Why Windows 8 Sucks!
Disclaimer: Windows 8 might still turn out to be a good operating system, these thoughts are based on my initial impressions based on the developer preview. I’m not anti Microsoft, nor Anti Windows. I am what you might call a so-called power user of the Microsoft Desktop Operating Systems. I’m currently running Windows 7.
The deception:
It is clear to see Microsoft did not develop Win8 to provide their desktop users with the best possible experience. Instead Microsoft created Win8 to be primarily for tablet devices and desktop users will “have to adjust”. We have to ask ourselves why would they do this, and the answer is fairly simple, they want to sell tablets and they want to dominate that market place. Microsoft’s greatest “weapon” or influence is the Windows operating system. Windows 8 is more than an OS, it is a marketing tool for tablet devices tied to the pockets of Microsoft.
They try to deceive the public with their clever marketing videos demonstrating the “cool” features of Windows 8, but unless you actually own a tablet or a touch-centric device, Windows 8 will make you wish you had one. Indeed you might very well now own a laptop, and think to yourself “Well maybe next time around, I’ll get a tablet”. If you are a desktop user, you’re left wondering where did the operating system go!
The truth about touch:
Touch devices have their place. And they may be suitable for certain types of users and applications, but for those of us working in IT (Developers, Designers, CAD Designers, 3D modellers etc, hell even secretaries) when it comes to getting any work done, we require a keyboard and mouse, this is because touch is a slower and less accurate form of input. Touch also requires more labour over long periods of time. It could in the loooooooong term future be possible to interact with computers by just using your voice, but we are not there yet. To date for pure productivity nothing beats the keyboard and mouse.
Windows 7 was a desktop OS, Windows 8 is for tablets, Where is the new desktop OS?
There isn’t one. We’re expected to adopt to an OS designed for a touch device or …. To be fair Microsoft assure us that Windows 8 will run just fine on a desktop, but I have come across some features in the developer preview which makes me think otherwise.
To log into windows 8, you need to click and drag your mouse from the bottom of the screen upwards, emulating a finger action. JUST TO LOG IN! It doesn’t end there. Metro apps have no traditional close buttons, instead the apps are designed for mobile computing, and using it on a desktop feels awkward.
As a tablet OS Windows 8 is going to be great. But I’m not interested in the tablet aspect right now.
I had a Win7 desktop OS, and it seems logical that the next version of Windows I update to should be a desktop OS right? So why am I now being presented with a tablet OS? I have REAL WORK TO DO, like zounds of other IT professionals, we rely on Windows as a operating system that allows us to do our jobs. Why would I use an OS designed for a tablet?
Conclusion:
If Microsoft continue on this path, and if (at launch) Windows 8 doesn’t feel like a REAL desktop OS, I will most likely abandon using Windows as a client side OS. Instead I will install Linux (designed for desktop productivity), and most likely RDC into Windows 8 servers (Which I’m pretty sure won’t have the tablet features). I’ll be using Windows 8 server for productivity work via RDC from Linux.
i do real IT work and still at XP – 7 times better than Windows &.
hello
September 22, 2011 at 1:44 pm
Mus tnot be too real if still using XP. Version 7 is FAR superior to XP
Trent
September 24, 2011 at 11:03 pm
Wrong, XP is superior to 7.
As long as the average consumer is uneducated (microsoft claimed something to the accord that several advanced user controls confused the average user and hence justified their removal) and easily entertained by “oooh, aero pretty” we’ll continue getting operating systems on the market.
We don’t need voice recognition (which would be far slower than mouse and keyboard [I, for one, can type faster than I can dictate]; we don’t need touch screen (use of broad motions over the fine motor skills of mouse and keyboard); we don’t need these “pseudo-future technologies” that mostly make people feel cool over having them (re, iPad and iPhone [the os is just horrible on these devices.])
I’d rather have technologies that are the LOGICAL DEVELOPMENT rather than the “cool and hip” thing to do. I’d rather consumers be FORCED to READ THE BLOODY MANUAL, than have a device that can’t do anything you couldn’t figure out in 5 min of playing with it. I’d rather there to be underlying complexity HIDDEN (but not removed) by a CRAFTY WELL THOUGHT OUT GUI… not removed all together.
We’re suppose to be heading into a new age of intellect, of technological development; but now it seems that anything that makes the consumer “think” makes it a bad product.
