Windows 8 preview video

[plugsnpixels]

Posted by Microsoft back in early June so I'm a little slow on the uptake, but here it is. Quite a radical departure from the usual windows and file menu GUI paradigm. The tablets invadeth!

What do you think? Way cool or a misguided attempt to excessively overshoot what Apple is doing with OSX Lion?

[lkroll]

Happy with 7 so doubt an upgrade is in my future any time soon plugs. Still consider tablets toys too (a PC guy all the way) and currently don't see myself ever using such a device for photo editing, but I'm subject to change.

[plugsnpixels]

Lyle, speaking of tablets, I read this article this morning. It appears tablet and other mobile device sales far exceed those for desktops and laptops.

It begs the question, where is technology heading? I assume there will always be a need for desktops due to their sheer size for making layouts, editing images, creating mobile content, etc. But mobile is a huge shift in the direction of computing. And thus the desktop is starting to reflect the mobile device.

I personally use both desktops and mobiles (up to 27" iMac or iPad, depending on where I am and what I'm doing). I am not one of those who has a phone glued to their hand though.

[lkroll]

I would probably have a pad too if I had a job, but have been keeping it on the cheap (last contract job was this past April; sucks to be me. lol). Well, maybe I wouldn't anyway. I have a laptop too that I never use (it's old with XP, but still every few months I power it up to get its updates before powering it off for a few months; lol), but my PC is used very often and i can't even imagine trying to do photo editing and digital art without it. I remember how hard it was to depart with my CRT to get a DELL 2209wa (no regrets at all, but still like CRTs better) but my CRT was starting to show it's age (8 years at that time). Anyway, though some aps are finally starting to become available for these devices (including a version of DAP), they are to me still rinkydink. Not even sure if there is an open source editor available for these devices (you know how, despite having CS5, that I'm a GIMP (w/ some Inkscape) guy. lol

[plugsnpixels]

I'm amazed most at the disparity of prices between desktop and mobile apps-! There are quite a lot of excellent photo apps for iPhone/iPad. This along with the mobility factor should prove an interesting trend in future technology choices.

[Kraellin]

that is quite a change over win7. it always surprises me a bit that a company like microsoft thinks they have to change everything when they put out a new major version of a product. i wonder how many folks they polled to arrive at some of these changes and how many were influenced by apple's innovations, not to mention some of the other companies out there, like android and such. i mean, who's asking for some of these things or are they just the product of a microsoft guy who thinks that he has to change everything to justify his job. some of the changes look kinda slick but some of it looks like change for the sake of change. so, so far, i'm not real impressed.

[plugsnpixels]

It's been a long time coming but the operating system GUI is finally breaking out of the old Xerox mold (menus/windows), though of course many will move forward screaming, as we're seeing with many OSX Lion users trying to get up to speed. But the flood is upon us, and I don't see it going back. Of course over time the approach will improve as the novelty wears off and developers all understand what is useful and what is merely show-off fluff (like Flash websites!).

Consider this: It seemed to be in early 2006 that we first started seeing demo videos for touch screen technology, which seemed so radical and far-off (I was going to say "untouchable" but that would be tacky [tactile]!). Examples I had saved back then:

Tactiva

Jefferson Han

And now everybody has such a device in their pocket!

[lkroll]

Speak for yourself plugins. My cell phone is about as dumb w.r.t. features as I could find (not even a flip; just a squarish looking phone (believe it's a Sanyo, but I rarely use it and it's in the car which is the only time that I do; lol). A phone's a phone, a camera'a camera, a PDA is a PDA. Just remember, if one of the functions of these all in one devices stop working, you will pretty much loose all 3. lol

Yes, I'm old school when it comes to devices/gadgets. Not that I couldn't figure out how to use them, but I choose not too. I don't text; heck, I don't even myspace/facebook. My choice and hope they have a grandfather backdoor for old fogeys like me. lol

[Tony W]

Originally Posted by plugsnpixels

...It begs the question, where is technology heading? I assume there will always be a need for desktops due to their sheer size for making layouts, editing images, creating mobile content, etc. But mobile is a huge shift in the direction of computing. And thus the desktop is starting to reflect the mobile device....I personally use both desktops and mobiles (up to 27" iMac or iPad, depending on where I am and what I'm doing). I am not one of those who has a phone glued to their hand though.

