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Tech: Windows 8 Thoughts + Reactions thread | Have you downloaded?
Member Since: 2/16/2012
Posts: 8,740
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From one of the biggest Windows fans online. Paul Thurrott to Microsoft is basically the equivalent to Gruber and Apple. This is how I feel about Windows RT, also
What Is Windows RT? Redmond, We Have A Problem
I’ve been writing about Windows for almost 20 years, and I feel like I’ve kind of seen it all. But for the past several days, I’ve been struggling under the weight of the most brutal email onslaught I’ve ever endured over these two decades. And if my email is any indication, and I believe it is, the majority of people out there have absolutely no idea what Windows RT is.
This is a problem.
It’s a problem because, for every reasonable, probing question I get about Surface with Windows RT—the recently launched Microsoft device—I receive at least 10 questions that betray that simple truth: Most people have no idea what’s going on here.
No idea at all.
To be clear, I’m not blaming you, you person with these questions. It’s no wonder you have no idea what’s going on. Fact is, Microsoft has decided to launch a Windows RT version of its Surface three months before a Windows 8 version. And to do so without effectively communicating what, exactly, it is selling.
Put another way, on the day that Microsoft launches Windows 8 to the world—a day that is the most eagerly awaited Microsoft product launch since Windows 95—Microsoft will also launch a device that runs Windows RT, and not Windows 8.
Think about that for a minute.
And consider this: When Microsoft finally announced the pricing and availability of that (Windows RT, not Windows 8) product this week, it left out crucial technical specifications as always, even as it allowed customers to actually pre-order the thing. Cue onslaught of questions. Cue deer in the headlamp response.
This was avoidable.
Based on my email, I have to think that most of these first customers have absolutely no idea what they’re buying. That some have still made an amazingly expensive purchase regardless, well, it boggles the mind.
Regular readers of this site already know that I’ve written about this stuff. A lot. I mean, just this week, I wrote Microsoft Surface: RT Vs. Pro, A Specifications Comparison, a way to pick between the current RT-only versions of Surface and the coming Windows 8-based versions. I published Mailbag: Microsoft Surface Special Edition, a collection of the most frequent (and reasonable) Windows RT and Surface RT questions I’ve received since the product pre-order announcement. Most important, I published How To Choose: Windows 8 Vs. Windows RT, a guide to choosing between Windows RT and Windows 8.
But people still don’t understand Windows RT.
Because of the amazing amount of email I’ve received this week, I kept my Windows Phone nearby while watching TV last night and answered dozens of emails during commercial breaks. I went to sleep with not a single email left unread. And yet I woke up to 154 non-spam emails, most about Surface and Windows RT, this morning.
154.
Just from overnight.
Some of the questions I’m getting are absolutely amazing to me. And these emails, which are almost child-like in their lack of awareness, speaking volumes about the job that Microsoft simply is not doing communicating this product—and its differences with Windows 8—to customers.
With the understanding that I have communicated all of this stuff dozens of times, if not more, a few basics:
Windows RT is a limited version of Windows 8 that runs on ARM-based devices, not on traditional PCs.
Yes, Windows RT is compatible with most, but not all, of the Metro-style apps that also run on Windows 8. That is one advantage of this new Metro environment that graces both systems.
But.
Windows RT will not run any desktop Windows applications beyond the applications that are bundled with the operating system. Bundled applications include virtually every single desktop application found in Windows 8—Paint, WordPad, etc.—except for Windows Media Player. It also includes a fully-functional and full-featured version of Office 2013 called Office Home & Student 2013 RT. This suite includes Word, Excel, OneNote, and PowerPoint. For the umpteenth time, it does not include Outlook.
Let me stress that point again.
Windows RT will not run any desktop applications beyond the applications that are bundled with the operating system. This means it will not run Windows Essentials 2012, Microsoft Outlook (any version), Microsoft Office (any version, beyond what’s included with RT), Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, or any other Adobe desktop application. It will not run the SkyDrive desktop application (which is part of Essentials 2012, yes, I know), meaning you cannot sync SkyDrive data to your RT device’s storage. You can only use the SkyDrive Metro app, which lets you access SkyDrive only when connected … just as with any other mobile device. It will not run iTunes. It will not run any desktop Windows application beyond what’s bundled with the OS.
