Gartner: Windows 8 Did Not Significantly Impact PC Shipments in Q4

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I'm not sure why we keep seeing these stories. For most people anyway, there is no compelling reason to get a new computer if the one you have works fine. Enthusiasts aren't the market, just a small part of it.

And there really is no benefit for most people to go from either Vista or Win 7 to Win 8. It's nothing like the jump from Windows ME to XP for instance.
 
One major factor that PCs are not selling well is because people found out how bad Windows 8 is.
I hate Windows 8 and will never ever use it.
Just recently I bought a new laptop and I made sure it came with Windows 7 and not the horrible and poorly designed windows 8. With this laptop I received a $14.95 coupon to buy Windows 8 which of course I will never use. I highly recommend for new buyers to get Windows 7 if possible, or wait for the new windows 9 which Microsoft is now rushing to finish and release ASAP because they know that they laid a huge egg with the abysmal Windows 8.
I have been using Windows since 1993 and this new Windows 8 s absolutely the worst OS I have ever used.
 
Having bought a Windows 8 notebook (that is much more a desktop equivalent both in purpose and in use) that does not have a touchscreen on it, it isn't so much that we failed to get hardware that enabled Windows 8 to shine. It's that we are used to using notebooks/desktops in a particular way and for the most part the Modern UI styling was launched in direct opposition to that typical usage.

Just to demonstrate how jarring that is: Internet Explorer has a switch for moving it between Modern UI and Desktop. When the switch is set to Modern UI, it ALWAYS takes up the entire screen. When switched to Desktop, it can be resized and layered with other windows. This decision makes perfect sense for a relatively low resolution phone or tablet or for a simplified user experience. Kudos for simplification.

But as a productivity machine, the Modern UI beggars the imagination on how to see things side-by-side. You do remember the major Windows 7 marketing emphasis on dragging windows to the sides of the screen in order to put them side by side?

It demonstrates the rationale for why Mac OS and iOS were created as distinct user experiences though gradually some of the iOS concepts are being transitioned into Mac OS. The uses are different.

Our 11-year-old (and youngest) son has been the person that has used the new laptop the most. My wife isn't a geek in the first place and the new thing is pretty jarring for her, but getting a new laptop is nice and I think she'll catch on for the things that matter to her. I'm able to administer the silly thing like a Windows 7 box for the most part (though the strewing of the user administration between control panel and personal settings and the introduction of the use of a Windows ID similar to an Apple ID both are very, very jarring.) And it is a better notebook from a hardware perspective. A touchscreen is unlikely to have made the experience all that much easier since we typically plug into a larger screen when the notebook is at home.

Just a very jarring OS changeout for very little value for the existing desktop user. Good luck getting corporations to buy it. I bet they insist they never want it.
 
Again, I don't see how the fates of the entire PC market are being pegged on the backs of a single OS. How about we look into the numbers they actually give us in the story. The big change came in the sale numbers for Dell and Acer. Dell has been on the downward slope for a long time, partly because they have stated a desire to move out of the consumer PC sector and double down on the business and IT sector. Heck, last week their stock rose over 10% in one day because of a rumor the company was being sold to a private investment firm. It's no surprise their sales would suffer, because they haven't tried too hard to attract new consumers. Similarly, Acer has had a spotty record, so a lot of their sales have been cannibalized by the likes of Asus, HP, Lenovo, and Toshiba. Despite Acer and Dell combining for a 30%+ decline, the overall market saw a decline of only about 5%. I would say that indicates a bigger problem with those two companies more than anything else. Everyone else had to deal with Win 8 being released, and whatever issues came up through the HDD manufacturers, so why did everyone else find a way for their shipments to grow and not these two?
 
I'm so glad my fellow PC users decided to vote with their wallets. This could have been another Diablo III situation. At least this time, the company responsible is "paying" for its stupid design mistakes.


