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Neowin reviews Windows 8 - Leave your pre-conceived notions at the door

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40hz:
At the risk of being dubbed completely paranoid, I think this is just a further manifestation of a global corporate and governmental move towards removing unrestricted general computing capabilities from the hands of their customers and citizens.

Unrestricted, general-purpose operating systems and hardware have been identified as "disruptive technologies."

And now that even the most slow-witted and Luddite legislator has finally realized that this "computer stuff" ("Don't understand it m'self, but you should see me grandson on one o' them things!") is dangerous for the current status quo. So a decision has been made that it's time for it to go away. But there is also the realization that this will have to be handled "delicately." Softly, softly - catchee monkey as the saying goes.

Right now, that is being attempted via corporate fiat rather than direct legislation since most western governments lack the constitutional authority to pass such legislation.

Things like Win8-Metro, iOS, walled garden ecosystems, UEFI/SecureBoot, app stores, data silos, draconian IP laws and enforcement are all manifestations of an unstated policy to remove this technology from the masses - while at the same time making it look like greater "personal liberation" is taking place.

If you don't believe this technology is considered a clear and present danger to the power elites found within most major corporations and government, look no further than how the US/NZ governments handled the Megaupload/Kim Dotcom affair. Anybody who considers such behavior a police incident needs to think again. That was a multinational coordinated military operation. One that had more in common with the way we would deal with a terrorist cell than it had with arresting somebody for (allegedly) willfully hosting illegal copies of copyrighted material. If that doesn't send the world a clear signal about how this "stuff" is being viewed by those currently in power, I don't know what possibly could. Especially considering how the handling of the Dotcom arrest was specifically intended to send a message to the entire online community.

The message itself was very simple: Know your place.

The subtext in the message was simpler still: Or else.

 :-\

tomos:
1) I really dont see business allowing the desktop be taken away from us (for whatever reason).

2) I see business as being a big enough market that it will be worthwhile for MS to continue supporting and developing the desktop.
Admittedly it will not have the priority it had before for MS, and might not have as much software available if mobile becomes a bigger and more attractive market for developers.

mahesh2k:
On locked scale and the patent fights, I think apple wins any day. I don't think microsoft will be as successful like them with appstore and stuff. It took apple 3 years to push people for dependency on ITunes store and app store. MS can't push people that quickly with Windows 8. It will take some years and some biased media news to push people to use MS app store for purchase.
-mahesh2k (October 25, 2012, 05:23 AM)
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Depends how quickly major developers make the move to the new interface and the AppStore. Utlimately if not-Metro works as well as some think it will on tablets there is a good chance MS could gain market share rapidly - most of the reviews see a lot of advantages of not-Metro over iOS - and for me not having to depend on iTunes is a major draw. Even Apple fans who use Windows boxes hate iTunes on Windows. I think Apple deliberately make it suck to try and move people to Apple hardware.
-Carol Haynes (October 25, 2012, 05:37 AM)
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It's not about developers. Developers come and go from any platform depending on their revenue stream. Leaving CC details in Itunes and in MS app store will be totally different and that's where I think makes difference for anyone who tries to force app store stuff on customers. Besides MS caters customers in between apple( shut up and take my money type) and Linux/nix (I want to keep control over where i spend type folks). Next step for MS is definitely sticking with popular hardware developer. In case of mobile, they picked up nokia which was necessary for nokia to remain in competition as well. Their app store sucked because fanboys and media didn't lifted it but with MS on side, I am sure new app store under nokia will be viewed seriously by buyers. So far Windows 8 offers nothing new compared to the windows 7 that makes you want to switch desperately. And people are less likely to move from one OS to another in this economy.

edbro:
I have been using Win 8 for quite some time now as I am a Technet member. I have to say that I still find the workflow confusing and a bit cumbersome. Metro wouldn't be so bad if you could just stay there but all my apps dump me in the desktop when they are done. The user has to switch back and forth themselves. As a consequence, I like to stay with the desktop as I'm more familiar with it. Also, you have more control over how your programs launch and close from the desktop. I can launch with arguments from the desktop but not Metro.

My impression is that Microsoft feels that PCs are on the way out and tablets and other devices are the future. They have compromised the desktop experience in an effort to position themselves for the future. I do have an iPad and love it but I will not give up my PCs any time in the near future.

wraith808:
People talk about MS trying to be like Apple- but on the desktop, MacOS isn't locked down, nor confined to the AppStore.  In fact, several of their largest software providers don't use the App Store at all.  Just thought I'd point that out.

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