"Windows 8 Survey: Half Who Have Tried the OS Wouldn't Recommend It"

[fseal]

If i ignored metro (believe me thats all i did) i felt i was downloading windows 7 sp2.
Underneath improvements where great, explorer update, iso & a doc reader built in, but it will not get the attention because of Metro.

I agree, most everything at the desktop level was pretty nice, I liked the UI improvements there, to task manager etc. We just need to be able to trade over to the normal start menu at the users choice and it'll be a nice Win7 upgrade.

 

[gregrocker]

We've been told for two years that Win8 feedback other than telemetry is not needed. So they may only be relying on that, which is fine since they now know that Firefox scripts hung when I tried without success to get directions on Google maps yesterday, or that others are uninstalling the trial apps in droves. Will they see the forest for the trees?

 

[fseal]

I can't say as I blame the 1/2 that wouldn't recommend it. Microsoft really screwed up on this on
We've been doing the same thing since the dawn of Windows, and now basically they're trying to say 'no, you're doing it wrong, do it another way'.

Sorry, Microsoft, you lose this one. Win Mobile sucks, and trying to force it on your customers will only cause them to just abandon your company.

I don;t think the Win Mobile UI "sucks" it's actually ok.

I think that Microsoft really DOES need something revolutionary for the revolutionary world of mobile computing in order to compete there. Right now they are not competing at all and have fallen woefully behind. So they need to do something drastic and awesome to come /racing/ out of the gate with and for that space Metro just might be it. (It'll be interesting to see how people use the metro UI in real applications instead of that horridly bland set of static "icons" they have been shipping out)

I just don't think that we need that revolution on the desktop. Or well maybe some kind of revolution but NOT THIS ONE

 

[TanyaC]

Despite Micro$ofts claims that they listen to their customers, I don't think they really do. They pretty much do things how they want and try to push the computer world in the direction that they want it to take, not what the people who actually use their products want.

Ok, maybe I'm being a bit harsh. They have "selective" hearing.

I centainly have no use for a lot of what Windows 7 has, and I certainly didn't want explorer to be so completely butchered and screwed up.

I installed the Windows 8 consumer preview, and ran it for a couple fo days. In the end it was so frustrating and I found myself trying to make it a useful desktop OS, and finding third party apps to put back what makes a useful OS (at least for the way we do things). In the end, I uninstalled it and realoaded windows 7 on my test machine.

I for one won't be planning to upgrade my 10 machines to windows 8 any time soon, if ever. This is one time I have actually not looked forward to a new windows release and have found myself experimenting with alternative OS's.

I think they've really lost the plot..

Just my 2 cents worth

 

[gregrocker]

Time to say it again just in case it needs to be said: Win7 is the best OS ever and may be one of the greatest achievements in tech history. I believe it saved the company from early Vista, whose own saving improvements came from Win7.

The improvements for the desktop experience in Win8 can be added in the next SP. Desktop users don't need buttons.

 

[syost]

I agree that this new hybridized Start Screen looks like buttons in search of a touchscreen, but they also seem to want to sell apps similar to how Apple does.

Why the apps would be so terrible is beyond me. A few extra features to customize or Close (Hello?) the apps would have made them more palatable since the revolving-wall thing is decent. Isn't that exactly copied from Ipad, though?

1) The app store element should hardly surprise anyone. The have been saying that was the goal for two years. They are also sample apps for a beta OS.
2) Click on the app and drag it down to the bottom of the screen - it is then closed. It takes a minute of homework, or just watching the demo to figure that one out.
3) Try to do real multi-tasking on an iPad. It is not the same thing....

 

[legacy7955]

I agree about MS not ACTUALLY listening to the customers.

Instead, like many big companies they have chosen to use consulting and marketing companies as go-betweens , and as usual these companies simply come back with the answer that the client wanted to hear.

I also get the feeling that a "dumbed down" metro GUI is part of a ploy to force the "cloud" on most users eventually. I for one will NEVER accept this nebulous, possibly dangerous phony "cloud" that the powers that be keep pushing.

Sorry but I agree with others here, I have no use for touching screens and smearing with icky fingers.

I'm kind of shocked that MS is not really concerned about the "enterprise" customers, they are simply NOT going to go for this Windows 8 as it is.

