How Microsoft can salvage Windows 8 before it's too late

This is a tough challenge, given that Windows 8 is only a few months away from release. There's not a lot that Microsoft can do in this time. However, given that the Redmond giant has already gone on the record to say that the UI that we see in the Windows 8 Release Preview is not what will be in the final release, it's safe to say that things are in a certain state of flux.

As I've said on numerous occasions, the biggest problem with Windows 8 is the way that the dumbed-down Metro UI has been unceremoniously bolted onto the mature and well-refined "Classic" user interface. While there's no doubt that the existing UI is flawed, bolting on a UI designed for touch devices is not the answer.

OK, you asked me to keep this concise, so here it is. Here's how I think Microsoft should tweak Windows 8 before it's released:

Read more at:
How Microsoft can salvage Windows 8 before it's too late | ZDNet
 
I can't disagree with that - it is exactly what I have been saying all this time.

Unless they do an about turn on start menu and making the desktop the main focus for those who want it - they will be in trouble.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Sigh...

The article writer is generally right and only touches on a few of probably 50 or more problems. But since the RTM is only a week or two away, whatever it looks like right now (at MS, not in the RP) is set in stone.

Chance of anything being fixed 0. They were busy removing the color, subtlty, gadgets and who knows what else from the desktop these last few weeks.

I am hoping for an early technet release so I can 'Preview" the final thing though. Good news or bad, I'd rather get it over with sooner rather than all the way out to the end of October!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7/8
Windows 8 (aka Vista 2.0): no way! Not even on a touch device. I will move to Apple before I will do that.

They will have to take Windows 7 and a functional desktop/laptop computer out of my cold dead hands.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7
Thanks Brink, that article pretty much sums up my feelings on Windows 8. It's destined for some and likely will be shunned by many.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
Won't be shunned here. I plan on getting a W8 tablet, touchscreen laptop and build a new PC the week it comes out.
The performance advantages alone for pro audio and video are big enough to take the leap.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
Actually, Windows 7 was vista 2.0! :p
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
Actually, Windows 7 was vista 2.0! :p

Actually, it wasn't. It was and is Windows 7. Vista 2.0 really does not exist. It was a metaphor for a failure by design.

Windows 8 is a forced blending of incompatible elements such that both the touch and mouse/keyboard interface is broken and incomplete. It is especially so for the people who actually use their computers to do work rather than simply consume content produced by others. If all you want to do one thing at at time and run apps, tweet, email or brows the web, Metro is sort of OK. However, if you want to be productive, use more than one window at a time, and produce complex content then you must constantly fight having to go through the butt. ugly, totally useless, and unnecessary Metro screen.

It would have been trivially easy for Microsoft to have done it right. One way would have been to have a touch centric OS and a mouse/keyboard centric OS (ie. Windows 7). The other way would be to provide the user with a choice of touch or mouse/keyboard centric operation. As it is, the people they are relying on to provide content are constantly having to switch contexts between two incompatible universes to get much of anything done. Each context switch will result in a significant fraction of an hour of lost productivity because of focus being broken. Staying in "the zone" is very important.

I have 70 applications that I must use to service the various tasks I must perform to develop content: software, websites, documentation and the like as well as remote technical support and system and software diagnostics. Try pinning that many icons on the task bar and the task bar would be useless. Then there are many more applications that I must use infrequently. You see, I have real work to accomplish and I need to do it MY WAY and not the way some brain dead manager at Microsoft insists I must do it. Personally, I couldn't care less about what Microsoft managers want. They can go suck rocks for all I care.

I understand that Microsoft doesn't give a damn about the people who must do real work. They are interested only in finding a way to build a new cash cow by having a totally captive audience brainlessly buying apps from THEIR app store. They also want have a way to push paid for advertizing out to that "customer" base and they think Metro is it. That is their choice. They are so focused on creating that cash cow that it is clear that they haven't thought about where all those apps will come from. They are building a cash cow that won't give cash without the apps.

