SydLexia.com - The Forums :: View topic - Windows Blue, a free OS from Microsoft (Also Windows 9)

Posted: Nov 28 2012 06:09 pm

Syd Lexia theorized some time ago on Twitter that Windows 8 is a New Coke-style scam. If the rumors about a new free upgrade for Windows turns out to be true, he may not be far off:

Quote:

Although Windows 8 was launched last month, Microsoft is already giving the final touches to Windows Blue, the new Windows iteration that’s apparently supposed to come with some really huge surprises.

Citing sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans, The Verge reports that Windows Blue is going to be released in mid-2013 and will comprise significant UI changes, most likely supposed to address the controversial Windows 8 features.

The Redmondians are reportedly planning to make Windows Blue a low-cost or even free operating system, just to make sure all users will make the move to the new OS. The Windows SDK would also be updated to the new release, while Microsoft would encourage developers to create apps for Windows Blue, with a lowered focus on Windows 8.

If rumors prove to be true, Windows Blue won’t be available as a standalone OS, so users would need an older Windows to upgrade.

I can't help but feel that this will come at some tremendous cost yet to be revealed, like loss of backward compatibility or something. Curiously, last month, Microsoft allegedly started work on Windows 9, which also supports Syd Lexia's theory regarding Windows 8:

Quote:

“It should just work. I'm not going to say we're going to do it [reach perfection] with Windows 8 because we're already working on Windows 9,” he said when asked about his expectations regarding Windows 8.

Curiously, sources close to the matter are also suggesting that Microsoft is working on a different Windows iteration called Windows Blue, but this one may actually be the first major improvement to the yet to be released Windows 8.

In other words, Windows 8 was going for something with the new design philosophy but didn't quite make it, so they're hoping the next version of Windows, whatever it is, will actually get there. Keep in mind that these are all still rumors, but rather unsettling ones.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

Lets clear up a few things. Companies like MS work on new multiple operating systems pretty much all day every day.

From what I have read about Blue, it sounds like a way to add features quickly without making large architectural adjustments... in other words, a Service Pack without the red tape. This news comes almost side by side with the information that Microsoft will not be providing service packs any longer.

As far as Windows 9, it wouldn't surprise me if Windows 10 is in development. Ideas don't stop coming in to MS. If good ones aren't possible for the next release of an OS, they just get pushed to the one after that.

All in all, Microsoft being a little more agile with their development cycles is a healthy thing for the company. Unfortunately, their last major leap was so far from what the customers expected or desired, all attempts to be agile at this point simply make them look like they are trying to keep up with Apple rather than innovate on their own.

Posted: Dec 04 2012 09:43 am

Personally, I'd be happy with Windows 2013 Pro. Have it look and feel like Win 2K Pro, with all the new code under the hood.

Since, that won't ever happen, I'll just keep hoping that ReactOS finally makes some decent progress towards even a stable Beta release.

http://www.reactos.org/en/index.html

Joined: Jun 08 2010 Location: Termina Field Posts: 1541

Knyte wrote:

Since, that won't ever happen, I'll just keep hoping that ReactOS finally makes some decent progress towards even a stable Beta release.

http://www.reactos.org/en/index.html

From what I have heard, it doesn't look like this will happen for a while.

There apparently is a lack of people working on the project.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

That is really interesting. How are they legally getting away with it?

Posted: Dec 05 2012 09:53 am

GPFontaine wrote:

That is really interesting. How are they legally getting away with it?

From their FAQ:

Quote:

Is ReactOS legal?

Yes. It's fully legal.

Developers have not looked at Windows® source code. They have used the public documentation of Windows® OSes. They have made several tests to understand how Windows® works. In fact, ReactOS does the same things Windows® does, but not exactly in the same way, because they haven't the same source code. All code in ReactOS is under the GNU GPL (General Public License).

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

Knyte wrote:

GPFontaine wrote:

That is really interesting. How are they legally getting away with it?

From their FAQ:

Quote:

Is ReactOS legal?

Yes. It's fully legal.

Developers have not looked at Windows® source code. They have used the public documentation of Windows® OSes. They have made several tests to understand how Windows® works. In fact, ReactOS does the same things Windows® does, but not exactly in the same way, because they haven't the same source code. All code in ReactOS is under the GNU GPL (General Public License).

That sounds nice, but that doesn't stop Apple from suing the shit out of Android carriers every 30 seconds because their OSs share even a glimpse of similarity. How does an actual copy get away with it?

Posted: Dec 06 2012 09:48 am

Well, Windows was originally a ripoff of the Mac System Software, with zero repercussions.

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

Syd Lexia wrote:

Well, Windows was originally a ripoff of the Mac System Software, with zero repercussions.

Unix, Windows, Lisa... They all ripped off Star.

However, none of them looked identical to each other or claimed that they were simply the same thing. They all innovated. Usually focusing on different features as the selling points, but ultimately they all play catch up over time and major features become similar through all of the windowed GUI platforms.

ReactOS is going to look almost exactly like Windows XP/2003. There is no front end innovation here. It is an intentional copy.

Posted: Dec 06 2012 02:27 pm

GPFontaine wrote:

That sounds nice, but that doesn't stop Apple from suing the shit out of Android carriers every 30 seconds because their OSs share even a glimpse of similarity. How does an actual copy get away with it?

because apple is a bitch

Posted: Dec 06 2012 03:09 pm

GPFontaine wrote:

Syd Lexia wrote:

Well, Windows was originally a ripoff of the Mac System Software, with zero repercussions.

Unix, Windows, Lisa... They all ripped off Star.

However, none of them looked identical to each other or claimed that they were simply the same thing. They all innovated. Usually focusing on different features as the selling points, but ultimately they all play catch up over time and major features become similar through all of the windowed GUI platforms.

ReactOS is going to look almost exactly like Windows XP/2003. There is no front end innovation here. It is an intentional copy.

It's innovative in the sense that it would be an intentional open source copy long thought impossible. That said, I don't think it's any more innovative than Mono, but it's still interesting to watch it develop, if only to see how far they get before they're no longer able to work on it.

Posted: Dec 06 2012 08:18 pm

The largest problem, and the reason M$ won't care about them, is how far behind they are. Right now they are still only dealing with earlier NT era APIs as well as only the FAT32 filesystem. They haven't even begun any work on NTFS, which means that right now, they are at a NT3.0/Windows 98 level of emulation. So, Microsoft really has nothing to worry about for the foreseeable future.

Posted: Dec 07 2012 03:24 pm

They shouldn't have anything to worry about, period. Even if ReactOS gets finished, it's not like an appreciable portion of Microsoft's userbase will switch to ReactOS and never look back.