After the fiasco that was the launch of windows 8 and resulting PC sells nosedive I'm willing to bet that Microsoft was heavily pressured by all the industry players into this more open development cycle.
There are too many variables and other implicit/explicit dynamics/effects in the PC industry/supply chain to solely blame Windows 8.x for its latest "recession"... But whatever floats your boat bro.
After that's all said and done, Windows 10 comes in as a "savior", which historically moves/shakes the industry and its market visibly more than any other factors in play. The good thing is that Windows 10 is shaping up to be *that good*.
After Apple announcing 20%+ increase in Mac sales, I can't help but think Win8 may have relevance in PC sales trends. It's not like Macs can claim to have exclusive/superior hardware or better pricing...
People buy new macs because they are new macs. Many people do not buy new pc's because their current pc does everything they need, which for the average user, requires very little of the pc.
"It's not like Macs can claim to have exclusive/superior hardware or better pricing" Actually when you look at a MacBook Air, it is incredbly good value for money, especially compared to the ridiculously overpriced iPhones.
Apple MacBook Air MD760LL/B 13.3-Inch Laptop is currently the best selling MacBook Air on Amazon. Is $990 (on sale $900 at BB) for an i5-4360U w/HD 5000, 1440x900 screen, 4GB RAM, 128GB solid state storage, 2 USB3, and a Thunderbolt port good value for money...compared to an iPhone? I agree iPhones are overpriced, but an even more overpriced product from the same company is a bit of a red herring. Perhaps compare this to the ASUS Zenbook UX303LA-DB51T 13.3-Inch FHD Display Touchscreen Laptop. Currently $905 (retail is only $900 at NE?) for an i5-4210U w/HD 4400, 1920x1080 touchscreen, 8GB RAM, 128GB solid state storage, 3 USB3, micro HDMI, and Mini DP. Surprisingly close on price with a few differences in specs that may sway consumers one way or the other. The bottom line is that the Mac needs a nearly $100 sale to match the "value for money" of an otherwise comparable product.
I don't think you compare these computers solely on the specs of these base componants. I think it's relatively easy to see the extra $100 in the air. Built quality, touch pad, and display quality are things not listed on spec sheets. Mac's also include an operating system that is not always included in the base price of some PC's.
I don't think Windows 8 has anything to do with the PC market stagnating. I think it's just reached maturity, there is only so long you can continually grow any market until you hit what the market can bear.
If we accept that overall PC market growth is stagnant (ie. the market is mature) and has reached saturation, it becomes a zero-sum game. Relative "growth" or a shift in market share of any one player must be at the expense of one or more competitors. A ~1% increase in overall market share may not seem like much in the absolute sense, but for a relatively niche competitor and at a time when the rest of the market is flat or even in decline, then it signals a possible shift or trend (brief as it may be). As someone put it, Apple may have "won" back to school this year. I do recall feeling that Windows laptop offers this summer seemed less compelling than in the past. It could also be influenced by cannibalized sales from substitute products in the smart phone or tablet markets or even the timing of product release cycles.
Also, a 20%+ increase in sales revenue (% of $) probably correlates to a less than 20%+ increase in market share (% of units) once you factor in the difference in average cost per unit.
For now columns is possible with a more difficult way (you have to resize both manually not like current windows 8 modern apps), by resizing your window vertically to the edge. Have not test this new build yet but really hope they make snapped windows resize other snapped windows like modern apps does this time.
Yes! Resizing multiple windows seems like a no-brainer, so I was surprised it didn't happen. There should probably be a way to sort of 'un-pin' the title bar on the RT apps, so that it folds up and leaves the app looking more full-screen until the user hovers near the top with their mouse (like what happens in the Modern interface).
