what's next for windows?

unwashed potato! · 11 Jan 2017 at 00:26

now with win10 no longer a newly released OS, i've been wondering what the future holds for windows OS.

android with it's yearly updates feels like something is always changing, with the android i/o in spring, then the device announcements in autumn from google with the release then a little later, android feels like it's always moving forward, though lately with much smaller updates it still feels like it's going places.

windows i just don't get excited about any more and whatever news i hear just seems more technical and tweaking than actual advances. I guess i should give windows some respect for getting to a place that it's pretty much made everything decent and now no big improvements are needed, however it's a shame as it's boring to think in 3 years time i'll be on a newer laptop looking at an OS that looks, feels and behaves exactly like this one.

anyone any ideas with what's next? i've heard win10 will be the last version and from now on it'll just be windows with constant updates and we pay a subscription fee. any more word on this?

AHarvey · 11 Jan 2017 at 00:56

A couple of things I'd like that I've been saying for years, the ability to have windows profiles at the click of a button. CLICK - gaming profile, CLICK - office profile, CLICK - image editing. Just have a profile that cuts back on unnecessary processes or system demands allowing you to give everything to the task at hand.

I'd also like a "basic" and an "advanced" version. Something that gives the simplest options for setting up and tweaking for people like my mum, and then more in-depth options for tweaking etc for advanced users.

Better integration with other OS's may be on the cards as well, especially mobile.

It's kind of hard to know what to expect. I use win 8.1 at work, I've used Win 10 but I am still running Win 7 at home because i find it easier to work with. Such drastic differences between them too. I just hope it doesn't get even more simple.

unwashed potato! · 11 Jan 2017 at 02:02

i like the idea for basic and advanced versions/user accounts. a user account that is almost just like chrome OS would be great as then could set it up for family members that need nothing but email and a browser as i imagine now many many users only need now.

i feel touch is still incredicly rubbish in windows. i'm on a surface 3, and find chrome to be the best browser but touch on it is non existant. edge although better (but not great) for touch, is still a rubbish browser for my needs.

DONOHUE07 · 11 Jan 2017 at 03:39

I would like to see a windows version slimmed down a dedicated to gaming

Casdawer · 11 Jan 2017 at 10:15

AHarvey said:
*snip*

Completely agree with this.

There are applications which switch off certain processes for better performance but if Microsoft could create their own one which would probably be a little more fine tuned, it would be great.

Hopefully as they're pushing Xbox to be a service rather than just a console, they may do something along this line (maybe their own version of Steam Big Picture?)

foster grant · 11 Jan 2017 at 13:24

DONOHUE07 said:
I would like to see a windows version slimmed down a dedicated to gaming

+1

yeah that would be interesting to see what they would come up with

I would also like windows to come with more dark themes so I can get rid of that horrible white windows lark , maybe something like linux has out of the box as it were

spoffle · 11 Jan 2017 at 13:34

AHarvey said:
A couple of things I'd like that I've been saying for years, the ability to have windows profiles at the click of a button. CLICK - gaming profile, CLICK - office profile, CLICK - image editing. Just have a profile that cuts back on unnecessary processes or system demands allowing you to give everything to the task at hand.

This isn't necessary because Windows already does this automatically. A lot people just don't realise it. The seem RAM usage and for some reason get upset that Windows is using "too much" RAM.

Also, the unnecessary processes thing isn't really a real thing. Windows doesn't have any processes that actually bog a system down. If there's something bogging a computer down, 9 times of 10 it's due to malware or other software that the user has installed eating up CPU cycles.

llamadal · 11 Jan 2017 at 14:21

android always moving forward? How so? Other than lots of bloat, it hasn't really changed much for years.

The biggest issue for windows is that it's got to function for every possible use across an endless number of components worldwide.

I'd like to have more flexibility during installation, chose to not have certain bits not installed in the first place.

MooMoo444 · 11 Jan 2017 at 15:24

foster grant said:
+1

yeah that would be interesting to see what they would come up with

I would also like windows to come with more dark themes so I can get rid of that horrible white windows lark , maybe something like linux has out of the box as it were

Can you not make a custom one?

Rroff · 11 Jan 2017 at 15:28

MooMoo444 said:
Can you not make a custom one?

Windows 10 has removed a lot of theme customisation options - which sucks as I hate the default one and with the constant changing nature of Windows 10 you can't guarantee compatibility with 3rd party theme engines after an update.

Admiral Huddy · 11 Jan 2017 at 15:35

Over the last few years or so, i've seen Windows drift in to limbo between the tightness of iOS and the freedom of Linux but it needs to have it's own place rather than trying to act and behave like the others and failing miserably.

Windows 10 is a step in the right direction, it listened to the community by reinstating the start menu and trimmed the fat by becoming a little more slimmer but it needs to be a little more.... but i don't know what ..

foster grant · 12 Jan 2017 at 09:17

MooMoo444 said:
Can you not make a custom one?

I personally cant no, but for £100+ I want them already in the OS to use if I so wish

Rroff · 12 Jan 2017 at 14:14

Admiral Huddy said:
Windows 10 is a step in the right direction, it listened to the community by reinstating the start menu and trimmed the fat by becoming a little more slimmer but it needs to be a little more.... but i don't know what ..

They seriously need to overhaul the app and windows store implementation so its actually a useful, flexible method of dealing with programs and naturally becomes the de facto way of installing programs/setting up the OS environment in general so that you could simply login on a new install and easily setup all your programs, etc.

The start menu needs another level of customisation options including things like proper group management and better ability to rearrange things, etc. so people can better customise it to suit their usage whether that is an ultra lightweight simple menu or a complex fullscreen variant, etc.

Windows explorer needs to be brought back to something closer to Windows 7 with the ability to add in ribbon functionality and quick options as the user requires - one thing that would be quite useful is replacing the ribbon bar with one that can be swiped left and right on touchscreen devices to get to the different groups of controls/management tools required for working with files.

TheVoice · 14 Jan 2017 at 16:57

AHarvey said:
A couple of things I'd like that I've been saying for years, the ability to have windows profiles at the click of a button. CLICK - gaming profile, CLICK - office profile, CLICK - image editing. Just have a profile that cuts back on unnecessary processes or system demands allowing you to give everything to the task at hand.

Lots of third-party applications have been providing a similar thing for years, but realistically how much difference is shutting down some non-critical processes going to make on a modern machine?

That said, they're introducing a Gaming Mode in the next big Win10 update.

Rroff · 14 Jan 2017 at 17:08

^^ Depends a bit - I keep my gaming system tidy - remove all the extraneous processes every application seems to want to install these days, etc. a gaming mode wouldn't really do much - but some people have 100s of programs installed along with their inevitable background/helper processes and loads of other stuff running and it would probably make more odds then.

Swifty55 · 17 Jan 2017 at 18:55

Lol. Stopping extra processes for games was so Windows XP!

Glaucus · 17 Jan 2017 at 19:00

whats next is well documented, you can even try it out through the insider program, there is now a yearly or more than yearly update. Next one is in spring, called the creators update. Then the next big update is likely fall 2017

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/expect-windows-10-creators-115720767.html

around the same time we should also see the first tablet running full w10 on an arm (qualcom 835 chip) which will run an and all windows programs eg x86.

oh and those wanting to switch stuff of when gaming that's coming in the creators update, It'll switch off notification, free up ram etc. we should hear more details soon(tm)