Microsoft's CEO Wants To Reinvent How We Use Computers

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What's wrong with how we use computers now?

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is working to extend everyday personal computing beyond today's limits. Speaking at the company's Future Decoded event here Tuesday, Nadella said Microsoft aims to reinvent the interactions between you and your devices. "Everything we are doing is changing the input and output to personal computers," he said.
 
At first I thought it was to push more to the Windows 8 vision - touchscreens. Then, I read the article.

Too many people are thinking about replacing the PC. That's not an option for a ton of people, myself included. But, the other products they are thinking of are in addition to my desktop PC. Even a hybrid like the Surface can't do everything I want it to (even docked with 3 monitors). It can do a shit ton, but not everything.

Hololens is great, and I'd love to see what it could bring to the table. IoT with Windows 10 looks excellent (time to deploy IPv6 to everyone!).

Don't look to reinvent how we use computers. Look to supplement what we have now. We have a good thing going.
 
They can start by adding Windows Media Center into Windows 10. Wouldn't that be the future?
 
The trend is to move away from devices/data you own discretely to sharing your devices/data with the people who make/operate them. It "looks" like you have a computer in your home but its becoming a semi-private kiosk. Its "all for you" of course.
 
scotty_star_trek_iv_hello_computer_talking_mouse_animated_if_siri.gif


Hello Computer ... a keyboard, how quaint :D
 
I'm not quick to praise Microsoft for anything, but Cortana is definitely a step in the right direction. But the article highlights their biggest problem, which is the fact that they aren't doing really anything "new" with technology; they are just trying to gain a foothold in areas that the other tech whales are having much greater success in.

Instead though, they should place more focus on keeping their enterprise customers happy, as that is where they have and will maintain dominance for the foreseeable future. I can't think of anything they've done in the last few years that has made any businesses happy, at least as far as my clients are concerned. Server 2012 has some new useful features of course, but nothing earth-shattering. For example, Work Folders is intriguing, but once you start digging under the hood, you see some substantial limitations, which can only be explained by the fact that they are trying to generate new revenue through a different channel (ie OneDrive).
 
It would be great if someone could remind MS that its core Windows business is based on the desktop software ecosystem and Windows as a productivity desktop OS, not a crappy hybrid tablet/desktop OS which is a step backward on the latter.
 
This just reminded me how old those guys are in that movie, and that was 1986 !!!

Sadly, everyone in that picture is gone now :(

potency said:
This scene was and is the first thing I always think of when I encounter talk of improving current computing technology.
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Get back to me when you have a computer that will actually work with normal voice commands.

Until then, quit messing with the desktop and removing features like Media center.
 
pxc said:
It would be great if someone could remind MS that its core Windows business is based on the desktop software ecosystem and Windows as a productivity desktop OS, not a crappy hybrid tablet/desktop OS which is a step backward on the latter.
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In your opinion, yes. :eek:
 
ManofGod said:
In your opinion, yes. :eek:
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I think some are going to be stuck on this issue even though it has pretty much been resolved in Windows 10. At this point Windows has to be a hybrid UI OS considering all of the touch, convertible and tablet hardware that comes with Windows today.
 
At this point if Google built an Android phone that I could slip into a docking station that did everything I wanted with a PC I would be willing to use that as my main PC.
 
Only limitation to current PCs is Windows and it's ability to show up without features that used to work fine in previous versions. Shazam Nutella (or whatever his effen name is) needs to sit back and think about that for bit. Dude acts like he just discovered sand and is going to make it better. For what? Who effen knows.
 
Quix said:
At this point if Google built an Android phone that I could slip into a docking station that did everything I wanted with a PC I would be willing to use that as my main PC.
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Phones are the new PCs. However when trying to use phones like the old PCs it tends to quickly fall apart. Today's mobile OSes simply don't have all of the "bloat" of a desktop OS because it's stuff that's not needed on a phone. There are attempts at adding some of this into Android but it's easier to run something like DuOS and run Android on the desktop to do what you're talking about today. On a more powerful device Android apps can run very well. On something like a Surface device, it's essentially just like using an Android tablet.
 
TechLarry said:
This just reminded me how old those guys are in that movie, and that was 1986 !!!

