AMD gave up on mantle and is pretty much dead. They also stated that devs should focus on dx12 and the new opengl\vulkan which now uses parts of mantle.
I'm waiting to see how Cubase runs on Windows 10 (RTM). That's the "tell" for Me. For Me, sliced bread is the greatest invention since the wheel. Oh...and the mousetrap. :MJ
I have no faith in Microsoft to make Windows 10 functional given the mess Windows 8 was. I have no intention of running Windows 10 on any of my machines. I have privacy concerns and see issues with how the OS is buggy at the moment. Microsoft has been shown not to actually release a stable version of windows after windows 8 because of how they went gold on the OS prematurely. The Windows OS has become antiquated in the features that are provided on it even as MS tries to catch up with Android and IOS. Windows 10 has been shown to be an OS that is trying to reinvent itself as it uses two Graphic User Interfaces along with having almost 0 advantages over Windows 8.1 or Windows 7. Those of us who do not use Metro applications from the MS app store will have no rush to get Windows 10. Windows 10 as whole has been shown to be buggy as I would be very surprised to see it in stable shape by the time July comes around. @Mantle DirectX12 has been shown to be good on just Windows 10 as current market share of MS shows that Windows 7 is what matters along with XP and 8.1. Unless they put it on operating systems beside Windows 10 I'm simply not going to use it. I do not see a wide adoption of Windows 10 because MS is moving backwards. Spartan browser is at best in alpha status as it is very much not ready. At this point I see no point in using Windows 10 at all apart from testing purposes. This is coming from a guy who has experience using Powershell. I will be gaming on Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 and never Windows 10. There is an excitement in the air about Windows 10 as people look to see something new from MS but in reality there really isn't anything new.
Then you are not a gamer, at least not one interested in future titles that will require DirectX 12 to function. DirectX 12 games will be truly amazing when it comes to graphics because of the overhead reduction, but you will just miss out on them, hoping they will also support Mantle to compensate for lack of DirectX 12, but that may not be the case. I agree that aside from DirectX 12, Windows 10 is just an interface overhaul from consumer perspective, but God knows whether they actually optimized kernels, driver base, or whatever else that can improve performance/snappiness. I am not a programmer, so I do not know all these internal changes. Yes, Metro sucks, Start Menu sucks and both require 3rd party replacement. I upgraded to Windows 8.1 because of 2 things: 1 - Netflix SuperHD is possible only on Windows 8.1 (either through IE or Netflix App) and 2 - it is somehwat snappier than Windows 7. I also wanted to own at least one legit OS... My biggest complaint is that Microsoft includes highly limited features in their OS: - Start Menu = too limited and too cumbersome, thus one needs Classic Shell or Start8 - WMP = too limited to play all file types, thus one needs 3rd party players (MPC-HC, LAV Filter, madVR or just use VLC Media Player) - WordPad/Notepad = too limited for proper document editing, thus one needs MS Office or OpenOffice or whichever package that has all the needed features - Windows Drive/OS Cleaning = too limited for proper cleaning, thus one needs CCleaner or whichever is your favorite cleaner app - Windows Update = too limited for proper updating and keeping track of updates, thus one needs WHDownloader to save updates and keep good record - Internet Explorer = too limited, thus one needs Chrome/Mozilla or whatever else This list can go on and on and on. Aside from a few very OS-bound functions, like PowerShell/CMD, most Windows OS capabilities are too limited and need to be replaced by 3rd party software to utilize most of PC's potential. Windows 10 = DirectX 12 + UI tweaks + some optimizations. I WOULD LOVE to know what type of internal changes MS made to their OS to make it snappier. Did they optimize CPU utilization outside of DirectX 12? Did they improve RAM management? Did they improve file system? I need to know and I need to know on consumer level, not programmer-level.
My question would be, Why base an operating system (on one) that has a lower marketshare than Windows XP? So if you like Windows 8/8.1 You might like Windows 10. Although the popular consensus is that your not going to. Is there anything great about Windows 10? Maybe if your a gamer or fanboy. That's about it. The rest of the world will stick to Windows 7 and alternatives.
