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Does 8 do MORE?

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Any indication that 8 will be able to monitor home heating, security, be a weather station, replace a net-connected remote control, do blood pressure or other medical aps,etc… in other words, move beyond the now traditional tasks?

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Clarifications

In reply to Does 8 do MORE?

Clarifications

You will have to wait and see…

In reply to Does 8 do MORE?

NT.

Why would any of those things be built into the OS?

In reply to Does 8 do MORE?

Does you home heating system have a way to communicate to computers in the first place?

All those things should be covered by applications, not an OS, and as such, it doesn’t matter if you are still running XP. Not that Microsoft isn’t stupid enough to think these sorts of things should somehow be built into a general purpose OS.

You want an electronic sphigmomanometer? By the electronically enabled cuff and the expansion card and plug it into a computer, install the drivers and software per instructions.

I’m inclined to agree with the above posters

In reply to Does 8 do MORE?

Windows 8 can do no more than support the Hardware that is in the computer like any other OS.

So provided your Home Security, Heating or whatever is somehow connected tot he computer any OS will support that hardware and do whatever is required provided that the correct drivers and software is installed.

However if you mean that a new NB that you buy in a shop for $100.00 will do any of your above things new from the box is not likely particularly if the devices in your Home have no way to communicate with the computer.

Home Automation is something that Bill Gates has been chasing for many years and it’s not so much the OS but the associated Hardware and Software that will do these things. So for your Home Security to Interface with the Computer you’ll need a system with a Computer Interface and associated Software and drivers. The same applies to a Heating system weather system or whatever.

Naturally if for instance you have no hardware to make predictions about the Local Weather in your area the OS will not be able to predict any weather events.

Of course if you have a Internet Connection there is nothing stopping the Computer connecting to the Internet and reporting your Local Weather Conditions to you but that has nothing to do with the OS just software and associated hardware that you may be required to load after you buy the computer.

Remember that the Gates Family Home has been Computer Controlled since they finished building it and Bill Gates didn’t have to wait for Windows 8 to be released to control his home.

Actually if you want to go back to the early DOS Days there where devices back then that could control Power Points or at least device plugged into individual power points and Door Locks. Of course those Devices had to be retrofitted after you bought the computer and then connected tot he computer and then you could load the supplied software that came with the things. They where terribly expensive and more than a bit flaky but they did sort of work. 😉

Col

You can Do all Those Things Now

In reply to Does 8 do MORE?

You have been able to perform remote monitoring and control of your home or office since before the first IBM PC. The systems were expensive, buggy and cumbersome. But, they did work. The fully connected home with “smart” appliances has been proposed in varying schemes since the early 1960’s.

Blood pressure monitors and other medical equipment already are available with USB ports so that you can download and chart readings.

In order to perform any of the tasks stated, you need both external hardware and installed software, along with an interface between them. The OS alone cannot do any of this.

Chas

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