Opinion: Here's One Reason Why Windows 8 Sales Are Slow

[southernshark]

Remember the customer is always right. Now that doesn't mean that a company can't or shouldn't work to effect change, but change has to be within acceptable parameters otherwise you end up with a product that fails and then your change either fails or is delayed. In this case MS refused and still refuses to listen to its customers. And that is a failed business strategy.

 

[ananthu123]

JUst ignore the blocky UI. Without that, it's kinda faster to boot up and all, so I don't really mind. If only there was a boot straight to desktop and optional start menu features...

 

[cloakster]

Windows 8 got screwed over by a terrible launch and the inability to put the start menu back right away. No one is going to know about apps like Start8 unless techies like us tell them.
I work at a Best Buy in Canada and ever since we learned about the Start8 app, we have recommended it to anyone who mentioned they didn't want Windows 8 due to the start menu. Even before mentioning the Start8 app, I always show a quick tutorial of what changed and how easy it is to get used to where they moved everything. Though, my store is much better than the average Bestbuy. Aside from pushing expensive warranties, we all know a ton about computers and help the customers as much as possible.

 

[bebangs]

Sales guy, grandpa and the little girl does not want window 8. People DONT want windows8! Get it? This is Why Windows 8 Sales Are Slow.
Not some random dude from store.

 

[mrmike_49]

The author did make one valid point: that is even the sales clerks at Walmart are bad mouthing Windows 8, it is DOOMED!

 

[spectrewind]

@Kevin:
"Purchase and download the $5 Start8 app from Stardock"

You made the point right there. The Start menu is the first recognizable feature in the Windows OS since Windows95. Look at any training manuals for the general user population, and the first thing they have you do for just about any operation on the machine is "click start".

Having to buy a 3rd party overlay app from a company that most people have never heard of to get that functionality back is what killed this OS for M$... Not the retail sales staff. Think of it this way: If the Start menu were still there, natively, would the sales staff be doing this?

 

[therabiddeer]

Kevin - "Really, Windows 8 isn't that bad. Just purchase and download a bunch of apps that make it seem like Windows 7 and you're good to go!"
Pretty sure that is the definition of a design failure.
Listen, some people like Win8 and some people like Win7. They are, for all intents and purposes, different operating systems. Windows 8 isnt a "step above" Windows 7. What Microsoft (and ODMs) SHOULD be doing is offering a choice between Windows 8 and Windows 7. They are far too different on the surface to be considered the same.
There are a lot of people out there that are like you, whom like Windows 8. They would choose it over Windows 7 any day of the week. But there are other people, like me, that would prefer Windows 7. Microsoft is making a poor decision in trying to force us over to Windows 8.

 

[Maxor127]

You gave some bad advice. And on top of that, you directed her to a $5 app when there are plenty of free alternatives. You talk about ignorant store clerks, but you're really just miffed that his opinion didn't match your own. Windows 8 is terrible, and obviously the majority agree with that opinion. I finally got firsthand experience with it these past couple weeks. It's a clunky interface that might be good enough for tablets, but it's terrible for laptops or desktops. The girl I know who bought a new laptop was clueless as to what Windows 8 was or how it differed from other versions. But her unbiased opinion is that she hates Windows 8, and she wishes she could get rid of it. I'm glad I never wasted money on it when it was super cheap. I had more trouble than I should've trying to help her with it, and someone who isn't computer savvy is going to be completely lost trying to navigate it. And even in this day and age, most people are clueless when it comes to using computers. Microsoft could've easily avoided any controversy by offering an option to run a traditional Windows interface.

 

[brucek3]

Or, Microsoft could consider shipping a laptop UI that wasn't prone to instant rejection by little girls and sales people (and many others.) She might have been little but she knew what she expected from a laptop and a tablet UI wasn't it.
And its even less appropriate as a desktop UI.

 

[belardo]

So Kevin, are you going to hang around computer stores and tell people where and how to download and buy the $5 Start8 app from Stardock?!
No... its not the salesmen, its Microsoft's fault for the failure that is Windows8. I have several XP and Win7 licences I could have used to get win8 for $40 a pop. I didn't.
None of my friends or clients or pretty much anyone I know uses or likes Windows 8.
I've already started my migration to Linux... Adobe is moving PhotoShop and other software to the cloud... so it should be Linux compatible soon.