Windows RT is not a computer operating system. Windows RT is an operating system for mobile devices.
Surface with Windows RT is not a computer. It is mobile computing device, like an iPad. It is a tablet, a hybrid device that bridges the gap between real PCs and media tablets, where you can work and play.
Again, I want to be very clear to readers, to the people who have emailed me with several hundred Windows RT and Surface questions this week alone. This is not your fault.
I really like Windows 8 and think Windows RT is a great long-term play against the iPad and other tablet challengers. But any excitement Microsoft generated around this launch will be squandered when people realize they just bought something that looks like Windows 8 but comes with even fewer apps than Windows Phone. That’s not a recipe for success, it’s a recipe for disaster. And I’m tired of cleaning up the mess.
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Member Since: 6/4/2012
Posts: 12,838
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Ugly. Thats all i can say.
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Member Since: 2/16/2012
Posts: 8,740
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Windows 8 is the new XP
This new version of Windows is going to be a disaster, pundits say. It will be completely rejected by businesses, who will stick with old versions even after Microsoft drops support for them.
And its new interface is so hideous and unusable that customers who are forced to use it will trip over themselves finding ways to restore the old Start menu.
I am, of course, talking about Windows XP, which was released 11 years ago this week. It lived down to all those insults and dire predictions for years before it finally and implausibly became a success.
If you’re a lazy pundit and haven’t written your Windows 8 wrap-ups yet, feel free to use these decade-old stories, just substituting 8 for XP.
Consider the dismal results as Windows XP celebrated its one-year anniversary:
Quote:
Windows XP Slow to Take Hold – Paula Rooney, CRN, Oct 11, 2002
On the first anniversary of Windows XP's release, Microsoft has little to celebrate.
Less than 10 percent of Microsoft's installed base has upgraded to Windows XP since its release last October. That matches a 2001 Gartner prediction that nearly 75 percent of all corporate PCs would still be running Windows 95, 98 or NT Workstation by the end of 2002.
The adoption rate for the installed base of 250 million Windows users is "pretty small," said Rogers Weed, vice president of Windows client product management at Microsoft. "We're trying to kick-start some momentum."
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On XP’s second birthday, businesses were still yawning:
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Users cling to old Microsoft operating systems – Ina Fried, CNET, Dec 12, 2003
[A] new study shows that a substantial number of businesses, both large and small, are still using [Windows 98].
The study looked at 372,129 PCs from 670 companies ranging in size from 10 to 49,000 employees. …
In total, Windows 95 made up 14.7 percent of operating systems, and Windows 98 made up 12.5 percent. Windows 2000 was the most common OS, running on slightly more than half of machines, while its predecessor, Windows NT4, was still used on 13.3 percent of desktops.
Windows XP, the most current version of Windows, was found on just 6.6 percent of the machines.
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One month later, in January 2004, ZDNet Australia reported that Microsoft was extending support for Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, and Windows ME:
The software giant has prolonged support for the operating systems until June 30, 2006. During that time, paid over-the-phone support will be available, "critical" security issues will be reviewed, and "appropriate steps" taken.
The company's support for the Windows 98 family of operating systems was scheduled to end this Friday, with support for Windows ME due to expire in December of this year.
"Microsoft made this decision to assist our customers worldwide who are still dependent upon these operating systems and to provide Microsoft more time to communicate its product lifecycle support guidelines in a handful of markets?-particularly smaller and emerging markets," said Danny Beck, Microsoft Australia's senior Windows desktop product marketing manager.
Stop and let that sink in. Businesses were voluntarily choosing Windows 98 and even the despised Windows Me over XP.
In August 2004, nearly three years after XP was released, rumors of a new version code-named Longhorn were flying. Professional curmudgeon Stephen Manes surveyed his readers for their reactions to Windows XP. In the print edition of PC World, respondents could barely suppress their loathing for the XP Start menu:
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I also urged you to weigh in on … the idea that Longhorn might kill the "Classic" interface that's been around since Windows 95.
[…]
[M]ore than 700 of you demanded its survival--as opposed to 3 who liked the new Windows XP look. Many complained about XP's "Fisher-Price interface" and noted that the first thing they do on any XP machine is switch back to Classic View. I wholeheartedly agree.
