One feature or tech you want in Windows 8

[Beastage]

1. To use EFI instead of the aging BIOS.

2. A nice, intuitive backup system (a la Time Machine?)

3. ZFS would be nice, a lot cleaner system than NTFS. (I'm not saying NTFS is outright bad).

1. As far as I know EFI is fully supported by Vista, just no one using it with motherboards yet.

2. Time Machine? No thanks, the backup in 7 is much more superior and far more versatile, on top Windows got volume shadow copy, tho that might need a bit more user friendliness.

Universal Spell checker. So browsers, Office, and other applications and tap into the installed spell checker and use it.

+1

[Glowstick]

Would you elaborate or give a link to some more info?

You can't remove devices from the pool once they're added, unless you destroy the whole pool. The ability for ZFS to move all blocks away off a device is still in development. The base feature called block pointer rewrite's still in development. Once it's there, there'll also be block level deduplication.

[Toxicfume Veteran]

2. Time Machine? No thanks, the backup in 7 is much more superior and far more versatile, on top Windows got volume shadow copy, tho that might need a bit more user friendliness.

+1

A bit more userfriendliness? No ****. When I said Time Machine, I meant we want the useability to be to that level. Time Machine was the first backup system that is truely useable and intuitive for anyone. I don't want a backup interface that looks like it's still being dragged on from the 90s. Thought we might have to agree to disagree on that.

You can't remove devices from the pool once they're added, unless you destroy the whole pool. The ability for ZFS to move all blocks away off a device is still in development. The base feature called block pointer rewrite's still in development. Once it's there, there'll also be block level deduplication.

Ah, thought so. That's quite interesting, lets wait and see. But I really don't see MS implementing anything other than NTFS (or a successor based on it) any way.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Source? The wikipedia article barely even mentions NTFS.

WinFS wasn't a file system, and really had nothing to do with a file system in the traditional sense at all.

WinFS was a database, built on SQL Server. SQL Server runs on top of NTFS (and possibly others, not sure) for actually writing pages to the disk. WinFS ("Windows Future Storage") was supposed to be a unified storage platform. It didn't work.

A bit more userfriendliness? No ****. When I said Time Machine, I meant we want the useability to be to that level. Time Machine was the first backup system that is truely useable and intuitive for anyone. I don't want a backup interface that looks like it's still being dragged on from the 90s. Thought we might have to agree to disagree on that.

Funny, I have several friends who use Macs (a few who installed Snow Leopard on Friday), and they're always having issues with Time Machine. Mainly it's the setup that seems to be hardest... apparently OS X is pretty restricting on how you can set up a Time Machine partition.

[Unknown_97784568745]

1. To use EFI instead of the aging BIOS.

Supported since Vista SP1.

[Glowstick]

Ah, thought so. That's quite interesting, lets wait and see. But I really don't see MS implementing anything other than NTFS (or a successor based on it) any way.

The problem's the complexity of the system. Metadata's duplicated and triplicated, pointing up and down the metadata trees, everything has to work live.

[mdtaUK]

I would like to see the OS written from the ground up. The whole system should be built in chunks which the rest of the OS hooks into with open APIs, supporting Managed code.

For example

You would have the Kernel, which is sealed off and cannot be edited or altered by anything!

Above that is 'Windows' the sealed off portion which is an API provider which only develops API hooks which will be used by everything else, with Managed and Native flavours of EVERY API, and when Microsoft wants to add additional functions to the OS, it has to be an documented API which goes in this area, and those APIs are categorized in 4 areas.

Then above that you would have all the out-of-the-box functionality/services of the OS. such as Anti-Virus, Window Manager, Control Panel, Theme System, Wi-Fi connection services. These dont generate APIs, but instead hook into the existing ones, so third-parties can create replacement services, so Windows Blinds could replace the Window Management, GUI and customisation/theming systems, or AVG could replace the Anti-Virus, etc

Finally on top of this are the Applications, which can hook into window services, or program directly into the API. Microsoft Apps would also have to hook into the OS or program directly into the API, so no more undocumented features like DirectUI etc. There would also be a Web App environment provided by the OS, which would allow you to run Web Apps without browser dependancies, which would run alongside other apps. Providing these have confirmed security credentials, they could access the APIs and services of Windows, if no confirmed security, they will be sandboxed. This could push Silverlight and other open alternatives.

