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10/2/2014
11:06 AM
Michael Endler
Michael Endler
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Windows 10: 11 Big Changes

Microsoft is being more open and transparent with customers with Windows 10. Take a look at some of the most appealing features in the upcoming OS.
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The Start Menu is back and more customizable than ever. Microsoft confirmed in April that the Start menu would be coming back, but the Sept. 30 preview event offered the first look at how the feature will work. In Windows 10, the Start menu has two columns. On the left, users will find a list of frequently used apps, shortcuts to Documents and Pictures folders, and a link to an 'all apps' view. The right side features a collection of user-selected Live Tiles. These tiles can be resized and moved around, which effectively makes the right column a smaller, more malleable version of the Win 8 Start screen. Users who aren't interested in Live Tiles can simply elect not to pin any to the Start menu. In fact, the entire Start menu is customizable. Users can make the columns tall and thin or short and wide, for example.

The Start Menu is back and more customizable than ever.
Microsoft confirmed in April that the Start menu would be coming back, but the Sept. 30 preview event offered the first look at how the feature will work. In Windows 10, the Start menu has two columns. On the left, users will find a list of frequently used apps, shortcuts to Documents and Pictures folders, and a link to an "all apps" view. The right side features a collection of user-selected Live Tiles. These tiles can be resized and moved around, which effectively makes the right column a smaller, more malleable version of the Win 8 Start screen. Users who aren't interested in Live Tiles can simply elect not to pin any to the Start menu. In fact, the entire Start menu is customizable. Users can make the columns tall and thin or short and wide, for example.

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Bharghava
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Bharghava,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/2/2014 | 11:21:18 AM
Windows 9?
What happened to Windows 9?
Phil C.
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Phil C.,
 User Rank: Strategist
10/2/2014 | 11:37:10 AM
Re: Windows 9?
Maybe Windows 9 is being marketed as "Windows 8.1".  Just a guess.
jgherbert
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jgherbert,
 User Rank: Ninja
10/2/2014 | 12:35:01 PM
Re: Windows 9?
In other news, this whole Windows 10 thing has opened up a nice set of possible new names.


  • Windows X
  • X-Windows
  • Windows OSX
  • WindX ?  (courtesy of a friend of mine)

Any others?
Michael Endler
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Michael Endler,
 User Rank: Author
10/6/2014 | 5:41:09 PM
Re: Windows 9?
"WindX ? (courtesy of a friend of mine)"

 

That made me laugh :)
anon5128868607
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anon5128868607,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/2/2014 | 12:19:06 PM
Re: Windows 9?
Rumor has it they had to bypass Windows 9 because code that checks to see what version of Windows is running, specifically looking for Windows 95 or 98, doesn't bother to look for a second digit. It would see the 9 and assume it's an ancient unsupported OS...
jgherbert
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jgherbert,
 User Rank: Ninja
10/2/2014 | 12:32:07 PM
Re: Windows 9?
@Bhargava> "What happened to Windows 9?"

Rumor has it that Windows 7 8 9.

j.
Michael Endler
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Michael Endler,
 User Rank: Author
10/2/2014 | 12:47:33 PM
Re: Windows 9?
haha, Terry Myerson actually made that joke during the presentation.
Michael Endler
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Michael Endler,
 User Rank: Author
10/2/2014 | 1:00:23 PM
Re: Windows 9?
@Bharghava,


They skipped it, possibly due to some code (referenced by another commenter in this thread) that would have reacted poorly to the name "Windows 9," possibly because "10" is farther away from "8," perhaps because of both. Terry Myerson's account at the event was that Windows 10 is a substantial update-- so substantial that the incremental move from 8 to 9 wouldn't have been worthy of the new OS.

