[shn'g]

Windows 8 Beta: Hands-on with Microsoft's tablet-friendly OS | Mobile World Congress - CNET Reviews

So I just watched this review from cnet on upcoming windows 8. Is it just me or does that look a lot like the QNX operating system with all those hidden settings and swipe gestures? Wow I think they both have it right in their operating systems! I have to admit windows 8 is looking pretty nice though!

[avt123]

This calling everyone a copycat stuff is getting ridiculous. Everyone copies eachother.

When tablet OS first came out people thought it was a direct ripoff of webOS. webOS had gestures before the PB and also had the "card view".

[californiablackberry]

I think eventually all tablets will have/have swipe gestures with their OS. PlayBook, iPad, Future Windows 8 tablets. It's a universal idea?
Although I don't have it enabled on my iPad, it just makes me frustrated because it doesn't work correctly sometimes.

[fernandez21]

windows 8 looks pretty nice for a tablet os, but i don't like how it works with a mouse and keyboard.

[shn'g]

This calling everyone a copycat stuff is getting ridiculous. Everyone copies eachother.

When tablet OS first came out people thought it was a direct ripoff of webOS. webOS had gestures before the PB and also had the "card view".

So what? Did I say it was a bad thing? I actually like it and agree with others that it will eventually be on many devices because it just works and functions well with touch. I am just surprised at how much it is surrounding windows 8.. but will make for one nice OS! I can't wait. I loved windows 7 so 8 will be that much better

[avt123]

So what? Did I say it was a bad thing? I actually like it and agree with others that it will eventually be on many devices because it just works and functions well with touch. I am just surprised at how much it is surrounding windows 8.. but will make for one nice OS! I can't wait. I loved windows 7 so 8 will be that much better

The point is you are talking about Windows 8 copying QNX when QNX copied what it has from others. At least give credit to Palm lol.

Also, Windows 7 is nice. Metro UI is not IMO.

[belfastdispatcher]

I just installed it on my HP Mini but haven't had the chance to play with it yet. Looks nothing like QNX tho

[BitPusher2600]

How about the WindowMaker UI in X? That is nice

[anthogag]

To me it seems like they looked at the competition to see what works and used that in W8.

I like it. I'll definitely look for it in stores and try it

Will I need to run antivirus software? That's one big reason I switched to Mac. It's been a couple of years and I still don't run antivirus software (I don't visit 'shady' sites)

[sam_b77]

I don't care who copied whole, but that Windows 8 looks sweet.

I always thought that MS was the dark horse in the tablet space. The way that thing switches from full fledged desktop to tablet is just awesome. Windows 8 UI seems great too.

Apple would have a fight on its hands now. Even Mac OSX is getting old now and this time Apple wouldn't find it easy to deploy a completely new OS from the ground up as this time they have a big user base. Let's see how Apple handles innovation and legacy support.

[addicted44]

I think eventually all tablets will have/have swipe gestures with their OS. PlayBook, iPad, Future Windows 8 tablets. It's a universal idea?
Although I don't have it enabled on my iPad, it just makes me frustrated because it doesn't work correctly sometimes.

The iPad has had swipe gestures since the beginning (iOS5 made them accessible to the general public. Developers could turn it on in iOS4 through Xcode).

Swipe gestures are the most logical way to perform a ton of tasks on touchscreen devices, so you are absolutely right. Pretty much every platform will have them.

[KD4AO]

I installed windows 8 on my laptop and played a little until I got totally frustrated. If they go down that path it will make windows 7 like windows xp, last forever. No one will willingly convert a normal non-touch pc.

[sam_b77]

I installed windows 8 on my laptop and played a little until I got totally frustrated. If they go down that path it will make windows 7 like windows xp, last forever. No one will willingly convert a normal non-touch pc.

But the future is all touch.

Also the tablet turns into a win 7 interface when you want it to.

[kyleheney]

The more I see Windows 8, the more I like it and the more I feel like Microsoft and RIM should team up. Their OS' have similarities that could work together to build the ultimate mobile and home/business OS. Microsoft's partnerships with Ford could be greatly enhanced with QNX integration, leading to a revolution in automobile technology and global acceptance of these features.

In my opinion, Microsoft has the ability to put a dent in Apple's market share of tablets IF Windows 8 can take off on the PC end. If it gets as widely adopted as every other version of Windows (minus Vista), businesses and consumers alike will be using it and will start to look at Microsoft tablets as their way of mobilizing business because everything will be in sync and everything will function the same way. No converting, no copying, no nothing!

RIM can't overtake Apple or Google on its own. Even if BB10 is successful, the next iterations of iOS and Android will be as good as BB10 turns out to be, or better because of Apple and Google's seemingly endless cash flow and ability to innovate.

