Windows 10: Win 10 Tech Preview is interesting but not compelling

I change themes with the seasons and holidays. *Wink I installed that utility and I like what I see so I'm happy. *Biggrin

 

How is that Aero? There is no transparency. I don't see a difference, do you?

 

I suspect that MS would like W8 series users to upgrade but that isn't the main priority.
The W8 series has a tiny market share compared to W7; even XP has about double the market share (according to NetMarketShare).

If the figures are to be believed, the W8 series actually lost market share last month.



They are trying to make W10 appealing to XP and W7 users, so that they will upgrade.

That said, aren't the touchscreen changes supposed to appear in an upcoming preview?

 

Finally someone who gets it here! Windows 8 is a huge failure! Why it sucked as far as user experience for a PC, what most of use in at work.

There were a ton of articles saying that by 2015 most laptops would be replaced by Tablets back in 2011 and 2012............ Well its the last quarter of 2014 and I still see people wanting laptops.

MS was thinking "Ahead" in 8 that we would all be using tablets really soon and not PC's. It failed, the people fortune telling the future failed. I will never replace my Laptop with a tablet, I have used android and Apple tablets and typing document is PAINFUL, photo editing limited, and games limited. LOL Try building a web site site with a tablet LOL

Just the way the Tech Preview installs and you are greeted with a Desktop and a start button with menu is the way to go and everyone I have talked to at Scout Base in MS this weekend who has tried the Tech Preview loves it. This is both Win 7 and win 8 users.

Honestly I'm tired of tech writers making excuses for 8 haters as they do not like change, its not the changes its the usability of of the OS, 10 is better than 8 so far

 

Hi there

Not wishing to decry the previous poster but a whole slew of us said exactly the same thing - W10's primary target are desktop W7 and XP users (or even VISTA if there are any left). It's fairly obvious since as far as Touch is concerned the W10 tech preview still has a lot missing which we know will be completed before final roll out.

W10 quite clearly shows that W7 / XP users can carry on using their computers just like they've always done -- and for businesses this is a 100% requirement. Particularly at the present time businesses don't want to spend a lot of unnecessary time and money training users over again on how to use their machines.

W10 is actually what W8 SHOULD have been - many people have commented on that already.

The most REDICULOUS thing I ever saw on a computer though was W2008 SERVER - with the original W8 tiles - if you enabled desktop effects on it it would look just like a W8 desktop (original W8 not W8.1 where you could boot to desktop).

Now whoever thought that a SERVER would benefit by having a MOBILE PHONE interface - well I'm not going to ask. !!!

Cheers
jimbo

 

Therein lies the problem Jimbo. If businesses perceive W10 to be really pretty much the same as XP/7 then again, there is no incentive to upgrade. The only way to force their hand is to make sure W7 support doesn't carry on in the way it did for XP.

 

MS had to extend support for XP, because businesses "spat the dummy" over Vista, and refused to move.
MS couldn't risk provoking a mass defection from Windows.
Currently businesses don't seem to be moving to the W8 series.

MS' mission is to convince businesses that there won't be any shocks if they update to W10.
To help achieve this, MS has to convince IT Administrators that it has listened (and is listening) to their concerns.
If the IT Administrators like it, that is going to go a long way towards generating demand for W10.

The reason for businesses to swap to W10 is as jimbo45 said:

• Minimum expense (minimal retraining, lost productivity, etc.)
• Maximum MS support duration
• Hardware may not need to be upgraded at all (since W10 seems to use fewer resources than W7)
• Includes Security fixes (and design changes) created as a result of W7 & the W8 series
• It probably also has support for new technology standards (wireless, monitors, etc.)

Based on how well this current preview works, IT sections will probably recommend upgrading to W10 (once they have completed their own internal testing).

OTOH, if in-house testing reveals that it will break special business software, MS could be in trouble.

 

Hi there

One important consideration for businesses moving to W10 is that also as well as "Desk top Friendly" it will also be Touch compatible which means that people out in the field for example Utility Meter readers will be able to use a Windows portable device instead of having to use a separate one. This same device could then be used back in the office for their admin tasks (time sheets, work orders etc etc). They wouldn't need say an Ipad type device AND a windows laptop / desktop. ONE device would do.

Another important part of Windows 10 in the business environment will be having Wi-Fi enabled SCREENS -- I've already found this incredibly useful at meetings instead of having to do it the old way of plugging in a laptop to the huge monitor in a conference or meeting room. (I use the SP3 for this when giving presentations - and Touch is actually useful too).

Cheers
jimbo

 

Yes Microsoft, like Apple, did not listen to what people wanted but developed something they want to tell people they want. It works for Apple because they have not lost that "Simple" easy to use aspect of the IOS.

