Windows 8.1 TV Ad Highlights Return of Start Button

[iQuantumPhysics]

On Windows 7, how many times do you browse for the application that you're looking for using the Start "Menu"? Well for me, I don't browse through the list. I type it in the search field. Now, Windows 8 is much better at this and the organization of applications is better. I don't get why people keep whining about the new UI. It is better. It is more effective. If you need quick access to your apps anyways you won't be looking in the start menu. You simply go to Desktop and click the shortcut. Windows 8 is better, it is more alive, not like Windows 7 which looks static.

 

[gopher1369]

That's interesting, because Red Hat Enterprise Linux is the most run Server architecture OS in the Corporate IT world. M$ has a fairly strong presence in the IT infrastructure in the US, however, on a global scale, RHEL is the preferred OS of choice. It's more secure, with better support, and costs only a subscription to RH support. No licensing fees like M$ charges for server/client OS.

TL;DR: Red Hat Enterprise Linux is preferred in IT because it's cheaper, more secure, and has better support.

MS is widely used int he UK as well as the US.

I agree with you, your comment doesn't disprove mine. Just because Red Hat is widely used does't automatically mean that Microsoft are finished. We are both correct.

 

[gopher1369]

On Windows 7, how many times do you browse for the application that you're looking for using the Start "Menu"?

Umm. Never, that's what Jump Lists are for!

 

[stevejnb]

Once gaming on Linux begins to take off, I think Windows may be done. How long we have to wait for that to happen...who knows...? However, I think that day is coming.

I work in a corporate environment and can assure you that this isn't true. Microsoft's corporate infrastructure means it will live on for a long, long time even if gamers (a niche hobby enjoyed by a very small number of people) abandon it.

That's interesting, because Red Hat Enterprise Linux is the most run Server architecture OS in the Corporate IT world. M$ has a fairly strong presence in the IT infrastructure in the US, however, on a global scale, RHEL is the preferred OS of choice. It's more secure, with better support, and costs only a subscription to RH support. No licensing fees like M$ charges for server/client OS.

TL;DR: Red Hat Enterprise Linux is preferred in IT because it's cheaper, more secure, and has better support.

8350, I don't disbelieve you, but do you have numbers to support that? It's just the first time I've ever heard anything remotely like that, and I'm honestly quite curious to see it confirmed. Enough false information flying around the internet, I'd just like confirmation before I repeat this somewhere.

 

[gopher1369]

8350, I don't disbelieve you, but do you have numbers to support that? It's just the first time I've ever heard anything remotely like that, and I'm honestly quite curious to see it confirmed. Enough false information flying around the internet, I'd just like confirmation before I repeat this somewhere.

Seconded. 8350 I took your comment at face-value as I have no figures to prove otherwise. I too don't disbelieve you, but I would be interested to see the actual data.

 

[JD88]

8350 is right. At least in terms of web servers:


http://w3techs.com/technologies/details/os-linux/all/all

However, office desktops are likely a different story. At least in the U.S.

 

[8350rocks]

Well, for starters, anyone running Oracle Linux solutions are actually running slightly modified RHEL server code.

Amazon uses RHEL exclusively.

The US Gov't uses RHEL for all it's server configurations. As does the government of Singapore.

The vast majority of supercomputers use RHEL as well.

CentOS is a modified version of RHEL as well.

In addition, Red Hat is a billion dollar open source company because of RHEL:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Hat

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/linux-servers-keep-growing-windows-and-unix-keep-shrinking/10616

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/red-hat-the-first-billion-dollar-linux-company-has-arrived/10692

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/big-business-big-linux/10181

http://www.linuxfoundation.org/publications/linux-foundation/linux-adoption-trends-end-user-report-2012

As a matter of fact, Microsoft has even acknowledged how large the RHEL community is by adding Cloud Infrastructure support on it's PaaS systems for RHEL and CentOS.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/microsoft-reluctantly-bows-to-linux-users/10074

So, you can see, even M$ acknowledges that a company that pulls in over $1 billion per year in profits, from IT support subscriptions only, is a massive player in IT.

 

[JD88]

Don't forget all of Google's servers as well.

 

[stevejnb]

Yeah, that's kind of a bit asterisk to add to the more general claim of "most run Server architecture OS in the Corporate IT world." Is this actually true of other types of servers? Just curious, because it's a big claim that I've never heard an inkling of before and I'd like to see numbers before I ever make that claim myself.

 

[8350rocks]

Yeah, that's kind of a bit asterisk to add to the more general claim of "most run Server architecture OS in the Corporate IT world." Is this actually true of other types of servers? Just curious, because it's a big claim that I've never heard an inkling of before and I'd like to see numbers before I ever make that claim myself.