Required
October 8, 2011 at 4:41 am
I disagree with you. I am not referring to all the eye-candy and toys, but the core of the OS. Windows 7 outperforms XP greatly in all ways.
Trent
October 8, 2011 at 9:58 pm
How is XP superior to 7?
I remember my first impression of Windows 7 – I liked the glass, but I hated that stupid Mac-like taskbar. I got it back by going into Taskbar Properties, and voilà; a better version of XP. It looks nice and feels smoother without even upgrading parts, everything’s preinstalled, and it has bug fixes and a smoother interface. (I wish you could evaluate expressions like 2+2 from the search bar, though – something that they didn’t add in Windows 8). So if you want to be anti-change, at the very least, Windows 7 did not degrade from XP. If you insist it only added eye candy… it’s nice eye candy. And it’s free and it’s new. Who cares?
Ryan O'Hara
November 16, 2011 at 7:02 pm
I take it you have not been new desktop computer shopping lately. I have noticed over time there are more and more models with are touch screen based. Some models have the screen and whole computer built into the same cabinet.
If this is the way computers are headed, then why would you keep making operating systems the same way?
Trent
September 22, 2011 at 4:10 pm
I enjoyed your post. I agree with all your points. Win 8 looks cool but just doesn’t make sense on the desktop. The touch enabled, over simplified and minimalistic metro UI is suited for mobile/pad/tablet not the desktop! It makes sense on these smaller form factors. But on a desktop you need/want fine grain control. I’ll be sticking with win7. Windows 8 sucks!!
Mike
September 22, 2011 at 5:13 pm
I have to admit I have the preview version and I too feel it is designed for a touch screen and portable devices. If like the customiizable heiarchal design of the start menu system it is gone. Access is restricted and mouse and keyboard usability is terrible. I fill like someone is trying port the phone OS to the desktop.
I agree with your review. I hope it changes or offers the traditional user the option to dump the clunky interface for a mor traditional one. Trent I think your review is spot on.
As for the so called real IT guy…. you missed the speed boot. Are you tired of paddling yet?
Brad
October 14, 2011 at 8:23 pm
“Wrong, XP is superior to 7.”
- Not in my world. In my world, it is the other way around.
XP: 2D GPU acceleration, tearing desktop (no Vsync on Desktop windows), leading to sometimes having several “ghost-windows”, when something hangs up,… also: Windows 7 handles system ram better (using the “free” Ram for something useful; Superfetch). Those two examples are already enough for me to never use Windows XP again. I do not only work with my computer, …I do “everything” with it (yes, even Porn). For my low-ram and not upgradable devices: I use Readyboost. And yes, it makes a f*cking big difference, when used under the right given circumstances.
“As long as the average consumer is uneducated (microsoft claimed something to the accord that several advanced user controls confused the average user and hence justified their removal) and easily entertained by “oooh, aero pretty” we’ll continue getting operating systems on the market.”
- Windows also targets the mass-market/mainstream, which you seem to forget here. And, for your information, if you haven’t been socializing enough lately; the mainstream does not want complicated stuff. It has to be easy, fast, and clean. I am not saying – I, me, myself – want that, but other ppl do. It is difficult to please every monkey yelling, you know?! On the enterprise side of things it’s different. But the enterprise won’t be switching to Windows 8 any time soon anyway. Most of them just upgraded to Windows 8.
“We don’t need voice recognition (which would be far slower than mouse and keyboard [I, for one, can type faster than I can dictate]; we don’t need touch screen (use of broad motions over the fine motor skills of mouse and keyboard); we don’t need these “pseudo-future technologies” that mostly make people feel cool over having them (re, iPad and iPhone [the os is just horrible on these devices.])”
- I disagree. Your brain seems to only focus on what YOU want for yourself. Sorry, but by asuming “WE” don’t need voice recognition, you are very wrong. What about ppl who don’t have a feature called “arms and hands” to use a keyboard and mouse? Have you ever thought about those humans? Oh, no, you obviously haven’t. How about this: I worked at a hospital for two years. I saw the doctors using voice recognition all the time. Why? While working and cutting flesh in to piece, they were actually using voice recognition to do their stuff on the computer, without even the need to touch the mouse and keyboard – soaked in blood and flesh. Also, my own mother has a disability with her hands. What do you think does she use to control the computer? Ah, yes……….voice recognition.