I'm actually looking at a completely new rig build at the end of the year or a bit later. I'm in need of more RAM and processing power for what I'm doing however I am very much a gamer. I have every command and conquer video game, Bad Company 2, BF3, BF4, every single halo, Supreme Commander, etc. I'm actually looking forward to the Witcher 3, Descent underground which I helped kickstart lol. Saying I'm not a gamer is just bad. I will probably go the opengl route bc of DX12 being limited to Windows 10 in all honesty. Every physical machine I have has a genuine copy of Windows lol. Now as for the apps in your biggest complaints. I have basically every App you mentioned but what the hell: Start Menu = Classic Shell / Startisback WMP = VLC / MPC-HC WordPad/Notepad = MS Office / Notepad++ Drive Cleaning = Defraggler / CCLeaner IE = Firefox / Chrome / sometimes other Browsers I agree with you on the OS bound stuff however at the moment I've stream lined python into some of what I do just to see how it goes . My install list is somewhat special though Many of the programs you mention I actually preload into windows. Windows 10 just doesn't appeal to me in terms of the way it looks, overall buggyness, and lack of customizability. I will probably switch to linux.
I wonder what the percentage is of Windows users are gamers. I for one am not. I could care less about functionality that doesn't affect my "Windows Experience". And how many users are going to make the hardware investment, when in all actuality they only need to surf the web, read emails and write the occasional term paper or letter. Most are not going to spend upwards of $1000US on high performance graphics adapters designed for these games. it seems to me that the trend is towards tablets and mobile computing. And Windows 10 seems to be another "tablet / touch" operating system. With that said, what impact does Windows 10 have on the business community? Most businesses are happy with Windows 7 running on minimal machines, as their major concern is keeping their computing costs to a minimum. From what I've seen, most businesses have fought tooth and nail to avoid upgrading their hardware to run Win 8 / 8.1. What makes you think that Windows 10 will fare any better? So, what's Microsofts' market strategy here? I haven't taken part in the beta test, nor would I. I'm quite happy with Windows 7. It runs my recording studio just fine. And I say to Microsofts' free upgrade offer "No Thanks". If you find it to be useful, that's great. But I wouldn't even give it a second glance. To reply to the original question. I see nothing great about Windows 10. Certainly nothing worth the hassle of switching. :MJ
Why would you need new hardware just to upgrade an OS that has the same hardware requirements? Companies had many reason not to upgrade(mainly cost). Upgrading hardware is hardly the reason.
I agree completely. However, Windows 8.1 runs better (snappier) than Windows 7 on the same hardware and Windows 10 runs better than Windows 8.1 on the same hardware. For internet browsing, file management, MS Office usage, etc., Windows 10 will just run smoother/streamlined, especially on medium-range rigs (not THE lowest-end rigs of course). Then again, if you need advanced features and you find Windows apps limited, then upgrading won't make much sense since you'll have to use the same 3rd party apps. It goes like this - if you're an average user, a non-gamer, with Windows 7 or a netbook users with Windows 8.1, then there is no reason to upgrade. If you have an old OS, such as Windows XP and you want to get a new PC, then getting one with Windows 10 would be the best idea. If you're a hardware PC Gamer - you need to upgrade to Windows 10 due to DirectX 12, but ONLY once DirectX 12 games come out, which won't happen any time soon. Its best to leave Windows 10 alone until some Service Packs come out.
