I gave it a try yesterday.
Oh deary, deary me, what were they thinking?
It’s dreadful.
If one of the “we haven’t screwed our flagship product up” distros were to get ‘out there’ (Mint springs to mind) and start advertising, they would get more interest than they dared hope for.
It could be a possible opportunity for some businesses to make the switch … but I doubt it, which is a pity.
Complete POS that Win8 is …
It looks like businesses are now moving to Win7 (with the upcoming demise of XP), so they’ll probably skip Win8 altogether … as they’re now going to need some of their bespoke software re-written for Win7 they could have used the opportunity to move to Linux, but my guess is they wont.
Home users on the other hand will get used to what comes pre-installed on their new system … making Win9 (if it’s similar to Win8) a better proposition for businesses as their users/employees will have gotten used to the new UI on their home PC’s.
I think M$ are trying to push the idea of M$ device integration … same apps on your Win8 Phone/Surface tablet/Desktop/Server (Xbox ?) … and have written off Win8 as far as business uptake goes, but hope the message gets across by the back door (of having Win8 pre-installed on new PC’s in the home), just in time for the Win9 to appeal to businesses as they pull the plug on Win7 support.
This is a well known M$ strategy (that appears to work for them) … pretty much every other Windows release is a radical departure and shunned by businesses … the next release is a “fixed” version, and by then the market is “ready” for it … nothing new here.
It’s been pointed out elsewhere that people are going to be massively confused by the new (Metro/Modern UI Stylel … that killls me BTW ;)) Win8 UI … but a swap to Linux will be more confusing … at least with Win8 they still have the same apps/tools/directory structure/etc.
I think this could have been a BIG opportunity for Linux, but unless it comes pre-installed on major brand PC’s that are sold in major outlets (PCWorld), my guess is it will be another MISSED opportunity 
Don’t get me wrong, I do see Win8 as another nail in Microsofts coffin, and will cause even more disillusionment … but Win8 isn’t going to be the death of them quite yet … that’s Ballmers job isn’t it ?
At the end of the day, people may be p*ssed off with Win8, but they are still unaware of Linux … if anyone benefits, it will be Apple
windows 8 is going to be the new vista i think and its all ready in the courts for “braking patents”
Though I don’t mind Microsoft getting some of their own (patent trolling) medicine … this is another case of patents (trolls ?) stifling innovation, albeit bad innovation … how ridiculous do things have to get ?
So now you can’t make a phone rectangular with rounded corners, a touchscreen you can touch, or a desktop with multiple selectable data streams.
Insane … that’s the only word for it.
And if you’re not sure SurfCast are patent trolls … check their website:
http://www.surfcast.com/index.php
They don’t actually (as far as I can tell) make an OS, they seem to just patent UI ideas, then sit back and wait.
They don’t actually (as far as I can tell) make an OS, they seem to just patent UI ideas, then sit back and wait.
Based on the same principle, one presumes, as tax dodgers over here.
“If it’s not actually illegal then it’s OK”.
I couldn’t agree more … what ever happened to principles :
Windows is too important to other mouth’s it feeds to just fade away.
French security company Vupen is selling a vulnerability in Microsoft’s latest operation system and browser:
"Certainly, if the bug is confirmed, then this could be a black eye for Microsoft having their brand new and touted most secure platform already found flawed just after its public release,"http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/public-sector/3408691/for-sale-windows-8-zero-day-vulnerability/
Heh … already
Windows WILL loose its crown and become insignificant … it happens to ALL software/products/companies/countries/empires/etc. … the rot has well and truly set in, and is IMHO unstoppable.
I just don’t necessarily think Linux is (at present, or maybe ever in its current incarnation) in a position to be what replaces it on the desktop.
That doesn’t change the fact that Linux has ALREADY killed Windows, it’s just taking its time to die … I don’t want it to disappear tomorrow, I actually find its death throws entertaining 
… is that just cruel ?
I actually find its death throws entertaining ;) .. is that just cruel ?Not cruel at all ;D
Hmm… Is this for real?
WindowsRT uses 16 out of 32GiB for system and applications on the Surface.
That is bloat at its best. Or they just do it to make people buy cloud storage?
No wonder they do not offer a 16GiB version.
That doesn't change the fact that Linux has ALREADY killed Windows,
Really! I think that Windows is dying of it’s own cause. Vulnerabilities etc. I think that Apple has been one of the biggest problems for Windows.
As much as would love to say that Linux has killed it off I don’t think it has, not in the domestic market anyway.
The real issue for me (as a dual boot person) is the lack of pro’ Graphics software. I think the developers of The Gimp and others have done a great job. But they still can’t match Photoshop and others. Also if Linux is the ‘Knife Plunger’ why does nearly every bit of commercial software usually only have Windows and Mac compatability?
I just don't necessarily think Linux is (at present, or maybe ever in its current incarnation) in a position to be what replaces it on the desktop
Yep, too many distros. I think it can be confusing to newbies.