NTFS should be optional, with a choice at clean install, along side open file systems, the NTFS would be in the services, but not the kernel

Also app compatibility should be a service which runs when required, virtualising it all, so this new OS would be clean, lean, and not mean to devs...

I look forward to any response from Brandon, dashing my hopes or educating me on the NT OS

[Owen W Veteran]

How would getting rid of the registry do those things? Getting rid of the registry would just break everything that currently runs on Windows. It won't make people write XCopy-able apps, they can already do that and they don't.

If what you want is portable apps or better uninstall functionality, then ask for those things, don't ask to get rid of the registry since that won't accomplish the goal and really is an ask that has no purpose or basis in reality.

I don't see how you can say anything is "confirmed."

WinFS wasn't a file system, and you sure as heck won't see that coming back (we've already provided much of its functionality in other ways).

Sorry I actually was talking about Windows 7...but that ended up being in x86 and x64 flavours anyway. Judging by the way their servers are going though, it won't be long until the desktop is all x64.

Yeah, WinFS was a fancy wrapper on top of NTFS...well, either way, I'm hopeful (or sure?) that they'll bring out a new FS soon...

[BigBunny]

I want an easy backup button. Just one click to export all your user customizable settings: themes, wallpapers, gadgets, favourites, my documents, passwords for websites and what not :D

That's almost been there since Win Vista: Windows Easy Transfer. It doesn't get gadgets and passwords if I recall, but it does everything else (including basically every file that isn't part of \Program Files or \Windows by default).

Also, for all the people who "guarantee" that Win8 will drop an x86 SKU (I'm not even talking about dropping the WOW64 component, which is nearly as dumb as killing the registry), I have one word for you:

Atom.

As long as Intel continues selling the N and Z series, which are not x86-64, and the netbook craze continues, there will be enough of a market to justify an x86 SKU; it's possible that only a "netbook" or "home basic" version of Win8 will be x86, but it'll be there.

[+SOOPRcow MVC]

Support for Quantum processors!

[winlonghorn]

I would like to see true application virtualization. What I mean is no need to install it in a seperate/virtual OS window! We should be able to install the application and have windows determine what codebase to run the program on and start that codebase as a seperate process in the background. The application wouldn't have any clue that it isn't running on the version of Windows that it was designed for. That would just be awesome!

Another thing that I would like to see is the continued evolution away from the need for a Start Menu. Wouldn't it be nice if we could easily get to anywhere in the system with one click (two at the most)? :)

[argonite]

Some things that would be nice, both related to file request monitoring:

The OS should never be able to unrecoverably eliminate a file, without the user's permission. Read: the recent Snow Leopard debacle. Anytime a file is scheduled to be deleted by the OS, is overwritten, or a program requests that a file be deleted permanently, by bypassing the Recycle Bin, the request will be modified to redirect the file to the Recycle Bin (kind of like Time Machine/Shadow Copy, but on the fly). Only requests from the Recycle Bin, or a digitally signed program which hooks into the Recycle Bin, are able to permanently delete or shred a file.

Which reminds me, the Recycle Bin needs a bit of work, it's an incomprehensible mash of files. I should be able to preview files in the bin. Removed registry keys should also be stored there. There should also be secure shred options.

Also, Windows should be able to monitor a program's read-write access, record it, then be able to send user files and keys to the recycle bin when the program is uninstalled. It will be able to tell what exe's are installed by the Windows Installer API, and monitor those. The file delete process is non-discrominatory, it won't be able to tell whether the user made the file or the program did. Only files in a designated 'Documents' directory or marked as 'essential' by a program will survive this cleaning process, all settings will be erased. It's kind of like DeppFreeze, but works on a program-level.

