Can Microsoft Force us to Windows 8

[sgage]

I was obviously directly responding in kind to your "don't believe the hype" crack, so don't give me the "no one brought that up but you" stuff.

A "crack"? If you think that was just a crack about hype, you've missed a lot of very entertaining threads.

There has been an unfortunate tendency for 8 lovers to make ludicrous claims about scared of change , not able to learn, etc.

There has been the same, if not more people making wild claims and bashing the people who happen to like Windows 8. It's the Vista release all over again, except some of the initial Vista fear was justified thanks to very slow OEM support. Remember the Mojave Project? It was all about exposing and separating hype/rumors from facts.

Warnings should be given for people bashing on either side...not just one. The "change" comments aren't usually relevant, either. I don't think anyone switched just because it was new. If so, that's an awful decision process. New isn't always better. But by the same taken, new isn't always worse, either, and that's often forgotten.

There have been dozens of threads on here alone (not counting eightforums.com) where people would go on a tirade about how awful Windows 8 was and only morons would consider using it....only to have the OP later admit they've heard it was bad from their mother's, neighbor's barber, and have never actually used it themselves.

Equaled and exceeded only by the number of really nasty tirades (here and on eightforums) about how stupid, luddite, and afraid of change the morons were who didn't immediately get on board. As far as I recall, the "moron" calling was all in the other direction from what you indicate. And can you spare us the "they've heard it was bad from their mother's, neighbor's barber, and have never actually used it themselves" nonsense. I don't recall any such admissions, but even if there were, it doesn't materially change the situation.

"Warnings should be given for people bashing on either side...not just one."

Exactly - that was the ENTIRE point of my initial reply, which you completely missed or have gone on to ignore in order to continue bashing people who don't love Win8 they way you evidently do.

 

[SIW2]

Each can make up their own mind about what is best for them

That is fine.

I don't attack those who like it - or those who dislike it.

I am fascinated by the process.

We won't often get the chance to see a monopoly trying to push something through in the face of dislike form a very significant number of users.

Might be the only chance in our lifetime to see something like that.

 

[sgage]

Each can make up their own mind about what is best for them

That is fine.

I don't attack those who like it - or those who dislike it.

I am fascinated by the process.

We won't often get the chance to see a monopoly trying to push something through in the face of dislike form a very significant number of users.

Might be the only chance in our lifetime to see something like that.

It IS fascinating, isn't it!?

 

[DeaconFrost]

Exactly - that was the ENTIRE point of my initial reply, which you completely missed or have gone on to ignore in order to continue bashing people who don't love Win8 they way you evidently do.

You are doing exactly what you accuse me of doing. You won't find me bashing people who have chosen to stay with Windows 7. Guess what...I'm also one of them. I'm typing on a system now that's running Windows 7 and won't ever be getting Windows 8. It's an i5-2400 system, quite capable of running Windows 8...but won't be by choice. I've never bashed anyone for evaluating their options and making a choice.

The point you missed, the threads you missed, the concepts you missed, are all about people who don't make up their own mind. My bashing of that mindset extends for anything and everything, not just computing. Ever get into a political debate with someone who supports either party, but can't tell you why? Far too many people close their minds to any new Microsoft product without any actual experience or knowledge of it. That's the only method that warrants any negative comments. There are plenty of people who have tried Windows 8 and decided it didn't justify the cost of upgrading. There's no need to bash those people...but rather celebrate the fact we have two damn good Windows operating systems to choose from, instead of most of our history where there was one (or less).

Assumptions don't help anyone, so I'll ask. Do you have kids? If so, think of how frustrating it is when they kick and scream about their hatred for broccoli....knowing full well they've never had it before. That's what I'm getting at. It's ridiculous for anyone to go on a rant or bash-spree on a product they've never tried. It happens enough, that yes, it's the point of my comments in this thread.

 

[SIW2]

Can't wait for the next thrilling installment.

Those of us who have been using the recent Blue build will have seen they are just faffing with the metro and apps. stuff.

