Desktop will stay - MS OS chief Myerson

Two good articles from Mary Jo. Interview with Terry Myerson, Microsoft's Executive Vice President of operating systems

Microsoft OS chief Myerson on the future of 'One Windows' | ZDNet

Microsoft OS chief Myerson talks turkey on transparency, cadence and cross platform | ZDNet

MYERSON: We actually value using the desktop. I feel highly productive using it. It's very familiar to me. We plan -- (as) we talked about at the Build conference -- to bring modern apps to the desktop. We are going to have machines that have a great desktop experience.

It (the desktop) is also not the right experience for a phone or a tablet. And so how the Windows experience spans these form factors and is familiar across them -- that's what we need to deliver if we're going to delight people in the whole ecosystem.

The desktop is part of our future. It's absolutely core to Windows.

Jim

 

[Fredledingue]

Tepid, I understand what you mean. One code for all devices is great but the world of windows softwares is so advanced that it's hard to imagine that non-windows softwares could be useful on a Widows OS. I don't there are many metro apps which are unique and doing what no windows software can do. IMO it's more useful to get smartphones windows-compatible than PC's smartphone cpompatible because you will rarely use a smartphone app on a PC.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there.

Disagree about non windows software on a Windows OS. All you need to do is front end the non windows app with links to the GUI -- that's done in Linux all the time -- for instance configuring SAMBA -- these days a simple "Shares" GUI can be started. The underlying code does all the bits you USED to have to do manually or via a shell script (like a windows Batch command).

I still though expect the RT project to be killed off very quickly now -- there doesn't seem any future in it whatsoever.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[CountMike]

Hi there.

Disagree about non windows software on a Windows OS. All you need to do is front end the non windows app with links to the GUI -- that's done in Linux all the time -- for instance configuring SAMBA -- these days a simple "Shares" GUI can be started. The underlying code does all the bits you USED to have to do manually or via a shell script (like a windows Batch command).

I still though expect the RT project to be killed off very quickly now -- there doesn't seem any future in it whatsoever.

Cheers
jimbo

RT is kind of "ba$tard" OS anyway, it's neither here nor there. Until tablets become as powerful like today's PC and are able to do what a medium desktop and laptop can, they better stay "one job devices".

 

[Tepid]

Tepid, I understand what you mean. One code for all devices is great but the world of windows softwares is so advanced that it's hard to imagine that non-windows softwares could be useful on a Widows OS. I don't there are many metro apps which are unique and doing what no windows software can do. IMO it's more useful to get smartphones windows-compatible than PC's smartphone cpompatible because you will rarely use a smartphone app on a PC.

That is somewhat true for now, that you will rarely use a Smartphone App on a PC.
But that is going to change.
BitTorrent Sync, if they would make a bit better and easier to use is one.
KeePass would be another. There are already several Apps that work with KeePass Databases.
Skype

Keep in mind, that all a SmartPhone App really is, is software with a GUI to fit the platform.
There is no reason (and MS are proving it) to not be able to run the same software across Laptop, Tablet, Desktop and Phone.
Apple and Google want you limited. MS are trying to break people out of that whole limited eco system.

Hi there.

Disagree about non windows software on a Windows OS. All you need to do is front end the non windows app with links to the GUI -- that's done in Linux all the time -- for instance configuring SAMBA -- these days a simple "Shares" GUI can be started. The underlying code does all the bits you USED to have to do manually or via a shell script (like a windows Batch command).

I still though expect the RT project to be killed off very quickly now -- there doesn't seem any future in it whatsoever.

Cheers
jimbo

RT is kind of "ba$tard" OS anyway, it's neither here nor there. Until tablets become as powerful like today's PC and are able to do what a medium desktop and laptop can, they better stay "one job devices".

RT I think should be dead, MS wanted to create a low end App-blet to really compete with iPad and Android.
But honestly, it's unnecessary.