It's a shame that native VHD boot scenarios aren't supported when it comes to platform updates, and this limitation isn't documented in the known list of limitations on the Microsoft website. Apparently this affected 8 -> 8.1 migrations, and is currently blocking my 10TP install from upgrading to the latest preview build.
i'm posting this from WTP inside a VM after just installing build 9860. Some small changes nothing huge. Just testing out those shortcuts you posted now. I think I should give this VM more than 2GB's of ram though trashes the HDD abit on start up.
"Snapping window: WIN + LEFT or RIGHT (can be used with UP or DOWN to get into quadrants)" Just to be clear, Win + Arrow keys is at least as old as Windows 7, but UP and DOWN arrows do something different in Win 7/8. The moving things into quadrants is the new thing.
Win + Shift + Arrow keys will switch which monitor a window is on (some full-screen apps too).
Why is it that UI don't stick to something and stay with it? I really hate slide bars for on/off for example. You click it for it to slide, while my instinct with mouse is to try to slide it. Why don't they simply put checkboxes for stuff in UI to make it simple? Having dropdown menus, sliders, etc is just cluttering it.
They went with sliders in "Metro" because it's a touch first UI. They wrote about it in the Building Windows 8 blog. It makes no sense when used with a mouse.
Windows+Left and Windows+Right have stopped working entirely for me on the new build. Anyone else?
Also, these same keys previously were used to move windows to different monitors, in the same way that Windows+Shift+Left and Windows+Shift+Right (apparently) do in the new build. It's odd that these functions have been separated out into different key combinations.
Yeah, Snapping and StartMenu is broken in Build 9860... - Search doesnt work all the time - Snapping is back to Windows 7 abilities and without keyboard shortcuts :(
Most of the keyboard shortcuts mentioned have worked since at least Windows 7 (and maybe even Vista). Here are the ones that work right now: Alt+Tab (which has been around since at least Win3.0 days) Win+Tab (which was sorely missed in Win8) Win+Right or Left Arrow (snaps window to right or left half of current screen) Win+Shift+Right or Left Arrow (moves current window to right or left monitor)
Win+Up Arrow maximizes a window Win+Down Arrow minimizes a window Win+Shift+Up Arrow sets a window to stretch vertically and touch the top and bottom of the screen (same as resizing the top of a window to the top of the screen).
The virtual desktop feature is a neat idea, but I already have that (and more) with Stardock's Fences. Still getting used to the hybrid start menu, but it's a welcome medium between Windows 7 and 8. I haven't tried Win10 on a touchscreen yet, so I'm curious if I would prefer the full-screen Win8 start menu, or the half-n-half in 10.
I just finished posting this as a bug, but I'll repost it here as well, if anyone has this same issue.
Since the update, 95% of all text is garbled and is unreadable. Whether on websites, or menus, or windows, all links, and text is rendered with many letters missing, and out of order which makes things completely unreadable and the whole experience useless. I've had to switch back to my main Win 7 laptop to actually do any work. Anybody have this problem?
After the fiasco of releasing FT232 kill switch in Windows Update do you think many people care about a Windows 10 update ? Do you think Microsoft is consumer friendly? Microsoft killed many devices that are USB ,such as keyboards & mice. The end unsuspecting end user feels the brunt of the kill switch!
Well, that is precisely what W10 NEEDS to change if Microsoft wants to keep its leadership. For once and for all; Windows could solve all the DRIVER and compatibility issues that has been plaging users since W98. Make all the hardware that sometime had a windows driver, workable again, in W10 in a really functional compatibility mode... and then Microsoft will secure the upgrade of large %s of past OSes users, whilst gaining loyalty from recent ones. There is plenty of hi quality soundcards, musical instruments, business, medical and what not hardware that has not been supported by the last iterations of Windows. Many of those users cling to XP and will switch when compatibility is asured. Yes, that will eman that Microsoft will lose some marginal revenue that obtains with each driver certification cycle, but that would be a minor loss.
