Has Windows 10 redeemed Microsoft?

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

A bit fussy about trivial things

That's why I said it was a gripe. 

After having reinstalled windows 8.1, I now am in control of my updates. I hated the Home version (of 10) which is a kin to Russian Roullete. You're forced with updates but I've seen two stories in the last 2 days where Windows 10 updates have thrown users into precarious loops. I believe it was a install or uninstall loop. so to gain back my control and happiness with updates, I set my reinstall of Windows 8.1 to inform me of when updates are available but allow me to decide what to install. All in order to keep from inadvertantly installing a bad update that will mess up my mahcine. I don't know how I got the home edition of win 10 from the update, yes its free, that's NOT my contention. My contention is, Home is like someone pushing you down a hill on a scooter with no steering wheel. No control. no way to stop from being forced to install an update that has to be taken down by MSFT. Plus, my old games work again. I think it was DX12 that broke my old favorites. well, I'm happy with my games working.

as for Windows 10, in order to get edge or DX12, you HAVE to upgrade to 10 which is a dirty low down trick. I come to realize through reading tech forums that MSFT purposely ingrained DX12 and edge. I've been reading around MSFT doesn't plan on releasing edge for windows 8.1 nor DX12. So now I see what this is all about. /SMH

What of Windows 10 fails?

3 reasons why Windows 10 will fail

DX12 had nothing to do with your old games not working. Windows 10 supports DX12, 11.1, 11, 10.1, 10, 9.3, 9.2 and 9.1. The fact that it's exclusive to Windows 10 isn't a bad thing. It uses a new driver model and not supporting older operating systems means Microsoft can focus more on something newer.

[DConnell Member]

No. I loved 8.x, and wish 10 were much more like it. I wanted a refinement of the hybrid UI, and better options to control how desktop UI or Metro it was. Nothing remotely like what we've gotten - a desktop UI with a Metro paint job and questionable security choices.

If anything Microsoft needs to redeem itself for the mess that 10 currently is.

[adrynalyne]

What the average user wants is no change and no problems.
What their getting with Windows 10 is both.

You will get change with any OS upgrade.

Every.single.time.

 

As for problems, that is ENTIRELY subjective.

[Noir Angel]

Not yet. I find the new start menu to be a hybrid that doesn't really capture the strengths of the old style start menu or the start screen. It's a move in the right direction, but it's not a perfect OS by any means.

[jaffar]

Windows 10 Start Menu wins IDSA Digital Design Award

http://www.idsa.org/awards/idea/digital-design/microsoft-start-experience

[7Dash8]

You have no way of saying otherwise other than anecdotal experience.  The ones who don't will stick with 7, and still not want a tweakfest.

I have a simple way of knowing what I say is true: Windows 8 was a failure. If users wanted the ugly metro UI, if they liked apps, if they didn't think the Start Menu in 7 was sleek, then Windows 8 would have been a success - it wasn't. Now Microsoft has simply changed the frosting on the same s**t cake and served it up as Windows 10.

[adrynalyne]

I have a simple way of knowing what I say is true: Windows 8 was a failure. If users wanted the ugly metro UI, if they liked apps, if they didn't think the Start Menu in 7 was sleek, then Windows 8 would have been a success - it wasn't. Now Microsoft has simply changed the frosting on the same s**t cake and served it up as Windows 10.

Windows 8 suffered from bad media too. Many people hated it without ever trying it.

As for a failure, it depends on the benchmark you use, so...

It still stomped OS X and GNU/Linux on the desktop, combined.

[Jarrichvdv]

"Anyway, my only gripe at the moment is the use of legacy icons."

That is your gripe?  So you don't have any concerns with telemetry and privacy issues.  And using your bandwidth with their p2p update system? Auto sharing wifi networks? Updates causing crash loops on lots of machines?  Your in ability to pick and choose updates, etc. .etc..

Your concerns are the icons are not pretty enough for you?  Really??

I can tell you one thing I am glad I didn't jump.. And will most likely be even pushing off the move until I get a full understanding of all the stuff they are doing - even though I am really interested in some of the networking changes like smb 3.1.1

 

I have personally no issues with telemetry and this privacy FUD you're spreading.

[JCGSGL]

I have not used Windows 10 yet; I'm very cautious. I have windows 8.1; and about a year ago I tried the technical preview, didn't know what I was doing and messed up my computer. I want Microsoft to correct as many details as they can before I even consider using the system. On a liter note; I have been thinking about using the system more, and more each day. I know have a backup disk for problems that I may face on new operating systems. Thank goodness for Amazon.

[Jim K Global Moderator]

Windows 10 Start Menu wins IDSA Digital Design Award

http://www.idsa.org/awards/idea/digital-design/microsoft-start-experience

hehe...and the start menu in their image is not the one in RTM.

[chrisj1968]

I'm willing to forgo the ugly icons as I see them as something that won't ever change. But what would be awesome, if we could add our own icons. I miss the customization of the OS. 

But if MS would quit screwing the lesser home users over and have the settings feature allow for us to be notified when updates are available. Reason being, this will allow everyone to determine if an update is broken and not install it. sort of a fail safe. I really love updates for what they are in fixing and improving the OS but I swear there have been a lot of broken updates that people are reporting ruining their windows 10 installs. and win 10 home doesn't allow for me to choose whether i want to protect myself from broken updates. But I had to go back to 8.1 so I can keep playing my old games.

DX12 had nothing to do with your old games not working. Windows 10 supports DX12, 11.1, 11, 10.1, 10, 9.3, 9.2 and 9.1. The fact that it's exclusive to Windows 10 isn't a bad thing. It uses a new driver model and not supporting older operating systems means Microsoft can focus more on something newer.

