

Windows 8 a certifiable flop - evjan
http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/computers/windows-8-a-certifiable-flop-20131203-2yo3r.html

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oz
After using Windows 8.1 on my >5 year old laptop for the last month, the only
thing I really _dislike_ about it is the schizophrenic impedance-mismatch
between the "Desktop" metaphor and the new "Metro" interface. Like on reviewer
said, "at boot, you get this tablet interface, but then you click the Start
button, and it's Windows 7 underneath." Me, I'm a techie, so figured things
out pretty quick, and I love the fast boot, improved file copy dialog, and
much improved Task Manager

I think that Windows 7 is the new XP: It's a great OS, with perhaps no obvious
warts, so nobody really _needs_ to upgrade, as wee needed to upgrade from
Windows Me (Ugh!). It looks modern enough, is very stable (c'mon now, let's
admit it) and simply does its job. For most people, why bother upgrade?

In time, of course, we'll see Windows 8 numbers improve, as people replace old
computers. But most laptops now, are like Windows 7, and XP before it: They're
good enough for most people, so why bother upgrade?

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computerslol
They need at least one killer "Modern" (windows 8 only) application.

I can't see anything modern apps can do that normal desktop apps can't. The
interface is dramatically different, and that can be a plus if the right app
came along that you WANTED to use your fingers to control over a keyboard and
mouse.

Off the top of my head, I could imagine a hardware/software combination that
automates your house. A wifi connected controller box would use the power
lines in your house to transmit information (like x10 does) to cheap
replacement switches and outlets; letting you control what does and doesn't
get power. Maybe the outlets track how much electricity your household devices
are using and you can get a pretty graph. Maybe they use a threshold to
determine when a device is in standby mode and give you the option to
automatically cut it's trickle power. Maybe an IR breakout box lets you
control your entertainment center. Some sort of wifi streaming box lets you
stream audio from one room to another. Maybe a few wifi enabled cheap cameras
you can mount around let you monitor your rooms. All of these features would
be controlled centrally through a windows 8 modern device. I could see
something like this being a good use of the simple design of metro
applications. Wasn't there a Microsoft home concept a long time ago? What
happened to that?

I hope Redmond devotes more energy to developing killer apps in the near
future. I think they could turn this around if they get normal consumers
inspired.

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Jedd
I thought Microsoft OS releases were generally agreed to be like Star Trek
films - you really only need to see every second one.

------
transfire
I think in the larger scheme of things Windows 8 will prove to be a win. It
greatly simplifies the overall interface for the average user. It will take
time for MS to work out some the rough spots --and they need user feedback to
do that well. But it will get there.

Meanwhile Android is feeling pretty clunky.

~~~
yaeger
>It greatly simplifies the overall interface for the average user.

Funny, it was the average user that told _me_ time and time again that they
just wanted a normal Windows. Not this childish looking tablet UI. And the
first order of business for me was to wipe that Tile Fest and install an OS
that average user actually wanted to use.

As long as MS plows ahead with this unification nonsense of systems that are
inherently different and are therefore by definition not able to be unified,
Windows 8 and any iteration they put out in the future will see the same
reception.

If what feels like 90% of the users tell you "once you install start8 and boot
to desktop its not that bad", you should know that the Metro crap doesn't fly
on desktop. But does MS listen? Hell no. Plow ahead with unification.

Whoever had this idea that systems which are so different from each should be
"gifted" with an identical, non optional UI should have been fired a long time
ago.

Remove the Tiles shit from the desktop version, apologize and promise to never
do that again and then we can talk about me upgrading my desktop OS. But until
that happens, it stays on Win7 and nothing of value was lost.

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jheriko
what about windows 8.1? what about windows vista as a point of comparison?
what about how its nearly just windows 7 with extra stuff?

new machines are being churned out with windows 8 preloaded. it seems like its
just a matter of time before it, or its progeny become accepted as 'the
standard'... until mac or *nix seriously up their game (still we are saying
this?) i don't see any alternatives - unless MS ship Windows 9 that does for 8
what 7 did for Vista.

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mullingitover
I have to wonder if the plan with Win8 all along was to give the OEMs a savage
beating before MS steps into the market to compete with them directly.

