Windows 8 Sales are actually Amazing - 40 million sold

[PGHammer]

It is not just about search. The fact that I need to change my workflow when using the Adobe products that I use the cool feature to detach the dialogs, means desktops apps DO NOT operate the EXACT SAME WAY as in Windows 7. Or was the charms and app switcher hot corners in Windows 7 as well?

I am not alone on this. I talked to several people who use Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects (though not so much on this one). Those that upgraded to Windows 8 say the same thing I do: "I keep activating the charms bar!". Some do not though. It depends on how you use the software.

I do not want to turn this into another Windows 8 hate thread, I actually like Windows 8. In fact that is the ONLY....ONLY issue I have with 8. Granted it is a big issue to me and many others. But come on, why is it you guys jump down our throats when we want an option? The way I, and many others, use the Adobe programs (by detaching some of the dialogs to give us more room and a better workflow), Windows 8 drives me crazy. Not everybody uses software and computers the same way.

My friend keeps activating the app switcher when he is browsing in Chrome. Every time he shuts down, he says "This is so stupid" because he needs to go to the charms bar instead of Start - Shut Down

The attitude here seems to be like "You are using your mouse incorrectly". I said it before, I like Windows 8 and think it will be a success. But for somebody that uses things in a productive way, probably more so than most of the people here, Windows 8 is a mess. If there was just ONE OPTION to disable the hot corners and COMPLETELY disable those bars while on the desktop, I would be very happy. Businesses would be happy (though most will be if there was an option to boot directly to the desktop). Everybody I know would be happy. You will be happy because you can ignore that option and use Windows 8 like it is now.

What is so horrible about an option?

The problem with options is that everyone tends to use (or not use) those options differently - you get TOO wooly with different methods of doing things and you wind up with Linux distributions. (I have nothing against Linux distributions per se - if I did, I wouldn't run them even in virtual machines, or recommend them for particular users OR uses. The sheer myriad of different ways of doing things has largely worked AGAINST Linux; worse, it has begun to infect UNIX and even the BSDs.)

And that is the criticism that is being laid *against* Windows 8. Not necessarily that the changes aren't necessary for the future of the survival of the OS itself - any IT follower with eyeballs and a brain HAS to see the approach of Android and iOS from underneath and start sweating - but it's that the changes are happening *now*. It's like replacing the lime sorbet with pistachio at Haagen Dasz; while both are green, they taste radically different from each other.

It's far from even being a Windows-only (or even OS/distribution-only) dilemma - look at the earlier-in-this-thread comparison between Adobe Creativity Suite (CS) products and Microsoft Office products; even on OS X - which has far greater UI cohesiveness than even Windows pre-8; look at how the Adobe CS products behave within that UI compared to Microsoft Office products. Different approaches to the same problem. Heck - just look at the differences between Pagemaker and Word (again, on OS X, not Windows).

The anger with Windows 8 is not necessarily that it's *bad* or that it's less-compatible with either hardware OR software than Windows 7 (which, as I have been pointing out, has gone nowhere; in fact, it will be supported until 2020 at the absolute earliest) - it's that it's too different from what the mass of the masses is used to. People find it far EASIER to accept a completely different paradigm altogether as opposed to a change in an existing one.

[PGHammer]

windows8 will remain a flop. even i havent been tempted to buy it, problem with Windows8 atm AFAICT is there still aint a lot of programs that work correctly with 8, take a look at Firefox, there still in the middle of making that fully work under 8.

those figures might be a lot of windows8 licenses sold but how many people have gone back to windows7 if not back to XP from the disaster of 8? . M$$$ dont say that do they.

Horsefeathers.

Firefox (even Pale Moon and Waterfox) works just as well in Windows 8 (or even Windows Server 2012, which i dual-boot with 8 Pro) as they do in Windows 7. You are confusing the ModernUI version of FIrefox with the desktop browser you are used to. The bigger issue (with all three) is the interact5ion between the Plugin Container and Adobe Flash - a crash in either can be enough to bring the whole browser down around my ears (which is rather embarrassing when that happens on a server OS) and that is NOT OS-specific. If anything, any of the three browsers is more stable (desktop mode vs. desktop mode) on 8 (or 2012) vs. 7.