 

[joe nate]

"Windows 8 is misunderstood, I think, and that should change in the immediate future."
I agree. As a commissioned sales associate at a retailer, where my primary job is to sell computers, I can agree with this. It is largely misunderstood, and people don't want to change. That's fine and all, but we're at a point that, just like ingtar33 said, the only thing available is windows 8 machines to sell.
With that, I find that windows 8 is pretty easy, after having learned most of the features so I can sell it. From everything usable with keyboard and mouse to ALSO having touch support to replacing a mainly text start menu box in a corner that would require you to go through multiple boxes before getting to the shortcut you want, you now have a full screen start menu that's fully customizable. You can see all installed apps by swiping from the bottom on touch devices or right clicking on the open space of the start menu. Windows button + D or the desktop tile gives you most of the interface you're comfortable with. The "start" button is still there in the lower left, it's just "hidden" you mouse over there and it'll bring back the start menu. Don't know where anything is in windows 8? Simply type for what you want to do from the start menu and you're already in the search.
I've found that Windows 8 is the easiest operating system to explain to customers and takes the shortest amount of time to get people comfortable with (Thank you search!), when they don't have a preconceived idea that "windows 8 sucks" that I have to overcome. I can't tell you how many people I've shown the desktop and that alleviates ALL of their fears.
When windows 8 first came out, I had to pretend to like it just to seem confident in what I was selling, to make a living... Now I actually like it, because I have spent time using it, showing it to customers, explaining it, and hell... I've sold myself on it. Although, I'd spend 99.9% of my time in the desktop so I don't see any reason to upgrade my current machine(s)...

 

[pcichico]

I can't believe people that waste their time re-installing Windows 7. You have to be living under a rock to not realize there are great start button/menu replacements. Like 5 minutes and Windows 7 is back. Way faster than reinstalling. I know there are compatibility issues with certain devices/software but that's not the complaint for 99% of the people. Especially your parents or old people or whoever is buying at Walmart. Start8 is great. StartIsBack is excellent as well. It has a cool mode where it renames the metro screen to apps instead of start and hides all non-metro icons automatically so it doesn't get all cluttered with legacy icons. It's 3 bucks, bunch of whiners.

 

[belardo]

Why bother with Windows 8.... when you can keep Windows7 and simply add the few features that most of us *LIKE* about Windows 8.... Copy Window, UP button on Explorer and the task manager (which really isn't used much).
There is TERACOPY - its free. It allows you to copy, pause... and when there is an ERROR, it will simply copy/move the other files... without messing things up.. wow!
BETTER EXPLORER (also free) is even better than the explorer with Windows 8... it looks very much the same as Win8... but has tab folders to use (if you want) and it doesn't come with that UGLY flat Win8 desktop look.
So there... Win8 features... for Win7 without the price, headache and hassle.

 

[Guest]

kevin i'm glad to see that your not a sales person, just some cheap mouth piece
dont berate that sales person, he did the right thing, hey im surprised at walmart of all places.
ive been a sales persons for a long many decades, probably sold more stuff than you will ever pump and the first lesson one learns is to never sell the customer on anything
never lie, misrepresent, exaggerate, obfuscate, hype, ect.
know the products and truthfully answer customers questions. even if the answer loses u a sale in the short term, they will return, either for honest advice and eventually to buy. and they will send others your way.
why because the minute u do that and you sell them on something and they take it home they will soon learn the truth and they will remember what u did to them
and u lose a customer for life and so does your company
sadly its a lesson both u and best of media who allowed this crap to be published still has not learned.
and windows 8 is crap. all the improvements that they may have made do not undo the harm they did with metro and changes to desktop.

 

[zenmonk9003]

I've used Windows since Windows 3.1 and I have to say that after you get used to Windows 8 is a breeze to use and some really nice features. I got Windows 8 Pro when it was still $69 and I am very glad that I jumped on it when I did. I don't have one real complaint but at first I did not like the way I had to go to settings to turn off the PC. I used to like turning on my PC having it show me that I had new email and Facebook messages without having to do anything. I have since turned those features off because I don't always want people to know that I am on-line or have my computer on but that is it. People are just too scared to try new things it seems like to me.

 

[belardo]

@joe nate : The Start Menu on Windows7 is more customizable than Win8 start screen. You can make folders, rename them, place things where you want them.
It doesn't take the whole damn screen to use. But sure, its your right to like it... fine. Most of us don't.

 

[thor220]

I can't believe you would begrudge that little girl of her own enjoyment. Just because you think your opinion is better doesn't give you the right to trample upon her like that. I can just imagine her flustered face trying to do school work or have any fun.
The sales person was honest and windows 7 was familiar to the little girl. I hope you feel like you're satisfied, trying to justify a half-baked operating system to a pre-pc age senior citizen. At the cost of your opinions, the girls experience with the PC may very well be terrible.

 

[ingtar33]

It is largely misunderstood, and people don't want to change. That's fine and all, but we're at a point that, just like ingtar33 said, the only thing available is windows 8 machines to sell.

yep. want to know why pc sales are slumping? here it is. I know people are walking away from retailers daily chosing not to buy a PC/Laptop today because of Win8, and chosing to search online for the few remaining win7 computers.

with one of my side jobs building and fixing pcs, i can assure you i've never once been requested to install win8 on a machine. frankly this win8 nonsense has been druming up a lot of business for me, as people don't like it, and want win7, and would rather i build them a machine, and stick win7 on it, then get a machine from bestbuy/wallmart/fry's electronics with win8 on it.

Now I actually like it, because I have spent time using it, showing it to customers, explaining it, and hell... I've sold myself on it. Although, I'd spend 99.9% of my time in the desktop so I don't see any reason to upgrade my current machine(s)...

and this is the problem in a nutshell. Here we have a power user who LIKES win8, and still sees no point to upgrading from win7.

