Windows 9, rumored to be announced at BUILD 2014 in April

[The Stig]

lol this talk reminds me of that gif that was posted:



Otherwise, echoing:

But really, at this point any fucking OS does the trick for me, browse, watch videos and the occasional videogame.

I use Vista on an old machine and 7 on my main one. Both do the job fine, 0 issues or anything particular. The Vista bashing was just general opinion of everyone being a sheep. Yes I acknowledge there were issues at the beginning but they're more or less ironed out. But I dislike it when for some reason people ask what I use and I mention Vista and it's like perhaps saying I eat dogs/cats for some reason.

Oh, and this pic:

[Uzor]

From what I've heard Windows 9 is going to be free for Windows 8 users, but even if that is an unverified rumor, I'm sure they'll do a promotional deal like they did back when Windows 8 was released. Windows 7 Pro users could upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for something like $25 during the first month of its release, which really isn't a lot...

Even if they don't, I'll probably still upgrade since students get it 50% off.

[Krandor]

There's some free programs you can get bring back the proper start menu and block out the Metro (or whatever they ended up calling it) UI. At that point it's pretty much 7 with the under the hood performance improvements, though you still have to deal with some of the annoying touch pad gestures unless you disable them thru the registry.

[chiyio]

I guess I was one of the few that actually doesn't mind Windows 8 >.>

I prefer it over 7, but I can understand after the initial shock at seeing metro why people react the way they do. Once you figure out how to go into the desktop, remove the metro crap, and organize your start screen, it works exactly like a slightly updated windows 7.

I can't go back to not having the windowskey-x shortcut that 8 has. Not having it drives me crazy every time I have to use a windows 7 box.

[Meresgi]

There's some free programs you can get bring back the proper start menu and block out the Metro (or whatever they ended up calling it) UI. At that point it's pretty much 7 with the under the hood performance improvements, though you still have to deal with some of the annoying touch pad gestures unless you disable them thru the registry.

Last I checked Start8 was the good program and it cost a few bucks, well worth it...but fuck it honestly. I can get free copies of it at work but choose not to.

fuck windows in general


Archlinux fo lyfe!.

[Prothescar]

Hoping that they don't develop Windows 9 with touch screens in mind and just keep Windows 8 going for that.



my hopes will be crushed tho

Spoiler: show

also better directx that works similar to mantle pls microsoft? no? ok.

[Krandor]

Last I checked Start8 was the good program and it cost a few bucks, well worth it...but fuck it honestly. I can get free copies of it at work but choose not to.

fuck windows in general


Archlinux fo lyfe!.

I can't remember the name right now but there's a freeware program does the same thing as Start8

Mantle is a different story because it only functions with specific AMD hardware, it's not something Microsoft could develop.

[Katlan]

Dunno why everyone hates Windows 8, I quite like it, and it goes well together with my Windows phone.

It's awful because everything metro related is littered w/advertisements and product placement and uses full screen mode by default. Just what you want to do.. Pay 175$ for an OS that's a big ol product placement. But ya, once you change things up you completely forget about metro and you superior w7

[Uzor]

Wasnt 175 for me, was 24 or something like that since I upgraded...

I agree with the apps though, hate the full-screen apps. I use Chrome desktop instead.

[Kryssan]

I'm one of those that doesn't understand the Win8 hate. Perhaps it's because I don't use store apps; the Metro interface is nothing more than a huge shortcut palette for me, and being one of those people who loves a clean desktop without docks, bars, etc cluttering it I love it. One button to flip back and forth between all shortcuts and my nice superclean desktop. Just add everything I want to be seen to the Metro UI, exercise Win+X and Win+R often, and viola. Best setup so far from Windows.

Then again, never really had the issues people had with Vista either. Vista's one issue I had that still remains is the driver signing one - basically killing off all our 3rd party setups. Attempting to use 3rd party drivers now with Win8 is usually the best way to see that ol' BlueScreen.

That said, Windows 8 has a much better file management / transfer system than any previous version, which I use the hell out of - no other version of Windows could burst 150MB/s or sustain >100MB/s ( I'm used to 105 burst and 80 sustain, so Win8 looks to be getting the maximum throughput for network traffic on gigabit ). The control tools are much easier to find and have been grouped together ( for once - computer management still leaves something to be desired MMC? c'mon MS ). iSCSI control tool is buried in menus and looks like something still out of Win 98SE and they got rid of NFS from everything except Win8 Ent. Those are the things that bother me.

If Win9 regresses because people can't take not having a start menu I'll probably stay on 8 unless 9's under-the-hood advances make it worth the upgrade.

[Waraji]

Quick question though, if the Metro UI is just one big shortcut page. Wtf have I been doing these past 3 decades with my Desktop? Furthermore, why is there a Desktop in W8. If its just one big shortcut page, I mean, then they should just completely remove the desktop and let you only use the Metro UI.

You know why I hate W8, from my limited experience with it? All the product placement. I feel like I'm getting shoved WindowsLive(similar pet peeve with Chromebooks) down my throat, and seeing that icon with the Xbox Logo makes me want to punch babies. Sure its all customizable, but I don't want a gd console UI on my PC. What am I fucking 8, playing Call of Duty on an Xbox? I didn't even own a PS3/360.

