Windows 8 will flop

[JMH]

A technology journalist friend of mine often makes sweeping statements regarding how well he thinks a new program or piece of hardware will fare, and he’s usually completely wrong. When Ubuntu first arrived, he declared it would kill off Windows and render Microsoft an aging OS irrelevance. When Apple launched the iPad he told everyone who cared to listen that it would be a total failure because no one would want one.

I’m far less prone to making such proclamations, but I think I’m on reasonably safe ground when I say Windows 8 is going to be a dud. No version of Windows will ever be a total failure. Even Vista, which is regarded as one of Microsoft’s least successful operating systems, sold reasonably well, and I’m sure as soon as Windows 8 is released we’ll hear a lot of statistics coming out of Microsoft about how it’s the fastest-selling OS since Windows Whatever. But they’ll be statistics that we’ll have to take with a fair amount of salt.

http://betanews.com/2012/07/05/wind...n=Feed+-+bn+-+Betanews+Full+Content+Feed+-+BN

 

[AceInfinity]

This is the way it's seemingly going in my opinion. I haven't seen too much good opinions about it out there, but I know the technical community still likes to explore the newest greatest things, so content about it and other useful resources and examples online among many other things, still exist and are constantly being created everyday. But overall, it's not looking too good. The hype about it, and the marketing was okay though. Microsoft is good at that. :)

The operating system itself, i'm still questioning, but the new features they've embedded here, I think are fascinating, and great innovations.

 

[Patrick]

Indeed, it does seem that Windows 8 will unfortunately flop... at least that's what a very large number of the enthusiast communities are making it seem like.

 

[Cookieman]

I guess people just don't like change! Yes it's very radical, and its not a popular change but its the direction MS are heading, I cant see them turning back the clock now the start menu is gone.

 

[Will]

I've been using 8 for the past few days solidly - on and off before that. It's definitely not going to flop, people just like complaining.

The new UI is actually a very minor part of it - it effectively replaces the Start Menu and that's it (it's also faster than the Start Menu and easier to use, honest). I use the desktop and standard applications for everything else.

 

[zigzag3143]

I am obviously a fan. Have been using it as my only OS since Developer preview. Once over the initial shock of the OS changes it turns out to be faster and more stable than win 7.

People will either love it or hate it, but certainly wont be ambivalent about it.

 

[AceInfinity]

I would say the start menu was much quicker, a nice search, instead of big tileview's that you have to look through and scroll with your mouse, text was much easier to find things with. I don't think they should default Metro apps to full screen though, speaking from my programmer's perspective.

I don't usually complain, but I haven't been able to see anybody justify the touchscreen based actions for a desktop user yet. Dragging with a mouse? Or holding your arm up in the air to touch the monitor in front of you for every action on a computer?

 

[zigzag3143]

I felt the same way for about 2 weeks of continuous use. While I am still not fond of metro I have found all the nuances of charms, right clicks, and shortcuts.

It seems that everyone is focusing on the GUI and not the OS underneath. I am sure there will be 3rd party work arounds for the elimination of metro and all the clamor on MS Answers will die away as people begin to use it. It is faster in just about every comparison test, doesnt BSOD as often and when it does it frequently doesnt even need a reboot, has a much more effective task manager (where ending a task really does and quickly), and much more. Yes I am a fan.

I doubt it will be as popular as win 7 but dont think MS would have invested so heavily in Win 8 if they weren't sure.

The problem will be the legacy systems that are attempting to jump from XP SP-0 to win 8. Just cant be done. The minimum resolution that win 8 will run is already "encouraging" new hardware.

 

[Patrick]

The problem will be the legacy systems that are attempting to jump from XP SP-0 to win 8. Just cant be done. The minimum resolution that win 8 will run is already "encouraging" new hardware.

Indeed, some businesses and schools still haven't even moved to Vista / 7.

 

[AceInfinity]

I felt the same way for about 2 weeks of continuous use. While I am still not fond of metro I have found all the nuances of charms, right clicks, and shortcuts.

It seems that everyone is focusing on the GUI and not the OS underneath. I am sure there will be 3rd party work arounds for the elimination of metro and all the clamor on MS Answers will die away as people begin to use it. It is faster in just about every comparison test, doesnt BSOD as often and when it does it frequently doesnt even need a reboot, has a much more effective task manager (where ending a task really does and quickly), and much more. Yes I am a fan.

I doubt it will be as popular as win 7 but dont think MS would have invested so heavily in Win 8 if they weren't sure.

The problem will be the legacy systems that are attempting to jump from XP SP-0 to win 8. Just cant be done. The minimum resolution that win 8 will run is already "encouraging" new hardware.

