Microsoft is committing suicide with Windows 8

[balane]

What many of you are saying is my only issue. I've been using Windows 8 since the day the consumer preview was released, that's a fairly long trial. I'm putting Windows 7 back on it this afternoon. My only issue is that the Start Menu is replaced with Metro and I hate Metro. That's it. Give me the option to use a Start Menu instead of Metro and I'll be happy. It will be Windows 7.1 but I don't really care. The things I prefer about the Start Menu are as follows.

1.) I have things like Control Panel, Documents, Games, ect. set to expand in the Start Menu so if I want to open something like Programs or Power it's one click. In metro I have to completely open the Control Panel and then the item, then I have to close them when done. Metro takes longer to do this.

2.) It takes longer to get to the programs you don't use frequently. I have to right click in Metro, select All Apps and then wade through a sea of apps spread over several windows and find the one I'm looking for. Compared to the Start Menu where things are grouped and hidden until I expand them by a process of elimination. Metro takes longer.

3.) In Metro I have to remember cursor locations, right clicks or left clicks, for pretty much everything. Doing things in Metro is more complicated and requires more thought. When I go do the right of my screen to use a window slider the Metro overlay for search/share/setting/etc. pops up. Then I have to slide my cursor to the left some, wait for that overlay to die down and then put more thought into being careful when I use the window up and down slider. Metro takes longer.

4.) I have no opinion whatsoever about the appearance of the Start Menu. Metro is ugly to me. Not important but Metro does nothing for me that I would consider an improvement to my Windows experience.

5.) Powering off my computer is easy in Windows 7. In Metro it takes an extra click and more thinking.

I can't see how anybody can say that Metro is either easier or faster than the Start Menu. My Windows 7 computers have exactly two things on the Desktop. Recycle Bin and My Computer. The reason is that I never see my desktop because I always have windows open and usually full screen. Because of this I use my Start Menu for everything. It's fastest for me. If Microsoft takes away the Start Menu or removes the ability to expand things within the Start Menu I will not be purchasing it.

There are things I like about Windows 8. I like how fast it is. I like how quickly it boots up. I like that it was designed with SSD's in mind. Windows 8 is fine. Forcing Metro on computer users is the failure. I bet it's such a failure that if you gave computer users the option to use Metro or Start Menu that very few would use Metro. That statement is so true that MS worked to remove the possibility of the Start Menu is the recent beta. If Metro was such a success why would they do that? Shouldn't people want to use Metro on their own?

 

[capeconsultant]

And you, Balane, have summed up the entire issue of Windows 8 extremely succinctly. I feel EXACTLY the same way about everything you mentioned. NICE WORK!

Just give me back my start menu and let me boot past Metro and I will be fine.

 

[beginner99]

Forcing Metro on computer users is the failure. I bet it's such a failure that if you gave computer users the option to use Metro or Start Menu that very few would use Metro. That statement is so true that MS worked to remove the possibility of the Start Menu is the recent beta. If Metro was such a success why would they do that? Shouldn't people want to use Metro on their own?

Exactly my thoughts too. The fact that it actually was possible to have a start menu is pretty telling...

 

[Jaskalas]

Just give me back my start menu and let me boot past Metro and I will be fine.

Microsoft would make money off all us desktop users that way. Apparently they don't want to.

 

[hhhd1]

I am really feeling that MS is just trying to under-hype how windows 8 really is, so when it is finally out and it is a normal os (with a start menu), people won't be angry, and will actually appreciate it, and start praising it endlessly ..

The opposite of what happened with vista.

 

[Rhonda the Sly]

I am really feeling that MS is just trying to under-hype how windows 8 really is, so when it is finally out and it is a normal os (with a start menu), people won't be angry, and will actually appreciate it, and start praising it endlessly ..

The opposite of what happened with vista.

Doubt it. People hoped between the many interim releases of Windows 7 about the classic(er?) Start Menu and Taskbar would reappear. It never happened.

People hoped that the last two releases of Windows 8 would include classic Start Menu and... nope! My money is on it being gone. People who keep hoping for things that aren't going to happen are continually disappointed. Want it, but don't expect it, 'cause it ain't gonna be there.