Sadly, everyone in that picture is gone now :(
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Huh?

No. No they're not.

Shatner's still kicking like an Energizer bunny.
Takei, Koenig and Nichols are still around.

And we still have nookleyar wessels!
 
Chas, he's talking about the "picture" as in the people in the actual image, not "picture" as in movie.
 
Quix said:
At this point if Google built an Android phone that I could slip into a docking station that did everything I wanted with a PC I would be willing to use that as my main PC.
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Microsoft Lumia 950/950XL. :D Bad ass little devices. They'd work for a lot of people. Not everyone, of course.

There isn't a whole lot holding back Android phones from doing something similar. As long as they were the higher end models, it'd be good.
 
Touch UI's with big colorful tiles are for children. Voice is the next level. I think the one OS to rule them all philosophy is a wrong turn. MS should have kept desktop and touch separate, with maybe some type of lightweight home server OS. But they had to suck everyone into the cloud and monthly fees. I always thought it would be cool if MS came out with a customizable OS, modular, like linux, so you could customize it the way you want; media center, IE, movie maker, whatever, with a full on skinnable graphics ui for modders. That might be an app store worth visiting.
 
PeaKr said:
Touch UI's with big colorful tiles are for children. Voice is the next level. I think the one OS to rule them all philosophy is a wrong turn. MS should have kept desktop and touch separate, with maybe some type of lightweight home server OS. But they had to suck everyone into the cloud and monthly fees.
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The only touch devices that Microsoft has been able to get any traction on are ones with Win32 compatibility. With Windows 8.x while I thought the problems were overblown, it was it at least easy to see the problems that brining the modern UI to the desktop cause there. With Windows 10, it's much better integrated. The degree usability issues on the desktop in 8.x simply aren't there in 10.

And Windows 10 actually has some pretty decent voice capability with Cortana. Web search via voice, I use it all the time like on my phone.

PeaKr said:
I always thought it would be cool if MS came out with a customizable OS, modular, like linux, so you could customize it the way you want; media center, IE, movie maker, whatever, with a full on skinnable graphics ui for modders. That might be an app store worth visiting.
Click to expand...

This sound great to Linux folks because they like this stuff but for the overwhelming majority of PC users it's not something they embraced. A certain level of customization is great, too much becomes overwhelming complexity.
 
Ur_Mom said:
At first I thought it was to push more to the Windows 8 vision - touchscreens. Then, I read the article.

Too many people are thinking about replacing the PC. That's not an option for a ton of people, myself included. But, the other products they are thinking of are in addition to my desktop PC. Even a hybrid like the Surface can't do everything I want it to (even docked with 3 monitors). It can do a shit ton, but not everything.

Hololens is great, and I'd love to see what it could bring to the table. IoT with Windows 10 looks excellent (time to deploy IPv6 to everyone!).

Don't look to reinvent how we use computers. Look to supplement what we have now. We have a good thing going.
Click to expand...

Windows 10 IoT looks bloated and a fearful response. Its not something they want to make at all and it shows. Shouldnt have to run full windows to leverage it.
 
If a new ceo comes into power they trip over themselves into making sweeping changes. Same with him.
 
This is probably the guy responsible for all the spyware in the OS. I'll still be playing BF4 on my GTX780 equipped desktop PC w/27" IPS monitor in 2025. I get off the stupid train here.
 
While Microsoft is busy sticking the 're' in front of words in order to sell their latest spyware, I'll be over here enjoying Linux Mint. ^^
 
Inconsistent UI.
Options being taken out.
Inability to make the OS work how the user wants.
Increasing lack of thoroughly planned and thought out features and their implementation.
Basic functionality (e.g. simple UI customization for that personal touch we know is all big these days, plus has been since the dawn of time, look how big Themes are and its a half assed hack functionality).
The creep towards forcing users to store their data offsite (even when it makes absolutely no sense to do so) coz we say so.
The stampede towards forcing software to rely on being online for absolutely no logical reason.



Change how i work with Windows? Fix these, that'd be a great start.


(and this is a list i just come up with in the heat of the moment... i were to write an exhaustive list over the years, it'd be a damn sight larger and more detailed with things that are so frustrating yet small, that having such a rich company work on the software with hundreds of people and none of it be noticed, just be mind boggling.)
 
