Windows 8 is an Engineering Marvel with Humanity

[Nazmus Shakib Khandaker]

Before we start, let?s take the time to not thank Microsoft, but the actual people that made Windows 8 possible. We need to remember that Windows 8 is a product of real people working together, real, brilliant engineers that we should not take for granted. To the leaders, coders, designers, and everyone else in the Windows team, THANK YOU!

Windows 8 is a technological wonder that ought to put us in awe. It is a creation that shows how far humanity has achieved. Yet, its imperfections show that it was, indeed, created by human beings rather than the perfect, Almighty, God. It is a human engineering marvel of our time.

Its wonder start from the fact that Windows operates flawlessly at such a huge scale. This is a software that, you may say, is the least buggy software that humanity has created thus far. That by itself makes Windows 8 amazing. The fact that it is able to run on so many devices without a headache is the first sign of its engineering success. I know of no other software or operating system that runs as smoothly on so many devices. Its ability to have over a billion people rely on it for daily computing operation proves this. Windows 8, like Windows 7, is a solid and stable piece of software on a huge magnitude of use cases.

This second part is particularly important in regards to Windows 8. Not only did the designers create an OS that is a revolution, massive shift, and does so much more than its predecessor, the designers made sure to make this superior OS use even less system resources, make it snappier and more efficient than its predecessor. That by itself should cause people to pause and think. I cannot recall another time something like this, at this magnitude, was achieved with software. For example, when Windows Vista was created, it added new features, but at the same time, it required much more resources than did its predecessor. Frankly, the new features of Windows Vista over Windows XP, however, pales in comparison to the new features of Windows 8 over Windows 7. Yet, Windows 8 has achieved the efficiency that Windows Vista couldn?t even dream to have done so. It?s not just Windows Vista, OSX had a much greater system requirement than did OS9. The new Unity UI in Ubuntu requires far more resources than its predecessor UI. Windows 8 remains the only OS in my mind that brings a huge number of revolutionary features while keeping the legacy features intact and, at the same time, remains less resource hungry. So, readers, please pause and applaud the real people that make this a reality. When you really realize what is going on here, you will learn to appreciate the work of these people.

Now I would like to touch up on the obvious imperfections of this operating system. Frankly speaking, Windows 8 is far from perfect. Yet, you have to realize that this is precisely what makes it a product of human engineering. Human were never perfect, and will never be. We, as humanity, strive to get closer to perfection, and we will. We will be more perfect, but never fully perfect. Windows 95 introduced the modern desktop. It was far from perfect. But with each new version, it got closer to perfection. The Windows 8 desktop is the closest to perfection Windows has ever gotten, yet still not fully perfect. The same principle applies to other OS?s, including OSX, iOS, Android, and others. Real people are striving to make an OS that is closer to perfection with successive versions. But remember, besides the desktop, Windows 8 is a version 1.0 of the reimagined Windows, and, like Windows 95, it is far from perfect. Real people, real engineers, will strive for perfection with future versions of the reimagined Windows. But think of it this way, the funny inconsistencies, bugs, and design flaw, reminds us that, clearly, Windows 8 is a product of real human beings. As such, we should credit these human beings for the hard work they did do to make the things in Windows 8 that are perfect.

Windows 8 is an engineering marvel, my friends. It is also a product of human imperfection. It is a time stamp of 2012 software engineering at its peak. Take a moment to applaud these real people?s achievements rather than criticizing them for their imperfections.

Update:

• This thread is not about what we like or don't like about Windows 8. It is a philosophical thread about appreciating Windows 8 as a product of brilliant engineering.
  
• The Font and size of the original post is retained from copying and pasting this article from Word 2013, on which I wrote this article.
  
• In the first article, when I talk about the fact that no other OS runs as smoothly on so many devices, I was referring to non Windows operating systems. Windows 7 is Windows, and so it doesn't count for that specific point.
  
• Finally, you don't understand programming or engineering if you are unable to appreciate Windows 8 as a product of brilliant engineering, regardless of whether you like Windows 8 or not.
  

Edited August 21, 2012 by Calum
I've added in the update that the thread author later posted, as desired by the thread author.

[guru]

spam?

[Nazmus Shakib Khandaker]

spam?

How is this spam? I wrote this to share my Win8 thoughts.

