Five reasons why Windows 8 has failed

Five reasons why Windows 8 has failed

Summary: The numbers are in and they don't lie. Windows 8 market adoption numbers are well behind Microsoft's greatest previous operating system failure, Vista.

By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols for Between the Lines
March 4, 2013 -- 18:46 GMT (10:46 PST)


Windows fans will whine, but Net Applications' desktop operating systems numbers don't lie. Windows 8's pathetic user adoption numbers can't even keep up with Vista's lousy numbers.

Windows 8 usage can't even keep up with Vista/s poor numbers. (Data from Net Applications)

The numbers speak for themselves. Vista, universally acknowledged as a failure, actually had significantly better adoption numbers than Windows 8. At similar points in their roll-outs, Vista had a desktop market share of 4.52% compared to Windows 8's share of 2.67%. Underlining just how poorly Windows 8's adoption has gone, Vista didn't even have the advantage of holiday season sales to boost its numbers. Tablets--and not Surface RT tablets--were what people bought last December, not Windows 8 PCs.

Windows 8, and its relatives Windows Phone 8 and RT, make no impression at all in the smartphone and tablet markets. (Credit: Net Applications)

Windows 8's failure is actually greater than it appears. The tablet and phone markets in 2007 were next to non-existent. Now, in a market where NPD expects tablets to out sell notebooks by year's end, neither Windows 8 nor its cousins Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 even appear on NetApplication's mobile and tablet reports for February 2013. How bad is that? Android 1.6, with is tiny 0.02% of the market, does make the list.

I predicted that Windows 8 would be dead on arrival last year, but it's flopping even more than I thought it would be. So, why has Windows 8 been such a failure? Here's my list:

see full report

 

[Ray8]

(Also to everybody who are CONTINUALLY knocking W8 with 100's of THE SAME posts -- I think the main 2 offenders here know who I mean-- Really How difficult is it to use ANY version of Windows with the exception of Windows NT).

Once again, who has said that Windows 8 is difficult to use? It's not, it's simply annoying and unpleasant to use. Those two things are a world apart.

Keep repeating that same mistake continually, and you'll most certainly keep hearing about the main complaint continually.

 

[Night Hawk]

(Also to everybody who are CONTINUALLY knocking W8 with 100's of THE SAME posts -- I think the main 2 offenders here know who I mean-- Really How difficult is it to use ANY version of Windows with the exception of Windows NT).

Once again, who has said that Windows 8 is difficult to use? It's not, it's simply annoying and unpleasant to use. Those two things are a world apart.

Keep repeating that same mistake continually, and you'll most certainly keep hearing about the main complaint continually.

The key word is spoken! "ANNOYING"! And that's precisely what it is for the more advanced user not to mention that the RT on desktop without touchscreen as someone commented on having the RT gui becomes awkward and cluttersome for the point and click user.

No one so far has stated that 8 was a garbage version as far as not seeing improvements either. To go back a few posts you'll notice the key observation made was that 8 has proven half of a new version of Windows only seeing a Tablet gui tossed on what should have been a desktop platform making the 8 experience a 3rd party app adventure as compared to the much smoother transition 7 brought in. What is the 3rd element? if you don't already know. Start Menu 7, Start8(paid for app), Classic Shell, Start options provided by OEMs to replace what MS removed, etc.

8 gives off the impression I initially had for the Google browser Chrome. Half Baked! Likewise 8 is a half baked new version lacking for a new desktop regardless of you like or hate the Metro or "Modern" Surface Tablet touch and swipe gui on what is supposed to be a new "Desktop" version. And this is precisely what will continue to draw all sorts of criticisms for years to come as people will often see 8 as the latest flop.

The initial reactions are still being heard from people about not liking 8 for being a "mobile OS" while that isn't the actual case. They took the embedded touch and swipe tablet gui and overlaid that over the updated MinWin while stripping out various things including media support to "lighten up' the OS. Does it mean this will be accepted by all? Not necessarily!

 

[Jf1450]

(Also to everybody who are CONTINUALLY knocking W8 with 100's of THE SAME posts -- I think the main 2 offenders here know who I mean-- Really How difficult is it to use ANY version of Windows with the exception of Windows NT).

