Windows 8 really?

Anyone else a little ticked about this? I keep seeing articles about the new features and how it's just like the phone. We haven't even got customers moved to Windows 7 and 8 is already coming out? Most of our customers are still fighting to keep XP. Besides, how bad is this going to screw us IT people? 7 might have been a big boost for the lay computer person, but boy did it present some issues for the daily support people. Sometimes I think Microsoft needs to slow down with their OS releases.....

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jibbajabba

the_Grinch wrote: »

Anyone else a little ticked about this? I keep seeing articles about the new features and how it's just like the phone. We haven't even got customers moved to Windows 7 and 8 is already coming out? Most of our customers are still fighting to keep XP. Besides, how bad is this going to screw us IT people? 7 might have been a big boost for the lay computer person, but boy did it present some issues for the daily support people. Sometimes I think Microsoft needs to slow down with their OS releases.....

Why do you feel forced to upgrade ?? No one MAKES you upgrading every time a new OS is being released ... If a customer upgrades and causes support issues be happy - keeps you in the job

I still have a customer who runs Windows 3.11 for an electronic microscope and an upgrade means spending quarter of a million for new gear

SteveO86

As long as your familiar with Windows XP your golden.

Just keep learning the new Microsoft OS.

the_Grinch

I'm not opposed to learning knew things, but generally when they release a new OS the customer just clicks, clicks, clicks when purchasing. Trying to avoid the iPad hassles where you can't remote onto the device and the Dr. is screaming at you because you designed the thing and should know how to make it do whatever it is he wants. You'd assume that you would want everyone to adopt your current "new" OS before rolling out the new one. But hey, what do I know....

jibbajabba

the_Grinch wrote: »

I'm not opposed to learning knew things, but generally when they release a new OS the customer just clicks, clicks, clicks when purchasing. Trying to avoid the iPad hassles where you can't remote onto the device and the Dr. is screaming at you because you designed the thing and should know how to make it do whatever it is he wants. You'd assume that you would want everyone to adopt your current "new" OS before rolling out the new one. But hey, what do I know....

Like I say - annoying customer generally keeps you in the job

tpatt100

There was a bit of a long stretch between XP and Vista.

RobertKaucher

tpatt100 wrote: »

There was a bit of a long stretch between XP and Vista.

That's only because you are thinking of XP as a monolithic release and it was not. Due to the change that occured on Sept 11, 2001 and some major issues with malware some exceptional changes to the XP OS were released as a service pack that really constituted a new version of the OS. Windows has always been on a 3 year release cycle.
Win 3.1 - 1992
Win 95
Win 98 (let's pretend ME never happened)
Win XP - 2001
Win XP SP 2 - 2004
Vista - 2007
Win 7 - 2010

The reason is because that is basically when consumers tend to buy a new system - every 3 to 4 years. If MS and the hardware vendors waited until everyone was on the most recent version of the OS before they relased new tech, we would still be doing mostly 16 bit computing and running Windows 3.11.

I honestly have no idea what you are complaining about. I was certified on 7 when the test was in beta and all I did was watch a few videos. I tested application compatibility on a few VMs for my employer at the time on the public beta and was deploying systems with Windows 7 64 bit in the engineering department shortly before I left the company with very minimal support issues. Most of the problems were just educating the person on how to find their icons. And this was a manufacturing company using DOS and FoxPro legacy software.

Devilry

With constant updates in OS' it probably keeps folks in IT a salary. If it all stayed the same long enough for the average person to learn it.. what would they need us for?

SteveLord

Hell, I am in it for the ability to read ISOs alone! Basically anything that Windows 8 can do natively (and well) without forcing me to install a handful of third party software is great in my book!

wd40

SteveLord wrote: »

Hell, I am in it for the ability to read ISOs alone! Basically anything that Windows 8 can do natively (and well) without forcing me to install a handful of third party software is great in my book!

++
I love windows 7 for the ability to burn ISO's , gone are the days of nero etc.

