MarketWatch Slams Windows 8, Calls it Unmitigated Disaster

[exfileme]

The MarketWatch reviews the latest release of Windows 8, and it isn't pretty.

MarketWatch Slams Windows 8, Calls it Unmitigated Disaster : Read more

 

[-Fran-]

I wonder if those reviews are from Intel paid grunt journalists as a form of payback to MS because MS its now supporting ARM and having better Bulldozer support...

Heh, bad conspiracy theories aside, I'll reserve judgement until I use it.

Cheers!

 

[kcorp2003]

i have about a dozen computers to grade to windows 8. let the games begin.

 

[mman74]

Why do I get the feeling that this is the little boy in The Emperor's New Clothes? I have been feeling the exact same thing, weird cumbersome interface, nothing works and is out how you are used to, tries to hard to do two things but succeds on neither front. I was thinking that but didn't say it in case everyone thought I was dumbass who didn't know anything about progress! LOL!

 

[asnorton44]

Lame

 

[illfindu]

I think people are missing a huge point about windows 8 you can turn off the stupid metro UI and when you do you basically have some thing VERY close to windows 7 with some cool features , apps* if you dont like them dont use them but they dont take away* and this has been shown over and over a more efficient use of system resources. I'am using it right now and personally once i took the skin off it feels like windows 7.5 in a good way

 

[brucek2]

I don't understand the "hurt the company" part. While I could easily see Windows 8 going unloved (especially by desktop and enterprise users), the beauty of Microsoft's position is that even so, how would it impact their business results?

Old computers will continue to age and need to be replaced. Most purchasers will find that their new desktop or laptop will come with Windows 8 whether they want it or not. And many enterprise agreements will include the right to "upgrade" to Windows 8. Whether they actually do upgrade or not, MS will combine the huge numbers from the upgrade-eligible plus the new-computers-sold pools and be able to report huge sales of Windows 8 no matter what, no matter how bad it is.

 

[killerclick]

I'm a Metro-hater so I think this is spot on, but in 1984 this guy predicted Macintosh would fail because it forces a mouse on users, because it has no cursor keys or a numeric keypad, because icons as a concept are unintuitive and because fonts are unnecessary. He also said the iPhone and iPad would not be successful, so... now I'm not sure. Let's wait and see.

 

[math1337]

Uninstall all of the metro apps(DO IT NOW) and you're left with windows 7 with pointy corners, a new start menu, and ribbons. It's not all that bad...

Edit:
It literally takes less than 2 minutes, then you'll be free from "metro" forever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJnutLKIzzU

 

[illfindu]

Math kinda gets it but you also should consider what i said about better resource use windows 8 can run on some REALLY bare bones set ups that even windows 7 cant run on.

 

[webdev511]

I saw the headline and had some concern, but then I saw that it was John Dvorak doing the panning. He's got such a hardon for Apple everything else is crap. Frankly I'd be shocked if he said something nice about anything from Microsoft.

 

[professornob]

Cue apple fanboys.

 

[danwat1234]

Good ole Dvorak. He was great on that 1 episode of computer chronicles. Anyway, why doesn't he describe his experience with Windows 8 once you apply the simple reg edit to disable Metro?

EDIT: Apparently the new versions of win8 after Developer preview has disabled this registry trick to disable Metro? That's pretty stupid of Microsoft.

 

[killerclick]

[citation][nom]math1337[/nom]Uninstall all of the metro apps(DO IT NOW) and you're left with windows 7 with pointy corners, a new start menu, and ribbons. It's not all that bad...[/citation]

A bigger problem is what Windows 9 will be like. Will it have desktop mode at all if Metro is a success? And "success" for Microsoft might mean losing like 30% of the desktop market to gain 10% of the mobile market. That would be a jackpot for them, so they might throw a lot of us under the bus to gain a foothold against Android and iOS.

 

[killerclick]

[citation][nom]danwat1234[/nom]Good ole Dvorak. He was great on that 1 episode of computer chronicles. Anyway, why doesn't he describe his experience with Windows 8 once you apply the simple reg edit to disable Metro?[/citation]

You could only do that in the Developer Preview. Microsoft took the trouble to make sure you can't do that anymore. Think about why they would do that.

 

[husker]

"First of all, the system-software product is mostly divorced from all the thought and trends developed by Windows over the years, as if to say that they were wrong the whole time, so let's try something altogether new."

That says it all.

 

[Patflute]

Use the desktop half of Windows 8 and shut up.

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

Unfortunately all the OS developers seem to have got it into their heads to make their desktop operating systems as similar as possible to phones and tablets. Microsoft isn't the only one here although Metro looks to be one of the 'worst' forced implementations.

