Comments on: IDC predicts Windows 8 upgrade to be “largely irrelevant” beyond tablets

By: WindowsMESurvivor

WindowsMESurvivor — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:22:00 +0000

excellent point about kybd/mouse support. Does Win 7 on a tablet support kybd/mouse?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:52:00 +0000

I can see it for a tablet but I like the dramatic sudden changes to my desktop. I dunno, I have to try it out first.

By: scotterG

scotterG — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:16:00 +0000

In a word: Vista. We’ll see a mess on our hands for this first go around, followed quickly by a windows “9″ that addresses the bugs everyone came to hate. Win8 will become the next redheaded step child of Microsoft, quickly adopted, and as quickly dropped.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:44:00 +0000

What about all of those touchscreen all in ones? This seems to be the perfect OS to upgrade to.

Or those laptops with touchscreen as well?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:43:00 +0000

As a big Windows fan, (and iPad owner) I’ve got to say that as far as the success of Win8 goes, I think only time will tell. They will produce a compelling Tablet platform with (thank god) mouse/ keyboard support as well as touch. With office integration, I would be willing to ditch my lappy but touch lappy ultrabooks are coming so, if they produce one akin to the Asus Transformer Prime I would be willing to go with that form factor as long as it’s on an intel chip for backward compatability

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:23:00 +0000

microsoft is thinking that, if they can push windows 8 to x86 desktops and laptops they can create a huge market with windows 8. and the developers can modify their codes to run their program in both x86 and ARM. that way windows tablets would also get some decent apps. Its just a clever way to create developers interest in windows tablet.

By: Greg4422

Greg4422 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:51:00 +0000

I’m looking forward to Windows 8, and the abilty to sync my desktop, laptop, tablet and smart phone, with the same OS, I don’t care what this guy says… I’ll be making the switch.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:49:00 +0000

My cousins friend works for Microsoft but not with the Windows Development team. He however had to say that Metro will be disabled by default on x86 architecture according to what he has heard from “higher up”. As for the ARM architecture, there will only be Metro by default but it will be upto the manufacturer to enable the Desktop mode, depending on the hardware power of the tablet.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:14:00 +0000

Desktop mode doesn’t include classic Start Menu functionality, though.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:13:00 +0000

Yes, the lack of a traditional Start menu really ruined my experience with Windows 8 (on a desktop).

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:12:00 +0000

That’ll be one hell of a scandal.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:11:00 +0000

He’s thinking from the narrow styling standpoint. The application support will be a huge issue for Windows 8, I’m very interested in seeing just how MS and it’s fleet of developers handle the transition from tradition Windows applications to dumbed down Metro touch apps.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:08:00 +0000

*gimmick

But I agree.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:08:00 +0000

We’ll see in 2013 what PC vendors can actually bring to market in respect to tablet/laptop hybrids.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:23:00 +0000

Since a lot of large companies are just now migrating large numbers of their users to Win7, it’s very probable that they won’t be ready or willing to upgrade again until Win9. And with most of the Fortune 500′s already deploying iPads, Win8 tablets are going to need to offer a tremendous advantage for them to even consider moving in that direction.

By: WindowsMESurvivor

WindowsMESurvivor — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:44:00 +0000

Remember Windows ME? Well, Windows 8 will be the 21st century’s Windows ME (possibly minus the daily BSOD). As for usability? HA! M$ did away with the start menu completely. There is a pretend traditional desktop, but getting around in Win 8 eventually requires interfacing with the awkward, busy, and butt-ugly Metro UI. If there is a god, the Metro UI will not be popular.

By: v.o.r

v.o.r — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:23:00 +0000

“where companies will stay away from any compatibility problems that the new Metro UI might cause to their existing work flows.”

What is the basis of this? MS will keep the traditional desktop interace for Intel-based desktops and laptops. Enterprises will likely just keep their workflows in the desktop UI for everything but tablet-centric activities. This doesn’t necessitate shunning Win8 altogether.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:12:00 +0000

I’m not really sure how a keyboard(transformer style) would help with compatibility between ARM and x86. Unless you’re proposing an inclusion of an x86 chip in the keyboard that it would then boot over to(making the total cost go way up) there would be absolutely no difference. Problem is not input (touch/mouse, virtual keyboard/physical one), but rather coding/compiling that would need to be redone for most programs people use.

The thing I keep seeing is “Oh I’d be able to play *insert game* on a W8 tablet” or “I’ll be able to use my business software on W8 with ARM”, which is only true if that company decides it is a worthwhile venture(which brings them to a numbers game where they decide between IOS, Android, or the new entrant W8, sound familiar to WP7?). Unless MS can pull a rabbit out of their hat and manage a way for compatibility between ARM and x86 without effort from developers, people are going to find the ARM version sorely lacking.

By: Scam Victim

Scam Victim — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:11:00 +0000

I don’t believe in the Crystal ball. That’s what the IDC is. It’s prediction has no value.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:05:00 +0000

You don’t understand, what Microsoft will do is register ALL purchases of windows as a purchase for Windows 8. If you are a business and you want windows 7, then MS will SELL you Win8 and let you DOWNGRADE to win7. Therefore, win8 will break all sorts of records.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:54:00 +0000

Windows 8 will be crap, that Metro interface is terrible! Too bad cause Windows 7 is such an awesome OS. They should’ve just perfected it.

By: Brian Stringfellow

Brian Stringfellow — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:48:00 +0000

I know there are compatibility issues going from Intel to Arm, but if Windows 7 laptop owners can buy a tablet that supports a keyboard (asus transformer style) and touch input, well then I’m not sure what would prevent that kind of adoption.

By: Ojgf

Ojgf — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:46:00 +0000

well duh windows 8 with is metro is just a gimic

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:37:00 +0000

Probably true… I think what MS is trying to do makes sense long term… but most people are just getting on Windows 7 from XP… Windows 7 is good and will be hard to displace for some time