We are starting to roll out windows 7 later this year, the main reason for this is because Microsoft will stop the extended support for XP in 2014 and we can not run a business with an out of support OS.

veritas_libertas

wd40 wrote: »

++
I love windows 7 for the ability to burn ISO's , gone are the days of nero etc.
We are starting to roll out windows 7 later this year, the main reason for this is because Microsoft will stop the extended support for XP in 2014 and we can not run a business with an out of support OS.

Yes. This was sorely needed a long time ago. It reminds of me when XP started supporting ZIP files natively.

RobertKaucher

The fact that you will be able to mount them is nice. I just hope that it is going to be via a virtual DVD drive and not to the file systems like the old method of mounting VHDs.

petedude

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Yes. This was sorely needed a long time ago. It reminds of me when XP started supporting ZIP files natively.

Yeah, but every time M$ includes something in the base OS to replace third-party software, some other little company gets their business $$ taken away.

Akaricloud

I'm actually excited for Windows 8. New features to play with, new challenges to face and a chance to learn something.

You're acting like you have customers still on XP because it's too hard to switch over when in reality it only takes a couple of minutes per user/computer. I've noticed a drastic drop in ticket frequency from users that I've moved from XP to W7.

If the new features aren't worth upgrading to you then don't; It's that simple.

SteveLord

RobertKaucher wrote: »

The fact that you will be able to mount them is nice. I just hope that it is going to be via a virtual DVD drive and not to the file systems like the old method of mounting VHDs.

Mounting...that's it. Brain fart.

it_consultant

Akaricloud wrote: »

I'm actually excited for Windows 8. New features to play with, new challenges to face and a chance to learn something.

You're acting like you have customers still on XP because it's too hard to switch over when in reality it only takes a couple of minutes per user/computer. I've noticed a drastic drop in ticket frequency from users that I've moved from XP to W7.

If the new features aren't worth upgrading to you then don't; It's that simple.

Thank you for saying this out loud. Windows 7 is many times more stable than Win XP and it is likely that Windows 8 will be even more reliable than 7. If you don't like that, stick with XP.

WiseWun

it_consultant wrote: »

Thank you for saying this out loud. Windows 7 is many times more stable than Win XP and it is likely that Windows 8 will be even more reliable than 7. If you don't like that, stick with XP.

++1, haven't had any major issues with Win 7 but I break things on purpose just so that I can look like a hero the next day. Just kidding!

Devilsbane

I've used a simple little program called imgburn for years. Does all of that stuff very nicely. I'm not knocking the ability that Windows 7 can do it, but I had no complaints.

Priston

Until they release the beta version of Windows 8 we won't really know how it's going to turn out.

SephStorm

petedude wrote: »

Yeah, but every time M$ includes something in the base OS to replace third-party software, some other little company gets their business $$ taken away.

I disagree. Most of these third party companies offer their products for free. And if they dont... well someone makes a free version available. }:> I would imagine the market for non mainstream software is pretty limited, add in the open source movement...

the_Grinch

RobertKaucher wrote: »

That's only because you are thinking of XP as a monolithic release and it was not. Due to the change that occured on Sept 11, 2001 and some major issues with malware some exceptional changes to the XP OS were released as a service pack that really constituted a new version of the OS. Windows has always been on a 3 year release cycle.
Win 3.1 - 1992
Win 95
Win 98 (let's pretend ME never happened)
Win XP - 2001
Win XP SP 2 - 2004
Vista - 2007
Win 7 - 2010

The reason is because that is basically when consumers tend to buy a new system - every 3 to 4 years. If MS and the hardware vendors waited until everyone was on the most recent version of the OS before they relased new tech, we would still be doing mostly 16 bit computing and running Windows 3.11.

I honestly have no idea what you are complaining about. I was certified on 7 when the test was in beta and all I did was watch a few videos. I tested application compatibility on a few VMs for my employer at the time on the public beta and was deploying systems with Windows 7 64 bit in the engineering department shortly before I left the company with very minimal support issues. Most of the problems were just educating the person on how to find their icons. And this was a manufacturing company using DOS and FoxPro legacy software.

