Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am not sure how many people here are old enough to remember Microsoft Bob, but it has gone down in history as one of the worst Microsoft products and worst interface blunders of all time. Now, imagine if in 1996, Microsoft decided to ship a version of Windows that included Bob as the default interface, and not only that, it FORCED you to use it, and if that wasn't enough, it crippled the "classic" interface to the point of unusability. That is exactly what is being done in Windows 8 with the Metro interface, which is complete and total lunacy on a desktop or laptop computer.
I have been a computer and Microsoft enthusiast since Windows 3.1, and this is the first version other than Windows ME I will not touch with a 20 foot pole. I even used Vista on launch, and while it was rough the first year, after Service Pack 2 it really worked quite well. Though by SP2 Vista had evolved from a disaster to a worthwhile upgrade from XP, the damage and public perception had been done so Microsoft had to repackage it and drop the Vista brand to sell it to the masses, so Windows 7 was born. As horrible as the initial launch and public perception of Vista was, I think Windows 8 is going to make Vista look like the good ole' days.
First, remember how up-in-arms users were about UAC? That was a very simple change. Metro is going to require them to completely relearn the PC. Yes, Microsoft has done interface overhauls before, but a "classic" option has always been available. Windows 8 is the first major interface overhaul that is forced on the user without the option of a classic interface that is not crippled. Even Windows 95, which introduced the Explorer shell we all know and love, still came with Program Manager and File Manager for Windows 3.1 die-hards to use if they so chose. Within the first few months of its release, I predict there will be such a public outcry that OEMs will be forced to keep offering Windows 7.
Second, Microsoft is making a big mistake thinking that I want my $2000 gaming PC with a 30" monitor to behave like a smartphone. Metro on a desktop PC or laptop is counter-productive. It makes what I do every day harder, and is super ugly on large screens to boot. It may make sense on a tablet or smartphone, but is ridiculous with a keyboard and mouse and 30" screen. Yes, you can use the desktop but they have completely removed the option of Aero and have taken the interface back to something out of the 1990s. Worse yet, they have completely removed the Start menu so the only way to launch programs is by using Metro. Metro in and of itself isn't bad and Microsoft is trying to become a larger player in the tablet and phone markets, but shouldn't they have left a classic option available as to not alienate people who prefer a desktop OS?
Third, businesses are still by and large running Windows XP, ever so slowly migrating to Windows 7. Why does Microsoft think businesses are going to want to jump on Windows 8 which will cripple productivity and require extensive training to teach users to use the new interface? Windows 8 will be a complete failure with the enterprise, even moreso than Vista was. Windows 7 will be the business OS for the next 5-7 years as XP is phased out. Microsoft will be forced to keep offering it and most likely extend its lifespan as it did for XP until 2014. Another thing to consider is being that employees will have to be completely retrained on how to use the computer with a dumbed down, crippled Windows 8, why not just jump ship to a non-Windows platform and avoid the mess to begin with? I have never been an avid Linux supporter as it is a niche market, but this is the first time I am seeing what could be an open window for Linux to gain some marketshare.
The only thing Microsoft can really hope for with this release is that Windows-based tablets and smartphones do take off, but is history is any guide (think Zune, Windows Phone 7), every time Microsoft tries to enter a market several years too late, its a bloodbath. If Windows-based mobile devices fail, then the future of Microsoft may be in jeopardy. They will be forced to release Windows 9 quickly, which hopefully will restore usability on the desktop and laptop. In the mean time, Microsoft should keep Windows 7 available for desktops and laptops alongside Windows 8 for mobile devices.
I will continue to use 7 as long as I can, and will NEVER run Windows 8 on my desktop computer. Keep in mind I DID use Vista and this is the first release I have ever been so disgusted by there's no way I would even consider using it.
Bottom line is Windows 8 is akin to a bad April fools joke. It's almost incomprehensible how a company like Microsoft and force this garbage on us. This trash heap makes Vista and ME look like good, solid releases, so when people say Windows 8 is the next Vista, I always correct them and tell them its really the next Microsoft Bob. 5 years from now, computer enthusiasts will laugh and joke about Windows 8 just like they did Bob.
Windows 8 doesn't cripple productivity. It's a myth. Windows 8 is utmost similar to Windows 7, except that it includes metro instead of the start menu. Metro is very easy to navigate and you don't miss the start menu at all.
Most of the enterprise wouldn't upgrade to Windows 8 anyways. They upgrade plan for most of the enterprise skips versions and most are on Windows 7.
I am not sure how many people here are old enough to remember Microsoft Bob, but it has gone down in history as one of the worst Microsoft products and worst interface blunders of all time. ...
Bottom line is Windows 8 is akin to a bad April fools joke. It's almost incomprehensible how a company like Microsoft and force this garbage on us. This trash heap makes Vista and ME look like good, solid releases, so when people say Windows 8 is the next Vista, I always correct them and tell them its really the next Microsoft Bob. 5 years from now, computer enthusiasts will laugh and joke about Windows 8 just like they did Bob.
