windows 8

skotl said:
A number of PC manufacturers have been hit hard by the Windows 8 disaster and so will let you but a new PC with Windows 7 installed instead of Windows 8. Dell is the most prominent.
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Good news. If my laptop bites the dust before Windows 9 appears, and if I can't find a new one with Windows 7, I'll be tempted to install Ubuntu or Linux.

Come to think of it, can you buy a computer with Ubuntu as the pre-installed OS? Logically, it should be cheaper as the manufacturer wouldn't have to pay for Windows software.
 
I read that, for a while, Dell were offering Ubuntu as a pre-installed O/S and that this save a little money (I recall around £30).
But they discontinued the offering due to the lack of take-up :cry:

A little known factoid; every PC sold has to pay a royalty to Microsoft because of an arcane contract struck between Microsoft and IBM in the dark ages. Basically, a PC is a clone of the original IBM PC, and IBM agreed a perpetual deal with Microsoft to pay them royalties on every PC sold.
This means that even when you buy an Ubuntu-clad PC from Dell, they still need to send a few dollars to Microsoft...
 
skotl said:
A little known factoid; every PC sold has to pay a royalty to Microsoft because of an arcane contract struck between Microsoft and IBM in the dark ages. Basically, a PC is a clone of the original IBM PC, and IBM agreed a perpetual deal with Microsoft to pay them royalties on every PC sold.
This means that even when you buy an Ubuntu-clad PC from Dell, they still need to send a few dollars to Microsoft...
Click to expand...

I am not sure this is correct? I believed the deal struck related to the shipment of DOS with IBM machines. I also thought MS agreed not to take a royalty as long as they could sell DOS to other PC manufacturers (hence the direct sales of MS-DOS).

http://forwardthinking.pcmag.com/so...-dos-how-microsoft-got-the-ibm-pc-os-contract
 
I did a quick Google (cos the internet always proves you're right, right? :lol: ) but must admit that I couldn't find anything irrefutably confirming my assertion within my extensive 10 second search.

So you could be right!
Cheers
 
Either way, Microsoft is getting too big for its boots!
 
Yep pretty big !!
[GALLERY=media, 64804][/GALLERY]

Screenshot running from Win8 Pro 64Bit as I type :-

Win media player.
Opera browser at the Notters.
Win Calculator.
Google Earth - measuring runway length at LHR.
Office 2007 excel spreadsheet - Land values.
Openhardware monitor. Graphing equipment temperatures.
Notepad to type this evidenced based post.

Serviio concurrently media Streaming 720p Battleship movie over house wiring to lounge TV glitch free.

VMware player : Running win7 Ultimate 32bit: In turn running VectorCad 16bit CADD package.

All working ok.

Note the 'Start button' lower left - using software noted previously.


Seems Win8 can do, but then, change is difficult for peeps - Gotta keep pushing.

I don't think the OS is going away anytime soon, we have been here before and given enough time we'll all be back !!
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A handy way of getting to familiar places in Windows 8 is to move the mouse pointer to the bottom left corner of the screen and right-click. Brings up this menu:

functions.jpg
 
JBR said:
Either way, Microsoft is getting too big for its boots!
Click to expand...

Aye, but they're floundering now. Windows 8 has been a disaster in the business world (where they make most money) for the reasons I cited yesterday. And the Surface tablet has been a commercial debacle - do any of you have one? Or know someone who has one?

Steve Ballmer, who took over as CEO from Bill Gates, is a dinosaur. There is massive political turmoil within the major business divisions inside Microsoft, with the Office team ruling the roost for too long.
They need to ditch Ballmer and bring in a non-Microsoftie who can stand up to the divisional heads.

So, TBH, Microsoft still thinks it is too big for its boots, but these boots become less relevant with every passing month;
Phones? iPhone or Samsung
Tablets? iPad or Samsung or Google or any other Android clone
Virtualisation? VMWare by a country mile
Servers? Maybe Windows but just as likely to be a Linux derivative
Web? .Net is actually pretty strong, but Apache is way cheaper
Database? They have just moved SQL Server 2012 to be price-comparitive with Oracle, which is a big mistake. If SQL is cheaper, people will buy SQL. If it's the same price, they will go with Oracle.
Office / Productive software? MS Office still wipes the floor with open office or its many derivatives.

The latter is why the Office division in Microsoft is still so dominant; they are pretty much the only clear market leaders in the MS portfolio. But their arrogance is starting to turn people against them, with the horrible UI of Office 2013 and the reluctance to release proper Office apps for the cheaper Surface RT tablet.

All in all, Microsoft's dominance is in no way assured for the coming decade. This is made all the more obvious by the arrogant way that they think this is our fault for not understanding their direction.

End of rant #2 :D
 
I think you're right, Skotl. Still, I don't wish them ill. Windows 7 is perfectly good from my point of view and, so long as they bring out a Windows 9 before too long that just contains practical improvements on 7, rather than attempts to be trendy, I'll be happy.
 
JBR said:
I think you're right, Skotl. Still, I don't wish them ill. Windows 7 is perfectly good from my point of view and, so long as they bring out a Windows 9 before too long that just contains practical improvements on 7, rather than attempts to be trendy, I'll be happy.
Click to expand...

Yep - sums up my thoughts on the situation. Windows 7 is a great O/S from a usability and management perspective. They just need to get the marketing dept the hell away from the product.
I have no desire to manage hundreds of laptops running Linux so I hope they get it right for Windows 9!
 
MicroSoft / Windows assumes its users are Thick Sh*ts

Linux assumes its users can think for themselves

Most people are NOT Thick Sh*ts and don't like being "dumbed down".

btw... Hows the Virtual workspaces in Win 8 ?



direct to Full size pic

I was also had XP in a VM a fair while ago <--- Strictly for legacy purposes ie: it hardly ever got used

 
I only bought Windows 8 because of the low price it was offered at when first released ..and out of interest to see what it was like. Certainly given me twenty-five Poundsworth of interest. Can't get a night out for that these days. :)

The interface was a bit of a shock after looking at the Windows Desktop that had been around since Windows 95. Microsoft have certainly dared to be different. After a few days though, it wasn't so bad. I found it could do everything Windows 7 does. It runs all of my Desktop programs and games but only with a different screen for starting them up.

I don't know about its use in the business environment but speaking as a home user, it seems to do everything Windows 7 does. All there behind the different interface as far as I can tell.

My system is protected using Bitdefender Internet Security, Sandboxie and an occasional scan with HitmanPro. They all run well on Windows 8.

Only a couple of things I haven't managed to get used to. The Skype App and the Windows 8 version of Internet Explorer. The Desktop version of IE is included though for those who use the browser. I've installed Firefox and the Desktop version of Skype. All in all, I've found Windows 8 to be a stable and good OS for home use on a Desktop computer.
 
Yes, I have tried to show how for the wary new user, Win8 can be made to feel/look like Win7.

For £24.99 cost of 8 pints dahn the pub - I can play with the desktop (1) or use the 'Matrix apps' without falling too far behind the wave.

PS. And M$ sent me 2 sleeved DVD's for 64 and 32 bit W8Pro.

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