See for me, I love the Metro look, just not really a fan of the way they use and incorporate it. The animations of it are good, but the functionality that comes along with the metro concept is not great for me. Development time on Windows 8 from my testing has been significantly slower, and not for the reason that I don't know how to use Windows 8, but for how the navigation goes with it. I've found lots of shortcuts that speed things up, but still not as fast for me to get around as for if I was to compare with my Windows 7.

Metro is good! I honestly think it would have been more successful if they didn't change the navigation and layout though, and just moved over from Windows 7 with the Metro look all by itself...

This was a bit of a leap in terms of change, LOTS of people didn't like that. I think it's good for Microsoft to get the truth in the feedback they request though so that they don't end up going too far in a wrong direction. That's the worst thing that could happen to that company, especially for how far in the game they are right now.

I doubt it will be as popular as win 7 but dont think MS would have invested so heavily in Win 8 if they weren't sure.

I agree and disagree here, it's a gamble for them, I can say that. They may have invested more into it, and as shown to me, they've become heavily reliant on the tech communities to provide support for them because of how unsure they were about Windows 8 here. Being that they are this far into it though, they want to get something out of it at the least, Microsoft has the money, without a doubt, they could do whatever they want. Perhaps they think it really will succeed, or perhaps they think more invested into it will encourage more people to support Windows 8? Without an interview from Bill Gates lol, I don't think we could possibly know the answer to this right now until later :)

Perhaps it's a better OS, and I can agree from a developer standpoint, as well as an efficiency standpoint in that regard, HOWEVER, not from practicality/ergonomics point of view, or the development for it. Development for Windows 8 has become more of a chore for most nowadays than a hobby. It was like they started us off with core stuff, and now it's like them giving us lego blocks where all the core stuff is embedded within the lego blocks, and we just need to piece them together. That's not fun.

Although the idea of the fullscreen metro apps, not sure, i'd rather just build basic desktop applications for Windows 8.

In summary, Windows 8 as an operating system, GREAT! AMAZING! but they ruined it by the functionality of Metro... Which is a shame.

It's like buying a Lamborghini, and then having somebody paint it with rainbow colors and flowers. That's my best description of Windows 8 here as an analogy.

The problem will be the legacy systems that are attempting to jump from XP SP-0 to win 8. Just cant be done. The minimum resolution that win 8 will run is already "encouraging" new hardware.

Indeed, some businesses and schools still haven't even moved to Vista / 7.

This is true as well, I still work with businesses that use XP. I have yet to see one with Vista, although I have seen a few with Windows 7, and with the current company I work with, they really enjoy Windows 7 as much as I do. It's one of their best official operating system's to date.

 

[AceInfinity]

Mark Russinovich himself in a recent webcast/conference not too long ago using Windows 8 Release Preview, did not even know how to use it! What does this tell you? He was having frustrations with it during a live event, and I know others out there as well who are the same lol. For simplicity which was the whole purpose of the Metro look itself, and probably the OS itself as well, ironically, it's not so simple to use.

 

[Shintaro]

Maybe Microsoft needs to push their major OS release to 4 or 5 years?
In my view Metro will not be popular until pads are more popular. But the pad market at the moment has a lot of under-powered, over-priced gear. Why would i go to a pad when for the same price I can buy a laptop with better specs.

 

[AceInfinity]

Could you imagine Apple and Microsoft teaming up? :thud:

 

[Shintaro]

It will be interesting to see the iPad mini. That will shake everything up. *Hopefully* the pad market will take off a bit.

I think that metro might a good go at Apple so long as they can get it on enough cheap pads / tablets.

 

[AceInfinity]

As much cool as it can be, I just don't want to see our future turn into this whole simple touchscreen dramatization. "Feel" is a word that describes one of our senses, how do you do that with a flat screen? Could you imagine typing on something like that? It's bad enough on an iPad, my typing speed it lowered by about 200%.

Sure, I have NOTHING wrong with it for pocket devices, it's much more preferred for me to have an iPhone over a blackberry with buttons in fact. But for a computer? Smartboard maybe, but there's a difference in the use of these devices and machines, and that should determine how they are operated.

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I am being serious when I say "I don't see much of the hype in it other than the fact that it's 'cool'; something new for our future, and change itself with this kind of technology is only there to promote the idea that it is our 'new' future, nothing has to stay the same in the world of technology".

I don't mind having to re-learn or learn new things in tech, but having to learn how to use new things (physically) is another story that I have opinions on.

 

[Will]

Could you imagine Apple and Microsoft teaming up? :thud:

You mean... like they've been doing or both companies history? Microsoft used to be (and may still be) the biggest developer of Apple software outside of Apple.

