Might try Windows 8 out.

Last day to make the jump and upgrade for $39.99 through Microsoft's site, after that it will cost you considerably more.

I'm sitting at a desk in a VERY large company at the moment with user support requirements randing from 18 through to 98 years old, with different competency levels and the need to maintain enterprise standards. App Stores and Microsoft account access DOES hurt, you don't want software to come in from app stores or to vent information to cloud services and you don't want people connecting work systems to a US cloud service provider.
How long before it becomes Google? You have to have the account to use features? As soon as it is there if we deploy 8 and take away access from their ability to integrate this stuff it becomes a problem in IT vs the users need for facebook time.
... and that's before the privacy and tracking implications of hard connected accounts such as on Android and this.

I don't feel any sense of great loss at choosing not to buy 8 and not having the app store. There really isn't anything of any significance for me that I couldn't live without or side load on either platform if I needed it.

... and yes the UI is enough reason for enterprise to avoid the entire platform. It is also enough reason for me to avoid it. Those of you who feel different, cool, go for it... just don't be serviced by my IT deparatment



Jake,

I've no qualms with Linux here, it serves its purpose nicely in life. I'm comfortable where I am though

This post is made from Windows 8 Samsung slate with full multi touch and gesture support and fully updated. Apart from IE spell checker, I couldn't honestly say that it is any less awkward than using Windows 7.

It makes a modicum of sense in portrait mode (but this 7 series slate is too heavy for that really), but will no let me reflow the HPC:Factor forum so that I can see the entire screen width worth of forum... in other words there is x scrolling. It is even harder to position the text caret here than it is on Android... that is poor form. points for inclusion of left right cursor keys though (sadly lacking on android).

Raw multi touch input is not that great, it has taken an eternity to write this. In the end I gave up trying to type on it while palm holding hold the device and had to put it down. the keyboard is basically usable in landscape mode but is impossible in portrait mode. The artificial clicking that it makes is doing my head in though, grr - no OSK settings menu. Must be in system somewhere.
The worst part of it is that if you attempt to type at a touch typing rate on it, the thing misses they other or every third key press, depending on your speed. You are simply not supposed to use these things to do anything other than consume it would seem.

If it wasn't for the IE spell checker, I don't think that this would have made any sense at all.

Every time I rotate the screen, switch between the desktop and metro app cycler or have to force the OSK back (click a text box on the desktop UI it does not appear on its own... including password prompts) some other random window or utility will draw at the top of the windows manager z order making it a 'go fish' operation for what you wanted to type into. It is getting rather annoying.

IE spell checker and the ime do not auto capitalise either for some reason.

When you rotate the screen it resizes everything - ok, fine - but why when I rotate back do I get left with a load of anorexic windows which you have to keep resizing? x and y window manage positions please for both portrait and landscape viewing.

Why are there STILL windows utility and settings dialogues that render beneath and below the task bar? It was a problem in XP and Vista, why is it still a problem now?

Sorry Microsoft, I thought it might be useable on a brand new slate... it isn't.

4/10 for the desktop, 6/10 for the touch. Samsung get a 7.5/10 for the slate PC (it is too heavy and needs a couple more hardware buttons e.g. right click and menu and both cameras are poor for the money)

This is where Microsoft needs to work on. weight. make a 450g tablet with so so 64bit Intel CPU or a super fast tablet with latest ARM based CPU, then Microsoft would gain shares on tablet.

Edited by stingraze 2013-02-04 11:54 AM

C:Amie on your last last post you listed all the reasons for a company to not roll out Windows 8 on everyone, and I was coming from the pov of a home user, so there we have it: don't get Windows 8 for your workplace, but I say for your home PC it's better to have it than not.