Nice rant. I lost all interest in Win8 as soon as I saw that tablet-ey look. I don't own a tablet PC, so why does MS think that I want to change to that from WinXP and Win7?
Metro is crap. I hate the look, I hate the feel. And yes, I have tried it.
I have also tried it, and it blows. Perhaps if I had a tablet I might find it more useful, but I don't have a tablet (as a PC) and I don't want one as a PC. I do have a Kindle Fire, great for reading, playing solitaire or pulling up weather radar if when I hear thunder in the distance.
I have been a computer and Microsoft enthusiast since Windows 3.1, and this is the first version other than Windows ME I will not touch with a 20 foot pole. I even used Vista on launch, and while it was rough the first year, after Service Pack 2 it really worked quite well. Though by SP2 Vista had evolved from a disaster to a worthwhile upgrade from XP, the damage and public perception had been done so Microsoft had to repackage it and drop the Vista brand to sell it to the masses, so Windows 7 was born. As horrible as the initial launch and public perception of Vista was, I think Windows 8 is going to make Vista look like the good ole' days.
It seems to me that Microsoft new OS releases suck every other time. That having been said, I'll be holding out for Microsoft 9 which should be ok if the pattern holds.
I haven't tried it. I looked at pics of the interface, figured out I couldn't set it to a decent classic mode and forgot about ever buying it. Another major MS blunder. Mom, dad, bro and sis, and especially grandma and grandpa aren't going to be happy about the learning curve at all.
I foresee a ton of work for techs wiping and installing older OS on new PCs and a huge drop in new PC sales (a rise in Apple sales?) that retailers are not going to be happy about.
The only thing Microsoft can really hope for with this release is that Windows-based tablets and smartphones do take off, but is history is any guide (think Zune, Windows Phone 7), every time Microsoft tries to enter a market several years too late, its a bloodbath. If Windows-based mobile devices fail, then the future of Microsoft may be in jeopardy. They will be forced to release Windows 9 quickly, which hopefully will restore usability on the desktop and laptop. In the mean time, Microsoft should keep Windows 7 available for desktops and laptops alongside Windows 8 for mobile devices.
I never understood the duality of the "Microsoft enthusiast". On one side, you have the geeks and hobbyist and gamers who swear up-and-down that Windows is the best OS for anything and everything. These are the people who have the latest and best hardware. On another side, you have the crumudgeons who refuse to change. These are the people who insist that Microsoft remain in the XP era forever.
An OS has to modernize. Vista got a lot of flack from Windows users, yet, ironically, Mac users applauded Microsoft for finally coming into the 21st Century. Windows 8 will appeal to younger users more than it will to older ones. From a marketing perspective, it is the young bucks who Microsoft want to capture with W8 since whether you like it or not is not important, W8 is the future of Windows OSs.
At some point a "classic" environment needs to cease support. There will not be a public outcry. That is ridiculous. Developers still need to port and/or develop apps/software for Windows 8 and as such, it will be a few years before Windows 8 becomes fully supported with a wide range of apps/software. I have been using Macs exclusively since the late 90s. When OSX came out it was almost unusable. There were so few programs available for it initially. But hey, at least it had a classic mode. It wasn't until three years later with Tiger that OSX finally came together. Windows 8 will take a similar path.
Microsoft has made many mistakes as the below link to an article mentions, but listening to you would be another. Not to be harsh, but Microsoft does not cater to you. You might feel slighted, but MS needs to move forward and there are people who like Windows 8.
Here is a good Vanity Fair expose discussing the Microsoft "problem", how and why they always seem to be a few years behind, etc. It's 6 pages long, but worth the read.
Microsoft had to do something. Windows 7 and earlier interfaces are garbage compared to OSX. I think it could be better.... Outside of metro you still have the ancient interface...
Microsoft had to do something. Windows 7 and earlier interfaces are garbage compared to OSX. I think it could be better.... Outside of metro you still have the ancient interface...
I own a gaming PC and a Macbook Pro, and I actually think the Windows 7 Explorer is superior to the Finder in OSX. Other than that point, I agree that OSX is a superior OS. I agree Microsoft does need to move forward, but forcing a tablet/smartphone interface on a 30" monitor while breaking multitasking and customization is not my idea of moving forward. Metro is so embedded in Windows 8 that you absolutely can't get away from it without hacking it. Imagine if Apple decided they were going to sell all their Macs with iOS 5 rather than OSX.
Vista, for all its problems, WAS a step forward for Microsoft. Had driver compatibility and hardware efficiency been more finely tuned (keep in mind at Vista's launch, the average budget PC still came with 512MB of RAM), it would have been a success. Windows 8 is a step forward for mobile devices, but NOT for the desktop or for practical business usage.
The only reasoning I can think of behind this insanity is Microsoft is wanting to finish off something they hinted at long ago during the Vista era...killing off the desktop PC.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Nice rant. I lost all interest in Win8 as soon as I saw that tablet-ey look. I don't own a tablet PC, so why does MS think that I want to change to that from WinXP and Win7?
