Windows 8 adoption rate almost at a standstill, far behind Windows 7

[PsYcHoKiLLa]

Windows 8 is a pile of crap and the only reason I upgraded was because I only paid $15. Otherwise there is no way I will pay MS a penny. MS is isloating its core desktop users to gain some foothold in tablet but it's a gamble which they are loosing and will loose eventually. One thing MS has forgotten is that they are supposed to be providing service to customers not otherway around. MS thinks they are too big to fail but eventually if they don't correct their disastrous course of action with this metro crap they will be a huge failure. On by the way, the only reason I can bear this windows 8 is becase I use startisback to get my start menu back.

Explain "Windows 8 is a pile of crap" ?

It performs better than Windows 7, has more drivers inbuilt, works perfectly fine for me.

Would you judgement be purely on the lockscreen and start menu? Cos if it is, judging a whole operating system by 2 solitary parts of the UI is moronic.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

Explain "Windows 8 is a pile of crap" ?

It performs better than Windows 7, has more drivers inbuilt, works perfectly fine for me.

Would you judgement be purely on the lockscreen and start menu? Cos if it is, judging a whole operating system by 2 solitary parts of the UI is moronic.

It may not be a pile of crap, it just looks like one. :shifty:

[COKid]

When are the Windows 8 fans going to acknowledge it? Windows 8 has bombed. I mean, really, it's been an unprecedented flop.

But whatever, some people prefer to live in denial. :woot:

[COKid]

I'm not surprised. A lot of bad press about how bad 8 is/was, which isn't/wasn't true.

Don't shoot the messenger. The bad press is well deserved. And yes, I paid the 40 clams to upgrade. Now I'm happily back on Windows 7. Live and learn.

[Growled Member]

Don't shoot the messenger. The bad press is well deserved.

I dislike Windows 8 and a lot of people I know dislike it as well. But whether the bad press is deserved is debatable. It's not a bad OS. It could be really great with a few enhancements.

[Order_66]

Explain "Windows 8 is a pile of crap" ?

I could have the fastest, nicest looking car on earth but if the steering wheel is in the back seat and the gas pedal is in the trunk then it is a pile of garbage as far as I'm concerned...

[PGHammer]

I dislike Windows 8 and a lot of people I know dislike it as well. But whether the bad press is deserved is debatable. It's not a bad OS. It could be really great with a few enhancements.

Most of the *bad press* is because the UI is different from what folks got used to.

Let's get real here - how much did the UI really change from 9x to 7?

Even the Superbar and Taskbar pinning were more minor (almost nitpicky) changes to the actual UI.

And even those folks that either stuck with 7 or are using one of the various Start Menu bring-backs willingly admit that the old style UI does NOT work with touch devices.

How does any of it counter the impact of inertia?

Note that the Superbar and Taskbar pinning actually remain, completely intact, in Windows 8.

And - other than the Start menu itself - how much did the actual UI change?

I'm an admitted outlier, in that I moved on to, and have stayed with, Windows 8 without changing my hardware - however, I perfectly well GET inertia.

Just don't try to blow smoke and insist it's anything else.

Practically ALL of the enhancements requested ALL involve bringing back features that got dismissed (or mostly ignored) when the Start menu was still in place.

Whether Microsoft is right OR wrong to have done so (considering that both 7 and 8 co-exist) is pretty darn well moot.

Has anyone, in fact, considered that 7 and 8 are actually PLANNED to co-exist?

[Order_66]

Microsoft's are trying to increase their profits, and they think by copying Apple and forcing an "APP Store" on everyone is the way they will do it.

That is the main reason for the debacle called Win8 Metro and it being forced on everyone with no option to remove it.

A mac would be much more desirable to someone looking to choose between them because apple doesn't force it's app store on anyone or push a tablet front-end on the user as soon as their machine boots up.

[Growled Member]

Has anyone, in fact, considered that 7 and 8 are actually PLANNED to co-exist?

If people don't upgrade how will Microsoft make any money from the new OS?

[Order_66]

Most of the *bad press* is because the UI is different from what folks got used to.

It's not simply because it's "different", it's many steps backward from the windows 7 start menu, the interface has been correctly labelled "hostile" countless times, difficult to navigate, takes more steps to do some of the same things, too many things hidden, charms bar always throwing itself in the way, it's just a heap of garbage any way you look at it and completely inferior to windows 7 in that regard.

[PGHammer]

I could have the fastest, nicest looking car on earth but if the steering wheel is in the back seat and the gas pedal is in the trunk then it is a pile of garbage as far as I'm concerned...

In other words, since you aren't using any of the *new* features, you don't have any need to see them.

That is precisely what I mean by *inertia*.

The same could have been said about the Superbar and Taskbar pinning - two features that launched with the much-maligned Windows Vista.