The tablet experienced should be compared to an iPad. You cannot use it like a laptop, or even a Tablet PC if it doesn't have a stylus. IIRC the Samsung tablet with the i5 comes with a digitizer stylus, so you might want to try that instead for "old school" computing, and even HWR instead of OSK. Samsung also makes an Atom version of the tablet which does not include the stylus.

stingraze: Acer and Asus both make an Atom tablet similar in weight and size to the iPad and Android tablets. The Atom may be 32-bit, but with Windows 8 it is still a very good CPU, IMO better than Tegra 3 running Android.

On the other hand there are several Windows RT tablets on the Tegra 3 platform, made by Microsoft (called Surface), Asus, and perhaps other companies I forgot. They all weight just like similar Android tablets.

The Samsung tablets weight more because they have 11.6 inch screens instead of 10 inch.

You are correct, the Samsung has touch and pen input. I prefer Samsung swype to the windows 7/8 osk.

This Samsung is exactly the same weight as the Surface Pro according to the two sets of paper spec's.

Here we agree, touch is for 'consumptors', it doesn't work on 'creators' (desktop paradigm). Where we disagree is that after a week with 8 on a second, more modern touch device than my CP, RC and first RTM experiments. I don't think 8 works on either. :/

OS X is more consistent I think if they open licensed OS X tomorrow, they'd beat the heck out of Microsoft in terms of sales volume growth. It's basic, but it is complete and polished and doesn't have the inconsistencies and mistakes in it that 8 does.

What I meant by a so-so CPU was Celeron or Pentium. (newest ones of course). Or better, a Core i3. 450grams is about the weight of a Sigmarion 3, so I used it as a reference point.

If they could get it down to 500g it would be a world better; iPad territory. Sadly /i don't think we will see IA32/EM64-T in that sort of form factor for a while.

IA32/EM64-T in ultra low voltage is the key, I think, or even crazier, x86 emulators on top of ARM. hardware optimized ones.

Link of interest (x86 code on ARM)

http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4397620/Russian-software-runs-x86-code-on-ARM

Edited by stingraze 2013-02-11 11:58 AM

BOCHS runs x86 on ARM as does PocketDOS and I think that XTCE had an instruction interpreter too; generally speaking though it is an unpleasent experience

Acer Iconia W510, and Asus VivaTab Smart (both Windows 8) are lighter than the iPad:
http://www.laptopmag.com/acer-iconia-w510.aspx
http://www.asus.com/Tablet_Mobile/ASUS_VivoTab_Smart#specifications

Asus VivaTab RT (Windows RT) is even lighter than those two:
http://www.asus.com/Tablet_Mobile/ASUS_VivoTab_RT

Microsoft Surface (Windows RT) tablet is only slightly heavier than an iPad (0.1 lbs?)

If you want to compare Windows 8 or Windows RT to iPad, you have to look at these relatively lower specs models that are more closely matched. If you look at the larger tablets (like Surface Pro) with Core i5 processors and 11.6 inch screens with Pen input then they will be heavier for sure (need more battery for all that extra stuff that iPad does not have).

Sony Vaio VGN-UX50 was 520g at 1.2Ghz Core Solo CPU with 512MB RAM and 30GB HDD.
I used to have it, but it was rather thick for my taste, and I sold it.

I'm hoping for Sony to make these rare types even better with today's technology.

I use the Sony Tablet P recently with Android 4.0, but I want regular Windows 7/8 on such a form factor.
I guess the Intel architecture have to focus more on mobility/battery life... but I know they are doing it.



Edited by stingraze 2013-02-13 10:32 AM

Thanks for mentioning about BOCHS. I did a quick search and I found this.

Windows XP SP2 running on Droid Global.



Windows 95 running on Sony Tablet S using QEMU


Sony Tablet S uses Tegra 2, and I want to see how this runs on Tegra 3 or 4(when it comes out)

Edited by stingraze 2013-02-13 10:42 AM

There is a CESD with Windows CE BOCHS binaries in it. Also see http://www.hpcfactor.com/qlink/?linkID=108

That is too cool, stingraze - though BOCHS still looks pretty slow even on a new Android device. Do the videos' original pages say anything about what version(s) of Android are running on those devices?