Market Currents
Microsoft (MSFT) officially launches Windows 8 at an NYC event (live blog) that's light on new...
-
Thursday, October 25, 2012, 12:46 PM ETMicrosoft (MSFT) officially launches Windows 8 at an NYC event (live blog) that's light on new details. More importantly, a flurry of Windows 8 reviews are out. Like others, David Pogue isn't a fan of Microsoft's efforts to fuse two UIs: "TileWorld is fantastic for touch screens ... Desktop Windows is obviously designed for the mouse ... you can’t live exclusively in one world or the other." The Verge has similar concerns, but is more positive about Win. 8's tablet potential. "Picking up a tablet PC with Windows 8 makes an iPad feel immediately out of date." (more)
Other date
TECH ETFs IN FOCUS
Latest Tech Articles
This news story has 35 comments:
However, I think what's getting lost among all the UI discussion is that W8 actually improves performance significantly in several areas. Techspot has some benchmarks here (http://bit.ly/TcBnc8) and my tech-geek friends say they noticed a lot of the under-the-hood improvements as well.
(Disclosure: long MSFT)
I would love to hear your feedback when you're done. You're brave. I can't get over all the wasted time that happens with bug discovery in the initial phases of their launch. When SP1 comes out that will be my cue to give it a try.
What concerns me is that the system is optimized for touch and yet most computers/laptops are not so unless you are buying a new piece of equipment you are likely to be frustrated with the upgrade. Do you have a touchscreen device?
In the end, for business, efficiency trumps the "cool" factor so if it is more cumbersome to use but more fun that will be irrelevant because it won't be well received in the biz world. Lost time is lost profit and I can't see how the new upgrade will increase efficiency at this point. I haven't seen a compelling ROI explanation for why the upgrade will make business more efficient.
This seems to be the most useful aspect from the Verge article:
"In fact, the boot process is so fast on new hardware that you barely see the redesigned Windows logo that greets you ahead of an entirely new OS."
This other excerpt got me though:
"If you use Windows 8 on a desktop PC with a keyboard and mouse it can feel awkward at times, frustrating at others, and confusing. If you get past the initial training required it starts to make a lot of sense, but the risk of alienating users and creating another Vista-like perception catastrophe is great."
I think it will flop initially like the original Newton from AAPL but in the long run it will be well received.
Thanks for being a trail blazer.
First off, love the username.
Second, and more on topic, I may post a review as an Instablog after trying it out for a few weeks. I'm totally with you on efficiency vs "cool." From what I've heard, the frustration over the tiles is overblown (apparently you just have to click a button to switch to desktop mode for the duration of your log-on?) but then again, some people can be quite tech illiterate.
As for "touch optimization," I again don't know that I buy that either (with the caveat that I won't have actually tried it until tomorrow). From what I understand, you can still use the desktop Windows mode in much the same manner as you always have... you now just have a mode that's optimized for touchscreens in addition to that. My system is a two-year-old Dell laptop running a Westmere i5 that I upgraded with an SSD and 8 GB of RAM, so no, it's not touch-compatible. I am planning to eventually get one of the ultrabook/convertible type designs, though. Dell and Lenovo both have some really cool designs upcoming, see http://bit.ly/Vfw6T8 and http://bit.ly/VrjwjZ. I think the laptop and tablet form factors will converge over the next 2-3 years, Tim Cook's toaster/refrigerator analogy notwithstanding.
While it is true that you can switch to desktop mode for some tasks, the start menu has been completely eliminated. That tile screen IS the start menu. Like many things on the computer, people who are very particular about the way they want to accomplish common tasks will simply need to do a lot of work arranging the tiles on that screen in a way that makes them happy. In desktop mode, they can also add a Quick Launch toolbar to the taskbar.
You sound like an excellent potential reviewer for this product. It will be very interesting to get a straightforward un-biased review especially with someone using a non-touch, typical setup for an upgrade.
I don't know what MS is forecasting for this launch so it will be crucial that it is well received by people like you especially knowing that only about 5% of machines are shipping with the touchscreen setup from what I have read.
I got burned by Vista so I'm taking my time on getting my next box. Right now it works and I am afraid to change it :)
If you install over Windows 7 and want to go back (as many have), you will be in a world of hurt.
Make sure you have the disks for every driver and every bit of software on your machine.
I wish you the best. (queue the mournful music for soldiers marching to their deaths in battle)
I would also disagree with the assertion that because it has been optimized for touch, desktop users are getting the shaft. It took time to get used to the new ways of navigating the operating system, but there were very few things that were really annoying on my desktop PC.
http://seekingalpha.co...
I agree the user experience is going to take some work to get used to. However so was getting used to trying to do work beyond reading emails and viewing media on my iPad.
Blaming the users for a company's past failures is usually a losing strategy. I agree that Win 7 is very good compared to the Vista dog. I have been a first adopter many times and gotten burned by MS so sorry I am not walking that path again. I am glad that you will be one of those people fixing it for the rest of us.
I thank you heartily for that.
I was one of the users of the MS pen based phone in 2003 which was pretty good for the time but was totally useless from a productivity point of view because the touch functions still required a pen. Hopefully this one works great without a mouse otherwise it won't be well received.
MS launches of new operating systems are always hit and miss - one sucks and one doesn't - and based upon the track record this is the potential "sucks" one.
I hope I am wrong because I am looking forward to getting a new laptop with the new OS and I have been holding off for this launch. I personally cannot afford the downtime associated with buggy technology which is why I am in the cynical camp on this launch.
http://bit.ly/VJcRY1
I think like WP8 it only needs to do moderately well to reflect well on MSFT.
http://seekingalpha.co...
Microsoft made Surface to be a reference design, and want their OEM companies to bring out other designs and solutions. There are not that many Microsoft stores, compared to other electronics retailers, or even in comparison to Apple Stores. Surface sales volume will neither make, nor break, Microsoft. Windows 8 and Office are the revenue generators.
In terms of business adoption of Microsoft Surface tablets, then the Pro version may make more sense than the RT version. Since the Microsoft Surface Pro will not be out until early 2013, I suspect early Surface RT sales will mostly go to consumers. Overall I still think consumers will be a larger purchasing group for Windows 8 than will enterprise users.
I think you're right on all counts.
http://bit.ly/S9kyDr
(no position)
Buy a Mac
Vista is dog dookie