I don't have to like it but I must somehow find a way to live with it or stop working and stop being productive. For now, that means shunning Windows 8 and staying with Windows 7 for as long as possible.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7
:ditto:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
Actually, Windows 7 was vista 2.0! :p

Actually, it wasn't. It was and is Windows 7. Vista 2.0 really does not exist. It was a metaphor for a failure by design.

Windows 8 is a forced blending of incompatible elements such that both the touch and mouse/keyboard interface is broken and incomplete. It is especially so for the people who actually use their computers to do work rather than simply consume content produced by others. If all you want to do one thing at at time and run apps, tweet, email or brows the web, Metro is sort of OK. However, if you want to be productive, use more than one window at a time, and produce complex content then you must constantly fight having to go through the butt. ugly, totally useless, and unnecessary Metro screen.

It would have been trivially easy for Microsoft to have done it right. One way would have been to have a touch centric OS and a mouse/keyboard centric OS (ie. Windows 7). The other way would be to provide the user with a choice of touch or mouse/keyboard centric operation. As it is, the people they are relying on to provide content are constantly having to switch contexts between two incompatible universes to get much of anything done. Each context switch will result in a significant fraction of an hour of lost productivity because of focus being broken. Staying in "the zone" is very important.

I have 70 applications that I must use to service the various tasks I must perform to develop content: software, websites, documentation and the like as well as remote technical support and system and software diagnostics. Try pinning that many icons on the task bar and the task bar would be useless. Then there are many more applications that I must use infrequently. You see, I have real work to accomplish and I need to do it MY WAY and not the way some brain dead manager at Microsoft insists I must do it. Personally, I couldn't care less about what Microsoft managers want. They can go suck rocks for all I care.

I understand that Microsoft doesn't give a damn about the people who must do real work. They are interested only in finding a way to build a new cash cow by having a totally captive audience brainlessly buying apps from THEIR app store. They also want have a way to push paid for advertizing out to that "customer" base and they think Metro is it. That is their choice. They are so focused on creating that cash cow that it is clear that they haven't thought about where all those apps will come from. They are building a cash cow that won't give cash without the apps.

I don't have to like it but I must somehow find a way to live with it or stop working and stop being productive. For now, that means shunning Windows 8 and staying with Windows 7 for as long as possible.

High there
considering that still nearly 50% of computers are STILL RUNNING XP I don't think you'll have any problems running W7 for as long as you want to.

I quite like some of the features of Win8 but LOATHE with a passion the whole "Metro Idea" and the "App store" concept.

Call ne an old Dinosaur if you like --but I don't care -- to me a PC is a COMPUTER -- not a tablet or a smart phone.

Cheers
jimbo
 

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System One

  • OS
    Linux Centos 7, W8.1, W7, W2K3 Server W10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 X LG 40 inch TV
    Hard Drives
    SSD's * 3 (Samsung 840 series) 250 GB
    2 X 3 TB sata
    5 X 1 TB sata
    Internet Speed
    0.12 GB/s (120Mb/s)
No start menu in RTM?

Then just wait for SP1.

Now, how many times have I posted this so far...:roflmao:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy DV6 7250
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP, Intel HM77 Express Chipset
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD4000 + Nvidia Geforce 630M
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6' built-in + Samsung S22D300 + 17.3' LG Phillips
    Screen Resolution
    multiple resolutions
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 250GB + Hitachi HDD 750GB
    PSU
    120W adapter
    Case
    small
    Cooling
    laptop cooling pad
    Keyboard
    Backlit built-in + big one in USB
    Mouse
    SteelSeries Sensei
    Internet Speed
    slow and steady
    Browser
    Chromium, Pale Moon, Firefox Developer Edition
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's basically it.
The thing is, is that Microsoft is changing the way we use our computers, and this is a good thing. Since Windows 95 came out, this way we've been using has gotten stale. Metro will breath new life into our computing lives.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 pro Retail
No start menu in RTM? Then just wait for SP1. Now, how many times have I posted this so far...:roflmao:
Not very good advice. If everyone sits quietly waiting for Microsoft to realize the error of their ways all on their own, nothing will be fixed in SP1.