Let them see that we do not want to be shoehorned into "app stores." This kind of relentless POST-PURCHASE monetization has to stop. I'm tired of every goddamn company trying to implement some form of microtransactions.
 
no, on desktop no need touch. on laptop, maybe. desktop needs something spectacular software that can make good use of its resources.. maybe, an AI. :)
 
[citation][nom]apache_lives[/nom]Windows 8 is not as bad as the haters say, before making judgement use it yourself for a week[/citation]

Exactly, however you need to force yourself to learn. It is not easy to get your head around. Love the search function. It will never make it into corporations because of the inefficiency it will cause after deployment. Way too much of a headache for any IT team.
 
[citation][nom]apache_lives[/nom]Windows 8 is not as bad as the haters say, before making judgement use it yourself for a week[/citation]
Used it, hate it, not a fan wont buy it. To each his own but its not for me nor any of my friends. My girlfriend loves it on her new laptop but she only browses the web, email basic stuff so for those that just like something shiny new and dont care about the UI, hey get it. PC gamers truly hate it from all I've read me included.
 
[citation][nom]soldier2013[/nom]Used it, hate it, not a fan wont buy it. To each his own but its not for me nor any of my friends. My girlfriend loves it on her new laptop but she only browses the web, email basic stuff so for those that just like something shiny new and dont care about the UI, hey get it. PC gamers truly hate it from all I've read me included.[/citation]

I'm a PC gamer and I also do some programming for fun and I also do other power-user oriented tasks daily. I've had Windows 8 installed in my two laptops since release and just upgraded my desktop a few days ago. Guess what? I love Windows 8 and I don't feel a need to go back to 7. To each their own and all but the hate bandwagon is getting really old and annoying so let me quote something I wrote before regarding this:

"Here's the problem with the hate(rs), and the so-called "experts", they treat the modern UI as if it was the whole OS and not just a glorified start menu and a complementary new ecosystem. The app store and its apps are there if you want to use them and they also help in extending Windows to other markets. You don't have to use them if you don't want to.

Now, if you're an average user who uses their computer for browsing, email, office and do basic computing tasks, there's no reason for all the complaining about the UI since you could just have your most used programs pinned to the start menu or task bar. Actually, the start screen should help you have a clean desktop.

If you consider yourself a power user, you really shouldn't complain and say the OS isn't intuitive or hard to use because it doesn't have the traditional start menu. First, you of all people and as a power user should know how to adapt to slightly different interfaces. And if you don't like change, again, as a power user you should have no problem modifying the OS to work the way you want. I'm pretty sure you do know how to google/bing "ClassicShell" or any alternatives."
 
[citation][nom]apache_lives[/nom]Windows 8 is not as bad as the haters say, before making judgement use it yourself for a week[/citation]
Had Win8 for months... its a Piece Of Shit. I have enough Win7 & XP Licences to get 5+ $40 Win8 keys... I never bothered.

The suck-ass sales for Win8 shows EXACTLY how shitty the customers think of Windows 8. Vista never hit above 24% (which I predicted) and died quickly after Win7. Funny.... people are still buying Win7 systems out the nose. Thank God that Lenovo makes it easy to buy a Win7 notebook. (As they did with XP during the vista era).

As of now, Microsoft has about 20% of the Operating System Market. Win8 eco-system *IS/WAS* designed to combat Linux/Android - iOS/MacOS... Windows 8 = fail. Windows8 phones = fail. Windows 8 tablets = fail. Microsoft is collapsing, its funny.... their new silly logo isn't going to save them.

Tablets and smart phones are replacing desktop computers.... so much for that "FAD" tablet ideas that many people posted. Need gaming? buy a console as MS has helped to kill PC gaming. As of today, ANY device can do what a Windows computer can do: access the web, browse, work, facebook, email, etc.

Microsoft = irreverent.
 
[citation][nom]cold fire[/nom]I'm a PC gamer~~ Guess what? I love Windows 8 and I don't feel a need to go back to 7. To each their own and all but the hate bandwagon is getting really old[/citation] To each their own Coldfire. Good for you, that Win8 works for you. Its an ugly POS product that isn't worth using. Its badly designed, no visual clues, stupid HIDDEN buttons designed by retarded committee in which the Head of that department has recently been **gasp** fired. Its annoying to have people LIKE you dictate that our hatred is not allowed. Considering that the only choice for an OS for a PC-builder/gamer is the Windows platform... its a MAJOR problem. Unless or until Linux takes over.