Plus it will signal that Microsoft is really acknowledging one of its central strengths; being the Universal OS. This crucial trait was being heavily undermined by its past administration when the focus swifted to create another "walled garden". If Microsoft wants to keep its importance in the Internet-of-things future, playing along multiple agile competition, it needs to understand that its adoption and main asset (despite the recent lucrative shortsighted rental models aka Off365) is its universality, its compatibility, its openness. The micro partition and extraction of any possible actual revenue, means long term failure and fragmentation for Microsoft's main asset. In this regard is fortunate for MS. having gone thru W8, otherwise the actual steering change would have not been possible and the mid term effects would have been catastrophic.
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iTzSnypah - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
After the fiasco that was the launch of windows 8 and resulting PC sells nosedive I'm willing to bet that Microsoft was heavily pressured by all the industry players into this more open development cycle.lilmoe - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
There are too many variables and other implicit/explicit dynamics/effects in the PC industry/supply chain to solely blame Windows 8.x for its latest "recession"... But whatever floats your boat bro.lilmoe - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
After that's all said and done, Windows 10 comes in as a "savior", which historically moves/shakes the industry and its market visibly more than any other factors in play. The good thing is that Windows 10 is shaping up to be *that good*.fade2blac - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
After Apple announcing 20%+ increase in Mac sales, I can't help but think Win8 may have relevance in PC sales trends. It's not like Macs can claim to have exclusive/superior hardware or better pricing...hughlle - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
People buy new macs because they are new macs. Many people do not buy new pc's because their current pc does everything they need, which for the average user, requires very little of the pc.Flunk - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
Apple had about 6% of the PC market last year, 20% of 6% is 1.2% which isn't very significant in comparison to the overall market.Speedfriend - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
"It's not like Macs can claim to have exclusive/superior hardware or better pricing"Actually when you look at a MacBook Air, it is incredbly good value for money, especially compared to the ridiculously overpriced iPhones.
fade2blac - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
Apple MacBook Air MD760LL/B 13.3-Inch Laptop is currently the best selling MacBook Air on Amazon. Is $990 (on sale $900 at BB) for an i5-4360U w/HD 5000, 1440x900 screen, 4GB RAM, 128GB solid state storage, 2 USB3, and a Thunderbolt port good value for money...compared to an iPhone? I agree iPhones are overpriced, but an even more overpriced product from the same company is a bit of a red herring. Perhaps compare this to the ASUS Zenbook UX303LA-DB51T 13.3-Inch FHD Display Touchscreen Laptop. Currently $905 (retail is only $900 at NE?) for an i5-4210U w/HD 4400, 1920x1080 touchscreen, 8GB RAM, 128GB solid state storage, 3 USB3, micro HDMI, and Mini DP. Surprisingly close on price with a few differences in specs that may sway consumers one way or the other. The bottom line is that the Mac needs a nearly $100 sale to match the "value for money" of an otherwise comparable product.Wardrop - Thursday, October 23, 2014 - link
I don't think you compare these computers solely on the specs of these base componants. I think it's relatively easy to see the extra $100 in the air. Built quality, touch pad, and display quality are things not listed on spec sheets. Mac's also include an operating system that is not always included in the base price of some PC's.evilspoons - Thursday, October 23, 2014 - link
The OS is always included on laptops with very, VERY rare exceptions. Zenbooks are not on that list of exceptions.Flunk - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
I don't think Windows 8 has anything to do with the PC market stagnating. I think it's just reached maturity, there is only so long you can continually grow any market until you hit what the market can bear.fade2blac - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
If we accept that overall PC market growth is stagnant (ie. the market is mature) and has reached saturation, it becomes a zero-sum game. Relative "growth" or a shift in market share of any one player must be at the expense of one or more competitors. A ~1% increase in overall market share may not seem like much in the absolute sense, but for a relatively niche competitor and at a time when the rest of the market is flat or even in decline, then it signals a possible shift or trend (brief as it may be). As someone put it, Apple may have "won" back to school this year. I do recall feeling that Windows laptop offers this summer seemed less compelling than in the past. It could also be influenced by cannibalized sales from substitute products in the smart phone or tablet markets or even the timing of product release cycles.Also, a 20%+ increase in sales revenue (% of $) probably correlates to a less than 20%+ increase in market share (% of units) once you factor in the difference in average cost per unit.
