Coke? Windows 8 is Microsoft's 'Vista moment'. Again

One license for two devices

I'd let people run one copy of Windows 8 on two devices, a desktop and a mobile device, which lets them use the Windows they are use to (with Start button etc), and lets them try it on their mobiles, so they get use to it.

Ok - so now fix the app store model.

Remove the hurdles to devs to create apps and the Windows 8 thing might succeed. (E.g. remove the iOs-style pay to play and switch to an android-style free to innovate on your device.)

telemetry - just stats and stats are what you lie with

The telemetry is arguably just a smokescreen they used to justify an existing plan. If they noticed the problems interpreting the data Sinovsky would have ignored the problems and ploughed on, because Win8 is about owning new markets, not making Windows better.

My stats would show that 90% of launches are double clicked documents in File Explorer. Should the entire UI just become a File Explorer... of course not. The next 7-9% are pinned apps on the start bar or desktop. Microsofts claim is the remaining 1-3% of launches from my Start Menu are insignificant. But in reality they're launching from my Menu because I might only run an app once a month (or even once a year), these are the 100+ tools so infrequently used pinning makes no sense, that would overflow any flat organisation on limited screen space - especially if every link is a tile. These are the tools that fit perfectly in a hierarchical menu tree like the Start Menu.

Apparently my substantial use of drag'n'drop is also wrong, bypassing Windows awful file selection dialogs. But full screen apps in the shiny Metro world makes it unusable so clearly I'm doing something wrong. Just can't quite work out why taking advantage of multiple large screens to improve my workflow is wrong...

MS choose to pretend that infrequent use means a feature has no value. They're completely wrong. But removing desktop features isn't about usability, it's about bludgeoning their way onto phones and tablets through monopoly abuse, not value to end users.

MS must have anticipated this

Unless everyone at MS was very naïve and taken in by all the hype, I'm sure this must have been part of the plan all along. I suspect someone high up knew that the only way to get metro out there was to ignore all their existing customers and release windows 8 as a "dead end" while they decided on a more sustainable plan for the future.

Whether they actually have a sensible plan for future releases is anyone's guess. I can't personally see any future for touch screen laptops or for metro on the desktop.

Blah blah blah

I honestly still can't see what all the fuss is about, Windows 8 works fine for me and I hated that damn start button. My laptop (which had Windows 7 on it) is quicker to boot up, more stable and runs all my work programs quicker. 2 days getting use to a larger different type of "start menu" and I'm okay, panic over...

We really do need to find a way of navigating our operating systems without massive folder lists and key combinations. People complain that Microsoft is not creative enough but the moment it makes a bold different move, people complain.

Like those who want rid of the ribbon interface the windows 8 haters would have us all doing keyboard finger gymnastics and mouse races through menus and folders. A potential solution to our obesity problem (whilst increasing incidents of RSI) but not sadly making it easier to use our Operating Systems....

If you don't like it go and use some silly Linux flavour and enjoy your command line/bloody awful GUI somewhere else.

It is a pile of turd

I installed a licenced copy of windows 8 pro on my thinkpad x61s, installed every update available. Installed a single app - avgfree and I had 8 BSOD's in two days.

I re-installed it, did the upgrades, installed defender instead of cvg and the BSOD's continued.

I then nuked it and put fedora18 back on.

I wanted a windows machine as I have another thinkpad and didn't really see the point in having two almost identical OSes.

Using win8 was fairly painful, as the UI makes no sense unless it is on a tablet or a telephone, so they are right to vista it. Whether I'll try blue when it comes out in another question.

If You Build it They Will Cum

"What the fuck is this!?"

"Baseball Field of Dreams."

"Doesn't look like a Baseball Pitch to Me!"

"Uhm, it's a slightly modified version."

"Looks 'Football' to me?"

"Rugby Union actually."

" WTF!!?"

The only thing which really bothered me...

The initial statements coming from Redmond that "the vendors didn't get it", which also included members of the Partner network like myself, was something I didn't quite appreciate.

Now, I realize it's all business and when looking at my position I get what I pay for (I have a free subscription to the Partner network, simply because my company isn't big enough (yet >:-) ) to justify a subscription plan). But even so this doesn't feel right; when it comes to Windows 7, Office 2010 (and partly 2013), .NET and their server line of products I'm actually quite a believer. Its why my company often sells these kind of products.

But the thing is; I'm not a fan because we're talking Microsoft. I'm a fan because this stuff works for me, and I think it can work for several of my customers as well. Within this context I'm not a Windows 8 fan, at all. Its a completely flawed design in my opinion.

And what does Microsoft do? Basically tells the world that "I didn't get it".

I realize it's all business, I shrug and move on. But how many actual fans of their products who also didn't like Windows 8 have they pissed off with this? People who like Windows because it's Windows and also got stuck in the awkwardness that was Metro?

Fool me once (Vista); shame on you. Fool me twice (Win8); shame on me. Fool me three times?

Something has to change

Microsoft's incredibly deep pockets and almost unique capacity to (almost) single handedly energise or depress the tech sector make it seriously dangerous since it now misses a lot more than it hits. The rapid pace of tech developments allows companies to amass vast cash piles on one or two great early ideas from when they were lean and hungry, then spend whittling the pile down while producing serial dross. The problem is they still so dominate that they act as dead weight on real change, and use their muscle to prop up fading glory.

The capitalism of the last century's industrial era is just far too slow on its feet to reward to the good and allow the bad to fail without damaging overall progress. Something has to give or most of the tech sectors cash is going to be sitting around shoring up ever slowing mediocrity and stifling genuinely useful, world changing progress for the sake of milking the last drop from the has been cash cows.

None of the gorillas at the zoo can understand why humans hate Windows 8.