I'm a FanBoy, but I've always agreed that there should be a choice of UI upon installation or upon boot. If at RTM this is left out, I think there will be such a backlash from Pros, PUs, and enterprise that they will be forced at SP1 to allow the choice. It will be such the like of Coca Cola changing their formula in 1985. The backlash of the public and the drop in sales convinced them to change it back and offer the other formula as Coke II if I remember correctly. Therefore they gave the consumer the choice.

I've read posts where people will buy a copy at $40 for being so reasonably priced and shove it their drawer just to have a copy. Why? That would give M$ the wrong message. One would bolster their product via sales. If I don't like a product, I simply don't buy it. If there is good advise to be handed out, I would say not to buy it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer T690
    CPU
    Intel Pentium D Dual Core
    Motherboard
    Acer/Intel E946GZ
    Memory
    2GB (max upgrade)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 - PCI Express x16
    Sound Card
    Integrated RealTek ALC888 high-definition audio with 7.1 channel audio support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer AL1917W A LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1440 X 900
    Hard Drives
    350 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
    Thumb drives
    PSU
    Standard 250 watt
    Case
    Desktop 7.2" (183mm) W x 17.5" (445mm) L x 14.5"
    Cooling
    Dual case fans + CPU fan
    Keyboard
    Acer Windows PS/2
    Mouse
    Wireless Microsoft Arc
    Internet Speed
    54mbp/s
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Office Pro 2013 / Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone 8.1DP GDR1
I actually think windows 8 may be successful.
Think about the amount of XP users forcing to upgrade their computer within 2 years. They'll choose windows 8 since it's a cheaper upgrade($40). It sounds like it's cheaper to upgrade to Win8 then Win7. Correct me if I'm wrong.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
I actually think windows 8 may be successful.
Think about the amount of XP users forcing to upgrade their computer within 2 years. They'll choose windows 8 since it's a cheaper upgrade($40). It sounds like it's cheaper to upgrade to Win8 then Win7. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The $40 price is only available til January. Then Microsoft will charge whatever they want to charge for it. No pricing scheme is out yet to my knowledge.

Snarks:cool:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Centre RTM
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 8700
    CPU
    Intel i7-4770 Quad Core
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVidia GeForce GTX 660
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster Recon 3D
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell Generic
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    256 GB SSD Boot drive with 3 TB Data drive
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    100 Mbit
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Norton 360
Windows 8 (aka Vista 2.0): no way! Not even on a touch device. I will move to Apple before I will do that.

They will have to take Windows 7 and a functional desktop/laptop computer out of my cold dead hands.

well for me, they may do that.

Love Win8, Metro could be better, but I cannot understand anyone loving Win7.

It is like the XP users, cannot understand that either, but I never used XP, so hard to judge

Anyway, Coke is right, Win7 WAS Vista2 and an improvement, but Win8 is better, hands down

Jeff
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    WINDOWS 8.1 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    INTEL CORE I--3770K LGA1155
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77-V
    Memory
    KINGSTON 2400 MHZ KHX24C11K4 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    INTEL HD GRAFICS 4000
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philip BDL3245€ 32 inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    2 SAMSUNG 840 PRO RAID 0 ON BOARD 2 x 128 GB
    Keyboard
    LOGITEC MX™ 5500
    Mouse
    LOGITEC MX 5500
    Internet Speed
    120 Mbps
Windows 8 (aka Vista 2.0): no way! Not even on a touch device. I will move to Apple before I will do that
They will have to take Windows 7 and a functional desktop/laptop computer out of my cold dead hands.
well for me, they may do that.
Love Win8, Metro could be better, but I cannot understand anyone loving Win7.
It is like the XP users, cannot understand that either, but I never used XP, so hard to judge
Anyway, Coke is right, Win7 WAS Vista2 and an improvement, but Win8 is better, hands down
Jeff

Well Jeff I had used Windows XP, worse POS since Windows 98SE. I can't understand how people LIKED it, it was so INSECURE. and you could count on re-installing it atleast twice weekly. Do a web search on Windows XP gets infected again, you'll get in the hundred of thousands of hits with any search engine. I was for one happy to upgrade to Vista getting away from WinXP was a happy day for me.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 pro Retail
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