@MonarchX: What you say makes perfect sense. As a DAW user (Cubase 7) when a new OS is presented, many recording enthusiasts mistakenly jump on the new OS, thinking that they will gain performance. Sadly, this is not always the case, because the software is optimized to run with the existing OS. The development tools are optimized to produce code that runs best under the OS. The result is a product that looks bad (i.e. sputtering, dropouts, clicks and freezes) when in fact, it is optimized for a specific OS. Steinberg's answer to this is to charge for upgrades. Who can blame them? Development is expensive. I wouldn't dare try to run Cubase 7 on Windows 8.x or Win 10. The amount of time to install everything (Cubase, Arturia, Native Instruments, etc.;Almost 15 hours) coupled with the risks of poorly running software / hardware precludes any updating on my part. I would have to spend money to update the OS, and then spend money updating Cubase to its' latest version, potentially risking losing money just to have the latest and greatest. And I'm not a professional recording studio. I can only imagine the frustration that professional studios would go through trying to keep up on operating systems. @nosense: Many small businesses (especially small law firms for which I consult from time to time) are still using systems optimized for and running Windows XP, simply because they work. The amount of money that small business have to spend on computer / network upgrades to support even Windows 7 is not trivial. And with those hardware upgrades come software upgrades. Large and huge corporations can afford to upgrade their hardware to platforms that support the latest OS. But in this economic climate, many small businesses simply can not afford to make such financial commitments. So what does Windows 10 have to offer these customers (small businesses)? I would have to say nothing. :MJ
That's totally a different upgrade path and different hardware requirements. Where 7\8\10 all have the same hardware requirements. Upgrading the OS also has zero to do with upgrading a network. Like I said companies fore going upgrading from 7 to 8 had zero to do with upgrading hardware.
Actually that's not quite true. Microsoft are wanting to push people from Windows 7 and 8.1 to streamline their support system. This is completely fair, most other companies wouldn't support Windows 7 like Microsoft still does, or 8.1 once Windows 10 is released. It is simply not cost effective for them to do so, and it's much better to focus support on one OS instead of spreading support across three or more OS's. So, for the general user, there is a reason to upgrade, and that is because Windows 7 and 8.1 would not be updated. In a sense, there would be no real reason not to upgrade, not the other way around! Now, you will still have basic support for Windows 7 and 8.1, but only for business users, so fixes related to business operations and programs. Likewise with graphic drivers, AMD and Nvidia will only be providing business (non-gaming) orientated drivers for Windows 7 and 8.1, at a slower release cadence, once Windows 10 is released and mainstream. This will be relatively quickly. Windows 10 is an evolution of Windows 7, not an revolution. Actually, the series goes Vista --> 7 --> 8 --> 8.1 --> 10. Despite the naming schedule Windows 10 is still an evolution of these OS's. Redstone will effectively be Service Pack 1, although they'll probably call it 10.1. This includes remaining features that weren't ready for Windows 10, and also support for new devices that weren't around when Windows 10 is released. There will also likely be further optimisations, and probably support for new Instructions introduced with AMD Zen and Intel Cannonlake.
It's all about you 'll use an OS as what kind of user?! Main categories would be: Normal user Production Professional Programmer/Developer of software Normal User: What's an normal user? Mainly someone who uses the Computer at or for productive work, or for to mainly use the internet, or for fun "Audio/Movie/Game etc.) Production: Companies, Schools, Organizations, all kind of Offices etc. etc. Professional: System Administrators, Service Technican's, outsourced Services etc. etc. Programmer/Developer of software. Who would need what? Normal User: any OS which could run the software those users would like to use Production: hardly the latest OS, mainly those which is already tested by them with least investment as possible, mainly a question of cost, not to forget that cost of changes which includes the introduction to newer systems Professional: always need to be on the latest system for to be able to fulfill the requirement of their job's and for sure even the old systems are still needed Programmer/Developer of software: different OS'es, include the latest and newest also in Beta Stage, to be up to date as possible. From all of the above, the Production Group are those who'll be the latest upgrade to newer builds, for obvious reason which is mainly costing! While the Professionals mainly will work with older system like 8.1/8, 7, Vista, XP etc. they will need to use the latest for to be able to answer questions about latest systems which will be asked by their Employers and Customers! An general answer about the question: Is there anything great about Windows 10, could and would be objective only if telling that there will be something or even anything great on Windows 10 as well as nothing of that! That's simply depend on the point of view of peoples who got that question and answered from their viewpoint! Even if such answer is from your point of view subjective, from the viewpoint of those who gave answer, it were simply objective!
Let's see: Universal Apps Further integration with Xbox DirectX 12 Reintroduction of the Start Menu (how any desktop user can not find this a massive bonus is beyond me) while still having a start screen option for those who like it Virtual desktops Redesigned Windows Explorer + icons Redesigned Settings Removal of clunky old Windows Update interface and making the superior Windows 10 "Modern" Windows Update interface the default Integrated MKV and FLAC support Cortana Spartan Improved Snapping, for up to four applications rather than two Improved alt-tab Improved performance I could go on but I really can't be bothered. If you don't like those things, then fine...
