use Windows 8 without installing one of those programs that reverts back to the normal Windows desktop and start button. But one this is done I have zero problem with windows 8. I have a mix of computers with Windows 7 and Windows 8.

This is how it should be for everyone but they are mouthing anti- Windows 8 propaganda like good sheeple
Plus they are probably unaware of simple free downloads that restore the desktop and start button

Plus they have no idea how to download and install such programs and refuse to get someone to do it for them

[redangus]

Somewhat off topic, but is there anywhere one can buy Apple OS software? I have an iMac that I turned into a Win 7 machine after, in its Mac iteration, it ate 2 years of pictures, music and documents by performing an unplanned self initiated hard drive reformatting. Anyway it will run as a Windows computer, but doesn’t like to. I would like to reinstall the Mac OS and find someone to give it to. So far I haven’t found a source for said software. Is there one out there?

[MortMan]

...Those patches were fast as lightning!

[Vendome]

I don’t see how idiotic companies like “Carbonite”, “Sugarsync” and others survive Microsuk latest offering.

For $100 per year you receive 5 full copies of “Office Pro” for 5 computers and up to 5 tablets or phones and, and 1 terrabyte of storage per copy.

Bonus! You can bring up your office suite, personal preferences and have access to all documents stored from any web connected device, anywhere in the world.

that’s less that $10 per month and delivers so much value for the money than those chumps.

[ShadowAce]

I do all of that for free.

[Still Thinking]

Microsoft is essentially dictating to their ‘loyal customers’ that THEY decide what’s good for them.

Who do they think they are, the government?

[martin_fierro]

C’mon over. I made the move to Mac & Linux at home some years ago and haven’t looked back.

[BwanaNdege]

Imagine that you just bought a new car.

You hop into the drivers seat and discover that the steering wheel, brake pedal and accelerator pedal are gone.

In their place is a touch screen emblazoned in colors designed to make one nauseous.

The Start switch is in the the glovebox, on page 638B of the owners manual. Written in the “Microsoft Help Clear Prose” language.

That is why we hate Windows 8.

[Conservative4Ever]

Wow...the new folding model. I want one. :-)

[kevkrom]

Somewhat off topic, but is there anywhere one can buy Apple OS software? I have an iMac that I turned into a Win 7 machine after, in its Mac iteration, it ate 2 years of pictures, music and documents by performing an unplanned self initiated hard drive reformatting. Anyway it will run as a Windows computer, but doesn’t like to. I would like to reinstall the Mac OS and find someone to give it to. So far I haven’t found a source for said software. Is there one out there?

You shouldn't need to buy it. How old is the iMac? If it's new enough to run Mavericks, find someone with Mavericks installed, and have them re-download the installer and save on removable media to give to you (like a USB key or something). I've got an old external drive that's formatted as a Mavericks installer, but that's a bit bulky to send.

[oh8eleven]

From your link:

"Security researchers have found proof of concept code that attempts to exploit the serious bug discovered this week in
Bourne-Again Shell, also known as Bash, which according to US CERT affects both Linux and Mac OS X.

But, but ...

[dennisw]

You are being ridiculous. You install a start button that also restores ye ol Windows desktop and Windows 8 is very good

What other problems does it have?

[kevkrom]

Well, yeah, since OS X is built on top of BSD Unix, any bug in the core UNIX suite is going to also affect OS X. Of course, only a small minority of Mac users ever dig into the Terminal to access the shell or install software that runs on the base UNIX layer, but for that minority, yes, it’s a problem that needs patching.

[Mike Darancette]

Just means fewer legacy programs will operate.

[GeronL]

It seems awfully soon to have a whole new Windows out since the last one... almost as if the last one was a big flop or something....

[GeronL]

They are even more insane than we thought if it called anything but Windows 9

[roamer_1]

I KNOW! Name it ‘Bob’.

[GeronL]

You get a Linux LiveDisc (or USB) and you will find NO adware and stuff

[Gideon7]

Here is what Microsoft should have done after Windows 7:

1. Integrate the Hyper-V virtual machine environment and make it seamless. Add the option to run every app inside its own VM for display on the shared desktop. This would contain viruses and make it easy to reset/rollback app settings and run untrusted apps. (And for step 2 below.)
    
2. Add the ability to run Android apps inside a window on the desktop. Android is based on Linux, which means it is covered by the GPL so Google must make source code public. Create an Android subsystem. (Windows already supports a Unix subsystem.) Use the integrated Hyper-V in step 1 to run Android apps. (Remember, all Android apps are written in Java bytecode, not MIPS assembly.) Let Microsoft's uber expert compilers team that created the MSIL engine use their expertise to create a Java bytecode interpreter/translator to beat the pants off Dalvik.
    
3. Embrace and extend Android. Add new features that Google refuses to provide (like the ability to write to an SD card). The embrace-and-extend tactic was used successfully on Mozilla to create Internet Explorer 4/5/6, allowing Microsoft to dominate the Web browser market for almost ten years.
    
4. Coax back software developers to make them want to write for Windows again. Unlock WinRT to allow apps that aren't marketed in the Microsoft Store to be downloaded and installed at the user's discretion. The Microsoft Store is a flop. It just ghetto-izes WinRT and is a major hassle for developers. Android allows you to check a box to allow installing of apps outside of the Google Play Store. Windows should too. (Remember, the Hyper-V VM box keeps everything safe.)
    
5. Stop obsessing on Apple and trying to imitate them. The Microsoft Store and its 30% rake are mimicking the worst aspects of Apple. You can't out-Apple Apple. But you can out-Google Google, at least in the Android world.
    
6. Create something like Visual Basic for laypeople to write simple Android-style apps without knowing anything about computer programming. Android's weakness is its lack of a simple way to write quickie little programs or to script of routine tasks. Visual Basic was wildly popular because it was so simple and flexible, and it allowed you to bolt in 3rd party add-ons (.OCXs) to do just about anything. The Microsoft Store eco-system prevents anything like that every app is self-contained and digitally signed. Get away from that kind of thinking. Windows strength was its openness and flexibility.
    
7. Do things that Apple doesn't do, and use that in your marketing campaign: Apple is prison. Windows is freedom. Write ads bashing Apple's closed locked-in nature.
    

Basically, Microsoft needs to stop obsessing about Apple and instead latch on to Android.

[NorthMountain]

Windows 9 ... Now (again) with actual windows ...