OS WARS MEGA THREAD (Now debating proprietary vs. open-source!)

[Hielor]

Also, "StartsWith" is C#, which didn't exist until 2002, and was never supported on Windows 95...

 

[kamaz]

#define StartsWith(x, y) ( strncmp(x, y, strlen ) == 0 ? 1 : 0 )

 

[Hielor]

#define StartsWith(x, y) ( strncmp(x, y, strlen ) == 0 ? 1 : 0 )

Error: "version" has no method named "strncmp"

 

[Urwumpe]

#define StartsWith(x, y) ( strncmp(x, y, strlen ) == 0 ? 1 : 0 )

Also, the correct behaviour would rather be:

 #define StartsWith(x,y) (strncmp(x, y, min(strlen(x), strlen(y))) == 0 ? 1 : 0)

 

[Hielor]

Also, the correct behaviour would rather be:

 #define StartsWith(x,y) (strncmp(x, y, min(strlen(x), strlen(y))) == 0 ? 1 : 0)

Not quite, because with that version, "Win" starts with "Windows" (since you'd compare only the first three characters), when it shouldn't...

 

[orb]

In time of Windows 95 version of the OS was 4.0, but GetVersion function returned 3.95 for compatibility with badly written applications for Windows 3.xx. I don't know if that's the case with the current version numbering of Windows, too, but there's already some mess there: 6.0 - Vista, 6.1 - Win 7, 6.2 - Win 8, 6.3 - Win 8.1, and currently Windows 10 can't confuse any application by starting with "9" in its name, either, because its version is 6.4.

 

[kamaz]

Also, the correct behaviour would rather be:

 #define StartsWith(x,y) (strncmp(x, y, min(strlen(x), strlen(y))) == 0 ? 1 : 0)

Redundant. See description of strncmp().

Unless you believe that StartsWith("ab", "abcd") should return true.

 

[jedidia]

It mostly annoyed people who spent 99% of their mental capacity learning to control a computer by mouse and keyboard (which is unnatural and complicated for our brain... moving the mouse forward for making the cursor move up) and suddenly made their most significant skills obsolete by just touching the bloody screen - if they have one.

I don't think it's quite that simple. I have what marketting guys called a "tablet-notebook", i.e. it's a laptop with a fully functional multi-touchscreen.
I just never seem to use it. Having your hands on the table is just way less tiring than lifting it to touch the screen all the time. I might just be lazy, but touchscreen does not seem to be ergonomical for a workstation. Either you have the screen on the table and need to look down, or you have to wave your hand through the air.
Also, you only realise how fat your fingers are when you try to position the cursor on the exact location between two letters... :shifty:

Also, large touchscreen are a maintenance nightmare... I am unwilling to adapt to a compulsive hygiene disorder that seems to be needed to not make them look all greasy and grubby after a day of intense use. It's kind of ok with small tablet screens that you just can brush over with something and it looks kind of ok... But I'd imagine a 21 inch touchscreen to be somewhat of a maintenance nightmare in that respect.

 

[kamaz]

I might just be lazy, but touchscreen does not seem to be ergonomical for a workstation.

It isn't. This known as gorilla arm syndrome and has been known since 1980s: http://www.wired.com/2010/10/gorilla-arm-multitouch/ Of course, people who are ignorant of technological history (and thus think that what Apple does is innovation) are doomed to repeat past mistakes.

 

[Urwumpe]

Redundant. See description of strncmp().

Unless you believe that StartsWith("ab", "abcd") should return true.

actually, it may return true. The behavior on the first encounter of the null-character is not standardized.

 

[Zatnikitelman]

Actually having a touch screen on a compact device isn't bad when it's in your lap such as on a bus or train. While the idea of a one-size-fits-all OS isn't too terrible, the display functionality is. This is where I think Linux's use of different desktop interfaces is a good idea, whether it was intentional or not. Same OS underneath, but the UI is tailored to the application, and possibly even switchable. I could use the mobile interface while on the bus, then when I get to work, I attach the keyboard and switch to the more conventional UI.

 

[Hielor]

Actually having a touch screen on a compact device isn't bad when it's in your lap such as on a bus or train. While the idea of a one-size-fits-all OS isn't too terrible, the display functionality is. This is where I think Linux's use of different desktop interfaces is a good idea, whether it was intentional or not. Same OS underneath, but the UI is tailored to the application, and possibly even switchable. I could use the mobile interface while on the bus, then when I get to work, I attach the keyboard and switch to the more conventional UI.

So you mean kind of exactly like what Windows 10 will do with the "Continuum" feature?

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_O-LrGL-YQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_O-LrGL-YQ[/ame]

 

[Urwumpe]

Also, Microsoft presented Sway lately, which also goes a lot in that direction, though as specialized cloud application.

 

[Fabri91]

A small PSA for anyone testing it out: especially on games I've found it useful to set the compatibility mode on "Windows 8", since otherwise it would hang on startup (e.g. DCS stuck at 19% on the first loading screen).

 

[Hielor]

A small PSA for anyone testing it out: especially on games I've found it useful to set the compatibility mode on "Windows 8", since otherwise it would hang on startup (e.g. DCS stuck at 19% on the first loading screen).

Hmm, I haven't run into that issue with any of the games I've played. I'll give DCS a try.

 

[Fabri91]

Upon further tests, it appears that the issue wasn't due to the compatibility setting. I've tried again without it activated and DCS started up fine.

 

[kamaz]

 

[Evil_Onyx]

Windows 10 looks like it might just tempt me to upgrade from Vista 64 SP2.

But how much is it going to cost, both 7 and 8 where too expensive for me to justify upgrading a stable system that has had only 2 BSOD in the last 3 years (both where faulty hardware related.)

 

[Hielor]

Windows 10 looks like it might just tempt me to upgrade from Vista 64 SP2.

But how much is it going to cost, both 7 and 8 where too expensive for me to justify upgrading a stable system that has had only 2 BSOD in the last 3 years (both where faulty hardware related.)

From http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/new-prod...a-technical-preview-launch-event-free-update/ :

Microsoft declined to answer direct questions about how much Windows 10 will cost, particularly for people upgrading from Windows 7 or XP saying, "we want to talk about the overall product family [at this stage]".

According to Indonesian news site Detik, the president of Microsoft Indonesia, Andreas Diantoro, has confirmed that Windows 9 - now 10 - will be a free upgrade for all Windows 8 users.

The bigger question is whether this will stretch to Windows 7 and even Vista users or not. We'll probably have to wait until 2015 to get an answer.

 

[Fabri91]

So, possibly time to dust off the thread again? Windows 10 build 9926 has been released to those who signed up for the Insider Program.

Among things, it includes the above-mentioned Continuum feature which makes it possible to switch between tablet and desktop mode on convertible devices.

It was also announced that for one year everyone running Windows 7 or later will be able to upgrade to 10 for free (that is, the upgrade will be valide "forever", but there's a one-year window to actually perform it). Pricing after this period has not been announced.