Rumor - Microsoft to Release Windows Blue, the First Free Windows Ever

[DeaconFrost]

Unlike W7 which is an excellent system, W8 needs a facelift right out of the box, and it's designed for tablets, PCs were supported as an afterthought.

I used to think the same thing until I start using Windows 8. Combine that with attending a launch event last week, and I have an entirely new appreciation for the OS. Aside from adding in a full-featured start menu, it doesn't need a thing.

 

[x BlueRobot]

Windows 8 will also need to be able to boot to desktop too!

 

[Bertison]

♫Well, I never felt more like Singin' the Blues,♫

♫'Cos I never thought that I'd ever lose♫

♫With Metro, that's why I'm singin' the Blues♫

- Anonymous, could be attributed to Steve Balmer.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

♫Well, I never felt more like Singin' the Blues,♫

♫'Cos I never thought that I'd ever lose♫

♫With Metro, that's why I'm singin' the Blues♫

- Anonymous, could be attributed to Steve Balmer.

:roflmao: That even scans with the tune. Impressive!

 

[robinb9]

Agreed

 

[Dallas 7]

Unlike W7 which is an excellent system, W8 needs a facelift right out of the box, and it's designed for tablets, PCs were supported as an afterthought.

I used to think the same thing until I start using Windows 8. Combine that with attending a launch event last week, and I have an entirely new appreciation for the OS. Aside from adding in a full-featured start menu, it doesn't need a thing.

Deacon, some people believe "new" automatically means "better". Pertaining to operating systems, I used to accept that premise. Until I met Vista!
Vista taught me that "new" does not always mean "better". In fact, I discovered that sometimes, as with Vista, "new" means "worse"!

W7 is a great OS. W8 is a downgrade, just like Vista was.
I'll stick with 7.

 

[RoasterMen]

Welcome to Window Vista again guys!!! Windows 8 Said...

 

[DeaconFrost]

Deacon, some people believe "new" automatically means "better".

Yes, and many people also assume new is "worse" or "scary" for various reasons.

W7 is a great OS. W8 is a downgrade

Exactly my point. Windows 8 is hardly a downgrade. To suggest that...well...simply means you haven't used it or given it a chance, going at it with the mindset above...that since it is a successor to a great product, it has to fail.

That's the issue I've been trying to point out. Far too many people on these boards are making comments such as yours because they didn't like the look of Metro, or some other small detail, and could turn back to Windows 7 to feel comfy and warm. On one hand, it's said to see so many people being closed-minded, but at the same time, it's a credit to how good Windows 7 is.

So, my final point is this. If you love 7, and you want to stay with it, go right ahead. I'm keeping some systems on 7, including all of my corporate systems for 2013 (aside from new purchases). But there's absolutely no reason or justifcation to sit and bash Windows 8, or the people who are really enjoying it. It's a great OS as well, because it's coming off of a great platform. It has a small learning curve, just as any new OS, but once you get passed that, it's really a nice OS to use.

Not liking it doesn't equate to "it's an awful product". Separate out fact and opinion. There are a lot of things on the market I don't like, but they can be a good product.

 

[x BlueRobot]

Deacon, some people believe "new" automatically means "better".

Yes, and many people also assume new is "worse" or "scary" for various reasons.

W7 is a great OS. W8 is a downgrade

Exactly my point. Windows 8 is hardly a downgrade. To suggest that...well...simply means you haven't used it or given it a chance, going at it with the mindset above...that since it is a successor to a great product, it has to fail.

That's the issue I've been trying to point out. Far too many people on these boards are making comments such as yours because they didn't like the look of Metro, or some other small detail, and could turn back to Windows 7 to feel comfy and warm. On one hand, it's said to see so many people being closed-minded, but at the same time, it's a credit to how good Windows 7 is.

So, my final point is this. If you love 7, and you want to stay with it, go right ahead. I'm keeping some systems on 7, including all of my corporate systems for 2013 (aside from new purchases). But there's absolutely no reason or justifcation to sit and bash Windows 8, or the people who are really enjoying it. It's a great OS as well, because it's coming off of a great platform. It has a small learning curve, just as any new OS, but once you get passed that, it's really a nice OS to use.

Not liking it doesn't equate to "it's an awful product". Separate out fact and opinion. There are a lot of things on the market I don't like, but they can be a good product.

Windows 8 seems to be good OS for tablets and phones, but I think Microsoft need to add some features to Windows 8 to allow it to be used as a traditional desktop, but that is just my opinion though; personally I prefer Windows 7.

 

[chev65]

To me this is simple, Microsoft is bowing down to the not millions but billions of PC owners world wide who made it very clear about what they DO NOT LIKE about Windows 8. You can't read a blog or article that doesn't make this a valid point.

People with PC's want to upgrade but they want a good reason for doing so, Windows 8 out of the box, is not a very good reason to upgrade a PC.

The market for PC upgrades is huge and by alienating them all Windows 8 is simply not selling well. They can fix this obvious blunder with Windows blue.

 

[DeaconFrost]

You can't read a blog or article that doesn't make this a valid point.

Opinions don't equate to valid points. There is no blunder with Windows 8. When you read the blogs and forums of people who actually are using Windows 8, you'll find that it's been pretty well accepted, especially in the enthusiasts crowd.

