win8 Windows 8 Start button isn't coming back, but there will be a tutorial

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Windows 8 Start button isn't coming back, but there will be a tutorial

The Start button won't be coming back, no matter how much detractors of Windows 8's new user interface would like it to. But to make the new operating system easier to understand for mouse and keyboard users, it will contain a tutorial to explain how things work.

Investment firm Nomura has hosted a series of meetings with Tami Reller, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Marketing Officer of the Windows and Windows Live division, to talk about what's coming up for Microsoft's next operating system.

In these meetings, Reller discussed the concerns that reviewers have raised about the Windows 8 interface: in particular, the lack of familiarity that the interface will have, and the worry that it will be confusing for mouse users. Windows 8 removes the Start button and instead depends on hot corners for essential functionality, and in the current beta there is little to tell users what to do.

According to Nomura, Reller confirmed that the Start button will remain gone, but that the discoverability problem will be addressed through a tutorial for users, so that when they first run the operating system they will be guided through the new interactions.

A tutorial won't solve every concern that people have about the new interface?for example, the very different look-and-feel between the desktop and Metro?but it could go a long way towards ensuring that new users don't get stuck.

Source: Ars Technica

[Depicus]

If you need a tutorial then something has gone wrong.

[Miuku.]

Sorry guys but as someone who did use 3.1 for work, it was never good :p

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Sorry guys but as someone who did use 3.1 for work, it was never good :p

True. Windows 3.1x sucked compared to better OSs at the time, like OS/2.

[TheLegendOfMart]

If you need a tutorial then something has gone wrong.

Was just about to come here and post that.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

To be fair, earlier versions of Windows came with a tutorial also. The older ones of us will remember this:

[Fraud OS 11]

But I liked Me D: I used it for four years xD

I liked Windows Me too a lot because it had the Windows 2000 shell and many improvements over Windows 98. I didn't have any stability issues with it, but then again it was a co-operatively multi-tasking OS for 16-bit apps, so once users had the taste of Windows 2000 stability with full Plug and Play support, Windows Me looked inferior. Vista was the first OS to disappoint me, Windows 7 the second and Windows 8 might kill my passion for Windows entirely. Microsoft never learns from their past mistakes. That's the truth. You no longer control the computer, the computer controls you.

[George P Global Moderator]

People really do have short memories or just like to forget things when it helps try and prove their point. Windows 95 was fine and it had a tutorial (a slide show guide or w/e) when you first booted into it. As did Windows 98 iirc. Also Windows 98 was full of problems and ****ty till 98 SE shipped which fixed most of them and actually made it semi-usable back then. The same thing with XP, god it was a mess and MS had to freeze EVERYTHING just to fix it with SP2. How people block that out to this day in some shallow attempt to make seem like it was good from the start is beyond me. I never used ME so I'll skip on that one but I have a midrange PC with Vista and it's working fine though not the fastest thing out there.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

In fairness, I think maybe some of the people here are too young to have cared about computers unpon Win95s release...

Also, EVERY version of Windows has come with tutorials in one form or another.

[Site Lab]

In my opinion:

Windows 95 - Good [it had a tutorial just like 3.1 at the beginning]

Windows 98 - I had no problems with it...

Windows XP - Buggy at the beginning. [Also had a tutorial, it was in accessories or whatever]

Windows Vista - I actually never had any problems just like 98.

Windows 7 - Good

Windows 8 - Good, interface is decent once you get used to it....

[Miuku.]

As someone who ran a network of over 1,000 Win95/Win98 boxes, trust me - they were both awful. Anything pre-2k was just .. do not want to remember.

[Intersect]

microsoft is trying so hard to push the whole knect / touch expereince, while some might like it, others wont and will be more at home using

OSX or ubuntu as their daily use os. but for support reasons iam going to have this installed on an seprate pc.

[HawkMan]

As someone who ran a network of over 1,000 Win95/Win98 boxes, trust me - they were both awful. Anything pre-2k was just .. do not want to remember.

Why on earth would you run a 1000 client network in home computer non network OS', that's why you had NT which is what you switched to when you switched to 2k, win 9x ws fine for home use however, great even.

[mdtaUK]

People seem to forget the Windows 95 "Tip of the day" boxes, showing how to do things in the UI

[George P Global Moderator]

Sure, networking was a pain but back then most people, hell, everyone, just had one PC at home anyways. Business should've been using NT4 Workstation imo.

[Miuku.]

Why on earth would you run a 1000 client network in home computer non network OS', that's why you had NT which is what you switched to when you switched to 2k, win 9x ws fine for home use however, great even.

Unfortunately I didn't build it - I inherited it. It was originally a school/town network (running on Novell Netware) that was later on turned into a Win2k network.

Let's just say the people who originally implemented it were.. replaced.

[georgevella]

People seem to forget the Windows 95 "Tip of the day" boxes, showing how to do things in the UI

People seem to forget that Windows 3.1 had a tutorial on how to use the mouse ;) Heck, just did a search and found that MS still has this tutorial, albeit in an updated Vista/7 style: http://windows.micro...o-use-the-mouse

Windows 3.1 mouse tutorial

[HawkMan]

People seem to forget that EVERY version of windows on first start and second when you can click the don't show again checkbox, comes with a windows on startup telling you how to do stuff with links to more detailed guides on how to use windows.

[Fraud OS 11]

Get the Start button and a customizable skinnable menu back. Classic Shell for Windows 8 is released NOW.

[BajiRav]

If you need a tutorial then something has gone wrong.

well...tell that to Apple ;) because every single iPhone/iPad add is a tutorial in disguise. And you know how bad that turned out.

[devHead]

People seem to forget that Windows 3.1 had a tutorial on how to use the mouse ;) Heck, just did a search and found that MS still has this tutorial, albeit in an updated Vista/7 style: http://windows.micro...o-use-the-mouse

Windows 3.1 mouse tutorial

...

But you needed a tutorial back then, heck the GUI was a completely new thing! But to have a tutorial like they will in Windows 8 to show you where they've 'hidden' key features of getting around in the OS is not good UI design.

[Rudy]

If you need a tutorial then something has gone wrong.

this right there

[HawkMan]

Again, every windows has come with a tutorial on startup, and on most regular people's computers they never turn it off, so it's there every boot, I also believe OSX has one, and iOS.

So what was that again.

[theyarecomingforyou]

Again, every windows has come with a tutorial on startup, and on most regular people's computers they never turn it off, so it's there every boot

I seem recall Windows XP having one (not 100% on that :s) but don't remember seeing one in Vista or Win7. It could just be a case that I always disable it immediately but I honestly don't recall ever coming across a tutorial.

[Lee G. Veteran]

I seem recall Windows XP having one (not 100% on that :s) but don't remember seeing one in Vista or Win7. It could just be a case that I always disable it immediately but I honestly don't recall ever coming across a tutorial.

Windows XP has the Windows XP Tour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGhyDSfu_n4

Windows 7 has the Getting Started screen that shows on first boot. Go online to learn more links to some basic tutorials and a tour.