Easy fix for this, and probably the route they will take with W9: provide a switch to turn off/on Metro UI being default or ever present during your computing experience. Try selling W8 to a Business, no one's going to fucking buy it, no one is fkin buying it. If they are going to jump on this Mobile Bandwagon, they have to remember that there is still a very large and growing Desktop PC community. Get the Tablet/Phone OS out of my Desktop OS.

[Meresgi]

Considering how many businesses will need to upgrade from XP (lol that won't happen). I see a lot going to Windows 7 and only a few maybe doing Windows 8. It's far too confusing for the average person unless you sit down and play with it..but fuck that when you're talking about dealing with people who can't even open their email without a hassle. Giving them Windows 8 would be a disaster.

If I want a customizable OS, i'm going to use my Linux machines. If I want a concrete base that does what I need it to do out of the box and requires hardly any fucketry i'll go with Win7 or OSX.

[orinthia]

I also like win8.1 a bit. The search being broken in win8.0 was annoying as fuck since it was the main way I started programs in win7. About the only "apps" I use are outlook, weather, and a daily show one. I usually leave outlook open all the time, so being able to flick on the touchpad and swap to it is neat, though not exactly amazing. There aren't enough apps I'd use on a desktop/laptop to bother most of the time. The ad placement though is annoying when looking in their store, the weather app, or their news app, which also kills most of it (though you don't have much choice there since most others are doing the same ad-riddled shit; thanks for not leading us ad-free microderp).

The biggest thing for me is how damn fast it boots or resumes from hibernate on low end hardware. It's impressive, especially on mech drives. Resuming takes like 3-5 seconds on my laptop and can be used immediately (ssd is probably near instant).

The amount of hidden shortcuts everywhere is pretty nice though, like right-click on "the button," swipe ins, and winkey-shortcuts. It was pretty easy for me to get the most out of it in the first day, just the whole other half of windows, modern ui, just isn't too useful on a desktop.

I never bothered with the menu adder programs since you can give yourself a menu of sorts without it: those shortcut folders are still there so all you have to do is put that folder on your taskbar to get your old list back. Though if you really need it, "classic start menu" is free.

[Sho]

I guess I was one of the few that actually doesn't mind Windows 8 >.>

I actually like Windows 8, use it every day. I still don't see why people hate it. It's not a mistake like Windows 2000/ME/Vista.

Even so after 2 Service Packs, Vista is fine as well.

[Isiolia]

Quick question though, if the Metro UI is just one big shortcut page. Wtf have I been doing these past 3 decades with my Desktop? Furthermore, why is there a Desktop in W8. If its just one big shortcut page, I mean, then they should just completely remove the desktop and let you only use the Metro UI.

It isn't. The "Windows 8 style" stuff is a different API called Windows Runtime. The basic idea being that MS OSes have this unified application style across device types.

That's why 8 has the "desktop" side, which isn't just the UI paradigm, but the environment in which the standard Win32 API runs.

So to a large degree, 8/8.1 are largely the same thing as 7, only with the capability to run this new app type tacked on. Many of the issues are due to separating the two.

It's not a mistake like Windows 2000/ME/Vista.

Hey now, 2000 was a great release. I could see it being annoying for some home users if coming from 98, but relative to NT4 it was phenomenal almost out of the gate.

[djzombie]

Last I checked Start8 was the good program and it cost a few bucks, well worth it...but fuck it honestly. I can get free copies of it at work but choose not to.
Archlinux fo lyfe!.

iobit.com has free software that replaces the start menu. havent used it though because I refuse to install a touxhscreen os on my desktop that will never have a touch screen monitor. really who needs extra fingerprints all over their monitor.

[Uzor]

What's these "adds" you feel are being forced down your throat? I don't see any adds outside of the App Store besides the Xbox ones, and those aren't really adds per se; you login with your Microsoft account, those apps contains all videos, games, music etc. That you've purchased, and they're the same on your xbox, phone and windows. It's kind of similar to iTune in that ways to share purchases between your PC/Mac, phone and pad...

Besides, the live tiles are awesome for the times you're actually inside the metro view, and they're even more handy on the phone.

As for the Nokia lumia phone, Glance is a strange feature you've never wanted that you can't be without once you've had it...

[djzombie]

also you say windows 9 will"regress" by adding the start menu back, wouldnt it be windows 8 regressed from windows 7 by remocing the feature in the first place? How is returning a necessary feature regressing

[Sho]

It isn't. The "Windows 8 style" stuff is a different API called Windows Runtime. The basic idea being that MS OSes have this unified application style across device types.

That's why 8 has the "desktop" side, which isn't just the UI paradigm, but the environment in which the standard Win32 API runs.

So to a large degree, 8/8.1 are largely the same thing as 7, only with the capability to run this new app type tacked on. Many of the issues are due to separating the two.




Hey now, 2000 was a great release. I could see it being annoying for some home users if coming from 98, but relative to NT4 it was phenomenal almost out of the gate.

I agree. It only really failed due to them overstepping 2000 Pro with XP 18 months later. Kinda sucks for the OS.

[chiyio]

also you say windows 9 will"regress" by adding the start menu back, wouldnt it be windows 8 regressed from windows 7 by remocing the feature in the first place? How is returning a necessary feature regressing

It's not necessary though. pinning apps and using search is a much faster way of launching applications. The problem is being used to hunting through a giant menu since windows 95.

Using search and pinned apps is also the fastest way to do things in 7, it's just having to learn how that works that is making 8 seem like such a huge change. (that and the default metro/start screen you start with is HORRIBLE, a few right clicks -> uninstall fixes it up fast though)