This will be Microsofts biggest ever flop, far bigger than Vista.

[HPDeskjet]

This could be Microsofts biggest ever flop, far bigger than Vista.

I’ve been trying out the Consumer Preview for a couple of days now and it looks as though MS have chosen to make using the desktop UI in Windows we all know as difficult and frustrating as possible. On logging in for the first time you are confronted with the Metro start screen. It then takes ages to find things like the Network Centre, Control Panel, Windows Explorer etc. as they are not on the initial Metro start screen. You have to hunt around the entire OS to find them and then either make shortcuts to the Metro UI or pin them to the desktop taskbar to access them quickly. MS have also deliberately removed the old ‘Start’ button from the bottom left hand corner of the desktop screen, making it a nightmare to navigate anywhere if you want to quickly open a programme that is not pinned to your desktop taskbar. This makes trying to work productively a complete joke. Whoever thought that removing the START button from the desktop screen was a good idea should be taken out and publicly flogged and pelted with rotten vegetables. A decision some brainless cretin at MS seems to have made.

As for the Metro UI start screen, it works well on a mobile phone or tablet maybe but certainly not in the desktop environment. You can no longer simply install shortcuts to programmes on your desktop screen, they get placed on MS’s new Metro start screen, a screen designed specifically for tablets and touch screen monitors in combination with swipe movements on the touchscreen. The entire Metro UI is designed for swiping across the screen on a tablet, not for desktop use with keyboard and mouse. There is no option to turn off the Metro UI and just use the familiar Windows desktop UI with Start button in the bottom left hand corner most Windows users are used to.

As for trying to shut down your computer in Windows 8, it took me a search on Google to work out how to shut down the computer in Windows 8. Shutdown Windows 8 Consumer Preview « FAQforge Unbelievably user unfriendly.

This is going to be a disaster for Microsoft, a bigger flop than Vista ever was. I already dislike Windows 8 and that’s only after 2 days of using it with a keyboard and mouse. No company in their right mind is going to buy this nonsensical operating system when it comes to IT productivity and ease of use. What on Earth are Microsoft thinking? That companies will all dump their desktop computers and buy tablets with a 7″screen to use Windows 8 in the workplace and pay for a lot of IT training so employees can find their way around this horror? I really don’t think so. Excel spreadsheets and writing long reports in Word on a 7 or 10 inch screen with touchscreen keyboard. Nice experience? Mmm, Idon’t think so. More like buy Windows 8 and lose lots of money through a lack of productivity.

So far, using Windows 8 is turning out to be the most frustrating and unenjoyable experience I’ve ever had on a desktop computer. MS have got a lot of work to do in order to make Windows 8 user friendly enough for those who prefer desktop computing to get any productive work done.

If this is the future of Microsoft Windows it looks as though I’ll either be sticking with Windows 7, or I’ll be switching to Linux. By the looks of it I wont be in the minority. Welcome to Vista 2 from Microsoft.

 

[lehnerus2000]

The pity is ...

I agree with your complaints (nothing has improved since the DP).

The Bad.

So far:

• Can't change font type.
• Can't adjust font size (not dpi setting).
• Can't set "Folder Templates".
• Restarting/Shutting Down/Sleeping is painful (extra layer to battle with).
• "Help" keeps getting worse (with every new OS version).
• FF display glitches (same as DP - could be Mozilla's fault).
• The DP found drivers for my USB and Sound, but CP can't.
• 5 Updates as soon as I intalled it!

The pity is, the actual Windows bits are better (well maybe not the awful "Ribbon" Explorer).
It seems quick and uses less RAM.

 

[HPDeskjet]

It's obvious to me that MS have failed in their attempt in trying to combine a mobile phone/ tablet OS and a desktop OS. No business in their right mind is going to buy this as it currently stands. It screams loss of productivity in the workplace. Removing the START button from the desktop UI is simply put the height of stupidity. I'm sure that MS will get such an unbelievable negative response to this from people trying out the CP that they will have to reinstate it asap. A complete blunder on Microsofts behalf.

However, I do agree that the actual Windows parts are improved and it does seem slightly faster than Win7. I'm certainly no MS basher. I've been using a Windows Phone with Mango since November 2011 and really, really like the Mango OS. My experience with Windows 8 has been completely the opposite. Frustrating and annoying, which says a lot for someone with more than average knowledge of computers. The tablet/ mobile phone environment is not the same as the desktop one.

 

[bagavan]

I also partially agree with you..Even I had to google for shutting down.

 

[Jav]

It then takes ages to find things like the Network Centre, Control Panel, Windows Explorer etc. as they are not on the initial Metro start screen. You have to hunt around the entire OS to find them and then either make shortcuts to the Metro UI or pin them to the desktop taskbar to access them quickly. MS have also deliberately removed the old ‘Start’ button from the bottom left hand corner of the desktop screen, making it a nightmare to navigate anywhere if you want to quickly open a programme that is not pinned to your desktop taskbar. This makes trying to work productively a complete joke. Whoever thought that removing the START button from the desktop screen was a good idea should be taken out and publicly flogged and pelted with rotten vegetables.