Not All Of Us Want The Old Start Menu Back I actually prefer Start Menu 2.0 to 1.0 (and it's because of live tiles, AKA Gadgets 2.0), not because it's anything like the old Start menu. However, even I could do without it, if it meant basically a return to pointing-device-centricity. The biggest issue with pointing-device-centricity is that, all too often, it throws portable computing (as a whole) under the bus. No - I'm NOT referring alone to touch - in fact, touch support (to me) is quite irrelevant, as my desktop (and two notebooks) don't support it. Modern (as an app infrastructure) is only partly about touch users - the biggest benefits of MDL (and the forthcoming Microsoft Design Language 2) go beyond touch support, and tackle a problem that afflicts ALL screens smaller than those of typical desktops - including legacy laptops and notebooks. Tablets, slates, laptops, and notebooks have smaller displays than desktop-formfactor computers - that is a given. However, how many pre-Modern applications actually take that into consideration? Other than "content-consumption" applications - and far fewer of those than you would think - not many. Most productivity suites don't, for that matter. For these same smaller displays, Modern may actually be a better fit display-wise than Win32/Win64. (I refuse to even look at tablets because - at least to me - the screen size is too SMALL; for that reason, even a legacy laptop or notebook makes more sense than a tablet. Who wants to squint - even when watching videos, let alone doing anything even remotely "texty"?) Cortana is a plus (and especially compared to either Google Now - which I have compared heads-up to it - or Siri) because of one feature Cortana has that both outright lack - keyboard support. That alone means that Cortana is usable in quiet zones - like libraries. (Or restaurants. Or during webinars or symposia, or anywhere else where speaking is verboten.) Then there is that range-gate - now the largest (and furthest-reaching) of any version of Windows in history - and that doesn't even count phones. (My two notebooks illustrate the case quite well - one originally shipped with Windows 7, and the other dates back to - don't faint - Windows Vista.) Instead of being candidates for recycling centers or landfills - which are bursting at their seams, even in the US - they have new leases on life. Trackpad support is MUCH improved over any previous version of Windows - which makes Windows 10 my preferred choice for such legacy portables - simply for that reason alone. (The upgrade market has gotten extremely short shrift from Windows USERS since Windows 9x - which makes absolutely no sense, since it was upgrades, and especially to 9x, if not later versions, that put Windows in the current position of uber-OS it has today.) Lastly, it still maintains that strong support for existing applications and games that separated Windows 8 from Windows 7 (so far, just three games - all from a single developer/publisher - won't work).
I will try and answer the OPs question from a gamers standpoint I will then also list things that maybe some gamers will not care about. First I want to say this Windows 10 is way more than just a new interface overlay for Windows 8.1 there are many things going on under the hood to make Windows more secure and support new hardware and capabilities in the OS. Things a gamer might like. Direct X12 (this topic has already been beat to death on this forum) The ability to stream Xbox One Games to your PC (not for everyone I know but still an interesting feature) The ability to play cross platform games with Xbox One (so if you have some friends that are Xbox One gamers you can still chat, share, and play *some* games with them) Built in streaming and capture tools that are compatible with games even from Steam or others. If Windows 10 follows in Windows 8.1's footsteps you will see an improvement to how games perform, as well as how fast your PC boots and performs many other tasks when compared to Windows 7. (at the moment though it is not optimized and you will not see those things in the Preview) Now for things that a gamer may not care about. Enhanced security of the OS from improving boot protection to the handling of Kerberos tokens in a virtual container. This OS has taken giant leaps forward in making it more secure. Nothing is unhackable but good steps have been taking in the right direction. Microsoft Passport with asymmetric encryption that is FIDO compliant I hope will also help change the face of the Web forever as well making it more secure. Onboarding and device app lockdown technologies has also been improved greatly for the enterprise. Windows 10 if it performs and does what they say it will and includes features we have yet to see in public builds as a Network Administrator will be something I am looking forward to. Looking at Windows 10 from an enterprise standpoint makes a lot of since to upgrade to.