The only...and yes, only feature it is missing out of the box is a Start Menu...if we're going after that warm and fuzzy comfortable feeling. That can be added very easily, and for free. Should we have been given that option during the install? Yes, we should have. But it's far from a deal killer. The more I use it, the more I like it...and the more I'm blown away at it's performance.

 

[Wishmaster]

This sounds to me like a free (but optional) upgrade that restores many features to Windows 8 many have have complained about.
Windows 8 will be required to use it.

Unless I missed something obvious, it sorta looks that way to me.

But then I am left wondering why not just offer it as a optional through Windows Update.

I don't know, but I guess I can't just wrap my head around MS just making a free OS. And if they did, then ad support would be likely. Sorry, Id rather pay than deal with that mess.
Big reason I actually buy most of my software because most (Not all) are free because of ads and it drives me nuts.

 

[Dallas 7]

To me this is simple, Microsoft is bowing down to the not millions but billions of PC owners world wide who made it very clear about what they DO NOT LIKE about Windows 8. You can't read a blog or article that doesn't make this a valid point.

People with PC's want to upgrade but they want a good reason for doing so, Windows 8 out of the box, is not a very good reason to upgrade a PC. .....

Exactly. W8 offers desktop users very little reason to upgrade.

 

[bobafetthotmail]

It's just a hobby for them, they do it because they find it fun, not for money like the bulk of criminals do.

Oh? If you don't do it for money, then it is OK to break and enter into private property?

I never talked about ethics, because whoever with enough skill/money/power usually ignores ethics as he sees fit.
I'm just describing a phenomenon, that exists regardless of my (or your or everyone else's) opinion of it, and how that could be useful if MS took the right steps to harness it.

That sentence is the core, since the communities of hackers and programmers are doing it for fun, you just need to create a good challenge, a good "game" to get them to help you out. And Windows is a very big treat. With most kinds of criminals that's unfeasible as they are doing it for money, not unlike more honest professions, so a company would have to pay for their services the same as it pays for normal people, defying the point.

 

[Maurice Naggar]

It's the enhancements under the hood that make Windows 8 better than Windows 7.
Faster startup and faster wake-up from standy.
Win8 and IE10 are more secure than their predecessors.
And nothing keeps you from using the Desktop in Windows 8.

As far as Windows Blue, I expect it will more like a service pack for WIN8. Not a new edition a la windows 9.

 

[SIW2]

Deacon Frost
only feature it is missing out of the box is a Start Menu..

I think you mean the only feature that you have noticed missing is the start menu...

There are some listed here:

Features and configuration options removed in Windows 8

Decon Frost
To suggest that...well...simply means you haven't used it or given it a chance,

Yeah, right - and if you don't like the taste of dog crap, simply means you haven't eaten enough of it.

 

[Dallas 7]

Deacon, some people believe "new" automatically means "better".

Yes, and many people also assume new is "worse" or "scary" for various reasons.

Not me! After Vista, I thought the "NEW" W7 was a Godsend! Not scary at all.
Instead of building on the success of W7, W8 started dismantling it, then took what was left and turned it into a one-size-fits-all compromise with a tablet OS.

If Microsoft wants to change hearts and minds about their ill-advised marketing trick, they need to stop treating the desktop PC like a tablet.
That one-size-fits-all trick was for Microsoft's benefit, not ours.


Like I said, "new" is not automatically better. The term "Better" has to be earned, it's not automatic.

 

[Dallas 7]

Decon Frost
To suggest that...well...simply means you haven't used it or given it a chance,

Yeah, right - and if you don't like the taste of dog crap, simply means you haven't eaten enough of it.

LOL!!! Yeah just give it a chance, tastes great! Totally agree SIW2, I just didn't know how to say it as eloquently as you did!

 

[DeaconFrost]

Yeah, right - and if you don't like the taste of dog crap, simply means you haven't eaten enough of it.

Yes, that's a perfect analogy to describe a new OS. Many of those "features" in your link are nit-picking, at best. Oh no...no Free Cell! The Mayans were right!!!!

Like I said, "new" is not automatically better. The term "Better" has to be earned, it's not automatic.

The term different also doesn't automatically mean worse. It's faster and more secure. You can try as much as you want, you aren't going to convince me that Windows 8 isn't a good OS. I'm responding to this on my HP Envy ultrabook running Windows 8, and it's running far better than Windows 7 ever did on it.

 

[bobafetthotmail]

The term different also doesn't automatically mean worse. It's faster and more secure.

The only hate-worth thing of W8 is the GUI or GUI options. The rest is more or less an improved W7 which isn't bad per-se.
Depends from what you do with it. On an ultrabook (that I imagine has a touchscreen) it's ok if you don't mind losing some options, and maybe even better as the touchscreen is close to hands anyway.
W8 does make some modicum of sense on touchscreen laptops and the locked-down tablet-like things where the average user does not really care of most of the dropped features (as long as facebook works anyway).

On a desktop or non-touchscreen it's enraging and murderously annoying even if you have a good mouse, imho.


Also, from that feature list:
"Sound events for 'Exit Windows', 'Windows Logon' and 'Windows Logoff' are removed" No, really? Did anyone care?
And there is a huge amount of stuff with obscure names and unknown function....

There are some stupid choices though, mainly about Explorer.exe and UI cripplage.