Windows: It

[Hum]

Calling the latest operating system a ?failure? and Microsoft?s leaders ?idiots,? a top tech website has proclaimed the PC era over. Windows is coming to a dead end, they say.

PC shipments collapsed in the last quarter by almost 14 percent, analysts with IDC said last week, marking the biggest drop in sales since the firm started tracking them 19 years ago. The problem, said ZDNet?s well respected Steven J. Vaughn-Nichols, isn?t the designs from the likes of HP and Dell or the size of consumer?s wallets. It?s Microsoft.

?Look at the numbers: Metro-interface operating systems have already failed,? Vaughn-Nichols wrote in an essay on the site. ?Microsoft is betting all its chips on the silly notion that Metro will be the one true interface for its entire PC and device line.?

While Vaugh-Nichols is clearly opinionated, his perspective was supported by IDC analyst Jay Chou, who told The Wall Street Journal a similar story last week: ?The reaction to Windows 8 is real.?

Windows 8, released Oct. 25, 2012, transformed the traditional computer interface to reflect a growing dependence on tablet computers and touch interface. It wraps the ?desktop? metaphor that most people have grown comfortable in a blanket of multicolored tiles that shift and twinkle, revealing bits of information and inviting the user to poke at them.

The problem: the vast majority of laptop and desktop users have no way to poke. Most users will find this new interface language as shocking (and hard to work with) as a bucket of cold water the face.

Vaugh-Nichols argued that users have responded to an operating system they simply don?t want by not buying PCs, turning instead to tablets. And Windows 8 tablets have yet to catch on in the market.

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[HawkMan Popular Post]

ZDNet?s well respected Steven J. Vaughn-Nichols

Words that should never be in the same sentence.

[Azies]

Fox News

[Athernar]

I think Windows 8 is a failure, but even I agree SJVN is an idiot.

Well, maybe not so much an idiot as a well-established clickbait author in the same vein as Dvorak.

[thomastmc]

It wraps the ?desktop? metaphor that most people have grown comfortable in a blanket of multicolored tiles that shift and twinkle, revealing bits of information and inviting the user to poke at them.

The problem: the vast majority of laptop and desktop users have no way to poke. Most users will find this new interface language as shocking (and hard to work with) as a bucket of cold water the face.

He's right. For a year and a half I keep poking my non-touch monitor and nothing happens... I haven't tried the mouse or kb yet, maybe next year.

[MorganX]

Agree with everything he says except that Windows is coming to a dead end. Microsoft is tentatively listening to criticism with a Search overhaul and now rumors of booting to desktop and at least the return of the Start "button."

Even die-hard pro-Metro users denying its flaws quickly do an about face when MS indicates it may fix these weaknesses. If they indeed implement these things and back-off a bit, giving Modern UI apps a chance to be developed (including the crappy core apps in Windows 8), there's plenty of time to turn this around.

There's nothing wrong with the Windows 8 Desktop Environment. For many, forcing much of the Modern UI on them (Start Page, Hot Corners, Modern UI full-screen tablet-centric search) is the problem. Freeing them from that by giving them an option to use a familiar and preferred UI/UX will buy them time and please users.

While Microsoft's leaders are not "idiots," after all, they're pulling down huge salaries for doing a poor job on the biggest stage in technology, they are ineffective and out of touch, and should be fired for how the whole Windows 8 product line has been executed.

/opinion

The worst thing for MS that may come of this, is many will realize the benefits of a heterogeneous computing environment and the dangers of allowing Microsoft to solely control so much of the enterprise and information worker productivity. Whether they fix this Windows 8 fiasco or not, many will not forget how they were at the mercy of Microsoft's self-serving corporate whims. Additionally, I'm sure many have lost confidence in the decision-making abilities and trust in Microsoft and its management.

/psopinion

[vcfan]

desktop and notebook pc sales are declining,and have been for awhile even with windows 7, because people are moving to slim and touch devices, yet windows 8 is made for touch and slim devices, but lets blame windows 8 for soft desktop and clunky notebook sales because "m$ is the devil" likes it 1996 again. If anything,Microsoft is extending the life of the desktop before the market kills it first.

[MorganX]

He's right. For a year and a half I keep poking my non-touch monitor and nothing happens... I haven't tried the mouse or kb yet, maybe next year.

lol, in all seriousness, when clumsily navigating the Start Page on a non-touch laptop with trackpad, I have reached out to swipe the screen. (Own a Surface RT, and Surface Pro still in box in the office.)

