What was your initial reaction to Windows 8?

[hotdog666al]

Initial reaction: "No new features I want, guess I won't upgrade then."

Current thoughts: "It makes no sense to install an OS that only adds features I'd end up disabling."

[Dot Matrix]

Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha..... dude, you slay me.

I would submit that the billion plus desktops out there strongly suggest otherwise. Point and click is here for a long long time.

Desktops... you mean those things that are hardly selling anymore?

[Growled Member]

Desktops... you mean those things that are hardly selling anymore?

That is media hype. The desktop is still selling millions every quarter. Sales just ain't what it use to be.

[Rickkins]

Desktops... you mean those things that are hardly selling anymore?

Saturation. First of all, desktops are in just about everyone's homes already. Plus, a huge number of people upgrade via components, as opposed to buying a brand new computer. So don't just parrot stats you don't understand, Dot.(and I am assuming that you don't understand, and are not just deliberately being obtuse)

That is media hype. The desktop is still selling millions every quarter. Sales just ain't what it use to be.

What he said...

[Noir Angel]

So what happens 10 years from now, when everything you know is depreciated or gone?

I'll be using an alternative that still does what I want it to do, made by a vendor that doesn't think it has a right to dictate how I use what I paid for.

And Desktop Linux and Mac OS aren't doing the same? You can see the evolution in their desktops too. Either way you look at it, the point and click UI isn't holding much water anymore. I can guarantee you'll be seeing more device neutral UI's in the next few years from all parties.

With Linux and OSX the vendors are actually smart enough to separate their products out. iOS and Ubuntu for phones are being developed separately rather than them slapping tablet and phone interfaces on their desktop products.

[FiB3R]

Initial reaction....

[Dot Matrix]

Saturation. First of all, desktops are in just about everyone's homes already. Plus, a huge number of people upgrade via components, as opposed to buying a brand new computer. So don't just parrot stats you don't understand, Dot.(and I am assuming that you don't understand, and are not just deliberately being obtuse)

What he said...

Wait, I'm sorry, what consumer upgrades via components?

[Jim K Global Moderator]

No offense Dot Matrix...but why are you so dang invested in this? You flood everyone one of "these" threads telling people why they are wrong for disliking Windows 8.

[Rickkins]

Wait, I'm sorry, what consumer upgrades via components?

Seriously....???

[Dot Matrix]

Seriously....???

My arguments are always about consumers. They are the majority of the tech buying crowd. "Power users" are a very small piece of the pie.

[Rickkins]

My arguments are always about consumers. They are the majority of the tech buying crowd. "Power users" are a very small piece of the pie.

I see. Sadly though, swapping out some ram or a cpu does not a power user make. Fact is, going the upgrade route is very common, even among what you(and I) would consider plain old consumers.... almost all of which, these days, have a computer guy.

[TruckWEB]

I get the feeling that Dot Matrix is somehow working for Microsoft, a true forum evangelist of Win8.

Tone it down a bit, people are allowed to have their opinion and they can differ from yours.

[Dot Matrix]

I get the feeling that Dot Matrix is somehow working for Microsoft, a true forum evangelist of Win8.

Tone it down a bit, people are allowed to have their opinion and they can differ from yours.

I only post because this is the same crap that was on the Internet after Vista's release. People want Microsoft to resurrect XP for some strange reason, even though the changes in Vista were for the better. AERO was nothing but over zealous candy, UAC was the doom of everything, and the new Explorer was going to cause people's wrists to fall off after requiring more clicks, and limiting customization. Oh, and let's not forget all the crying because of the broken workflows these changes brought. All the tears shed could have filled a large lake.

But Windows 7 came around, and for some reason at that point all those changes were OK in people's books.

Now that Windows 8 is out, Metro is going to cause all the same doom and gloom Vista was supposed to have brought, but never did. If you can survive the transition from the old Windows (XP), to the modern Windows (7), you can survive the transition to the post modern Windows (8). Just like the changes Vista brought never went away, Metro isn't going away either.

And no, I do not work for Microsoft.

[Noir Angel]

My dislike for Vista was never to do with the features, it was because of the numerous stability and performance problems. I only stayed with XP until SP1 was released for Vista, after that it was reasonably usable. I upgraded to 7 because it's better than Vista in pretty much every regard. I use new features when I consider them an actual improvement, I don't simply assume mindlessly that all changes are an improvement. And the start menu was far from being the only thing removed from Windows 8. I found the network map useful, which was also removed, and the default theme is simply horrific.

