TBD on Ning
something to keep in mind
Windows 7’s slow sunset continues with October 31st deadline
As PC users anxiously await the release of Windows 9, many are beginning to worry about the latest impending deadline for Windows 7. On the Windows lifecycle fact sheet, Microsoft notes that it will no longer provide copies of Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium or Ultimate to third-party manufacturers for inclusion on new consumer PCs.
This means that the current stock of computers with Windows 7 preinstalled is the among the last that will ever be commercially available. It’s probably safe to assume this was originally meant to push consumers toward Windows 8, but it might end up convincing them to skip the current generation all together once the technical preview for Windows 9 becomes available to the public.
Business users aren’t going to be affected by the October 31st deadline — the end of sales date for Windows 7 Professional still hasn’t been established and Microsoft promises that it will provide at least one year of notice before the cutoff.
Finally, in regards to Windows 7 becoming the next Windows XP, Don’t fret: mainstream support for Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 doesn’t end until January 13th, 2015 and extended support will last until at least January 14th, 2020. At this point, Microsoft is just hoping that enough users upgrade to Windows 9 to justify either of the support deadlines.
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Permalink Reply by frenchy on
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so.. whats 9 supposed to look like ?? a mashed up version of 7 and 8 ?? or somethin completely different ?? i know windows is tryin desperately to get into the cell phone market cause thats the wave of the future ..
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Permalink Reply by ProblemAgain on
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i was thinking it would be worth it to have an installable copy of windows 7 in case. you can pick up a legal disc of 7 for between 75 and 100 depending on the version. that way you can keep installing 7 till they get the next one right. i saw an article about 9. i'll see if i can find it again
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one article...
Windows 9 Preview to Launch September 30
Code-named Threshold, Windows 9 is set to bring a major change in terms of design and features compared to Windows 8, which was launched less than two years ago.
According to sources within the company, speaking to well-known Microsoft-watcher Tom Warren at The Verge, the company is planning to hold a media event on Sept. 30 to unveil the new software, though that date could change in the coming weeks.
The news from Warren comes just days after fellow Microsoft expert Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet reported that the Redmond-based company was planning to make a “technology preview” of Windows 9 available in late September/early October.
Threshold — as the software is currently known within Microsoft — is set to be the next major release of the company’s desktop software and will be known as Windows 9 when it officially launches in the spring of 2015.
Microsoft is said to be focusing more on making the new Windows experience better for those using non-touch devices, with Windows 8 roundly criticized by mouse and keyboard users for being too touch-focused.
Microsoft began to address these concerns with the Windows 8.1 update last year, and this will continue with Windows 9.
Among the additions to feature in the Windows 9 release:
• A mini Start menu returning to the desktop
• “Windowed” Metro-style apps
• Virtual desktops
• Cortana integration
• Removal of the Charm barMicrosoft has stated its intention of having a much more rapid update cycle for Windows software, similar to its update cycle for Windows Phone mobile software.
With that in mind, the preview set to become available at the end of September is likely to be accessible not just to developers but to the public as well, unlike the Windows 8 preview, which was initially available only to developers.
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Windows 9 rumor roundup: Everything we know so far
Windows 9. Threshold. Or just plain Windows. Whatever Microsoft ends up calling its next operating system, it's shaping up to be another big change from the Windows that came before it.
Only this time, Microsoft is looking to mollify its user base—especially in the enterprise—instead of scaring people away. If months of leaks and rumors are accurate, Microsoft will undo some of the most drastic changes in Windows 8, but it will also kick off a major transformation for Windows--one that's long overdue.
Microsoft is likely to reveal at least some of these changes at a September 30 event. Here's a look at all the details that have leaked out so far, and how we expect it all to come together:
Undoing the damage
The biggest changes in Windows 9 will be aimed at desktop users who never wanted the drastic design overhaul of Windows 8. That means desktop users will get their classic Start menu back, popping up in the bottom-left corner instead of taking over the entire screen as it does in Windows 8.
WinFuture.de
A leaked view of Windows 9's reborn Start menu.
As a recent video leak showed, the order of this menu may be a bit different than it was in Windows 7. Folder shortcuts could move from the right side to the top, essentially switching places with where pinned apps used to be. By shuffling these shortcuts around, Microsoft leaves room for users to pin Live Tiles on the right side of the menu, where they can be resized and reordered in a grid view. (Users who prefer the full screen Start menu can still switch it on through Taskbar and Start menu Properties, the video revealed.)
