"Yuck"
Posted on 10/22/2012 7:34:25 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Microsoft is launching its new operating system, Windows 8, this week.
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.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
I installed the final pre-release edition a couple months ago as a dual boot alongside Windows 7. I stopped using it after the first month. It runs well, but it has a definite learning curve, and isn’t as up-front as Windows 7, even when you’re on the desktop.
I’m thinking I may buy the low cost edition when it comes out just to have the final version, but I sure wouldn’t if the price were higher.
I wonder how often you’ll have to clean the screen what with all the fingerprint oils on it?
Typical media BS. You could have written this story when Windows95 came out. But as usual these chowder-heads follow internet memes and mold stories around them instead of actually doing real journalism.
“”I felt like the biggest computer user amateur ever. It made me feel stupid.””
Maybe because you are stupid? Sit down, practice stuff and stop acting like you were at the bottom of your class at the local public school.
Meanwhile while idiots love to show off how incapable they are at grasping new things.
(3 year old shows exactly how hard it is to learn Windows 8)
Hint: He doesn’t have any problems
http://microsoft-news.com/3-year-old-shows-exactly-how-hard-it-is-to-learn-windows-8/
“Where’s the ‘Any’ Key?”
The guy had to be desperate to find something to write about to meet a deadline......
Windows 8, from an end user standpoint... Stinks on ice.
On the back end? It's lighter, faster, and scripts well.
I'll wait until Windows 9.
“Maybe because you are stupid? Sit down, practice stuff and stop acting like you were at the bottom of your class at the local public school.”
Or you could simply use Windows 7 and actually get your work done.
” I’ll wait until Windows 9.”
Windows 9 could be even worse. They could get rid of Desktop mode, forcing you to use Metro apps.
“They could get rid of Desktop mode, forcing you to use Metro apps.”
That would suck badly!
LOL
Go read letters in back issues of PC World and Computing and you will see plenty of people moaning about everything from the Start Menu and how it was just some terrible copy of the menu bar on System 7 that didnt even work right, to the then-derided “Recycle bin”.
And I cant forget the disgust some people even showed over the little animation that was displayed when you transferred a file.
Microsoft releasing a new version of Windows does nothing but give tech media a reason to churn out stupid stories like this.
I would have thought that they would provide an option to allow you to choose the W7 interface or the W8 interface...perhaps that will be in SP1 after they realize the their error. As a result large users, will stay with W7 as long as possible. Windows 9 should fix this I suspect.
It’s impossible to “figure out” how someone else designed something and what you do. You have to know the secrets. Figuring out means following a logical set of steps to solve a problem. There is no “figuring out” a new operating system.
Putting people in front of a screen with a new operating system is stupid. One’s intelligence and experience using computers has no bearing on whether one can “figure out” the new system.
The only way to conduct this “test” is to give people TUTORIALS on the new system. They read the tutorials and SEE how to do things. TUTORIALS. CLASSES. BOOKS. Hand-on demos.
Not plopping people down in front of a screen and saying “poke around randomly and see what happens, then tell me how you like it.”
I will buy a book on Windows 8 before I buy the system.
“Or you could simply use Windows 7 and actually get your work done.”
People this stupid dont get work done, they just barely get by. If you move a desktop icon over 2 inches they will call the IT people saying that their computer caught a virus.
And we celebrate their stupidity in articles like this.
Powershell is fun once you get used to the syntax.
Floaty boxes for all your apps? No easy way to launch programs, see system resources, etc...
It feels like the system design teams weren't talking to each other. The back-end guys drank lots of Mountain Dew and Red Bull while the desktop folks were mainlining yogurt and tofu burgers.
I auditioned it, same as you. I installed it onto a Win7 compliant laptop with touchscreen. The Win8 touchscreen drivers weren’t compliant. Tactile manipulation is the whole reason for Win8 so that was 9 out of 10 strikes right there.
Then I ran into this registration thingy. Not registering the OS but associating an email account with the machine. I prefer my privacy and this was just a test so I declined to fill out the form. Since Win8 is so browser-centric it seemed like everything that I wanted to test drive was disabled.
Coupled with the concealment of most of the functionality of the Control Panel and the irritation of the lack of a Start button, I shut it down and haven’t gone back to it.
Two steps forward and eight steps back IMO.
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