erm.... looks to me like my phone has stopped becoming more like my PC, and my PC has started becoming more like my phone...

In reply to a post by camieabz:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14915748

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p92QfWOw88I

Not bad. Where's the productivity though?

microsoft is losing it, its all about cosmetics, But also they seem to be over concentrating on the mobile market.

The sad thing is all tech sites reviewing this are up it like its the next coming, any change anything new is alway sbetter the attitude they have, so microsoft will suck that up and take it as we all want this.

I'm not against change if it's an improvement.

Many of the features of the pre-Office 2007 edition were dropped. Bad idea. Also the interfacve was radically different, with no option to go to the older version. Another bad idea. Massive loss of productivity for those who know the product inside out. Great for those who train others if they get savvy to it quickly.

If MS want to radically change their product and make the home and business users happy, all they have to do is release an operating system with few bugs, no privacy issues and one that can be transferred from system to system without costing a packet. Corner the market!

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

You'll get used to it

There will still be a place for traditional, desktop-style applications. These will run from the Windows 7-style Desktop, which now appears as an app on the Windows 8 Start Screen. "The Desktop is just another app that you can launch when you want to," said Harris. "There are no compromises. When you want a mouse and keyboard you can have it."

No start menu so I have been told, how can they do away with the start menu? Stupid idea, so every time you want to launch a different bit of software you got to go to the silly touch style interface, which is going to be a pain on non-touch devices.

I am not going to get used to it as I will not be using it.

I may download it and stick it ont he second machine or laptop just to be nosey,


Oh yeah the ribbon idea is awful, I hate it on Office.

touch screens on desktops is rubbish to be honest, not only are you going to get greasy finger marks all over the screen, but your arms will start to ache.

touch screen on a phone is ok, but not on a desktop or laptop computer for that matter.

Yep, MS have lost the plot

The Windows Start Menu is an abomination that we have all had ample time to get used to - ask anyone new to Windows.

The next evolutionary step for computing devices is to get rid of the mouse and the keyboard. Touch-screens do the former admirably and the latter partially. Virtual keyboards are simply a stop-gap and will largely be replaced with voice recognition.

Microsoft are not innovators and never have been. They know that they cannot beat Apple for style and innovation and, unlike other companies, will not even try to do so. All they have to do is play keepy-uppy and produce a usable OS for tablet PCs that:

• Is as good as or better than Android
• Can be sold at a reasonable price
• Will run Windows applications

They will also need to produce a decent tranche of native apps to replace traditional Windows applications. The real challenge will be to make sure that native apps inter-operate seamlessly with Windows apps and other services such as e-mail, calendars and mobile phones.

Looks like all the same od arguments as there was for windows xp and windows 7, when it is rolled out properly next year it will soon become mainstream and accepted by everyone, just like windows 7.

Microsoft are simply sorting out visuals so that Windows will be able to work on tablet devices and phones in a good manner. The good old Windows will still be there should you choose. Of course the "start menu" will be there, where are you getting your information from?

This way, you can have Windows phone, Windows PC, and Windows tablet, lovely!

I think it will be good.

I don't agree that touch-screens can replace keyboard and mouse. They may be okay on portable devices, because they are used for only short period. But on a computer, you typically want to spend several hours working. It would be too much hard work holding your hands above a large touch-screen for long periods of time.

Add to that the loss of productivity in training up any supposed speech recognition software to suit your (or many) voice(s).

Speaking is way more effort than typing. For that reason I think the keyboard is here to stay.