Analysts, PC industry cool on Windows 8

Another flawed premise. It's like estimating the effects on the motor-scooter industry by the release of a new luxury sedan car. People who need PCs acquired them long ago, and they don't need to upgrade RIGHT NOW, since Windows XP and 7 and the CPUs have proved so versatile and long-lasting.

How many offices are equipped only with tablets? How many students or academics write their papers on touch screens? It's a different market for different consumers.

since Windows XP and 7 and the CPUs have proved so versatile and long-lasting.

yes. windows xp and 7 are proven pretty useful.

I am also pessimistic about this new win8. First how many of my programs and software drivers will have compatibility with this OS. Second, The metro interface style Microsoft is trying to implement won't appeal that much because it looks like a clutter of infos thus "confusing" to most users. Third, Win7 is already a great OS for your work so why buy/upgrade win8?

It's a different market for different consumers.

True. I use linux for my servers, projects on my win7, communications on my smartphone, and entertainment on my macs.

Another bomb from our friends at Microsoft. Only question is... is anyone surprised? Now you've got all those handsets that are ready to run on yet another crap system. Switch to Apple already!

titaniumdioxideOct. 19, 2012 - 08:18AM JST

I am also pessimistic about this new win8. First how many of my programs and software drivers will have compatibility with this OS.

It's built on kernel 6.2, so like Windows 7 95%+ of the Vista/7 drivers should work fine, especially as long as you keep the major drivers Windows 8 certified. That means basically your graphics card, one thing most people don't have to worry about and there's already Windows 8 drivers out for.

Second, The metro interface style Microsoft is trying to implement won't appeal that much because it looks like a clutter of infos thus "confusing" to most users.

It's very similar to the Zune HD/ Windows Phone 7 UI, both of which take at most a week to get used to, both of which are years ahead in terms of useability. Hell, most people wonder why their iGunk doesn't work as smoothly as my Zune when I show them it, and that's already half a decade old. Most users will get used to it really quickly, and some might actually never bother going into desktop mode ever again.

Third, Win7 is already a great OS for your work so why buy/upgrade win8?

For most people, nothing really, for new laptops it's for touch controls, and for productivity in desktop. They completely revamped task manager and multi-monitor support. For someone like me that uses both, it's a huge benefit to productivity.

True. I use linux for my servers, projects on my win7, communications on my smartphone, and entertainment on my macs.

Windows 7 is better for entertainment creation and consumption. Windows 8 goes one step further. If you like the HTPC method for entertainment, just get Windows 8 and a Wiimote/kinect. Kinect interface is still a few months from working smoothly, but a Wiimote to point and click on Metro is just too irresistible.

smithinjapanOct. 19, 2012 - 11:01AM JST

Another bomb from our friends at Microsoft. Only question is... is anyone surprised? Now you've got all those handsets that are ready to run on yet another crap system. Switch to Apple already!

Obviously you still haven't tried the RTM that we had a link to. Use it and you'll change your mind about being a fanboy.

JeffLeeOct. 19, 2012 - 07:34AM JST

People who need PCs acquired them long ago,

Typically personal computers are replaced every 3-5 years (back with vista or late XP for ones buying now), and business computers between 2 and 7 years (2 for CAD/engineering/media types, 7 for your cash register types). Considering there's a billion personal computers (and more including businesses), there are always people buying new systems.

Another bomb from our friends at Microsoft. Only question is... is anyone surprised?

Heh, probably just you. People here seems to be reluctant switching to Win8 because they're too busy praising Win7. Have you tried Win7?

@basroil

some might actually never bother going into desktop mode ever again.

I feel the other way around. Windows removed the start menu and replaced it with a "star screen" which is not so comfortable looking as I was accustomed with it since windows 98. I still prefer the desktop, and besides if I want apps like in the new win8 "start menu" I can also do it with win7 widgets.

titaniumdioxideOct. 19, 2012 - 07:57PM JST

I feel the other way around. Windows removed the start menu and replaced it with a "star screen" which is not so comfortable looking as I was accustomed with it since windows 98.

Most of the people I know, including some in science and engineering, still don't bother using the start menu or even know how to use it properly. They just stick a million icons on their desktop until it looks like a middle school kid's skateboard. For all of those people (which I can bet you is the large majority), this will be a godsend, or at least not a problem at all.

Personally I don't use the start menu too much, I have my favorite apps hotkeyed to my gaming keyboard (yes, getting one of those MMO type keyboards is great with the right key binding software) or in the taskbar, and use the start search for everything else. You can still do start search so it's going to be a non-event in my case.

