



I. Windows 8 Upgrade Sales: Very Strong




Windows 8 boxes
[Image Source: The Verge]


II. The Road Ahead





Ballmer Slate
[Image Source: Bloomberg]




Source: Microsoft

Comments     Threshold


RE: Few Problems with Windows 8
By kingmotley on 11/28/2012 1:28:48 PM , Rating: 0
I also don't miss the start button AT ALL. Once you realize that that metro tile screen *IS* a larger start button, you get past it very quickly. I mean you click on the bottom left of the screen to call it up just like you would the old start button. When you do click it, you get a list of programs to load just like the old start button. However, now instead of it being a tiny fraction of the screen in which you tried to cram the top 10 apps you launch, now you can have dozens of apps, and you can arrange them any way you like, and they all can have status information on them (if the app supports it).

I had problems with it recognizing all the drives on my intel RAID controller, so I moved one to a different controller. Other than that, it's pretty sweet. Took about 10 minutes to get into the swing of it, and after a day, I was at home in it and liking all the niceties they added.

RE: Few Problems with Windows 8
By xti on 11/28/12, Rating: 0
RE: Few Problems with Windows 8
By 91TTZ on 11/28/2012 9:36:09 PM , Rating: 2
I don't think techies are anti-change. Some techies are just good at discerning what's an improvement and what's just "a change"

I've tried Windows 8 on a tablet and it looks really nice. It's a great fit.

I'm using Windows 8 on a laptop and it's not a good fit. The start screen and the apps seem to be totally optimized for a tablet with a touch screen instead of a laptop or desktop with a mouse. I hate having to navigate the apps in that manner, it's just not as efficient.

Windows 8's fonts and performance are very nice. It's just that the tablet optimizations make it a sub-optimal UI for desktops and laptops. I will say that Windows 8 with Start8 loaded on it makes it much more usable in my opinion.

RE: Few Problems with Windows 8
By cyberguyz on 11/29/2012 1:43:55 PM , Rating: 2
Not so much being reluctant to change. If I am in the desktop and push to that oversized metro "start button" it takes over the whole freaking screen! I have a 27" screen. Why the hell do I want a single program monopolizing all that real estate? The reason I have a 27" high rez screen is so that while I do one thing I can visually monitor what is going on in 4-5-6 or more other programs right there without having to flip through them.

I come from the CP/M, DOS and DesqView era. I have seen Windows from the Version 1. Windows 8 has gone from a highly productive multitasking OS to an obsolete page-flipping primate from the 1980s.
no Windows 8 is a step backward for sure.

RE: Few Problems with Windows 8
By Mint on 11/28/12, Rating: 0
RE: Few Problems with Windows 8
By 91TTZ on 11/28/2012 9:52:08 PM , Rating: 2
I mean really, how on earth does Win8 reduce productivity when you're clicking less and see more information?

If you're using the Windows 8 optimized apps, it does reduce productivity on a desktop. That's because tablet apps have a clean, simple way of displaying information that works well on a tablet with a small touch screen. However, on a desktop the UI seems to be sparse. The information density is too low when you have a screen of this size and a precise pointing device like a mouse.

I don't hate Windows 8, I just think that there should have been 2 installation options that you choose from when you sign on for the first time - 1 for tablets and 1 for desktops. This would enable those who have tablets to use the customizations for their touch screen while still allowing desktop users to keep the customizations for use with a mouse. It was Microsoft's decision to FORCE us to use the new UI that angered people.

Removing customer choice is never a good thing in my opinion. Microsoft did this as part of a larger plan to gain traction in the mobile market. They want us to get used to this UI so that when we go to buy a phone or tablet we'll choose one with this familiar UI.

RE: Few Problems with Windows 8
By WinstonSmith on 11/29/2012 10:13:37 AM , Rating: 3

Exactly. You'll notice that all of the Win8 ads show nothing but touchscreen devices, including laptops.