And just how does this differ from those who CONTINUALLY extol its annoying perceived virtues with 100's of THE SAME posts?

-jeff

 

[HippsieGypsie]

Very nice comparison, Hippsie!

Looks better, BUT the second one needs more maintenance even from the house perspective. Look where it's placed: I love nature, but you need to cut down the bushes and trees pretty often to stop the jungle from taking over in the house.

Thanks, Hopachi. Actually Falling Water is practically maintenance free. made of natural stone, concrete, and steel. You may have to do some tree trimming and flower bed care, but there isn't a lawn.

That house was completed in 1938. It looks like it was built yesterday to me.

 

[BillWindows]

Very nice comparison, Hippsie!

Looks better, BUT the second one needs more maintenance even from the house perspective. Look where it's placed: I love nature, but you need to cut down the bushes and trees pretty often to stop the jungle from taking over in the house.

Thanks, Hopachi. Actually Falling Water is practically maintenance free. made of natural stone, concrete, and steel. You may have to do some tree trimming and flower bed care, but there isn't a lawn.

That house was completed in 1938. It looks like it was built yesterday to me.

1938, we can't even get a builder in Australia to make a house last 5 years. I went to a village in Holland where all the houses were 200 years old as were the roads, I thought it was a new estate. The only difference between the old bricks and new bricks was that they were longer and the roads were better than any modern road.

 

[SIW2]

(Also to everybody who are CONTINUALLY knocking W8 with 100's of THE SAME posts -- I think the main 2 offenders here know who I mean-- Really How difficult is it to use ANY version of Windows with the exception of Windows NT).

And just how does this differ from those who CONTINUALLY extol its annoying perceived virtues with 100's of THE SAME posts?

-jeff

 

[Ray8]

1938, we can't even get a builder in Australia to make a house last 5 years. I went to a village in Holland where all the houses were 200 years old as were the roads, I thought it was a new estate. The only difference between the old bricks and new bricks was that they were longer and the roads were better than any modern road.

Well, that just goes to prove the lengths to which Bill is prepared to exaggerate, or even lie. It doesn't take much to prove that it's just more BS.

 

[Night Hawk]

Really How difficult is it to use ANY version of Windows with the exception of Windows NT).

Windows NT definitely was not at all "User friendly" for use as a desktop -- USB support was poor or non existent, Networking with RAS etc was a total nightmare and to try and add any typical new hardware required you almost to have a degree in Computer Science to get it configured. Fortunately Ms decided this was essentially destined to be a "Server" OS and modified it a bit to make the much more friendly (and actually a decent OS) Windows 2000.

You seem to have missed one main point when referring to the old Network Technology OS that ran on a different Networking workstation type platform over the OS seen on the typical home user pc. The same could be said about old Linux flavors were the Bash commands were more commonly used by typing them into the console over what has been seen in the far more recent updated releases where things have been simplified to draw in more Windows users to the other OS.

Anyway here's one for all the Computer Gurus to ponder :

My 95 Year old Grandad took precisely 10 mins to use Windows 8 without ANY problems whatsoever -- and he actually PREFERRED it to Windows XP which is what he'd being using before.

I had to install and set it up for him and get his applications sorted -- He uses a Touch screen Monitor and is happy with it -- he basically just uses Touch to get and start the application he wants such as one of his Trading programs and then uses the Mouse and keyboard as a typical desktop user -- he likes the BEST of the New while still retaining a lot of stuff he's used to.

He STLL does a little Stock trading so he's just not casually surfing the web.

If a 95 year old guy can get to grips with this after years of using XP I can't believe that :

a) Windows 8 is impossible to use for people who are working primarily on a "Classic Desktop" - especially as I'd assume most of these users to be far more "Computer Savvy" than my 95 year old Grandad.

b) Windows 8 is doomed to failure. I don't believe it for an instant -- Of course there needs to be some changes --everybody can always pick out features in ANY OS which they either don't like, have been poorly implemented or want changed in some way.

Anyway Ms is in this for the long haul -- and often these days an old classic menu can be MORE of a hindrance than a help. -- Using two or three toolbars can make it a LOT easier than finding stuff in a Generic Menu with everything included as well as the kitchen sink.

