Microsoft reveals Windows 8 & Surface RT Product Lifecycles

[sonofsanta]

Maybe thats just down to your 'inherent brilliantness' ..... I wonder, would it have been the same if you had done the same with XP?

 

Well who knows, that was the caveat I lumped in; but even if the same would be true of XP now, I think you're going to have a much harder time justifying it in two years once it's out of extended support and the target of every hacker (low hanging fruit and all that) and increasingly having software compatibility issues (as software will be targeted at 6.0 and derivatives).

 

Personally I think 7 is a superior OS to XP anyway; PITA to administer sometimes, but to use it's much friendlier, with the searchable start menu, snappable Windows, Aero Peek... they're all little things, but they're little things I use a lot.

 

And I still like Aero Glass, even if MS are taking it away from me in future

[daveyboy]

I have no complaints about moving either way - I just think that as we move toward all our software being via a web browser the OS will become less important. What will be paramount is compatibility with all or devices......

[CyberNerd]

So, remind me - How is moving up to going to up student grades? show more Value Added?

 

Shouldn't we be discussing what Browser we should be using ? you know Fluffy Cloud / Web apps / Martini Teaching / BYOD ?

 

Or even, what your school is doing about moving to everything / everywhere / any device / anytime / IlovemyiPhone / ihateAndroid / canIusemyXbox ?/ whataboutCatchupTV - canIviewLessonsonthat / WhaatDoYaMeenNoSupportItsOnly1am?

 

 

I suspect it is because I have been 'doing the BYOD thing' (at the direction of our senior teachers) it is why I have been neglecting MS operating system upgrades.

Now we have this all in place with web apps, cloud storage and so on I'm now looking at the windows side of things.

The only pressing reason we have to upgrade is XP support ending in 2014.

 

I'd sooner look after 200 BYOD's than 100 Windows domain computers. Users take more responsibility and tune the device to their liking, it costs less and software is easier to deploy.

[CAM]

SIMS is not supported on Windows 8 yet. If I were you, I'd go Windows 7 if you have to make the jump right now. Windows 8 is in the "let's iron out the bugs and make it more compatible" phase. 6 months down the line the time will probably be ripe for a Windows 8 jump, and just in time for the holidays too.

 

The biggest barrier will be the interface!

[theithelp]

Never heard of a TIFCAM app, what is it? I just think Windows 8's going to be even more floppy than a floppy disk...

 

Oh I really hope you are wrong.

[gshaw]

Here's my thoughts...

 

I currently use Windows 8 at work and have used it at home since the Customer Preview.

 

EVERYTHING I do at work, including using Office 2013, is run through the desktop. Maybe occasionally I'll view a photo in TIFKAM, but I've redirected most image types to the 'regular' Windows Photo Viewer, as I find that the TIFKAM Photos app is clunky to use.

 

Very good point, my Win8 laptop is exactly the same, the Metro (TIFKAM ) apps are still really poor imo. Slightly bemused that MS didn't build Office 2013 to be more Start Screen friendly considering the Windows 8 \ tiles look has been in their mindset for quite a while now. It's not as if Office 2013 is a radical departure from 2010 either, which seems to suggest development silos within the company not all pulling in the same direction... not good...

 

I think the sensible route seems to be a Win 7 \ Win 8 mix at the moment... 7 for the desktops where we all know where the little niggles are and how to sort them then 8 for tablets where the use of touch can be harnessed. By the time users are asking for 8 on the desktops it should have a Service Pack \ update bundle behind it and hopefully MS will sort out some of the glaring errors they've made around Enterprise management and deployment (yes Metro apps I mean you!)

Edited December 17, 2012 by gshaw

[VeryPC_Tom_M]

Slightly bemused that MS didn't build Office 2013 to be more Start Screen friendly considering the Windows 8 \ tiles look has been in their mindset for quite a while now.

 

Don't get me started on SHOUTY office!

[Michael]

Oh I really hope you are wrong.

 

Time will tell, but it is my own professional opinion. I'm not a robot from the future like some would believe lol