Regardless of what they've decided to call the new OS, I like the new Task View, and think the employee training concerns that kept some users on Windows 7 have largely been addressed. That doesn't mean those Windows 7 users will upgrade if they don't see value in doing so-- but I thinking the user training criticism will be a much smaller issue. 
Lorna Garey
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Lorna Garey,
 User Rank: Author
10/2/2014 | 11:36:19 AM
Unified experience
"Rumors have claimed for months that Microsoft plans to merge its three platforms -- Windows, Windows RT, and Window Phone -- into a single platform. CEO Satya Nadella alluded to this plan over the summer, and during the Windows 10 reveal, Terry Myerson made it official: Windows 10 will run on everything from smartphones to 80-inch screens to Internet of Things-themed industrial devices, but it will present a tailored UI for each type of device."

Does that mean that if I have a file on SkyDrive that I started working on on my laptop, say, I could access it on my Win Phone? Or, if I take a photo on my phone, can I grab it from a tablet or desktop?

Or is the merger only in terms of a common interface?
JohnK546
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JohnK546,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/2/2014 | 12:31:31 PM
Re: Unified experience
Yes, it means just that.  I have been using Win 8.1 on my Lumia 920, my PC at home, and yes even my Xbox gets in on all the action.  Ondrive is the one stop share shop, and you can share with other users as well.
Michael Endler
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Michael Endler,
 User Rank: Author
10/2/2014 | 1:24:42 PM
Re: Unified experience
Lorna, services such as OneDrive actually play nicely with non-Windows devices. I move from OneDrive on a PC to OneDrive on an iPhone all the time. OneDrive is baked directly into Windows whereas it's only on app on other platforms, so the experience isn't the same-- but it demonstrates the fine line Microsoft will walk between putting its products on competing platforms, and trying to create the top over ecosystem.

The merger's biggest implications might be for developers, since they'll be able to target hundreds of millions of users across multiple device categories without writing different apps for each type of device. This would benefit Windows users in that they'll theoretically get access not only to more apps, but to apps whose contents can travel with the user across devices. The merger also refers to unified mangement-- so from the IT perspective, it shouldn't matter whether it's a Windows smartphone or a Windows PC, either device should be manageable through the same process. But we'll see. The Universal Apps notion is still more a concept than a strategy with demonstrated success.
Lorna Garey
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Lorna Garey,
 User Rank: Author
10/2/2014 | 1:31:51 PM
Re: Unified experience
All I want is to be able to access texts sent to, and photos taken with, my HTC One from my Chromebook, and if possible, the Chrome browser on a PC. Is that so much to ask?! Unity!
ArshdeepV671
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ArshdeepV671,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/6/2014 | 9:45:18 AM
Re: Unified experience
You could already do that with Windows 8.

 

You can access all your images on OneDrive through your xBox One, laptop, tablet or phone. You can also store, access and edit your word documents and other files across different windows devices you own. Even the tabs/sites that I have open in IE on my laptop/tablet can be seen on my windows phone.

 

I believe they are just improving the functionality and trying to make the experience much better.
AnujN451
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AnujN451,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/2/2014 | 11:44:31 AM
Compatibility
Initial compatibility issues are a major concern. I'm not even sure whether I can get access to my internet service provider, once if I try the new upgrade.   
Michael Endler
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Michael Endler,
 User Rank: Author
10/6/2014 | 5:47:10 PM
Re: Compatibility
True, but Microsoft is discouraging users who are inexperienced from installing the preview, and even if you are experienced, Microsoft cautions against installing the preview of relied-upon computers. It's more for IT pros to check things out and provide feedback, and for enthusiasts to see what's coming and provide feedback to shape the final release. Compatibility problems are inevitable now-- they just need to be cleaned up for the final release! Hopefully the Insider program helps with that.
Phil C.
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Phil C.,
 User Rank: Strategist
10/2/2014 | 11:58:35 AM
More unappealing than appealing
Microsoft has become enamored of touch-centric interfaces.  I've used both mouse/trackball-centered and touch-centered interfaces, and the the touch-centered interfaces are, by far, the slowest and least productive, with the highest error rates.  For graphics and engineering design work they are utterly useless.  This new obsession is an echo of Microsoft's earlier obsession with the Web of 18-20 years ago, when Windows XP was brought out, making everything Web-centric.  In the real world users don't work in Web-centric or touch-centric environments.  This is utter lunacy, a result of a marketing department that is out of touch with their customers.  The reason Microsoft gets away with it is because they're currently the 800-pound gorilla in the consumer computing world, although that gorilla may have shed 50-100 pounds since they foisted Vista on their customer base.  This is reflected in institutional users clinging to Windows XP, switching from Microsoft Office to OpenOffice or LibreOffice, and abandoning Microsoft for Apple or Linux.

