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TheGhost
June 1st, 2011, 11:31 PM
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/microsoft-unveils-windows-8-tablet-prototypes/

Thoughts? First impressions?

I really like that they're trying something new. A full-blown operating system that would work equally well on a tablet is a very exciting prospect. I'm curious to see what Apple will do at their event next week.
ThePlague
June 1st, 2011, 11:42 PM
SO...they took away the actually desktop, and replaced it with "tiles"? Wtf. So many things catered to touchscreens instead of mouse/keyboard.

I don't like it. I don't like where they are going with the whole 'lets beat apple with our OS run on apps and touchscreens and finger scrolling through things'.
Warsaw
June 1st, 2011, 11:57 PM
It's just an integrated overlay. You can turn it off if you want to stick with the classic Windows UI paradigm. What makes this exciting is that we can have tablets that sacrifice zero functionality for the sake of a touch-friendly UI. I just hope that they change Aero to something else that better matches the Metro overlay, because seeing Aero and the Start Bar when they run Word or Excel using the overlay just kills the mood. It's very abrupt.
Rainbow Dash
June 2nd, 2011, 12:13 AM
SO...they took away the actually desktop, and replaced it with "tiles"? Wtf. So many things catered to touchscreens instead of mouse/keyboard.

I don't like it. I don't like where they are going with the whole 'lets beat apple with our OS run on apps and touchscreens and finger scrolling through things'.

Yes because virtually eliminating carpal tunnel is a bad thing lol.

Definitely very interested in this, I've always found my tablet more appealing to use than my desktop for everything besides gaming.
Cortexian
June 2nd, 2011, 12:44 AM
This wouldn't do squat to eliminate carpel tunnel, people getting carpel tunnel are people that type a lot. People that type a lot are going to still be typing a lot until we come up with some kind of interface system that doesn't require key strokes. Typing on a touchscreen vs typing on a keyboard is still going to be a problem, not to mention that most typists won't be switching over to the new interface.

The new "tiles" interface is only for mobile touch-capable devices, the standard desktop runs in the background basically.
Kornman00
June 2nd, 2011, 01:35 AM
First I heard that Intel came out and said that old Windows (ie, x86-64) programs won't be able to run on Windows ARM platforms. Then MS came out and said "no no, don't listen to them". Then I saw another news article the other day once again stating that old Windows progs won't be able to run on their ARM platforms. Is there a fucking run down from MS on this shit, and will do some kind of fucking Universal-binary-like thing so that developers can finally just build a single fucking PE file, which then has permutations of the code for x86/64/ARM?

So many fucking PE files. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Warsaw
June 2nd, 2011, 02:24 AM
You've been mislead. Microsoft themselves stated that x86 "legacy" programs will not run on ARM unless they are recompiled for that architecture. What Intel was saying is that a program built for ARM SoC A will not work on ARM SoC B, which Microsoft said was not true.
jcap
June 2nd, 2011, 02:26 AM
I thought Microsoft said a few months ago that they were planning on developing some sort of x86 emulation for ARM processors.support.

I like that Microsoft is finally focusing on touch UIs (it's been like 4 years, jesus christ), but I only care about the changes they're making to the actual Windows desktop. The desktop and Windows UI is so dated, and the UI they're still building on in the latest beta goes back to Vista Beta 1. I know the UI for Windows XP was unveiled last-minute, but they've already announced and showed off Windows 8, so I doubt we're going to see anything different in the final build. I'll cry if the startup sound hasn't changed.
Rainbow Dash
June 2nd, 2011, 01:36 PM
This wouldn't do squat to eliminate carpel tunnel, people getting carpel tunnel are people that type a lot. People that type a lot are going to still be typing a lot until we come up with some kind of interface system that doesn't require key strokes. Typing on a touchscreen vs typing on a keyboard is still going to be a problem, not to mention that most typists won't be switching over to the new interface.

The new "tiles" interface is only for mobile touch-capable devices, the standard desktop runs in the background basically.

ok let me rephrase that, eliminating it for people capable of evolving! :downs:

Voice recognition would be nice, and onscreen keyboards via pen input work too~
StankBacon
June 2nd, 2011, 02:35 PM
you will never be able to type as fast as a keyboard on a touchscreen.

voice recognition is nice, but image everyone in a office talking to there pcs at the same time... i don't think it work to well.

standard keyboard isn't going to replaced anytime soon.
Amit
June 2nd, 2011, 02:38 PM
It's just an integrated overlay. You can turn it off if you want to stick with the classic Windows UI paradigm. What makes this exciting is that we can have tablets that sacrifice zero functionality for the sake of a touch-friendly UI. I just hope that they change Aero to something else that better matches the Metro overlay, because seeing Aero and the Start Bar when they run Word or Excel using the overlay just kills the mood. It's very abrupt.

This. That excel spreadsheet looked alright but the taskbar stuck out like an eyesore. I still want to have the current Windows 7 UI available in Win8 and be able to turn off the Metro UI, which appears to be the case. I wouldn't run both at the same time, though. Since I don't ever see myself getting a tablet or large touchscreen, I think I'll be fine with my lovely keyboard.


Voice recognition would be nice, and onscreen keyboards via pen input work too~

Voice recognition is already in place, but it's sort of hit or miss, depending on clarity of voice, accent, voice tone, etc. I experimented with it heavily in Vista and a bit in Win7. I would think that it'll take a back seat in development once again since it's just way too slow to much of anything done by speaking to the computer.
Limited
June 2nd, 2011, 03:19 PM
I do like the design and the slickness of it. Yet I would compare it to an iPad, rather than a PC.