Nothing in that build to suggest MS are at all interested in their existing user base.

It isn't final - they might just be testing their app faffing at the moment. Future builds might include othere functions. Too early to be sure.

Windows system image has been dumped, and MS have moved control panel functions to the kiddie UI.

Hard to say what they are thinking at this point.

 

[sgage]

Exactly - that was the ENTIRE point of my initial reply, which you completely missed or have gone on to ignore in order to continue bashing people who don't love Win8 they way you evidently do.

You are doing exactly what you accuse me of doing. You won't find me bashing people who have chosen to stay with Windows 7. Guess what...I'm also one of them. I'm typing on a system now that's running Windows 7 and won't ever be getting Windows 8. It's an i5-2400 system, quite capable of running Windows 8...but won't be by choice. I've never bashed anyone for evaluating their options and making a choice.

The point you missed, the threads you missed, the concepts you missed, are all about people who don't make up their own mind. My bashing of that mindset extends for anything and everything, not just computing. Ever get into a political debate with someone who supports either party, but can't tell you why? Far too many people close their minds to any new Microsoft product without any actual experience or knowledge of it. That's the only method that warrants any negative comments. There are plenty of people who have tried Windows 8 and decided it didn't justify the cost of upgrading. There's no need to bash those people...but rather celebrate the fact we have two damn good Windows operating systems to choose from, instead of most of our history where there was one (or less).

Assumptions don't help anyone, so I'll ask. Do you have kids? If so, think of how frustrating it is when they kick and scream about their hatred for broccoli....knowing full well they've never had it before. That's what I'm getting at. It's ridiculous for anyone to go on a rant or bash-spree on a product they've never tried. It happens enough, that yes, it's the point of my comments in this thread.

Forget it. In NO way am I doing what you are doing, what you indeed started. You are just itching for a fight, and I am not. You began by calling criticism of Win8 "hype". When I pushed back, you rambled on about this and that. When I made cogent replies, your responded with more rhetorical crap. Consider taking that chip off your shoulder - you will be far more persuasive.

I have no more time for this nonsense - I am done with this thread.

 

[SIW2]

No sign yet that Uncle Tim is going to release an affordable Mac and take it all away from MS.

MS must have calculated the barriers are too high for Apple to do that.

The oem's are not in a position to get togeteher and get a reworked, more user friendly Linux desktop organised.

MS will have calculated that, too.

MS might not have foreseen the People's government taking an interest.

Hard to tell quite what they are up to - it might be something small, but if the Chinese are serious, MS could be in real trouble in a year or two. There might be some real competition.

The China Software and Integrated Chip Promotions Centre (CSIP) today announced a new reference architecture for Chinese operating systems. CSIP, which is a part of the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MII), has selected Canonical’s Ubuntu as the basis for that reference architecture in order to provide a flexible, open, widely-used and standardised operating system. The announcement is part of the Chinese government’s five year plan to promote open source software and accelerate the growth of the open source ecosystem within China.

http://www.canonical.com/content/canonical-and-chinese-standards-body-announce-ubuntu-collaboration

 

[gregrocker]

This is the second gamer who's expressed concern here recently about MS trying to force them into Win8 with DX11 only being available in that OS.

A similar "inducement" has been presented to business who are finally starting to move en masse from XP before it XPires. In that case they are being warned in dire terms that without Win8 Secure Boot their PC's are not safe going forward with the (alleged) rise of BIOS infections (we hear about but never actually see here at the top tech forums).

Business has now taken this in and issued their verdict: wholesale migration to Win7 without even giving a second look at Win8.

If this isn't the market ruling I don't know what is. But even then I don't know if they'll listen. They still as a company don't seem to realize they have in Win7 created the best OS that ever existed, one of the greatest achievements in tech history: a completely perfect OS which isn't even showing any age yet.

It will be interesting to watch how they try to phase out an OS which business is just starting to migrate to en masse, which is wildly popular with consumers who have only just gotten to know it in great numbers.

