Will the average Windows PC user jump to Windows 8 next year or snub the new OS as a platform geared more for mobile devices?

Has there ever been a time in the history of computer usage where a large number of people jumped to a new OS when it was released instead of the standard upgrade time, "when your current computer craps out and you buy a new one that has the most recent OS on it".

FTFA: The next version of Windows will be Microsoft's first attempt to offer the same operating system for both PCs and mobile devices.

And this is why it will fail. People use mobile devices much differently than they do desktops. The fact that Microsoft hasn't figured that out is beyond surprising, it's idiotic. When a person is on a mobile device they want something fast, streamlined, small, and quick. They use mobile devices to check phone numbers, addresses, notes, and e-mail.

A desktop, on the other hand, is used for much, much more, even in the business world. A desktop needs to be able to browse the web and access information from sites without funky and clunky interfaces getting in the way, it needs to be able to be used for everything from writing reports to writing papers and drawing pictures in basic graphics programs like MSPaint, it needs to be able to store large amounts of data (not in the cloud, on a hard drive), and it needs to be able run business software, as well as games more complicated than Angry Birds.

The fact that Microsoft even thinks they can put out an OS that can be run on either and do the same thing is a huge indicator that more than just a few people high up on the food chain have absolutely no clue what they are doing.

And the touch interface on a desktop? Who the fark has a touch interface desktop? I know of exactly one person, and that's only because he's a graphics designer that uses it for work. Everyone else I know uses a keyboard and mouse. Aiming at a niche market of desktop users on top of everything else is just pants on head retarded.

/happy with Windows7
//was happy with Windows XP as well

CNET is the web's version of smoking crack and writing anything that comes to mind without any proof

Every time I hear someone biatching about Vista, I always laugh hysterically and toss them $30 to buy some more freaking RAM.

/used Vista since just a bit after the release and not once had a problem
//also played around with the Beta of it

nervoust: CNET is the web's version of smoking crack and writing anything that comes to mind without any proof

I like how they use the pad screen shot for their article.

Of course 8 looks like that, its made for mobile OS mainly but will still integrate with all of MS's recent products, from the testing I have seen it looks really good.

Just a side note here, that's Metro, the new touch-based UI. It is not, however, the only desktop available and can be swapped out for the more traditional one which actually looks like Windows 7 right now.

Learn to Super/Win+M guys. You'll get over it.

Iczer: Every time I hear someone biatching about Vista, I always laugh hysterically and toss them $30 to buy some more freaking RAM.

/used Vista since just a bit after the release and not once had a problem
//also played around with the Beta of it


Vista sucks. I've had to make programs for it since before it was released, and the inner workings of it are a mishmash of parts that barely work with each other. Plus there's the whole UAC thing that muddles the workings

I just recently upgraded to 7 from XP. I think I'm good til Windows 12

I have tried to run the developer preview on Virtualbox, but it crashes every 2min and restarts. The new interface is really tough to get used too. It is the ME of interfaces.

If Microsoft was smart they would keep 7 around longer to secure a XP transition before making 8 gold master.

I noticed Lion had some of that mobile OS BS creeping in... then Microsoft doubled down with a complete mobile UI for your desktop.

I have no intention to upgrade to Lion or Windows 8 in the foreseeable future. This was a complete waste of time OS versioning this time around.

Ugh, I think we had that same user interface installed on our old Packard Bell circa 1994.

WTF, microsoft? You were doing so well with 7. Even Vista isn't that miserable with SP2 installed and UAC disabled.

Iczer: Every time I hear someone biatching about Vista, I always laugh hysterically and toss them $30 to buy some more freaking RAM.

/used Vista since just a bit after the release and not once had a problem
//also played around with the Beta of it

Never had a problem with it either. The amount of butthurt and rage towards Vista, even now, is just so hilariously sad.

Windoze ate pre beta done good is. touch screen hated for desktop cheeto's disease. Windoze 8 is Windozes 7 with touch app in your face tweak you bum.

/Well..... That was fun, have a nice brain hurt.

It takes years and years of practice to become this tone-deaf to your customers' needs. Bravo, Microsoft.

Iczer: Every time I hear someone biatching about Vista, I always laugh hysterically and toss them $30 to buy some more freaking RAM.

