…(“geek” for Windows values of geekiness *heh*) this might interest you: Windows8 Developer Preview available for download.
I’ve not had a look at the different builds yet, but I may install a couple of VMs and see what they look like. Chris Pirillo says,
“Windows 8 may be the first version of Windows that would compel a hardcore Mac user to either switch hit or switch outright.”
That might mean that it will be a tad off-putting to me… *heh*
OK, it will install in a VirtualBox VM. I’ll see what I think as things go on, but for now, here’s some M$ propaganda:
Fortunately, the default interface, designed for tablets and other touch devices, can be ditched.
Not looking forward to when work adopts Win8. I cannot express in coherent terms how much I despise Win7. It’s not a “who moved my cheese” reaction to change, either. It’s that it treats me like I’m a 3 year old who needs bright icon interfaces to do anything on a computer. Maybe I’m just getting too “old doggy” for the intuitive stuff everything is moving towards (or is already at). It ain’t intuitive to me.
*heh* Win7 is the first Microsoft OS I’ve liked since Win 2K Pro. I coulddeal with Win 3.0 and 3.1, kinda liked 3.11WFWG; hated 95; found 98SE to be “OK” (98FE notsomuch); liked NT 4.0 somewhat, with allowances for its clunkiness; never saw the point of Windows Muppet Edition; really, really liked Win 2K Pro (and still run it in a VM); liked XP only for the revenueit generated by being such a piece of trash; never warmed at all to Server 2003/2008 (although some elements that found their way into Win7 were nice).
I guess I was finally ready for a decent Windows when 7 came along. No, I don’t like it that some things that I’d like to have tweaking access to are hidden by default and need to be uncovered, but not many people like to mess around with their OSes like I do.
I do like some of the Linux distros I work in better than any current Windows OS (I say that although I’ve not actually tried Windows Home Server 2010, yet. I have a licensed copy to install but need a new “Round Toit” *heh*)… for some things, though Win7 still has, hands down, the best implementation of media center computing I’ve seen–and I’ve looked at a LOT of ’em, including every single ‘nix implementation I’ve been able to lay my hands on.
All that said, I still have reservations about the new “Win8” paradigm. OK, if M$ has actually leaned Windows down, and if the classic desktop is still really available, and if backward application compatibility is really available, then I can see it on the third world county central network in some capacity, but… those are a lot of “ifs”.
Oh, and my complaint is probably less directed against Win7 the operating system as it is against Office 2007. Win7 just slows down my computer at work and makes things run like crap. Which I will readily admit might be due to sheer technical incompetence in the IT staff. 🙂
Office 2007? Hate it. I don’t like the interface in 2010, either, but I’ve been able to work with it easier than 2007.*
“Win7 just slows down my computer at work”?!? Amazing. The oldest computer I’ve installed Win7 on was my wife’s 5+ year old Toshiba Satellite that Toshiba said, “For heaven’s sake DO NOT INSTALL WINDOWS 7 ON THIS COMPUTER!!!”–or some such. Works fine. In fact, it works much, much better than XP did. Seriously.
“…might be due to sheer technical incompetence in the IT staff.” Ya think?
OK, here’s the deal. Toshiba was adamant that the “old” Satellite would NOT run Windows 7. Period. Dot.
Balderdash. OK, I spent an extra $50 to upgrade the memory. Sure, it’s just a 32-bit-capable computer, and the Win7 (Win7 Home Premium) I installed on it could only “see” 3GB, but… I tweaked the BIOS so that ONE GB of the FOUR I installed is allocated to VIDEO MEMORY on bootup. The other 3 is available to the OS, and Win7 is super happy with that, especially since it sees the 1GB reserved by the BIOS as video memory, separate from system memory.
Bob’s yer uncle. Snappy performance from an “old” single core notebook.
Knowing what the hardware is capable of and planning to get the best from it for the least money makes all the difference. And makes my Wonder Woman a happy camper.
(Really old hardware–often hardware that originally had WinXP or older installed OEM–more often benefits from a REAL OS refresh by having a lightweight ‘nix OS take the place of Windows–Linux or Unix.)
*Note: while I keep M$Office 2003, 2007 and 2010 around as reference software–installed on different physical and virtual machines–I prefer using LibreOffice as my default office suite for personal use, and I recommend it to folks regularly as an alternative to M$Office products.