MS if you are listening, you need to make it a "one step" proposition to switch to the traditional desktop interface. This should be THE FIRST THING ASKED OF THE NEW USER when loading Win 8 for the first time.

On a lighter note, am I the only one that thinks of the spineless term "metrosexual" when they hear about the "metro" IU?.

 

[lehnerus2000]

You do the numbers

A comment I posted on ZDNet:

"I'm sure MS is "quaking in its boots" that they'll miss out on my $400, but if 100 million people (~10% of users) decide not to upgrade, that is a huge amount of lost revenue."

If the actual number of "non-upgraders" is closer to 50% ... you do the numbers.

I agree about MS not ACTUALLY listening to the customers.

Instead, like many big companies they have chosen to use consulting and marketing companies as go-betweens , and as usual these companies simply come back with the answer that the client wanted to hear.
...
I'm kind of shocked that MS is not really concerned about the "enterprise" customers, they are simply NOT going to go for this Windows 8 as it is.

MS if you are listening, you need to make it a "one step" proposition to switch to the traditional desktop interface. This should be THE FIRST THING ASKED OF THE NEW USER when loading Win 8 for the first time.

I agree with you.

Many people have suggested that during installation, W8 needs to:

• Auto-detect your hardware
• Ask you what GUI you want

 

[Coke Robot]

I would recommend Windows 8, I actually have two of my close friends running the Consumer Preview on their laptops, and they're liking it.

Honestly, the great thing about Windows 8 to me is that it's not a minor evolution. It's not taking some features from previous versions and making them more refined and better, it's reimagining all of that. I would think if Windows 8 had a start menu, I would think it would be a MUCH harder sell to a consumer. It would be saying, "Hey, we have a newer and faster version of Windows than Windows 7, but it looks the same and acts the same and does the same thing as before, but faster!" To me, I would say posh to that. Windows 8 with Start Screen on the other hand says to a consumer, "Oh yeah, I'm friggin' different and can I do all things you know how to do, but faster, easier, Windows 8 style!" But that's just me.....

 

[smarteyeball]

I'm still ambivalent towards W8. I certainly don't love it, but I don't really hate it either.

However after being the driving force behind the 'family+friends' XP>Vista>Seven upgrades, as it stands I doubt I'm going to foist Eight on them.

Honestly, the great thing about Windows 8 to me is that it's not a minor evolution.

I'm all for evolution, but as long as it's for the good. But overall W8 feels like a wrong direction for this evolution.

it's reimagining all of that.

lol, I hate that particular faecal PR Buzzword.

 

[lehnerus2000]

It would be saying, "Hey, we have a newer and faster version of Windows than Windows 7, but it looks the same and acts the same and does the same thing as before, but faster!"

That's exactly what Business Managers, IT & Network Administrators want to hear.
It means improved productivity and ROI.

They don't want to hear:

• "All of our staff are going to have to be retrained."
• "We are going to need more staff for the Help desk."
• "We are going to have to buy new touchscreen-compatible hardware."

 

[dmex]

Metro seems to be Microsoft's alternative to Ubuntu's Unity:

I don't see Windows 8 being deployed by companies since most are just upgrading to Windows 7, I think Microsoft is betting on that upgrade cycle and knows most will skip it and wait for Windows 9.

It's a great tablet interface but dysfunctional desktop interface, It won't be any help while your typing up work reports, emails, coding, designing etc... and the multi-tasking support/potential just reverted back 20 years to DOS era style single window tasking.

I for one won't be using Metro without a start-menu, it at least has a cmd/seachbox for launching applications more quickly than whats found in the current Metro interface.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
if 50% Don't recommend it then 50% DO !!!.

I don't think W8 is a replacement for W7 -- it's DIFFERENT aimed at different sets of users.

Car manufacturers put out more than one model so why shouldn't MS put out more thna one OS --in fact they do already with their server products.

W7 and W8 will co exits for YEARS.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[dreamer]

Here is the thing i want to ask: If in Windows 8 final version MS does provide an option to completely disable metro interface then would Windows 8 be worth upgrading from Windows 7.

Keeping in mind Windows 7 in itself is a good OS,i am of a view that MS will potentially loose a lot of customers who would not go the upgrade path from Windows 7 to Windows 8.Though i may be wrong in this case.