/used Vista since just a bit after the release and not once had a problem
//also played around with the Beta of it

Windows 7 is better. I'm not ragging on Vista, but 7 really is better.

galactus5000: Iczer: Every time I hear someone biatching about Vista, I always laugh hysterically and toss them $30 to buy some more freaking RAM.

/used Vista since just a bit after the release and not once had a problem
//also played around with the Beta of it

Never had a problem with it either. The amount of butthurt and rage towards Vista, even now, is just so hilariously sad.

Really? Defending Vista? On some installs there weren't issues but other well equipped machines were just brought to their knees by Vista. It wasn't merely a lack of resources, it was that Vista was a highly temperamental OS.

MayoSlather: galactus5000: Iczer: Every time I hear someone biatching about Vista, I always laugh hysterically and toss them $30 to buy some more freaking RAM.

/used Vista since just a bit after the release and not once had a problem
//also played around with the Beta of it

Never had a problem with it either. The amount of butthurt and rage towards Vista, even now, is just so hilariously sad.

Really? Defending Vista? On some installs there weren't issues but other well equipped machines were just brought to their knees by Vista. It wasn't merely a lack of resources, it was that Vista was a highly temperamental OS.

Show me an OS that isn't temperamental. I don't doubt that people had problems with it, and I know I remain in the minority of those who have never had issue - but we are one (soon to be two) major OS builds away from Vista, there is no need to fly into a frothy rage (as some people still do) at the mere mention of it.

To everyone who's complaining about the new Metro interface on the desktop, there's a registry hack which'll reset you to the Win7 desktop UI. If that's an option for the actual release, my opinion of Win8 will improve dramatically.

Plus the backend people will have had 3 more years to perfect and streamline the backend stuff, since this is basically Vista 3.0, so it'll use less RAM and run a little bit faster.

/Metro is a decent touch interface, but ye gods, it sucks for traditional computers.
//And all those sample apps that came with the developer builds were built by a bunch of my friends who got internships at MSFT last year.

bulldg4life: Has there ever been a time in the history of computer usage where a large number of people jumped to a new OS when it was released instead of the standard upgrade time, "when your current computer craps out and you buy a new one that has the most recent OS on it".

Hell, I had Vista on my computer for the past 4 years and just switched to 7 last month when I bought a new computer - and I am somewhat computer literate.. The average user doesn't give three shiats about their OS (unless it is like Mac OS which you pimps out incremental upgrades like the one I just had to purchase on my parent's stupid home PC for them to turn on photo sharing with their iPad).

cman: If there was any time for a new OS to come in and take over the OS market the time is now.

The current trend is to cater to the casual computer users. Even in ubuntu with their whole unity thing (at least you can still get rid of unity).

/sticking with gnome and gnome-panels for as long as I can.

/I tried unity, didn't care for it.

Iczer: Every time I hear someone biatching about Vista, I always laugh hysterically and toss them $30 to buy some more freaking RAM.

My issues with vista had nothing to do with ram.



/it just didn't give me any compelling reason to move off of XP.

I just switched to 7 from XP earlier this year.

It's going to be a while before I even entertain the possibility of a new OS.

Wake the fark up Microsoft.

Sounds good to me. Vista rocked. I'd be willing to bet that 99.9% of people who had difficulties with Vista either didn't have enough RAM or had problems with third party drivers (read: not Vista's fault).

Windows 7 just put some polish on it. And to everyone biatching about the Windows 8 interface: It's optional. You can turn it off. Chill out.

Dalek Caan's doomed mistress: The fact that Microsoft hasn't figured that out is beyond surprising, it's idiotic.

And you really actually think they haven't figured this out?

One of the major bits of feedback from the beta was that people wanted to switch to the traditional desktop view and that will be catered for.

Metro is specifically geared for touch screens and is replacing the XBox tabs. It's had rave reviews from it's rollout on Windows Phone and is one of the few positives given that the phone is not selling that well (I don't understand why Phone 7 hasn't been set up for tablets yet, although Windows 8 may well be the reason)

Honest Bender: Sounds good to me. Vista rocked. I'd be willing to bet that 99.9% of people who had difficulties with Vista either didn't have enough RAM or had problems with third party drivers (read: not Vista's fault).

