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Microsoft promotes new PC form factors in Windows 8 advert

by Alistair Lowe on 15 October 2012, 11:15

Tags: Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)

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It has finally begun, Microsoft's inevitable onslaught of Windows 8 advertisements. This time around it has been suggested that the firm will be spending a not insignificant £1 billion on adverts, posters and events for the launch of its latest OS.

The official launch will take place in New York on October 25th, with a slew of OEM Windows 8 and Windows RT machines going-up for-sale on the 26th.

Microsoft's first advertisement can be found on YouTube, introducing the wider customer-base to many of the new form-factors and concepts that we've seen at electronics shows over the past year. Certainly, it all feels very exciting, however many of our readers have voiced concerns over the practicality of the new OS and its start-screen concept.

Are you looking forward to the release of Windows 8, or, do you continue to hold any reservations?

HEXUS Forums :: 7 Comments

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Posted by tigertop1 - Mon 15 Oct 2012 11:26
I would much rather Microsoft spent the £1 Billion on developing Windows 9. Windows 8 may well face the same fate as Vista. I cannot see commercial or private users rushing to adopt it.
Posted by sam3 - Mon 15 Oct 2012 11:49
I tested a copy on my laptop over the weekend. I liked the faster boot time, the new task manager and the new copy/paste window. The start screen on the other hand was a bit “meh” would be one word to describe it.
The built in apps just seemed a bit lame. The majority were just simplified versions of web pages and I often had to resort to going to these websites to do more advanced tasks not included in the apps. They had a slow start time too and web pages often load much faster.
The apps just seemed pretty pointless to me - perhaps i just don't get apps?
And I disliked how the whole thing is forced on you.
It may be alright on a tablet but it didnt feel right on a desktop/laptop.

This was also the first os where I actually had to google on how to shut down :P
Posted by SciFi - Mon 15 Oct 2012 12:09
totally Disagree.

I am planning on moving my tablet, phone and PC to Win8 as soon as I can. The unified approach that apple users have had all this time is exatly what I have been waiting for!

My only reservation is the lack of ‘START’ on the desktop flavour but I will get used to it just as I got used to it back in the 90's when 95 launched
Posted by Tpyo - Mon 15 Oct 2012 13:05
I was waiting in anticipation of the unified approach. I've been running the preview version of win8 on a test machine since it became available and I like the boot times/general use but dislike the ‘modern interface’ compared to the start menu. Overall it was positive. I was looking to upgrade my main PC (a new build) to win 8, + surface or similar tablet + phone. However, unlike previous windows releases, there don't appear to be any offers to incentivise early uptake - there would be no additional cost to waiting another year or so before upgrading to Win8 (or waiting to see what Win9 will look like even) from Vista/Win7.

Given that I can buy Win7 ultimate for less than Win8 pro system builder edition (for my new machine), and the ongoing upward revisions of how much the surface is going to cost, the total bill for the unified setup seems to be creeping higher for each item than I had originally anticipated, making it harder for me to decide to leave Win7 (which my other half definitely prefers) or get their tablet. The thing is, if my PC was on Win8, that would be the incentive to choose Win8 on a tablet and mobile platforms. Without it, they're nice but so far overpriced compared to available competition.

Basically, without having multiple devices on the same OS, most of the advantages Win8 is promising disappear. As a result of losing me on one platform, and in a reverse of their apparent marketing strategy, MS is in danger of losing a would-be enthusiast (not quite fanboy) buying in to all three target platforms.
Posted by aeonf242 - Mon 15 Oct 2012 13:24
I like WIn8 but had to get a Start8 App just to have the start menu back again :-)

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