What Microsoft should have done

We ear a lot of complain about Windows 8, especially the integration of the Start Page, but here what I tough will have bring more money to Microsoft:

Instead of bring a tablet OS to the Desktop, they should have bring the tablet to the desktop:

1- If you look at the Xbox SmartGlass, it allow you from a tablet or pc to control the Xbox
2- With an Android tablet you can text using your Android phone as connecting device

So why don't Microsoft is not using a tablet to :
1- run Metro Apps
2- control some apps running on the PC ( kind of Remote Desktop)

Simple; use the Tablet as a Desktop extension and do not force desktop users to use a tablet OS , I can even see someone docking the tablet on the PC to use it as touch monitor for some desktop apps ( like paint or hand writing)


1- Metro Apps on the PC ; Optional and charge for it ( xtra money here, especially since they charge only $ 40 for an upgrade)
2- Better Integration between the Tablet and the PC
3- Way more storage

If they have done this route a lot of peoples ( including me ) will purchase tablets just because it give more option to our PC and other peoples will still be able to use this tablet with Metro apps on it, no need for desktop on a tablet.

Simple, get the Start Page out of my PC, allow me to use a tablet for it, more options less hassle

I hope it's clear in my poor English

 

[R0bR]

You see people posting up how they like the little squares, etc. They do not see what is going on - therefore they are easily led.

So what you are saying is that millions of users that use cloud services and download apps on their iPhones, iPads, Android tablets and phones, Windows Phones suddenly get stupid when they are mesmerized by the live tiles of Windows 8? All of a sudden they don't realize that what they are about to do is exactly the same thing they do everywhere else? Wow...some logic there.

 

[DustSailor]

^ Hold up mate, I don't think he was saying people get stupid when they use the cloud; he was talking about the people who are not interested in using the cloud. He is saying they are slowly being led into it, unknowingly.

I don't like being led somewhere I don't want to go. Some people don't like the cloud, including me.

 

[area 66]

I don't like being led somewhere I don't want to go. Some people don't like the cloud, including me.

I agree but one day you may be facing only the cloud option as no one will build pc anymore, IF Google and Microsoft succeed no manufacturers will be left to build the parts we need to build a PC.

 

[R0bR]

^ Hold up mate, I don't think he was saying people get stupid when they use the cloud; he was talking about the people who are not interested in using the cloud. He is saying they are slowly being led into it, unknowingly.

I don't like being led somewhere I don't want to go. Some people don't like the cloud, including me.

I'll break some news to you...If you ever used AOL in the day, you were in the cloud. If you do online banking, you were in the cloud. If you use Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo mail etc, you are in the cloud. If you bought any Apps on your iPhone, Android or WP, you are in the cloud. If you use debit cards or credit cards to buy anything, you're in the cloud. Cloud services are everywhere and have been for a number of years, it didn't just start with Windows 8.

It's one thing to raise valid points and concerns about "the cloud" in it's even more widening use across ALL technologies, but to consistently repeat about it as a main issue with Windows 8 and Microsoft is ignorance.

 

[Coke Robot]

So, you're idea is to buy a separate tablet to control your desktop (or laptop) to skip over the metro Start Screen aspect of things, but put the Start Screen aspect on the separate tablet?

I don't know if that does benefit the consumer, it sounds like more benefit to OEMs than anything. I already have a Windows Phone, and I can just it as a remote control for my Windows 8 desktop PC. I don't totally get the concept, as it sounds a bit costly...

Me personally, I like having some tablet functionality on my desktop. If I can play PlayStation 2 games without having to buy a PS2 and use a free emulator, why can't my PC have the same apps as my phone or apps built better for Windows? Why can't my PC, that has gone though years of being a machine strictly for work and office purposes, to internet purposes, to multimedia management, to incredible gaming experiences, and even being used to test the limits of hardware; not even be able to run a simple app that my phone does?

I don't like having to use my four inch Windows Phone to browse a few apps that are better suited for navigation (and less adverting) in front of my desktop. I like using a large screen, a full sized keyboard, and even a touch mouse to navigate through content. And when I need to use the Desktop for some real work, it's right there! I want to take advantage of the device that I am currently using in full, and not have to outsource some tasks and content to other devices just because that's "right."

And by the way, we've been in the cloud since email. Raising concerns about the cloud storage and failing to realize that personal emails and other sensitive content has been out of your hands and reach for a LONG time now is a fairly rash thing to do if I should say so...

 

[SIW2]

LOL RobR the rude and Cokie the joker. Fine pair of advocates there.

 

[Colonel Travis]

And by the way, we've been in the cloud since email. Raising concerns about the cloud storage and failing to realize that personal emails and other sensitive content has been out of your hands and reach for a LONG time now is a fairly rash thing to do if I should say so...