- And you do it again: “we don’t need touch screen.” Well, I do – depending on the device I am using and depending on how I am traveling and what I want to use. I very much enjoy using my iPad with on hand, on my couch, while giving my balls a sack-massage with the other, thank you. I also like the flat design, which I use when driving home from work and vice versa. It fits in my bag nice and can be held like a book. Playing games, reading stuff, browsing the web and looking at videos, photos and listening to music is a lot of fun, on my tablet, when sitting in the bus, on the way home.
“I’d rather have technologies that are the LOGICAL DEVELOPMENT rather than the “cool and hip” thing to do. I’d rather consumers be FORCED to READ THE BLOODY MANUAL, than have a device that can’t do anything you couldn’t figure out in 5 min of playing with it. I’d rather there to be underlying complexity HIDDEN (but not removed) by a CRAFTY WELL THOUGHT OUT GUI… not removed all together.”
- What is logical and what not? Isn’t everything depending on the point of view? For many it seems only logical for Microsoft to jump on the “touch-screen” bus and to drive that thing in to before forbidden and fresh, new areas. Since everything else is going in that direction, one could assume, that this move is the only logical thing to do – in terms of development.
- Also, I have seen better results with older gen. ppl using tablets and those “simplified” OS, then when using something as “complicated” like a full-blown Windows 7 desktop. It really depends on the comsumer. This is why I like Linux so much: You have the freedom of choice. Don’t like it? Change it.
“We’re suppose to be heading into a new age of intellect, of technological development; but now it seems that anything that makes the consumer “think” makes it a bad product.”
- Says who? I don’t know about you, but I want my computer to actually take off some work from me, because I have other, more important matters, that need to be taken care of. So, I actually want my computer to be as easy to use as it gets. This is the main reason why I bought the thing.
This is why choice and optional is good; in this case.
Sleek GUI, but with advanced technical options. Sleek GUI = for the mainstream consumer and hidden, technical options for the advanced user, which should be advanced enough, in order to actually find it (since they’re advanced users).
In Windows 8 case, my suggestion is this:
1) Make things optional and do not “force” users to use two things at the same time, if they don’t want to. Give the tablet/touch-screen users their tablet oriented Windows-OS and give the Desktop users the usual OS. In other words: Don’t assume everyone will like the “mix” of two different GUIS, working parallel to eachother. This only confuses the user more than before.
2) Make this choice optional, but recommend the default Desktop by auto-detecting the hardware/machine being used. If you do not like what it recommends, then give the option to change it. Make it easy understandable and give some info on what is what. Sort of like how you can actually select your wished Desktop on Linux. I have four Desktop choices installed on my Ubuntu Linux machine: Gnome 3, Gnome 2, KDE and XFCE. I use Gnome 2.x. My girlfriend uses Gnome 3. My Brother uses KDE. A friend of mine uses XFCE. Depending on the user wanting to use the machine, it can be changed to whatever the user wants – right from the login screen. Every single one of us still has access to everything we need and want – but from difference interfaces (speaking of my family here).
I imagine it like this:
1) Windows 8 boots up after a fresh install.
2) It detects the system in use.
3) It recommends a default Desktop, that can be changed if the user wants something else.
3a) A few of these options could be:
* Metro only.
* Metro and Aero (like it is now; in the dev. preview)
* Aero “normal” Desktop only.
4) Go on with the normal install and adjust, configure and adapt to whatever the user chose to use.
5) When done; make it easy for a user to switch to something else afterwards, like on (for example) Ubuntu Linux. Make it accessible and easy to use or find.
Done.
Marshall Kurt
November 9, 2011 at 7:01 pm
PS: I do want to note, though, that I agree with most of the things posted in the article: If Windows 8 stays the way it is now (dev. preview), it will only bring more confusion to everyone wanting to use it. Some things should not be mixed or forced. If you actually set it up and make it optional for different tastes and user, it should be very, very nice, since Windows will then really be on every device you can imagine. I think, if Windows 8 stays the way it is right now; flop. If they tune stuff a bit, like I mentioned before; win.