Another drawback of Microsoft's operating systems since Windows 8 came out is a deliberate move to shut out third-party software and build a "walled garden", where only Microsoft-branded programs run optimally, or run at all.  They are trying to copy Apple's business model, which might work fine for the basic user who doesn't need much more than an email program, a word processor, a spreadsheet and a presentation manager, but it doesn't meet the needs of "power users" who use computers outside that narrow range.  As a result of this shift in policy, I and many other Microsoft clients are gradually abandoning them and moving to systems such as Linux, where serious users aren't subject to the whims of non-technical marketing executives and software that runs today can be expected to still run and be useful five to ten years from now.
JohnK546
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JohnK546,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/2/2014 | 12:35:21 PM
Re: More unappealing than appealing
I know this to be absolutely untrue.  I am a developer, and it really easy to develop/deploy on any microsoft ecosystem device and the store.  It's amazing how many people come out and bash microsoft for the play they made.  Many of the "gripers" are simply people who refuse to learn anything new.  I am far more productive with 8 than I ever was with 7.  And for the love of christ, quit whining about the start menu.  If you are unable to actually see the new app installed on the tile, right click and pin to taskbar, then you do not need to be using a computer period.  
TerryB
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TerryB,
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10/2/2014 | 1:30:26 PM
Re: More unappealing than appealing
Maybe you could explain an example of how you are more productive on 8 instead of 7?

You are completely missing the point on UI changes from Win 7 to Win 8 in enterprise. Why should we have to retrain our workers what you do now that Start menu is gone? If you don't get that, you spend too much time "developing" and not with enterprise workers. Some of these people think I'm supposed to know THEIR password to signon. The less you confuse them, the better. Training like that adds absolutely nothing to our business bottom line.

If you never used Wndows before, Win 8 is usable enough. Some people are way over top bashing it. But if have been using Win since Win 3 like most long time business users, Win 8 is a huge UI change for absolutely no reason.

At least no reason until you explain these great productivity gains in Win 8.
bars8user
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bars8user,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/2/2014 | 3:32:12 PM
Re: More unappealing than appealing
unappealing, many professionals with heavy software ie autocad ect. are still using xp because of the masses of data they are required by law to keep for life, this leave a big gap considering that some of the licenses to acess the data cost around 5000.00 anually to maintain.                                                                                        moving on to widows 7 8 9 or 10 keeping up Social media upgrade pace is ridiculous for many pros who need powerful computers to run thire software unlike social users wich just buy a new personal unit when ever the latest edition comes  out. we have bin using lenovo for the past 10 years plus  , the lenovo i am using now is a i7 g700  with win 8,  if it were not for the one touch reset button it would be at the repair shop every other week or wiped and reinstaled with win 7. we keep all our old pc runing win 95 ,98 ,xp, wiped vista replaced with win 7.                           dealing with 8 is a none stop reset, i hope win 10 is all that it claming to be or its off to linx leaving windows for social consumer,and  web surfer ...ect.
DanE877
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DanE877,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/3/2014 | 9:05:52 AM
Their Days Are Numbered
MicroShaft has been shite for years, but the sheople in IT have been blinded by the power that being the only resource able to enable corporate users brings to a Nation of dweebs, dorks, nerds and dwellers in their mother's basements.

As technology becomes progressively more transparent, the options for users more broad and omnipresent, MicroShaft becomes less and less relevant.

Proof of this rests in the obviating truth of statements like "it just works" when describing the next gee-whizzery of MS competitors.

It's a sea-change that Redmond still doesn't get.

It's about effing time. These corrupt fools need some payback.

