"Threshold" to be Called Windows 9, Ship in April 2015


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Modular is the answer. 

Yanno, if ya listened carefully, you'd have noticed that that is essentially all we've ever wanted. On a personal level, I couldn't care less what someone else runs on their device. I just want access to the full desktop experience, and ideally I'd like to see it remain fully supported for another 20 years.(by which time I would be 78, or more likely dead...)

 

This does not, in and of itself mean that if something better came along I wouldn't jump on it, I would.

 

It's simply that tifkam wasn't it.

It's funny, how pictures can show the clear divide.  I agree with all the 8/8.1 is not practical and doesn't fit, and how 7 is sleek and clean, and awesome.  Yet you can clearly see that others feel reverse.

Windows 8 / 8.1

 

 

Windows 7

 

 

:laugh:

(except Windows 7 can't be a Prius - more like a gas guzzling SUV compared to lean and mean Win 8.x)

  • Like 2

But the problem is, not everyone uses just a keyboard.  Hell I used a mouse way way more than a keyboard.  I don't use a touch screen on my computer, and will likely never.. I lose productivity if I wanted to move to that.  

The start menu is way way better for me than the start screen ever will be.  I still sue the start menu as a start menu.   Just because some people don't use it, doesn't mean that everyone doesn't.  I still 100% believe metro is for tablets, and phones. I don't see it as having a place on a desktop, production, machine.

firey - that is exactly the entire point I have been trying to make - there have been two groups of merely GUI users (the issue cuts across Windows, so it's not JUST a Windows issue).  Note that the Start menu launched as part of Windows 95, and was, in fact, late coming to NT (it didn't until NT 4.0), and was, in fact, pretty much entirely pointing-device driven (according to Microsoft's own documentation) and I'm not even counting touch-screen users.  Because I don't have touch support, the inclusion of them merely covered up the already-extant dichotomy between the keyboard-driven and pointing-device-driven users.

That is why a hybrid OS makes sense - not every user uses the OS the same way.  The problem that Windows 8/8.1 is facing is that now the hybrid OS is the default - not a niche.  The problem that those that want simply standard production desktops (old-school desktops, as they would say) want is that such HARDWARE is no longer the default, at least in terms of Windows - truth be told, such hardware has been moving away from being a default build of merely Windows hardware since XP.  As much as the "kitchen-sink" versions of merely Vista and 7 sold (look at JUST the sales of the Ultimate SKU - of either OS - sold vs. any other SKU of the same OS), there is still far more to even Windows 8.1 Pro than there was to Windows 7 Ultimate - and that is despite Media Center being an extra-cost option in 8.1 vs. it being standard in 7.  (I've pointed this out in another thread - it's more that Windows 8 and 8.1 include too much.)  Therefore, from what the critics themselves are say, they would rather have a more cut-down SKU as an option (something below the existing Windows 8 Core).

They may have been hoping that the keyboard-driven user would go along with the pointing-device-driven users into complaining - however, by and large, that has no more been the case here than it has been with GNOME.  The excision of the Start menu has been a panacea for the keyboard-driven users - we're no longer second-class citizens behind pointing-device users.  Touch support (to me) is utterly irrelevant.

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It's funny, how pictures can show the clear divide.  I agree with all the 8/8.1 is not practical and doesn't fit, and how 7 is sleek and clean, and awesome.  Yet you can clearly see that others feel reverse.

firey - I have never (as in ever) said that there would not be a divide - I am saying that I am apparently wrong as to the reason for it.

 

On one side are the pointing-device-driven users - on the other are not just touch-screen users, but keyboard-driven users as well.

 

The first group is heavily-reliant to the point of bias on the Start menu - therefore, they are the most upset with its excision; most of them feel that no third-party alternative for Windows 8 or 8.1 will do.  (What strikes me as weird is that most of them can't even explain WHY that is the case.)  Touch-screen users and keyboard-driven users BOTH got some bennies out of Windows 8 and 8.1.  Touch-screens actually gained more support (in both 8 and 8.1 - with 8.1's support improving merely over the base 8) - however, surprisingly, keyboard-driven users gained more than even touch-screen users simply by ModernUI being more neutral compared to the pointing-device-driven Start menu.

