In two weeks, Microsoft will be holding an event to communicate where Windows is going. It is expected that a public technical preview will launch either at the show, or immediately thereafter. The invitation reads, "Join us to hear about what's next for Windows and the enterprise." This seems to mean that the next version of their desktop OS, probably called Windows 9, will have a strong focus on enterprise features. Contrast this with Windows 8, which I feel comfortable saying wanted to win consumers away from iOS and Android tablets.
Image Credit: The Verge
Virtual desktops and the Start Menu's return were strong signs, too.
Pretty much the only announcement that they could make to get me excited would be sideloading for all versions (which would also remove developer certificate requirements for those apps). I know that it is seductive from a "gatekeeper against malware" point of view, but it decimates the whole reason for having a computer. The Windows Store requirements are just too terrible. No third-party browser engines? C'mon. Microsoft has expressed their continued support of these regulations at Build, but I can hope for a surprise. Seriously Microsoft, give users the option to install what they want, regardless of the API used.
Two weeks until we know. We might even have access by then.
It’s a lot of speculation
It’s a lot of speculation until the product hits the market.
Even pre-reviews I shy away from anymore.
If you really don’t like it, there is less reason to not use another OS every day. I like Windows 7 well enough and my next OS is likely Linux.
More Productivity features,
More Productivity features, and less UI kludging is a must, and M$ please get some built in functionality to monitor discrete GPUs on laptops, the task manager/resource monitor should be able to, out of the box, monitor discrete GPUs.
And while on the subject of discrete GPUs on laptops, or PCs for that matter, Please make Intel, and what ever GPU makers, write drivers that allow both the integrated GPU to play nice with the discrete GPU, and If getting them to both share graphics duties simultaneously is too hard, at least require the integrated GPU to be available for GPGPU, while the discrete GPU does the graphics. Real OSs are able to utilize all the processing resources ALL for the Time, so be ready to hold hardware certification over the heads of the CPU/SOC/GPU makers to achieve this, the same goes for the makers of the Linux distros, It’s time to make all OSs HSA aware, and OpenCL, etc. is just a start. Not more dead/unable to be utilized transistors on PCs/laptops/etc. for lack of proper OS and driver support, this switchable GPU kludge should be transformed to a dual GPU resources available all of the time for whatever processing workloads need the extra power, no more excuses from the APU/CPU/GPU makers.
Note: HSA is not a trademark of AMD, it is just a generic computer science term/acronym for the ability to use all a PC’s different processing resources for any type of computing workload. A true OS can utilize all of the processing resources on the device it is installed on, so if the GPU/s is/are not doing graphics it/they should be doing number crunching(Spreadsheets, etc.), or gaming Physics in OpenCL on the integrated GPU, while the discrete does the Graphics.
P.S. do not recommend GPUz, or other non certified to work with the specific OEM computer’s hardware/software monitoring applications, I am tired of having to do system restores when motherboard/other drivers get wacked by non tested/non regression tested software in the free monitoring packages.
I’m hoping it;s the long
I’m hoping it;s the long expected yet way overdue announcement that windows 9’s most basic consumer edition is free. not some bundled with bloatware free to oem bing version but just the basic os, free.
Not holding my breath but it would be the key to re-taking market share. I guess we’ll know in 2 weeks