Windows 8

[Cube]

We all know it's coming, but here are some juicy rumours about it from a leaked powerpoint file:

 

http://msftkitchen.com/2010/06/windows-8-plans-leaked-numerous-details-revealed.html

 

Some interesting things:

 

- It's planned to have a much faster startup time and a very low power consumption for hibernation mode.

- A "reset windows" button, which re-installs Windows but doesn't affect your files or settings.

- Face recognition login. Which means that if someone takes a photo of you they can easily log into your computer (then again, it takes 5 minutes to search Google and bung a file that removes the Windows password onto a USB stick).

 

The biggest new feature is something that really should have existed a while ago: An application market. This looks like it works pretty much like the App Store/Marketplace on iPhone/Android. One interesting feature is the cloud-based storage for settings/saves. So if you're playing a game on a desktop, you can turn it off then carry on playing on a tablet PC (providing the tablet PC can run the game).

 

I also predict that Microsoft will show off a lot of touch screen-based stuff (even through it was all in Windows 7 from the start, affordable touch screen devices were a bit late for Microsoft to really advertise it).

 

Of course, all this is a rumour at the moment but it all makes a lot of sense and not over-the-top.

[Shorty]

Why do you need an Application market for Windows? There already is one, it's called the internet.

[Cube]

Why do you need an Application market for Windows? There already is one, it's called the internet.

 

For the same reason that you have an application market for internet-based mobile devices?

[nightwolf]

I think the only thing I would appreciate on windows 8 is the reset feature, I've needed something like that and it'd be nice to see it implemented.

 

Personally I agree with Shorty, I don't see the need for a market when you have the internet, even on my phone I had to go on the internet to download blackberry's market in the first place..

[Dan_Dare]

8? Really? huh.

 

well, yeah. Not bad features I suppose. Don't really feel that I'd need it though as 7 runs like liquid gold on this pc.

[Ramar]

8? I'm still on XP..

[Ashley]

8? Really? huh.

 

well, yeah. Not bad features I suppose. Don't really feel that I'd need it though as 7 runs like liquid gold on this pc.

 

But if you get it free through taxpayers again you'll quite happily accept it with open arms eh?

[Shorty]

For the same reason that you have an application market for internet-based mobile devices?

Because most mobile devices don't run the millions of .exe/.zip applications people have been developing for Windows for about 20 years

[Sheikah]

Why do you need an Application market for Windows? There already is one, it's called the internet.

Damn, in before me. It has the best app store ever. :p

[Wesley]

The app store makes sense in terms of switching PCs/devices and logging in to be able to automatically download your programs...

 

But... this kind of seems like old hat, because most would think that the future of computing is logging into your program services and having instance access to them via cloud computing.

 

As for gaming, with cloud saves, etc... well, yeah, hi Steam.

[McPhee]

The most interesting bit is the cloud stuff. They plan to have it tightly integrated with the cloud and with the marketplace, so you can log in to any Windows 8 PC and you'll get your Windows 8 user account with all of your files and all of your Marketplace applications (which I guess would download and run on-demand?).

 

Also, the reset idea apparently is slightly different to that. It gives you a fresh Windows install and downloads all of your marketplace applications again, gives you a list of non-marketplace applications that were installed on your system and grabs all of your files from the cloud. Sounds incredibly useful for when things go wrong, potentially easier than troubleshooting most problems.

 

Still, seems to be more of an early brainstorm than actual concrete features. Could be cut down from that quite a bit by the time it hits the market.

[Shino]

Quite impressed with the features, I can imagine the reset feature alone will make they're call centers a much better place to work at.

 

All the cloud stuff is obviously an anti-piracy method, but I think the market place is really cool, verified applications which might or might not be free, where you can easily search for either by tags, name or downloads. Anything else you can get from the internet as usual.

 

And a cloud account with ALL type of definitions you have on your computer, not just game saves, but wallpapers, gadgets, UAC definitions, browser definitions, everything.

 

As long as this doesn't come full of DRM, than it will be the biggest change since windows 95.

[Charlie]

I think the only thing I would appreciate on windows 8 is the reset feature, I've needed something like that and it'd be nice to see it implemented.

 

Personally I agree with Shorty, I don't see the need for a market when you have the internet, even on my phone I had to go on the internet to download blackberry's market in the first place..

 

But think of it for the casual PC user! We're all 'hardcore' computer users here who know where to go where to get software. If you were a casual computer dude with no idea what you're doing and you suddenly had an "App Store" on your desktop you'd have access to thousands of programmes you would never known have existed. You'd be able to buy Microsoft Office at the touch of a button rather than have to wait for it to get delivered, you could easily find the browser you wanted to download or the anti-virus programme you want.

 

I think it's a great idea and for the casual computer user, would makes things one hell of a lot easier, especially in this day and age where buying a programme on a physical disk is dying out and online distribution is taking over. Casual users have no idea about these sort of things, if they have something which is offered by Windows as standard they'd be much more inclined to use it.

[Shorty]

But think of it for the casual PC user! We're all 'hardcore' computer users here who know where to go where to get software. If you were a casual computer dude with no idea what you're doing and you suddenly had an "App Store" on your desktop you'd have access to thousands of programmes you would never known have existed. You'd be able to buy Microsoft Office at the touch of a button rather than have to wait for it to get delivered, you could easily find the browser you wanted to download or the anti-virus programme you want.

Good point, it might help stop idiots that we all know from ruining their computer by clicking every flashing banner they see.

[nightwolf]

But think of it for the casual PC user! We're all 'hardcore' computer users here who know where to go where to get software. If you were a casual computer dude with no idea what you're doing and you suddenly had an "App Store" on your desktop you'd have access to thousands of programmes you would never known have existed. You'd be able to buy Microsoft Office at the touch of a button rather than have to wait for it to get delivered, you could easily find the browser you wanted to download or the anti-virus programme you want.

 

I think it's a great idea and for the casual computer user, would makes things one hell of a lot easier, especially in this day and age where buying a programme on a physical disk is dying out and online distribution is taking over. Casual users have no idea about these sort of things, if they have something which is offered by Windows as standard they'd be much more inclined to use it.

 

Yes I guess you are right, I was speaking at my own perspective, I don't need to have something such as that, I could never speak for the entire population who wish to buy 8, heck both of my computers are still on windows vista.

 

I still stand my point towards my phone, as long as the market is preinstalled, it made no sense to use the internet to download an app that downloads items itself, when you can easily use the internet for downloads on my phone (I think the only thing is doesn't support is websites like argos), if it were already on the os then for generally anyone who had no real grasp of these things it would have been better, but hopefully that is already intended for it to be there immediately.

 

Is there a general release date for this yet? Or am I speaking too soon.

[McPhee]

Q3 2012 is the expected release, so 3 years after Windows 7. Should be in public beta by the end of next year.