On Start screen write "Network" , "Explorer" , "Control" and etc. It actually is faster than in Windows 7. (though not always, like Local policies )

Everything you had in old Start is still there:

• Your fast access pinned programs as tiles.
• Search bar as improved search.
• All your programs in show all Apps screen. (in Start screen right click - > Show all apps. This is The SAME programs as it was in old Start menu. So it is not gone..)

You can no longer simply install shortcuts to programmes on your desktop screen, they get placed on MS’s new Metro start screen

You can still put shortcuts in Desktop

 

[Vertex]

Everything you had in old Start is still there:

• Your fast access pinned programs as tiles.
• Search bar as improved search.
• All your programs in show all Apps screen. (in Start screen right click - > Show all apps. This is The SAME programs as it was in old Start menu. So it is not gone..)

Many of us don't want this Metro screen littered with tiles, obscuring the whole Desktop screen just to find and launch something. The old Start Menu takes less space and does not obscure the whole screen. The new search function on the Metro is more difficult for me because searching for something again takes up the whole screen and shows Metro apps that I don't even need among the lists. The Start button is gone, BIG FAIL! Made it more awkward looking to your average computer Joe, decreasing his interest on this pro-tablet/ anti-desktop UI.

You can still put shortcuts in Desktop

Not as easy as it used to in the old Start Menu because of the above reason.

 

[HPDeskjet]

On Start screen write "Network" , "Explorer" , "Control" and etc. It actually is faster than in Windows 7

Everything you had in old Start is still there:
Your fast access pinned programs as tiles.
Search bar as improved search.
All your programs in show all Apps screen. (in Start screen right click - > Show all apps. This is The SAME programs as it was in old Start menu. So it is not gone..)

It may all still be there but 9 times out out of 10 you have be a clairvoyant to find it in the first place, like just typing ' Network' in the start screen for example. I'm an experienced Windows user, I've been using Windows since Windows 95 and this OS is like wading through treacle to find out simple things, where they are and how they work. I've never known anything like it. For your average Windows user and not so experienced user this OS is going to be a nightmare to work out how to use on a desktop computer. Good God, I've been using a Windows Phone with Mango since Nov. 2011 and like it a lot, so I'm familiar with the principal of Metro, but, I find this Windows 8 experience a disaster on several levels.

Windows 8 #fail

 

[Mooly]

Have to agree with much that has been said... it's just so frustrating to use.

Coming from Vista I don't like the way that folders (within docs/pics etc) can not be placed at will. I like things grouped in logical orders. The "arrange to grid" and "auto arrange" right click options are missing... as in W7 I believe.
It may sound unfair to say this but Vista did have a problem with folders and icons resetting when they shouldn't on some systems, there was never a fix for that issue. It just seems that rather than fix the issue the option was ommited on W7 and also W8.

Same things as others report in having to google for shut down etc.

Biggest problems came with installing/running W8. I dual booted and installed to a freshly formated partition. W8 actually ran well and seemed quick and used little RAM (<30% for the 32bit with 2gb RAM installed). I knew NVidia drivers would be a major issue and so it proved.

Every shut down I got error messages about memory dumps. Every boot and it wanted to check all discs for consistency, then it said it had restarted to correct an issue (it hadn't). Messages came up about "your PC needs repair... this may take an hour or more).


I accept it's a beta (yes lets call it a beta because that is what it is) but the lack ofdriver support... well nothing changes.


After getting an NVidia driver (a Vista one) to load and it still giving problems. I then let W8 search for new software online. Amazingly it found a new driver, not amazingly it totally crashed the PC leaving it in a loop of HDD on, HDD off and just recycling between the splash start screen and a black screen.


Thank goodness for Acronis as I imaged my whole drive (all partitions) before installing.


A real pity because I was really looking forward to getting to grips with W8 but it seemed intent on just causing major issues, not just with W8 which I would have persevered with but also in causing Vista problems too. That kept coming up with disk error messages and taking ages to boot. I liked the pdf reader too.

A pity but there we are, so it's all back to Vista at the moment

 

[Drybonz]

After using it for a couple days, my initial sense of being overwhelmed is gone and I'm navigating around very quickly. Just took a little getting used to.

When Vista came out, there were problems such as it was way more demanding on my hardware than XP, etc... things I couldn't overcome.

I think once the general population gets used to the interface changes in Windows 8 that it will be popular.

 

[HPDeskjet]

Start Screen.Why do I now have to scroll sideways for about 3 miles in order to find the programme or app I don't happen to have pinned to my desktop? That is fine for a tablet or mobile but nonsensical for a desktop. WHERE IS THE START BUTTON on the desktop? Oh yes, someone at MS thought it would a great step forward to remove it. Cretins.

 

[burtie]

I am not feeling the love for Windows 8...and it looks like a lot of people are feeling the same

 

[Corpsecrank]

Glad you think this way I for one will be enjoying all that the modern features have to offer. I find motioning my mouse on the right hand side of the screen a lot easier than clicking a large button on my taskbar by the way. I actually don't miss the start button and that is after only a day of using this. I don't even understand how people could have such a rough time figuring out how to take advantage of the new ui it makes sense and makes working faster and easier.