I can't find the survey I saw before, however, all of Wall Street runs RHEL as well. RHEL designed a special suite of applications for them specifically. (Which M$ refused to do, and is now kicking themselves for not doing)

In addition to Google, all of Facebook servers run RHEL as well. In addition, any IBM Linux solution uses RHEL.

 

[stevejnb]

Good to know. Thanks for the information.

 

[gopher1369]

8350 is right. At least in terms of web servers:
http://w3techs.com/technologies/details/os-linux/all/all

However, office desktops are likely a different story. At least in the U.S.

That's only one specific usage though. My organisation doesn't run many web servers. Our core IT Infrastructure is based on Active Directory, Exchange, Windows 7 and Office 2010. All Microsoft. Switching that all over to Linux would be....challenging.

I can't speak for the rest of the world, but certainly in the UK this is typical.

 

[gopher1369]

Thanks for the links. I'll bookmark them now, will be interesting reading over the weekend

 

[JD88]

8350 is right. At least in terms of web servers:
http://w3techs.com/technologies/details/os-linux/all/all

However, office desktops are likely a different story. At least in the U.S.

That's only one specific usage though. My organisation doesn't run many web servers. Our core IT Infrastructure is based on Active Directory, Exchange, Windows 7 and Office 2010. All Microsoft. Switching that all over to Linux would be....challenging.

I can't speak for the rest of the world, but certainly in the UK this is typical.

Couldn't Google Apps combined with something like Ubuntu or Mint replace most of that pretty easy at a far lower cost?

 

[8350rocks]

8350 is right. At least in terms of web servers:
http://w3techs.com/technologies/details/os-linux/all/all

However, office desktops are likely a different story. At least in the U.S.

That's only one specific usage though. My organisation doesn't run many web servers. Our core IT Infrastructure is based on Active Directory, Exchange, Windows 7 and Office 2010. All Microsoft. Switching that all over to Linux would be....challenging.

I can't speak for the rest of the world, but certainly in the UK this is typical.

Couldn't Google Apps combined with something like Ubuntu or Mint replace most of that pretty easy at a far lower cost?

You could easily run Ubuntu or Fedora workstations with RHEL servers and get Libre Office/Adobe productivity products to fit the rest of your needs. Plus, the great thing about the Linux community is the innovation. If you need something they don't have, they'll help you find a way to make it work. Active Directory can be run on Linux for example, and Open-Xchange is a MS Exchange equivalent on Linux too.

Open-Xchange:
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/article.php/3932591/Top-5-Open-Source-Alternatives-to-Microsoft-Exchange.htm

Active Directory:
http://www.linux.com/community/forums/system-management/active-directory-alternative/limit/20/offset/0

Libre Office:
http://www.libreoffice.org/

Ubuntu server info:
http://www.ubuntu.com/server

RHEL home page:
http://www.redhat.com/products/enterprise-linux/

 

[gopher1369]

Couldn't Google Apps combined with something like Ubuntu or Mint replace most of that pretty easy at a far lower cost?

Firstly, Outlook. That kills off this idea right there. We use Exchange + Outlook for our email system. Maybe there is an option as good as Exchange + Outlook 2010 and I'm just not aware of it. Thunderbird certainly isn't it, it's no-where near to Outlook in functionality.

I don't think Project or Visio have an equivalent in Google Apps either, although I may be wrong.

 

[8350rocks]

Couldn't Google Apps combined with something like Ubuntu or Mint replace most of that pretty easy at a far lower cost?

Firstly, Outlook. That kills off this idea right there. We use Exchange + Outlook for our email system. Maybe there is an option as good as Exchange + Outlook 2010 and I'm just not aware of it. Thunderbird certainly isn't it, it's no-where near to Outlook in functionality.

I don't think Project or Visio have an equivalent in Google Apps either, although I may be wrong.

Look at Open-Xchange, between that and the other options for email clients out there, you could likely find something that would work well for you.

 

[weatherby700]

I am currently running the Pro version of 8.1 and there is no start menu that I have been able to find as of yet.

 

[stevejnb]

I am currently running the Pro version of 8.1 and there is no start menu that I have been able to find as of yet.

There isn't a start menu, Weatherby, just a start button that brings you to the full screen start screen. Use classicshell or something if you actually want a start menu. It does not seem that MS is providing one.

 

[gopher1369]

There isn't a start menu, Weatherby, just a start button that brings you to the full screen start screen. Use classicshell or something if you actually want a start menu. It does not seem that MS is providing one.

Seconded. Windows 8 + Classic Shell is what I run and I'm extremely happy with it.