What's wrong with Windows 8?
There has been plenty written about Windows 8 and the changes Microsoft have made to the interface and the Metro/Modern UI. Yes it is damn irritating, but Stardock comes to the rescue for a mere $5. Microsoft should have offered this as a freebie on the Desktop OS, it is a small thing, users would then get used to the tile thing and Modern apps at their own pace and not have it imposed upon them, it would not have been a difficult thing to set up, as Stardock have proved, they could even have offered the UI as an overlay in the same way they did with Media Centre to allow people to come to terms with it or use it by default if they so choose to or it worked with their device.
However the UI is not the only place where Microsoft seem to have shot themselves in the foot.
Removal of start up options (F8, Safe mode, LKG etc) can only be accessed after OS is running.
Burning stuff to DVDs seems more difficult than before
No support for DVD videos
All the old games have gone (replaced by freebie downloads but not there by default)
Skydrive every where and it is rubbish
No Media Centre
Costly extras that used to be included (Pro Pack)
Left to right scrolling instead of up and down
No button options to close Apps
No search facility in the Windows Store you have to go to search then select the store
Microsoft modern UI games that crash, freeze or are not responsive to mouse clicks
Modern UI apps that are all full screen only
Remembering last logged on user and automatically logging on as them if they don't have a password set, faster boots but takes longer to log on which is self defeating
Two lock screens, the system one you can not customise and is that awful cartoon Seattle
Log Off is now called Sign Ou
Flat, two colour interface
It all boils down to many things that had been refined over the years are suddenly either more difficult to do or find, require more mouse clicks to do or have just been pulled and/or need to be paid for now.
What this amounts to is number of little niggles that leaves a sour taste in the mouth, grumbling users and feeling that it is a work in progress rather than the finished article.
Computers and particularly the software that runs on them is there to make life easier and more efficient, if it stops doing that for any reason then its value is lessened and it becomes less desirable.
Windows 8 is usable, it has many good bits under the hood but is marred by some sloppy finishing and a dictatorial attitude to the UI that does Microsoft no favours given the threats to their dominance from all directions.
Were Microsoft right to move to a common kernel for all devices? Probably. Were they right to impose the same UI across all platforms, no. Were they right to dumb down to lowest spec hardware, no.
Windows won because it was flexible, tolerant and allowed users to do it their way, Microsoft seemed to learn that with Windows 7 and then promptly forgot it again with Windows 8.
For some reason every other OS release is just an extended beta and is finished in the following release 95/98, 2000/XP and Vista/7 so I look forward to Windows 9 I just hope we don't have to wait 3 years for it.
However the UI is not the only place where Microsoft seem to have shot themselves in the foot.
Removal of start up options (F8, Safe mode, LKG etc) can only be accessed after OS is running.
Burning stuff to DVDs seems more difficult than before
No support for DVD videos
All the old games have gone (replaced by freebie downloads but not there by default)
Skydrive every where and it is rubbish
No Media Centre
Costly extras that used to be included (Pro Pack)
Left to right scrolling instead of up and down
No button options to close Apps
No search facility in the Windows Store you have to go to search then select the store
Microsoft modern UI games that crash, freeze or are not responsive to mouse clicks
Modern UI apps that are all full screen only
Remembering last logged on user and automatically logging on as them if they don't have a password set, faster boots but takes longer to log on which is self defeating
Two lock screens, the system one you can not customise and is that awful cartoon Seattle
Log Off is now called Sign Ou
Flat, two colour interface
It all boils down to many things that had been refined over the years are suddenly either more difficult to do or find, require more mouse clicks to do or have just been pulled and/or need to be paid for now.
What this amounts to is number of little niggles that leaves a sour taste in the mouth, grumbling users and feeling that it is a work in progress rather than the finished article.
Computers and particularly the software that runs on them is there to make life easier and more efficient, if it stops doing that for any reason then its value is lessened and it becomes less desirable.
Windows 8 is usable, it has many good bits under the hood but is marred by some sloppy finishing and a dictatorial attitude to the UI that does Microsoft no favours given the threats to their dominance from all directions.
Were Microsoft right to move to a common kernel for all devices? Probably. Were they right to impose the same UI across all platforms, no. Were they right to dumb down to lowest spec hardware, no.
Windows won because it was flexible, tolerant and allowed users to do it their way, Microsoft seemed to learn that with Windows 7 and then promptly forgot it again with Windows 8.
For some reason every other OS release is just an extended beta and is finished in the following release 95/98, 2000/XP and Vista/7 so I look forward to Windows 9 I just hope we don't have to wait 3 years for it.
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