 

[r3dsh1ft]

For every windows xp, there is a windows millenium.
I really hope windows 7 lives to the ripe old age that xp did.
unless they really create an OS that is revolutionary.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Windows 7 is going to be abandoned at Windows 9 just like MS is doing now to Vista in not allowing Office 2013 or IE10 to be installed on it.
http://fudzilla.com/home/item/28014-new-office-2013-not-for-vista-or-xp

 

[TheSlamma]

I have never been a big fan of the whole merging of technologies thing, it just seems to have way too much sacrifice.

IMO the Windows 8 should be either PC mode or Tablet mode and no hybrid. The interface between a classic app and a metro app is far from seamless. It is abysmal to multitask between the 2.

 

[TheSlamma]

Windows 7 is going to be abandoned at Windows 9 just like MS is doing now to Vista in not allowing Office 2013 or IE10 to be installed on it.
http://fudzilla.com/home/item/28014-new-office-2013-not-for-vista-or-xp

MS seems to always need a public beta (ME, Vista), so Windows 9 might be good

Maybe by then the Tablet thing will have proven to be a gimmick outside of internet browsing, ebooks and crappy touch games and PC's can get back to work.

 

[hhhd1]

If i had known that windows vista would soon be obsolete, i would have sold my vista ultimate box allot earlier when i had the chance ..

but i was expecting that it could have a long run like windows xp did, .. how mistaken was I !

back then, i didn't expect that they would actually go through with it and release another os right after it.

 

[Jaskalas]

MS seems to always need a public beta (ME, Vista), so Windows 9 might be good

Maybe by then the Tablet thing will have proven to be a gimmick outside of internet browsing, ebooks and crappy touch games and PC's can get back to work.

Apple sold more tablets last quarter than any single OEM sold PCs

The desktop as we know it today is already dead. It will become a tablet docking station for KVM, maybe some additional hardware.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

I definitely think it is lame that the process of actually turning off your computer takes longer.
But, if i do use win8, I will have a lot of shortcuts in place and will probably have to modify my system.

 

[lifeblood]

I was just looking at the cost of some recently announced/released tablets for Windows 8 and the cost of these things are going to kill Windows 8 as well. The ones I was looking at cost around $1500 for a Intel based tablet.

I can get a nice Win7 laptop with a Blue-Ray drive for less than $800 with a Macbook Air starting at $999. An iPad starts at $400 while the Nexus 7 starts at $199. Even if Win 8 is a great OS, MS and company are going to have a hard time selling these things.

 

[happysmiles]

they're gonna have to sell at a loss either way.

 

[gmaster456]

I was just looking at the cost of some recently announced/released tablets for Windows 8 and the cost of these things are going to kill Windows 8 as well. The ones I was looking at cost around $1500 for a Intel based tablet.

I can get a nice Win7 laptop with a Blue-Ray drive for less than $800 with a Macbook Air starting at $999. An iPad starts at $400 while the Nexus 7 starts at $199. Even if Win 8 is a great OS, MS and company are going to have a hard time selling these things.

A lot of intel tablets cost that much. Windows 8 has nothing to do with it. There will be plenty of affordable Windows 8 tablets as well.

 

[AsusGuy]

I was going to write a lot about it but I'm just going to say; Windows 8 is pure shit.

Bring back the start menu or I'll never upgrade beyond 7.

I've been a die hard MS fan since day 1 too. I even liked Vista and ME.

How you can "Like" Windows ME is a mystery to me. It was the most unstable OS I ever had the misfortune of using.

 

[AsusGuy]

What's funny to me is some people actually think that waving your hands all over a desktop monitor is the wave of the future, vs. a more logical interface like a mouse.

I'd invite those that think so, to right now lift their arms up and poke around all over their desktop monitor. Great. Now do that for 8 hours straight. That's YOUR future maybe, not mine.

So True!

 

[lifeblood]

A lot of intel tablets cost that much. Windows 8 has nothing to do with it. There will be plenty of affordable Windows 8 tablets as well.

Yea, and all those those Intel tablets are selling like hotcakes! ...oh, wait...

If MS wants to make a big splash in tablets their going to have to release much more affordable tablets. When Google can sell a fully functional and polished Android tablet for $199 (Nexus 7), its going to be hard for people to justify $1500 for an Intel based tablet. I think the only strong selling point is that they come able to dock and be used more like a desktop as well, including the ability to run desktop apps.

