Darcy and I have differing opinions on Windows 8. She thinks it’s great, I think Microsoft made a huge mistake. In typical Microsoft fashion, they decided to make a one-size-fits-all operating system. Apple makes a different operating system for its phones and tablets than the one it uses on its laptops and desktops. Microsoft seems to want to cut corners, increase profits, and worst, keeps forgetting the people who made them successful – the consumer.
To confuse the issue further, Microsoft makes two versions of Windows 8 — one that runs on Intel and AMD processors (Windows 8 Home Premium, Windows 8 Pro, Windows 8 Ultimate) and one that runs on ARM processors — the type of processor found in many tablets and smartphones – Windows8 RT.
In many ways, Windows 8 is Windows 7 with a huge cosmetic facelift and a few new features such as System Refresh (which is sure to be misused) and a completely revamped (and very nice) Task Manager. But at its heart, it’s Windows 7 with a facelift.
The one-size-fits-all idea, rarely works. It’s been tried in almost every industry. Remember the El Camino? Half-car, half-pickup truck? I don’t see many El Caminos rolling down the road these days, do you?
I loved Windows XP – I thought it was an innovative and beautiful operating system – and I think it’s Microsoft’s best operating system ever. It’s outdated now, and no one should continue using it after Microsoft ends support for it. I think Windows 7 is a great operating system – it’s just not the innovative OS that XP was.
I read an article this morning on CNet which seems to back my view that Microsoft better start re-thinking Windows 8 before it ends up alienating even more customers. PC sales are slumping, tablet and smartphone sales are booming, and Microsoft seems to have lost its way — Microsoft is not an innovator anymore. It’s chief seems to spend most of his time attacking Gooogle’s Android OS and Apple.
Apple is the world’s most valuable company — they didn’t get there by making products, putting them on the market and telling everyone how much they’re going to love them. People do love their iPhones an iPads — those two products turned an entire industry upside down. Windows 8 isn’t going to turn anything upside down. It’s going to alienate more people and turn more people away from Microsoft.
If Windows 8 is Microsoft’s best, then that’s a shame. Microsoft needs to listen to its customers, they need to look at their competitors, not with disdain but with an open mind. If they don’t, we’ll never see a Windows 10.
I’d like to share the article that started me thinking about Microsoft and Windows 8. It’s from CNet…
“Windows 8 may not be selling nearly as well as Microsoft projected, according to a report.
“Sales of Windows 8 PCs are well below Microsoft’s internal projections and have been described inside the company as disappointing,” Paul Thurrott wrote on his Supersite For Windowstoday, citing a source inside Microsoft.
The culprit? ‘Lackluster PC maker designs and availability,’ according to Thurrott.
But he lists plenty of other reasons too, including Windows 8 itself as “confusing” because of its mix of touch and a standard Windows 7 desktop.
And he cites the simultaneous release of Windows 8 Pro and Windows RT as problematic.
Though Windows 8 Pro can run older Windows software, Windows RT cannot, which ‘doesn’t make a lick of sense,’ according to Thurrott.
Roger Kay, principal analyst at EndPoint Technologies, agrees. ‘The split between the Windows 8 Pro and RT versions makes the positioning of Windows 8 difficult, ‘ Kay said to CNET on Friday.
Kay continued: ‘The new touch interface is really fantastic for the high-mobility market, like tablets. But turn the whole world upside down for a few tablets?…'”
Enis Bare says:
October 15, 2011 at 7:26 PM
Re: Finding you IP address. This is a great feature but can be found via alternate routes. However, I am a little amazed that in my profile “string” Mozilla shows up, I can not fin Mozilla anywhere in my PC. I did try it once. Seems odd…
Could you please explain to me how this message to your site ended up on the web??
I am cheesed off ! Privacy, my butt.
Why is my response to your site on the internet, I am appalled!
I am not keen on Windows 8. I hate to see a screen full of squares… I enjoy having a clean screen (with a peaceful scenery) and with the icones at the bottom on the task bar. I hope that Microsoft will not do what they did with XP and stop supporting Windows 7 to force me buy Windows 8.
When microsoft stops supporting Windows 7 I will switch to apple as there are not near as many problems with their products.
I really don’t like w 7 so different than xp and I can’t find anything on it, probably just me but I sure don’t like it.
I don’t like windows 7 at all, have a hard time learning it.
I have ordered an update disc of Windows 8 but after doing some checking I might never install it on my laptop. I use Microsoft Office XP Pro and with Windows 8 it will not work. I think it is really bad that Microsoft doesn’t work to make their older programs compatible with the new program so a person doesn’t have to spend another $200 or so to get something that will work.
Office 2010 is compatible with Windows 8 PRO. It’s not compatible with Windows 8 RT. You’re not buying RT you’re buying Windows 8 Pro.
When Microsoft ends support for Windows 8 then I will end my love affair w/ Microsoft. I have used every version of Windows and agree that I loved XP most of all. Windows 7 isn’t really that much different from XP but I miss OE and that was when I began to consider Apple. Windows 7 is definitely my last Windows. I’ve had patience with Microsoft’s disregard for their consumers who are the ones who made Microsoft great but now Microsoftcan go jump in a lake for all I care. Apple will gain a new consumer.
Love Windows 8. With a little tweaking(ie. moving most apps off the start screen)it is super fast and very stable. Also, you get to choose – desktop or app squares. I don’t see why there are so many complaints about this. As we move slowly away from laptops and desktops, Windows 8 is the future premier OS. Kudos to Microsoft.
Why do you say that once Microsoft stops supporting XP we should stop using it? I have even purchased an XP disk and updates disk to make sure I can keep using it. But as far as the rest of this article I agree totally with everything you say! The hackers will move onto the new operating systems and hopefully leave XP alone!
Because after Microsoft abandons Windows XP you will get no more security patches or updates. Those on your XP CD/DVD will be years old and useless against new attacks and useless to prevent exploitation by new security attacks which will surely continue to be found in the XP OS.