[McKay]

"Hmm getting used to the Start Screen will take some doing".

At first I ignored it completely, only having the desktop icon there, now I actually pin my most used software to it.

[bandit_liberty_rumble]

I only post because this is the same crap that was on the Internet after Vista's release. People want Microsoft to resurrect XP for some strange reason, even though the changes in Vista were for the better. AERO was nothing but over zealous candy, UAC was the doom of everything [...]

And both of them were toned down a lot in subsequent releases.

Aero [...] looks dated and cheesy now

-- Jensen Harris, Director of Program Management for the Windows 8 User Experience team

Would anybody really be surprised to see another blog post in 5 years time, this one about gaudy tiles, forced full screen experiences, excessive minimalism and mystery meat navigation?

These stylistic elements represented the design sensibilities of the time, reflecting the capabilities of the brand-new digital tools used to render them [?] looks dated and cheesy now

Just saying...

[Dot Matrix]

Would anybody really be surprised to see another blog post in 5 years time, this one about gaudy tiles, forced full screen experiences, excessive minimalism and mystery meat navigation?

And what do you think will happen after that? The return of the Windows 9x desktop?

[bandit_liberty_rumble]

And what do you think will happen after that? The return of the Windows 9x desktop?

Return? The "Window 9x desktop" is still there.

But to stay with the example, Windows 8 doesn't look like Vista, but neither does it resemble Windows 95. Similarly, Windows 10 could look different from Windows 8 and yet not mark a return to an even earlier version.

[Tom]

[George P Global Moderator]

I use it one a tablet and also on my desktop. Depending on which I use the respective environment that fits better the most but I also switch back and forth. With a few more updates to both areas I think things will work out great. For example I expect them to add the third small tile option in windows blue, at that point they can just as well extend the taskbar to let you pin metro apps to it and open metro apps can show up in the taskbar also. Toss in some more window size options for metro apps as well so you can have more than two open or a better mix of metro and desktop apps on screen and I'm good.

[MorganX]

Wait, I'm sorry, what consumer upgrades via components?

A whole lot more than you think. I classify them as BeerConsumereeeks. And they spend a LOT! And recommend a lot to the rest of the block/neighborhood.

I see. Sadly though, swapping out some ram or a cpu does not a power user make. Fact is, going the upgrade route is very common, even among what you(and I) would consider plain old consumers.... almost all of which, these days, have a computer guy.

I think Microsoft critically underestimated the size and influence of this consumer segment. They haven't lost them or anything, they just haven't appealed to them. With Modern Apps that make the Modern UI worth dealing with, and as they discover the performance benefits of Windows 8's Desktop Environment, they will come around.

[trek]

I get the feeling that Dot Matrix is somehow working for Microsoft, a true forum evangelist of Win8.

Tone it down a bit, people are allowed to have their opinion and they can differ from yours.

No way. Sounds like he's barely out of school and lacks any real experience in the industry. (Monkeying with tablets to read Facebook and watch YouTube excluded)

[Rickkins]

A whole lot more than you think. I classify them as BeerConsumereeeks. And they spend a LOT! And recommend a lot to the rest of the block/neighborhood.

I think Microsoft critically underestimated the size and influence of this consumer segment. They haven't lost them or anything, they just haven't appealed to them. With Modern Apps that make the Modern UI worth dealing with, and as they discover the performance benefits of Windows 8's Desktop Environment, they will come around.

I use win8 desktop exclusively on my home machine, with Classic Shell. I find it most excellent. It's only the metro nonsense I avoid. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Metro has no place on the desktop. imho, of course.

[Dot Matrix]

Return? The "Window 9x desktop" is still there.

But to stay with the example, Windows 8 doesn't look like Vista, but neither does it resemble Windows 95. Similarly, Windows 10 could look different from Windows 8 and yet not mark a return to an even earlier version.

But the desktop has all but been thrown into the "depreciated" pile. How long it'll remain there before being completely eliminated remains to be seen.

Windows 10 will almost certainly look different, but it'll still have a clear design lineage from Windows 8, just like Windows 7 does to Windows 95.

[xfx]

Damn it!

I inserted the MS Bob setup disk by mistake...