A few years later, in one of the great ironies that makes this business so much fun, PC World sister publication InfoWorld was collecting hundreds of thousands of names for its “Save XP” petition.
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The amusing thing about all this is that XP didn’t need saving. It’s still alive and well today, and will be supported by Microsoft until April 2014. Despite the early scorn and dismissal, XP turned out to be the long-term support version, the one that businesses adopted and stuck with. And corporate buyers are moving, finally, to Windows 7, where they will be able to park entire Fortune 500 enterprises until 2020.
So what happened to Windows XP? How did its reputation improve after those early scornful reactions?
Mostly, it was time that did all the healing. As consumers picked up new PCs running Windows XP, they got used to the interface. Microsoft released a series of service packs that fixed bugs and (notably with SP2) improved the generally woeful security of the initial release. People got used to the bright colors of the "Fisher-Price interface," and eventually it didn't seem so garish.
The hardware caught up too. In the next two years, even the worst-case estimates suggest that the PC industry will sell 500 million new PCs, many of them equipped with touchscreens on which the Windows 8 interface will make perfect sense.
The Microsoft that released Windows 8 is much more disciplined than the one that shipped Windows XP. I expect that Windows 8 will get frequent updates, including one or two that will make the interface more flexible for developers and end users.
I’m also willing to bet that Windows 9 arrives in two years, with Windows 10 probably coming two years after that. Businesses will studiously ignore those new releases, of course. Just as they always do.
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Member Since: 2/16/2012
Posts: 8,740
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If These 5 People Who Tried Windows 8 Are Normal, Microsoft Has A Big Problem On Its Hands
Windows 8 is a radical departure for anyone who has used Windows in the past two decades. The new interface is designed primarily for touch-screens. And based on some anecdotal responses from those who have tried it--professional reviewers and normal people alike--it's not exactly love at first sight.
SAI's Matt Rosoff reviewed a preview version of Windows 8 a couple of months ago. He found it "needlessly confusing and hard to use."
The AP said the new OS interface "baffles" consumers.
The New York Times's David Gallagher invited 5 people to try Windows 8 and filmed them while they did so. One of the five people seemed to like the look of the design ("Awesome," "This is so cool,"). But figuring out how to actually go about doing things seemed to confuse the hell out of everyone--including the person who liked the design.
The video is embedded below.
Here are some of the quotes:- "I don't like this design."
- "I think it's really confusing."
- "Some of it feels intuitive once you've already done it, but it doesn't feel automatically intuitive."
- "It should be easier. I shouldn't have to think about it."
- "Beats me." [In response to a question about how to print something]
- "I felt like the biggest computer user amateur ever. It made me feel stupid."
I've never used Windows 8, so all I know about it is what I've seen in this video and read in a couple of reviews. One thing I can tell you I already hate about it, though, is the apparent need to manipulate it by touching your laptop screen.
New York Times
Yes, I'm quite fond of fondling the screen of my iPhone. And I have no problem touching the screen of an iPad. But I never touch my laptop screen, and I hate it when other people touch my laptop screen. I don't want to have to remove my hands from my keyboard to touch my laptop screen. And I really don't want to have to touch a button on the screen to send a new email, which is what David Gallagher of the New York Times told one of the people in the video they had to do. I like my mouse-pad, and I don't want to have to lift my hand up and touch "buttons" on my screen.
I gather there's a "normal view" or something that gets you back to the friendly old Windows 95 start screen again (at least I hope there is). And I gather Windows 8 is really written for tablets and maybe it will be great on those. But...
I've already made the jump to Mac, which was painful--every minute I have to spend learning how to use a new tool is a minute I could have spent actually working--so I'm presumably not the target customer for Windows 8.
But one thing I would worry about if I were Microsoft is this:
Now that it will apparently require a lot of effort to learn how to use Windows 8, many Windows users who have always been tempted to try Macs but haven't because they don't want to learn a new system now have a perfect excuse to finally make the jump... because even if they stay with Windows, they're going to have to learn a new system.
In short, it seems like Microsoft's taking a big risk here.
