Disclaimer: This poll is not conducted by Microsoft. At the time of this writing, there is no official announcement from Microsoft regarding the new features of Windows 8.
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I want to be sure all features that have a fair chance of receiving a significant number of votes in this Windows 8 poll are included, so I created a brainstorming list with all possible enhancements I could think of. Some of you have already mentioned your wishes in previous posts in my Windows 8 series. I included them in a short version in this post. (Let me know if I missed something.)
If you have a blog, you can just copy my list here and ask your readers on your site. If there is enough interest, we could run the final poll on multiple blogs simultaneously by using an online poll service. I suppose this increases the chance that someone at Microsoft will take a look at the results. If you are interested in running this poll on your blog, please contact me.
If you have ideas for additional features that should be on this list, please post a comment below or send me message.
Please only make proposals for major changes. The list would get much too long if we include remedies for every tiny Windows annoyance.
Also note that this poll is only for the next client version of Windows. Although some of the enhancements mentioned here might involve changes for Windows Server, they are essentially client features.
If you think that some of the feature descriptions in the list below are unclear or could be expressed in a better way, please tell me. And if you think a feature shouldn't appear in this list, for instance because it is too specific, please let me know that too.
I didn't sort the feature list because the poll software will arrange the list automatically according to the number of votes. So the order in this list doesn't express any preferences.
You have time to come up with your ideas until the final poll launches. (I will link to it from here.) This is your chance to express your wishes before Windows 8 is released. Complaining after the release is easy but is more or less useless. So please speak up now!
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Windows 8 wish list poll
- No changes (let's stay with what we know)
- Less bloat
- Maximized number of new features
- Better support for different form factors (touch, very small screen sizes, device orientation, etc.)
- Radical new user interface (better than iOS or Android)
- Users choose between different user interfaces
- Fewer Windows editions
- More Windows editions
- Maximized hardware compatibility
- Maximized software compatibility
- Seamless upgrade from Vista and Windows 7
- Security improvements
- Stability improvements
- Performance improvements
- Improved energy efficiency (power consumption)
- Better modularity (allow users to install only components they really need, like in Linux)
- Third-party patch management through Microsoft Update
- Integrated application virtualization
- Windows Store (buy approved Windows apps in Microsoft's online store)
- Integrated application streaming (launch Windows apps from internal or external cloud)
- Cloud APIs (third-party apps store data in the cloud through Windows APIs)
- Kinect support (interact with apps using gestures without touching hardware)
- Facial recognition for Windows logon
- Instant-On (zero boot time)
- Restore function (restore Windows to original state without losing personal data)
- Integrated malware protection
- Improved UAC (more configuration options, features like sudo in Linux, etc.)
- BitLocker for all Windows 8 editions
- Better backup software (tape support, select files, etc.)
- Standby mode for hard disks (on demand, timer)
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I dont know if these are major features, but it is really missed in my organisation:
– Integrated virtual desktop support
– Better support for multiple monitors, ie a separate process bar for each monitor.
Soren, wouldn’t VDI support be a server feature? Do you mean that Windows should have a separate taskbar for each monitor?
Random ideas… may be to specific
-Even more robust and safer GPO (preferences-style objects for everything -GPO objects managed with fewer “text based” interfaces -Add GUI interfaces) -I guess this is more server based than client
-A easier way to deal with Default Profiles -improve Profile management in general.
-Remote desktop (access) from mobile devices
-MDOP tools without Software Assurance
-Fewer reboots when applying updates
-Multiple active profiles on a machine (1 at the console, 1 or more remote access -shared access for collaboration)
-Open the source code
-make the whole OS portable (pull the HD from laptop to Desktop to mobile device)
-Lower the price
Less clicking to accomplish admin tasks
The return of the ‘Connect to’ menu to the Task Bar instead of being from the system tray – why add mouse clicks to a simple task
The ability to add Printer Ports in the Printers folder, not having to use a MMC to accomplish this.
The ability to have Log off as the default on the Start – Shut Down menu.
Others too numerous to mention.
Thanks! Some interesting ideas.
Integrated Hyper-V in the client, ala Citrix XenClient.
Replacements for Notepad, WordPad, Paint. Something along the lines of Paint.Net
SSH client (server for the server versions).
A migration strategy from Windows XP and 32 bit versions of Windows XP/Vista/7 thats more comfortable and seamless.
More than 50% of users are still running 32 bit Windows, 85 percent of businesses are still running Windows XP. Not everyone is up for it, provide a much easier upgrade path that does require too many pre-requisite tasks.
“Soren, wouldn’t VDI support be a server feature? Do you mean that Windows should have a separate taskbar for each monitor?”
I didn’t mean VDI, but more like multiple virtual desktops – like the free tools that exist, just included with Windows. And much more polished.
How about an integrated RAM disk tool? Would be nice for some stuff. SuperSpeed.com’s product is kinda expensive.
Brad, do you mean a baremetal hypervisor?
Andre, good point. Added.
Soren, got you. You mean something like Remote Desktop Connection Manager
I think the problem with putting applications on the wish list is that it would get too long. There are simply too many Windows tools out there. This is why I am considering putting only core OS features on the list.
Would be nice if we could
2 option of copy paste
Copy paste 1
Copy paste 2
would be very useful 🙂
Thanks
A Better help
like add to the right click
so if one needs help on something they can right click on it. oh and it has to actually help them.
and better Error messages not some number or such and such stopped working tell us what it is…