 

MS 10 is just another in a soon to be long symphony of failed releases. Can you say Blackberry?
PaulS681
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PaulS681,
 User Rank: Ninja
10/4/2014 | 2:20:33 PM
Re: Their Days Are Numbered

There are always MS haters out there. No matter if you hate or love them the fact remains they have the market share on OS's. They ultimately put out a good product.

hapticz
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hapticz,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/2/2014 | 4:37:03 PM
Re: More unappealing than appealing
well, they are trying to make a living themselves, (tounge in cheek) so don't expect too much from them. all in all, continually making changes is good for their end of the stick, as if forces the now subjugated and highly invested end users to follow them like a Peid Piper down the merry path to where ever THEY want to go. the illusion of quality was Steve Jobs primary merchandising strategy, even when others had the same or better pots cooking on the stove.  it depends on your tastes, what you think you need, what satisfys your immediate hunger for sustaining relief.   like most people, we have developed narrow and unchanging tastes, for most of all our basic needs, even foods, wines and types of behaviors.  whats changed so far has been mostly the visual/tactile interface to the products that replaced most basic office/laboratory methods, generally a prettyfied glossy set of tools we were taught in grade school (maybe high school) some even eventually learned the basics in college (sadly).  but what remains is a speedy HP45 handheld calculator wrapped up in a zillon cycles a second visual calculator.  ....  ;-))  
Tech Since 1980
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Tech Since 1980,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/2/2014 | 12:03:58 PM
Utility is not Microsoft's Focus
Microsoft broke into the market by building the absolute best software.  Up until the early years of this millennium they continued the trend.  Then they exhausted their list of "gotta-have" new features.

Now they focus 90% of their efforts on building products overburdened with flashy junk to impress newbies and high level management.  The core functionality is still there, but experienced users have to spend "forever" trying to find out where they hid them.

I've been coding SQL for 15 years.  SQL Server 2012's management console significanty slows down my development.  (So much so that I develop in SS 2008 and transfer the code to 2012 on my customer's machines.)  There are extra keystrokes to do many of the common functions and so many stupid little pop-ups that it drives me nuts.  (SQL is SQL, your miracle worker techs still have to code, down and dirty.)  But here's the bottom line:

Their products demo incredibly well to newly minted MBA's as well as C level managers.  Both these types of folks look at all the wizards and shortcuts and think "WOW, now I can do a bunch of this stuff on my own without having to know much about the system or the underlying data.  And if it's easier for me, it's gotta be a lot easier for my techs!"  Wrong.

I was a marketing support tech, (read, I gave customer demos for one of the Big 3 IT companies) for 10 years before I went into pure tech.  I WOULD LOVE TO DEMO AND SELL MICROSOFT'S NEW PRODUCTS!  But I don't recommend that any of my friends or better customers upgrade unless a specific new feature is a mission critical game changer.


Microsoft is still one of the best run companies out there.  They know how to MARKET.  Everything else seems to fall by the wayside.  I only wish I owned more Microsoft stock.
JohnK546
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JohnK546,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/2/2014 | 12:38:56 PM
Re: Utility is not Microsoft's Focus
I'm a programmer, and I have absolutely no problem.  It seems as though you are focusing on doing it the way "you've been doing it"  and not trying to see new way to do it.
TerryB
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TerryB,
 User Rank: Ninja
10/2/2014 | 12:38:49 PM
Looks Good
Sounds like MS has learned a lot from it's Win 8 fiasco. This is more what you would have expected from them back then when they blended Touch and Traditional. I see no reason this won't fly in the enterprise world when the time comes.

But that time won't be when product released. Like many, our global company just made transition from Win XP to Win 7 a couple of years ago. I think it will be awhile, and Win 10 will need to show it brings something to table over what Win 7 doing now. Otherwise we will hang on to Win 7 like we did XP.
NancyT225
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NancyT225,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/2/2014 | 12:39:13 PM
Windows 10
I hated Windows 8.  I run it in the desktop mode and have reluctantly learned my way around most of the things I want to do with it.  I am a mouse person through and through so the touch screen features were of no interest to me.  If windows 7 had been available on my new computer I would have stayed there.  That said, I'm not sure if I will upgrade to 10 unless I have to.  Some of the new features appeal to me but I will be cautious about changing anything.  I am fluent in computers but mostly self taught.  I am almost 70 years old and have been working on a computer since 1985.