[thomastmc]

lol, in all seriousness, when clumsily navigating the Start Page on a non-touch laptop with trackpad, I have reached out to swipe the screen. (Own a Surface RT, and Surface Pro still in box in the office.)

My mom's HP Envy has an awesome trackpad with integrated W8 touch gestures. She's 57 and loves it. It's her first comp, and she's only ever used XP at work.

Maybe time to upgrade to a laptop that supports W8, or use a mobile mouse.

[bigmehdi]

desktop and notebook pc sales are declining,and have been for awhile even with windows 7, because people are moving to slim and touch devices, yet windows 8 is made for touch and slim devices, but lets blame windows 8 for soft desktop and clunky notebook sales because "m$ is the devil" likes it 1996 again. If anything,Microsoft is extending the life of the desktop before the market kills it first.

If the pc sales are declining , it doesn't mean they will disappear.

A regular pc is still a strong tool for business.

[MorganX]

My mom's HP Envy has an awesome trackpad with integrated W8 touch gestures. She's 57 and loves it. It's her first comp, and she's only ever used XP at work.

Maybe time to upgrade to a laptop that supports W8, or use a mobile mouse.

hahaha, the Laptop doesn't need an upgrade. Dell L501x, Core i5, 8GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3, Corsair Force GT 240 SSD, JBL Sound w/Subwoofer, USB 3.0, Bluetooth. Nothing's wrong with the hardware. Having to carry a mobile mouse is a drag. I don't even like carrying a laptop, now I "need" peripherals. Hopefully Blue will improve gestures for all modern hardware. I'll get a new OS before I get new hardware ;>

Edit: Forgot, HDMI, Display Port, Blu-ray, integrated Webcam (Lync baby), Geforce 420M

[Lovell]

How many people do you know without a PC? it's not as if you need a new PC to browse facebook and watch porn, even a cheap PC will have an I7 and be more than enough for what the average user needs it for.

[thomastmc]

hahaha, the Laptop doesn't need an upgrade. Dell L501x, Core i5, 8GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3, Corsair Force GT 240 SSD, JBL Sound w/Subwoofer, USB 3.0, Bluetooth. Nothing's wrong with the hardware. Having to carry a mobile mouse is a drag. I don't even like carrying a laptop, now I "need" peripherals. Hopefully Blue will improve gestures for all modern hardware. I'll get a new OS before I get new hardware ;>

Ohhh, sorry. What I took from your post was that the laptop had a trackpad that made using W8 clumsy enough that you actually wanted to try using the non-touch screen.

[Roxkis]

I just read comment on reddit that sums up microsoft and windows 8

I've long maintained that Microsoft's approach with Windows 8 is that of a cargo cult. [http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Cargo_cult] They see Apple's success and are insanely jealous of it, but all they are able to comprehend are the symptoms, not the causes. Thus they butcher the desktop by forcing a smartphone and tablet-based design onto workstations, then attack the UI with a minimalist design ethos that lacks the balance and wisdom necessary to make it usable as well.Then their marketing division swings into action to tell us that this desktop bastardization is actually perfect for both casual consumers and power users, when in reality it fails to be appropriate for either of those demographics.

[MorganX]

Ohhh, sorry. What I took from your post was that the laptop had a trackpad that made using W8 clumsy enough that you actually wanted to try using the non-touch screen.

Essentially yes, but only because of habit from using the Surface RT. I don't spend that much time on the Start Page. But it does highlight that the two environments don't exactly compliment each other in non-touch environments.

[Dot Matrix]

Two sources that make my head hurt. SJVN, and Fox News. Putting them together now makes me feel like my head is about to explode.

[HawkMan]

hahaha, the Laptop doesn't need an upgrade. Dell L501x, Core i5, 8GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3, Corsair Force GT 240 SSD, JBL Sound w/Subwoofer, USB 3.0, Bluetooth. Nothing's wrong with the hardware. Having to carry a mobile mouse is a drag. I don't even like carrying a laptop, now I "need" peripherals. Hopefully Blue will improve gestures for all modern hardware. I'll get a new OS before I get new hardware ;>

personally I can't stand using any touchpads, and rather carry something like the Logitech nano revolution or my current M705 (I prefer them bigger and they must have 2 thumb buttons). Nano receiver I don't even need to care about, I stuff my laptop in the bag and leave the receiver in, doesn't matter.take out the laptop and the mouse and I'm ready to go, no hassle, no drag, and way better computing. I also don't have to deal with the cursor jumping all over the screen when typing. putting half words in weird places and marking and deleting text.