I can see creating this OS to get away from legacy hardware. But software like again, me, a gamer should be able to play Ghost Recon if I so choose. But Windows 10 stopped that. that doesn't make Win10 a favorable viewed OS for my gaming. I guess my beef are these subtle inner workings that MUST be addressed in a future update "IF" I'm to go back to 10. if not, I'm staying with 8.1.

in closing, I'm curious what will become of Windows when we are at that bridge of "do I" or "don't I" and users decide to get left behind? I think we're at the point now.

 

[7Dash8]

 I'm curious what will become of Windows when we are at that bridge of "do I" or "don't I" and users decide to get left behind? I think we're at the point now.

So long as there isn't a viable, user-friendly, gamer-friendly desktop OS for PCs to compete with Windows, Microsoft will get away with a complete lack of genuine innovation and coherent vision. A lot of users are already willingly being "left behind", by choosing to stick with Windows 7, the last truly PC-centric version of Windows. The real shift will occur once Windows 7 becomes truly obsolete, or until a genuine competing OS appears, and that's years away in both cases. Until then we get to watch Windows slowly become a parody of itself as Microsoft clumsily chases the mobile device market.

[Dot Matrix]

We now have with 10, a battle between the control panel on the one hand then the new settings interface on the other.

There is no battle. Control Panel is a legacy bit that will be removed with time.

[Son_Of_Dad]

Has Windows 10 redeemed Microsoft?  No, they never needed redeeming.

THIS! I enjoyed 8.1 on desktop, tablet (Surface Pro 3) and phone. I don't really like 10 on desktop and it's backwards steps on tablet and phone.

[Dot Matrix]

No, Microsoft hasn't redeemed itself.

Windows 8 failed primarily because it had an inconsistent UI, forced metro integration, and removed the sleek and efficient Start Menu.

Windows 10 replaces one form of UI inconsistency with another, still has forced metro integration, and is still missing the sleek and efficient Start Menu. To that they've now added a reduction in user control and greater invasion of privacy.

Microsoft says they're listening to users, but they're not. The majority of users made it clear with Windows 8 that they don't want metro apps, they don't want tiles and they want greater control over their OS.

Source? I've not seen data to back up these claims at all during the development phase. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive of the new Start, and windowed apps.

[.stan]

It looks like ######. MDL (Modern Design Language) v2 is just color to the face. There is nothing beautiful about it, it's just color. If you compare it to Google's Material Design, it just loses on everything. 

[Royalty]

Somewhat. I'm not going to say that it has and I'm not going to say that it hasn't. I hope they come out with some pretty cool updates sometime soon.

[adrynalyne]

It looks like ######. MDL (Modern Design Language) v2 is just color to the face. There is nothing beautiful about it, it's just color. If you compare it to Google's Material Design, it just loses on everything. 

Oh yes, Android is totally a definition of beauty...

Not.

[+Zagadka Subscriber²]

Microsoft says they're listening to users, but they're not. The majority of users made it clear with Windows 8 that they don't want metro apps, they don't want tiles and they want greater control over their OS.

That is one section of users, in which you are a subsection. The extraordinarily expanding body of users wants apps and tiles and things to be simple and to work across platforms. You know the bell curve? You and I are off to the sides. That big section of the middle? That is who MS is listening to.

[binaryzero]

So, so much FUD. 

Windows 10 seems fine to me, couple of differences, but pretty much same old Windows. I'm still running 8.1 on my main machine, and probably will continue for some time as everything is running fine and dandy like cotton candy.

I look forward to using 10 when Server 2016 and System Center 2016 are released. 

[7Dash8]

That is one section of users, in which you are a subsection. The extraordinarily expanding body of users wants apps and tiles and things to be simple and to work across platforms. You know the bell curve? You and I are off to the sides. That big section of the middle? That is who MS is listening to.

Nope, this doesn't follow. If most users wanted tiles and metro apps then Windows 8 and Windows Phone would be roaring successes.

And again, most people don't use the Windows mobile platform - as witnessed by its single digit market share - so they won't be using gimped apps and hideous metro UI "to work across platforms".

[SoCalRox]

I find the desktop as homely as 8.x's, but thankfully, they shed the hideous start screen and the irritating charms that were anything but charming. However, the flat look is terrible. And in some apps, color choices are horrible. (Office 2013 is possibly the ugliest application I've ever seen.) 

I like the improvements under the cover, but I sure wish it looked much better. Did it redeem MS? Nah. But as was said early on, they didn't need redeeming even though Windows 8.x ran me off Windows to OS X and Linux. They make good software. They took a chance with 8.x and it didn't work. Not the only company to do so. Not the last to do it, either. I find more "redemption", of sorts, comes from their multi-platform strategy than from the changes to Windows.

Thankfully, they brought back lower-case menu choices in Office 2016. :-D

 

[Dot Matrix]

Nope, this doesn't follow. If most users wanted tiles and metro apps then Windows 8 and Windows Phone would be roaring successes.

And again, most people don't use the Windows mobile platform - as witnessed by its single digit market share - so they won't be using gimped apps and hideous metro UI "to work across platforms".

Your logic makes no sense. You want to rip on Windows 8, but what about the success of Windows 10? Why did people just upgrade 25+ million devices to Windows 10? 

Edited August 13, 2015 by Dot Matrix

[offroadaaron]

I don't particularly like or dislike it, it's a good pre-alpha build though. Still needs a lot of work.

[chrisj1968]

Yes MS needed to redeem itself. why? because "if" windows 10 fails, this will be the 3rd failed OS in almost as many years. the sad part is, MS is a captured audience in that, there's no one who can compete at the moment against MS. never mind numbers 25 million out of almost 7 billion people isn't a lot.