Mac OS X Lion has had loads of iOS forced into it - the launchpad sits unused on most desktops and the castrating of Expose to make it work better on ultra low resolutions displays has forced them to add back functionality from Snow Leopard. Several Linux distros have created even worse solutions than Metro with Ubuntu, Fedora etc forcing UIs that are only barely suitable for netbooks onto high resolution desktops.

Alas, Microsoft has the worst to move from this kind of forced GUI change. Apple's Lion didn't go too far and is stepping back a little in many areas with Mountain Lion - besides which, they can basically do no wrong in consumers' eyes. Linux can benefit from this kind of change as their main area of growth PC wise are low powered netbooks with low resolutions. Microsoft has a lot of corporate users who will dig their heels in. Not only that but an uniformed buyer looking for a new computer in a store could well be put off by Metro and lean more towards an Apple computer - purely because Mac OS X's GUI is more familiar looking to a Windows user than Metro.

 

[math1337]

A bigger problem is what Windows 9 will be like. Will it have desktop mode at all if Metro is a success? And "success" for Microsoft might mean losing like 30% of the desktop market to gain 10% of the mobile market. That would be a jackpot for them, so they might throw a lot of us under the bus to gain a foothold against Android and iOS.

I figure that the "Metro" part of windows 8 will flop, while the desktop part will flop less. On the off chance that metro actually succeeds, we're screwed.

 

[bigdragon]

I completely agree with John Dvorak. I don't want to read any more excuses to leave an unfinished product alone. I've been through enough beta tests to know how little actually changes between public release and final production. I've rarely ever seen positive change. I gave 8 a chance and the Metro UI is anti-productive on a desktop. The start screen is a poor replacement for the start menu. The traditional desktop is not sufficiently divorced from the Metro UI. Dvorak is spot-on and it's about time we started seeing more people pointing out the flaws. Microsoft can't fix flaws if everyone kisses their butts.

8 is the next Vista. It's the next ME. I don't want my desktop to behave like a Windows Phone. I don't want full screen apps. I don't want UI solutions that take up more space than they actually need because they assume I'm not utilizing it. I can see myself sticking to Windows 7 like I did with XP. If 9 doesn't fix the problems with 8 then I'm jumping ship. I will jump ship to Chrome OS or even Mac OS. I already had to switch desktop environments in Linux due to what the idiots at GNU have done with Gnome 3.

 

[wigglerthefish]

I'm buying an Asus Zenbook Prime, and I shall have Windows 8. It seems fine for me! I might even get one with a detachable screen (not the same series).

 

[Zingam_Duo]

Just because Windows 8 lacks a certain button, does not make it a disaster... but I really like how the people qualify the Bald guy's greatest work of his carreer!!! The One, the f...n moron with the gay earring!


But Dvorak is really exaggerating, there is nothing that could dent Microsoft on the Desktop. They are a f...n monopoly with no alternatives at all.
What I hope is that Microsoft will not gain ground in the mobile market. That would be disaster for the industry. The story with IE explorer is an example what would happen again if Microsoft gains any significant market share. So anybody who has a little bit of reason will not fall into Microsoft's trap again.

So I plead to anybody stay away from Windows Phone and Windows on tablets! Don't let that evil octopus to engulf the whole world again.

 

[SteelCity1981]

the fact is it doesn't matter what bloggers or anyone else thinks, what matters is what your avg consumor thinks. Your avg consumor is going to be the deciding factor in all of this. If your avg consumor doesn't take to Windows 8 well, then you will mostlikely see a big backlash from them wanting to downgrade their new pc's with windows 8 on it back to windows 7 from pc vendors. much like we saw with Vista. I don't expect for avg consumors to take kindly to the radical UI changes of Windows 8 then what they have been used to for 17 years since Windows 95 with the classic UI and start menu setup that millions and millions of your avg consumor has been used to for soo many years. If Windows 8 becomes a big failure it will be mostly due to metro and no start menu and what's sad about that is is that Windows 8 brings some nice improvements under the hood but it's radical changes to its UI and missing start menu may end up overshadowing all of those improvements.

 

[bebangs]

metro is kinda...

...

(wait for it)

...

"gay"

 

[shafe88]

[citation][nom]patflute[/nom]Use the desktop half of Windows 8 and shut up.[/citation]
What desktop half, it's not a desktop without the start button. Metro UI is soooo annoying it makes me sick in the stomach. Metro UI is fine for phones and tablets but very annoying on desktops. Why cant Microsoft just make Metro UI a add on like media center or include windows classic that has windows 7 desktop problem solved, everyone happu.