Microsoft Latest Newest Thing

denice

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I was talking to a techie type and he was telling me what he knows about the latest thing Microsoft is working on.  They are integrating everything, tablet, pc and phone into one device with one operating system.  I am still trying to get used to Windows 8, haven't decided if I like it or not.

There is always issues with getting things to work together.  I don't have a router I still plug the cable for internet in.  When I got my little notebook I needed an Ethernet to USB adaptor.  I also got an external drive and loaded software for the adaptor even though I was told it would work by just plugging it in.  It didn't work, took everything back what they finally decided was that the adaptor I had didn't recognize the newer Windows.  They did exchange it for a more expensive one without charging me the difference.

They get so many things out there at the same time and then they don't work together.
 

fhicat

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They are integrating everything, tablet, pc and phone into one device with one operating system.  I am still trying to get used to Windows 8, haven't decided if I like it or not.
They already tried that with Windows 8 and failed horribly. That was the idea of the Metro interface. In 8.1 they reverted back to using the Start menu.
 

fhicat

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My sister told me that Windows 10 is coming out soon? 
Not officially announced, but the consensus in the tech community is by the end of the year. Various versions of the technical preview has been out, though.
 
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denice

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I have the start menu so I guess I have the corrected one.  The thing that bugged me at the beginning was the touch swipe automatic switch to another app.  Of course a big part of it was getting used to the new system but that bugged me to no end.  I was okay once I figured out how to turn that off.  I have thought about turning it back on but I still occasionally get the menu of open apps without meaning to so I think I will keep it turned off.
 

Winchester

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Win 10 is in beta right now, I believe. MS has completed bypassed Win 9 and going straight to 10.

I turned a lot of stuff off with Windows 8.1. It all made me spastic and I couldn't see the need for any of it. Bypassed the stupid Start screen, bypassed the charms, bypassed the password. Have it set up to start right to the desktop. It's ridiculous to do otherwise. I do have the laptop set up to need a password on start-up, though, since Rick will be taking it with him when he goes away. But I ditched the charms....honestly, there is no need for those charms! Stupidest thing I ever saw. Vista was my first computer with the charms and I ditched them on that, too.

I have the whole wireless thing and have both my laptop and my computer in a Homegroup so that I can use my laptop and still use documents from my computer. Same with pictures and such. I can open my cookbook on my laptop from my computer. Rick's computer is Vista and Vista doesn't play nice with Homegroups
. Have I mentioned (lately) how much I hate Vista?? I haven't figured out how to add Vista into the Homegroups and I really wish I could. But all of the computers print from all of the printers. 
 
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denice

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I heard on the radio that anyone who has Windows 8 or 8.1 will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free once they release it. 
Everything changes too fast for me.  To be honest I am usually on my desktop and use it the same way I did Windows 7.  I do like the little weather app so I can readily see what the temp is.  I also like the touchscreen and my little notebook.  I am short on space and it is nice because of that.  I wouldn't have been able to use it when I was doing papers and power points for school, the screen is too small for hours and hours of constant use.
 

fhicat

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MS has completed bypassed Win 9 and going straight to 10.
Funny thing though! There was never a consistent pattern of sequential naming in Microsoft's operating systems. Way back in the day, it was Windows 3/3.1. That could arguably be sequential, but it was more of an update (like 8 -> 8.1) than an entirely new OS. After that it was 95 and 98, which were named based on release years. After that came ME, the Millenium Edition in 2000. Then we had XP, and then Vista.

None of those were sequential. That's not counting server OSes like Windows NT and Windows 2000, further muddling the "pattern".

7 could be seen as the first of a sequence (followed by 8), but it was still drastically different from its predecessors in naming conventions. This sequence was only maintained for two OS's -- 7 and 8. So strictly speaking, they didn't "skip" numbers because that would imply that MS historically adhered to a deliberate, sequential numbering system for their OS's. Which they never did.

That's not what you asked, but it's fun to point out! 

 
I heard on the radio that anyone who has Windows 8 or 8.1 will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free once they release it. 
7 too I believe. You get a one-year window (teehee) to upgrade it for free. 
 

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That's true, Cory. You're right. Heck, I remember using Win 3.11, went to a 95 (very unstable and I used to get the Blue Screen of Death a lot on 95), to 98 (I kinda liked 98....S, I think it was), then I went to XP Pro before heading into Vista Ultimate and finally 8.1. (I'm using 7 here at work).

I think that, when it's all said and done, it will be longer than a year to get everybody upgraded to 10. Interestingly, and I don't know how this is going to work, once people have 10, they will continue to receive updates for 10 for as long as they own their computer (or tablet or whatever). According to what I'm reading anyway. Oh, and MS may be a little sneaky about the upgrade. It may be that, when you do your Windows updates......voila! You may suddenly find yourself with Win 10. I hope that's not true because that could be a little ugly for some computers, especially some of the older ones. They were saying that you might need a file when you update your computer and once you've downloaded that file and have completed the update, you will be using 10. That's interesting.

Win 10 may be it for the MS OS, too. From what I'm reading, there may be "branches" of Win 10 for upgrading purposes. So instead of asking, "What OS are you using?" we may be asking, "So what branch of 10 are you using?" Something like that.
 