As for Tablet's being as powerful as Desktop and Laptop. Your very misinformed.
While they don't have the GPU capabilities, every single thing else is there in a Surface Pro.
i5 and i7 CPU, up to 8G of Ram, Large SSD's, USB, MiniDisplay port, SDCard Slots.


Surface Pro (First Generation)

3rd generation Intel Core i5 Processor with Intel HD Graphics 4000;Windows 8 Pro
4GB Ram Dual Channel Memory; Screen: 10.6" ClearType HD Display, Resolution: 1920x1080, Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (widescreen), Touch: 10-point multi-touch
Two 720p HD cameras, front and rear-facing; Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0 low energy technology
128 GB (approximately 89 GB available for user content)
Full-size USB 3.0, microSDXC card reader, Headset jack, MiniDisplay port, Cover port; Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer

How is this not as powerful as most laptops or desktops?

Surface Pro 2 (Second Generation)
Intel® 4th Generation CoreTM i5
10.6" High-definition widescreen 10-point multitouch screen with ClearType technology (1920 x 1080)
128GB Storage Capacity, 4GB Memory
1 x USB 3.0, Mini Display Port Output, Touchscreen, Headphone Jack, MicroSDXC card reader, Windows 8.1 Pro
Full-size USB 3.0, microSDXC card reader, Headset jack, MiniDisplay port, Cover port; Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer

I do not know specifically which CPU this is, but if I recall it has the Intel 4400 HD Graphics.

Just do the research, most people are not getting i7 CPU's with Nvidia graphics cards in their laptops
Those are enthusiasts and some average joes, but not many.
So, most people are running laptops with that very exact setup.

So, while Apple and Android are not as powerful, Surface Pro's are.

As for the Surface Pro 3, I am assuming it will have either the Intel 4600 or 5000 HD Graphics for the i5 and i7,
the i3 will probably have the 4000 HD Graphics.

 

[CountMike]

I tried Android for x86 PC and although I don't have a touch screen everything worked, at least those few applications i tried. That's an example how it can work at least one way. Now IF, and I said IF before, an smartphone (or tablet) could be made to be at least close to PC those could be fused as far as OS and applications are concerned and same programs could be used for all devices. Unfortunately, lows of physics interfere for now and that would not be possible for awhile.

 

[Tepid]

Not entirely true, if that were the case, We would not have Word, OneNote and Excel on the WP.
The only thing that reduces their functionality is not the hardware, the Hardware is plenty to drive them
it's the size of the interface.

So, while you may not get the full experience, right now, or possibly never, this is a screen size limitation.
That will always exist. But that doesn't make those apps useless either.

What is coming is the ability to use these same apps across devices, with companies using Azure as a means to sync the data
across them all. This is a positive thing.

This means, you could have a really good experience with Quicken across all your Windows Devices.
And they can get updates and fixes out quicker across all those devices, instead of
"Well, we fixed issue A for the desktop, it'll be another week or 2 or 4 to get the Phone Apps updated."

So, in essence,, you will have all your Windows Devices updated and fixed while iPhone and Androids wait.

Tell me how this is a bad thing?


BTW, Ubuntu is already attempting to merge the Phone with a full blown Desktop experience.
It's actually a pretty dang cool idea, but I don't think they can pull it off.
The real reason is the Linux Community themselves, they have no direction and no leadership
They are fragmented and that destroys them.

Becoming Unified could go a long way for Linux, but they are too elitist.
They can't work together.

 

[Oak]

Not entirely true, if that were the case, We would not have Word, OneNote and Excel on the WP.
The only thing that reduces their functionality is not the hardware, the Hardware is plenty to drive them
it's the size of the interface.

So, while you may not get the full experience, right now, or possibly never, this is a screen size limitation.
That will always exist. But that doesn't make those apps useless either.

What is coming is the ability to use these same apps across devices, with companies using Azure as a means to sync the data
across them all. This is a positive thing.

This means, you could have a really good experience with Quicken across all your Windows Devices.
And they can get updates and fixes out quicker across all those devices, instead of
"Well, we fixed issue A for the desktop, it'll be another week or 2 or 4 to get the Phone Apps updated."