Windows 7 just put some polish on it. And to everyone biatching about the Windows 8 interface: It's optional. You can turn it off. Chill out.

Then what does Windows 8 bring to the table? If you want me or my business to switch operating systems, you need to give me a very good reason. Windows Seven works well, and until it doesn't, I'm not changing.

Gig103: Even before seeing that horrible screenshot, I had no intention of upgrading. It took me 10 years to grow tired of Windows XP. I could see Windows 7 lasting that long too.

^-- THIS.

And it's got Microsoft scared. People are only just starting to consider moving off of XP, Enterprise sized entities are still pushing out XP (a few are on 2K) because compliance testing takes THAT long (or IT is THAT understaffed).

That and Microsoft's pricing structure for the Home versions of 7 is just batshiat insane to a consumer: £80+ for Home Premium. Love em or hate em Apple charged £20ish for Lion, that's about the right price for a commercial non-server OS.

That and please point out the person that thought Metro would be a good desktop UI. I wish to mock him personally.

Using Kubuntu on my PC. Can't think of a compelling reason now to go back to Windows. Oh, except that Wine has been unreliable.

Honest Bender: And to everyone biatching about the Windows 8 interface: It's optional. You can turn it off. Chill out.

No, you can't. Last time I checked there was nothing in the control panel that could kill Metro. Random strings of bollocks being pushed in to the registry doesn't count, that is well beyond your average computer user. I am also given to understand that even that registry entry doesn't de-Metro the Start menu.

BigBooper: Then what does Windows 8 bring to the table? If you want me or my business to switch operating systems, you need to give me a very good reason.

They know damn well most businesses are not going to switch regardless of what happens (shiat places still use windows 95 on old machines if they can, no business wants to upgrade an OS if they can avoid it), and that the average user likely isn't going to as well.

Its all about what will be put on new machines.

eraser8: I use Windows 7 now ONLY because it came with my current machine. Otherwise, I guarantee you I'd still be using Vista.

I encountered an odd problem with XP and a USB headset, not the robot but stuttering and looping from the mic. Windows 7 didn't suffer the same problem on the same hardware so we bit the bullet and got it legit.

If not for that we'd still be on XP.

sarah_t_s: Last time I checked

Last time I checked it was still in development. Last time I checked every version of windows that's introduced a new UI has also included a setting to go back to the old UI.

BigBooper: Then what does Windows 8 bring to the table?

You're right. They totally just slapped an 8 on the box and pushed it out the door... You're a moron. How about instead of assuming they didn't change anything you go google something like "Windows 8 new features changes" and actually find out what's new/different about it.

BigBooper: Then what does Windows 8 bring to the table? If you want me or my business to switch operating systems, you need to give me a very good reason. Windows Seven works well, and until it doesn't, I'm not changing.

An interface that doesn't suck balls on a tablet.

This is a push towards unifying touch screen devices with the desktop, and as such is likely to be marketed towards the leisure side of things rather than business. As has been mentioned before, it will be put on new machines and you'll have the option of ditching the Metro interface for a more familiar Windows one for desktop use.

it ain't a horrible idea, they just need to decide which desktop they want. Almost everything runs on the web it's ok to try and bring folks back to using multiple programs, but fragmenting the taskbar isn't the right way

Obligatory.

galactus5000: Iczer: Every time I hear someone biatching about Vista, I always laugh hysterically and toss them $30 to buy some more freaking RAM.

/used Vista since just a bit after the release and not once had a problem
//also played around with the Beta of it

Never had a problem with it either. The amount of butthurt and rage towards Vista, even now, is just so hilariously sad.

Same here. Still running Vista. Never once had a problem.

King Keepo:
This is a push towards unifying touch screen devices with the desktop, and as such is likely to be marketed towards the leisure side of things rather than business. As has been mentioned before, it will be put on new machines and you'll have the option of ditching the Metro interface for a more familiar Windows one for desktop use.

If they don't improve the latter Windows 8 will be a repeat of the Vista fiasco. I wish that they were just making Win8 for the leisure side but that is not the case. All of the business side of Microsoft are designing their next version around Metro and will use the Metro interface.....