Windows 8 - First Look

[takomania]

A bit off-topic, but I've had this floating in my mind for a few days now. Doesn't anyone else find it weird that Microsoft's stuff always ends up "leaked"? Vista got leaked, the Windows 7 betas and RTM got leaked, now it's Windows 8. I find it hard to believe security is so bad over there - firstly, they're Microsoft, not some kids with a computer. Secondly, if an employee gets caught leaking things, he will be fired and very likely to end up in a blacklist, making it impossible to find another job in that sector.

If you ask me, I think these leaks are actually intentional. Firstly, buzz is created by the leaked version ("did you hear Windows 8 got leaked?", "wow, cool, let's check it out"). Secondly, people try it, and maybe post what they liked and didn't like in blogs and forums. Microsoft developers can read those posts, then add, change or remove features according to what the general consensus is.

You could consider it a sort of liberal development and marketing process...

leaks happen because people can't be trusted - sure, it can be done for marketing/research reasons, but any company that produces anything which can be stored digitally can expect leaks. it does happen with macos too (10.7 versions have been floating around for months), and any and all games/movies/tv shows. the only reason that these things aren't distributed immediately is because it is so damn obvious where the copies have originated from when production is only at a certain stage.

there are reasons why you see something 'leaked' earlier than others - but it's always down to who had access at that point - if something's being distributed, 99% of the time it hasn't 'just been leaked/released' - it's been given a green light for ditribution because it is 'safe' to do so.

[Mr. Crane]

leaks happen because people can't be trusted - sure, it can be done for marketing/research reasons, but any company that produces anything which can be stored digitally can expect leaks. it does happen with macos too (10.7 versions have been floating around for months), and any and all games/movies/tv shows. the only reason that these things aren't distributed immediately is because it is so damn obvious where the copies have originated from when production is only at a certain stage.

there are reasons why you see something 'leaked' earlier than others - but it's always down to who had access at that point - if something's being distributed, 99% of the time it hasn't 'just been leaked/released' - it's been given a green light for ditribution because it is 'safe' to do so.

Exactly. I believe the early version of Windows 8 was given out to various organisations, it wasn't kept within Microsoft's domain - thus it isn't necessarily an internal leak.

[anon]

Thank you both. I didn't know about Mac OS, and I didn't consider the leak could have originated from third parties with access to Windows 8.

Someone's pretty good at getting away with it, I guess. Either that or an insider wasn't involved - anyone remember windows_2000_source_code.zip and windows_nt_4_source_code.zip?

[Resurrection]

Windows 8 Webcam






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And also a new Blue Screen of Death

[anon]

I saw the new BSoD somewhere else. It's so sexy, using proportional fonts and sounding less fatal than in previous versions of Windows.

[Resurrection]

Microsoft fires two for Windows 8 leak, uses 'red pill' code | Electronista

A rash of Windows 8 leaks may have cost two Microsoft employees their jobs. New posts suggested two regular sources lost their positions. The losses weren't independently verified but aren't uncommon for discovered leaks.

Microsoft has been unusually protective of Windows 8 and ships it with wallpaper that says "shh... let's not leak our hard work," a clue that it fully expected someone to try and leak the new OS.

Windows 8 may also have a range of features that aren't ready to show to outside of Microsoft. Separate development versions known as "red pill" builds make a licensing check to see if it's a Microsoft employee or someone else cleared to see all of the new Windows 8 features. Without the code, they only see relatively 'safe' features.

It's believed the full Immersive tablet interface is visible when the red pill code works.

Windows 8 isn't expected to ship until late 2012, but it may be shown as a beta in September.

Read more: Microsoft fires two for Windows 8 leak, uses 'red pill' code | Electronista

[takomania]

anyone remember windows_2000_source_code.zip and windows_nt_4_source_code.zip?

indeed i do - i was an associate of illwill (william genovese), who was jailed for selling the source to an undercover fed (don't anybody jump in with their 0.02c, you don't know the full story).

this was a slightly different type of leak though - the leaked source didn't actually come from m$ - it came from mainsoft who were coding mainwin at the time, which is an sdk used to port windows programs to unix. the source was licensed to them from m$, which is why they had it in the first place.

once again it's down to humans not being able to be trusted -

as they say, the weakest link in any security chain is the human element...

[Resurrection]

Windows 8 Coming in at Least 4 Versions | PCWorld


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Microsoft will make at least four different versions of Windows 8 for devices with ARM processors, but you won't be running older Windows apps on any of them, according to an Intel executive. Renee James, Intel's senior vice president and general manager of Software and Services Group, also reaffirmed that Windows running on ARM devices will be focused on tablets and other mobile devices, according to Bloomberg.


Version Fatigue
If you thought Microsoft produced too many versions of Windows 7 or Vista, it sounds like you haven't seen anything yet. It's too early to know for sure how Microsoft will package Windows 8, but it's unlikely the company will give up on offering six different of its trademark OS as it has with both Windows 7 and Vista. Add to that version mix four variations for ARM tablets and possibly netbooks, and you've got a recipe for confusion for the non-techie consumer.


Legacy Apps
Since ARM's architecture is different from Windows' x86 roots with Intel, it's not surprising that legacy apps wouldn't be available on the new devices. But legacy issues are usually a bigger problem for businesses than home users. So unless you're hoping to run Microsoft Word 2007 on an ARM-based netbook, you may not have to worry too much. Enterprises, on the other hand, may be less likely to use an ARM-based version of Windows if they have custom-designed legacy software; however, it's also possible third parties would come up with a legacy emulator for ARM devices if Microsoft doesn't.


ARM vs. x86
James said Intel isn't worried about competing against another chip design in the Windows universe -- basically Intel's exclusive turf for the past 20 years. Intel's x86 architecture will support both new and old Windows programs on Windows 8, and run on everything from Windows-based mobile devices to televisions and PCs, according to the Register.

Intel also knows it can't depend on Microsoft and the PC to guarantee the chipmaker's future. Intel chief executive Otellini recently said his company had overhauled its roadmap to meet the growing demand for mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. Despite the popularity of its Atom chips for netbooks, Intel's current processors are considered too power hungry to guarantee the long battery life that newer mobile devices require. ARM processor designs, on the other hand, are being used on a variety of mobile devices such as Apple's iPad and iPhone as well as numerous Android devices.

It's not clear what Microsoft has in store for Windows 8, but current rumors suggest Windows 8 for mobile devices will include an interface based on elements of Windows Phone 7's Metro UI.

Microsoft in April demoed an early version of Internet Explorer 10 running on an ARM device.

[Resurrection]

Microsoft Windows 8 Preview Next Week; Built for Tablets

As you already know, lots of rumors were already heard on Windows 8. Unlike the earlier ones that spoke about leaked screen shots and the primary built version, the latest info happens to be more solid. The software developer giant is all set to show off the new version as early as next week.

Surprised? More surprises are in the store when the news is about Microsoft. Primary reports suggest that the showcasing might take place at the All Things Digital conference – scheduled to take place from May 31st to June 2nd.

The new version will be demonstrated on a hardware powered with Nvidia Tegra 2 processor. The focus will be more on the touchscreen user interface of the newly designed OS, apart from its additional features.

The Windows developer seems to have more plans in their ‘to do list’. The Windows 8 platform, tailored for tablet devices, is likely to be demonstrated at Computex 2011 at Taipei. However, don’t think they are going to give you the whole Windows 8 show.

It is just a pointer that they are moving forward to create something for devices other than PCs too. So in a gist, the rumors and leaks on Windows 8 will not subside until next year when the complete version will be outed in its full form. Do you think Windows 8 will make a change in the tablet market? Let us know.