If people love Windows 8, and Microsoft can stem its loss of share in the PC market and start winning some share of the tablet market, great.
But they're confused and befuddled, Microsoft will likely become even more marginalized than it already is.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/micro...#ixzz29zaeP2tp
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Member Since: 2/16/2012
Posts: 8,740
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This is another pic of what W8 looks like if any of yall are still wondering:
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Member Since: 2/16/2012
Posts: 8,740
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Banned
Member Since: 6/25/2011
Posts: 37,192
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The tiles interface IS a great idea but it seems like everything else went terribly terribly wrong.
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Member Since: 5/24/2011
Posts: 29,233
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Seems like something that can get better with time.
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Member Since: 2/16/2012
Posts: 8,740
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#Windows8 arrives! http://t.co/Z2rSMs6O Will be available for download to upgrade existing PCs in 140+ markets & 37 languages Oct 26
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Member Since: 7/12/2010
Posts: 9,704
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I swear. I hated it at first, but now I absolutely LOVE it. Best windows we've has thus far.
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Member Since: 12/7/2011
Posts: 18,969
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!!! They are testing me with that cover  I've decided to buy it! Looks like I'll have enough for the 32GB 
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Member Since: 3/12/2012
Posts: 11,474
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Is there a free trial?
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Member Since: 7/12/2010
Posts: 9,704
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Omg, I'm so happy I bought a new PC 2 months ago. Now I get it for $14.99. Buying it right away
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Member Since: 12/7/2011
Posts: 18,969
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Quote:
Originally posted by Rossi
Omg, I'm so happy I bought a new PC 2 months ago. Now I get it for $14.99. Buying it right away |
Did you register?  I have my promo code now.. Just waiting for their link
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Member Since: 3/26/2012
Posts: 37,592
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I'm not sure if I want to get this 
It's gotten terrible reviews and it looks kinda weird.
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Member Since: 2/16/2012
Posts: 8,740
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Microsoft will launch Windows 8, the latest version of its ubiquitous Windows operating system, tonight at midnight. Windows 8 is built on top of Windows 7, but was created in order to run across different platforms, from phones to desktop PCs.
Windows 8 is likely to surprise some users -- it looks completely different from previous versions of the operating system, featuring a "tile-heavy" design, and is considered the biggest overhaul in Windows since Windows 95 took the place of Windows 3.1.
The simpler design of Windows 8 is a big risk for Microsoft. Some critics believe the OS is designed mainly for mobile devices, and might alienate PC users. Some consumers report confusion with the new device, and many tech-savvy users reporting feeling a bit lost, having grown accustomed to Microsoft's start menu and toolbars.
Microsoft is confident about the success of their new system. At the launch event today, CEO Steve Balmer said, "Windows 8 shatters perceptions of what a PC now really is. "We've truly re-imagined Windows and kicked off a new era of Microsoft and for our customers."
Microsoft's Windows 8 goes on sale at midnight tonight, as does the Microsoft Surface, Microsoft's entry into the tablet market.
"This really is about debunking the notion that Microsoft is a dinosaur and they are relevant in a new climate of tablets and mobile," Todd Lowenstein, portfolio manager at HighMark Capital Management, told NBC News.
So what do you think? Are you going to update to Windows 8 or buy a Surface?
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Member Since: 12/15/2009
Posts: 23,385
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Quote:
Originally posted by Mellark
Is there a free trial?
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BITCH !  and that gif made scream!
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Member Since: 5/15/2012
Posts: 4,046
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I'm looking forward to getting this when I can. My only problem is the lack of the traditional start menu , but I'm sure people will find a way to implement it anyway and it's not a huge issue otherwise for me.
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Member Since: 12/7/2011
Posts: 18,969
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Quote:
Originally posted by Weemanply109
I'm looking forward to getting this when I can. My only problem is the lack of the traditional start menu , but I'm sure people will find a way to implement it anyway and it's not a huge issue otherwise for me.
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Honestly, no one uses the Start menu anymore. It's all about pinning to taskbars
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Member Since: 7/12/2010
Posts: 9,704
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Quote:
Originally posted by ABEL-o-matic
Did you register? I have my promo code now.. Just waiting for their link |
Yes, but..they said it's not available in my country.
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