[citation][nom]cold fire[/nom]"Here's the problem with the hate(rs), and the so-called "experts", they treat the modern UI as if it was the whole OS and not just a glorified start menu and a complementary new ecosystem.~~ Actually, the start screen should help you have a clean desktop.[/citation] The BS reason that MS removed the Start Menu was because "nobody was using it" - yeah, most of us simply pinned our most used programs - but for everything else - its at a singe location. And so MS stupidly takes a "rarely used" function and blows it up to a FULL-SCREEN rarely used function... so what the F?!

The Start Screen with its live tiles *IS USELESS* by design. If you spend all of your time on the desktop, then its ugly live-tiles are meaningless. Also MS went out of their way to make the DESKTOP mode ugly.

The IDEA of having Metro running on different form factors (Desktop/tablet/phone) is kind of good. I see good reasons for it. If done right.... until I used Win8, I thought it would be great. After 15 minutes, I started to HATE Win8. Metro should have run ontop of the desktop and metro apps should interact with the OS like normal Windows Apps. Not the ugly fullscreen garbage we have today. IE10 is designed like garbage. the whole Metro interface is badly designed for the desktop. its designed for touch.... yes... I know, cause using Win8 on my Thinkpad would at times make me reach for something.

The thing that people, especially power-users should keep in mind is that MS is going full steam ahead with replacing the WindowsOS with Metro. Windows9 will be less windows... if at all.

[citation][nom]cold fire[/nom]If you consider yourself a power user, you really shouldn't complain and say the OS isn't intuitive or hard to use because it doesn't have the traditional start menu. First, you of all people and as a power user should know how to adapt to slightly different interfaces. And if you don't like change, again, as a power user you should have no problem modifying the OS to work the way you want. I'm pretty sure you do know how to google/bing "ClassicShell" or any alternatives."[/citation] There is no problems adapting to anything. Many of us use Windows, Android and iOS device... such as myself as does my son. They work differently and generally easy to figure out.

The problem with Win8 is that its BADLY DESIGNED CRAP. So you argument about not being able to use Metro is false. Hell, I used to run Metro UI on my Android 2.x phone until I got a new Android 4.1 phone. Love the new Android 4.x that I didn't need Metro anymore.

Again, why should I or anyone else have to fix the OS out of the box? This isn't the same as downloading Opera or Chrome to over-ride IE. We're talking about interacting with the OS itself.

A sign of complete stupidity is that "we removed the Start button" - when in fact, they DID NOT... they just removed the ball icon, made it into a 1x1 pixel that you have to hunt... and use correctly. Gee, for a TOUCH device, how are you supposed to do that? Oh yeah, use the keyboard! great! The Charms are stupid, the task-switchers aren't cross-mode compatible, is what you need on Metro or on the desktop? Where are the status icons on Metro when you need them... the list goes on and on. Want to access the tabs on IE10 in metro? You have to right-click on the top to make it show up... like someone with a 24" screen needs to go through the extra clicks for that? Gee, even on my iPad or Android phone, my Opera tabs are easy to spot and use. Yet for a desktop OS, MS thought it best to hide tabs.

Windows 8 is broken garbage and the best way to make sure that MS knows HOW we feel is to NOT BUY it.... to kill it.

Microsoft knows that Win8 is garbage. They sold it cheap for $40 for the first 3 months. There is NOT AS SINGLE major OS review of Windows8 on any tech site that matters. Tomshardware or Anandtech - as MS can prevent or allow such reviews.

I like this article about Win8 "8 Things We Hate About Windows 8"
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/8_things_we_hate_about_windows_841
This includes the constant ADS to buy crap from the MS store when you view your own PICS, your own videos or listen to your own music... Perhaps MS should make Windows8 free... even at that price, its NOT WORTH IT TO ME to install it on any of my computers.
 
Windows 8 is broken garbage and the best way to make sure that MS knows HOW we feel is to NOT BUY it.... to kill it.