WinFuture.de
According to leaks, many Charms bar features will be folded into the mouse-friendly menu bar for Windows Store apps that appear in Windows 8.1's spring update.
Beyond the Start menu, Microsoft will likely de-emphasize the Charms bar and recent app switcher, both introduced in Windows 8. Many Charms bar functions—such as sharing and printing—will get folded directly into the menus of Windows Store apps, and the recent apps sidebar will give way to the classic desktop taskbar. Again, both features will remain available as options according to the latest leaks, but they won't serve much purpose for desktop users.
An isolated convergence
Microsoft hasn't entirely given up on its plan to have one Windows running across phones, tablets and PCs. But with Windows 9, Microsoft will likely tweak its original vision, with a separate smartphone and tablet version that emphasizes the modern interface and Windows Store apps.
It sounds like Windows RT all over again, but with some key differences: This version will run on smartphones as well as tablets, and may apply to both ARM-based and Intel Atom-based devices, according to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley. Most importantly, this version may not include the desktop, potentially eliminating some of the confusion that made Windows RT a non-starter in the first place. If Microsoft can deliver a touch-friendly version of Office in tandem, it may finally deliver on the promise of simpler touch-based computing that RT never quite fulfilled.
The only question is what all this means for hybrid devices such as the Surface Pro 3 and Lenovo ThinkPad 10. This is just speculation, but it seems likely that Intel-based hybrids—especially larger models—will get the desktop-centric version of Windows with the option to enable some tablet-friendly features.
Redoing desktop software
It's clear that Microsoft wants to create greater separation between lightweight touch devices and traditional PCs driven by mice, trackpads, and keyboards. But the glue holding them all together will be the Windows Store.
With Windows 8, Microsoft introduced the Windows Store to revamp software around tablets and touchscreens, but this effort didn't go as planned. Between slow adoption of Windows tablets and minimal interest in modern apps from traditional PC users, the Windows Store quickly became ignored by major developers and overrun by junk. Microsoft just recently started cleaning up the mess.
Windows 9 will represent a second chance, as Microsoft makes a greater push for Windows Store apps on the desktop. Users will be able to run these apps in windowed or full screen modes, and they'll have icons along the taskbar just like any other program. And unlike legacy desktop software, Windows Store apps can take advantage of new features such as the Share charm, Snap view, easier high-definition display support, and rich notifications. The store also provides a safe, centralized location where users can download and update their software.
Bringing Windows Store apps to the desktop introduces some challenges. Laptop and desktop users have different needs than phone and tablet users, and Microsoft may need to change the way it curates the store for each group. But if the huge base of traditional PC users takes a liking to these apps, it could make the store more vibrant for everyone, and finally help Windows software move into the modern era.
More bells and whistles, of course
If Windows 9 were only about damage control, it wouldn't make a very compelling upgrade for satisfied Windows 7 users. So it's no surprise that Microsoft is throwing in some new features to get their attention.
A leaked look at the virtual desktop support being tested for Windows 9.
According to recent leaks, virtual desktops will be a major addition in Windows 9. Similar to the Workspaces feature in Ubuntu Linux, users will be able to spread their work across multiple desktops, freeing them from clutter when moving between tasks. Virtual desktops should be controlled through a window icon on the left side of the taskbar, so users can switch between workspaces with a couple of clicks.
Windows Phone's digital assistant, Cortana, could be headed to Windows PCs and tablets.
Microsoft may also bring several features from Windows Phone over to the PC side, including the virtual assistant Cortana and a notification center that pops up from the right side of the desktop taskbar. Wi-Fi Sense and Storage Sense could also make the jump from Windows Phone, making it easier for users to get online and free up extra storage space.
A fresh start for “Windows”
So far, Microsoft hasn't given a proper name to the next version of Windows. Its codename is reportedly “Threshold,” and “Windows 9” is merely a placeholder name that pundits and the press have been using.
But there's a theory, pushed mainly by The Verge's Tom Warren, that Microsoft will simply go with the name “Windows.” The idea is that Windows 9 isn't just another upgrade, but the end of the Windows upgrade cycle as we know it. Instead of delivering major paid upgrades every two or three years, Microsoft could switch to a long lifespan of free updates, following the lead of iOS, Mac OS X, Android and Chrome OS.