Whats more worrying for me is its a big FU to power users. Okay he did have that 'tab' or 'app' whatever, that had the taskbar and standard Windows 7 look, but I bet you the new cool exciting features will not improve that side.
Warsaw
June 2nd, 2011, 05:46 PM
The new Task Manager is heavily dumbed down, though they did say that there is an option to make it more power-user oriented.

Also, this whole Windows 8 concept gave me an idea. Why don't manufacturers make tablets ranging from 10" to 18.4" with internal hardware about as powerful as, say, AMD's E-series Fusion or Intel's Atom with Windows 8 on an internal SSD, then have those tablets dock onto a laptop base that has a fully-blown i7 and discrete graphics? When docked, it uses traditional Windows UI and when you pull it out of the socket, it switches to the new Metro-based UI.
Amit
June 2nd, 2011, 06:51 PM
The new Task Manager is heavily dumbed down, though they did say that there is an option to make it more power-user oriented.

Also, this whole Windows 8 concept gave me an idea. Why don't manufacturers make tablets ranging from 10" to 18.4" with internal hardware about as powerful as, say, AMD's E-series Fusion or Intel's Atom with Windows 8 on an internal SSD, then have those tablets dock onto a laptop base that has a fully-blown i7 and discrete graphics? When docked, it uses traditional Windows UI and when you pull it out of the socket, it switches to the new Metro-based UI.

Dell is already doing this, but with less powerful hardware.
Warsaw
June 2nd, 2011, 09:40 PM
Mind linking? I have not seen anything like this from them.
PlasbianX
June 3rd, 2011, 12:39 AM
Dell is already doing this, but with less powerful hardware.

ASUS announced a phone that can dock into a tablet. What would make this even better was if it was a windows phone that could dock into a tablet that could dock into a laptop base.
Warsaw
June 3rd, 2011, 01:09 AM
The ASUS thing is a gimmick and is inconvenient. I don't want a laptop that uses the phone for processing, I want a tablet that can do its own processing that docks into a laptop base to gain access to even more powerful processing.
Rainbow Dash
June 3rd, 2011, 02:36 PM
Mind linking?

This is probably the best alternative to typing btw.
Amit
June 3rd, 2011, 05:48 PM
Dell Inspiron Duo (http://www.dell.com/ca/p/inspiron-duo/pd)

http://i.dell.com/sites/content/products/PublishingImages/laptop-inspiron-mini-duo-front-hero-504x350-awards.png

It's basically a netbook with the internals upgraded as far as they can go.
Kornman00
June 3rd, 2011, 07:07 PM
If only it was over 599...then I could bundle that with the 360 deal thing
Amit
June 3rd, 2011, 10:27 PM
It's barely worth what it costs now, or at least, that's the way I see it.
Dwood
June 3rd, 2011, 11:51 PM
I hope I didn't make a bad decision in waiting to get the most powerful laptop on the market as opposed to buying it a year ago or so...
jcap
June 4th, 2011, 05:09 PM
If only it was over 599...then I could bundle that with the 360 deal thing
That's only the featured one. You can customize it and change just one thing in your order to push it over.
Amit
June 4th, 2011, 11:52 PM
That's only the featured one. You can customize it and change just one thing in your order to push it over.

It doesn't qualify unless it's one of the handpicked ones from HP or Dell. At least, that's my understanding.
jcap
June 5th, 2011, 12:11 AM
It doesn't qualify unless it's one of the handpicked ones from HP or Dell. At least, that's my understanding.
Wait, really? I thought at least with Dell you could customize any computer you wanted, as long as you had a .edu email address and the computer was over the minimum.
Amit
June 5th, 2011, 12:39 AM
Hmm, that could be the case. I'd have to check the link again, though.

EDIT:

This (http://content.dell.com/us/en/eep/d/campaigns/welcome-to-dell-university.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=eep&preview=true&dgc=AF&cid=65742&lid=1663101) page says "Select" laptops only. Since Canadian university students don't usually get .edu addresses, I can't check what that selection is. It wants verification before it will even let me see what qualifies for the sale.
Kornman00
June 5th, 2011, 03:52 PM
2129
Amit
June 5th, 2011, 05:16 PM
Yup, no Inspiron Duo.
Dwood
June 8th, 2011, 11:40 PM
04-30-2011
5. A couple of dll files from the latest Windows 8 leak is proof that there will be indeed a built-in (http://windows8beta.com/2011/04/windows-store-evidence-found-in-windows-8) Windows store.
6. Windows 8 = 7 things (http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/windows_8_7_things_we_know_sure) we know for sure.
7. Plan for a 2013 Windows 8 arrival (http://redmondmag.com/articles/2011/04/29/windows-8-arrival-in-2013.aspx).
8. A Win8 features wish list to really wish (http://windows8news.com/2011/04/19/windows-8-list-features/) for.
9. A new image (http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-8-aero-lite-shown-off-with-more-detail-in-new-images) from the Aero Lite theme in Win8 has been posted.

05-13-2011
10. Build 7971 to leak soon (http://windows8beta.com/2011/05/windows-8-build-7971-to-leak-soon).


Number 5, specifically.