Apple seems to be marching ever forward. Have you seen the expansion in places like pc world? The popularity of the iPhone and iPad has encouraged people to part with their money for a brilliantly marketed but utterly boring system. some times success is about the hype…not the reallty.
Apple shows the reality of humanity and technology.
We, as tinkerers and fiddlers; those who desire freedom and ideology over ease of use, are the minority.
The majority doesn’t give a damn about those things. They want slick, cool and easy to use and don’t mind being ripped off for it as long as they really do get what’s promised and Apple, for the most part, deliver.
Microsoft don’t deliver any such thing - they deliver badly designed products to the market, months too late and then withdraw them leaving customers in the lurch.
Linux on the desktop will always be niche, short of some unforeseen change.
And there’s the qualifier … “not in the domestic market anyway” …
Firstly, bear in mind I draw little distinction between Linux and Android, and now Android is being merged back into the mainline Linux kernel even less so (I see Android as a Linux distro for mobile devices), so for the purposes of this posting the term “Linux” will include Andriiod (as it should).
Back to your qualifier … Linux is in more homes than Windows (think routers, mp3 players, set top boxes, smart TV’s, etc.) and who do you think lost that market ?
Linux has the server room sewn up.
Microsoft is pretty much nowhere to be seen in the Mobile market (currently the largest market) … and who/what stole their possible market share … Linux.
It’s not Apple that is taking the lions share of markets from Microsoft … Apple are an elitist brand that will always be a fringe player in all markets except maybe mobile (which Android is beating them at anyway) … it’s Linux.
Microsoft is currently bleeding money like there’s no tomorrow … the sure sign of a dying dinosaur, and when they finally shrivel and die … what do you think will take it’s place on the desktop ? … currently not a market Apple are showing much interest in, and one that would IMHO harm their elitist status.
With the rise of “device” computing, and the relegation of the “Desktop PC”, the historical “Linux on the desktop” holy grail is morphing along with emerging markets and Linux itself, into “Linux on the devices desktop” … and it’s doing it well.
And then there’s the emergence of the non-mobile/not so mobile ARM market … ARM servers, mini/power efficient PC’s … who do you think will win/is winnning in that market ?
A wise man once said to me … “Windows will become less relevant and die, and what do you think will be left to fill the gap … Linux … but it’s unlikely it will be Linux in its current form”.
(At the time I hadn’t a damn clue what that meant … and to be honest thought “yeh, right” … but it stuck with me, and I’ve since watched it slowly come to pass with growing understanding ← damn that bit would have benefited from monastic music in the background :)))
That was said BEFORE Android was on the drawing board, and the emergence of new markets … a man with vision … you know who you are
I stand by my statement … Linux has ALREADY killed Windows … bear in mind that I originally took great pains in deciding whether to state whether it had “killed Microsoft” … probably not, they’ll morph into something else.
I cant think of a single domestic device that I have ever had that had Windows. I do see your point though Mark.
Im sat in my car using my Android tablet tethered to my Andriod phone.
Just wish a real Linux operating system was available as think Google has made Andriod vunerable.
I once had a “Windows Mobile” phone iPaq … but that was some time ago
Actually I still have the iPaq (somewhere), and every now and again think of trying to get Linux on it … maybe one day I’ll get round to it.
Actually I still have the iPaq (somewhere), and every now and again think of trying to get Linux on it .. maybe one day I'll get round to it.
Funny enough but I also have an iPaq with Windows CE on it, donated by my wife to put Linux on it (to keep me quiet). Never got around to it.
Probably it is too old to be of any use even if I managed the install. :-\
Exactly the conclusion I come to every time think of it … then it goes back in the drawer till the next time, so I can come to that conclusion all over again
Apparently 40 million W8 licences sold in about a month but what caught my eye is this(derived from Microsoft’s logs):
85%, she said, use the vestigial desktop on the first day. In the first three weeks, the average user adds 19 tiles to the Windows 8 start screen. 25% have added 30. 90% of customers use Charms on the first day they get the product.My question would be just how have they acquired that data? Did the users volunteer to share their desktop usage habits or they were tricked to do so? :o
I agree … I’d also like to know how they are getting usage figures this early.
Not that they mean anything anyway … all from sales of new PC’s on the run up to Xmas, and of course people will experiment with the new interface when they get a new PC …
a) they have no choice
and
b) a number will be intrigued to see what’s there.
Neither suggest they actually like what they see … only time will tell that story.
What’s interesting is that they feel the need to “hype” the usablilty … I don’t remember them doing this with the release of other Windows versions … at least not this early.
Neither suggest they actually like what they see .. only time will tell that story.
As far as the usability is concerned 85% on day one gone for the standard desktop is quite telling.
The other 25% probably never figured out how to break out from Metro (or whatever it is now called) ;D
What I am concerned is how did they get this level of information from their users.
Does Win8 calls home every minute of the day? Chilling…
Agreed … having this level of usage figures this early after release does sound kinda suspect.