THE SHY AND RETIRING, softly spoken Microsoft CEO Steve "Sounds of Silence" Ballmer claims that when Windows 7 hits the shops it will allow the PC, phone and telly to chat like old friends.
Doing a keynote mime to the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Ballmer said that Windows 7 will mean that users will be able to access their content on any device.
He said that this sort of thing was the kind of technology transformation that only happens once every 10 or 15 years.
Ballmer modestly said that Vole was transforming Windows from a PC operating system to a connected platform and experience across the PC, the phone, the TV and the cloud.
Windows 7 has now gone publicly Beta. It has been around for a few weeks now on various pirate sites after being leaked early.
However for those who came in late, the beta allows punters to move between running programs with a new preview window. You can also stick frequently used applications on to a redesigned taskbar.
Right clicking in the taskbar creates a "Jumplist" of tasks associated with that application.
There is better access to photos, music and videos stored on all devices on a network and "Play to" allows users to easily stream any video, music and photos stored on the network to other devices such as the Xbox 360 and the TV.
Those who want a play with the new beta can download it from the Vole site tomorrow. µ
L'Inq
AP
Windows has a history of being "able to access their content on any device". Sadly that's usually due to their appalling lack of security rather than any intention to converge technology!
Seriously though, when will they learn that security and stability are the important issues and not "fluffy dice, plastic body kits and go faster stripes"!
I find it hilarious that Ballmer can claim this with a straight face. Windows networking has never worked easily and never works the same 1 day to the next with exactly the same settings equipment and conditions.
Im calling zombie bullshit on that.
ROFL
Funny, most of this "new" interface features exists in the "Other OS" world and probably in MAC for long time :)
Ballmer is boring, Windows is boring, Microsoft in general is boring.
How about some real leadership and less marketing crap, Stevie?
Oh, and can you bellow a little louder? I'm having trouble hearing you through the boredom-induced stupor you've put me into.
:( common I just want a windows xp with latest dx, better stability, even faster, lighter, and safer. only then I accept you discontinue xp. I don't mind microsoft makes vista, 7, whatever, but they dont substitute XP, so until you make a better xp, dont take it out of the streets. why lighter? you ask? not because I have an old pc, just because the lighter, the more resources the pc has for the other applications.
I still use classic view on XP, so no I dont want any stupid features on 7, tabs work fine, dont need any super clock to tell me the time nor preview windows... nor do i need to see my applications on the mobile or tv :P
... throw water on this flying monkey.
pEOPLE: vIEW iNTRO fIRST, iTS rEALLY lIKE cLOSING OF pEKING oLYMPICS. So Much Stuff & So Colourful. Another highlite was Bands Lyrics, ""Just Wait Baby, Gotta Install My Puter Soft....""about obsessed beyond good to stumble amoung mans ancient software relics.Computing AQddiction thru Turmoil, Less Now. 7 Works. Paid MS Subsribers get it today. For xp Crowd, its 1 Vs. 100. 7 IS More Useful & Automatically Adjusts. Ms. Galore showed table top 7 & soft lcd screen, 'd Emballmer takes screnn & bends it right where tronics ly, Screen kind of winches & Ms. Galore siliently states: "SADIST" to 'd. Well of course theres lot to that & Software O/S from CommandO/S to now just hasn't given Public Much Respect, Hailing to pube crowd of One UpPersonshitp, Today, Power of NT6 cann't be denied, its Acoming Martha, Its aComing.....Just let junk stock before February Channel turnoff Clear, Watch as people see NEW Ads, TOSH Accepted, et al & Buyers, Tears streaming from Nodie Antennas' About How Kind ?WE Are.Main Point: When it Works, Its works.
We've had that ability pretty much forever.
Currently, my HDTV is hooked up to a very cheap HTPC, which allows it to essentially talk to every PC & other device in my house. All of my computers and printers talk to each other on my network, and most of my PCs have bluetooth, meaning they can talk to just about any cellphone should I choose not to plug said phones in via USB cable.
I don't understand how this could be considered anything new at all.
My phone, telly and PC are capable to gesticulate wildly now. Microhaut don't like Lojiteach. Wars and rumours of wars. It seems they were both promised cyberspace. And it yet another year which H. Majestees' lowed me no Figgy pudding. I'm apt to think Figgy don't like me. Or else Steve's been a very naughty boy. Fibber! You lot owe me. Not as you like it? Shame on NASDAQ. Shame on you Steve Ballmer. I already paid for that back in 20th Century. Shyster wants another bailout. Roast you on a shill.
But I actually have high hopes for Windows 7. I don't mind Vista at all, and I like that it's an actual modern operating system with little tidbits like support for USB 2 and modern sized hard drives, without having to sit around dl ing updates all day every time you install. Come to think of it, I've never even had to reinstall because it doesn't rot to pieces like Win XP installs are wont to do. I think the only real Vista problems was that it was overblown and some parts were poorly implemented. If Windows 7 is really just a streamlined version, I say more power to it. Windows is still the only open OS that aims to support every kind of hardware, a daunting task by any standards. Mac takes the cheap route by being built to spec, and linux would have me just code my own drivers....
Why oh why... 90% of users only ever want to doubleclick MS Word, Outlook and a browser. What possible hope do they have of connecting everything up when most people have no idea what the silly second mousebutton is for?
I'm with "sad". Bigger is NOT better for an OS. IT'S AN OS!!! Superusers will install what THEY want. Not bling bling bloatware. Let me doubleclick my 3 apps, 10 games and my browser. Let me do it quickly and with minimal hassle. PLEASE!!! I'm so close to going Linux now... If only that didn't mean even more clicking and config... *cries quietly in the corner*
I don't want to teach my user another OS... not another one... Let's go back to Win2k. When life was good...
"There is better access to photos, music and videos stored on all devices on a network"
Yeah right, and then your MP3 collection will be garbage.
After the capable OS (Vista) here cometh the dangerous OS.
Didn't care to fix this one, Stevie? Please DO retire NOW!
Don't worry Linux fanboys, your OS is safe, I wouldn't want it if they gave it away for "free". O wait, it is free.
There is more to windows than just games and outlook and office 2007. If tyou haven't figurede out why it's stil so polular, you never will.
Keep hanging on to your "secure" OS blanket if that makes you feel better.
Who here is a Linux fanbois? And what do you do that sooooooo special on Vista(best guess). I think I know why it is so popular: Office, IE and Directx and it's bundled with 95% of every single OEM computer sold. If MS had some cojones they would drop 32bit and go to 64bit ONLY. 11 versions of Vista... How many do you need? 1. 1 flipping 64bit version for users and 1 flipping 64 bit for servers. Then you let people NOT install components during setup. Let people install ONLY drivers for their hardware during setup. Or better yet do it automatically. I mean IMPROVE it when you release new versions. Don't add more crap that forces us to buy new hardware so we can run apps on it and us IT workers can focus on other things than getting our users to restart their computers!
When there is a viable gaming alternative I'm out.
Who the hell wants their damn phone to talk to their TV and computer? Doesn't anyone over there @ MS watch Battlestar Galactica.
Seriously stop working on stuff nobody asked for MS and give me a smaller, faster, stable OS and then spend the rest of your time keeping it safe.