While switching to this model might make a small dent in Windows licensing revenue, it would prevent future XPocalypse-type situations, and create a less fragmented ecosystem for Microsoft to build from. ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley has even floated the possibility of free upgrades for Windows 7 users—an idea that makes a lot of sense in an era where free OS upgrades have become commonplace. The long-term health of the platform could be worth the short-term revenue loss.
At the very least, there are signs that Microsoft wants to simplify its branding. The latest Windows Phone from HTC is officially called the HTC One (M8) with Windows, and all the recent leaks have contained the words “Windows Technical Preview” on the desktop. Microsoft has also started phasing out the Nokia brand name and will reportedly ditch the “Windows Phone” brand entirely.
With a new CEO and new mantra, it's clear that Microsoft is looking to wipe the slate clean. Don't be surprised if the name and the business model attempt to break Microsoft from its past, even as the product itself brings back much of what traditional PC users have been waiting for.
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Windows 9 Leaked Screens Revealing Known Unknowns
Windows 9 is dropping its veil. Most recently, two German computing sites, ComputerBase and WinFuture, released what looked like a leaked build of a Windows Threshold Enterprise Tech Preview – or Windows 9 to you and I. If confirmed, the screenshots give an unprecedented insight into what we might expect from the latest iteration of Windows before its official 30th September preview date. Here’s the long awaited new operating system smell we are all so fond of.
The New Start Menu Looks Great
We heard way back in April that the much beloved Start menu would be returning, now updated as fully Windows ecosystem integrated search feature, serving results from your personal indexed locations and the Windows App store, offering comprehensive search functionality in a familiar location – more on this later.
The new look Start menu appears to be fully interactive, allowing for resizing, relocation and reconfiguration of each tile as part of a fully customisable experience, porting the sometimes frustrating and seemingly endlessly scrolling Windows 8 Start menu interface into a bite size, functional work tool.
New Icons Are Nice, Too.
The leaked screens indicate a smattering of new icons across both the traditional desktop and the modern interface experience formerly known as ‘Metro,’ providing updates on the UI style established with the release of Windows 8 and now found across the Windows digital and mobile spectrum. This is part of a wider shift in the focus of Windows toward expansion of their mobile and tablet sales through desktop and mobile integration, similar to the continued merging of all Apple products: one UI, one cloud, a united vision for integration.
Cortana Meets Your Desktop
Two of the most exciting aspects of Windows 9 will be virtual desktop support and the introduction of the brilliant Cortana to our home screens. Given Windows previous commitments to its virtual assistant Cortana, it seems likely she will appear in some format (Paperclip, anyone?!), most likely as a wholly unified aspect of the search function whose icon you will note nestled next to the Start menu, essentially making the taskbar her domicile.
Virtual Desktops Look Promising
The second interesting leak development has been virtual desktops. Windows 9 offers the chance to create distinct workspaces on the fly that will presumably – as part of the wider networking and integration efforts being undertaken throughout the company – come with or work well with a wider network sharing tool for community/office/social online workspaces. On a more basic level, simply having a desktop configuration for home, work and play could prove handy for those looking for more.
Particularly interesting and of massive productivity potential is the popup overlays for each desktop, allowing an interactive insight into each virtual workspace. No more endless scrolling through open windows via ALT+TAB, only to miss your scheduled stop. A potential nightmare for employers, however, with employees cycling through from Excel to their office game of OpenTTD and back again.
How, What and Why: Microsoft Are Evolving
Productivity and integration seem to be central to the ‘new’ Windows ethos. The introduction of Satya Nadella as Microsoft’s CEO has promoted a company-wide unification message, clearly enacting a vision of a merged, integrated future for all Windows desktop, mobile and Xbox devices. Productivity is key to the success of Nadella’s future and indeed, the continued future of Windows 9. Shifting quickly between screens, integrated desk applications and wider Windows device support all point to a serious Microsoft, pushing to and beginning to truly understand their role in the contemporary digital market.
It seems that Windows 9 will be provided to officially licensed users as a free upgrade (or for $20, where applicable) and potentially to new users also. In recognition of our social mobile concentrated society and the shifting demographics of desktop users, updates are likely to come in smaller, more frequent packages to enable continued development – though according to Microsoft coverage savant, Mary Jo Foley, there is another, more consumer focused preview (see Windows 9 running on ARM processors) on its way to establish what has been built with tablet and mobile users in mind.
So, was Windows 8 the new Vista? Probably. Will Windows 9 be the new 7? Hopefully!