When the OS becomes too hard to manage, we older folks will hang on to the easiest, least stressful system to do our computing.  When I look behind the scenes of my computer, I don't know what many of the programs do or if I even need them.  I don't want to have to call a tech every time I have a slight problem with my computer.  

So I will wait and see what things look like before I decide what to do.  I am a great believer in less is more....
Michael Endler
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Michael Endler,
 User Rank: Author
10/2/2014 | 3:10:35 PM
Re: Windows 10
@Nancy, if you decide against Windows 10, what would you use instead? Would you stick with the Windows 8 device you've been using? From your second paragraph, it sounds like you might be considering something like a Chromebook as an alternative? Just curious.

For what it's worth, Myerson and Belfiore stressed that Windows 10 will be both exciting to power users and welcoming to novices. They illustrated that taskbar multi-tasking is easy and familiar for would-be Win 7 upgraders, but that Windows 10 will include visual cues to help people comfortably branch out of their comfort zones and into new features, such as "Task View." We shall see!
Shane M. O'Neill
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Shane M. O'Neill,
 User Rank: Author
10/2/2014 | 1:21:00 PM
Every other OS
Windows 10 looks to follow the every other version of Windows progression. XP was good, Vista bad, Windows 7 good, Windows 8 bad. Microsoft has learned a lot from the "square peg in a round hole" that was Windows 8. Despite its "unifying" design, I don't think Windows 10 can save Microsoft from mobile mediocrity (what can at this point?), but as an ultra-modern desktop OS, 10 looks sharp. It will satisfy enterprises and information workers who are ready to move on from Windows 7 or, God forbid, XP.

 

 
Michael Endler
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Michael Endler,
 User Rank: Author
10/2/2014 | 1:41:02 PM
Re: Every other OS
I agree, Shane. I think Windows 10 could offer enough to satisfy PC users, and to make 2-in-1 tablets more viable. But for pure tablets and smartphones, Microsoft hasn't yet offered a persuasive strategy. That said, they're supposed to talk about that stuff sometime in early 2015, so maybe they'll have a few surprises. With PCs, Windows is already the status quo, so Microsoft can succeed (especially in the enterprise) with a product that's familiar to Win 7 users but offers more flexibility and power-- that is, with a product like Windows 10. But on mobile, users are already invested elsewhere, and to lure them over to the Windows camps, Microsoft needs something that will turn heads.
mejiac
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mejiac,
 User Rank: Ninja
10/2/2014 | 2:02:40 PM
Re: Every other OS
@Michael,

First....very exciting article! Glad you were able to capture what I think (and hope) most of us are thinking. I already signed up for the Technical Review, and just purchased a separate hard drive to start test driving (so will be brining my findings to the community).

And I agree that "Microsoft needs something that will turn heads", and I think they can achive these by providing an eco system that crosses multiple platforms.

I would love to be able to view a web site on IE, and then click a button and have that website show on my TV screen and play a video (granted, you'll need something to hook up to the TV, which I think is another venue that microsoft can explore, something like an XBox streaming device).

Based on the previews available (and until I start playing with it) so far it looks promising (I really digged the multiple desktops).

Will keep posted
mejiac
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mejiac,
 User Rank: Ninja
10/2/2014 | 2:05:08 PM
Re: Every other OS
Another note,

Beacuse Microsoft has also an intitiave to provide low cost tablets for mass consumption, this combined with Windows 10 I think will lead to a good bump in consumer acceptance.