With the old Menu system you can't even select say a subset like OFFICE -- you have to select OFFICE from the MAIN menu and then select the Office product you want.

I prefer a Toolbar of frequently used applications -- works a treat whether via just a toolbar or even via tiles on a Touch screen.

Cheers
jimbo

For someone that old pressing button on a touchscreen is far more easier to fathom then trying to move a cursor around and click to open things. The RT gui is still going to be just that a Tablet touch and swipe gui "designed for the Tablet platform" and still going to be annoying for the more advanced productive desktop user as well as baffling for those unfamiliar with the gui changes and now finally upgrading out of XP or Vista perhaps having missed 7 entirely. The intermediate to advanced user will of course find the workarounds skipping the Metro entirely using 3rd party apps as well as the move OEMs have been making since those are the professionals who build and sell new machines and know what does work!

You should see how flaky the touchpad is on a newly bought 8 laptop where the cursor either jumps around or is seen in one spot to click on an item over in another as someone was complaining about trying to play a game on FaceBook and ready to toss the 8 laptop! The touchpad is being substituted by a usb mouse to get past that headache. That one is hardware related however when compared to an older model of the same brand running Vista where the touchpad acts normally.

Once Classic Shell went on I was able to go into Start>Settings>Control Panel and create a new desktop shortcut for the owner so he and his better half wouldn't have to find just the right "Sweet Spot" to right click on in order to bring up the right click menu found where the Start screen popup appears. Too often the Personalize right click on desktop would appear instead! That's annother "annoyance" when trying to use a non desktop type touchscreen gui on the desktop releases.

I wasn't able to pin the new CP shortcut to the task bar however only to the Start screen which the new owners have no interest in. I explained how to get past that on startup.

Awkwardness and a not so bright change from desktop to Tablet gui is the actual downside found in 8 whether you like or hate 8! There's no getting around that by trying to hype how wonderful it is when the people speak their own minds at what they are finding "doesn't work" for them. If you had seen a preview of what 8 would look like back in 2009 when 7 was first coming out you probably would have said something like: "What in blazes will MS be doing to the OS next?!"

Most hated Vista when that was new mostly seen with gamers complaining that Vista ran slower on their older hardwares. Ddi that stop others from Vista like the new main OS and liking it? When each new version comes out there will always be likers as well as those not interested.

Many were reluctant to run Vista since they were unfamiliar with it. Yet MS still included the one thing lacking in 8 namely "Options". Fortunately some have been finding ways around the Tablet side of 8 to get at the new core elements with a little 3rd party help while the big oops was MS not thinking ahead about including options for the new or the old while Vista saw Aero or Classic. In 8 that would need to be traditional and widely accepted as a standard or RT tablet.

For me Classic Shel and pressing to hold the enter button at the 8 Welcome screen bypasses the Start screen entirely where I can then go to work(with the RP VM presently) with Quick Launch type additional tool bars from the main taskbar acting like jump lists. It's a bit easier to right click on items to copy and paste on the desktop or use the create shortcut option when available when a program menu is present while the Start>All Programs actually sees limited use in either 7 or 8. In 7 however you don't have to browse each program folder to see that done however while you are not able to from the Start screen. You can only pin items seen there to the task bar directly.

Of course some have expanded the taskbar to fill that with pinned items when no longer seeing a Start menu to begin with. While I still have no plans on eliminating 7 in this lifetime I would simply prepare the 8 desktop to look similar to how things are seen in one image of the 7 desktop no longer seeing RocketDock enabled except when needed.



No need for the old Quick Launch in XP or Vista either if running one of the older verisons on a clunker. The things I look at with each new version would be security, stablity first, and then performance with existing programs able to run. Eventually if I get the SP1 release of 8 I would still have an effective workaround from any Start screen or Start menu app in use. One question here would be can 8 live up to expectations since I push things each version to the limit with 7 still shining like a workhorse while others haven't fared so well. Vista wasn't too bad but will never meet 7! 8 is still somewhat a mystery since it inititally ran into "buggy and whip" rather then "works right out of the box"!

 

[pcRat]

8 isn't a failure to me. Adventuresome would be my description of it.