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More Windows 9 Details Leak, And It Sounds Like Microsoft Is Slowly Gutting Windows 8
- Aug. 7, 2014, 1:54 PM
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ScreenshotMicrosoft CEO Satya Nadella.We've been hearing about the big changes that may come with the next version of Windows, presumably called "Windows 9," for months.
But now, a new report claims Microsoft will cut one of Windows 8's most notable features from its future operating system.
The Charms sidebar may be excluded from Windows 9, according to Winbeta and ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, who has an excellent track record when it comes to breaking Microsoft news.
The Charms menu is a sidebar that offers shortcuts to certain functions within the operating system, such as the search bar, the Settings menu, and the Devices page, among others. It's one of the primary means of navigating Microsoft's software.
Instead, the company will supposedly include some of these buttons in title bars for Windows' "Metro-style" apps. It's unclear whether this will be the case for all versions of Windows (including tablets, PCs, and hybrids), or just for mobile devices. Winbeta says this will apply to desktops only, while Foley says the Charms bar will disappear from all Windows iterations.
Microsoft is also expected to add support for virtual desktops in Windows 9, according to Foley. This would allow a user to store his or her website on a server rather than locally on the device, meaning it can be accessed anytime from another computer as well.
As Foley notes, it's unclear whether this functionality will be available as part of the main "Threshold" release or if it will be an extra feature for which users need to pay.
These changes, combined with previous rumors, make it seem as if Microsoft is reverting back to a more basic user interface for Windows. Axing the Charms sidebar and bringing back the Start menu would already dramatically change the way users interact with Windows. Microsoft is also expected to allow "Metro-style apps" to run in separate windows on the desktop, just like traditional apps.
When Windows 8 initially launched in 2012, it was met with widespread criticism mostly because of its steep learning curve. It wouldn't be surprising to see Microsoft tone things down while still trying to maintain the aspects of Windows 8 that work well on devices with touch screens.
We may be only a few months away from getting our first peek at Windows 9. Foley says a public preview could arrive in fall 2014, although the final build isn't expected to launch until spring 2015.
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Permalink Reply by crestofwaves on
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I don't understand one word of that article, but it's OK. I know about other stuff. :).
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well as i said before , i understand what microsoft is tryin to do .. they want it all .. have their cake and eat it too .. they want to keep the peeps they have now who won't part with their desktops .. ( that would be me ) but they want to move into the phone biz cause thats where the most growth is .. problem is they both require different things .. so they'll continue to try to mashup the two systems .. if they don't get it right this time tho i predict they'll eventually abandon that goal and just make two systems .. windows for your phone ( which they'll probably call somethin else ) and windows for your desktop or laptop .. my big question is this , how many devices will become obsolete because of the upgrade ?? such as printers and scanners ?? or software that won't run on the new windows ?? grrrrr.. thats the thing that chaps my ass all the time .. you end up with all these new software programs that take you weeks to get the hang of and sort of work ( on some level ) like the old software , new devices that also don't work the same so you have to figure them all out .. grrrrr.. i look at all these shitheads that lineup for days at a time to get the new iphone 6 and the damm thing is fulla bugs .. what was so bad about the old iphone 5 ?? or iphone 4 ?? and these things ain't cheep .. its like they're tryin to drive the freakin economy by gettin us to buy new phones and laptops and printers and scanners every couple of years or less .. and the device makers absolutely don't wanna give you an upgrade patch to run your older devices .. oh shit no .. they wanna sell you a new printer or scanner .. last time i bought a printer scanner all in one thinkin that would be a good option ?? WRONG .. WRONG .. WRONG.. i got a cannon and the printer is givin me some kinda error .. no problem i have an hp printer and i'll just use the cannon for a scanner right ?? WRONG .. WRONG .. WRONG.. because the printer won't work there's no way to use the scanner .. grrrrrrrrr........ok i'm done ventin .. i now return this post back to you good people . or .. you could bitch about all this updatin and operatin system stuff that makes you crazy ..
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"its like they're tryin to drive the freakin economy by gettin us to buy new phones and laptops and printers and scanners every couple of years or less"
By Jove! I think he's got it!
in xp and other windows operating systems, there have been what they call legacy drivers and a subset program that would allow you to activate it and run programs and devices that predated the OS from wayback. i'm not sure if 7 or 8 have this now. since most people don't know about it, they often end up with new peripherals as well as a new computer
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