Do you like the all new Windows 8 Release Preview?

then I guess I shouldn't be running their OS

 

An interesting part of what you quoted is... We may change or discontinue certain apps or content offered in the Windows Store at any time, for any reason. Sometimes, we do so to respond to legal or contractual requirements. In cases where your security is at risk, or where we’re required to do so for legal reasons[...].

If the security side of the thing wasn't an issue, that alone would be an issue. I especially love the for legal reasons. I'm yet to see what this for legal reasons will mean, but that's something I'll be seeing in the future.

Anyway, if the killswitch will come as part of any Metro application, then it won't be much of a concern, but if it's part of Windows 8 itself, then it's of concern... to those who are concerned.

Well, first of all, the Windows/Microsoft update mechanism doesn't remove your applications, and your data, at any given time, for any reason... and, especially not without a valid reason. lol Or, does it? Second, and as pointed out earlier by me and others, the Windows/Microsoft Update mechanism can be disabled entirely. Are you seeing any difference?

And, it's not about trusting Microsoft; it's about wanting vs not wanting such a backdoor/what-ever-you-like-to-call-it.

I've mentioned that it would be a great thing, provided it was meant to only remove malicious Metro applications, and only if it came as part of those very same Metro applications. But, the thing is, they (Microsoft) can also remove those very same applications, for legal reasons. It won't be Microsoft and/or other U.S corporation/government dictacting the rest of the world about what's legal or illegal.

I mentioned it sometime ago in some other thread, where this killswitch was mentioned, and that was that I hope Microsoft makes such a distinction - U.S vs the rest of the world.

 

As for the topic of the poll - no, I don't really like win8 that much.

As to one reason why I don't like it..

Yes, I am aware it applies to metro products from the metro store, or whatever that is or will be exactly. I realize it is supposed to stay there.

@TheWindBringeth

You are correct, I used "port" as a generalization because I don't really know.

@Hungry

I am going to assume here one of 2 things. A - the service is a listening service, so that the "kill" command could be sent when an issue arises (much like the OPs article and google did) OR B - the service initiates the communication on a time or boot based schedule. I don't know which it is. If it is B then perhaps it will be possible to turn it off, or block it. If it is A, well, that is not, in my book, a good feature that I want on my machines with my personal data.

Regarding Linux and apt-get, I suppose I would have to examine it in more detail. Sounds like something of benefit and user initiated. I don't mind the technology of keeping code up to date etc. I simply don't like the idea of a hole into my machine that I have no control over.

I can't say I really distrust microsoft. I have grown to accept windows as the standard that most people use. Sure, it is expensive, and buggy, and gets malware/virii easily, but it is still an easy to use OS that the majority of the world can use. The problem is that they make it so easy, you don't have to know a thing. Of course they want this, it equals $$$, so why not make a back door to "help" people - so many don't, won't, can't, don't have to worry about "what and why". They would be more than happy to let microsoft handle thier issues for them. But that doesn't mean we all do. It doesn't mean the potential "help" they intended won't cause problems. So, I don't know if trust is the right word in this context. I trust them to make a product that will be pretty good, and allow me to do lots of things I need to do, which will work with most of my hardware, etc etc. But I am not so sure I trust them to have a backdoor into the OS - that is, I am not sure I trust them to keep that backdoor safe - not what they might do with it.

I am just not comfortable with microsoft and security. They have shown time and time again that while they can provide the tools to have decent security, they don't often like to employ it for thier customers because it means they can't just "click and go". They don't want thier users to be forced to learn essentials, they are fearful of losing them. Why would I expect this to be any different?

Sul.

 

If it's a feature that is supposed to remove malicious Metro apps, it needs to be resilient/resistant (like MSE) otherwise malicious apps would disable it (BTW, Metro apps are sandboxed by default). I'm sure they won't put something easily circumvented, let alone exploited.

I think Dvorak started this insane storm in a teacup.

 

At the end of it all, the facts will be revealed. If the technology is a glaring hole ripe for exploit, I personally will move on to other offerings. We don't know yet what the final result will be, we base our opinions on conjecture to a large degree. Lets hope it is as you describe

I am going on about my business until this releases and has some months under its belt. Then we will see what has been found in real world use by a large number of people.

