Your Windows 8 Ecosystem

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Hi Everyone

I wanted to start this thread because one of the major advantages to Windows 8 is the wide range of devices it can be installed on. The way I see it Windows 8 is not meant to be installed on just a single computer but rather provide users an ecosystem of devices to make there computing needs are as simple as possible.

My intended ecosystem goes like this:

1-Windows Phone 8.
I'm going to get a Lumia 900, but I want something that has expandable memory, dual cores (i know its not needed but think of how awesome it will be), and higher resolution. The Lumia 900 likely will get upgraded to Windows Phone 8, but will lack the features i mentioned above and NFC support also. This will be useful for beam file transfers between a phone and tablet.

2-Home Desktop Computer
I'll probably build a new computer with this as I would like a 2nd generation i7 computer, but I think windows 8 on a desktop is still a must for every home. The UI might be cumbersome at first for a desktop, but the performance is unmatched. Providing a remote desktop will also be extremely useful (more on this later).

3-Tablet
Now here is where things could go 2 ways. I have another thread comparing the differences between Intel's cloverfield processors vs WOA (windows on ARM) systems. If you want a full x86 system it would be best to go with the cloverfield processor, however I think these will be more expensive and likely have worse battery life than their WOA counterparts. My ideal tablet would be something very similar to the ASUS Transformer Prime. I like the idea of a keyboard, trackpad, and extend battery addition to a tablet when needed. If a remote desktop solution similar to splashtop comes out on the market for WOA I will definitely get a WOA system. For most tasks the WOA will provide all power needed, and if more is required for games or access to legacy software I'll just remote into my desktop to use over wifi or LTE.

I specifically mentioned splashtop because it is the only remote desktop software I have found on my iPad 2 that offers great frame rates. I can watch movies on my iPad which look like I am sitting at my computer. This would be great for gaming if the iPad would support a mouse. Window 8 won't have that downfall.

I have been going back and forth with this decision, but what made it clear was the ability to have an ecosystem. Cloverfield systems will likely offer netbook type performance which really isn't enough for my everyday needs. I think these systems would be ideal for college students who can afford to only have a single system, however as a working professional I can afford to get more.

4-Xbox 720 (360 2, ???)
I hope the next generation xbox has the windows 8 kernal built into it also. I think it is likely because Microsoft seems to be pushing this ecosystem concept for their next gen software. I also hope it has the same capabilities I have with my Ipad 2 and Apple TV. For example I use this program called AirVideo on my desktop/iPad. This program can transcode any video format (mkv/avi/divx/etc) seemlessly and stream it to my ipad. From my ipad I can use AirPlay to send it to my Apple TV. It is a great hassle free way to get videos from my comp to my big screen without losing quality. i hope windows 8 offers something like this.

Most Notable Devicies I left off.

Kinect Based Systems:
HTPC
I do not see a need for kinect on desktop unless it is a HTPC. A kinect system on a HTPC would offer great controls for viewing TV content, offer a liable way to Skype from your couch, and forever solve the problem of where did you put your remote. HTPCs and Kinect systems go so well it is mind boggling they have no been bundled together before.

Laptop
I have heard rumors that high end laptops will have there webcam replaced by built in kinect sensors. I think this would be really useful on laptops as it offers another mouse input method other than the installed trackpad. While I do not see kinect systems as useful on desktops, I think it could have advantages on a laptop. This is mainly due the portability of a laptop.

A laptop in general would also be a way to combine 2 devices I have on my current ecosystem. With a laptop you won't need a desktop and a tablet as it kind of combines the two. A laptop offers full computing on x86 architecture and still offers portability, however as we all know, it isn't as powerful as a desktop (around the same price point),\ and not as portable as a tablet.



Well thats my ecosystem. I guess you can say I'm going to be going full on metro at some point this year, but at least it will be in a good way . What do you guys have in mind?

right now, i am having an eco system in my house, with a client Windows 7 PC - Windows Phone 7.5 and XBOX 360 + Kinect. I have a TV in my house, which is hooked up with the network line, so i can use the HTC Connected Media to steam the movie from my Hard Drive on PC to the TV without touching the computer.
Or listen to music from hard drive through XBOX in the same way. I just like it this way. Looking forward for the Beta/RC of Windows 8

give it a try

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Thank you very much, give it a try