Windoze 8

The preview is up.

You need a Microsoft account, and you need to subscribe to the insider program or something.

I've done that and will download later today.

I downloaded de ISO files for the preview, and will install it over the weekend.

As of yet, I must say I'm surprised still Microsoft let up on the touch-centric idea and back-pedaled to a desktop-centric interface for the PC. Not because it is a good idea to do so, but because they seemed so pig-headed about the Windows 8 idea to begin with.

Back then, too, I predicted either they would go back to basics on the desktop, or the crash, when it came, would be spectacular. I was proved right on both counts, though the crash wasn't the massive train wreck I envisioned. After all, MS is a BIG company with other sources of revenue (and I hear Windows 7 still sells rather well).

All this said, and pending how the preview turns out, I'll quit bashing both Microsoft and Windows 8.

Of course, pending how the preview turns out, I will say this: Windows 10 is actually Windows 7.5, that is to say: it's what a development on Windows 7 should have been right from the start.

This meme, mostly reported as Win7.1, is already getting stale. The meme that Windows 10 is Windows 8 done right was old when it was new; it was "Windows 7 is Windows Vista done right."

Lastly, there was a joke article about MS withholding Windows 9 and jumping to Windows 10, but it wasn't in the Onion. it was on InfoWorld, published as an April Fool's joke.

The Windows 8.1 Preview is gone from the laptop.

Now to get a blank DVD and burn the ISO and see if the re-formatted partition's big enough for Windows 10.

Yeah, the DVD either didn't boot up right on the laptop, or I have bigger problems.

I'm leaning towards the DVD, because when I try to see the files Windows Explorer shows nothing. I tried reviving the old Vista desktop just to burn another one, but lo and behold the DVD/CD tray is stuck and won't open... (the new(ish) Win7 all-in-one has no optical drive, I thought we were beyond such things). Now I'm burning one at the office and we'll see what happens this evening.

Plan B was to try it in the old Vista desktop as its only OS, not in partition. But see above. Plan C is to put in a partition in the new(ish) Win7 PC, but for that I must have a sturdy image backup of my current HD, including in particular all the data. So that could take some days.

No bigger problems, the laptops burned the DVD wrong.

I installed it yesterday, discovered what may be a big problem, then shut down for the night. I'll try it more fully tonight.

I could go on and on (and on and on) about Windows 8 for weeks and weeks yet. But aside from maybe summarizing my observations on why and how it failed, purely for historical interest, it's really time to bury Windows 8. It's been rendered harmless now.

In fact, if 1) prices for Win8 PCs drop when Win10 is released, and 2) Win10 is offered as a free upgrade to Win8(.1)(Update) users, it might be a good deal to buy a Win8 PC at that time.

I'm not contemplating a new PC at all, my current one is less than one year old. I just thought I'd pass it along. As I understand it, the base code of WIn10 is pretty much Win8, with only the interface being massively different. Both should run well in the same PC.

This is how I pointedly ignore the recent news that the usage share of Windows 8(.1) has climbed past 15% and may surpass XP:

[snide comment about free upgrades removed]

On other new, Vista finally dropped below 3%

An Office App for Android will be out soon, likely in the first trimester of 2015. Naturally this is a touch-centric app. Testers are being sought.

It will be released before an Office touch-centric app for Windows. This one is due out in Spring 2015 along with Windows 10.

{Biting remark about Windows 8.((1)Update(1)) removed]

Two different reviews/panegyrics about WinAE (aka Win10) casually mentioned Win8.1 "brought back the start menu."

I expect this from the regular media, who know little past constructing a coherent sentence, and they probably use Macs anyway. But this is the tech press, made up largely of techies who even so know how to construct a coherent sentence. They use Windows machines, if only to review them, and should know better.

NO windows Hell (aka Win8(.1) (Update) EVER brought back the start menu. Not one of the three iterations. Absent Start8, classic Shell or any of a dozen others, there was no way to have a start menu in any type of Win8.

All Win 8.1 did was bring back the start button. And all it did was kick you unceremoniously into the Metro/Modern/Whatever screen.

At least the Win10 eye candy and many of the useless, superfluous features have them mesmerized enough, they no longer offer apologies for Win8(.1) (Update). We can be thankful for that much.

A few minutes ago I upgraded the desktop PC to WIn10. I expect I'll run it native for a few days before deciding to install Start10.