Morawka - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
Microsoft as a company is listening to their users. Not just on windows 10.Xbox One development is heavily influenced by customer feedback, same with the new windows.
and xbox 360 had no fiasco in the software dept.
It's a whole new microsoft now.
Fergy - Thursday, October 23, 2014 - link
Well Microsoft marketing has worked on at least one person.damianrobertjones - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
PC sales were in a heavy decline before WIndows 8GuniGuGu - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
I would really like to see drag and drop between virtual desktops... and an easier easier way to switch between them.Also i'd like to see see better snapping options.. quadrants seems a bit weird with widescreens. I'd like to see column options.
bountygiver - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
For now columns is possible with a more difficult way (you have to resize both manually not like current windows 8 modern apps), by resizing your window vertically to the edge. Have not test this new build yet but really hope they make snapped windows resize other snapped windows like modern apps does this time.mkozakewich - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
Yes! Resizing multiple windows seems like a no-brainer, so I was surprised it didn't happen. There should probably be a way to sort of 'un-pin' the title bar on the RT apps, so that it folds up and leaves the app looking more full-screen until the user hovers near the top with their mouse (like what happens in the Modern interface).Gigaplex - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
What's so hard about Win+Tab?Gigaplex - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
It's a shame that native VHD boot scenarios aren't supported when it comes to platform updates, and this limitation isn't documented in the known list of limitations on the Microsoft website. Apparently this affected 8 -> 8.1 migrations, and is currently blocking my 10TP install from upgrading to the latest preview build.Makaveli - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
i'm posting this from WTP inside a VM after just installing build 9860. Some small changes nothing huge. Just testing out those shortcuts you posted now. I think I should give this VM more than 2GB's of ram though trashes the HDD abit on start up.althaz - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - link
"Snapping window: WIN + LEFT or RIGHT (can be used with UP or DOWN to get into quadrants)"Just to be clear, Win + Arrow keys is at least as old as Windows 7, but UP and DOWN arrows do something different in Win 7/8. The moving things into quadrants is the new thing.
Win + Shift + Arrow keys will switch which monitor a window is on (some full-screen apps too).
damianrobertjones - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
"While the technical preview is generally pretty good, it is not as polished as something like Windows 7 or 8.1"Well, yes, it is a techincal PREVIEW :)
Montago - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
Why the hell has Microsoft hidden the Preview Update in their Metro Settings panel ???F*ck off with all the Metro shit.. please !!!!
imaheadcase - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
Why is it that UI don't stick to something and stay with it? I really hate slide bars for on/off for example. You click it for it to slide, while my instinct with mouse is to try to slide it. Why don't they simply put checkboxes for stuff in UI to make it simple? Having dropdown menus, sliders, etc is just cluttering it.Gigaplex - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
They went with sliders in "Metro" because it's a touch first UI. They wrote about it in the Building Windows 8 blog. It makes no sense when used with a mouse.wsjudd - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
Windows+Left and Windows+Right have stopped working entirely for me on the new build. Anyone else?Also, these same keys previously were used to move windows to different monitors, in the same way that Windows+Shift+Left and Windows+Shift+Right (apparently) do in the new build. It's odd that these functions have been separated out into different key combinations.
Montago - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
Yeah, Snapping and StartMenu is broken in Build 9860...- Search doesnt work all the time
- Snapping is back to Windows 7 abilities and without keyboard shortcuts :(
ruthan - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
I hate this Win8+ one color rectangle block look, its on good at all and part of win8 failure is also here.Mikuni - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
Yup it's disgusting, reason I'll never move from Win7 unless they bring Aero glass back.jardows2 - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
Umm...did you miss the part about this being a "Technical Preview"??? Read the information before making stupid comments like this."Some of the interfaces have regressed in style and function as the new interfaces are being finished"
I expect the finished product will have a little more style than the current early build.
