I disagree: Win8 is just another identity crisis
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| gus3 Nov 20, 2012 4:54 PM EDT |
Microsoft is so busy casting about for a way to become "influential" once again, that their fears are becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. They aren't leading-edge, and haven't been since, basically, forever. Apple's approach to unified development for both iOS and MacOS was successful. Microsoft's (admittedly earlier) attempt at the same for Win98 and WinCE failed. As Steve Jobs put it, "real artists ship." Now, instead of unified development, it's "bring the tablet to the desktop." But who's doing that? Not Apple. How about GNOME? Yeah, and GNOME3 has been divisive, to put it mildly. I anticipate the same response to Metro. So, I predict that Win8 won't have a "huge impact" except for the crater where it self-destructs. |
| helios Nov 20, 2012 5:24 PM EDT |
Gus, I think I may not have communicated very well. Two thirds of what I wrote, sans the Apple stuff is exactly what you said. I'm not too sure what you are disagreeing with, unless it was others who argued against my point. I mean, disagree all you like. That's what forums are for...I'm just confused. :-/ And I guess it's how you measure success. I don't think Apple came anywhere close to success on the desktop...not when gauged against the Windows market in the PC realm. So, I predict that Win8 won't have a "huge impact" except for the crater where it self-destructs. What I said. |
| Ridcully Nov 20, 2012 5:51 PM EDT |
All I know about the matter is what is happening in our local "computer chain store", where Win7 loaded computers are almost walking out the door......the customers themselves are rejecting Win8 loaded machines. And that statement came direct from the sales staff. My better half's first reaction to the Metro interface was quite simple and very telling along those same lines for she said: "But it doesn't even look like a computer !" Personally, I think that in Win8 we have Vista MkII, and consequently a long (and then extended) life for Win7. 2c :-) |
| caitlyn Nov 20, 2012 6:30 PM EDT |
Rctually, I do disagree, with all due respect to Ken. Young people seem to really like the new interface. To them it's what's familiar from phones and tablets. As touch-enabled screens become more common on desktops I really do think there will be more uptake of Windows 8 over time. It will take time for people to adjust but they will. Just as Unity is catching on with the Ubuntu crowd, so will "not Metro" catch on with the Windows crowd. |
| Libervis Nov 21, 2012 7:56 AM EDT |
It will catch on, but it'll take time. In my experience the new Metro UI isn't much of a disruption on the desktop. It's just a glorified Start menu that's in full screen and comes with some extra bells and whistles. I still spend 99% of my time in the desktop "app", where everything works just as it always did, only faster and more elegantly. Speaking of fast, Windows 8 is noticeably snappier than Windows 7. My sister's old computer runs faster. My old PC runs faster. That's a nice benefit. |
| jdixon Nov 21, 2012 8:49 AM EDT |
> As touch-enabled screens become more common on desktops I really do think there will be more uptake of Windows 8 over time. That's the key point still missing from the equation, yes. Touch screen enabled monitors are still a very small percentage of the market. |
| JaseP Nov 21, 2012 11:55 AM EDT |
If any of these clowns (MS, Canonical, the Gnome developers, etc.) wants to pay me to develop a UI,... I can show 'em what I managed to do with a basic DE like Gnome 2.x, KDE (stripped down), or XFCE and adding Cairo-dock to the mix. It's light years beyond anything I've seen or used coming from others in terms of intuitive usability and lends itself equally to tablet, desktop or HTPC, in terms of scaling, with only slight modifications... Though I've seen similar things out there like Fuduntu, Pear or Chakra, et al. Best of all, most people can do it themselves with off-the-shelf software (I guess that kills the "pay me" argument, though). |
| slacker_mike Nov 21, 2012 12:13 PM EDT |
@Caitlyn I completely agree. My kids love using my ipad, I think they navigate it better than I do. The sense I get from guys who are up on the latest technology at my work is that they are excited about Windows 8. These guys tend to be OS agnostic between Apple or Windows rather than fanboys of either side. |
| henke54 Nov 26, 2012 6:56 AM EDT |
TV advertising in my country is 'bombarded' with windows 8 adds nowadays ... no wonder ;
http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/windows-8-sales-well-below... http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/malware-targeting-wind... http://discussions.nokia.com/t5/Nokia-Lumia/Nokia-Lumia-920-... http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/winphone/forum/wp8-wpupda... http://forums.wpcentral.com/htc-8x/200872-reboots.html They (M$) even 'give it for free' ; http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/21/3674706/windows-8-activat... |
| gus3 Nov 26, 2012 2:45 PM EDT |
The adverts don't surprise me. They're only a little better than Jerry Seinfeld telling BillG to wiggle his butt. To clarify my first comment in this thread: I was referring to the teaser on LXer, not to the article itself. |
| Bob_Robertson Nov 26, 2012 3:02 PM EDT |
I am so very glad, sometimes, not to have a TV. |
| BernardSwiss Nov 26, 2012 7:55 PM EDT |
Those Windows 8 adverts are rather like all those adds I've been seeing lately about what a wonderful job my government has been doing (officially they're to inform the public about important programs -- but they don't actually say anything about them), and the ads by the Fossil Fuels industry about how wonderfully pipelines and tankers are for communities and the environment. I figure: if any of those things were anywhere near as great as claimed, they wouldn't need expensive, high-intensity mega advertising campaigns to get the word out. |
| tracyanne Nov 26, 2012 10:25 PM EDT |
The way I see it Win 8 will sell just fine. First there are the people who just buy a computer on price, they will buy Win8 when there are no Win 7 available, then there are the people who will end up buying it not because they think it's any good, but because they have no choice, then ther will be the people who won't buy anything but the latest from Redmond. Then of course there will be the Linux users who buy a computer with Windows pre installed just so they can [hopefully] install Linux on it, rather than spend the extra cash and buy from a Linux pre installer. So yes Win 8 will sell well. |
| jdixon Nov 27, 2012 6:18 AM EDT |
You left out the companies who will buy Windows 8 machines and downgrade them to Windows 7. |
| henke54 Nov 27, 2012 6:37 AM EDT |
@jdixon : http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-is-a-one-way-street-for-consu... |
| jdixon Nov 27, 2012 9:04 AM EDT |
> http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-is-a-one-way-street-for-consu... I said companies, not consumers. |
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