 

[BillWindows]

1938, we can't even get a builder in Australia to make a house last 5 years. I went to a village in Holland where all the houses were 200 years old as were the roads, I thought it was a new estate. The only difference between the old bricks and new bricks was that they were longer and the roads were better than any modern road.

Well, that just goes to prove the lengths to which Bill is prepared to exaggerate, or even lie. It doesn't take much to prove that it's just more BS.

I'll forgive you again, as you've obviously never travelled overseas. The houses looked like they'd been built yesterday and the paved roads were like they'd been layed by some machine.

Go and have a look at King Ludwicks Castle, still the same as the day it was built. Go to St Petersburg in Russia, 300 year old buildings bigger and better than anything in Australia today and all built on a swamp.

Actually there's a lot of cities in France where the buildings are still in pristine condition and probably around 200 years old or older.

I'm going overseas again shortly, I'll send you some postcards from the Eiffel Tower and Barcelona.

 

[Ray8]

Bill's view of Australian Houses:







Reality:









But hey, they all have to be re-built in five years as they all collapse.

 

[BillWindows]

That one at the top looks like my place, just a bit better than mine. You know its funny when you talk to people online you get a mental picture in your head, I never knew you were a woman Ray.

Yes folks those houses at the bottom that's your typical suburban home. We're a rich country.

 

[TONSCHUH]

1938, we can't even get a builder in Australia to make a house last 5 years. I went to a village in Holland where all the houses were 200 years old as were the roads, I thought it was a new estate. The only difference between the old bricks and new bricks was that they were longer and the roads were better than any modern road.

Well, that just goes to prove the lengths to which Bill is prepared to exaggerate, or even lie. It doesn't take much to prove that it's just more BS.

I'll forgive you again, as you've obviously never travelled overseas. The houses looked like they'd been built yesterday and the paved roads were like they'd been layed by some machine.

Go and have a look at King Ludwicks Castle, still the same as the day it was built. Go to St Petersburg in Russia, 300 year old buildings bigger and better than anything in Australia today and all built on a swamp.

Actually there's a lot of cities in France where the buildings are still in pristine condition and probably around 200 years old or older.

I'm going overseas again shortly, I'll send you some postcards from the Eiffel Tower and Barcelona.

Yeah, they can't build proper homes and roads in Australia. Just compare it with Germany and see the difference.

 

[Ray8]

That one at the top looks like my place, just a bit better than mine. You know its funny when you talk to people online you get a mental picture in your head, I never knew you were a woman Ray.

Yes folks those houses at the bottom that's your typical suburban home. We're a rich country.

Once again, you debase yourself.

 

[Enigma]

The science of psychology has proven uncountable times that humans are nothing more than animals at their very core, and like all other animals we are resistant to change. BillWindows's comparison to parrots is very much appropriate. Windows 8 is different enough than its' predecessors that people will resist it at first and stick with what they've known for so long, and try to find things that are "wrong" with it (regardless of whether it is true or false). Many longtime XP users did the same after Vista and 7 were released.

 

[Ray8]

So Windows users are parrots. Bird brains?

 

[mart4494]

So Windows users are parrots. Bird brains?

What MS has failed to do is get across to us parrots (LOL) what the real world benefits are. Sure if you just want to do a few e-mails, facebook, show off some pics to your friends then I'm sure Metro is a good way to go. In reality that's probably where most folks are - all they require is a tablet or slate or whatever it's called. They never needed a desktop/laptop in the first place but that's all that was available.

For those that do require a desktop/laptop then the 'problems' start. What exactly are those benefits. Okay so it boots up quicker but in my case that's no big deal if it's a few seconds quicker at boot time. There seems to be a misunderstanding between features and benefits and MS has failed in this area.

Like them or not but the fruit company with Jobs were great at marketing and still are although the shine seems to be coming off since he departed this world. MS are simply not in the same league and it's interesting how quickly they did a u-turn over Office 2013 re licensing - so much for their marketing dept who thought they knew best!!!

Using Win7 or 8 is a personal preference. We will use whatever suits our personal requirements and it really is that simple. When (or if) MS gives me the benefits to change then I'll look again but until then.....

 

[BillWindows]

So Windows users are parrots. Bird brains?

For once I don't know what to say.

