Why Microsoft redesigned Windows

Windows 8 has its fans and foes, but Microsoft felt the time was ripe for a new look and feel for a product used by more than 1.2 billion people.

Julie Larson-Green, the new head of Windows product development, recently spoke with MIT Technology Review about the reasons behind the major changes in the latest version of Windows.

Source

A Guy
 
Will have to agree in time for change, albeit there will be those who do not agree. . .:D
 

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Thanks, Bill. Good article. :)

It's a proven fact that any business has to adjust to market trend or lose the share. MS saw fit for a change and rightfully so.

How natural for one to use one's own finger to navigate. Weird at first for those of us who have been using mouse and keyboard for decades. But, that's the magic that MS incorporated into 8 -> It works just as well with familiar peripherals to navigate and for more precision as the article stated.

I feel MS did a great job on their first endeavour in this change. I find the experience to be more of a personal one as the article highlighted. Of course 8 is not perfect as anything else. I think there will be better things to come in the future.

Yes, Joan, unfortunately there will always those whom always disagree.
 

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*yawn*
 

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I couldn't care less. If I can't choose what I like.
If there is no option, it's not a change. It's the-way-it-is-now like all "normal users" see it. It's the new stuff, we don't even compare whit what was before. Everybody forgets what was before.
When you get the freedom of options however, then you can realy see what changes they made, compare before and after, choose the best of it.
No option, no customization looks so much disposable, single-use. Now Windows looks like it's the OS you buy with the device. Once you buy a new device, in afew years it will be another OS - yeah, of course, it's a new device -. It's EOM. Installed once and for all. You don't reinstal. You don't re-use it on another machine.
So when for each new machine there is a new OS and for each new OS you have new machines, how can you compare?
 

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I think I posted that in another thread and the thing to note is that desktop/notebook shipments (and most likely sales) aren't really declining, they are remaining steady, so it's still a venerable cash cow. On the other hand, smart phone shipments (and again, sales) is growing, but the thing to note is that smartphones are churned way faster than desktops/notebooks which tend to be used for many years before discarding.

The competition for smart phones is also furious, but not so for desktops/notebooks, so naturally you will see the figures for smart phones exceed that for the desktops/notebooks. But to use that as the raison d'etre for invoking a mobile phone interface on a desktop is patently weird.

The other thing to note is that those figures do not break down the sales of brands, or more appropriately, the OSes that dominate the mobile phone space. Where Microsoft wants to be and where it will actually be in several years time is what will be interesting.
 

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I think I posted that in another thread and the thing to note is that desktop/notebook shipments (and most likely sales) aren't really declining, they are remaining steady, so it's still a venerable cash cow. On the other hand, smart phone shipments (and again, sales) is growing, but the thing to note is that smartphones are churned way faster than desktops/notebooks which tend to be used for many years before discarding.

The competition for smart phones is also furious, but not so for desktops/notebooks, so naturally you will see the figures for smart phones exceed that for the desktops/notebooks. But to use that as the raison d'etre for invoking a mobile phone interface on a desktop is patently weird.

The other thing to note is that those figures do not break down the sales of brands, or more appropriately, the OSes that dominate the mobile phone space. Where Microsoft wants to be and where it will actually be in several years time is what will be interesting.

Alright, I'll drop you another hint:

StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Market Share

Now, how's Microsoft doing on the mobile space?

StatCounter Global Stats - Browser, OS, Search Engine including Mobile Market Share

Not good.
 

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That 200 million/year cash cow of desktop/notebook sales is looking pretty good. Even at $5 per licence and assuming 90% of sales is Microsoft, that's almost $1 billion per year. You wouldn't want to kill that just for a merry looking start menu.
 

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The change is more like from windows to window . A change may be necessary but the choice and the way is wrong.
 

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Yeah, the redesign is appreciated, but treating the desktop like a tablet has got to be the biggest computer UI design blunder of the century. :/

In fact, even though I am a complete Microsoft/Windows geek and frankly dislike Google rather passionately. I STILL ended up buying a new Android phone for xmas. That's how much Windows 8, even on a phone, doesn't work for me :( On the desktop? Non-starter. Sigh.
 

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Yes, the question is indeed, "Why?" I have had my Asus Vivobook for 3 days now. It's a great looking, very portable little notebook with a nice touchscreen. I wish I could love it, but, I have yet to understand why this is supposed to be an improvement over Windows 7. I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. Apps make sense on a tablet. I don't see the reason for "apps" on a pc. And I have lost my POP3 mail, the functionality of the Windows Live photo gallery. The music and video players are buggy. Maybe I have more to learn. Maybe the kinks will be worked out. But, I end up still wondering why?
 

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They needed something to do.
 

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I can see value in apps on a desktop, as they can be nifty little information sources, which hopefully are not resource intensive. The same applies to Windows tablets/notebooks/laptops that act as full blown portable desktops. But the apps should be adjustable and flexible, to suit the greater real estate of tablets/notebooks/laptops and desktop monitor/s, which is where Microsoft has stumbled badly and made it a 'one hat fits all' situation. They got so lost in 'social' aspects of their new OS and forgot about those who aren't on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc all day long.
 

