Microsoft Windows Chief Steven Sinofsky Out Following Windows 8 and Surface Launches

[ixodes]

Originally Posted by flopticalcube

Ballmer is the failure here. Why doesn't the board give him the heave-ho?

I bet it's not long before they do...

[damir00]

Originally Posted by flopticalcube

Ballmer is the failure here. Why doesn't the board give him the heave-ho?

With Sinofsky gone, Ballmer is now on the clock.

Figure he'll be done inside of six months.

[Fudd]

If you launch a video from the desktop, it defaults to launching the metro video player instead of the windows media player and it is in full-screen mode. I haven't figured out how to close this player other than to alt-tab out of it.

Once you're out, you can't see it in the task bar or when you alt-tab through current applications to return to the video, which is a pretty shoddy user experience imo.

Is there some hidden way to get back to this video? I assume we have to bring up the full-screen metro interface? Is there some other way to pause the video and return to the desktop besides alt-tab?

[IJ Reilly]

Originally Posted by Rogifan

Steve Jobs was a special case but I think he succeeded in spite of being an a-hole, not because of it. What you say about Sinofsky I suppose could be said about Scott Forstall too. But would Apple be better off if Forstall was still there and Bob Mansfield and Jony Ive (and who know who else) left because they couldn't work with him? I don't think so.

Jobs was a special case in many ways, but I can see where a lot of his success came from being a total jerk about things where he felt he was right, which was pretty much 100% of the time. Sometimes he actually was right, but not always, not hardly. If you look at the episode where Jobs was forced out of Apple in 1985, it sounds not unlike what Sinosfky faced at Microsoft. Scully made it a "him or me" choice for the board, and if for no other reason than Jobs was difficult to control and had offended a lot of people, the board chose Scully. I don't know much about the Forstall situation, but I think the analogy breaks down pretty quickly because I don't see where Forstall was threatening a weak CEO, and that appears to have been the case at Microsoft.

[maxwelltech]

Perhaps Windows 8 and Surface sales is not as good as Microsoft expected? Anyway, Microsoft went down quite a bit already since Gates retired, and Ballmer should be responsible of all this mess. I hope the same thing does not happen again to Apple.

[IJ Reilly]

Originally Posted by damir00

With Sinofsky gone, Ballmer is now on the clock.

Figure he'll be done inside of six months.

Read it just the opposite way. Gates backed Ballmer on this one.

[rjohnstone]

Originally Posted by Fudd

If you launch a video from the desktop, it defaults to launching the metro video player instead of the windows media player and it is in full-screen mode. I haven't figured out how to close this player other than to alt-tab out of it.

Once you're out, you can't see it in the task bar or when you alt-tab through current applications to return to the video, which is a pretty shoddy user experience imo.

Is there some hidden way to get back to this video? I assume we have to bring up the full-screen metro interface? Is there some other way to pause the video and return to the desktop besides alt-tab?

Put your mouse in the upper left corner.
Last app running will show up in the corner. If you continue and drag cursor down along left edge and ALL your running apps will show.
You can right click on each one to close it.

The whole thing is based on hot corners.

Want to shut down? Move mouse to upper right or lower right corner and select Settings.
Power, network, notifications, etc are all there.

[roadbloc]

Originally Posted by aristotle

Right, well some people actually like to "get stuff done" rather than futzing around with their icons on a start screen but whatever floats your boat.

Leave it then. You don't have to customise the start screen. All installed programs are put there by default. Everything is there. Ready to get stuff done with.

[ElRojito]

How did I get to MicrosoftRumors.com?

[Fudd]

Originally Posted by rjohnstone

Put your mouse in the upper left corner.
Last app running will show up in the corner. If you continue and drag cursor down along left edge and ALL your running apps will show.
You can right click on each one to close it.

Cool, thanks! I'll have to try it when I get home.

[damir00]

Originally Posted by IJ Reilly

Read it just the opposite way. Gates backed Ballmer on this one.

Yes - that's why Ballmer is now on the clock.