Mikuni - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
Crap adorned with a little candy is still crap.Mikuni - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
What you mean "added many new keyboard shortcuts"? "Snapping window: WIN + LEFT or RIGHT (can be used with UP or DOWN to get into quadrants)"That was introduced in Windows7...
knightspawn1138 - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
Most of the keyboard shortcuts mentioned have worked since at least Windows 7 (and maybe even Vista). Here are the ones that work right now:Alt+Tab (which has been around since at least Win3.0 days)
Win+Tab (which was sorely missed in Win8)
Win+Right or Left Arrow (snaps window to right or left half of current screen)
Win+Shift+Right or Left Arrow (moves current window to right or left monitor)
Win+Up Arrow maximizes a window
Win+Down Arrow minimizes a window
Win+Shift+Up Arrow sets a window to stretch vertically and touch the top and bottom of the screen (same as resizing the top of a window to the top of the screen).
The virtual desktop feature is a neat idea, but I already have that (and more) with Stardock's Fences. Still getting used to the hybrid start menu, but it's a welcome medium between Windows 7 and 8. I haven't tried Win10 on a touchscreen yet, so I'm curious if I would prefer the full-screen Win8 start menu, or the half-n-half in 10.
dsraa - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
I just finished posting this as a bug, but I'll repost it here as well, if anyone has this same issue.Since the update, 95% of all text is garbled and is unreadable. Whether on websites, or menus, or windows, all links, and text is rendered with many letters missing, and out of order which makes things completely unreadable and the whole experience useless. I've had to switch back to my main Win 7 laptop to actually do any work. Anybody have this problem?
cooldadd - Wednesday, October 22, 2014 - link
Yes, but there is a Windows Update now available which fixes the missing characters.Taurus229 - Saturday, October 25, 2014 - link
After the fiasco of releasing FT232 kill switch in Windows Update do you think many people care about a Windows 10 update ? Do you think Microsoft is consumer friendly? Microsoft killed many devices that are USB ,such as keyboards & mice. The end unsuspecting end user feels the brunt of the kill switch!Nexing - Saturday, October 25, 2014 - link
Well, that is precisely what W10 NEEDS to change if Microsoft wants to keep its leadership.For once and for all; Windows could solve all the DRIVER and compatibility issues that has been plaging users since W98.
Make all the hardware that sometime had a windows driver, workable again, in W10 in a really functional compatibility mode... and then Microsoft will secure the upgrade of large %s of past OSes users, whilst gaining loyalty from recent ones.
There is plenty of hi quality soundcards, musical instruments, business, medical and what not hardware that has not been supported by the last iterations of Windows. Many of those users cling to XP and will switch when compatibility is asured.
Yes, that will eman that Microsoft will lose some marginal revenue that obtains with each driver certification cycle, but that would be a minor loss.
Nexing - Saturday, October 25, 2014 - link
By the way, this CERTIFIED COMPATIBILITY, will be a large and renewed marketing pitch ...one battle that Apple is increasingly losing since 10.6Nexing - Saturday, October 25, 2014 - link
Plus it will signal that Microsoft is really acknowledging one of its central strengths; being the Universal OS.This crucial trait was being heavily undermined by its past administration when the focus swifted to create another "walled garden". If Microsoft wants to keep its importance in the Internet-of-things future, playing along multiple agile competition, it needs to understand that its adoption and main asset (despite the recent lucrative shortsighted rental models aka Off365) is its universality, its compatibility, its openness.
The micro partition and extraction of any possible actual revenue, means long term failure and fragmentation for Microsoft's main asset. In this regard is fortunate for MS. having gone thru W8, otherwise the actual steering change would have not been possible and the mid term effects would have been catastrophic.