Microsoft Envisions One Windows OS To Rule Them All

[DRosencraft]

I don't get all the hate. Are there perhaps problems with the functionality of the OS across all these platforms? Yeah. But why the vitriol over a common sense idea? The functional differences between a phone, a tablet, and a PC are very minimal and mostly bound by the performance capability and the screen real estate. Frankly, treating each as needing a special OS all its own is a waste of time and money. Yes, they'll need some improvements to get it running well, but the idea itself is a sound one. Stop spreading themselves so much on things they don't need to do and focus on what they should be doing.

 

[therogerwilco]

I think this is where I got off the MS bus tbh. Call me old fashioned, but I'm not interested in having a mobile UI on my desktop. Gonna use Windows 7 until they stop supporting it, then I'll move onto something else. I suppose this is what happens when you start to age a bit, you become less interested in new waves of tech.

It's actually quite nice to have live updates for things, beats the heck out of the old start menu.. You can bypass it though completely and boot to desktop, or just plain never use it and tag everything to the taskbar.

 

[coolitic]

Sorry Microsoft, there is no such thing as one platform for everything. Applying different layouts (like having w7 and w8 UI's as options) is something is sort of good but the extra UI's would take up space and it still wouldn't apply to everything.. Everything needs specialization and unless you can give a good reason we are just gonna assume that it means you just dont want to spend the time to develop specialized platforms.

 

[therogerwilco]

Sorry Microsoft, there is no such thing as one platform for everything. Applying different layouts (like having w7 and w8 UI's as options) is something is sort of good but the extra UI's would take up space and it still wouldn't apply to everything.. Everything needs specialization and unless you can give a good reason we are just gonna assume that it means you just dont want to spend the time to develop specialized platforms.

You can install Windows on any number of a thousand different hardware configurations and I'm sure the success rate of compatibility is still obscenely high. THAT'S what makes Windows truly awesome. The consumer can tailor their setup to their needs, Windows merely compliments that.

 

[Durandul]

So, my question is, when is the REAL desktop version coming. I have the one meant for touch screen laptops running at the moment because it runs faster than windows 7 but honestly, it's just ugly. 😛

 

[Durandul]

How hard do you want me to jump ship Microsoft? Are you really going to force me to VMing my windows within Linux whenever I need to game? Because I will, you better believe I will.
Sincerely,
Anyone who would rather have a workstation rather than an immobile smartphone.

 

[stevejnb]

So, my question is, when is the REAL desktop version coming. I have the one meant for touch screen laptops running at the moment because it runs faster than windows 7 but honestly, it's just ugly. 😛

It's coming when you hit the Desktop button and set it to boot to desktop. I don't know when that will be.

 

[knowom]

Linux patiently waits for Windows to falter for Skynet to begin it's world dominance.

 

[kiniku]

After knee jerk dismissing Windows 8 I gave 8.1 a second try and I'll never go back to Windows 7. If people would invest more than 15 minutes they might have enough brain cell activity to figure it out. For those of you that install fixes to make 8.1 more like Windows 7 do yourselves a favor, go back to Windows 7 because you lack the comprehension abilities of understanding the advantages 8.1 delivers. Windows 8.1 does deliver at least for those that don't operate a mouse and start screen pyramid like a neanderthal. Have fun with that start screen and don't get lost going up and down the list. You might have to reinstall

 

[Chaoss]

Until I can run 3ds Max with VRay, Photoshop, Unity and all my games via this silly start screen I will not be impressed.

It is true that in the future there will be one OS (Universal OS) that covers everything we are not quite there yet, maybe about 5 - 8 years tech will be ready

 

[IcePrince1991]

Dear Microsoft,

Skynet much?

Thanks,
Concerned Fanboy

 

[aleobul]

Umm, I've always wondered how MS would convince people they weren't a monopoly. First they funded Apple back from the dead and now they've introduced an OS that at least a portion of their former users have decided to ignore. Of course the apologists (and Balmer) say it happens whenever they release something new. Problem is, they spent thirty years convincing users that their interface was "the best". Now, they can't even get some people to try it. My sense is that we'll be watching a long, slow decline in windows users and a corresponding increase in apple users - although not one for one. Some folks will just find no need for a desktop/laptop anymore. And, as always Linux is, and will continue to be, a joke on the desktop. Once the gaming industry finally gives up on PC's there really won't be a reason to have a windows PC. And MS won't be a monopoly. They'll be a wannabe. They've got a good head start.

 

[JD88]

Microsoft is more worried about attacking the competition with misleading advertisements,and filing lawsuits to do any real innovation. They weren't kidding when they said they wanted to be just like Apple.

Does anyone actually think Windows is good or does everyone just keep it around for application compatibility? Funny how the one thing Holding Microsoft's mobile operating system back is the only thing keeping it alive on the desktop.

I'm really not sure how far the entire company can continue to ride on Office. I mean whenever you ask someone why they need a Windows tablet, PC, or whatever that's the only reason they can come up with. It's all they talk about in their advertisements. Even if Windows RT had the app library of iOS or Android, it would't be any better. The only advantage that exists is the desktop and they are trying to hide that. So Office is what they push.

Gamers need Windows to play games but that's the only reason they buy it. If a free OS had the same game compatibility, my guess is that 99 out of 100 would choose the free OS so they could put that extra cash toward better hardware.

