Does Windows 8 deserve the fuss, or has Microsoft delivered another Vista? We spend 24-hours with the new OS in an attempt to find out.
Once upon a time a new version of Windows was something to get excited about. Be it the low level support for new hardware technologies, new features and ways of interacting with one’s PC, there was a reason people lined up outside Harvey Norman stores to get their hands on Windows 95 the moment it was available.
This all came to a crashing halt with Vista, when a long and relatively public phase of operating system development resulted in a bloated, intrusive operating system that most people felt best ignoring.
Vista not only killed the clamour for the new, it meant Microsoft ended up needing to support Windows XP well beyond its intended use by date.
The mistakes of Vista were largely erased with the launch of Windows 7, and that has been the operating system many long-term PC users have settled down with. Gone was the unnecessary bling and in its place was an operating system that was less bloated but without getting rid of the better features Vista brought on board.
For many Microsoft moved away from its traditional audience with Vista, and in the process alienated them. This wrong step hangs heavily over Windows 8, which has Microsoft making even more drastic changes to the way in which we have learned to use our PCs.