I have not had time to study the features of the next Windows release. I am very happy with Win 7 and currently have no complaints and cannot think of any room for improvement. I am not sure that it is a good move for the desktop to reflect mobile devices utilising touch screen technology - at least for those of us involved in using imaging applications. So I assume that MS will be adding the functionality of using a touch screen as an addition feature, and presumably in the process messing with the GUI.

There is a school of thought 'if it aint broke, fix it anyway'. While this can be good and of course without it there would be little progress the cynical side of me thinks this is just manufacturers hype to fill their coffers.

For those of us that remember the good old days of film there seemed to be around a 5-7 year cycle with manufacturers competing introducing new film formats for the masses e.g. Rapid system, 126, 110, Disk etc. Now progress seems so fast it can be difficult to keep up - not suggesting this is a bad thing simply making the observation.

So time will tell if this new WIndows is the dream OS we need

[plugsnpixels]

Lyle, I agree with you about phones! I recently upgraded mine a few years after I was eligible... And even then I just make a call every now and then; I don't get into the menus and actually do anything. I'd rather do all that on the computer. Plus I take a lot of photos of the inside of my pocket. Really!

Speaking of which, I sure hope traditional professional-level desktop computing remains with us in this rush to sell swish and swipe to the masses.

But it's not really up to us, is it? It appears that Apple and Microsoft will make those decisions for us (and yes, they are motivated by profit). Then there's always Linux as a fallback...

[CJ Swartz]

I bought an iPod this year (since I couldn't afford an iPad). My Palm PDA that I depended on had become outdated, but I found apps that were better than my Palm programs and would sync for backup. The Windows 8 video looks very good to me, although I'm not sure I want to swipe my big (stand-up) monitor to access programs -- the tablet form factor would work better for that. I read that Photoshop Elements went on sale at the MAC app store - have no idea how it operates, but if Adobe can figure out how to make PShop work in an app format (using a Wacom tablet attached to a Windows 8 tablet?), I'm interested in seeing it.

In my small thin iPod, I carry around my contact list, my To Do lists (shopping/chores/appt. WiTH alarms to remind me), memos, games (Angry Birds!!! and stud poker), time/weather/news-CNN and local info, a bunch of photography info apps - sunrise/sunset time, exposure guides, Nikon D90 Guide; tv guide, IMDB info on movies/tv shows/actors, all my music including favorite YouTube videos, my email/Google Calendar/Google Maps, podcasts and books, a still camera and a video camera, the Safari browser with access to the internet and more! With my less than perfect eyesight, a larger tablet would really make it easier to read the books, browse the web, and read my email, but the iPod is easier to carry around to the grocery store. It's wi-fi only, so I'm not paying for any data downloads, but also can't use all the apps everywhere. Many apps are free, some are $.99, and a few have cost a few dollars. Adobe is charging $79 for the PS Elements app, I think. I suppose CS6 or 7 will still be expensive if it comes out as an app.

[Kraellin]

CJ, one of the reasons apple has the Elements app is because Elements 8 is one of the few apps that can read the apple proprietary image format. if you manage to download your pictures from the ipad2, for example, you still have to find a program that will recognize and display them. Elements 8 does this, at least according to the apple itunes site support stuff.

[Boneappetit]

Come on, Windows 7 still a toddler, this is a clear attempt to compete with Apple innovation... It would be more honest if they make this as a Windows 7 upgrade... But what the heck, they are super rich, they can do whatever they want with all that money; who cares? IMO they should give it for free LOL...