 

[ohim]

Make an OS good at anything people start shouting you`re a monopoly, try to do some changes for the good, some guys afraid of change start crying about a button w/o even actually giving it a try to see that it`s actually better this way (say what you want about 8 being a tablet os, but the only reason till now that some guys hate 8 is that it doesn`t have a start button and nothing else), then preach about free stuff... well this might be a long debate but if free is so good why hasn`t linux catch up till now ? And i always see guys threatening that they will stop using anything above 7 till eternity .... then sit down into your caves and let evolution pass by you. Times change, things change, everything evolves either you like it or not.

When the TV was invented some critics said that it won`t catch to the public, since nobody will ever sit all day in a room watching a box. Be more open minded about how things evolve
.

 

[WildandWoolyMammoth]

Ok, once again: MS, know your customer!

There is, at least,
1) the Desktop / Laptop market
2) the smartphone market
3) the tablet market

Win 8.1 does not work for all three. It might work for may be 2 out of 3.

Win 8.1 also does not work for the
1) business market
2) government market
3) education market
4) university and research market
5) military market
6) investment and banking market
7) a good portion of the arts and entertainment market

So, can you figure out what to do here?

 

[cemerian]

Make an OS good at anything people start shouting you`re a monopoly, try to do some changes for the good, some guys afraid of change start crying about a button w/o even actually giving it a try to see that it`s actually better this way (say what you want about 8 being a tablet os, but the only reason till now that some guys hate 8 is that it doesn`t have a start button and nothing else), then preach about free stuff... well this might be a long debate but if free is so good why hasn`t linux catch up till now ? And i always see guys threatening that they will stop using anything above 7 till eternity .... then sit down into your caves and let evolution pass by you. Times change, things change, everything evolves either you like it or not.

When the TV was invented some critics said that it won`t catch to the public, since nobody will ever sit all day in a room watching a box. Be more open minded about how things evolve
.

just to make sure you understand that you dont need to pay for crappy windows aswell if you know where to look, and if you have any sense you can immidiatly tell its made for touch screen controls not mouse and keyboard, its harder for devs as they all have sttated before , and they messed it up for overclockers, power users and gamers aswell, since fsb overclock will have big issues for the os because of the f*** clock implemientation, how is it better?

 

[jumpingeebus]

Remember back in the day when you had to pay for a garbage operating system from either microsoft or apple???

 

[Weak1ings]

One to Rule them all... I don't want a giant smartphone thanks Microsoft. Now I will move on to Linux.

 

[CMT2A2]

I think what most people don't see is that just about everything sounding them is touched by Microsoft. The fact is Microsoft is ingrained in industry. Most automation is run on Microsoft operating systems. Some automation is still using DOS. There's a good chance the chair your sitting on has at last one part built with this type of automation. Apples operating system is wonderful, but in reality it operates on the edges of productivity. Android is still just phone OS. Microsoft is ingrained in the human condition of industrial cultures. I pads and androids are important, but mostly only ingrained in our pop culture. Those that consume pop culture love android and I pads. Those who create culture use Microsoft. Oh yea don't forget the artsy stuff that's dominated by Apple computer's. Windows-based OS will evolve. It has to and it will be great.

 

[Styme]

Windows made a big screw up , that is why the United States Armed Forces all paid to have windows 8 removed off their computers and install windows 7.

 

[eriko]

I imagine the best-seller now.... 'How to run a successful company into the ground'Chapters will include:1. Ignore all the wishes of your customers - because you know best.2. Completely change your business model / licensing for software - because you know best.3. Never attempt to make your code more efficient, increase the bulk & requirements year by year.4. Alienate those running older versions of your product, whom are unable to upgrade, by abandoning development & support.5. Reflection from Steve Ballmer - some words from the poor house.'Bout sums it up for me...

 

[b23h]

For many of you who are of the opinion that Apple and Google have some great knowledge of the "proper" way to do mobile devices with a bunch of discrete OS's, I have to ask you, do you really think that was because of some great and well thought out master plan so much as a recognition of the technical limitations of mobile platforms at the time they were making them? Simply put, an OS as capable as a desktop OS couldn't possibly run on an original iPod touch, iPhone, iPad, or Android equivalent. This will not be the case for much longer.

We are on the verge of video signals being wirelessly transmitted like wifi signals, devices seamlessly connecting to and streaming video and audio across networks, of tablet and phone sized devices which can run full x86 applications. What amazes me is that many of you think that it, in the face of this, is somehow "clever" to keep rinky-dink OS's which are too limited to make use of potential like this. Many of you clamouring for limited phone/tablet OS's are missing the fact of technological development that tiny machines can now have hardware that can successfully run x86 applications, and we're only a few years out - if that - from phones that can could run games as good looking as those you'd see on an XBOX 360 or PS3 along with everything else a full PC can do.

Personally, I'd rather not have current mobile OS philosophy holding back the potential of mobile hardware. I can't help but thinking that a lot of you disagree and are happy with mobile devices whose potential is a tiny screen, half-arsed e-mail and productivity apps rather than proper applications, and Plants VS Zombies being a technical achievement for its graphics output. We are on the verge of tiny little devices being able to do 95% of what we now do with PCs - so why the heck do so many of you want a status quo of OS development that came into existence because of hardware limitations to outlive the hardware limitations?

The funny thing is, if MS doesn't jump on this boat, many of you will be laughing at them in 5 to 10 years when there are Linux distros that work on your phone and then seamlessly output to your 4k tv when you get home without having some rinky-dink OS that is still stuck using apps and you'll all think you are oh-so-clever...

Very nice argument, but the Linux fanbois won't like it and Tom's is full of them. I tend to limit my posting here because of how useless it is to post here.