Wednesday, December 7th 2011
Windows 8 'Irrelevant' For PC Users
Well, it looks like the Windows 8 flagship feature, the Metro interface, isn't going down too well with PC users, according to leading market research firm International Data Corp. On top of that, there aren't really any killer improvements in the operating system that make shelling out for a new version compelling. The Metro interface, while suited to a smartphone or tablet, really doesn't do anything for a desktop PC, because it's operation is very restrictive compared to the standard desktop that's been around for over 15 years on Windows and is now a very refined and sophisticated user interface. Also, the fact that many organizations have only recently migrated to Windows 7 and are not looking to spend money in the current economic climate and go through the pains of another upgrade cycle again isn't helping. The poor economy looks like it will hamper sales of Windows 8 on its target devices, tablets, too. Finally, IDC said: "(T)here will be intense scrutiny on Microsoft's ability to deliver a successful tablet experience aboard both x86-based tablets and on devices running ARM processors. This is a tall order for Microsoft, and while the x86 tablet strategy makes sense as a transitional solution for today's PC users, it will be the ARM-based devices that need to shine and clear a high bar already set by Apple."
Sources:
xbit labs, zdnet
150 Comments on Windows 8 'Irrelevant' For PC Users
Why would anyone want color displays?
Why would anyone want to use lasers in a copier?
Why would anyone want to transfer files via Ethernet, why not floppy disks?
Why would anyone want more than 640k of ram?
You clearly don't know the history of computing at all. Over the years people have misread and gone with what they know. When all the innovations above came into the computer market, it changed the market forever, and for the better. Remember, the mouse was originally for business execs who had no idea how to type, but became something much more.
Better example: IBM's PC and Xerox's Alto. The Alto was far superior in every way to the original IBM PC, however people said that color monitors were useless, Ethernet was useless, and mice were useless, even though the power of this device was incredible. Enter the IBM PC, which has none of these things, but is a huge success. Shortly after PCs start getting the things that the Alto had, and while people are confused at first, these new additions take off, and the PC becomes more of what the Alto was. The Alto paved the way.
Think of Windows 8's UI as a gateway to something new in computing. It might not be a huge success (the Alto wasn't outside of Xerox's PARC labs), but it might pave the way for some awesome UI in the future. Don't discount it.
Let's say the average pc users have a 20" screen.
- How many icons can you put on it? Many.
In fact, it's too many it becomes harder to locate the icon you want.
- Beside creating shortcuts and widgets and starting at your wallpapers, what do people actually use their desktop space for?
I will let you answer ^.
Personally, I have a clock and weather widget with no icons on my screen (24") because I want to look at my wallpapers every time I turn on my PC. I have my most used programs on my task bar. When I need to use other programs, I press the "Start" key and start typing the first 3 letters of the program I want to use.
While I don't like losing my task bar, I think Metro is a step to a right direction. I'm sure the final version will make more sense.
All the cool shit that we see in movies like facial recognition that works, biometrics, and other items that we have wanted and......durr hurr metro looks stoopid. It can be turned off just like Aero and other stuff can be so you can have your precious XP look.
the only thing left in my mind is to see the true speed benefits of a retail version. if it's faster, i'll bite the bullet and buy it. otherwise the feature list is not impressive imo.
they are a different innovation than mice and keyboard. i recognize they will have their day, will become ubiquitous and just be normal - but they are not feasible as your sole input when you have a monitor vertically in front of your face, your arms tire after minutes.
and i love how people will note that you missed their point - but not reiterate it! explain yourself ;) :)
Not me, that's for sure.
they are very stable .
and I don't like win8's interface .and I don't like any of it's features. in short I don't need a new OS .
Thread crapping. Good job.
Motion activated and voice activated features of your PC or first person shooters with you as the controller must seem really dumb too. To much moving around and stuff.......I wanna just sit here and do nothing.
its designed for touch screens, and touch screens are useless for almost all of the environments desktop PC's are used for.
and even with kinnect pc attached id get sic of wavein me arms about quick they Need to incorporate easy switches to switch back to a normal desktop but then again the start button could do with another said easy switching option as i like the effin start menu
metro is whats irrelevant to desktop users, i just really hope windows 8 has enough other things going for it, that the OS in entirety is not irrelevant.
its an impossible situation, so we know MS will have some trick up its sleeve. odds are metro will either be heavily tweaked for desktop use, or it will simply come with an easy on/off toggle.
Also, I would like to know what Microsoft is going to do to get business and the public sector to switch over to the the new operating system.
For example in my hospital alone there are some 12000 computers all running XP. The system is all tied in together, and so can only work as fast as it's slowest component. In this case the NHS trust would have to upgrade the computers, then upgrade the OS, and then upgrade the software that is being used. This all takes vast amounts of money. To which Microsoft seems to be leaving untapped.
seriously if you think XP>W8 you have a problem
and it doesn't make XP better, it just makes XP cheaper and more practical in a certain situation.
Stay with windows XP and cry about how poor your hardware support is, much like people did when XP came out and many were still using 98SE or 2000 for gaming machines. I skipped 2000 and ME on my gaming machine entirely.
Again, Metro can be turned off, or you can just click a link to your normal desktop and it takes all of .25 of a second to do. Life must be hard if that .25 of a second or the fact that you have to think is so worrying.
So let me help you. Close your browser windows, close your open programs, shut down your computer, get up and go focus on breathing, if clicking something is that hard you obviously need help to breathe since you might forget and die.