US DoD to start using Windows 8 and Office 2013, buys $617 million worth of licenses

Official source: http://www.defense.gov//news/newsarticle.aspx?id=118887

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I wonder how much MS had to push to get that deal done. Obviously the DoD doesn't read much, or else they wouldn't invest over half a billion in a slowly fading OS. At least MS can pad their statistics now and pretend people actually care about the thing.

 

BIG Contract, indeed...

 

more government waste
does this surprise anyone?

 

I feel terribly sad for all those people being forced to use it

 

That depends. No, replacing Windows XP machines in the staff offices isn't a bad idea whatsoever. Mission critical machines though, that's entirely different. They're going to have to spend even more just on training staff and doing everything else that comes with transferring over to new systems, then time and money is going to go into locking these systems down tight, which will depend on where they are used, what for and so on. Windows 8 is also a bad idea for them because "what lies beneath" is basically an unknown. It isn't in major use by anyone, so it hasn't gone through it's trial by fire yet...and we're putting it in very high national security situations (likely, knowing the brass)?

There is a big difference in consumer/corporate security and national security. Throwing on an OS that hasn't even had a chance to pay its dues yet isn't a bright idea. But, as I know all too well from personal experience, Washington does what Washington does It might turn out just fine, God knows the current situation isn't the best in the world. But I sure wouldn't do it before I got control of the overall lack of proper security procedure that plague many installations (which itself is not just due to people being nitwits, but lack of decent funding as well).

 

MS, like GM is largely subsidized by our govt. They swoop in and save the day on an OS that is having terrible sales, and poor market penetration. Especially doing this when there are free, secure OS's available for those govt machines. Fleet purchases are saving GM, billions of dollars in fleet sales.. <sigh>

Great govt. we have, right?

 

It's not that simple, sadly. The staff for the most part isn't stupid, they can learn the new OS itself fairly quickly. The problem comes, and if you've ever been in a corporate environment you'll know, the other programs that interact with that OS can cause lots of problems. Just because the OS might work well on its own, doesn't mean it's going to get along with the f**kton of other special programs that are all over military computers, and that's just one branch or even certain units within that branch. You don't just switch everybody over to the OS, make sure they can handle Metro and call it a day. There's already enough griping within the military about the powers that be constantly screwing with deploying new programs, deciding to do things one way for 3 months and then change their mind 3 months later. It's going to be painful, believe me, and the weeping and gnashing of teeth will be plentiful for some people.

 

I think it's actually a case of MS making damn sure it's multi-million/billion dollar contracts keep rolling along. It's much easier to maintain a stranglehold on the OS market in the U.S than elsewhere. I'm not saying your wrong, because you really aren't. But usually it's MS being MS. The last thing they need is the government dropping Windows and going all Linux, especially at a time when the newest baby in the maternity ward is already in the neonatal ICU.

 

I remember that a local county (or something like that) in Sweden did switch over to Linux, but after a couple of years (or even less time) they switched back to Windows since some things simply didn't work out as expected.

 

I have a better and more accurate analogy. The baby is getting way stronger each day after a somewhat troubled pregnancy.

 

When you have people not buying Win8, despite the generously discounted price, someone has to buy it...

Otherwise, this will only become worse...

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2023639/update-windows-8s-early-uptake-lags-behind-vistas.html

With the DOD figures, the next months, MS will be able to say "look, it's selling well now!".

 

Hmm, yes, right in time for MS to pop out baby "Blue". My crystal ball shows Windows 8 to go live with its Uncle Sam, while its parents pamper and proudly show off their new pride and joy. Unless Blue is nothing but vaporware, why would you bothering buying 8 at this point until you know exactly what Blue will be?

@Fuzzfas: No, no one has to buy it. Why would most corporations do so when they've only in the last year maybe finally moved to Windows 7? Home consumers don't have to buy it if they either don't like it or don't have any need for it. And no, being faster or more secure doesn't equal need to the masses. They don't care what MS has to have, they care what they have to have. They don't need to worry much though, eventually the pirated copies will start booting up in China and other areas so MS can have their precious numbers. What will look incredibly pathetic is no one bothering to pirate it, which is admittedly not a likely scene that will play out.

 

Exactly. And moreover, why pass to 8, knowing that Blue is around the corner and have to deal with all the infancy problems (drivers, application compatibility, live with Metro, buy the various Start of 8, just to ditch it as soon as things will be getting smoother, because Blue will be out? With Blue you 'll have to do it from scratch again. This is like distro-hopping in Linux...

 

Why should I base my decisions on "Blue"? I don't care about "Blue", it's just an unconfirmed rumor at the moment.

Plus, I firmly believe:

(i) If "Blue" happens to be a new version of Windows; and
(ii) If this new version gets released less than 2 years after Windows 8;
(iii) It will then be free for those who bought Windows 8.

 

It's gotten enough attention that I don't see it as a rumor. The bad part? It'll still have Metro, though much more configurable. It might be free for Windows 8 users, you're right..for a drop in the OS ocean of people It'll get released very soon if this slow adoption keeps up. It was supposedly meant for early this year, but we all know that doesn't mean much.

 

Until Microsoft confirms it, it's a rumor. And everything on your post are conjectures based on an unconfirmed rumor. Do not miss-use "attention" as something to distinguish rumors from facts.

 

i don't see what most people are bitching about.

Win 8 is a better and faster OS than Win 7.
and the 40$ upgrade price is a no-brainer.

 

Guess who was the 2nd biggest contributor to the Obama campaign last year? (hint: MS). I don't want to get into politics here, but, kinda makes you wonder, doesn't it...

 

It's rumour, but there is evidence that points in the direction of 8 not having "long life" as we know it at least. The price for starters is more than 50% discounted compared to previous versions of Windows. This would make sense if this Windows won't live long enough before a successor comes. Add to that, that MS is changing her policy in Office too, in favour of subscription that come cheaper and all points to one thing: MS wants shorter circles for cheaper price. Prefers to collect less money from each customer, but more often.

Also, if "Blue" was a lie, i 'd expect MS to come out and deny. Costs nothing and would help sales of Win8. Makes no sense leaving a malicious rumour penalize your brand new OS' sales, does it?

I bet at Redmond the markering deparment wonders the same thing. "What do they want after all? That we give it away for free?!"

 

It's "misuse", by the way, since you're worrying about how I'm saying things. Furthermore, I didn't present anything as "fact". Furthermore and last, there's enough information available to see that Blue isn't that much rumor, and, yes, if it really were, MS would have already been all over it because as Fuzzfas said, the rumor would have a negative effect on an already poorly received OS. Regardless, I'm not putting money into something that looks to be going the way of Vista and has a chance of being replaced several months from now. You can do as your please of course

 

I'm absolutely not worrying about how you say things. When I really worry about something, I tend to call authorities. Also, I didn't correct your grammar or orthography, I simply pointed to your logical flaw (the perceived or measured attention doesn't distinguish a rumor from a fact) and recommended for you to not make this error. BTW, thanks for the correction, "misuse" seems better, although "miss-use" is also included in the Opera's English dictionary for some reason.