 

[TONSCHUH]

If you owe multiple Windows-8-Gadgets like a Windows-8-Desktop-PC + a Surface-Pro-Tablet + a Nokia Lumia 920, then the whole Windows-8 Experience makes sense, as you have to "learn" the whole thing only once.

I really don't understand the hate about Windows-8, but if we look back, then we will remember that this kind of behaviour appears always after a new Windows-Version got released.

There is nothing really wrong with Windows-8, but as mentioned before, plenty people don't like change and that's the problem and not Windows-8.

I run Windows-8 on three different Desktop-PC's and had no drama's, major bug's or BSOD's so far, beside that the "Upgrade and keep everything"-Path doesn't work very well, but that never worked perfect before and isn't a big deal, as I prefer to have a clean install.

You can use the Metro-UI very well with the mouse and keyboard, but I prefer to do my main things via the desktop.

To spend 5 bucks for Start8 is not a big deal either. How many uninformed user's are spending far more money on crap tools like Norton etc., but cry now that if they are not happy with the free Start-Menu-Button-Tools, that they have to spend 5 bucks ?

That's really hilarious ...

I started back in my old days with a VC-20 and had therefore to adjust many many times to changes and did it hurt me in some way ? No, it helped me to build knowledge and there is nothing wrong with that.

I was running for quite a while my own PC-Repair- / Custom-Build-Business and therefore I had contact to all kind of different user's / customers and I can tell you that most of them would even struggle to reset their email-account-password and that are the customers which don't like change and therefore cry if they get pressured to adjust to a new OS, but I doubt that you would find a lot of such user's in places like this or other tech forums.

Windows-8 has some improvements under the hood and does plenty things better or faster, but if you already start crying about change when you are just scratching on the surface, then you will never find out.

But that's only my 2 cents and it's ok if you have a different point of view, as I don't want to offend someone here.

 

[Night Hawk]

So Windows users are parrots. Bird brains?

What MS has failed to do is get across to us parrots (LOL) what the real world benefits are. Sure if you just want to do a few e-mails, facebook, show off some pics to your friends then I'm sure Metro is a good way to go. In reality that's probably where most folks are - all they require is a tablet or slate or whatever it's called. They never needed a desktop/laptop in the first place but that's all that was available.

For those that do require a desktop/laptop then the 'problems' start. What exactly are those benefits. Okay so it boots up quicker but in my case that's no big deal if it's a few seconds quicker at boot time. There seems to be a misunderstanding between features and benefits and MS has failed in this area.

Like them or not but the fruit company with Jobs were great at marketing and still are although the shine seems to be coming off since he departed this world. MS are simply not in the same league and it's interesting how quickly they did a u-turn over Office 2013 re licensing - so much for their marketing dept who thought they knew best!!!

Using Win7 or 8 is a personal preference. We will use whatever suits our personal requirements and it really is that simple. When (or if) MS gives me the benefits to change then I'll look again but until then.....

I think that is an excellent sumary of just where MS is failing with 8 besides turning the desktop platform upside down making a quick slap of a tablet on desktop gui blonder for the usual customer who is expecting a new "desktop" to look at and instead thinks someone made a mistake and preinstalled the wrong OS on a new desktop or laptop!

If the new gui on 8 had been designed for the desktop and not simply something you can still point and click on you would have a far better suited touch and swipe gui available on the desktop platform as well as a new full desktop version seen. 7 initially brought in a bit more support for touchscreen technology then many realize.

What 7 did that worked is retain the desktop gui in the process while MS seems to have abandoned the desktop gui as well as stripping the OS down quite a bit further explaining the lowest prices seen in Windows since the OS was first revealed. Even 9x saw $180 prices for the full and right up next to $100 for the upgrades at times back in the 90s!

As for individual preferences you will find many simply "skipped over" XP entirely to run Vista when finally getting around to upgrading out of 2000/2000 Pro or possibly even ME while some actually still run that or the Legacy versions in some form. The XP Mode was something new by MS where MS was "thinking ahead" about how to get XP users like businesses to upgrade into a better OS and then trash the entire concept of a desktop OS with the next version to come?

"We think it will be nice to have the Surface Tablet gui on all Win 8 editions to remind people we are now offering a new tablet product line!" daaaa.... hindsight about how the actual desktop users will be looking at things apparently.