[BajiRav]

Actually, folders first appeared in Windows 1.1/286 - in File Manager; they have remained in Windows ever since. (It was File Manager that Windows Explorer would replace; the desktop - a modified version of the Workplace Shell from the IBM/Microsoft OS/2 joint venture (which would give way to OS/2 (IBM only), LAN Manager and finally Windows NT (Microsoft)) would replace Program Manager - in both Windows 3.x and Windows NT 3.x. From the Strange But True Factoid Department: Both Windows 95 and Windows NT Workstation 4.0 retained Program Manager and File Manager for backward-compatibility reasons - and one early piece of Windows 95 freeware - it actually launched simultaneously with Windows 95 - was the Workplace Shell for Win32 - an alternative to the desktop/Windows Explorer combo written by a group of IBM Austin employees. Therefore, even in the early days of Windows 9x, the Start menu/desktop/Explorer troika was FAR from universally loved.)

I meant Folder the term/name not Folder the concept.

[contextfree]

There is the whole debate on whether or not people need to shutdown at all, but the reality is they should be allowed to do whatever they want easily. The shutdown/sleep/hibernation option should have been placed on the charms bar directly and not buried.

You realize that this same logic ("people should be allowed to do whatever they want easily, therefore option X shouldn't be 'buried') could be applied to argue that literally everything a user might want to do should be a top-level charm. e.g., I use Notepad a lot, therefore I should be allowed to use it more easily than having to go to the start screen and click a tile, therefore there should be a Notepad charm. The reality is that not everything can be made equally prominent, so at some point you have to make a design decision about which functions should be prioritized over others in the UI. They decided that shutdown/restart should be more prominent than, say, checking for updates - hence it's at the top level of the Settings flyout and not 'buried' under Change PC settings - but not as prominent as, say, searching the current app or going back to Start. If you disagree with this, it's because you think they should treat shutdown/restart as more important than they do, or maybe you just don't think Settings is a good place for it, but it can't be because of a generic argument that 'burying' functions is always bad.

[seta-san]

I have never been more annoyed by an OS as I have been by windows 8. I would recommend Windows ME before this. Windows 8 is beta at best showing a complete lack of regard for design and workflow with a poor attempt to make two paradigms work at the same time

[I am Not PCyr]

I have never been more annoyed by an OS as I have been by windows 8. I would recommend Windows ME before this. Windows 8 is beta at best showing a complete lack of regard for design and workflow with a poor attempt to make two paradigms work at the same time

so in other words ypur just mad they took away your precious start menu..

and that you are a crotchety old man resistant to change and you were "doing it wrong"

and just simply didn't try hard enough to like the newer system.

You should have been taking a class on evenings and weekends learning keyboard combo's...

you should also be reminded that you are in an extreme vocal minority and there for

your opinion his little value.. besides the only opinion that matters is Microsoft's..

they know what is best for you and it is bad business to listen to their customers

*IF they do not like something you did..

I should probably just tell you that no one is forcing you to upgrade to windows 8

so don't use it ! ..even if they discontinue support to what you are using and

people here at neowin on other topics are making fun of you for using an older OS

and blaming you for doing damage to the safety security and reliability of the internet.

so sorry but your not allowed to be anoyed ;)

oh and on topic ?

M$ could say anything they want what does that really prove ?

[seta-san]

so in other words ypur just mad they took away your precious start menu..

and that you are a crotchety old man resistant to change and you were "doing it wrong"

and just simply didn't try hard enough to like the newer system.

You should have been taking a class on evenings and weekends learning keyboard combo's...

you should also be reminded that you are in an extreme vocal minority and there for

your opinion his little value.. besides the only opinion that matters is Microsoft's..

they know what is best for you and it is bad business to listen to their customers

*IF they do not like something you did..

I should probably just tell you that no one is forcing you to upgrade to windows 8

so don't use it ! ..even if they discontinue support to what you are using and

people here at neowin on other topics are making fun of you for using an older OS

and blaming you for doing damage to the safety security and reliability of the internet.

so sorry but your not allowed to be anoyed ;)

oh and on topic ?

