116 replies to this topic 11 votes

[JamesGandi]

Quote

Microsoft (MSFT) is no stranger to criticism these days, and the company’s new Windows 8 platform is once again the target of a scathing review from a high-profile user. Well-known Internet entrepreneur and MIT professor Philip Greenspun handed Windows 8 one of its most damning reviews yet earlier this week, calling the new operating system a “Christmas gift for someone you hate.” Greenspun panned almost every aspect of Microsoft’s new software, noting that Microsoft had four years to study Android and more than five to examine iOS, but still couldn’t build a usable tablet experience.

“The only device that I can remember being as confused by is the BlackBerry PlayBook,” Greenspun wrote on his blog after using Windows 8 on a Dell (DELL) XPS One All-in-One desktop PC. The acclaimed computer scientist noted that Microsoft omitted all of the best features from the most popular touch-focused platforms and instead created a user interface he describes as a “dog’s breakfast.”

“Suppose that you are an expert user of Windows NT/XP/Vista/7, an expert user of an iPad, and an expert user of an Android phone… you will have no idea how to use Windows 8,” Greenspun wrote.

He continued, “Some functions, such as ‘start an application’ or ‘restart the computer’ are available only from the tablet interface. Conversely, when one is comfortably ensconced in a touch/tablet application, an additional click will fire up a Web browser, thereby causing the tablet to disappear in favor of the desktop. Many of the ‘apps’ that show up on the ‘all apps’ menu at the bottom of the screen (accessible only if you swipe down from the top of the screen) dump you right into the desktop on the first click.”

SOURCE: http://bgr.com/2012/...sm-android-ios/

[NateB1]

If this guy reviewed Windows 95, I bet he'd say the same thing about launching DOS apps from an icon on the desktop. "It dumps you into a command-line interface, the screen changes, and mouse support is gone! To turn off the computer, you have to go to the 'Start' menu, which is non-intuitive for users. Microsoft had all this time to learn from System 6/7, and yet they came up with this?"

[ahhell]

"Suppose that you are an expert user of Windows NT/XP/Vista/7, an expert user of an iPad, and an expert user of an Android phone… you will have no idea how to use Windows"

How ****ing clueless are people? Good god.

[neufuse]

no a Christmas gift for someone you hate is a el cheapo Chinese junk android tablet with minimal processing power and minimal RAM... watch them get frustrated to heck with the laggy response, non-working UI and crappy screen touch quality (im talking the sub $100 tablets, not the higher end ones)

[Dot Matrix]

Quote

Some functions, such as ‘start an application’ or ‘restart the computer’ are available only from the tablet interface.

What? I recall pinning icons to my desktop... And two, it's like that in any other Windows OS, how is launching an app from Start any different than launching an app for the Start Menu?

These guys sound like bigger idiots than the Inc.com guy who thought Windows RT can get Win32 malware...

[firey]

I personally very much dislike 8, however over the past few months, I have started to get tired of these reports. I feel 8 sucks, other people think it sucks, but there's way to much of the exact same thing said. For all the people that dislike it, do as I do.. stay with Windows 7.

However, the only thing I disagree with in the article is that of the playbook. I feel it is very user friendly, very easy to use and gets the job done. Not sure why he was having such difficulty.

[neufuse]

Dot Matrix, on 06 December 2012 - 18:53, said:

What? I recall pinning icons to my desktop... And two, it's like that in any other Windows OS, how is launching an app from Start any different than launching an app for the Start Menu?

These guys sound like bigger idiots than the Inc.com guy who thought Windows RT can get Win32 malware...

well there is one difference, you do have to have a full screen menu to launch an app from the start screen from the desktop, as opposed to from a non-intrusive (not full screen take over) list... talking about launching from the start menu/screen here not pinning to something else

[threetonesun]

Were he a caveman, he would have picked up two rocks, complained about the UI, then died of exposure.

[Orange Battery]

Windows 8 has some great stuff under the hood, we must not forget that.
MS lost me with the tablet UI, IM a desktop user, Ive only upgrades one PC instead of the usual houehold.
I honestly dont think MS cares. I dont think I do anymore.

[Neowon]

neufuse, on 06 December 2012 - 18:51, said:

no a Christmas gift for someone you hate is a el cheapo Chinese junk android tablet with minimal processing power and minimal RAM... watch them get frustrated to heck with the laggy response, non-working UI and crappy screen touch quality (im talking the sub $100 tablets, not the higher end ones)

So who gift you this item and when did you receive it?

[Dashel]

NateB1, on 06 December 2012 - 18:46, said:

If this guy reviewed Windows 95, I bet he'd say the same thing about launching DOS apps from an icon on the desktop. "It dumps you into a command-line interface, the screen changes, and mouse support is gone!

Except win95 was designed as a replacement and consensus so far is that RT is not a replacement for the desktop environment. Thats what fuels the majority of this debate as few took issue with the temporary pains to realize the gains. The two headed nature of 8 simply doesn't sit well with many, which is unfortunate, because that marketing decision overshadows some of the great work they have done on both sides of the fence.

[warwagon]

Last night I bought and installed Start8 on my Windows 8 desktop computer (4 monitor setup). It really does feel like a breath of fresh air. This is after using windows 8 on 2 computer since it went on sale.

On the Windows 8 UI I find myself doing what feels like more to get to the same place as Windows 7.

Sure windows 8 has keyboard shortcuts coming out it's ass, but taking keyboard shortcuts out of the equation (Most users don't even know control + c copies), navigating the UI feels like more work than (it's predecessors) it should be.

I've still never understood hiding important menu's from the user. Even if they are going to remove the start menu, why did they have to remove the start button? It's almost like they were in a meeting they one day constructing a list of "the top 5 ways they could confuse the average user" then proceeded to implement all of them.

Unless you are on a tablet, the charms bar gives you this "What the hell are you doing here" feeling, almost every-time you activate on purpose or otherwise. It's also a pain in the ass to activate if you have dual monitors (Once again taking keyboard shortcuts out of the equation).

[oliver182]

So please hate me and give me a new computer with Windows 8

[NateB1]

Dashel, on 06 December 2012 - 19:20, said:

Except win95 was designed as a replacement and consensus so far is that RT is not a replacement for the desktop environment. Thats what fuels the majority of this debate as few took issue with the temporary pains to realize the gains. The two headed nature of 8 simply doesn't sit well with many, which is unfortunate, because that marketing decision overshadows some of the great work they have done on both sides of the fence.

I have no doubt the Modern interface will mature to the point that it will completely replace the desktop. It took several iterations of the desktop GUI to replace the command prompt, and it will most likely be the same with Modern. There might be some niche applications that absolutely need the desktop, but it's going to be a fairly rare occurrence.

[Dashel]

And I still don't see how, considering the limitations imposed by the design, they will get there without another radical change/reboot. Anything that radical will no longer be the 'Modern' interface though.

Only a revolutionary change to Modern could do what you suggest, not evolutionary ones as have defined the Desktop environment.