Combine that with more App support, and you got yourself an wining strategy (or something at least to keep you in the game)
Michael Endler
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Michael Endler,
 User Rank: Author
10/2/2014 | 2:11:10 PM
Re: Every other OS
@mejiac, I'll be very interested to hear your thoughts on the preview! Thanks for offering to share your impressions with the community.
mejiac
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mejiac,
 User Rank: Ninja
10/10/2014 | 1:51:43 PM
Re: Every other OS
@Michael,

As promised, I just finished installing Windows 10. Here's my summary/initial thoughts:

- I have a 64 bit Intel Quad Core (a little old but still has plenty of horse power)

- I installed a separate hard drive, just so a) not deal with partitions and b) be able to easilly go to my main PC (Windows 7)

- Initial thouths: Honestly.... I like it! It feels like Windows 7 with a theme inspired by Windows (has the same look and feel) but the user experience is more aiming to that of Windows 7 (keyboard and mouse). I actually like not having to point to the cornes of the screen to access menu options.

I do like the new start menu, since it collapses frequently used programs well, and having the capability to pin those programs that I want to have a "metro UI" look is actually pretty cool.

Thinks a REALLY liked:

- To be able to download apps from the microsoft store. My son likes playing on tablets, so even though he only has a handful a games available for microsoft, the conversion from touch to keyboard/mouse is not bad at all. Games render either the same or better than it's tablet counterpart (granted I have a gaming video card)... but still... I like it!

- OS Selection when booting. This was a really NICE surprise!!! When booting my maching, in my head I was already accepting the idea of having to constantly toggle the primary disk to be able to switch from the tech preview to Windows 7, but as soon as my PC starts booting up, a realy simple and nice screen appers that ask me to select my OS (Windows 10 or Windows 7). So this is actually pretty sweet!!

Bugs so far:

- Did have some issues installing Office 2013 (wouldn't recognize the product key) but after a quick reboot the issue was fixed....other than that (so far) no issues.

Will keep posted....hope this helps
mejiac
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mejiac,
 User Rank: Ninja
10/12/2014 | 7:39:57 PM
Re: Every other OS
@Michael,

Another slight update...did I mention that I like the ability to be able to run the mobile apps on the PC? I have to admit, I'm really liking it, mostly for my son's consumption, but still I think it's pretty cool.

So far I haven't had any major issues with runing the technical preview...the only thing it's not appering to work well is the Windows 2012 essentials, mostly because I used Photo Gallery to manage my pics (it won't install).
asdmognep
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asdmognep,
 User Rank: Strategist
10/3/2014 | 2:29:18 AM
Listen to customers
Yes, MicroSlop screwed themselves and their customers with win8. They did not bother to find out what customers wanted or thought of win8 before foisting it on us lowly consumers.

 

Well it was one piece of crap. In order to use it you had to come over to third party programs. Win 7 was and still is a dream to use. The user interface doesn't get in the way and it just works and with out any problems or third party programs. Win 7 works with all of my old purchased with money old programs that I need; win 8 did NOT.

 

So I ended up installing win 7 over my new computer that came with win 8 and lumping it. I don't trust MicroSlop; they care little about the little man and  are into pushing their agenda.
moarsauce123
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moarsauce123,
 User Rank: Ninja
10/4/2014 | 8:06:46 AM
Re: Listen to customers
That is not entirely true. Microsoft did bother to get user input and that input was loud and clear about not wanting Metro (so why is it still in Win10?), wanting the Start menu (why is it ruined by Metro in Win10), hating the charms (yay, those are gone!), and wanting a better file system (Win10 still uses the decades old, DOS restricted NTFS), better hardware support (all but for most recent hardware was cut from Win8/10), a better graphics subsystem (cue the cricket sound), death to the ribbon (why is it still there?), and less change without purpose such as renaming the same thing and placing it somewhere else.

User feedback is there for years, the most popular request right now is to ditch IE (long overdue), but Microsoft is totally ignorant to the collected user requests. How long did it take Microsoft to fix pasting text into the command line? They finally got around to it.