Microsoft has long wanted to own everything you use to do anything electronically.They want to RENT you the cloud,a dumb terminal and hundreds of proprietary interconnecting devices,throughout your little world. They don't want to sell you an OS once every few years. Can you imagine,your whole house inoperable,as well as your transportation and phones,because you were unable to pay this month?
 
MS destruction of the desktop is creating the ideal space for mobile to extend to the desktop, by that I mean android.
I can see a future where millions are more familiar with their phone than what they are with their desktop.
Having a desktop based on a mobile OS is the logical step, not the other way around.
MS is doing half baked shit.
Personally I would have loved for the desktop to be the desktop as MS had created it until Windows 7, maybe with some steps further.. the ability to backup my phone data, to organize my pictures and act like a tool-loaded vault, to take my phone a sync all those documents, so I can work with them, touchup pictures things like that.

MS fucked up royally, they want it all, and probably going to get none.. the desktop use I am sure is shrinking, mobile/desktop became worlds apart, nothing bridged them 'off line' ,but the cloud (along with all the privacy issues) .
In comes MS, instead of extending desktop utility as they could greatly, they decide to make their own melding of shit in the form of mobile windows plus windows 8/10, plus the cloud, making your desktop, slowly but surely the same computing stub your phone is... so in a way, what is the point? a computing stub is a stub... so honestly, I would rather use android than I do my windows desktop.. you know.. don't think I am too clear, but meh.
 
Uvaman said:
MS destruction of the desktop is creating the ideal space for mobile to extend to the desktop, by that I mean android.
I can see a future where millions are more familiar with their phone than what they are with their desktop.
Having a desktop based on a mobile OS is the logical step, not the other way around.
MS is doing half baked shit.
Personally I would have loved for the desktop to be the desktop as MS had created it until Windows 7, maybe with some steps further.. the ability to backup my phone data, to organize my pictures and act like a tool-loaded vault, to take my phone a sync all those documents, so I can work with them, touchup pictures things like that.

MS fucked up royally, they want it all, and probably going to get none.. the desktop use I am sure is shrinking, mobile/desktop became worlds apart, nothing bridged them 'off line' ,but the cloud (along with all the privacy issues) .
In comes MS, instead of extending desktop utility as they could greatly, they decide to make their own melding of shit in the form of mobile windows plus windows 8/10, plus the cloud, making your desktop, slowly but surely the same computing stub your phone is... so in a way, what is the point? a computing stub is a stub... so honestly, I would rather use android than I do my windows desktop.. you know.. don't think I am too clear, but meh.
Click to expand...

A desktop, touch only OS? Hahahahahahah.........hahahahahahahah........ :D Even Microsoft does not have that although they where accused of doing so. All those folks claiming they would have to lean across their desk to touch their monitors as the only way to use Windows? Ewwwwwww........ :D Sheez, logical thinking seems to go out the window when Microsoft is mentioned. :D LOL
 
Uvaman said:
Personally I would have loved for the desktop to be the desktop as MS had created it until Windows 7, maybe with some steps further.. the ability to backup my phone data, to organize my pictures and act like a tool-loaded vault, to take my phone a sync all those documents, so I can work with them, touchup pictures things like that.
Click to expand...

You can already do these with Windows.

Uvaman said:
In comes MS, instead of extending desktop utility as they could greatly, they decide to make their own melding of shit in the form of mobile windows plus windows 8/10, plus the cloud, making your desktop, slowly but surely the same computing stub your phone is... so in a way, what is the point? a computing stub is a stub... so honestly, I would rather use android than I do my windows desktop.. you know.. don't think I am too clear, but meh.
Click to expand...

So if people are using more and more mobile devices, how would extending desktop utility address that? And really, if you're so into desktop utility but would prefer to use Android to Windows on a desktop, you may not be as much into desktop utility as you're saying.
 
zero2dash said:
I'm about to be there with you. :eek:

Keep going down this path, MS....I'll be taking the Mint detour quicker than I planned.
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Just do it. Commit and don't look back. Libre Office 5 is out and honestly unless you are a heavy gamer or need a hyper specific piece of software there is no real reason to be on windows at this point.
 
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