 

[raj11650]

i am sure many will just ignore/skip this OS and use next OS just like with the case of vista!!

 

[Vertex]

Glad you think this way I for one will be enjoying all that the modern features have to offer. I find motioning my mouse on the right hand side of the screen a lot easier than clicking a large button on my taskbar by the way. I actually don't miss the start button and that is after only a day of using this. I don't even understand how people could have such a rough time figuring out how to take advantage of the new ui it makes sense and makes working faster and easier.

I don't understand why other people actually see this an an easier method of navigating than the traditional style while this Metro screen eclipses the Desktop and everything else running in it when the Metro screen is launched, just to scroll on the far right accross feilds of Metro apps that few people care about to see tiles of traditional applications on the far right. Even the search function takes the whole screen again. And isnt it odd that the Power button is hidden under the Settings on the Charms bar? I think its a design fail to put the power button under settings because many first-time users won't even expect it to be there.

 

[Jav]

It may all still be there but 9 times out out of 10 you have be a clairvoyant to find it in the first place, like just typing ' Network' in the start screen for example. I'm an experienced Windows user, I've been using Windows since Windows 95 and this OS is like wading through treacle to find out simple things, where they are and how they work. I've never known anything like it. For your average Windows user and not so experienced user this OS is going to be a nightmare to work out how to use on a desktop computer. Good God, I've been using a Windows Phone with Mango since Nov. 2011 and like it a lot, so I'm familiar with the principal of Metro, but, I find this Windows 8 experience a disaster on several levels.

Windows 8 #fail

As far I can see the average is not having problem with it. The ones that have problems with it are Windows veterans and power users.
Your average user is loving all dumbed down stuff. And it feels intuitive for them...

I don't understand why other people actually see this an an easier method of navigating than the traditional style while this Metro screen eclipses the Desktop and everything else running in it when the Metro screen is launched, just to scroll on the far right accross feilds of Metro apps that few people care about to see tiles of traditional applications on the far right. Even the search function takes the whole screen again. And isnt it odd that the Power button is hidden under the Settings on the Charms bar? I think its a design fail to put the power button under settings because many first-time users won't even expect it to be there.

You do realise that you can easily unpin those Metro apps that none cares about?
On top of that you can easily move your apps to the left side of start menu.

To be honest, it maybe just me. I never really liked using classic start menu to find or organise my programs. I had to use it in Windows XP, 95 and etc. But the search in Windows 7 was almost the biggest thing I love about it.

I knew all my software by name, So never had to manually search for icons in start menu/folders.
That may be the reason why I don't miss it. I am still just writing whatever software I want to run and I am finding Windows 8 indexing even superior to Windows 7 (which I love..)

 

[vrosa]

i am sure many will just ignore/skip this OS and use next OS just like with the case of vista!!

I wouldnt bet

 

[HPDeskjet]

With a few tweaks I think that it can be good OS. All it really needs is a few alterations to the UI and the return of the Start button on the desktop. Apart from that I really don't consider there to be anything fundamentally wrong with it. The changes to Windows itself do seem to be good, it's just the UI interaction on a desktop with keyboard and mouse that has to be sorted out before release. If they change nothing it'll be the new Vista for MS.

Hopefully Microsoft have learnt from the Vista disaster and will be reading the comments here. I'm sure that's why Windows 7 turned out to be the OS Vista was meant to be. They released a release candidate to the public and made the right changes before the final release. I certainly hope that it happens again with Win8

 

[jeffrys]

hi guys,

well i like Windows Developer Preview. Did not install the Consumer Preview yet.
Download of the D.P. ISO file took me 5 minutes. Converting the iso to "ISOTOUSB" only 25 minutes. So far no complaints.

Sure it is different then Win 7 and certainly different than the slower Vista.

But if my Revo is recognised then i will install the DP on sunday.

Jeff

 

[Tully]

Loaded Win 8 succesfully, took me ages to find out how to shut it down.

Shut down & restarted a few times using my win 7 passowrd my old password to do things. DID NOT set up my Email.

LOW & BEhold then when I restarted I had a whole new sign in screen!!

My complete name was at the top under it was my Email address

Under that was a place to enter password.

My password would NOT work. It came up with "The Email or password is incorrect. Try again.

Does the Eamil have to be working to log in?

How do I get back into my system?

Tully

 

[runningnak3d]

I would love to hear from the folks that actually think this interface is an improvement to the desktop. IE: you can actually get MORE done with the keyboard / mouse than you could with Win 7, XP, hell 95. It is ugly, it is freaking beyond ugly, it is downright 2bit color HIDEOUS. XP may have been a cartoon OS, but at least it wasn't in black and white, or blue and white, or green and white (what do you get, a choice of 7 colors?). My complaints aren't about a learning curve either, I am well aware of all the keyboard shortcuts I could use -- I DON'T WANT TO! Yes, this will be Microsoft's biggest failure *ever*. I wasn't a fan of Vista, but I didn't request a "downgrade". I will be requesting a "downgrade" for any box I get that his this nasty OS on it.

-- Brian

PS - Off topic, but MS Phone -- HIDEOUS! They need to fire the color blind design artists they have working for them...