[TheLegendOfMart]

Look at thread title, guess the user, I was correct..........but its not exactly hard to guess, it was only ever going to be one of two people with the silly Microsoft worshipping they do.

I know of no other software or operating system that runs as smoothly on so many devices.

Windows 7.

Also windows 8 isn't out yet, how can you say its not buggy and runs so smooth.

[trag3dy]

I disagree completely. :pinch:

Just going by the UI inconsistencies and flaws alone the people behind windows 8 seem to be either lazy or amateurs. Or both.

And then there is this gem:

Windows 8 remains the only OS in my mind that brings a huge number of revolutionary features while keeping the legacy features intact and, at the same time, remains less resource hungry.

Show me to my start menu please. And I don't mean the oversized eye sore that is the start screen.

[syobon999]

lol @ MS in despair.

[sanctified Veteran]

Stopped reading here:

Windows 8 is a product of real people working together

I guess I will settle with my cyborg-made operating systems OS X, GNU/Linux and Windows 7.

Seriously, talk about fanatics, some people cant really grasp the idea that someone might not like the same things as them.

What the original poster seems to ignore is that this is software we might pay for, and thus, we have the right to demand consistency and this so-called 'perfection', not an artistic achievement where errors are sometimes lauded.

[rfirth]

Also windows 8 isn't out yet, how can you say its not buggy and runs so smooth.

Because it is out. You can download it from the Microsoft website right now for free.

[grayscale]

Question is, why use that font size?! :rofl:

[Nazmus Shakib Khandaker]

This is NOT an article about what we like or don't like about Windows 8. I have already mentioned Windows 8 is far from perfect. This is a philosophical thread. It is meant to reflect on the engineering marvel of the operating system, the product of real people working together to create an amazing product. By amazing, I don't mean it is something you have to like, but I mean amazing in the sense that it being amazing for what it is and how grand the software really is.

Regardless of whether you like Windows 8 or not, you cannot deny its engineering is something to be awed at.

Also, by this quote: I know of no other software or operating system that runs as smoothly on so many devices. I was referring to other OS other than Microsoft Windows. Windows 7 is Windows, so it doesn't count.

I am not being a fanboy, but rather, I am appreciating what many seems to take for granted: the talent of the people that is able to produce a product like Windows.

Original post update:

Update:

• This thread is not about what we like or don't like about Windows 8. It is a philosophical thread about appreciating Windows 8 as a product of brilliant engineering.
  
• The Font and size of the original post is retained from copying and pasting this article from Word 2013, on which I wrote this article.
  
• In the first article, when I talk about the fact that no other OS runs as smoothly on so many devices, I was referring to non Windows operating systems. Windows 7 is Windows, and so it doesn't count for that specific point.
  
• Finally, you don't understand programming or engineering if you are unable to appreciate Windows 8 as a product of brilliant engineering, regardless of whether you like Windows 8 or not.
  

[TheLegendOfMart]

Because it is out. You can download it from the Microsoft website right now for free.

But its only in use by technical people who have decent computers. Wait till the millions of people use it on machines that are a good few years old before you start trumpeting about how smooth and bug free the OS is.

Finally, you don't understand programming or engineering if you are unable to appreciate Windows 8 as a product of brilliant engineering, regardless of whether you like Windows 8 or not.

Oh, so I'm not smart enough to 'get' it then?

A good group of programmers can create a turd, look at ME and Vista, why should I appreciate them considering what they did to Windows 8.

[Nazmus Shakib Khandaker]

What the original poster seems to ignore is that this is software we might pay for, and thus, we have the right to demand consistency and this so-called 'perfection', not an artistic achievement where errors are sometimes lauded.

Yet Art is something we pay for. We are paying Microsoft so people can strive for perfection, not actually reach perfection, which is impossible. MS is doing just that. If you don't feel it's worth it, though, then don't pay for it. Simple as that. Just like it is with art: not everyone pays for every artwork. But some do. Windows 8 is no exception.

[aviator189]

spam?

no, this isn't spam...

[NEVER85]

A good group of programmers can create a turd, look at ME and Vista, why should I appreciate them considering what they did to Windows 8.

Windows 8 has many improvements over 7. People, like you it seems, just look at the Start screen and go "well I don't like it, so there, hmph!".

[Raa]

I dunno, I thought Windows 95 was quite revolutionary...

[rkenshin]

Honestly, a little off topic, but ....