Considering that you actually believe the start menu is the same as it was in 95/98, I think you just haven't noticed how much changed between 98 and XP, and again with Windows 7. If you want just a windows 95/98 style app list, just pin a start menu shortcut to the taskbar (http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2460-start-menu-toolbar-create-windows-8-taskbar.html), and for everything else the charms menu is just as functional but faster.

I still prefer the desktop, and besides if I want apps like in the new win8 "start menu" I can also do it with win7 widgets.

Two issues:

1) Why are you seeing your desktop frequently? Most people just have multiple things open and switch between them. Constantly going to the desktop slows everything down, much like bothering to search programs by going to the start menu rather than using start search.

2) No, you can't, at least not yet. Windows 7 gadgets are not only obsolete, but also resource hogs and potential security risks. Ones in Win8 don't make you suddenly start up with 500mb of absolutely useless garbage. New apps designed for Win8/RT won't be able to be used in Win 7 until the Windows 7 update comes out (scheduled sometime next year last I heard, IE10 a bit earlier).

From what I read, with Windows 8 Microsoft returns to its old dirty trick of making Windows Explorer an essential part of the operating system. I thought that issue had been settled in the courts and declared illegal. How can they get away with that?

@WilliB: it's IE. Windows Explorer has always been an inseparable part of windows. What's wrong with IE anyway? At least you need a browser to download Firefox :D.

Windows 8 has the same guts as win7. Any complains about incompatibility are invalid

WilliBOct. 20, 2012 - 02:06AM JST

From what I read, with Windows 8 Microsoft returns to its old dirty trick of making Windows Explorer an essential part of the operating system. I thought that issue had been settled in the courts and declared illegal. How can they get away with that?

1) Why do google (android) and Apple (OSX, iOS) NOT have to do the same thing? In Apple's case it's even worse, Apple refuses to allow browsers that have any features the system doesn't, like flash and java.

2) From what I've SEEN, Windows 8 still lets you choose your browser for desktop, and if you want a metro browser, Firefox currently has an alpha build with Metro support (touchscreen buttons and all). All your current browsers work fine in Windows 8 desktop, it's just metro ones that are currently not available (but thanks to the new windows SDK, they are being built and will be free, unlike alternatives for ipad)

3) They were unfairly targeted from the beginning. People's lack of will to search for a better browser should not have been considered anti-competitive as microsoft never disallowed other browsers. They did make it annoying at times with default browser setting, but all the other OSes out there don't even give you that option!

@blackrock Your own statement is very erroneous therefore INVALID. IE !=(not equals to ) Windows explorer. IE is a web browser, while Windows Explorer is a file manager.

@basroils

all the other OSes out there don't even give you that option!

That is so ridiculous, considering that I'm running windows' internet explorer(yes IE on mac), firefox, and google chrome on my Macintosh.

lostrune: "Heh, probably just you. People here seems to be reluctant switching to Win8 because they're too busy praising Win7. Have you tried Win7?"

No, actually, I'm not surprised at all. I know that with all the hype a number of Windows users were looking forward to it and a few of them are not too pleased to hear about this.

And yes, I've tried Windows 7. It's an improvement on other Windows OS, to be sure, but still sucks compared to anything Apple produces. It's butt ugly like all other Windows OS as well.

eniumfields: "That is so ridiculous, considering that I'm running windows' internet explorer(yes IE on mac), firefox, and google chrome on my Macintosh."

Exactly!!

basroil:

" 2) From what I've SEEN, Windows 8 still lets you choose your browser for desktop "

That is not what I meant. I meant that Internet Explorer is ensconced in the operating system and used for internal tasks, so it is impossible to remove. You can only add other browsers, not replace IE. That is how I understand the descriptions; maybe I am wrong.

With Microsoft's profits crashing, "lipstick on a pig" Windows 8 and the Surface Tablet about to follow in the wake of Zune, Kin, XBox, Windows Phone and that watch thingy, and monkey man Steve Ballmer at the helm, the company's future doesn't look too rosy.

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2012/10/19/microsofts-surface-is-apples-ping/#more-4739

@eniumfields

@blackrock Your own statement is very erroneous therefore INVALID. IE !=(not equals to ) Windows explorer. IE is a web browser, while Windows Explorer is a file manager.

No, you got me wrong. I corrected that he was talking about IE, not Windows Explorer.

@smith: if you think windows 7 sucks then we have nothing to discuss anymore. Your fanboism is too much.

That is not what I meant. I meant that Internet Explorer is ensconced in the operating system and used for internal tasks, so it is impossible to remove. You can only add other browsers, not replace IE. That is how I understand the descriptions; maybe I am wrong.

Well, you're right about that. You can remove the GUI of IE, but many internal services remain. But people were complaining about the IE's GUI btw.