November 23, 2011
Interesting debate on Dr. Dobb's: Redo your development or keep going with your current code?
Interesting debate on Dr. Dobb's: Redo your development or keep going with your current code?
Over a month ago, Andrew Binstock wrote an article about "Windows 8: Microsoft's Development Re-Do" at http://drdobbs.com/windows/231700224. He claims the new Metro UI and WinRT require developer to rethink their applications and possible change their tools.
This week, Dino Esposito (one of the top Italian technical authors ) in an article titled "What Exactly is Windows 8?" at http://drdobbs.com/windows/231902075 states that most developers should keep their application on classic Windows, that Windows 8 is two operating systems in one but most business applications will stay on the traditional UI. Business as usual.
I've also read lots of reports about the Ballmer squarely positioning Windows at the center of Microsoft's future (and Paul Thurrott claims this might be a bad idea at http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows8/microsoft-windows-141383) and some interesting discussion about "what if Windows 8 fails" (Windows 8 Failure Could Set Off Tech Industry Chain Reaction).
There are still too many things that are not clear to me, so take this list as "impressions" not "ideas":
- Windows is here to stay in business environments, no matter what, but its role as a consumer OS might decline significantly. No wait, is declining today, because of tablets.
- Having two different flavors of Windows 8 (and different devices optimized for each) will cause much confusion, at least initially.
- I don't think the Metro UI makes a lot of sense on a business PC, unless you consider using the browser for most of your work. But at that point you can run Chrome on the traditional Windows UI.
- It is good to know Delphi R&D has plans to support WinRT, along with keeping its WinAPI support at its current great level (comapred to Microsoft weak solutions for the Win32 API).
- If Metro will run on tablet which won't have Win32 (they'll have only the WinRT and use ARM), I'd rather buy an Android tablet or a Kindle Fire. Why use Windows if it doesn't run Windows applications? That's the great advantage of the Microsoft OS, but "a Windows not running Windows apps" becomes a limited advantage. Did I already say it will confuse people?
- I think my phone should look like a phone, my tablet a table... but my PC should look and behave like a PC. No fingers on screen, please. And no single window on screen (for example I like keeping a Skype chat on the side while doing some work in a main window). And better multi-monitor support (not sure Metro has it).
- At times I fell Microsoft tried to change the UI with the Sidebar (you know, small tiles powered by HTML and JavaScript) and it failed. Part of Vista overall trouble. Now they have bigger and more "active" tiles you program with HTML and JavaScript. Oh, wait...
Again, I haven't really used Windows 8 and have not a real opinion, only a few doubts, and I'm really interested in what you think. Would you side with Andrew or with Dino? Are you going to rewrite your applications for Windows 8?
posted by
marcocantu @ 4:31PM | 15 Comments
[0 Pending]
15 Comments
Windows 8 Redo or Business as Usual?
Having been using Windows 8 Preview for the last month
or so, I've come to HATE IT!
The Tile Launcher thing is a gigantic waste of
space... and where the hell is my START MENU?
This is a major mistake, and I truly believe will
spell the final death of Windows as a desktop OS.
Comment by Simon J Stuart
[http://www.simonjstuart.com]
on November 23, 21:30
Windows 8 Redo or Business as Usual?
The article mentions "WinFX" instead of "WinRT"
several times.
Comment by Alexander D. on November 23, 21:45
Windows 8 Redo or Business as Usual?
Also, in the fifth bulleted paragraph "ARM" should be
written instead of "Atom".
Comment by Alexander D. on November 23, 21:47
Windows 8 Redo or Business as Usual?
I agree with you Marco that it will be confusing.
Is it me or the scree nshots that become available look
"childish"?
The UI for the Windows Phone, which I guess Windows 8 is
trying to copy/follow, looks very basic and unappealing
to me.
If Windows has that look and feel, with the option of
turning that off, probably most people will turn it off.
Comment by Pato Moschcovich
[]
on November 23, 21:49
Windows 8 Redo or Business as Usual?
Alexander, thanks for the corrections, they are now in
the article.
Comment by Marco Cantu
[http://www.marcocantu.com]
on November 23, 22:15
Windows 8 Redo or Business as Usual?
IMHO the initial hype about Metro was squarely off
target. Anybody who's not an IT fashionista
understood it's not an interface for *any*
application, not only "business", but those
for "power users" also. And that an UI good for 3-4"
screens (or even 9") could not be that good for
multiple 20-26" screens. Really, the new Metro Start
menu looks really stupid on a large monitor,
something alike a two years baby toy.
Also vertical screens like PC monitors are not well
suited for long time touch input (try, if you don't
believe me... if we never wrote sticking paper on a
wall there's a reason...), and anyway touch input is
not precise enough for some kind of tasks performed
on PCs. Metro could work ok for some single-task full
screen applications (games, media players, and the
like).
Being able to run some apps on different flavours of
Windows could be good, but I am not sure we'll see
only ARM based tablets. IMHO there's room for x86
tablets able to run *any* Windows applications, or
hybrid devices were having both interfaces could be a
plus.