[Dane]

What I want is it to NOT BE A MINOR UPDATE!

They said the new one was to be major years ago, then changed it to minor. Same thing for vista. I am not really wow'd with it. I keep buying it though.

[liang852]

Instant power on and shut down.

[Shadrack]

Universal Spell checker. So browsers, Office, and other applications and tap into the installed spell checker and use it.

Oh thats a good one. Something I really liked about Mac OS X...

Option to place the task bar (superbar, whatever) across multiple monitors with more options in general.

Video should output to multiple monitors and should be idiot proof. I'm so tired of going to conferences, and someone has their whole presentation on a usb flash, plug it into the computer that is connected to the projector and spend about 5 minutes ****ing with the video because it won't play or it will only play on the computer monitor and not the projector or what have you. Seems so ridiculous and has been a problem for years now.

[fix-this!]

#1 we don't know if it will be called windows 8 or not yet.

#2 i don't even want to think about it yet, im enjoying windows 7 and i think it will be an even better ride once the first service pack comes out.

[Alan-]

What I want is for you to be able to group a folder to an App, so when you opened the App a folder would open with it or just when you opened each separately it would group them together on the Taskbar much like it now groups all of the same program's windows together.

[tN0]

My wishlist for the next version:

• UI done in there new Direct2D framework (that they are using in the Zune software)
  
• update mechanism for third party apps
  
• an app store
  
• unified Control Panel (finally)
  
• Silverlight-only Gadgets
  
• system-wide spell check
  
• more use of virtualization
  
• a completely new browser!
  

[coresx]

Animated gifs that work in Windows Photo Viewer instead of Internet Explorer. Always seemed backwards to me.

[gxsaurav]

What I would love to see is

1) Do away with the current method of application installation. Windows 7 supports VHD mounting & we also have Microsoft SoftGrid available, so why not package the applications as a VHD with all the files in it & when installing, user will double click & select to install after which it will automatically mount the VHD in the file system due to which all the files will go where they should.

We currently have files after installation as

C:\program files\application\...

c:\users\local or roaming\app name\ data

some files go to system folder

Make a VHD with the same folder structure but make it directly mountable in c:\ drive.

2) A UI made using Direct2D would be awesome.

3) Re-design Windows Media Player "software & frontend". The core engine is fine already, but a more streamlined UI like the one with Vista's aero based look would be better. Also, either make Zune the default Media Player in Windows or give the option to Sync Zune using WMP too

[Zmijutin]

Animated gifs that work in Windows Photo Viewer instead of Internet Explorer. Always seemed backwards to me.

Yep, I just don't get it. In XP gifs were working great. What the hell happened?

[M_Lyons10]

I would like to see true application virtualization. What I mean is no need to install it in a seperate/virtual OS window! We should be able to install the application and have windows determine what codebase to run the program on and start that codebase as a seperate process in the background. The application wouldn't have any clue that it isn't running on the version of Windows that it was designed for. That would just be awesome!

That sounds a lot like the basis of .Net... I agree that there are a lot of benefits to something like this. I have seen more and more companies starting to use .Net as well. So it may be somewhere they will go in the future.

I want a new desktop. I would love to have "stacks" of icons that I can expand and do things with. Since they redid the taskbar, maybe they'll now do the desktop. LOL

[yxz]

Support for Quantum processors!

+1

-1

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

Here's my wish list:

• Even better performance scaling
  
• An OS-wide interface for applications (UI consistency)
  
• Built-in features like disc image mounting, media file conversion, etc
  
• A new method of "installing" applications that doesn't take up time ('live' applications)
  

[usmanity]

I think my favorite and most wanted feature for any future OSes would be NEW font smoothing technology. I don't want ClearType or GTK or even the mac smoothing, they should work on something new, this isn't 2001 anymore. :]