Metro is good! I honestly think it would have been more successful if they didn't change the navigation and layout though, and just moved over from Windows 7 with the Metro look all by itself...

This was a bit of a leap in terms of change, LOTS of people didn't like that. I think it's good for Microsoft to get the truth in the feedback they request though so that they don't end up going too far in a wrong direction.

I'm not so sure about LOTS. I think we'll have to wait to see sales figures before we can make that call - internet feedback isn't really representative of users.

As for the navigation - it's clearly been designed to play well with tablets, and why not? The Microsoft surface and other tablets will have the full power of Windows... it's going to be successful in the tablet market.

Sales - Microsoft partners (aka most major hardware manufactures) basically have to ship Windows 8 with their hardware, a lot of guaranteed sales. The navigation is faster, full screen metro apps seem to be more for tablets and I don't really use them.

Development time on Windows 8 from my testing has been significantly slower, and not for the reason that I don't know how to use Windows 8, but for how the navigation goes with it.

Is that just for metro apps, or all apps? The new Metro fullscreen UI doesn't have to be used from a user perspective, other than a faster start menu.

 

[AceInfinity]

Could you imagine Apple and Microsoft teaming up? :thud:

You mean... like they've been doing or both companies history? Microsoft used to be (and may still be) the biggest developer of Apple software outside of Apple.

Metro is good! I honestly think it would have been more successful if they didn't change the navigation and layout though, and just moved over from Windows 7 with the Metro look all by itself...

This was a bit of a leap in terms of change, LOTS of people didn't like that. I think it's good for Microsoft to get the truth in the feedback they request though so that they don't end up going too far in a wrong direction.

I'm not so sure about LOTS. I think we'll have to wait to see sales figures before we can make that call - internet feedback isn't really representative of users.

As for the navigation - it's clearly been designed to play well with tablets, and why not? The Microsoft surface and other tablets will have the full power of Windows... it's going to be successful in the tablet market.

Sales - Microsoft partners (aka most major hardware manufactures) basically have to ship Windows 8 with their hardware, a lot of guaranteed sales. The navigation is faster, full screen metro apps seem to be more for tablets and I don't really use them.

Development time on Windows 8 from my testing has been significantly slower, and not for the reason that I don't know how to use Windows 8, but for how the navigation goes with it.

Is that just for metro apps, or all apps? The new Metro fullscreen UI doesn't have to be used from a user perspective, other than a faster start menu.

"You mean... like they've been doing or both companies history?" -- No, like a company "MicrosoftApple" teaming up. Kind of like the way AVI and SPL became AVI-SPL in the automation world i'm involved in today.

"not so sure about LOTS"? I can guarantee you that the ratio of people i'll find who like it over the people that don't is much greater in comparison lol. Combined over many discussions about the hype of Windows 8 i've had on numerous forums, and from many articles and blogs i've read as well. They all critique the Metro, TileView and Touchscreen's practicality when it comes to Desktop use. There's lots of MS Employees though that you'll see posting about this stuff because it's their job to help promote and market, somewhat the way MVP's are expected to help contribute to others learning about new Microsoft Products from my experience here. But it doesn't stop me from providing truth in my honest opinions. I won't lie, that's not who I am.

"internet feedback isn't really representative of users" -- Internet users are the majority of Microsoft product users are they not? Of course there are those on Mac's and Linux too, but Windows is still the godfather.

"As for the navigation - it's clearly been designed to play well with tablets" -- Exactly, but is this going to continue in such a way so that there's no more use for a Desktop in the future of people using the Windows OS? What are they going to do with Windows 9? More Metro, or back to Aero?

"it's going to be successful in the tablet market." -- I have no doubt, I was speaking directly for Desktop users however.

"Is that just for metro apps, or all apps?" -- Mostly all apps, it's nice when you're developing and debugging because the program hasn't changed too much with my IDE, but further analysis with other tools to test the performance of your app outside of the IDE itself and various other things, sometimes I think it would be faster if I was just developing from my iPhone...

 

[Shintaro]

Given that Metro is aimed at the tabled/pad market, how do we get around not using a keyboard and mouse?
I would think that voice interactivity would now start to be pushed. I suppose Apple will go with Siri. I have never used Siri, but the rumor/hearsay that I have heard is that it is ordinary.
I did try Dragon Dictate but it seems to have trouble with the Aussie slang. Must be because I don't speak the Queens English. Well I am a descendant of convict stock from 100 odd years ago though. (Digress, We seem to have lost our ability to play cricket lately, as well!)

The last time that I tried MS voice stuff, it was well.....ordinary. So unless MS have something that they are going to reveal or they simply assimilate another company to get the tech, I don't know.