Microsoft Fall Update May Be Windows 8.2

[exfileme]

The classic Start Menu will return this fall.

Microsoft Fall Update May Be Windows 8.2 : Read more

 

[pbrigido]

Windows 8 has progressively gotten better with each major update MS has done, and I'm feel fairly confident that 8.2 will be better than 8.1 update 1. It's not that I have a problem paying for a subscription for using an OS as long as it is less than $2 per month. In the long run, it would be less than paying ~$150 for the OS. What I DO have a problem with is having limited functionality while offline. That is unacceptable. I would be a bit more lenient if that the OS had to "call home" to Microsoft perhaps every month.

 

[mgilbert]

Windows 8 has progressively gotten better with each major update MS has done, and I'm feel fairly confident that 8.2 will be better than 8.1 update 1. It's not that I have a problem paying for a subscription for using an OS as long as it is less than $2 per month. In the long run, it would be less than paying ~$150 for the OS. What I DO have a problem with is having limited functionality while offline. That is unacceptable. I would be a bit more lenient if that the OS had to "call home" to Microsoft perhaps every month.

Considering that Office is $10 a month, you can bet Windows would be way more than $2 a month. The upgrade from 7 to 8 was only $40. I'd do that every couple of years, but I will not pay a subscription, no matter what. And I agree, limited functionality offline is a drop dead deal breaker. But greed always wins out, and I anticipate all software creators going to a monthly subscription model. When they do, I'll stick with what I have, pirate, use open source, etc.

 

[MidnightDistort]

I don't plan on paying for a subscription nor would i have a need for a 'cloud OS' with limited features when my internet goes out.

Going to Linux.

 

[burkhartmj]

I don't plan on paying for a subscription nor would i have a need for a 'cloud OS' with limited features when my internet goes out.

Going to Linux.

Let's just ignore the part about Windows 9. Clearly there will still be the standard model [just like with Office 365 vs Office 2013], but this cloud option might come with extra features like multiple installs and cloud storage. I am curious what they mean by it being limited without internet connection though. If they just mean things like OneDrive won't work then that's fine. If it's like ChromeOS and next to useless without internet then it's completely off the table for me.

 

[SteelCity1981]

free Windows 9? lol this is microsoft we are talking about here, the same company that makes you pay for a media pack with Windows 8, that was included in windows 7. if anything I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft charges people to add a start menu in Windows 9.

 

[masteroftheuniverse]

Jesus Tom's fix your damn comment system... Windows 9 more of the same crap that made nobody want Windows 8. Corporate America is going to flock to anybody besides Microsoft who can provide them a basic secure desktop OS in the next 5 years.

 

[Durandul]

I refuse to pay a monthly subscription for ANY software. I will never use Office 365, and if Windows go to a subscription model, I'll stay with whatever I have at the time. Microsoft, the answer is "HELL NO".

Or you know, you could move to some other OS. Mac and Linux/BSD being the obvious ones, but who knows what will pop up if Microsoft keeps screwing the desktop over.

 

[canadianvice]

Software subscriptions are fine... but not a chance in hell for an OS. (I do know that's technically inclusive...). That should be a set it and forget it type of thing. Pay once, it's yours.

 

[coolitic]

Just buy windows 9 instead of monthly subscription of windows cloud. I dont understand why you are all getting so angry.

Also, take all this with grain of salt.

 

[coolitic]

Just buy windows 9 instead of monthly subscription of windows cloud. I dont understand why you are all getting so angry.

Also, take all this with grain of salt.

 

[Queenslander]

DirectX is the only thing keeping the majority of PC gamers on Windows. I'm sure many of us would switch to a competing OS if there was minimal disruption to our game libraries. I just hope that by the time I need my next full upgrade there will be more love from game devs for the Linux platform.

 

[tomfreak]

Lol if future windows is subscription model, suddenly windows 8 become the last best OS ever lol

 

[nil404]

I have to vote Linux. I was thinking 9 may be different but I am only kidding myself. Like OSX but not flexible enough.

 

[Jeffrey H]

Well I can see where you disabled the comments in Facebook's Wall post on this, since I figure it would be spammed about this,

But maybe the return of the Start Menu means Windows 9 will make a return to the Classic Skin and Classic UI that people want to see and not this "Steve Balmer" stuff.

 

[virtualban]

the "classic" version will only be provided for systems that don't have a touch screen, and on server systems.

Why limit my options?! Why can't I have both start menu and the ugly phone interface even on touch screens? You are supporting both anyway, due to people wanting the start menu, and voting with their wallets.

 

[royalcrown]

I have to vote Linux. I was thinking 9 may be different but I am only kidding myself. Like OSX but not flexible enough.

You can do anything in terminal under OSX that Linux (any flavor) can do.

 

[MidnightDistort]

I don't plan on paying for a subscription nor would i have a need for a 'cloud OS' with limited features when my internet goes out.

Going to Linux.

Let's just ignore the part about Windows 9. Clearly there will still be the standard model [just like with Office 365 vs Office 2013], but this cloud option might come with extra features like multiple installs and cloud storage. I am curious what they mean by it being limited without internet connection though. If they just mean things like OneDrive won't work then that's fine. If it's like ChromeOS and next to useless without internet then it's completely off the table for me.

