Microsoft Admits Windows 8 was a Mistake ?

Zulu1966 · April 17, 2013, 05:54:30 AM

http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-windows-8-plan-blue-bring-back-the-start-button-boot-to-desktop-7000014075/

MIGMaster · April 17, 2013, 07:41:15 AM

Would make so much more sense than the pre-school interface. In the meantime, thank goodness for the 3rd party shell designers!

DoctorQuest · April 17, 2013, 09:00:53 AM

I have not been impressed with either Win8 or Office 2013. Both appear to be rush jobs. I installed O2013 long enough to find out it consistantly fails when trying to send emails with attachments. WTF?

LongBlade · April 17, 2013, 10:56:03 AM

I've not had any issues with Outlook 13 (yet) but it's only been up for a couple of days.

Win 8, to my eyes, is a step backward. There is a kind of saving grace, but I only learned about it after buying a manual to figure out how the heck it works.

At the tablet interface you can simply start typing the name of a program (read: app) and it automatically searches for it. Very handy - if you know the exact name. If you don't know it, it's difficult to figure out - "security" for instances doesn't find the admin tools for, say, turning the firewall on or off. It just finds AV programs.

In all it's a puzzling design decision. We've spent years mastering where to find stuff in previous versions. Now MS decides to pretend like we're all pre-schoolers (hat tip to Migsy) and they've succeeded in confusing everyone, not just new users. SMH

DoctorQuest · April 17, 2013, 11:11:03 AM

^That's good to hear....

My other beef with Office 2013 is that they completely removed the "custom install" option that allows to you install a subset of Office components. I really only use Excel, Word, Powerpoint and Outlook. Don't make me install the other junk, please.

Yes, I will have some cheese with my whine.

LongBlade · April 17, 2013, 11:15:21 AM

I'll admit I use the search feature about once a day.

Just this morning I hit the Window key and then typed "note" which brought up two apps: notepad and a sticky note app that's new. I wanted notepad and clicked on it. Very easy.

So there are times when it's not too bad. Then again, hitting the windows key and clicking on the Accessories folder in previous versions wasn't exactly a strain.

Mr. Bigglesworth · April 17, 2013, 04:04:41 PM

What is the point in yet another upregrade? You pay a lot for some software with non-expiring lisceneces that I fear will just be broken in several years with everyone pointing fingers at everyone else. We are not updating that version to run on win x /Mac x. You have to buy our version y.

LongBlade · April 17, 2013, 04:23:09 PM

Quote from: Mr. Bigglesworth on April 17, 2013, 04:04:41 PM
What is the point in yet another upregrade? You pay a lot for some software with non-expiring lisceneces that I fear will just be broken in several years with everyone pointing fingers at everyone else. We are not updating that version to run on win x /Mac x. You have to buy our version y.

I would never had bought it had my old laptop not died. I needed a new gaming rig and this one was priced right. That it had 8 was something I couldn't avoid.

I can't say I hate it. After a couple of weeks using it I'm learning my way around it. I would definitely recommend buying a book to figure out stuff for it. I bought the Kindle edition of Inside and Out so that I could search it more easily.

Staggerwing · April 17, 2013, 07:19:36 PM

Quote from: LongBlade on April 17, 2013, 10:56:03 AM
At the tablet interface you can simply start typing the name of a program (read: app) and it automatically searches for it. Very handy - if you know the exact name.

I'm sure it's not breaking news that iOS has had that feature since Barry O. still lived in chicago. Just plink the Home button until 'Search' comes up. ;)