Microsoft knows that Win8 is garbage. They sold it cheap for $40 for the first 3 months. There is NOT AS SINGLE major OS review of Windows8 on any tech site that matters. Tomshardware or Anandtech - as MS can prevent or allow such reviews.
Click to expand...
windows 8 works better than windows 7 once you delete the metro apps and add a shutdown shortcut. I can't believe no ones figured this out.
 
I disagree with the conclusion. Typically the release of a new version of Windows is preceded by a slump in PC sales that's followed by a sales peak immediately after the release due to people holding their purchases to get the new OS. In this case this pattern didn't happen, strongly suggesting Windows 8 had profound effect on overall PC sales - it substantially depressed them.
 
[citation][nom]kirbykiller[/nom]windows 8 works better than windows 7 once you delete the metro apps and add a shutdown shortcut. I can't believe no ones figured this out.[/citation]
There's a lot more to it than that. From a business perspective, NO ONE in the IT field will recommend it (which doesn't mean they won't experiment with it as I'm currently doing at my job). It's very interesting seeing how well it works in a domain environment. You have to get the Pro or Enterprise edition in order to join a domain, but even with that with everything on the Metro UI, the VAST majority of non-IT personnel in a company would drown in their stupidity trying to figure anything out on it. There's a reason why IT people get paid well, we know what's going on (most of the time) and people are clueless, which is OUR job security.

From an IT perspective though, having the Start menu is a blessing in disguise. It brings everything to 1 location. Have you ever gone to fix someone's workstation and found they have the whole desktop filled with crap?! I have many times, and they wonder why they can't find shit. Remind you of anything, Metro UI?! It doesn't lend itself to an orderly file system.
 
[citation][nom]anti-painkilla[/nom]Exactly, however you need to force yourself to learn. It is not easy to get your head around. Love the search function. It will never make it into corporations because of the inefficiency it will cause after deployment. Way too much of a headache for any IT team.[/citation]

And here i was, thinking this site was full of hardware "enthusiasts", my bad.

Suppose i cant expect someone to learn something new in this day and age, and changes do scare people.
 
In other news, Windows XP is on 1 in 5 PC's according to the official statistics from the W3C. Whereas Windows 8 is on 2.5%
 
[citation][nom]Uberragen21[/nom]There's a lot more to it than that. From a business perspective, NO ONE in the IT field will recommend it (which doesn't mean they won't experiment with it as I'm currently doing at my job). It's very interesting seeing how well it works in a domain environment. You have to get the Pro or Enterprise edition in order to join a domain, but even with that with everything on the Metro UI, the VAST majority of non-IT personnel in a company would drown in their stupidity trying to figure anything out on it. There's a reason why IT people get paid well, we know what's going on (most of the time) and people are clueless, which is OUR job security [/citation]

Your right about the business perspective but I was mainly talking about personal usage. Windows 8 is excellent for tech savy people however, I wouldn't recommend it for novice users because of it’s high learning curve. Most of the layout has to be tweaked in order to exceed windows 7 in productivity.

Personally I think they should add allow us to choose either computer mode or tablet mode during installation. Computer mode automatically pins shutdown and documents (basically every program in the start menu) to the start screen whilst logging you into desktop. Right now everything has to be done manually.

[citation][nom]Uberragen21[/nom]From an IT perspective though, having the Start menu is a blessing in disguise. It brings everything to 1 location. Have you ever gone to fix someone's workstation and found they have the whole desktop filled with crap?! I have many times, and they wonder why they can't find shit. Remind you of anything, Metro UI?! It doesn't lend itself to an orderly file system.[/citation]

I disagree, so far I've found the start screen easier to organise than the start menu. You can place programs into specific tile groups e.g games will be in one section while programs will be in another. This is impossible to, in the start menu.

Despite what people say the start screen isn't going away, it's the future of os's. http://www.techspot.com/review/622-lenovo-yoga-13/
 
Metro haters need to grow up. It is the future and soon the desktop will be abolished. God bless Metro and God bless Microsoft. May you stand strong in the face of this immorality which is engulfing the world. Don't ever give in to these evil wretches, with their communist immoral Linux.
 
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