How touchy Microsoft windows 8 going to be?

If you haven't heard it, it might be the end of desktops as we know it! Microsoft as we know it is introducing windows 8 as an operating system with touch mechanisms meant for tablets and laptop hybrids. I am not sure what's going on with desktops.

see more: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upgrade-...181655490.html

My question to the guild wars community is what do you think? would you play guild wars on your current desktop or on one of these hybrids?

If I had a poll what would you prefer windows 8 should be on:

A) Desktop
B) Laptop (Hybrid)
C) Desktop and Laptop (Hybrid)
D) Tablet

Your worrying about nothing, MS dominates home computing for software, and will for many years to come, but it only makes sense as 1 of the biggest software developers to get into a market that is up and coming, and tablets are all the rage at the moment, hense there windows 8 ( touch screen )

I dont see tablets doing away with home desktops/laptops any time in the foreseeable future.

I can see touchscreens eventually replacing the mouse as the pointing device of choice, but it won't be widespread for at least a decade for home PC's due to the cost implications.

I can only hope it dies the same horrible death that vista did.

I for one wont be using them...I have a keyboard and know how to use is as well as a mouse! (not to mention my hubby is in IT--he has expressed concerns that we are backtracking with these kinds of things).

Touchscreens have a place. Admittedly, it's mostly in kiosks, EPOS, smartphones and tablets. What I actually expect to happen in the next decade is a much refined version of something like Kinect, coupled with 3d screens. Or, and this is at the very fringe of likelyhood currently due to cost, 3d holographic projection.

I've started reading more into windows 8 and yeah there will be no business software for windows 8. It's software is purely for the consumer. It's a flop compared to apple.

Microsoft has no taste or culture when developing new software.

Have any of you used Windows 8 yet?

There's a free image available for anyone to download right now which is aimed at Software developers. Microsoft has not done away with desktop style OS, you can have both, you can have the option of using your operating system like a tablet or you can switch to desktop view and keep using it like you have before. Windows 8 is a very good operating system at the moment and it's still very early to determine it's final product.

I thought hating on Microsoft wasn't cool any more.

Hate is too much of a strong word. It may sound like I hate Microsoft, but really I just don't like their style. I will continue to use their products like the xbox and OS.

Bottom line, there is two ways of knowing what you like about the company. One way is the products and services. The other, is their approach and philosophy. Apple has these ways secured like peanut butter and jelly. Microsoft, well Microsoft is just Microsoft.

You must be joking right?

Do you even know what you're talking about? Apple is probably one of the worst technology companies in the world, from law suits, touchy user agreements, trade secrets, conspiracies of torture, etc, they are pure evil, not to mention they're so called leader has never given a penny to charity.

Microsoft on the other hand, is the opposite of that... Stop living in the 1980s/90s please.

Microsoft have maybe gotten better in the ten last years, but they are still bully. When does it become cool to like Microsoft...

Franco I wasn't even born or knew how to use computers at that time frame. Maybe, you know too much about what you know about that time with Apple, but I don't. If you do bring up the articles I would love to read them to prove your side of the story.

Did I say anything offensive that is due from lack of knowledge? Microsoft is run by Steve Ballmer now. I have respect for Bill Gates, but when he left, he left with his vision and design. I have no clue what the effect of Steve Ballmer will have on Microsoft. As for windows 8 it's hard to explain.

If they do come out with touch screen monitors for desktops I rather have the mouse and keyboard and a plain monitor. I am not a fan of touch screens. Do you know how many people don't wash their hands after using the washroom, bite their fingernails, pick their nose, scratch their behind, cough on their hand etc. and touch these devices?

I am not bias when talking about technology, but when it comes to ergonomics and cleanliness there is certain technology i stay away from.

Windows 8 is 100% enhanced for touch until you flip the switch and make it just like Windows 7. The base inter face makes no sense at all with mouse a example is clicking and swiping up to log in.

You can turn off metro.

The touch interface work just fine with mouse.

Win8 consumer preview is 10 times snappier then Win7, at least on my pc.

A decade ago, I remember seeing someone moving pictures around and adjusting the size, adding things, removing things, etc. He was standing, using a panel on a podium, and his work was being shown on a big monitor. I thought it was the neatest thing. Nowadays, with phones to tablets, it's normal. I expect this to eventually be as intuitive as using those.

The questions for me is how much will larger touch panels cost, what will be comfortable position for it, kb, and mouse...?

It probably wont be as bad as vista. But there will be bugs! Many, many, many bugs. It's MS!

Can't Wait.

Touchscreens replacing the mouse? Ridiculous idea.

Greasy sausages (fingers) are just hoplessly slow and innacurate pointing devices, compared to using a mouse. They also obscure what you're working on, on the screen.

They're fine for toy computers like tablets, running dumbed-down-for-touchscreens software (ie. "apps")... but tablets are a very SMALL fraction of the computer market.

Try convincing say, office workers (a very LARGE fraction of the computer market) to either wave their arms at their desktop monitors, or hunch over a tablet display... all day, every day... to do their email, word processing, spreadsheets, photoshop, web design, programming, etc etc. It's just not gonna work.

Touchscreens may be dead or priced out of the consumer market in 5 years or so anyway... unless they either a) find a new wonder material to replace Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), that is as cheap, transparent, conductive, robust and manufacturing-friendly or b) make existing alternative materials economically and industrially viable, etc.

(worldwide indium supplies are expected to be exhausted by 2020, so the race is on to find a replacement material - otherwise prices of touchscreens and everything else dependent on ITO will rise dramatically, well before 2020).

Anyway, I'll be playing GW2 on a desktop computer. There's no place for touchie stuff here, it would suck.

well Said ^

Just want to add to that, this technology will never go well with the fast-paced keyboard and mouse. Its faster to get things done with keyboard and mouse than the old fingers on display. (Shamwow all over again)

Err... you do realise that in the absence of a touchscreen, those same dirty people will use your keyboard and mouse instead?

You do realize that the personal computer (PC) is a desktop and (is meant to be personal) even so they would have to get allowed in my home to use it.

So far I've not been impressed with Windows 8. Don't care for the Metro UI either.

Wouldn't the touchscreen computer be also at your home?