At some point, you run out of sacrificial lambs.

[Speedy2]

Originally Posted by Daveoc64

The sales don't back that up.

I guess you didn't know that ALL Windows client licenses sold from now on count as Windows 8. Even when all major companies are still buying Windows 7 for years to come. They call it Windows 8 with a downgrade so that they can still count them as Windows 8 licenses.

[apierrec]

Do we really need this crap in the Front Page?

[nikhsub1]

Originally Posted by Steve121178

And it does help if you read how to use the OS before complaining.

And here lies the problem. If people need to read a manual to learn how to use Windows 8, that in itself is a failure. On a desktop there is nothing that 8 does better than 7. Also, there should be a 'desktop mode' in 8 so that there is a regular start button - oh wait, right that is called Windows 7.

[Curren~Sea]

Most of us in IT know that it takes several years before a new MS OS becomes worthy of installing as the default build. The majority of companies that I consult for are still on Vista or even XP with only long-term plans to move to W7.

W8 is clearly not targeted to the corporate client. The learning curve is just too large for your every day office worker.

The most interesting trend I have seen over the last few years is how many ipads are now in the board room. Perhaps the Surface will make some inroads here.

As for the Sinofsky departure I would venture it was a mutual decision. It looks suspicious being so close to both the Surface and W8 release.

As for Ballmer, there is absolutely no justification for his long tenure with the company other than the MS culture is simply stuck.

[TennisandMusic]

Originally Posted by Fudd

If you launch a video from the desktop, it defaults to launching the metro video player instead of the windows media player and it is in full-screen mode. I haven't figured out how to close this player other than to alt-tab out of it.

Once you're out, you can't see it in the task bar or when you alt-tab through current applications to return to the video, which is a pretty shoddy user experience imo.

Is there some hidden way to get back to this video? I assume we have to bring up the full-screen metro interface? Is there some other way to pause the video and return to the desktop besides alt-tab?

Errr..push the Windows key to always return to the start screen. To see recent apps either do a swipe in and out on the left side of the screen if you're on touch, or put the mouse in the upper left corner then drag it down to see the list. There is your video.

It's not "shoddy", it's incredibly fast and easy to do. Alt-tab is old school and clunky in comparison.

Kinda funny to see people blast Windows 8 just because they have to learn a few new things. Once you learn some of the new things, Windows 7 feels old and awful.

[IJ Reilly]

Originally Posted by damir00

Yes - that's why Ballmer is now on the clock.

At some point, you run out of sacrificial lambs.

Doubt it in this case. Bill and Steve go way back, and Bill has stuck by Steve right down the line.

[TennisandMusic]

Originally Posted by nikhsub1

And here lies the problem. If people need to read a manual to learn how to use Windows 8, that in itself is a failure. On a desktop there is nothing that 8 does better than 7. Also, there should be a 'desktop mode' in 8 so that there is a regular start button - oh wait, right that is called Windows 7.

There is plenty that windows 8 does better than 7 on the desktop. Try file management and the task manager just for starters.

Are you saying that desktop OSes should not require a manual? Is that why things like this exist?

[Krazy Bill]

Originally Posted by bushido

Windows 8 is the worst. those active corners arent mouse friendly at all and it took me literally 20 minutes to figure out how to close an app and how to turn the machine off.

Google much?

How to shut down Windows 8

How to close a Windows 8 app

If it took me 20 minutes to figure this out I'd just hang it up. Seriously.

[greenmeanie]

You mean the sales forced on you when buying a new laptop or computer?

Originally Posted by Daveoc64

The sales don't back that up.