Nah, you're not fully thinking about this. Who's got their own email server? Who actually wants that? The big concerns with cloud aren't related to email. It's - do I get to have my own copy of an OS or Office or any program? Am I gonna have to keep all my files on the cloud? Gee, The Cloud is down, can't do anything because all my crap is on The Cloud. What happens to your data if your cloud service is cancelled or they go out of business or you want to move to another cloud? Do you trust The Cloud People not manipulating your data? Do you trust your data is secure from non-Cloudies?

 

[SIW2]

Folk pay hundreds of dollars a month for their TV service. They pay a monthly fee for their smartphone. No reason why they can't be cajoled into doing the same for the use of the os. One way to do that is to get them to cough up for the online services they have been led into. They probably didn't know where it was headed when they started getting a few apps. doing the synchronise thing - storing stuff up there - then gradually, it is quite hard to unravel all that. So you pay. After a while , you sort of forget what it was like before - you just think it has to be like that.

It becomes uneconomic to manufacture pc parts in large numbers - software makers can't afford to keep catering to the few who still want control of their own stuff on their own pc .

Area 66
...one day you may be facing only the cloud option as no one will build pc anymore, IF Google and Microsoft succeed no manufacturers will be left to build the parts we need to build a PC.

 

[Coke Robot]

And by the way, we've been in the cloud since email. Raising concerns about the cloud storage and failing to realize that personal emails and other sensitive content has been out of your hands and reach for a LONG time now is a fairly rash thing to do if I should say so...

Nah, you're not fully thinking about this. Who's got their own email server? Who actually wants that? The big concerns with cloud aren't related to email. It's - do I get to have my own copy of an OS or Office or any program? Am I gonna have to keep all my files on the cloud? Gee, The Cloud is down, can't do anything because all my crap is on The Cloud. What happens to your data if your cloud service is cancelled or they go out of business or you want to move to another cloud? Do you trust The Cloud People not manipulating your data? Do you trust your data is secure from non-Cloudies?

Those are legitimate concerns. But the idea of cloud computing is something still far out from now, until EVERY single household, or at least a vast majority of them, have wireless high speed internet; that just won't happen. Having to store files on a cloud server is much like store files on physical media. Do I have the latest copy of this file on my flash drive? Where is my flash drive? Someone stole my flash drive! I backed up my files onto my external drive, but it doesn't work anymore. My PC's hard drive died and everything I had was lost. Can't do crap.

It really becomes more of a question of WHO you can trust for cloud storage. I don't trust google as they've already shown that they can go through your email to advertise specifically to you. As for SkyDrive, that's yet to be seen. And as for others, could be questionable if the government stakes their claim that they own anything on cloud storage. Then again, they could claim that they own your PC....

 

[Colonel Travis]

I'm not totally against this stuff, Cokie. The idea of using the cloud as a backup I think is a great idea. But your own media = your responsibility. Leaving it up to Cloudies makes you 100% dependent on them. Not a fan of that. Thing is, with all these teenie tiny devices there's going to be a lot more Cloudies handling your stuff. I don't know what you can do to change that. Can't think of anything off the top of my head. Might be screwed. Oh well.

 

[area 66]

If you have so much problem with your data Coke, may be it's time you install something like WHS 2011, it back up twice a day your stuff, restore a PC with a HD failure is a walk in the park with WHS 2011, put a new drive, a cd and you let the server do the rest.

 

[DustSailor]

^ Hold up mate, I don't think he was saying people get stupid when they use the cloud; he was talking about the people who are not interested in using the cloud. He is saying they are slowly being led into it, unknowingly.

I don't like being led somewhere I don't want to go. Some people don't like the cloud, including me.

I'll break some news to you...If you ever used AOL in the day, you were in the cloud. If you do online banking, you were in the cloud. If you use Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo mail etc, you are in the cloud. If you bought any Apps on your iPhone, Android or WP, you are in the cloud. If you use debit cards or credit cards to buy anything, you're in the cloud. Cloud services are everywhere and have been for a number of years, it didn't just start with Windows 8.

It's one thing to raise valid points and concerns about "the cloud" in it's even more widening use across ALL technologies, but to consistently repeat about it as a main issue with Windows 8 and Microsoft is ignorance.

Only ever used online banking, Hotmail, and debit/credit cards, none of the others. Any fault on my bank's end, and I am reimbursed. Any criminal activity on my account, I call in and stop it, and am reimbursed. Hotmail isn't used for anything that my identity would depend upon, etc.

The point is, these services have weaknesses. People hack into banks all the time. Same with Hotmail. Why would I want more of this?