That's unless of course MS decides that Windows 9 is the cloud OS. Well the obvious reason for a cloud OS internet to be limited is that you can't use the cloud. Though sometimes my internet goes out, i'd rather have access to my data and full functionality of my OS whenever that happens. Otherwise there is just no point in using the OS. I don't know what MS has planned for the cloud OS but we've seen how MS does things, they tend to make the OS function more difficult then it needs to be. They did something right with Windows 7 and it works just fine if internet goes down, you just don't have access to the internet. If they decide to do a 'cloud OS' i wouldn't be surprised if you can't get access to your media player. Though it's just speculation i am highly skeptical with MS doing a 'cloud OS'. If you can't have offline access to your files or what you need to use on your PC then why have a computer then? Just buy a 3TB hard drive and be done with it. The cloud should only be used to back up, keep your files someplace where you can access anywhere but it shouldn't be the main and only place to store your files.

 

[royalcrown]

Hey...whomever voted me down..please show me what you can't do under terminal, that you can do in your favorite distro of linux. As far as those go, I like mint.

 

[MidnightDistort]

Hey...whomever voted me down..please show me what you can't do under terminal, that you can do in your favorite distro of linux. As far as those go, I like mint.

Apparently it's some guy zetto trolling, downvoting everyone's comment. I guess he wants an OS that is difficult to use and have his data go missing every time his internet goes out.

 

[canadianvice]

@RoyalCrown: I'm pretty sure that was simply grammatical ambiguity. He was referring to Windows, no Linux when he made the OSX comment.

Also, to the people talking about the start menu restriction to non-touch, I would virtually guarantee that if it's in the OS it'll be enabled by a simple registry hack sooner or later. Not ideal, I know, but registry hacking is hardly the most difficult thing anyone here has done.

As for cloud OS, the major reason is it's going to be a solution for businesses. Buy a bunch of crap-ass android boxes or something for like 20c a piece, and you can use full-blown Windows for what is probably minimal cost. There's probably going to be a lot of IT controls implemented as well.

I don't see it for much of a consumer solution, it's probably going to be marketed as corporate, sort of like how AWS does double duty, but it was marketed to corporations.

@Queenslander: Yes and no. I'd be willing to try Linux's less polished solution to use if my games library wouldn't be impacted, that's true, but Linux is a geek's operating system that is largely not designed for average users. Sure, they could use it. At the same time though, a lot of the excellent OS features people take for granted are unecessarily difficult to work with or implement in Linux - Shortcuts being a prime example. Some do it well, like Mint, but seriously... why in God's name have they not simply programmed an option to drag an app out of your "start" bar (for lack of a better term) onto the desktop?

Just one of many small usability problems that continually push me back to Windows. If it worked with my games, I'd be happy to have a go at Mint, but it doesn't, and therefore I'm not going to invest the effort.

 

[Rhinofart]

Hey...whomever voted me down..please show me what you can't do under terminal, that you can do in your favorite distro of linux. As far as those go, I like mint.

Likely some little kiddie fanboi who's never ever used OS X, and thinks it's the world's worst OS becuase it's from Apple. I use MS, OS X, and Unix/Linux daily at work, and at home. I find MS Desktops to be better for General Business, and Gaming, OS X is great for the marketing, creative people, and I use OS X in my "night job as a DJ" as I have yet to have my MBP crash on me. Other DJs I work with who use Windows have their laptops crash quite often during live performances. Embarrasing!!, and we use Unix/Linux for a number of Line of Business applications in conjunction with our windows servers.

 

[Rhinofart]

Hey CanadianVince.
I really can't see the Corporate world embracing that model either. I work for a decently sized multi-national corporation, and we have no plans or intentions of going to a cloud model at all. We do use the cloud for some things. For instance, we have our Dev, and Test environments in Azure. We also use Azure to spin up an infrastructure in locations that are, um unsavorable. (i.e. some of our Central / South America, and some sites in Africa) Once the POC is ready to come out of Dev, we spool it up in one of our Physical DCs. I don't find the cloud for anything Production as of yet. Even with Multi-pathing, it's still too dependant on WAN connections. Atleast in a traditional model, if your ISP(s) run into some sort of issue, or if your company is suddenly DDOSed, your employees can still work.

 

[Simon Ayres]

"Here at Microsoft, we listen to you and we made windows 8 for you... wait, what do you mean they want a start button?"...

One year later, "Here at Microsoft, we listen to you and we made windows 8.1 for you, wait what do you mean they wanted a start menu to go along with the start button?"...

One year later, "Here at Microsoft, we listen to you and we made windows 8.2 for you... Now here's Windows 9 with a whole new set of problems, so give us more money."

"Because at Microsoft we are making the operating systems you want, because who knows better how to develop an operating system than the general public?... That and we have run out of ideas."

 

[canadianvice]

Hey CanadianVince.
I really can't see the Corporate world embracing that model either. I work for a decently sized multi-national corporation, and we have no plans or intentions of going to a cloud model at all. We do use the cloud for some things. For instance, we have our Dev, and Test environments in Azure. We also use Azure to spin up an infrastructure in locations that are, um unsavorable. (i.e. some of our Central / South America, and some sites in Africa) Once the POC is ready to come out of Dev, we spool it up in one of our Physical DCs. I don't find the cloud for anything Production as of yet. Even with Multi-pathing, it's still too dependant on WAN connections. Atleast in a traditional model, if your ISP(s) run into some sort of issue, or if your company is suddenly DDOSed, your employees can still work.

Schools? If the price is right, I can foresee this model being very useful in organizations that require masses of computers. I'm just postulating though, I have no real idea. Seems like a poor consumer solution, if the aversion to 365 is any indication. (I work in sales)