In any case. any modern computer from the last 2 years AT LEAST, should support at least basic Windows 8 gestures, like sideways 2 finger scrolling. mine which was a pre win8 model, but also exists as a win8 model. also support edge drags for task switching, charms bar, and closing of metro apps(which is pointless in itself)

[MorganX]

I just read comment on reddit that sums up microsoft and windows 8

Jack of all trades, master of none? Not really though, the Desktop Environment is excellent. I tell you, if Windows 8 ran natively on the 27" Aluminum iMac (Boot Camp and lack of upgradeability are non-starters) I'd buy a desktop today, provided I could add a second 27" display for dual mons.

[Stoffel]

SJVN is a know anti MS blogger

I always stop reading as soon as I figure out he's the author.

It's always the same and a waste of my time

[thomastmc]

Essentially yes, but only because of habit from using the Surface RT. I don't spend that much time on the Start Page. But it does highlight that the two environments don't exactly compliment each other in non-touch environments.

I see your point, it's like walking and chewing gum at the same time...

[MorganX]

Two sources that make my head hurt. SJVN, and Fox News. Putting them together now makes me feel like my head is about to explode.

Here we go again, attacking the messenger. However you feel about him, if what he wrote "this" time, mirrors the sentiments of a WHOLE LOT OF FOLKS, then what value is there in trying to silence the messenger.

Even MS is at least hinting at addressing many of these complaints in Blue. You're not going to convince many to give Windows 8 a second chance with Blue if you remain in denial that issues exist for many.

[HawkMan]

How many people do you know without a PC? it's not as if you need a new PC to browse facebook and watch porn, even a cheap PC will have an I7 and be more than enough for what the average user needs it for.

This is the point these people fail to realize or generally purposely ignore. in the past, peopel had to continually upgrade because of the rapid evolution of the internet requiring more and more and everythign else requriing more and more power. this meant a laptop lasted at best 2 years, unless you bought a really expensive one.

for the last two years, you could have bought a cheap low end i3 laptop that will last for 5+ years, and the Internet has reached and been on a plateur for a few years now. this may climb again, when developers decide to use VRML 2.0, err I mean WebGL.... and all that crap. But even then, The cheap i3's they bought a couple of eyars ago should be able to handle that. heck even the cheapest Celeron's today, are in reality 2nd gen i3's. so even the crappiest laptops you buy today are good.

[Lastwebpage]

Metro, yes Metro, errrmm Metro... like it, hate it or be irresolute

But on the other side, I must agree at on point a little bit "Windows is coming to a dead end". The Windows user interface is nearly 20 years old, the only new idea was Metro and because of popular requests they maybe bring back the start button and start menu.

Yes, something is dead here, but I am not sure what exactly.

[Anibal P]

I still say there's nothing wrong with Win 8 that getting your head out your ass can't fix

[MorganX]

personally I can't stand using any touchpads, and rather carry something like the Logitech nano revolution or my current M705 (I prefer them bigger and they must have 2 thumb buttons). Nano receiver I don't even need to care about, I stuff my laptop in the bag and leave the receiver in, doesn't matter.take out the laptop and the mouse and I'm ready to go, no hassle, no drag, and way better computing. I also don't have to deal with the cursor jumping all over the screen when typing. putting half words in weird places and marking and deleting text.

In any case. any modern computer from the last 2 years AT LEAST, should support at least basic Windows 8 gestures, like sideways 2 finger scrolling. mine which was a pre win8 model, but also exists as a win8 model. also support edge drags for task switching, charms bar, and closing of metro apps(which is pointless in itself)

I more or less agree with all that. Except the closing of apps. Technically pointless yes, but much more efficient. For many users, myself included, it is quicker to close or minimize and app to get to what's behind it than to go to an app bar or finger switch to next app. Say calculator, do a calc, copy result, just close. Spreadsheet behind. As long at W32 reigns supreme, this UX will butt heads with the optimal way to use the Modern UI. It's a transitional thing that may not go away.

Even if a close button in just sent Modern UI apps to the background to go to sleep, that would be preferable to many. In either case, I don't think it's a major issue for anyone.

All of this may one day be summed ups as: Microsoft did not allow a gradual or long enough transition period, if we actually transition away from the desktop to 100% Modern UI which isn't even close to happening in the next year at least. There's no apps. (speaking of desktop computing which is not going away.)