Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Reactions to Windows 8

You know, the launch of Windows 8 is not that far away. We already have an RTM leak, we have already been though betas (obviously).

Thoughts on Windows 8 are mixed. Some think that the inclusion of the "Windows 8 UI" interface is bad for Windows 8, especially if the OS is going to be used on a PC without touch capabilities  One way Microsoft can fix this is to add an option to disable the Windows 8 UI, leaving you to boot directly to the desktop after login. Then another issue arises - the location of the new start button. All I can say to MS about these issues is "oh brother."


I say this because of 2 simple reasons: 1) These users will keep going on with this until you fix the problem or add a solution, because you should try to please these users. 2) You are essentially ditching classic users of Windows. You could also be affecting the elders. People who have been loyal to Windows since its early days, or has been using Windows for a while know where the start menu button is. While not used as often as before, a lot of people still use it to find their files, search for items such as documents and programs, launched pinned programs, quick access to computer settings, etc. With the new Windows 8 interface, it might be a workout trying to figure out how to get around this. And you also have elders. I don't want to trash old people, but they are known to take a little bit longer to catch up with the computer. Take my dad for example. He barely uses his machine, while I could possibly tell him how to do everything with his machine, and how to get the most out of it. He likes Windows 7, and I'm making sure that he is not going to be put though this new interface. If so, I'm switching him to Ubuntu - something he already likes.

You can solve the Windows 8 start menu though the use of third party shells. Some find this as an easy solution, and most of the time you won't notice any real visual difference. The problem with using 3 rd party tools, is, of course, the fact that it is 3rd party software. You always run the risk of what the code in a program truly contains, unless the program is open source. In that case, you can look at and modify the code to your likings.

Reactions
Today I present you with two videos for you to review if you wish. The first one is a system administrator's reaction to Windows 8 for the first time, and the second one is Chris Pirillo's video on his dad reacting to Windows 8. Sure, there are more videos, but these are the more popular ones.

You can suggest more videos if you wish. Also, Pirillo has another video on his dad reacting to Ubuntu 11.10 I believe. Another funny video.