So, in essence,, you will have all your Windows Devices updated and fixed while iPhone and Androids wait.

Tell me how this is a bad thing?


BTW, Ubuntu is already attempting to merge the Phone with a full blown Desktop experience.
It's actually a pretty dang cool idea, but I don't think they can pull it off.
The real reason is the Linux Community themselves, they have no direction and no leadership
They are fragmented and that destroys them.

Becoming Unified could go a long way for Linux, but they are too elitist.
They can't work together.

The irony of all that is Ubuntu means unity.

a quality that includes the essential human virtues; compassion and humanity.

 

[Tepid]

Does anyone realize just how powerful the Linux environment really is? It truly is. If the whole of the Linux community could get behind one flavor of Linux, it could be a dangerous thing to both Apple and Microsoft.

It had been what, 2 years at least since the announcement of the Ubuntu phone? Who's going to back a fragmented loser of a community? It's a loser investment.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Does anyone realize just how powerful the Linux environment really is? It truly is. If the whole of the Linux community could get behind one flavor of Linux, it could be a dangerous thing to both Apple and Microsoft.

That might be possible if the "unified" distro supported ALL of the other distro's commands, features and functions.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there.

Discussing Linux on a Windows Forum *could* be considered risky -- however the UBUNTU experience shows what happens when a corporate player muscles in on the Open source crowd. Fortunately SUSE / Novell and Red Hat both support their distros (Opensuse and Fedora) without getting away from the ethos of the whole open source idea and shows why UBUNTU is beginning to lose users in droves. Debian is another distro totally committed to the idea as well as Linux Mint - although Mint while very popular might get probems due to the UBUNTU / CANONICAL tie up and with the relatively unpopular UNITY interface.

The "UBUNTU" based distros including DEBIAN (unfortunately) might go through periods of uncertainty because of the UBUNTU / CANONICAL thing - especially as these distros tend to use Ubuntu "repositories" (for non Linux users these are places from which you install software packages and applications). The Debian crowd however are working on a solution to this so I'm sure this distro will still be around in years to come.

For desktop OS'es to be used in a workplace only Windows really can supply the stability and consistency required. Linux desktop distros are absolutely 100% OK for individual users but the variety of them make it impossible for these to be supported in any sensible manner by corporate I.T support -- a lot of which is now off shored anyway. (Servers are another issue -- REDHAT and S.U.S.E supply large numbers of very capable servers and for this purpose Linux still is the system of choice).

However underneath all that the Linux kernel is built in such a way that the CORE of the system can be used with almost any GUI you want to throw at it - hence KDE/GNOME/LXDE etc etc. For Linux the GUI is a "bolt on" or after thought.

The Linux kernel does have fairly consistent commands across distros however so at the Command level it IS OK whatever distro you are using.

Windows is built differently - for the users it's THE GUI - what happens underneath isn't their concern so long as the interface works. Users just want to install something and want it to just work. - I can't imagine Windows users compiling "kernels" or installing applications from Source even though this makes for an incredibly powerful and useful system. Most Windows users probably have only ever used the command line about once !!! (excluding people on these Forums of course) - and there are probably those out there who didn't even know WINDOWS HAD a command line.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[CountMike]

Windows is built differently - for the users it's THE GUI - what happens underneath isn't their concern so long as the interface works. Users just want to install something and want it to just work. - I can't imagine Windows users compiling "kernels" or installing applications from Source even though this makes for an incredibly powerful and useful system. Most Windows users probably have only ever used the command line about once !!! (excluding people on these Forums of course) - and there are probably those out there who didn't even know WINDOWS HAD a command line.

That's just it, "normal" PC users see the GUI and that's all there is for them. They want to turn PC on, start whatever programs they want to use and get the heck out of there. Linux (most distros and flavors) are more for a "nitty-gritty" ones and with some knowledge can be almost infinitely tinkered with.