M$ could say anything they want what does that really prove ?

it's not just the start screen. it's metro apps in general. The messaging map give you absolutely no option to turn it off. it's on perpetually and everytime someone sends me a message it give me no way to stop the annoying pop-up box on the desktop informing me I have a message. Trying to uninstall that particular app uninstalls 3 or 4 others including the calendar and mail, and people apps. This is a product that Microsoft should truly be sorry for. This is the 'batman and robin' of OS's. I get why they tried to do and I think that's cool. It was executed so horribly

[HawkMan]

Funny, I don't get any nag or stuff from my messaging app, only apps I get nags from is messenger and Skype. Both of which I turned off most of the notifications on.

[contextfree]

it's not just the start screen. it's metro apps in general. The messaging map give you absolutely no option to turn it off. it's on perpetually and everytime someone sends me a message it give me no way to stop the annoying pop-up box on the desktop informing me I have a message. Trying to uninstall that particular app uninstalls 3 or 4 others including the calendar and mail, and people apps. This is a product that Microsoft should truly be sorry for. This is the 'batman and robin' of OS's. I get why they tried to do and I think that's cool. It was executed so horribly

You can actually turn notifications on/off for any new-style app including Messaging, or turn them on/off globally, in PC settings -> Notifications. You can also temporarily turn them off for a set amount of time via settings charm -> Notifications. Additionally any app can be prevented from running in the background via settings charm -> Permissions

[Kyang]

it's not just the start screen. it's metro apps in general. The messaging map give you absolutely no option to turn it off. it's on perpetually and everytime someone sends me a message it give me no way to stop the annoying pop-up box on the desktop informing me I have a message. Trying to uninstall that particular app uninstalls 3 or 4 others including the calendar and mail, and people apps. This is a product that Microsoft should truly be sorry for. This is the 'batman and robin' of OS's. I get why they tried to do and I think that's cool. It was executed so horribly

Actually, there's a couple ways to disable notifications from the Messaging app.

They're listed right under "PC Settings, and "Notifications". Makes sense right?

Also, you're wrong about not being able to turn it off. You can also disable the Messaging app right inside the app itself.

[seta-san]

Actually, there's a couple ways to disable notifications from the Messaging app.

They're listed right under "PC Settings, and "Notifications". Makes sense right?

Also, you're wrong about not being able to turn it off. You can also disable the Messaging app right inside the app itself.

thanks for the tip.. but isn't that just a tad cryptic? Why isn't the setting attached to the program? Why is it in the freaking control panel? As I said. Poor design, Poor Workflow.

[contextfree]

You can change it from within the app too under Settings -> Permissions, same applies to any app that pops up notifications.

[seta-san]

You can change it from within the app too under Settings -> Permissions, same applies to any app that pops up notifications.

yeah. I just realized that too. I'd never looked in the permissions tab because I thought it was the same as every other OS... that it would be permissions for file access and execution for different users and groups. it's just yet another example of poor execution. The word "permissions" have been used in OSs in one way for decades and suddenly we're using it in a completely different way which should be handles in the normal settings

[Wakers]

What? Putting an option to turn off notifications in the notifications sections of the pc settings is cryptic?

Do you also find it cryptic that you have to go to My Computer to see your drives?

[Kyang]

thanks for the tip.. but isn't that just a tad cryptic? Why isn't the setting attached to the program? Why is it in the freaking control panel? As I said. Poor design, Poor Workflow.

You're welcome.

I think it makes sense to manage notifications from the system using the system's control panel. I also think it's not so much poor workflow as it is predictable workflow, which is actually pretty good, unless one considers predictability in a workflow bad (And I acknowledge, some might think so for whatever reason.). Now the user can manage the notifications of any application from one place, no matter the app.

This, as opposed to navigating the different settings layouts of different apps. Doing it that way did work before, but I think this is better.

[Stoffel]

yeah. I just realized that too. I'd never looked in the permissions tab because I thought it was the same as every other OS... that it would be permissions for file access and execution for different users and groups. it's just yet another example of poor execution. The word "permissions" have been used in OSs in one way for decades and suddenly we're using it in a completely different way which should be handles in the normal settings

It seems that you are just angry at MS from changing things up. You have to re learn how to do certain things and you are not happy about that.

