News - "Next generation of Windows systems" next year, says Steve Ballmer

[HEXUS]

Consumers can expect "Windows 8 slates, tablets, PCs" and other form factors.

Read more.

[Hicks12]

"Microsoft is keen to stick to a more rapid release cycle than Windows has historically had"
Really picky but thats not really a true note about the release cycle as Windows has generally had a new version released every 2/3 years, windows 7 was almost 3 years after vista (2 years 9 months iirc) so it would be going back to the historical release cycle.

My english is crap so I apologize if i simply read it wrong!

Other than that ill be happy to try Windows 8! Doesnt sound so good on the tongue compared to windows 7 but its great i get free copies of the latest windows .

[DR]

Would be good if they integrate the experience properly - so you have one 'master' and multiple slaves and there is value in having them linked.

[.havoc]

Oh goddammit microsoft!

I just got my pc EXACTLY how i like it and now your going to give me the temptation to format again!

[Gordy]

Unless they finally realise that windows + tablet does not work I cannot see why the current android IOS dominance is going to be changed. Windows 7 is pretty good so they are going to have to do something pretty clever to make 8 anything more than a minor bump.

No one yet has done something that merges the phone/tablet/computer into a complete suite. One that allows you to switch to any of the three at will and have everything at hand. Docs/Pics/Music everything.

[oolon]

May be they will change the driver model and break all the old hardware again.

[krazy_olie]

I reckon the number of changes under the bonnet will be moderate on the pc end.

There was a massive gap between xp and vista, probably because xp turned out to be pretty good. Vista was bad so 7 came out quick, but is largely vista underneath.
8 will be another evolution and is more of a game changer in the mobile market, I think with the aim of bringing standardisation across platforms.

[TheAnimus]

Gordy, I think they are sort of doing that, but in a have your cake and eat it too mode.
http://www.winrumors.com/windows-8-i...ader-revealed/

The fact is you can, whilst it is like cutting off your own arm with a penknife use even Vista quite fine on a touch device, everything can be kinda done. So its more a case of getting a set of design UI guidelines which will make people have a good experiance on the desktop and the tablet. This is why I love the Metro UI design philosophy, I've already put tiny fragments of it into a bespoke project, so far people like it.

[oolon]

I think it was more of the case of 3 years worth of time for hardware to become vista compatible resulted in most things working out the box for windows 7.

[Gordy]

Gordy, I think they are sort of doing that, but in a have your cake and eat it too mode.
http://www.winrumors.com/windows-8-i...ader-revealed/

The fact is you can, whilst it is like cutting off your own arm with a penknife use even Vista quite fine on a touch device, everything can be kinda done. So its more a case of getting a set of design UI guidelines which will make people have a good experiance on the desktop and the tablet. This is why I love the Metro UI design philosophy, I've already put tiny fragments of it into a bespoke project, so far people like it.

Interesting, that idea is good. Hope they can pull it off. Though I still think they need to stop calling everything windows. Windows should be used for pcs. Tablets and phones should have a different name.

Microsoft seem completely clueless at the moment. They spend a metric ton of money on R&D and have very little to show for it. From the things I've heard they have a massive problem with their internal culture not rewarding the right people. That will be hard to change, something I cannot see Balmer doing. How he's still in a job I cannot see.

I'm hoping that skype will be integrated into windows 8 that would be great. Don't know whether the purchase is too late in the game for that to happen though.

[oolon]

I like to think of Microsoft as a company like IBM it has had its moment in the sun, and will never recapture those glory days however it will continue to be very important company. Currently Google is the company on the sun, however the sun appears to be setting, and it seems people are backing Facebook/Apple to be the next one. Apple however is a company built around one person