Microsoft thinks that is what they made with WIN 8, the infamous "Get on and get off" commercials with the Win 8 phone, that it was simple, MS developers thought that they had what Apple had, simple and easy to use just what people want........ This was backed up by the Mojave experiment........ It failed.

Beta testers, and real people is where this should happen. Microsoft for the first time in a long time should make sure Win 10 is tested with 10 year olds, 15 year olds, 20 year olds, 30 year olds up to 70 year olds.

Real people, real life, and read the comments and listen. Develop a real "Peoples OS". I saw Win 7 as the best OS, better than Apple when I tested it and it came out.

What Makes Windows the "Peoples OS" is that it can be used with the most software out there, it can be modded and adapted. It is not Apple.

For those who say 10 is 8.1 so what is the difference? Mind set, yes the start button is window dressing but it is a fact the average user does not want to add on a program to use the OS, they want the OS to be easy out of the BOX. 10 is Microsoft's last chance to win back who they lost with 8, who cares if its 8.1 reborn with new shell, was not 7 Vista reborn?

If 10 can be made easy to use with few bugs then it can win and MS can WIN

 

I agree, MS 10 must be above Apple Development, why? Because it can be. Then you will have to have tablets and laptops able to use these new cool features. If it can come together we will see a real competition for the Apple.

 

I'll start this post off assuming a few things:

1. After researching multiple sites for reference, there doesn't seem to be a clear number of desktop tower PCs ("WinTel/IBM compatible") let alone mobile devices there are worldwide. Nearest I can tell is approximately 1.5 billion desktop tower PCs. Then it's not clear if this includes laptops. Unless I missed it, NetMarketShare doesn't make it clear neither.

2. The "every other OS as popular" theory, which seems to shine through. Personally it seems to me that it's been fueled by bad press upon release of certain OSs. e.g. Vista, which since being a "resource hog" and "buggy" actually was a good OS when installed on a proper machine and MS worked out the bugs, although still a "resource hog".

3. Windows 8, while being planned during 7's development, then being developed by watching 7's stats upon its release actually turned out to be a marketing blunder. Remember that touch and snap was introduced in 7 and further developed in 8. 8 received a "bum rap" by the press because of the drastic change, particularly being more touch-centric with Start Screen vs. Start Menu. Hind sight tells us that 8.1 should have been 8. The configuration of booting to the desktop made all the difference in the world for a lot of users, but by that time the "8 series" had the bad reputation, therefore, a low number of sales of 8.1, although keeping in mind that the Start Menu wasn't included.

Admittedly W8 series doesn't have a large market share, but 12.26% of 1.5 billion units is still 184 million units. From a business standpoint they aren't losing money, but rather not making as much as predicted. Then again we need to look at how many 8.x mobile devices there are.

Of course they're going to target those that didn't upgrade, but I'm wondering why XP numbers, although dropping as time goes on, aren't switching to the "fantastic" 7 by now. Are they purchasing extended service? Can't afford to upgrade? To me that number remains high since W7 has been marketed for 5 years to date and XP support expired in early April.

Undoubtedly the numbers don't lie. Seems to me to be the "learning curve syndrome". The shock of it being so different, so people moving back to 7 and familiarity of the last 19 years since the introduction of W95 UI.

Looks to be that way since the return of the Start Menu and booting to the desktop out of the box.

Don't quite know what you mean here. Seems to me it's already present, although booting to the Start Screen needs to be unlocked.

 

That's all I get touch wise

When I launch an app via touch it just launches to the desktop, the same as if I use a mouse to click on it

Navigating the app is just as bad via touch, it is all desktop oriented

Not sure how much of this is because I am using it in a VM as I don't get edge swiping either, but for me the experience with touch is horid at the moment

I am hoping for a lot more of the 8 features returning

 

Hi there

Touch on a VM rather depends on the VM software you are using for running your VM. A lot of desktop Linuxes have decent Touch drivers. Don't forget also that Virtualisation as done in VMware tends to have its own drivers (VMware tools) and only a limited amount of "Pass thru" mainly with USB devices.

Using a proper VM HYPER-VISOR allowing the VM to acess the real hardware might make a difference but in any case Touch isn't fully implemented in W10 yet - certainly not on my HP touch laptop or even on the Surface Pro 3. Some limited functionality is there - but this release was rushed out for desktop users (or mainly "The Business Crowd"). See what happens in the next updates - Ms wants this OS on Touch and mobile devices too.

Cheers
jimbo

 

Some people hate W7 & the W8 series.

I thought I read that MS is promising some sort of improved touchscreen features (in an upcoming preview).

They've even gave it a fancy name, I can't remember it though (not Cortana). *Redface
Someone posted the name just recently on these forums.

 

Thanks for that

I am looking forward to further updates and seeing how they tie in the touch interface

As at the moment it seems very disjointed, as default it gave me the start screen, so it knows I have a touch device, but apart from that everything is desktop oriented