Is this thread still going?
Commercially, is 8 a failure? yes.
Did it hurt MS's image? yes.
Has it adversely affected 'PC' sales? yes.
Is it a terrible OS? No.
That about it?
I use 8 mainly because I paid for an upgrade. However I use it just like 7, so it's no big deal.
The only time I ever use the metro interface is when I remote in with teamvier on my ipad. The touch screen interface makes sense then. The other 99% of the time - I don't even see it, let alone use it.
What's the old saying... opinions are like buttholes, everyone has one.
No one is going to convince the other of their position on this. Only the after the facts have settled will we see where the truth lies, and even then, that'll be up for debate
The future of the "PC" is evolving, and the role of the desktop is changing. No it won't completely go away, but I doubt it'll be as prevalent as it once was given the current, and growing, mobile technology.
My buttholes worth :)
^^ My buttholes worth - 3 out of 4 enthusiasts are sensible if this stat is true
Win 8 does nothing to improve the PC users experience unless the PC user is a monkey
Honestly I was looking at 8 for my other FX machine just to see what it can do but so many things to be said about program not being able to run correctly multi crashes etc... I have read a lot of reviews from people who have used it I even tested it out in best buy you are right fairly simple clicks and you are where you need to be let it also be know my Android has this windows 8 interface that I put on to test out if i could handle the looks and all so far it works fine for me but others who attempt to use my phone are baffled i'm still on the fence about this and will either go backwards and use vista or go get a oem 7 and keep pushing unless there is a major reason I need to switch I think we'll be fine for a while
Tablets are getting cheaper. Several around now at less than $99.
Looks like just about everybody will have one or more lying around the house.
That means they will turn the pc on less. It will still be needed for some tasks, of course.
I don't know how MS can get near that retail price point.
End of last year I bought an Android tablet for $59 for a kid. Normal price at HHGregg was $69 but I had a $10 coupon. I was really amazed. It was a nice little tablet with which you could go on the internet and run all the usual apps from the Google Play store.
The tablet was WiFi only and had no camera and no GPS. It did have a Micro SD card slot for up to 32GB and a very sturdy port for the charger (which I miss on my Nexus 7).
I installed a whole bunch of games for the kid (11 years old) and she is happy.
Is this the kind of desktop replacement that people are talking about - I don't think so.
PS: Here is a similar one. It has 2 cameras but only 512MB of RAM (the one I bought had 1GB which I would prefer).
From another point of view .... graphics, CAD & audio is difficult enough using a mouse and keyboard. I have no need or want for a tablet (apart from a headache tablet which win8 is giving me)
What about severely disabled people. I have a few clients (good friends) that are just about getting by with win7 and can lead a fairly normal life using it, their computer is more or less how they keep in contact with their friends in similar circumstances and the outside world. Win 8 just throws a spanner in the works and makes their life miserable ... I won't go into the mechanics but a touch screen is out of the question and using the win8 tiles and charms is just a nightmare for some of them to even comprehend ... win8 is border line discrimination
You might show them the delights of Linux Mint.
It runs on very low spec hardware and comes with Libre office, Firefox, email client, media player, etc.
Testing it out at BestBuy is not the same as using it, installing programs on it, and running it for a while to get a real feel for it.
Many hate the way the OS looks and runs, but under the hood, it' s just as good as 7. People are going to believe what they want, but unless you've actually played around with the OS for a while, not just a 5 minute best buy demo, or a my friend says it sucks opinion, you really won't get a true feeling of what the OS is.
That said, I'm not ready to dump Win 7 as my main OS on my desktop, but on my laptop, I've not replaced 8 with 7 like I said I would either. For me, I'll see what Blue has to offer before making a final decision either way.
My two cents.
That is my approach too. The Ford Edsel looked very good under the hood too, but it still did not sell. LOL.