Windows 7 (and even Windows 8) retains both features. Windows 7 gained the hardware support that Vista lacked - hence it was lauded, praised, and adopted in droves.

Windows 8 is, in a sense, Windows Vista all over again - the improvements are perceived (whether or not it's actually so is debatable) to all require new(er) hardware - however, said newer hardware is still pricey, hence the lack of rapid adoption.

Inertia, combined with perception, are both driving that lack of adoption.

[bandit_liberty_rumble]

If people don't upgrade how will Microsoft make any money from the new OS?

Maybe they didn't plan on making any money. Seems to work for Amazon.

[The Evil Overlord]

Microsoft forked themselves with this one. I"m sure Windows 9 will correct a bunch of the issues people are having. *ducks*

STOP DUCKING! I keep missing you :p

[Growled Member]

it's just a heap of garbage any way you look at it and completely inferior to windows 7 in that regard.

Just the interface. Underneath it's Windows 7 + enhancements.

[PGHammer]

A mac would be much more desirable to someone looking to choose between them because apple doesn't force it's app store on anyone or push a tablet front-end on the user as soon as their machine boots up.

The App Store is, in fact, forced on everyone - it is part of the operating system. It is integral with Lion and Mountain Lion, and is part of the last major update to Snow Leopard. (Only Leopard lacks the App Store.) And what would you call Front Row or Launchpad? Either is part of Snow Leopard and later, and is the default interface to iOS. iOS also has an App Store - again, integral to the OS. Yes - the Windows 8 App Store is part of the OS - however, only in WindowsRT is it the ONLY source for apps - no different from iOS (or even Android), which are RT's direct competition - you can still install standard Windows applications/games/utilities without it in Windows 8. While neither Launch Pad or Front Row is the default, why would Apple have included either if they weren't planned to be used? (Basically, inertia is as large in issue on the Apple side of things as as it has been in terms of Windows, or Linux.) So the non-forcing argument is, in fact, meritless.

[zman982]

I'm not surprised either at the current adoption rate for Windows 8. Windows 7 is a solid OS and for many people there is little reason for them the upgrade. Compound that with the mostly negative tone towards Windows 8 via tech sites and word of mouth and we have the current situation right now.

As a Windows 8 users, I have no problem with using Win 8 for the same reason I was able to use the prior versions, I was able to customize the experience anyway I wanted. Whether if it was with flashy visual styles in XP, some UI tweaking utility, using a explorer replacement program, or now for me, Bins and Start8, I've rarely used the OOBE Windows as is. I know my situation is unique and I'm not the average consumer Microsoft is targeting.

Regardless, in ten years, we'll either talk about how stupid the Metro interface was or look back and see it was the start of something amazing.

[spenser.d]

It's not simply because it's "different", it's many steps backward from the windows 7 start menu, the interface has been correctly labelled "hostile" countless times, difficult to navigate, takes more steps to do some of the same things, too many things hidden, charms bar always throwing itself in the way, it's just a heap of garbage any way you look at it and completely inferior to windows 7 in that regard.

I still don't understand this. How is a horizontally scrolling start screen hard to navigate? Everything you use most often is one click or tap away and if it's not, you just type whatever it is and it pops up immediately. It's far easier than Windows 7 and Windows 7 isn't hard to navigate. If you think it's hard, you have bigger problems. It seems much more that you're all looking for excuses to complain.

The only reason Win8 has slow adoption is because Windows 7 is a solid OS. Microsoft could've put anything out there and it would be adopted slowly. There hasn't been enough time since Win7 was released for people to feel the need to upgrade just for the sake of upgrading. You can't say Microsoft is failing because people aren't upgrading quickly from one of their OS's to another. If they're not moving to Apple or Linux (and there's no numbers saying that they are), you can bet Microsoft is going to get their money at some point in the future, and since Microsoft isn't going anywhere, it's still a win for them.

[MorganX]

Windows 8 is, in a sense, Windows Vista all over again - the improvements are perceived (whether or not it's actually so is debatable) to all require new(er) hardware - however, said newer hardware is still pricey, hence the lack of rapid adoption.

I'm just not seeing or hearing that. Every now and then you may come across people that think you need a touch screen, when in fact all you need is a mouse with scroll wheel, but most IT people know if Win 7 will run, 8 will run better on same hardware. It's the UI and simply no compelling reason. None at all. The biggest, and really only point MS is selling is the touch. And Surface RT just isn't selling in significant numbers. The Pro is selling as a laptop replacement in a tablet form factor which touch works nicely on. The form factor is selling the touch, not vice versa.