 

[gmaster456]

Yea, and all those those Intel tablets are selling like hotcakes! ...oh, wait...

If MS wants to make a big splash in tablets their going to have to release much more affordable tablets. When Google can sell a fully functional and polished Android tablet for $199 (Nexus 7), its going to be hard for people to justify $1500 for an Intel based tablet. I think the only strong selling point is that they come able to dock and be used more like a desktop as well, including the ability to run desktop apps.

I didn't say anything about how well those tablets are selling, simply that they exist. MS doesn't have a say in how much the tablets cost. The exception being the surface. Because it's Microsoft's own tablet. It's up to the OEMs. It's no different than the PC industry. Microsoft doesn't tell Gateway how much to charge for their machines.

 

[lifeblood]

I didn't say anything about how well those tablets are selling, simply that they exist. MS doesn't have a say in how much the tablets cost. The exception being the surface. Because it's Microsoft's own tablet. It's up to the OEMs. It's no different than the PC industry. Microsoft doesn't tell Gateway how much to charge for their machines.

I agree MS doesn't dictate price. My point is that Win8 tablets competitors are selling very nice products for far less. MS needs Win8 to make a big splash and and get lots of users so developers will write apps for it. If desktop users don't upgrade to it because it sucks on the desktop, and potential tablet buyers don't buy it because other tablets (iPad, Android) are cheaper, then Windows 8 will fail and Microsoft will be in trouble. Remember, Ballmer said this was the riskiest version of windows they ever released. A lot is riding on Win8 devices being popular. MS better make sure inexpensive Win8 tablets are also released.

 

[Dominato3r]

I was just looking at the cost of some recently announced/released tablets for Windows 8 and the cost of these things are going to kill Windows 8 as well. The ones I was looking at cost around $1500 for a Intel based tablet.

I can get a nice Win7 laptop with a Blue-Ray drive for less than $800 with a Macbook Air starting at $999. An iPad starts at $400 while the Nexus 7 starts at $199. Even if Win 8 is a great OS, MS and company are going to have a hard time selling these things.

Why are you comparing a computer capable of launching desktop applications to something that can't? There are no prices for WinRT tablets at the moment, the real competitor to the iPad and Android tabletz

 

[lopri]

I wonder what of Win8 bugs game publishers? First it was Valve's Gabe Newelle, and now someone at Blizzard is barking, too.

http://techreport.com/discussions.x/23334

One would think these PC gaming powerhouses could easily take advantage of the metro interface? I'm curious what these guys are unhappy about.

 

[Rhonda the Sly]

I wonder what of Win8 bugs game publishers? First it was Valve's Gabe Newelle, and now someone at Blizzard is barking, too.

http://techreport.com/discussions.x/23334

One would think these PC gaming powerhouses could easily take advantage of the metro interface? I'm curious what these guys are unhappy about.

They both distribute their games through their own channels and prefer that to using the Windows Store. RT's restrictions on acquiring applications means both companies will need to modify their processes for distributing and updating applications. Also, additional cost and delays due to certifications and Microsoft's validation process are an inevitability.

That said, if Blizzard could put the original StarCraft on the store with a UI slightly modified for touch, I'd love them forever.


Edit:
And Steam. Of course, Steam!

 

[lifeblood]

Why are you comparing a computer capable of launching desktop applications to something that can't? There are no prices for WinRT tablets at the moment, the real competitor to the iPad and Android tabletz

I am comparing computers capable of launching desktop apps. My sister just bought a full featured laptop with BD drive for $750. It runs every desktop app just fine. The tablet form factor is cool, but how many people are going to fork over $1500 for a Win8 tablet when a good laptop is half that price? Some will, absolutely. But MS needs Win 8 to make a big splash. I just don't think they'll get that splash at that price point.

Also, perception will play a big role. Android/iPad tablets can't do everything a Win8 tablet can, but how many people will care or even know that? Android has Google docs which lets them run productivity suites. It has browsers for the Internet and games and all sorts of other stuff. That's sufficient for most users. Its only a few of us that have to run other software.

Maybe the Win8 RT will fill that low end void. It will need to for Win8 to be successful in the tablet space.