....sooooo tired of seeing all the threads about Windows 8. Love it? Great. Hate it? Don't buy it. Move on and quit complaining. It isn't going to be changed.

[JaredFrost]

Windows 8 has many improvements over 7. People, like you it seems, just look at the Start screen and go "well I don't like it, so there, hmph!".

And yet none of those improvements are Modern Bob, all the major improvements are not related to the UI/Desktop theme at all

Something like a UI is very subjective, me, being of logical mind don't think the new start screen is a good fit for a desktop OS

Now a tablet, I think it could work, I was planning on checking out some of the Windows 8 RT devices when they're out

I can't judge those without some hands on first.

You'll have to get over the fact some people use their computer differently than you and wont like Modern Bob because it limits

them too much.

[ambiance]

I appreciate the effort put into the post, but it feels too much like PR for me to take it seriously.

[vcfan]

good thread op, you said some stuff that needed to be said

windows 8 is a revolution in computing happening before our eyes,and all some people would like to talk about is a missing pixel in the legacy desktop backwards compatibility mode. really?

[Xilo]

Windows 8 is what happens when bigwigs that know nothing and just want to cash in on latest trends run the company.

[Joshie]

It amazes me that people act as if the inconsistencies in Windows 8 are a fault somehow of the type of company Microsoft is when I can point at the 'principled' open-source software out there and find some of the most vomit-worthy inconsistencies to date.

I mean, sure, mentioning KDE would be a cheap shot, but...seriously guys, KDE. Gross.

[FloatingFatMan]

Seriously, Nazmus. You need to crawl out of that Microsoft rear end you've fallen in to, it's not good for you.

Windows 8 is software, not something to love or worship, or even hate. Unless there's something wrong with you. Use it, or do not use it.. Simple.

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

An engineering marvel? A revolution? Sorry, but they're some of the most ridiculous comments I've ever heard.

There is nothing revolutionary about Windows 8. It's evolutionary - it's built on the existing version of Windows, and attempts to integrate features already seen on mobile platforms into a desktop OS with arguably mixed results. That's not an engineering marvel. Given the size of Microsoft and the resources at their disposal, I personally think it's simply not good enough. In fact to me it seems like a missed opportunity of enormous proportions. They could have done it properly. Windows Phone 7 was a rethink on how they did things - they didn't carry over (so far as I can see) anything of the old version of Windows Phone (on the surface at least) and as a result the product works. Windows 8 feels like nothing more than a shell running on top of the OS - I don't think the integration went deep enough. And I think it's going to bite them.

[abysal]

Not enough time in development.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

An engineering marvel? A revolution? Sorry, but they're some of the most ridiculous comments I've ever heard.

There is nothing revolutionary about Windows 8. It's evolutionary - it's built on the existing version of Windows, and attempts to integrate features already seen on mobile platforms into a desktop OS with arguably mixed results. That's not an engineering marvel. Given the size of Microsoft and the resources at their disposal, I personally think it's simply not good enough. In fact to me it seems like a missed opportunity of enormous proportions. They could have done it properly. Windows Phone 7 was a rethink on how they did things - they didn't carry over (so far as I can see) anything of the old version of Windows Phone (on the surface at least) and as a result the product works. Windows 8 feels like nothing more than a shell running on top of the OS - I don't think the integration went deep enough. And I think it's going to bite them.

Fully agreed. Use Windows 8 for an extended period of time and the half-assery all over the place becomes apparent. There aren't a whole lot of 'modern UI' apps yet (which will change in time for GA), and some of the existing ones are a joke - take the Mail app as an example.

The desktop has seen improvements, sure. The OS does feel snappy, some of the improvements made to explorer.exe make sense. Where it falls short is the looks department, as is being discussed in this thread. There is no excuse whatsoever for a company the size of Microsoft to not hire competent designers and enforce design guidelines across all of the product teams. In a similar way Apple does it.

Suggestion: Some of you might remember the Aero Taskforce and the Windows 7 Taskforce initiatives. Why doesn't Neowin start an official Windows 8 taskforce thread? Collect all inconsistencies/oversights/old UI elements which should long have been retired/suggestions for improvements and whatnot, however minor the flaw may be. Then after a set amount of time send the collected feedback to MS in the hope that they incorporate some of it into Windows 9 (or 'Blue' or 8.x or whatever else the next release will be called).