Everything you complained about in the last few posts are all things that were possible in the OS but you just do them differently then in Win7.

So it all comes down again to not liking change.

[scaramonga]

So it all comes down again to not liking change.

Change is one thing, screwing with what has worked for years just to grab a slice of the mobile market, is another. Choice of whether to use that god damn awful UI would have been preferable, and more widely accepted by the good majority of Desktop users. There would have been no harm in doing so, pleasing both types of user, those who love it, and those who hate it, instead of ramming it down peoples throats regardless. After all, its really two UI's miss-mashed together to form a monster that Frankenstein would have been well proud of anyway.

[I am Not PCyr]

Change is one thing, screwing with what has worked for years just to grab a slice of the mobile market, is another. Choice of whether to use that god damn awful UI would have been preferable, and more widely accepted by the good majority of Desktop users. There would have been no harm in doing so, pleasing both types of user, those who love it, and those who hate it, instead of ramming it down peoples throats regardless. After all, its really two UI's miss-mashed together to form a monster that Frankenstein would have been well proud of anyway.

well said..

And i wanna add that i think if they gave the UI option it would have been smart because

it would have provided a transition to what we all must agree is drastic and major change(s)

if you think about that with out just writing me off and ignoring me, i think people would see

the oportunity with the idea that many people could transition at their own pace and for Microsoft's point of view

they would have the product in peoples hands AND still have a sale with the customer !

I could dig deeper into that concept but ir REALLY should go with out saying..

I usually see (@neowin) comments like if you don't like it (Win 8) then shut up and jump off a bridge etc

and i see some guys here making excuses as to why any and all decisions on a product should be left to the company

because they know whats best and its bad business to give customers what they want in the long run..

I want to remind the so called "vocal majority" that M$ is not in a position to tell their cutomer base

that if they don't like it then shut up and quit complaining and don't use it. They are a business trying to sell a product

and lets face it people, most of us are ALREADY existing customers so this boils down to convincing existing users

corp or private they should upgrade. Sadly M$ has little competition other wise there would be some other companies

out there with a massive grin on their face ready willing and able to pounch on this oportunity..Its basic business sense..

if a company x won't give people what they want then company z will step in (gladly) and give peopel what they want and make $

I can't fathom the endless stream of bull that roll out of fanboys and cheerleaders mouths.. 99.9% seems like insane excuses

desperatly grasping at straws to defend windows 8 at any cost, like their lives depend on it or something.

Like a PR dept. trying to make a train accident that killed people seem not so bad ! and yeah i used that analogy for a reaon..

Windows 8 is a train wreck !

This story and just about anything we here about windows 8 is a dramatised load of propaganda..

The sales are close enough thta the difference means nothing.. there is no huge massive difference.

Also things like the many people that are always claiming WIndows 8 is way faster (never stated with facts of any kind)

And lets face it at best WIndows 8 is aprox the same as windows 7 in speed terms in various factors

and when Windows 8 IS faster is not by much, proving all the people wrong who say its some revolutionary dramatic difference.

Once again people say crap like that because they WANT to push their agenda and reality will not get in there way !

Its not about running around the net spreading windows 8 hate

it's about keeping things real !

It bothers me when people spread misinformation on the net regardless of the topic.

So yeah i dislike windows 8 but i have nothing against people that want to use it.

That is not what peeople are always trying to draw people like me into.

The core concept isn't that bad an idea and for many people the concept is an ideal solution for improvement etc.

But to make a sweeping major change and then force it on everyone is dumb,

EVEN if the new changes were not ugly or a functionality nightmare.

We can try and supress the complainers or over shadow them with stories like this but it won't change what is.

Reality is what it is and I see a TON of people having a lot of complaints with this "high" selling OS.

Too many for symantecs to really mean anything. the writing is on the wall and cheerleaders or fanboys are gonna

have to face facts eventually whether they like it not..

[Dot Matrix]

well said..

And i wanna add that i think if they gave the UI option it would have been smart because

it would have provided a transition to what we all must agree is drastic and major change(s)

if you think about that with out just writing me off and ignoring me, i think people would see

the oportunity with the idea that many people could transition at their own pace and for Microsoft's point of view

they would have the product in peoples hands AND still have a sale with the customer !