After the Vista Fiaso, IT made XP work and hunkered down. By the time 7 came around, it was better, but $$$ and man hours had been spent stabilizing and securing XP. That was inertia, and over time with PC refreshes, 7 was deployed, and with Cfg Mgr, OS deployment became easier and people realized the cost saving of 7 as well as security.

As insecure and flaky as XP was, once it worked, inertia kept it around even though 7 was clearly better. 8 IS NOT clearly better than 7 for most users and enterprises.

Answer this question, if a person isn't interested in a touch screen, why should they upgrade to 8? Forget about all the techhie benefits I posted earlier. Think general consumer, even enthusiast, why should they upgrade? What great app or even game is "Designed for Windows 8?" Will it be easier to manager their media? Sync their smartphones? Even the new Windows Phone 8? Forget about Surface RT, it's done. I have one, I like it, but it's done.

These are questions clearly no one at Microsoft thought about before moving forward with RTM.

[Growled Member]

I honestly think the main reason for the slow uptake for Windows 8 has more to do with the price of computers more than the interface. People might dislike the Modern interface but they would adjust in time. However, the price of computers have jumped alarmingly since the release of Windows 8, mainly because of the touchscreens. When people can get touchscreen tablets for $199, they don't see the value in getting a Windows 8 touchscreen for many times that.

[vcfan]

Its not ok when Microsoft does it but everyone else can :rolleyes: Its an appalling practice but hypocrisy to cry about it here but ignore when Mozilla,Google,Apple etc do the same fricking thing,

Crapstores aside its a shame because the hand-me-down's from server 2012 make this one of the best releases in recent years.

Hyper-V, Windows To Go, Storage Spaces, Native ISO & VHD mount, Metered Networks, PowerShell 3, REFS etc put it head and shoulders above windows 7.

these are the same people that say an ipad with a keyboard can replace your computer(hypocrites), there should be android laptops and desktops,and the same people that will try to convince you a $1300 computer that only runs a browser is the best thing since sliced bread.

[(Account no longer active)]

Windows 7 does everything I need it to. I don't have a reason to upgrade. If I had a tablet, then yes, Windows 8 would be my preferred choice. I understand Windows 8 is more efficient behind the scenes though, and appreciate the effort Microsoft put in to make it that way. However, on a Core 2 desktop, Windows 7 is running fast anyway.

Each Windows release up until XP bought major new features to the desktop (95: Start menu, 95/98: USB, 2000: NTFS, XP: improved media/wired/wireless communications support, more efficient Start menu, increased security). Later versions did not add much and were not really "must have upgrades".

[MorganX]

Windows 7 does everything I need it to. I don't have a reason to upgrade. If I had a tablet, then yes, Windows 8 would be my preferred choice. I understand Windows 8 is more efficient behind the scenes though, and appreciate the effort Microsoft put in to make it that way. However, on a Core 2 desktop, Windows 7 is running fast anyway.

Each Windows release up until XP bought major new features to the desktop (95: Start menu, 95/98: USB, 2000: NTFS, XP: improved media/wired/wireless communications support, more efficient Start menu, increased security). Later versions did not add much and were not really "must have upgrades".

Agree with all you said. Except with regards to XP security. I suppose compared to it's predecessors it was more secure, but compared to 7, or even Vista, it's Swiss cheese. Everyone should upgrade from XP for security alone.

Hardware is the same way, I mean, it'll be years before I need more than an i7 3770. We're not even fully 64-bit nor taking advantage of multiple cores and hyper threading outside of the OS. GPUs will continue to grow though, until we can play games with toy story quality rendering with ease.

[Guth]

I like windows 8 and usually I'd try to argue for it.

However, I installed it on my Mum and sister's laptops a while back. Yesterday my Mums pc had a total disaster (i swear she has a virus but she claims she doesnt :laugh). I told her the best thing is we will just format and start again since there is nothing important on there, she then said "if you are doing that can you put the last Windows back on, I don't like this new one but didn't want to say anything since youwere trying to be nice when you installed it for me. I just cant use it, i can't get anything done." My sister heard this and also said the same.

They didnt want to offend me but they both hate it and cant use it. They find it too fiddly and confusing.

tl;dr I have 2 laptops to put back to win7

[alphaomegainfinity]

I downgraded back to 7 last night. My notebook is giving me more power back up now. And yeah good old start menu is back. :)

[gawicks]

In my experience windows 8 requires a lot of patience. Especially on the Metro side of things. It's not so much the UI that's the problem, The stability is crap in the most essential apps ; Mail , Store. Store problems were mostly solved by cleaning up the SoftwareDistribution folder. Mail is still a pile of garbage. Startup times are ~15-20 seconds. Crashes every now and then. On the other hand Im absolutely digging the new Metro IE. Simple, yet gets the job done. I hope Microsoft updates the Metro side more often , as it stand now it's not worth being bothered for anything serious.