Microsoft would do much better if they built something that users want. They have all the info and the majority of users are asking for just a few things. I doubt that Nutella purged enough egomaniacs from management to right the course.
PaulS681
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PaulS681,
 User Rank: Ninja
10/4/2014 | 2:27:59 PM
Re: Listen to customers
I really don't understand why MS ignores the users of their OS. I hope they have listened for 10 but it seems like they still like to hang on to their ideas even though users hate them.
Stephane Parent
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Stephane Parent,
 User Rank: Moderator
10/6/2014 | 8:25:03 AM
Re: Listen to customers
DOS restricted NTFS? You'll have to explain what you mean by that. NTFS was ripped off IBM OS/2's HPFS by Microsoft and included into NT 3.1. I'm not sure how it is restricted by or to DOS.

For that matter, I'm not sure why a decades-old FS is inherently a bad thing. NTFS offers journaling, ADS, compression, VSS, transactional support, encryption, quotas, and UTF-16 support. Please enlighten me and tell me what a newer, less mature, product would offer above and beyond these features.
BillB031
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BillB031,
 User Rank: Moderator
10/6/2014 | 9:23:42 AM
Re: Listen to customers
Side note since you mentioned it.  I was under the impression Microsoft co-developed OS/2 with IBM in the mid 80's...  I don't think they ripped off anything.
dschmidt152
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dschmidt152,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/6/2014 | 9:42:28 AM
Re: Listen to customers
BillB,

You are correct about the joint effort.

Criticisim of Windows most likely relates to the extrem;y limited and archaic FAT (File Allocation Table) structure needed for compatibility with older versions of Windows , DOS and embedded versions thereof.

My biggest complaint is that Windows as well as UNIX does not support a versioning file system (for an example see OPenVMS) and more advanced enterprise grade allocation and security controls.

 

Dave
Stephane Parent
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Stephane Parent,
 User Rank: Moderator
10/7/2014 | 7:23:20 AM
Re: Listen to customers
Politically correct version: After IBM and Microsoft stopped working together on OS/2, Microsoft decided to create its own NTFS which borrowed heavily on concepts used in HPFS.
TommyO738
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TommyO738,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/4/2014 | 12:37:51 PM
Re: Listen to customers
What are you doing installing Windows 7 if you dislike Microsoft so much? You should get a Mac or install Linux. (Linux is much better anyway)
driverlesssam
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driverlesssam,
 User Rank: Strategist
10/7/2014 | 1:21:30 PM
Re: Listen to customers
you say "Listen to your customers" but you miss theobvious.  We listen to our customers and our customers use Microsoft so we must develop software for Microsoft platforms.
jastroff
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jastroff,
 User Rank: Ninja
10/4/2014 | 1:00:42 PM
Re: Listen to customers
It's been all downhill since DOS 3.0.

Microsoft is a necessary evil for the time being. Can't live with it, can't live without it. It's trying to evolve so it doesn't die, but it's doing such a bad job. Breaking up the company might have worked better. Maybe not. In the meantime, until the next paradigm shift is complete, we are stuck with it.
Michael Endler
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Michael Endler,
 User Rank: Author
10/6/2014 | 5:27:02 PM
Re: Listen to customers
I'm not quite that negative on Microsoft. Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.1 have obviously left much to be desired, but on the software, services and infrastructure sides, they're making a lot of smart moves. Azure is the future, not Windows, and I think they're doing a decent - not necessarily great - job realigning their priorities for this future. This observation refers more to the Nadella regime than the end of Ballmer's, but even under Ballmer, this shift had started. Now it's accelerating. And Windows 10 could be much better. Given slow enterprise refresh rates, Windows 8's lousy reception doesn't necessarily constitute a burn-down-the-company crisis. I think we'll see more OSes in wide use in the future, and a noticeable if ultimately modest diminution of Windows share, particularly among consumers and very specific business roles. But I don't think Microsoft's in a dire situation at the company-wide scale. They'll remain a gigantic tech player, though maybe not the biggest player.
AndrewR592
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AndrewR592,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/3/2014 | 10:46:47 AM
Finally!
I have been saying for years that MS should code an OS that modifies its installation to the device and to the user. They were close in some releases with a unified image that installed based upon the license key used and they tried to have a unified experience with Windows 8. However, now they have a unified OS for all devices that changes both the feature set and UI based upon the device it is installed on and the user level.
Mark532010
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Mark532010,
 User Rank: Moderator
10/3/2014 | 12:48:13 PM
How about managemernt???
Microsoft says they are after business but most of that was UI-related news. Little mention of abilities to allow IT departments to do things, just vague promises about separating personal and corporate data and virtual machines. How about promises for tools to centrally manage and standardize all of these?