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That 200 million/year cash cow of desktop/notebook sales is looking pretty good. Even at $5 per licence and assuming 90% of sales is Microsoft, that's almost $1 billion per year. You wouldn't want to kill that just for a merry looking start menu.

If Vista taught them something is that they can release an operating system with the worst possible reception and still make shitloads of money and lose little ground to competitors (competitors? what competitors?). Their stronghold on their traditional markets is just too strong. The way I see it, they're risking very little.
 

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Hi there
Agree absolutely with Ray8

I can't be bothered with "Farcebook", "Twatting" on Twitter or even Texting -- I probably only send ONE TEXT a year and it's probably "Happy Xmas" to my mum.!!!!

Apps on a phone are fine -- on a desktop they should be more like "Gadgets" and certainly this whole "Metro style "Full screen" or the even more Bonkers "Half screen" is totally stupid when you've got nice HUGE monitors.

For tablet and Phones -- absolutely NO ISSUE at all with W8 --- for a desktop (even if I'm on a "Laptop") the traditional OS approach with a proper hierarchical menu system and a decently customisable desktop the W7 approach is FAR superior IMO.

The whole concept of "The Store" is flawed for serious Windows apps -- would you expect to install Adobe CS6 suite (extended) -- the Full suite -- via the "App store" -- Think not somehow.

There are features in W8 that I like -- slick performance, enhanced security (actually very very good security --you don't really need any 3rd party AV stuff any more for a HOME installation of W8), better driver and update management, Virtual ISO mounting etc etc -- so it's a shame Ms didn't offer at installation time the "traditional" or "Metro" Gui depending on your requirements.

Some of the 3rd party stuff out there on attempting to replicate the W7 type of menuing system shows that it wouldn't have been difficult for Ms to implement this.

What is actually even more BONKERS is that W2012 server (essentially similar to W8) actually has an option "Desktop experience" at install time which has the same Metro interface as W8 itself -- now I don't know how a lot of I.T is managed these days but 'm sure the guys who manage servers etc won't be using METRO apps to control and monitor their servers. !!!

Cheers
jimbo
 

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If Vista taught them something is that they can release an operating system with the worst possible reception and still make shitloads of money and lose little ground to competitors (competitors? what competitors?). Their stronghold on their traditional markets is just too strong. The way I see it, they're risking very little.

There have been many seemingly invincible companies throughout history that have fallen badly, and even disappeared, because of a simple, yet bad, decision. Think of Kodak (failed to acknowledge the digital age), Sun Microsystems (growth of powerful PCs), Sony (poor hardware/software decisions) and so on.

I have no idea what Microsoft sees as their future, but the commentary that Windows 8 has generated seems to indicate that they have alienated a very large percentage of their traditional userbase. The fact that so much tension is evident on a pure tech site, needs to be extrapolated to the larger populace that is far less tech savvy.

One wrong step and Microsoft risks everything.
 

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If Vista taught them something is that they can release an operating system with the worst possible reception and still make shitloads of money and lose little ground to competitors (competitors? what competitors?). Their stronghold on their traditional markets is just too strong. The way I see it, they're risking very little.

There have been many seemingly invincible companies throughout history that have fallen badly, and even disappeared, because of a simple, yet bad, decision. Think of Kodak (failed to acknowledge the digital age), Sun Microsystems (growth of powerful PCs), Sony (poor hardware/software decisions) and so on.

I have no idea what Microsoft sees as their future, but the commentary that Windows 8 has generated seems to indicate that they have alienated a very large percentage of their traditional userbase. The fact that so much tension is evident on a pure tech site, needs to be extrapolated to the larger populace that is far less tech savvy.

One wrong step and Microsoft risks everything.

I see your point, but my opinion is that Microsoft probably thinks getting behind in the mobile race is far riskier for them in the long run than alienating their userbase. If there is a small chance that doing that improves their chances in the mobile space, they probably think it's worth trying.

At least, I'm really hoping that's the case, because if Microsoft really thinks that Metro is the future of computing regardless of device and environment, I'm out of words to describe my dismay.
 

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I see your point, but my opinion is that Microsoft probably thinks getting behind in the mobile race is far riskier for them in the long run than alienating their userbase. If there is a small chance that doing that improves their chances in the mobile space, they probably think it's worth trying.

At least, I'm really hoping that's the case, because if Microsoft really thinks that Metro is the future of computing regardless of device and environment, I'm out of words to describe my dismay.

By using metro I know now not to buy any of Windows mobile devises and stick with Android or Fruit company products even they know better than to mix desktops with mobile stuff. Cnet has an article about adding the start menu in desktop the din is getting really loud if Microsoft does not listen now somebody will take there place. I used to be in the silent group not now I do not like being force fed Monkey Dung (metro).
 

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I think metro is the best thing that could happen to tablets and phones...

I just wish it was thought about differently for the desktop users.
 

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