But as seen till now, the two interfaces are not
seamlessy integrated. They shouldn't look two OSes
into one, it could be done better.
Comment by Luigi D. Sandon on November 23, 22:54
Windows 8 Redo or Business as Usual?
I think Windows 8 should have a separate tablet edition.
Business users don't need tiles. And this should be an option, not
the default.
If I use Word and Excel, or some other business app, I don't want to
go through tiles to get to my work!
Comment by Wilfred Oluoch
[http://www.ideaz.co.ke]
on November 23, 23:37
Windows 8 Redo or Business as Usual?
I have been using Windows 8 Dev. Preview a bit - and
the biggest problem so far is the sub-par mouse
support in metro applications - but... it's a preview
and I feel that once they fix that - the concept is
actually very appealing.
First - touch support in business application is a big
deal - there are so many applications that will
benefit from touch support - even in classic Windows
API - that Windows 8 is good news because it will make
touch screens much more relevant. I know that the
application we develop will benefit from it - but it
is not worth the development investment with a small
amount of windows touch screen machines out there.
Second - I love the Metro concept - it is basically a
dashboard for your application that allows you to
quickly see multiple data points and allows you to
drill down for details from there. I suspect also that
smart application developers will be able to develop
metro conduits into the data of their business
applications that will be seen in the metro dashboard
but will be able to launch the classic application.
Finally - WinRT and Making Javascript a first class
citizen in the Windows client hierarchy is one of the
smartest decisions Microsoft made. It opens the
platform to tons of developers that write client web
applications - but removes the hassles of maintaining
a server or going through hoops (PhoneGap) that other
platforms require.
Two versions of Windows is not a big deal imho, it is
a smart transition strategy. Embarcadero would not be
able to sell any Delphi copies if the VCL was not a
part of XE2 and forward - and it was all FireMoney
going forward. The same is true for Microsoft and the
transition from Win32/Win64 API and Metro.
Personally, I can't wait for Windows 8.
Comment by Ron on November 23, 23:39
Windows 8 Redo or Business as Usual?
Looks like windows is doing another Vista-like fiasco
with METRO, and will return to proper desktop
environments in Win 10
Comment by JimE on November 24, 05:13
Windows 8 Redo or Business as Usual?
http://www.hornoxe.com/wp-content/picdumps/picdump224/hornoxe.com_picdump224_132.jpg
Comment by Dennis on November 24, 07:44
Windows 8 Redo or Business as Usual?
@Ron - Did you sell one of those 'Dashboard' Apps?
This release as MS said if focusing on home users and
multimedia. MS does not need to find another for
business apps, they need an answer for home devices
and tablets.
The current low growth of 3% of the PC vs. 15
estimated, which is a result from the PC as a business
device not replaced within a period of 3 years. The
challenge is not there ... they will have to address
home users and tablet.
Comment by Michael Thuma on November 24, 16:15
Windows 8 Redo or Business as Usual?
Windows 8 will be the new "Windows Millenium/Vista"...
I think, of course.
Comment by Miguel on November 24, 23:38
Windows 8 Redo or Business as Usual?
Decline of the PC market (or lack of need to upgrade) probably
more stems from the lack of evolution on the hardware side
than the OS. CPUs of today are more less equivalent of those 3
years ago.
For years, upgrading would get you more, power, performance,
storage... But in the last half decade, performance has been
stagnant, and storage is plentiful, even if you do lots of HD
movies.
The PC market is evolving from one being driven by technology
to one of wear and tear. Tablets and smartphones on the other
hand still see ground-breaking technology improvements, and
are a tech improvement on their own (for many uses)
Comment by Eric
[http://delphitools.info]
on November 25, 05:59
CPU evolution is not stagnant
CPUs are not equivalent to those of three years ago.
People are used to think in terms of Hz, and that's
true, due to physical limitations is no longer
possible to improve CPU speed just increasing the
clock speed. Designer had to find (and found) new ways
to increase performance, but they can't be explained
with a single number, and thereby have less marketing
appeal. Actual "3GHz" processor are faster than those
of three years ago. And PCs are not a CPU only. I've
just tested an high-end workstation for high-res real
time graphical applications (it has a separate case
for GPUs...). Great one, unluckily at €20,000 I won't
get one for Christmas.
On the other end even entry level PCs are now powerful
enough for many people needs, especially when those
needs are just fulfilled by a browser or little more.
Probably even too powerful. Those needs can be
fulfilled by "lesser" devices, which are also more
portable.
It's something alike the photography market, small
compact cameras for user needing simple photos,
larger, more expensive but far more powerful reflex
ones (and more) for those needing full control and
versatility, buidling the system they need.
Comment by Luigi D. Sandon on November 25, 14:26
Windows 8 Redo or Business as Usual?
@Michael
Did not write or sell any dashboard apps yet - but I
suspect that once things catch on in the consumer world
- it will be shown in the corporate world.
I do have an idea for a dashboard application that will
be tied to the big, windows desktop application we sell.
Comment by Ron on November 25, 21:34
Post Your Comment
Click
here for posting
your feedback to this blog.
There are currently 0 pending (unapproved) messages.