I could dig deeper into that concept but ir REALLY should go with out saying..

I usually see (@neowin) comments like if you don't like it (Win 8) then shut up and jump off a bridge etc

and i see some guys here making excuses as to why any and all decisions on a product should be left to the company

because they know whats best and its bad business to give customers what they want in the long run..

I want to remind the so called "vocal majority" that M$ is not in a position to tell their cutomer base

that if they don't like it then shut up and quit complaining and don't use it. They are a business trying to sell a product

and lets face it people, most of us are ALREADY existing customers so this boils down to convincing existing users

corp or private they should upgrade. Sadly M$ has little competition other wise there would be some other companies

out there with a massive grin on their face ready willing and able to pounch on this oportunity..Its basic business sense..

if a company x won't give people what they want then company z will step in (gladly) and give peopel what they want and make $

I can't fathom the endless stream of bull that roll out of fanboys and cheerleaders mouths.. 99.9% seems like insane excuses

desperatly grasping at straws to defend windows 8 at any cost, like their lives depend on it or something.

Like a PR dept. trying to make a train accident that killed people seem not so bad ! and yeah i used that analogy for a reaon..

Windows 8 is a train wreck !

This story and just about anything we here about windows 8 is a dramatised load of propaganda..

The sales are close enough thta the difference means nothing.. there is no huge massive difference.

Also things like the many people that are always claiming WIndows 8 is way faster (never stated with facts of any kind)

And lets face it at best WIndows 8 is aprox the same as windows 7 in speed terms in various factors

and when Windows 8 IS faster is not by much, proving all the people wrong who say its some revolutionary dramatic difference.

Once again people say crap like that because they WANT to push their agenda and reality will not get in there way !

Its not about running around the net spreading windows 8 hate

it's about keeping things real !

It bothers me when people spread misinformation on the net regardless of the topic.

So yeah i dislike windows 8 but i have nothing against people that want to use it.

That is not what peeople are always trying to draw people like me into.

The core concept isn't that bad an idea and for many people the concept is an ideal solution for improvement etc.

But to make a sweeping major change and then force it on everyone is dumb,

EVEN if the new changes were not ugly or a functionality nightmare.

We can try and supress the complainers or over shadow them with stories like this but it won't change what is.

Reality is what it is and I see a TON of people having a lot of complaints with this "high" selling OS.

Too many for symantecs to really mean anything. the writing is on the wall and cheerleaders or fanboys are gonna

have to face facts eventually whether they like it not..

What the hell you just said, I have no clue, but not one ounce of it was based off any sort of facts whatsoever.

[PGHammer]

well said..

And i wanna add that i think if they gave the UI option it would have been smart because

it would have provided a transition to what we all must agree is drastic and major change(s)

if you think about that with out just writing me off and ignoring me, i think people would see

the oportunity with the idea that many people could transition at their own pace and for Microsoft's point of view

they would have the product in peoples hands AND still have a sale with the customer !

I could dig deeper into that concept but ir REALLY should go with out saying..

I usually see (@neowin) comments like if you don't like it (Win 8) then shut up and jump off a bridge etc

and i see some guys here making excuses as to why any and all decisions on a product should be left to the company

because they know whats best and its bad business to give customers what they want in the long run..

I want to remind the so called "vocal majority" that M$ is not in a position to tell their cutomer base

that if they don't like it then shut up and quit complaining and don't use it. They are a business trying to sell a product

and lets face it people, most of us are ALREADY existing customers so this boils down to convincing existing users

corp or private they should upgrade. Sadly M$ has little competition other wise there would be some other companies

out there with a massive grin on their face ready willing and able to pounch on this oportunity..Its basic business sense..

if a company x won't give people what they want then company z will step in (gladly) and give peopel what they want and make $

I can't fathom the endless stream of bull that roll out of fanboys and cheerleaders mouths.. 99.9% seems like insane excuses

desperatly grasping at straws to defend windows 8 at any cost, like their lives depend on it or something.

Like a PR dept. trying to make a train accident that killed people seem not so bad ! and yeah i used that analogy for a reaon..