Not only that, but as was mentioned, sometimes the internet goes out. I can't do half the things I would like. If I had a cloud computer, I'm screwed. Top it off with my ISP sucks eggs, so this is frequent. Do you think adding more bandwidth-consuming people to the cloud will slow this trend? nuh-uh. It would just make my ISP have to respond to more demand. Can they meet that demand? It doesn't look like it from where I'm sitting.

If it can be helped, I would prefer not being led more into the cloud. I could care less about how it is spreading to more and more technology and I should 'get with the times', etc. I can only hope one such as you can see my points as "valid" now. Security and connectivity. What more can you want? What is the harm in keeping things local? HDDs are inexpensive and DON'T cost a monthly fee. Hell yea! My only concern is people like you pushing this cloud tech along somewhere I don't want to go.

Sorry that I didn't feel the need to post my 'reasons' before. I thought they were already out there

PS just as a cloud-based server backs up your data, so can I at home, cloudless

 

[lehnerus2000]

The "Cloud"

Isn't the power still out in New Jersey?
So if you live in Nevada and your "Cloud" provider is in, or managed from (let's say) New Jersey you would be SOOL.

 

[area 66]

Look what happen to Go Daddy in September, Anonymous claim it, but CEO said it was an Internal problem, in both case it's not acceptable, it was supposed to be 99.99% reliable, this is only 5 minutes down a year not 6 hours. If you are a home users this is not a big deal, but if you run a pharmacy and you customers files are on the cloud , you are in deep $h....t at least here in Quebec as the government pay a large part of the medicine, no files no free pills, no prescription on files, no pills

 

[Chrono]

Don't get what the fuss is about. The Desktop is practically identical to 7's. The Start screen can be avoided 99% of the time after some customization. Looking for installed applications is easy.

Just sounds like some conspiracy theorists in this thread to me. MS isn't going to get you. Even if MS gets out of hand, Linux will always be there. There is an out if you want one.

 

[SIW2]

Kind of proves the point.

I fear a lot of people won't get it, even after it has been explained.

 

[Chrono]

Yes, Marketing. Desensitizing us to the point where we won't mind using whatever new things they decide to change in future iterations. Meh, if there's something I really dislike, I'll find a way to disable it. If there is no way, I'll switch back or use Linux. It's not a huge deal. Windows 8 performs better than 7, even without an internet connection and you just want to play games/type up documents/whatever. Apps can be completely disabled and unused 100% of the time. You can just clear that start screen up and just use the All Apps menu if it sucks so bad (or classic shell).

Yes, basic consumers won't likely do those things and just change with the times. Mind explaining how this is so horrible?

 

[R0bR]

My only concern is people like you pushing this cloud tech along somewhere I don't want to go.

Me? Pushing cloud services? LOL. If you read back you'll see that I was responding to SIW2's comment and you jumped in and responded. I wasn't pushing anything, I was just telling you that you've been using them for years. I just don't see how you're being led to using cloud services in Windows 8 just because it facilitates connecting to those services that already exist. You have the choice whether or not you want to use them.

 

[area 66]

I use Email for years, but what MS is dreaming is to rent us service; OS, Apps and Storage will be all on their Servers, they will sell or rent a Cloud terminal without the possibility for us to install anything else than their stuff, this is the CLOUD we are talking about and this is the CLOUD we don't want. They already start with the Metro apps, only available from them , and they get a 25% from it, if it get popular and they have the big share of the market they will get 30, 40 5%, they will not stop.

Just look at the new BIOS they use the BIOS to activate Windows 8 , at first MS want more, they want the company use a BIOS to not only look pirated Windows to run, but any other thing than Windows, at first they want manufacturers to remove us the possibility to install Linux, and if the manufacturers will have not install those kind of BIOS well Windows will have not be available on such PC....good thing peoples complain and MS come back , of course they was afraid of an antitrust action from the US gov.

 

[Coke Robot]

Just look at the new BIOS they use the BIOS to activate Windows 8 , at first MS want more, they want the company use a BIOS to not only look pirated Windows to run, but any other thing than Windows, at first they want manufacturers to remove us the possibility to install Linux, and if the manufacturers will have not install those kind of BIOS well Windows will have not be available on such PC....good thing peoples complain and MS come back , of course they was afraid of an antitrust action from the US gov.

This is mostly due to the fact that the most common way to pirate Windows 7 was using a BIOS SLIC? hack that tricked Windows into thinking it was activated. That, along with Microsoft's surprisingly lenient attitude towards pirated copies of Windows 7 (mostly because as long as 7 was replacing an elder version of Windows, this must had been OK with them for the time being) that they don't want to carry out with 8. And I think the Linux issue with secure UEFI boot was solved a bit ago, I'm not sure though.