New
#570
More Than 3 Out of 4 Enthusiasts Reject Windows 8
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New #571
Hi Drew,
You made a pretty good analysis of what the MS folks were mosty likely thinking. If they want to enlarge their market, they have to go for the morons of the world because there are not enough smart people (or people that are interested in computer sciences) around to pay their bills.
Nevertheless, there are a Billion or so current users that 'manage' with the current UI and would probably be better off if they were given the option of a Windows 7 like UI.
The problem I have is not the new Windows 8 UI per se, but the fact that this is the ONLY option. It is a UI made for touchscreens and since I do not have such a device nor do I plan to buy one, this flavor of a user interface is not well suited for my setup and bothers me. Their attitude of either 'my way or the highway' is going to be the highway for them.
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New #572
.When you look at the entire student body, again, we, the computer geeks, are in the minority. That's my point
Not sure what you are getting at.
Economics students would probably say the same thing - all subjects, in fact.
That is not an excuse to treat everyone like idiots.
They aren't ididots - they just haven't had much exposure to that particular subject.
I am surprised how little people understand about marketing - it is around them all the time and has a great effect on their lives.
Most people will listen and be intereted. Only a few refuse to pay any attention.
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New #573
Hi Wolfgang,
First, I wouldn't call those less intelligent about computers morons. If that were the case we could all be called morons as there are all sorts of fields we ourselves are less knowledgeable on.
Anyway I too hate the UI of 8. Luckily my laptop defaults to the standard desktop mode, but it still isn't easy when you have to deal with the Metro interface. And, to me, it sure is butt ugly. On the other hand, some of the tiles can be pretty good, especially if you're signed in as you get live updates of stuff. Overall though I stay away from the Metro interface as I simply don't like the look. In fact, one of the reasons I decided to leave Windows based phones was because of the Metro look. I much rather have a clean look as opposed to the clutter of Metro.
As for Microsoft's attitude towards it's customers and the "forced" way of doing things, I think it's 50/50. From Microsoft's perspective, an OS that seamlessly integrates with all mobile devices is a long overdue welcome.
From the consumers it's a radical design that'll take some time getting use to, especially now that the simple, but rather HIGHLY used start menu is gone. This may seem mundane to Microsoft, but it's a huge deal to those who grew up with it. Now it's gone, and 8 is rather confusing to use without it. Even seasoned veterans are struggling with it.
For a lot of people, that, more than the Metro look, is the reason 8 is slumping. That, coupled with the success of Windows 7 is what's killing the enthusiasm for 8.
As for purchasing new PC's with the OS installed, this is nothing new since anytime a new OS was released, subsequent PC/Laptops releases always featured the new OS. So the "forced" argument is a bit over exaggerated there. However Microsoft's public stance on support for 7 does seem to intentionally want to push people towards 8 prematurely.
My two cents.
If you read my initial post here More Than 3 Out of 4 Enthusiasts Reject Windows 8 you'll see where I'm coming from.
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New #574
They are forcing it.
Makes sense - that is the advantage of having monopoly power.
As users have to adopt the phone interface, it gives MS all kinds of opportunities to monetise the customers. That is what it is for.
If all your devices are the same in that respect - even better for MS.
There isn't really a choice for most people - they will end up buying something with 8 on it ( or perhaps 9 if they can hang on that long ).
There are other issues also - privacy, for example :
http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coff...t-to-microsoftJust bought a lumia 920, ...I went to use the speech feature to compose a message and was amazed to see that I will "Send the words you speak and supporting data, including recent contact names to Microsoft..."
...What a complete and total intrusion. It actually changes what I will say and how I will say it.
....It's part of who you are and to advertisers and corporations, that's very appealing.
It is not just MS who are at it. That is no excuse.
In that example - at least he is aware of it - that won't always be the case.
Windows 8 sends data to Markmonitor - brand protection agency.
Lovely.
As your pc becomes more like a phone................
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New #575
I still rest my faith here in the market. It won't tolerate no or low sales resulting in diminished returns because of a gambit to force anything on unwilling consumers. The pressures should build and force a realignment. It's the capitalist system.
That said it could be generational enough that I am now the XP Luddite we've seen here since 2009 crabbing about change.
But it feels more like Vista, where we knew it was a dog and watched Win7 advancements rescue it and a company.
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New #576
I am posting from Pinguy right now.
Only a few can look at these kind of things. If they were readily available on oem machines at pc's r us, that might be different.
But they aren't.
Where is the competition?
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New #577
The market place, the market place, the market place. We all say it over and over and yet I don't think Microsoft is hearing.
Microsoft is big and rich but they are not bigger or richer than the market place.
Like any company they get their sales and moneys form the market place.
The market place rules by the moneys that is spent on something and how many times it's done or not done.
Microsoft seem to think that to move strongly into the market place of Toymobiles they have to give up on the PC market place.
To put it simple. You can sell apple pie or ice cream. NO NO Microsoft.
You sell apple pie with the option of putting ice cream on it. That's the YES YES way to handle the market place.
The highly educated people (not me) call this a WIN, WIN.
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New #578
Drew, in my observation, a large portion of the population are real morons. They have no skills at all. They do a job where they were taught a couple of things, but as soon as you ask for a service that is a bit outside that narrow band, they are lost.
Make the test. Next time you have to pay, let's say, $17.35 somewhwere, give them a 20 dollar bill and let them type that into their machine. Now they see that they have to return $2.65. Then give them 35 cents because you do not want all the change. Now see what happens. -- on several similar occasions I had the cashier call their supervisor because they could not add 2 plus 2 together in their head. And then I had to teach the cashier and the supervisor some basics of mathematics to figure that out.
Another example. I walk into a Macy's and the first stands were cosmetics. I ask one of the ladies to tell me where the men's department is. The lady did not know -- in a store where she is working.
Now don't tell me that people like that have brains. They hang on to life by their fingernails and if the slightest thing happens, other people have to come to their rescue.
But those are the kind of clientele that MS wants to capture. They still buy stuff, and if it is only on credit.
PS: maybe the word 'moron' is not the right desecriptor for that kind. But with my limited knowledge of the English language, that's the word that came to mind. Do you know a better word to decribe those folks.
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New #579
It makes sense, the dumbing down happens right at the Brittny/Social Media nexus.
So an over-reaction to Ipad's Social media focus would zero right in on Generation Text.
But why ignore everyone else who wants a productive Desktop experience which Windows had perfected, which is completely sacrificed in Win8 to the Social Media format?
The best of both worlds could have been had with a choice. And consumers still want that, in spades.
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