Here is another question to throw here:Would OEM have two different brands of laptops/notebooks/ultrabooks in their portfolios each having Windows 7 or Windows 8 pre-installed??

Still windows 8 is more touch oriented OS than a desktop one.

Just my 2 cents

 

[SnarkyTwit]

I don't recommend it....

I guess I'm in the 50% who doesn't like it. Remember Microsoft Bob? That was a dumbed down version of an O/S for people which didn't know how to use a computer. We are in a different world now. The Metro UI is like a slap in the face. People don't like to be talked down to by anyone. It's insulting. I hope Microsoft is listening to forums like this one. After having Win 8 on my laptop since the Consumer Preview was released, I reverted to my Win 7 backup. I will NOT be buying an upgrade. As a matter of fact, I went out and bought a speedy new laptop earlier that I anticipated because I don't want to wait and buy a laptop with Win 8 on it. If Windows 9 persists with the Metro interface, I will be switching to either Linux or Mac.

Snarks

 

[alphanumeric]

Windows 7 and Windows 8 may coexist but if you buy a "new" PC are you going to get a choice? I'm thinking it will come with Windows 8 pre-installed. Microsoft will obviously count that as a sale of Windows 8 regardless of the fact that 2 days or 2 weeks latter you had to go out and buy Windows 7 for the same PC just to save your sanity. They'll be making oodles of cash though so profits will be up anyway.

 

[dreamer]

Windows 7 and Windows 8 may coexist but if you buy a "new" PC are you going to get a choice? I'm thinking it will come with Windows 8 pre-installed. Microsoft will obviously count that as a sale of Windows 8 regardless of the fact that 2 days or 2 weeks latter you had to go out and buy Windows 7 for the same PC just to save your sanity. They be making oodles of cash though so profits will be up anyway.

Seems like MS has found a quick way to rake up more cash.

I guess my worst fears might come true and Windows 7 will be relegated in favor of Windows 8.It is like metro interface is being dumped on you whether you like it or not.

 

[alphanumeric]

I guess my worst fears might come true and Windows 7 will be relegated in favor of Windows 8.It is like metro interface is being dumped on you whether you like it or not.

Hopefully metro won't be forced on us. By locking you into it on the CP they get feedback. Hopefully they are listening. The irony for me is I really, really want a tablet PC and I'm trying to figure out how to put a few bucks away to get one. My finances are really tight so its not easy. By the time I have the money Windows 8 may be on the market. There may still be Windows 7 tablets on the go too. So which one do I get? Metro "might" actually be good on a tablet, but if it isn't and I can't turn it off that would suck. I'll be using Windows 7 on my desktop PCs for a long time to come. Probably on my laptop too as I don't see spending any extra money to upgrade it to Windows 8.

 

[dreamer]

Hopefully metro won't be forced on us. By locking you into it on the CP they get feedback. Hopefully they are listening. The irony for me is I really, really want a tablet PC and I'm trying to figure out how to put a few bucks away to get one. My finances are really tight so its not easy. By the time I have the money Windows 8 may be on the market. There may still be Windows 7 tablets on the go too. So which one do I get? Metro "might" actually be good on a tablet, but if it isn't and I can't turn it off that would suck. I'll be using Windows 7 on my desktop PCs for a long time to come. Probably on my laptop too as I don't see spending any extra money to upgrade it to Windows 8.

See MS is trying to compete solely with android/iOS for the tablet market and that in my view is a good thing.MS has years of desktop OS experience behind them.If they somehow manage their business applications like MS Office & such well on touch oriented Windows 8 for tablets,then its a huge brownie point for them.In this case MS tablet might actually sell and will have a huge advantage over android/iOS.

Another aspect that comes to mind is for majority of people who go on buying newer desktops/laptops/NB they just go with the flow.Metro interface does look appealing to the eye and people might actually want it just for the eye candy.I don't mean that those very people don't have PC knowledge or are just plain caught up in the eye candy but that is how the world works.For techies like you and me,we will think thousand times before taking the plunge.Also depends on user preferences too.

 

[Golden]

Well, this is turning into an interesting, if sometimes emotive, discussion. aegis23's post about Ubuntu's new desktop environment reminded me of another lesser known Irish Linux distribution (Zorin OS) that implemented soemthing very simple to satisfy a range of user preferences. Perhaps Microsoft might implement soemthing similar....

Something to mull over,
Golden