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denice

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The guy that told me about Microsoft plans works for Best Buy Geek Squad and I think he was talking about something ahead of Windows 10, it's still in the rumors stage.  It is I guess their next attempt at one unit for pc, tablet and phone.  He told me the name that is being rumored but I don't remember what it is now.
 

tara g

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I heard on the radio that anyone who has Windows 8 or 8.1 will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free once they release it. 
If its any better than Windows 8, I'm all over that!

I miss my Windows 7 :( The cats killed my Windows 7 laptop by dumping a glass of water on it while I was at work :rolleyes:
 

fhicat

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I think that, when it's all said and done, it will be longer than a year to get everybody upgraded to 10. Interestingly, and I don't know how this is going to work, once people have 10, they will continue to receive updates for 10 for as long as they own their computer (or tablet or whatever). 
8 was a disaster, 8.1 is slightly better, but I think a lot of us (myself included) are going to hold on to 7 till its dying throes. The free upgrade does sound tempting, and it's interesting that they're also targeting the 7 users (rather than just the 8s). That's a chunk of revenue they're foregoing.

Here's another interesting thing -- some of the OSes have had rough patches (GET IT GET IT HA HA) when they were first released.

Windows 95 started out bad. (although it will always hold a special place in my heart)

Windows 98, and 98 SE, fixed many of the 95 problems.

Windows ME was bad -- it started out as a project to move consumer Windows to an NT-based kernel, but failed. (I never really used ME, but lots of users point to bugs and sluggishly slow memory management)

Windows XP was hugely popular, given its shelf life, but most people don't remember that it started out bad too, and it wasn't until SP2 that many improvements were in.

Windows Vista was another bad one, not so much the OS itself, but the fact that lots of drivers and apps just plain didn't work.

Windows 7 is really a reworked Vista, but they needed a way to distance the new OS from the Vista name, and people probably didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars to buy Windows Vista: Fixed Edition.

Windows 8 is bad, 8.1 is better.

In all the cases, the "bad" ones were OSes that were built on completely new architectures compared to the previous architecture. Microsoft's strength lies in having a huge software catalog and market share, i.e many programs are made for Windows. It is vital that any new releases of Windows must be backwards compatible with older programs written for older versions of Windows. That is not counting hardware compatibility either.

New architectural changes from previous releases means stuffs are more likely to break (early WinXP, Vista), where a lot of hardware either flat out doesn't work, or else it's flaky and cause blue screens etc. The "good" ones represent improvements and we can consider them "up-to-date" versions of of Windows that is available at that time. As to why they release bad versions, who knows. Competition with Linux and other OSes might be a thing.

Windows 10 is based on Windows 8's architecture. My unscientific, hocus-pocus prediction is that it's probably going to be good. 
 
 
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angelinacat

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UGH!!!  We hate, despise, and otherwise cannot stand Windows 8 in any form.  Windows XP worked fine, and Windows 7 likewise.

What are the three most dreaded words in the English language:  "New and improved". 
 

betsygee

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Windows 10 is based on Windows 8's architecture. My unscientific, hocus-pocus prediction is that it's probably going to be good. 
 
I hope that's the case.  We just got that notice of the free upgrade on our computers at work and I've been debating whether to move to 10 or not. 


If anyone moves to 10, let us know how you like it!
 
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denice

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I still hate Windows 8.1.  I thought I would get used to it, that I was just resisting change, but I still don't like it.  I still have my old laptop with Windows 7 on it and I pulled it out the end of March to do my taxes.  I get frustrated enough with doing taxes I don't need to add dealing with Windows 8.1 to it.  I replaced it because it was starting to do some of the glitchy things that proceed the blue screen of death.  I had some extra money so I went ahead and replaced it.  If I had waited it would have died on me at the worst possible time financially.
 

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I have not gotten the icon and wish I would. I'll upgrade to 10, maybe on the desktop first. If it works out ok, then I'll try to upgrade the laptop. 

Maybe they're going after Win 7 users first; we have 8.1 on both the desktop and the laptop.

I wish they would have included Vista; Rick's desktop is Vista and.......
. I figure Vista's OS is way too old for an upgrade at this point and it would require some major hardware tweaking instead of simply a software upgrade. 

Those of who don't like Windows 8.1 should live with Vista for awhile. It would make your blood boil, I swear. After dealing with Vista for these last several years, I thought that 8.1 was a piece of cake. Honest!
 

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I have not gotten the icon and wish I would. I'll upgrade to 10, maybe on the desktop first. If it works out ok, then I'll try to upgrade the laptop. 

Maybe they're going after Win 7 users first; we have 8.1 on both the desktop and the laptop.

I wish they would have included Vista; Rick's desktop is Vista and.......
. I figure Vista's OS is way too old for an upgrade at this point and it would require some major hardware tweaking instead of simply a software upgrade. 

Those of who don't like Windows 8.1 should live with Vista for awhile. It would make your blood boil, I swear. After dealing with Vista for these last several years, I thought that 8.1 was a piece of cake. Honest!
I have 8.1 also and haven't gotten it either. I will gladly upgrade as I hate 8 and 8.1 but agree with you 100%. Vista was the worst. We're still using XP at work but are supposed to be getting new computers in September. Let's see what we get then. Hopefully it's not 8 or 8.1
 
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