Sul.

 

I wouldn't pay SOMEONE ELSE to touch Windows 8 with a mile long pole much less consider making it my primary OS.

This is the first I've heard of "Kill Switch", what are the people at MS smoking these days? It's like, "From the people who brought you buttons big enough to chest bump, it's Random Unauthorized Modification of your system!"

Every time I hear about Windows 8 I feel more and more determined to avoid it and urge everyone else to do the same.

Moral of the story?
Windows 8 is garbage and never trust the purple elephant (Pink is the way to go he knows whats up).

 

To urge everyone else to do the same you will have to bring up better arguments than simple name-calling. The feature that is being called "Killswitch" has a legitimate purpose and it was first introduced by Google, Apple and Amazon - you can find this feature in their operating systems. Microsoft is just accompanying the direction of the industry and the market. Also, the "killswitch" is a feature of the Windows Store, not of Windows 8 per se - it's only valid for Metro apps.

 

I believe you said it best:

Windows 8 needs supporters because it doesn't HAVE ANY.

Windows 8 is a tablet duck-taped to a PC because Microsoft is focusing on the tablet market and believes they can just copy and paste one OS onto another and make a "Unified interface for all systems" when all they've really done is break one interface by taping a tablet on top of it.

Furthermore, Killswitches are inherently wrong they are a bad solution that should not be implemented and when you couple this with Microsoft's ability to code things to be insecure you are begging for trouble.

 

Windows 8 = Oversized OS of Nokia Lumina

 

I think I already responded to this wrong generalization. Still waiting for your answers to the points I made in the other thread.

Please explain objectively why they are a bad solution. As for "Microsoft's ability to code things to be insecure", it's quite the contrary atm: they have the best brains to code things to be secure.

 

I have no doubt that Microsoft knows how to patch a vulnerability when it is found but if Microsoft truly knew how to code things to be secure, we would not be seeing all those security updates each month.

 

They have the best resources and are applying them better than everyone else according to some experts like Marc Maiffret. Also, more popularity means more scrutiny.

 

And this is already being discussed here: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=325560

HP won't release ARM-based tablets with Windows RT but HP will still release products based on AMD/Intel chips running Windows 8.

 

1. This is not a generalization it is a very specific opinion. For it to be generalization it would have to be "All OS user interfaces suck" or something equivalent, as I have used Windows 8 and experienced the above quote first hand it is not a generalization or wrong it is an opinion.

2. What points? I'm gonna need a quote or a link because I saw no points..

Let's accept the following as facts:

1. Users should be encouraged to learn about malware
2. Users should be encouraged to learn how to prevent malware
3. Malware prevention is the key to security (Removal is secondary)
4. Users should be informed when malware is found on their system
5. User data should be protected

So let's look at the KillSwitch and why it doesn't do these things:

1. KillSwitch is not advertised within Windows 8 and so no "Learning" takes place.

2. KillSwitch doesn't encourage people to prevent malware in any way it in fact moves in the opposite direction by promoting corporations over the end user (Because Microsoft knows best right?)

3. It removes dangerous software AFTER the fact.

4. The user will not be informed or asked permission when the action takes place.

5. It acknowledges that it can remove bad things BUT the terms do not explicitly state WHAT is bad.

Take all of this into account and you realize that KillSwitch is not only dangerous but an aggressive breach on user rights. Furthermore, it puts power into the hands of people who wish to use it to their own ends and who's own "Anti-Piracy" technology caused vasts amount of false positives.

So picture this your business is running off an application that you use for databases and WHAM Microsoft pulls the app (For whatever reason), will you be compensated for the purchase of the app? Yes. Will you be compensated for any business delays caused? No. How about loss of user data? Nope.

Fortunately we live in a world where bad decisions are never made, all people have purely good intentions, and computer programs never give us false positives or wrong answers right?

Oh, wait... WE DON'T!

 

Are you all twisted or what? The original question to the Poll was do you like the windows 8 release preview? as per you've all decided to ignore the question and rabbit on about some other ****!.. it's getting extremely tedious here, nobody can stick to one simple point, So whats your problems?