Windows 8 is a train wreck !

This story and just about anything we here about windows 8 is a dramatised load of propaganda..

The sales are close enough thta the difference means nothing.. there is no huge massive difference.

Also things like the many people that are always claiming WIndows 8 is way faster (never stated with facts of any kind)

And lets face it at best WIndows 8 is aprox the same as windows 7 in speed terms in various factors

and when Windows 8 IS faster is not by much, proving all the people wrong who say its some revolutionary dramatic difference.

Once again people say crap like that because they WANT to push their agenda and reality will not get in there way !

Its not about running around the net spreading windows 8 hate

it's about keeping things real !

It bothers me when people spread misinformation on the net regardless of the topic.

So yeah i dislike windows 8 but i have nothing against people that want to use it.

That is not what peeople are always trying to draw people like me into.

The core concept isn't that bad an idea and for many people the concept is an ideal solution for improvement etc.

But to make a sweeping major change and then force it on everyone is dumb,

EVEN if the new changes were not ugly or a functionality nightmare.

We can try and supress the complainers or over shadow them with stories like this but it won't change what is.

Reality is what it is and I see a TON of people having a lot of complaints with this "high" selling OS.

Too many for symantecs to really mean anything. the writing is on the wall and cheerleaders or fanboys are gonna

have to face facts eventually whether they like it not..

There's a big problem with that; if Microsoft does NOT change, or accept that they may well HAVE to change how Windows works, then they may well be consigning themselves, and Windows, to becoming a niche OS.

You (and the rest of the detractors) are basically betting (and worse, demanding that Microsoft bet) that they can stay unchanged for eternity. Has ANY company managed to make such a bet work - in any field?

IBM tried to make such a bet with OS/2 - and failed.

They tried to make a similar bet with the mainframe - and failed.

Both Amdahl and Digital Equipment Corporation thought they could stay the same forever - neither exists today.

You can't stay on the royal barge on the Egyptian River for eternity; reality has a nasty hapbit of swamping the barge and drowning the oarspeople.

[Dot Matrix]

PG, you forgot Kodak. ;) They didn't change either, and now they're basically dead too.

[remixedcat]

PG, you forgot Kodak. ;) They didn't change either, and now they're basically dead too.

and I'm stuck with one of thier pain-in-the-ass printers. :( EVIL EVIL EVIL KODAK!

[~Nikhil~]

:D im using windows 8 and i love it ..for those who are complaining they just dont know how to use it ..it does take days to get used to ir ..once you get full control of it ..you will love it .thats all i can say..and some people says it takes extra clicks to get this done like opening programs or settings :shifty: ..in my opinion that statement is so wrong..

[BajiRav]

Change is one thing, screwing with what has worked for years just to grab a slice of the mobile market, is another. Choice of whether to use that god damn awful UI would have been preferable, and more widely accepted by the good majority of Desktop users. There would have been no harm in doing so, pleasing both types of user, those who love it, and those who hate it, instead of ramming it down peoples throats regardless. After all, its really two UI's miss-mashed together to form a monster that Frankenstein would have been well proud of anyway.

What worked for years? There was no system-wide notification feature in Windows 8 before this. In this particular case, it was just usual complaining about something the user didn't know could be done in a certain consistent manner.

App > settings > permission to show notification

System > settings > permissions for all apps

doesn't get any simpler than that.

On a more general term, nothing has changed for desktop users except the start menu, which I could easily adjust to within few mins without using any 3rd party stuff.

[PGHammer]

PG, you forgot Kodak. ;) They didn't change either, and now they're basically dead too.

Kodak should have been the most OBVIOUS example of what happens when a company ignores a trend.

It was competition in FILM photography that may have been obvious (in particular, from Fuji) - however, it was inexpensive DIGITAL photography that did Kodak in. (It's also largely in the process of screwing over Fuji's Film Products Division as well.)

Kodak is a company I deliberately did not refer to - because we all SHOULD have seen what happened to Kodak. (Amazingly - but far from amusingly - nobody did, let alone the screwing repeat itself with Polaroid and - eventually - Fuji itself. Fuji is about to become as irrelevant to photography as Kodak.).