I'm generally ambivalent to win8, though professionally i secretly love it (it's great for business). you'd be amazed how many machines i've been asked to install classic shell on to "fix" win8.

Just today i had a "satisfied" customer who's new win8 laptop i "fixed" 2 months ago, come to me and ask me to install win7 on a new desktop he bought. That's right. he has win8, and it's fixed, and he'd still rather i straight install win7 on the new desktop.

Its a golden age for my side job thanks to Microsoft. But you can't consider any of this good news for the industry as a whole.

 

[JOSHSKORN]

Quit over-analyzing it. It's not Desktop/Laptop friendly. It's only touch screen friendly. There's no Start Menu, no way to enable one, and there's no way to boot directly to the Desktop.
If we can get past that, which, we can't, we'll probably find other annoyances with it. Microsoft needs to address this first and foremost, though.

 

[Bill Wendel]

The problem isn't just with the UI of Windows 8. That you can get used to and there is a free 3rd party program by IObit that will give you back the start button as well, just make sure you uncheck all the extra bloat it wants to install. The other problem is compatibility. I put Windows 8 on my laptop to familiarize myself with it. I had to repurchase both my Kaspersky antivirus and my Nero blueray/dvd/rw software each of which was less than a year old and neither was Win8 compatible. THAT is a good reason to not use Windows 8. I will admit that 8 does run quite a bit quicker than previous versions of Windows but if you have a lot of software to install and use it is definitely not the OS to go with.
Another problem people are going to run into is with the COA or lack there-of. For most name brand computers the Windows license is now locked to code in the motherboard bios. There is no COA for re-install of the OS if you have to replace the motherboard due to upgrade or out of warranty replacement. And I can see someone updating their BIOS and having their Windows want to reactivate.

 

[zyky]

It's sad for the economy when the knowledgeable computer folk have to work at Walmart while sheep are writing op-eds trashing them.

 

[Guest]

The problem isn't just with the UI of Windows 8. That you can get used to and there is a free 3rd party program by IObit that will give you back the start button as well, just make sure you uncheck all the extra bloat it wants to install. The other problem is compatibility. I put Windows 8 on my laptop to familiarize myself with it. I had to repurchase both my Kaspersky antivirus and my Nero blueray/dvd/rw software each of which was less than a year old and neither was Win8 compatible. THAT is a good reason to not use Windows 8. I will admit that 8 does run quite a bit quicker than previous versions of Windows but if you have a lot of software to install and use it is definitely not the OS to go with.
Another problem people are going to run into is with the COA or lack there-of. For most name brand computers the Windows license is now locked to code in the motherboard bios. There is no COA for re-install of the OS if you have to replace the motherboard due to upgrade or out of warranty replacement. And I can see someone updating their BIOS and having their Windows want to reactivate.

bingo compatibility , hit the nail on the head

i also have windows 8 and one could see that every so often that software does not run totally correctly on it because of suttle changes they have made to the desktop

to this date i have isssue with steam client and the overlay and numerous other up to date products.

even the 3rd party start buttons dont 100% work correctly all the time. its a real pain for no good reason

many people let microsoft know that their decision to remove start button, change the desktop, force metro were real issues and microsoft chose to ignore the masses, now they have noone but themselves to blame.

 

[xalted]

I'm sure that sales clerk in Walmart sees a huge commission on every sale he makes, unlike those car salesmen you refer to.

 

[Guest]

It's sad for the economy when the knowledgeable computer folk have to work at Walmart while sheep are writing op-eds trashing them.

what is really sad is when u think just how little that sales person at walmart is making, just how little they are respected or ever acknowledged, most likely its a part time job, with little if any benefits that wont last for long, cause as soon as they qualify for better the company cans them so they dont have to get the increase

and inspite of all that does the right thing.

and then comes along this insult by someone who gets paid worlds better, who has most likely great benefits, mobility, ect and do they do the right thing. no they use their position to piss on the little guy. to call him out, without them even knowing about it and berating their good deed without even being able to respawn. if walmart knew who that sales person was they be gone.

kevin he aint going to lose this job, he's done wonderful for himself and his company, he will continue to get free early exclucive access to all the stuff from microsoft, hey it may even attract some attention to himself, who knows who will be emailing him about doing some writeup for their disaster, perhaps ea, simcity is going down in flames, send a free copy of the game to kevin, send him some swag, invite him for an exclusive interview and to Sims 4 2014 release party!

"By Kevin Parrish May 8, 2013 8:00 PM - Source: Tom's Hardware US

Opionion: Here's One Reason Why SimCity 2013 Sales Are Slow

Maxis shouldn't have to deal with SimCity 4 customer prejudice against SimCity 2013, bla bla bla."

Kevin instant karma..., enjoy

 

[Bill Wendel]

And for those of you still looking for Windows 7 or even Windows XP machines, you can still find them locally. XP machines will likely be used computers but you should still be able to find new Windows 7 computers. You can't go to a name brand store tho. You'll have to go to a local computer repair shop in your town. They likely will still be building computers with Windows 7 on them.