A simple example: The new menu... can it be pre-programmed for a standardized look and feel? can it run from a centralized server (like Windows 7 did) or is it like the Windows 8 start screen, full of junk that has to be either manually cleaned up for each user! or customized via custom-written powershell scripts.

 
PaulB611
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PaulB611,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/4/2014 | 1:06:05 AM
Re: How about managemernt???
That would be a job for domain group policy. You could also set Windows 8 tiles for users in this way.
TommyO738
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TommyO738,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/4/2014 | 12:43:12 PM
Re: How about managemernt???
Of course you can set the start menu to have no tiles. Simply right-click on them and remove them. You will probably be able to set UAC to disable non-admin users from pinning tiles to the start menu in the final version
Michael Endler
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Michael Endler,
 User Rank: Author
10/6/2014 | 5:37:48 PM
Re: How about managemernt???
You're right-- they focused a lot on UI changes. But a lot of enterprises shied away from Win 8 over user training concerns, so I think the focus on the UI still fits the company's intended focus on business customers. That said, you bring up a great point-- manageability is a major concern. Myerson and Belfiore talked a bit about this-- Windows 10 will let IT seperate employees' personal data from work data, which is useful in a BYOD scenario. And the OS will support MDM-style management for all types of devices. But additional specifics have so far been scant. Microsoft briefly posted a blog with more details, but it was subsequently deleted. The blog post is discussed in this article.

The deleted blog suggested a number of interesting possibilities. Microsoft confirmed at the Windows 10 reveal that the OS's app store will let businesses set up custom storefronts to easily deploy business apps-- but according to the blog, the store will include not only Modern apps (as it does in Win 8 and 8.1), but also desktop-style apps. I've asked Microsoft to clarify this blog suggestion, since it contradicts a few of the things said at the event-- but at least it shows Windows 10 will bring IT changes in addition to UI changes. Hopefully with the new Insider program, both types of changes will end up adding legitimate value in the final release.
Li Tan
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Li Tan,
 User Rank: Ninja
10/4/2014 | 12:23:16 AM
Re: Finally!
MS is on the correct trend by providing a unified OS to all devices. In addition to that, I am more willing to see what other changes/enhancements Windows 10 will provide to developers. Can developer make more fancy application especially on mobile?
driverlesssam
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driverlesssam,
 User Rank: Strategist
10/3/2014 | 6:27:23 PM
Another snub at computer science
In computer science the operating system MANAGES RESOURCES.  But theoverly rich college droput has managed to convince the masses that what they see on the screen is the operating system while underneath the resource managers are fraught with buffer overruns, security penetration points, and so poorly implemented that the administrator is  sometimes  blocked from calling up the task mananger to kill a process that has hung the whole computer due to an infinite loop waiting for a communication reply that never comes.  Not to mention that the memory resource manager will let a leaky app consume all memory and crash the system.

Science is the potential savior of mankind and when one turns away from science to make a dollar they are commiting an evil act.

 
cprofitt
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cprofitt,
 User Rank: Apprentice
10/6/2014 | 6:21:06 PM
Multiple Desktops more Linux than Mac
Linux had multiple desktops before OS X. They are a wonderful productiivty feature and I am glad to see Windows finally making use of it.
HerbS335
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HerbS335,
 User Rank: Apprentice
9/15/2015 | 4:50:26 PM
Start Up Menu
What happened to the Start Up Menu at the lower left bottom?  I click the windows icon but nothing is happening.  Is it going to change?
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