 

That is why I can speak about neutrality with a straight face - because I am neither pointing-device-driven OR touch-screen driven.  I'm in that category that has been around (even in Windows) for a while, but doesn't get talked about much - a keyboard-driven (for the most part) user.

Metro 2.0. Maturing and fixing the "Metro" design language used by Windows will be a major focus area of Threshold. It's not clear what changes are coming, but it's safe to assume that a windowed mode that works on the desktop is part of that.

Three milestones. Microsoft expects to deliver three milestone releases of "Threshold" before its final release. It's unclear what these releases will be called (Beta, Release Candidate, etc.) or which if any will be provided to the public.

 

That's good, but how about maturing and fixing the desktop, too.

Windows 8.1:

10-modern_cars_12.jpg

 

How exactly do you get into that ugly piece of crap? Did they remove the usefulness of A DOOR and just make you climb into it?

 

Actually, after thinking about it for a moment. That is the perfect Windows 8 car.

How exactly do you get into that ugly piece of crap? Did they remove the usefulness of A DOOR and just make you climb into it?

 

Actually, after thinking about it for a moment. That is the perfect Windows 8 car.

rinspeed_senso_01.JPG

 

Rinspeed+Senso+Cars+Pictures.jpg

I'm still not seeing door hinges. Do you climb in?

Pretty much that is the case - there are no "doors" that I can see; you climb over the doorsill.  (Unless there is a lever - and there appears to be one to the far rear of the doorsill under the left (passenger-side - this concept is right-hand-drive, just behind the roof) hinge; it's covered with the roof closed down.)

It's a concept car. You do climb in because the drivers seat is in the middle of the chassis.

 

Which makes it the perfect Windows 8 car

 

1) it's ugly

2) It forces people to be inconvenienced. What if you get a broken leg, how do you get in?

That's good, but how about maturing and fixing the desktop, too.

Tell me, honestly - how is the desktop broken other than it not being biased toward pointing devices?

I haven't noticed ANY lack of usability in what desktop applications, games, etc. I use in Windows 8.1 every day - desktop applications could care less about the Start menu being missing.

 I still have a pronounced skew toward desktop applications and games - therefore I'm asking that question with a straight face.

Which makes it the perfect Windows 8 car

 

1) it's ugly

2) It forces people to be inconvenienced. What if you get a broken leg, how do you get it?

The definition of a concept car went right over your head, didn't it?

 

"Concept cars never go into production directly. In modern times all would have to undergo many changes before the design is finalized for the sake of practicality, safety, the meeting the burden of regulatory compliance, and cost. A "production-intent" vehicle, as opposed to a concept vehicle, serves this purpose."

 

Obviously, if it was mass produced, things would be reconfigured for use. I could point out a nice BMW concept too, that doesn't have doors. The initial picture was meant to be something modern and forward looking, but this conversation went sour fast.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • I think the car analogy is more this: Left hand drive, basic commands on the left side of the infotainment screen. Right hand drive, basic commands on the right side of the infotainment screen. Granted, you're not swapping between the two often so it's doesn't really work. But it's to do with the proximity of you (your mouse, or the driver) to the controls.
    • I mean, the old one was broken and so stupidly complex for many users, so I don't see that as a feasible option. A context menu needs to be simple to use, and for me the Windows 11 style actually worked really well for me, and many others. I used to have to scroll the damn context menu just to get to "file properties" in Windows 10. That was not a good experience, and I'm sure you'd agree. What they're trying to do is make it the best of both worlds, as clearly you'd prefer the Win10 style. I'm curious how they're going to do this.
    • The "Show more options" has its place, as does the simpler context menu, but it should perhaps be a separate fly-out rather than relaunching the entire, old context menu. The old context menu was getting absurd in Windows 10. Often I'd have to make the context menu scroll just to get to "File properties" on my old laptop. Even without much installed, the amount of items was just too much. It's a context menu, not a "do all" menu. Making it configurable is fraught with challenges too, so I'm interested to see how Microsoft tackles this one.
    • I don't hate the new menus, I am not a fan of the lack of features and how they went live when they clearly are not complete. The menu itself presents much better than the previous - but what's lacking (IMO) is: 1) Any kind of automated manipulation such as: "this goes on the new menu because you use this feature more often on this filetype" "this is rarely used and will fall back to the old menu" 2) Any kind of user manipulation such as: "a UI to add/remove/order items to the new menu"
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