I hadn't known the timeline and the idea that the various SPs were fairly serious. I guess I look at it more from the support end where everything wasn't exactly as it was in the old OS. Also, the having to type the domain in has thrown people for a loop. Change can be tough sometimes!

hex_omega

Devilsbane wrote: »

I've used a simple little program called imgburn for years. Does all of that stuff very nicely. I'm not knocking the ability that Windows 7 can do it, but I had no complaints.

+1 for imgburn. It's got the best SFX too.

RobertKaucher

Devilsbane wrote: »

I've used a simple little program called imgburn for years. Does all of that stuff very nicely. I'm not knocking the ability that Windows 7 can do it, but I had no complaints.

The problem I have with 3rd part tools is that a part of what I am doing really is creating IP for my company and if I can do that w/o 3rd party tools is a big help because I don't have to worry about their EULAs.

I have also worked in places that did not allow the installation of 3rd party tools on certain systems so the more functionality built into the OS the better, IMO.

mikedisd2

I'm with Grinch. I'm already so overloaded with technology I have to learn about in the server / network realm that any more additions might push it to the brink. It's not just the new product, it's all the integration with the existing products that have to be taken on as well. It's not so much a complaint, it's a statement of the playing field. That's just IT.

Stiltz79

jibbajabba wrote: »

Why do you feel forced to upgrade ?? No one MAKES you upgrading every time a new OS is being released ... If a customer upgrades and causes support issues be happy - keeps you in the job

I still have a customer who runs Windows 3.11 for an electronic microscope and an upgrade means spending quarter of a million for new gear

That customer must be the company I work for! We still have DOS machines running production equipment in our enironment.... They don't want to spend the money to upgrade...

wd40

RobertKaucher wrote: »

The problem I have with 3rd part tools is that a part of what I am doing really is creating IP for my company and if I can do that w/o 3rd party tools is a big help because I don't have to worry about their EULAs.

I have also worked in places that did not allow the installation of 3rd party tools on certain systems so the more functionality built into the OS the better, IMO.

+1000

You will also need to worry about licensing if any + software updates + compatibility with other software etc etc.

it_consultant

RobertKaucher wrote: »

The problem I have with 3rd part tools is that a part of what I am doing really is creating IP for my company and if I can do that w/o 3rd party tools is a big help because I don't have to worry about their EULAs.

I have also worked in places that did not allow the installation of 3rd party tools on certain systems so the more functionality built into the OS the better, IMO.

This is just picking your supported software list and sticking with it. For example; for one of my clients we support windows media player and VLC player. That's it. If there is a file one can't play, the other probably can. No quicktime, no iTunes, no media player classic, no winamp, etc.

RobertKaucher

it_consultant wrote: »

This is just picking your supported software list and sticking with it. For example; for one of my clients we support windows media player and VLC player. That's it. If there is a file one can't play, the other probably can. No quicktime, no iTunes, no media player classic, no winamp, etc.

That's all fine and good for your end users, but when I am building solutions for my company that are contributing to generating revenue and I install application XYZ that in some way contribute to the solution I have to be certain that the EULA does not specify that they have some right to a portion of the revenue generated by the solution or that I am required to release an open source version of the application I am building.

It's not a support issue for me. I have to know that by clicking "I agree" I am not jeopardizing the company in some way. I can’t just download a “free” for non-commercial use application and use it to help me do my job, even if it’s just a video codec or PDF viewer. Therefore, any functionality built into the OS is a win for me.

Not having to do testing for application compatibility is only a secondary concern for my team.

it_consultant

You also run the risk of using software that is not licensed to be resold in an application and be liable for getting sued.

RobertKaucher

it_consultant wrote: »

You also run the risk of using software that is not licensed to be resold in an application and be liable for getting sued.

That's not a huge issue for my team, but that's the basic point. My team's work is used only internally.

Devilsbane

RobertKaucher wrote: »

It's not a support issue for me. I have to know that by clicking "I agree" I am not jeopardizing the company in some way. I can’t just download a “free” for non-commercial use application and use it to help me do my job, even if it’s just a video codec or PDF viewer. Therefore, any functionality built into the OS is a win for me.

Not having to do testing for application compatibility is only a secondary concern for my team.

This is true. I love that office 2007/2010 included the ability to publish a PDF. No more needing to download some crummy other tool.