RIM needs a partner like Microsoft who already has such a presence in home computing (including television and gaming). Yes, everything is going mobile, however, we still use technology at our desks at work and in our homes. Seamless integration between all our devices is at the core of future technology (RE: the cloud!). RIM doesn't have that "desktop" or "home" aspect at all and without it I don't think they'll have large long-term success. The company that can do it all and integrate everything seamlessly (between home, work, phone, tablet, car, TV, etc) is the one that will be successful.

[Morten]

Windows 8 Beta: Hands-on with Microsoft's tablet-friendly OS | Mobile World Congress - CNET Reviews

So I just watched this review from cnet on upcoming windows 8. Is it just me or does that look a lot like the QNX operating system with all those hidden settings and swipe gestures?

QNX has Nothing to do with swipe or anything... QNX is the underlaying OS. All swiping/touching actions is controlled by the GUI which runs on top of the OS.
It used to be the fastest and most reliable communication (& multitasking) OS kernel more than 20 years ago. Some of the "old" modem based BBS systems were developed on top of QNX. One of the major things about QNX - is the plug-in architecture. The OS kernel itself is very small - and fast - and relies on "plug-in" processes to perform tasks. That makes it able to multitask better than most other kernels - It's like Unix on steroids. Today - QNX can also have a "network distributed architecture"/TDP which enables it to integrate processes running on different systems (qnet) - which makes it a very versatile multiprocessing kernel - multiprocessing processes on different systems - as a core function.

When I first got my licensed QNX, it was back in 1985, and was delivered on 1 diskette, and made for Intel 8086 (&compatible) CPU's.
Back then - not many tablets or touch screens existed...

[kg4icg]

If Windows 8 copied anything, it was from Windows Phone 7. That is where the Metro style was first presented on. I also have a HTC Arrive wp7 phone. As for multitouch, Microsoft has been experimenting with it since early 2003, and others before than in which everyone's favorite fruit can't claim.

[aznrice]

LOL blackberry fanboys are just worst as apple fanboys. the truth is, windows 8 tablets will destroy both ipad and playbook. windows 8 is the real deal not toy like iOS/android.

[Economist101]

LOL blackberry fanboys are just worst as apple fanboys. the truth is, windows 8 tablets will destroy both ipad and playbook. windows 8 is the real deal not toy like iOS/android.

This sounds so familiar. . .

"Windows Phone 7will destroy iOS, Android and BlackBerry. WP7 is the real deal not toy."

"Zune will destroy the iPod. Zune is the real deal not a toy."

And so it goes. . .

[grahamf]

The iPad has had swipe gestures since the beginning (iOS5 made them accessible to the general public. Developers could turn it on in iOS4 through Xcode).

Swipe gestures are the most logical way to perform a ton of tasks on touchscreen devices, so you are absolutely right. Pretty much every platform will have them.

Maybe, but Steve Jobs problably was upset when he saw the Playbook's bezel gestures vs the iPad's button.

[gxgs]

It must be that the playbook OS got the app switcher carousel with windows from the creativity of their its own developers hahaha, naive people nowadays...

[BerryClever]

To me, the PlayBook is not a true computer, and I don't need it or want it to be. I love the PlayBook and will take it everywhere, but I still need my Laptop. That said, I want to replace my *laptop* with a Windows 8 PC tablet. A 10 or so inch tablet that I can have a full Windows desktop on. That is what I am excited for. Guess what though, I would still bring and use my PlayBook because I would still need that median.

There is not one tablet that can compete with a laptop/desktop, that is just not the purpose of them right now. If a Windows 8 PC Tablet comes out that can compete with a laptop (think of a tablet the size of a closed ultra thin laptop and as powerful), then I believe that the Playbook (over Android and iOS) would be the best companion tablet for it. Windows 8 might just be a good thing for RIM.

I think that Windows 8 will be part of the evolution of the tablet to a full PC, and that there will still be a need for smaller companion tablets. RIM will fit in extremely well in that market, better than Android and even better than the iOS, imo.

[Blacklac]

Do some of you really not understand the Metro UI is for TOUCH ONLY devices? You CAN use it on a mouse/keyboard device (if you set it to that UI manually), but otherwise Win8 will be a tweaked Win7, full desktop style! Geez...

[kmcobra64]

I think its going to be so confusing swiping UP to close on playbook and DOWN to close on windows 8! haha

Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk

[blue_k]

Do some of you really not understand the Metro UI is for TOUCH ONLY devices? You CAN use it on a mouse/keyboard device (if you set it to that UI manually), but otherwise Win8 will be a tweaked Win7, full desktop style! Geez...

I installed the consumer preview on my desktop, and the start menu is Metro, and it looks like there is no way to change it, but then it screwed itself up after the first reboot, so I just reinstalled 7.

[Blacklac]

I installed the consumer preview on my desktop, and the start menu is Metro, and it looks like there is no way to change it, but then it screwed itself up after the first reboot, so I just reinstalled 7.

I guess you missed the "Desktop Tile"?