Microsoft Windows 8 is a very brave endeavor on Microsoft's part.
It essentially aims to replace, revolutionize the user interface that people use to "compute".
Wait a minute... "
Compute"? Well, it seems that this term is obsolete, too.
Most of the times people don't crunch numbers, they are mostly after
consuming numbers.
Modern PCs performance depends heavily not only on the pure computational power, but on storage transfer speed, network speed and memory size (even if that's video memory).
Did you notice Microsoft's stubbornness applying the "Windows" moniker to all their Operating Systems?
Is not it time for a product name change, as opposed to just the number?
Effectively, on a mobile device, we would not have the Desktop metaphor as invented by bright minds of
Xerox PARC, and later implemeted by Apple Computer Inc.
Hence, we won't have overlapping "windows" (think "paper sheets"), representing different applications.
The "
fourth screen" is too small, to have many different windows. We would have one window (possibly with many panes, as in highly acclaimed alas mismanaged
webOS). Or multiple "tiles", replacing iOS's boredom of icon grids.
So they are not windows anymore, but "tiles". So why not "Tiles 1.0"?
Certainly, Microsoft thinks about itself in a very serious tone. They know they have to be brave, but consistent naming gives users false impressions, that the next OS is the same old, but better.
Ask many, and they will opinion - it's the new world, but not necessarily "better" in all senses. It's "different", and time will tell how quickly it will improve and be accepted.
Microsoft has learned to "
think different" after all. Kudos.
Now, to the essense of what's going on.
Intrinsically, laziness wins, even when there are other grave considerations against it.
Did you notice, there's no ideology anymore, that would foster utmost strive for self-improvement and creativity in masses? The world is driven around money, not high ideals to achieve. Money is a carrot, it is also a stick.
With Information Superhighway (Bill Gates, 1995) being built on scale, and penetrating every house, one important thing has happened.
Digital Communism.
It has arrived. There is a mechanism, a technology invented and machinery built that makes [some parts] of former social regime obsolete.
DMCA,
ACTA,
PIPA,
SOPA, ring a bell? They are trying to reing it in, still wrap it under Capitalism, but "times they are a'changing".
When a major technological breakthrough happens, the social regime has to change.
Remember feudalism? Once a certaing advances have been made in producing mechanical machinery and steam engines, electricity were invented, these allowed material goods to be produced in
quantities (sic!) that led to major changes in
quality of life. This became Capitalism in most parts of the world, some have tried to build Communism, and very few have built a Socialistic-like societies (thank you, Sweden). There's no more feudalism - at least globally.
With Internet giving people "near-free" access to information, another social change is happening.
We have recently seen a wave of resistance from "undemocratically chosen" lobbyists pushing laws while the general public was asleep.
One big thing not solved yet - how to make new things "near-free" for everybody, in a decentralized manner.
But hold on,
nanotech is coming.
Once the fundamental problem of easily "copying" material things verbatim is solved, "goodbye, Capitalism".
When it comes to gadgets and widgets we use, I observe a worrying trend.
A Personal Computer used to be thought of as a "bicycle for a mind", an open-ended thing that you would have full liberty to program, assign to any task you'd wish.
Nowadays, PCs are being replaced by a "shopping cart for a mind", a TV with many channels.
Most people who use computers now (as opposed to 70s and 80s) have no capacity to program them, they are formed by the Capitalistic regime to absorb what's being fed via "channels". Those who are not lazy, are building their own "channels", and take part in existing social mode, but on a different side.
Ironically, it's a bicycle which is preset to so many roads; you could always buy more "routes" for it, but all routes have to be approved, no riding around Whtie House anymore.
The conceptual idea of
SmallTalk OOP language - to make PC programming so easy as to let anyone build programs for it - has been betrayed, privatized and forgotten.
The big mainstream capitalistic companies will have very strong control over all developers, very soon.
They will enforce digital signatures, Trusted Computing, and will revoke access of developers, following only their own internal company policies, not the government laws that cannot interfere with go-to-market strategies of private companies.
When Microsoft's transition to Tiles complete, we will only install what Microsoft likes, or allows us to install. Everybody in Metro development will have to be on good terms with Microsoft.
Microsoft may take a policy of accepting only "prudent" developers.
Doesn't it remind of something?
Customization options will be limited.
Did you notice it's not possible to use own color schemes in UI of major OSes?
Back in XP/2000/98/95 era you could paint windows your own colors.
Soon, even Wallpaper will go way of Dodo. Your only consolation would be to go buy more new tiles.
Reminiscent of
Zamyatin's "We".
But most importantly, TV is back with vengeance. Just pick your channel.
Oh and what a TV is it.
It's a TV that watches you, knows your moves, your Contacts and Calendar.
The vendors only have to offer free "convenience" of backup for all of these.
Maybe it won't be offered, but built-in, mandated.
A lifetime account, anyone? The government would create it for you as you're born.
When you grow up to buy your device, just apply your RFID tag in your forehead and logon. A new ritual.
You will be able to apply to transfer it from MS to Apple or Google, but this will only increase number of parties who know a lot about you.
The irony is that Macintosh was started with the ad denouncing exactly the system they have been so instrumental in building.
I know you must be thinking I'm over-dramatizing it now.
Yes, I am. Some of it may not happen. Only good things will happen if every user's aware and informed, and uses own judgement.
Just remember, Gods live in the Clouds :)