[robanga]

Having worked in Tech for more than a couple of decades, i have a theory on executives these days. I think as the industry has matured its outgrowing the old style executive:

1. Great with accounting/finance but weak on products and removed from the customer.
2. Guys who have a "life" outside of work, philanthropy, community, hobbies, golf etc, and their favorite collection of cars all of that.
3. Good managers but they struggle with managing teams in the traditional way, as the workforce has changed.
4. Non-geeks. Long removed from the job that got them there whether it was sales, engineering etc.
5. Master delegators.

in favor of:

1. Workaholics that have no real life outside of the work.
2. Designers and Geeks, guys as passionate about the user experience as they are anything with a real interest in the product
3. Manage through working along side the teams and in many instance out-working their underlings (see #1)
4. Less social and somewhat dysfunctional personalities which manifest itself in many different ways from quirky eating habits to communication style.
5. Always paranoid and never satisfied.

I wonder how true this and i wonder where the leadership of various companies fall in these areas.

[bushido]

Originally Posted by Krazy Bill

Google much?

How to shut down Windows 8

How to close a Windows 8 app

If it took me 20 minutes to figure this out I'd just hang it up. Seriously.

i was at my cousins bday bash in the middle of the woods without internet, so obvs i couldnt use google duh and sry that i expect a freaking shut down button to require less than 5 steps or so.

and u know an OS fails when the average user has to look into the manual or google, it should be "intuitive" which it certainly isnt.

its not like i hate change btw, i'm actually the exact opposite, i change the look of my iOS every few weeks because i get bored easily but this is a bit too much change.

it certainly seems to be much more fun on a tablet tho. the swipe gestures and all will probably feel more natural on those devices. i just fail to see how swiping gestures like those have any advantage on a desktop. all u wanna do is click, view, close i dont need to drag all this crap around by swiping left right up down bottom up bottom down with a cursor, especially at work

[MuffCabbage]

Originally Posted by markfc

Being an MCSE the worst thing about Windows 8 is the fact that safe mode has gone.

I spend most of my days in safe mode fixing windows boxes...

There's still safe mode. Search settings for safe mode and you'll see advanced startup options or just go to settings and general where you can advanced restart and pick safe mode from the menu.

Originally Posted by Fudd

If you launch a video from the desktop, it defaults to launching the metro video player instead of the windows media player and it is in full-screen mode. I haven't figured out how to close this player other than to alt-tab out of it.

Once you're out, you can't see it in the task bar or when you alt-tab through current applications to return to the video, which is a pretty shoddy user experience imo.

Is there some hidden way to get back to this video? I assume we have to bring up the full-screen metro interface? Is there some other way to pause the video and return to the desktop besides alt-tab?

Top left or bottom left to switch to another app. Drag from top to bottom to close it completely.

I see a pattern that the people who complain about Windows 8 didnt take 5 minutes to learn the new ways of navigating Metro. Its pretty simple if you have any intellect whatsoever. This isnt in reply to the guy I just quoted but a general scan of this thread and others gives me this idea.

[Speedy2]

Originally Posted by coolspot18

Are you joking... talking about proprietary on an Apple new site? A bit hypocritical no?

Microsoft, being a software company, has always been about creating proprietary standards and locking people in. They've always avoided using open standards as long as possible and tried to recreate everything themselves. Heck, they even tried to run their own version of the Internet in the beginning.
The whole Windows / Office ecosystem is based on lock-in. There's hardly a way around it for most people. If there were other software that could run Windows programs and work with Office documents flawlessly, the whole operation would collapse within a few years.

On the other hand, none of Apple's blockbuster products locks you into anything (well, almost). Apple wants to sell hardware and they don't care to whom. Macs can officially run Windows, iPhones and iPods have great support for Windows, the iTunes store is available as well. Apple has also been a supporter of several major open source initiatives like WebKit or CUPS.

[flopticalcube]

Originally Posted by Steve121178

What is he doing wrong, in your expert opinion?

He has steered MS away from lucrative sectors like music players, smart phones and tablets introducing half-hearted efforts only after the competition is long ahead. I don't think there is a less deserving CEO in such a large corporation in the US, truly dreadful. Since he took over as CEO, MS shareholders have suffered for a decade.

Originally Posted by ixodes

I bet it's not long before they do...

Originally Posted by damir00

With Sinofsky gone, Ballmer is now on the clock.

Figure he'll be done inside of six months.

For MS's sake, I surely hope so.