 

[Indianatone]

MS can't force you to do anything! I would use Linux over Windows 8.

Check out WHS tutorials on Linux Mint Mate, I did and it is really good. I will not be going in the new UI direction. If we get more of the same I WILL be using 7 until 2020 (I have good eyesight) and then Linux running Windows in a virtual machine. Linux mint mate boots in a FLASH.....

http://www.sevenforums.com/chillout-room/280732-installation-handling-linux-mint-mate-tutorial.html

 

[DeaconFrost]

Consider taking that chip off your shoulder - you will be far more persuasive.

Please don't make assumptions. I have no chip on my shoulder. You have been the one following me and taking issue with everything I've said, which means you'd be the one itching for a fight...not me. I was merely posting facts about past threads and issues we've had here (and on enthusiast boards).

Judging by your post count, it's probably safe to say you haven't been involved in many of the threads I was referring to. The tone of this comment isn't to be combative, but if you were to search back for the threads I was referring to, you'd see how bad it got.

 

[Gary]

MS can't force you to do anything! I would use Linux over Windows 8.

Check out WHS tutorials on Linux Mint Mate, I did and it is really good. I will not be going in the new UI direction. If we get more of the same I WILL be using 7 until 2020 (I have good eyesight) and then Linux running Windows in a virtual machine. Linux mint mate boots in a FLASH.....

http://www.sevenforums.com/chillout-room/280732-installation-handling-linux-mint-mate-tutorial.html

The last Linux I used was PClos and Suse, but that was many years ago. I kind of liked PClos and I may download the new Full Monty.

 

[Fox3]

Microsoft® is much like StarTrek®'s "Borg"

About me: Worked in IT since 1995, IBM Trained, Cisco Trained. Am not a "fanboy".

Am still running Windows XP on all the laptops & desktops my wife and I own. They are all dual-booting LINUX (Fedora) and WinXP, to be precise. Have had the same Hotmail account since before Hotmail was bought by Microsoft.

I've had lots of experience with:
DOS 3.3
DOS 5.0
DOS 6.1
Windows 3.0/3.1
Windows 3.11, Windows for Workgroups
Windows NT 4.0
Windows 95
Windows 95b/c
Windows 98/98SE
Windows Millennium Edition [a.k.a.: "Major Error"]
Windows 2000
Windows Server 2000/SBS 2K
Windows XP
Windows Server 2003/SBS 2K3
Windows Vista
Windows Small Business Server 2008
Windows 7

Don't even get me started on UNIX/LINUX distros and versions I'm experienced with.

Microsoft® has made some real gems and some real stinkers of operating systems. High on my list are 3.1 (excluding 3.11), 95b/c, 98SE, XP, 2008, & 7. The bottom of the barrel are ME & Vista. I'll reserve my opinion on Windows 8 for after I've actually experienced it for long enough to know it well.

I will offer this... Microsoft's products are generally over-priced and if they had their way, everyone would use Microsoft products exclusively. Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Office. Microsoft Money. Microsoft Mouse. Microsoft Keyboard. Microsoft X-Box. Microsoft (insert product here).

So, "Can Microsoft Force us to Windows 8"? They'll probably try to force us to 8 (until such time as "9" is released). Will they? I doubt that they'll succeed. They had to extend the support of WinXP due to outcries of John Q. Public (and all the enterprise customers who's in-house-produced custom software would not run properly on Vista).

Microsoft will try to coerce/force us to every new product they put out. Some sheeple will quickly embrace everything which comes out of Redmond. Some people will actually use Microsoft's new products before praising or deriding said products. Other sheeple will hate on Microsoft regardless of the merits (or lack thereof) of the products.

Me, personally, I think Microsoft is too big, they over-price their products, and about one out of every three operating systems they release is a major stinker. I'll probably migrate to Windows 7 when I get (or build) my next computer. I will not spend money on Windows 8 until I have had to fix issues with it on clients' computers and I know just how much of a delight or pain it really is for myself.

Microsoft will try to force us to Windows 8. They'll try. They're trying.