Marshall Kurt
November 9, 2011 at 7:07 pm
I am fed up with Windows. I have used Windows products since the Dos days and I dislike the direction Microsoft is headed in. I switched to Linux earlier this year and I wonder why I did not do it sooner! I have ALL of my important windows applications running natively using WINE. I never have to worry about viruses, spyware or poor performance. My machine is stable, it runs day in and day out without ever needing a reboot. My computer runs faster than it ever did running Windows. It never slows down like Windows did… I had to reinstall my system every 6 months. Linux allows me to balance my work-flow and get my projects done!
10 years ago Linux was difficult for me to figure out… These days it is really easy to install and everything works right out of the box without the need to install drivers. No operating system is perfect. Windows has met and fallen short of my expectations. Linux continuously exceeds my expectations. I will admit that Linux is not for everyone, it requires a little work to get everything customised to your liking. Once you have your system setup to your specifications, you will have a workhorse that will keep running until the hardware actually fails. I guess that is why Linux powers most of the internet servers and super-computers.
Bottom line: As a Windows power user with 20+ years of computing experience, I cannot sing Linux enough praises. it has truly matured to a point where it is a wonderful alternative to Windows. If you do not like Windows 8, try LinuxMint, PinguyOS 11.04 or ZorinOS 5
Spatry
November 18, 2011 at 3:55 am
Wow. I don’t like Windows 8 either, for me because of the “ribbon” and the “made for Tablets” aspect. However, I have to say you don’t really provide any examples of why Windows 8 sucks. Other than saying you don’t like moving the mouse diagonally you really don’t provide anything. I was looking for someone who had tried the o/s and didn’t like it to show more concrete reasons why it sucks, and I came across your “article”. I read it and it offered nothing other than “where’s my desktop o/s” and “I don’t like the tablet feel”.
Man, I have not downloaded the “developers edition” and have not had the opportunity to try it. You have, but offer nothing in the way of an argument. How about a coherent list of things you find problematic? Are you using the “Windows 7 Traditional” desktop? What’s NOT traditional about it? How is the Start Menu different from Windows 7? (Not talking about Metro here, but the desktop) Does it use traditional windows (not metro)? How does it handle multi-monitors? Can you make the system auto-boot into Windows 7 desktop without ever seeing Metro? IS the fill-screen app problem only in Metro or also a problem in Windows 7 desktop? Can you not control the size of the windows?
This o/s sounds like a real devolution to me, but I’m not hearing a lot of facts from the people who have tried it.
Mergatroid
December 8, 2011 at 1:24 am
What Microsoft basically did to develop Windows 8 was to take the core of Windows 7, add support for ARM processors, update libraries and modules and finally add the Metro theme to a minimalistic version of Aero. And the result is, well, truly horrible. A bland theme like metro works only in mobile devices where clarity and cleanliness overshadow the need for a real, good UI. But following the same mantra for a predominantly PC OS like Windows may lead to it repeating the grand failure of Vista. I hate the touch-oriented controls. If the world is heading towards touch devices and tablet PC’s ,its fine, but imposing the same OS experience on PC users with non-touch display units is outrageous. Microsoft should realize its follies and rectify them before the launch, otherwise they are holding a looser in their hands.
Shourya1
December 17, 2011 at 11:19 am
You probably don’t play game according to your conclusion. It’s a pain in the ass to play any game in linux.
roy
December 30, 2011 at 2:21 am
Emmmmm you are aware you can install Windows server on your PC do you? Servers are same as PC, just have hardware made more for CPU power and networking, so it can run same software. So don’t need to pain yourself to use remote desktop :p
Shadowriver (@ShadowriverUB)
January 15, 2012 at 3:05 am
Well, I’ve just tried the Developers’ Preview, and I am appalled, not for any of the reasons I see here, but because I see that the trend of Microsoft OSes to take more control away from the user with every release has taken a worrying turn for the worse. Gone is the Start Menu, because MS reckons nobody uses it anymore. Really? I hated Windows 7 for trying to force me to put everything into libraries. I don’t want libraries. I just want my stuff where I know how to get to it. Windows 8 practically succeeds in making you use libraries, like it or not.
There are all sorts of worrying “features” which all seem to result in the OS phoning home so Microsoft can “help” you. Don’t they mean “control”? Yes they do. That’s what it’s all about.Doing computing Microsoft’s way.
Anyway, it does as well look like a huge Phone 7 UI and I certainly don’t like that.
I see another Vista/ME coming.
freddyzdead
January 23, 2012 at 9:15 am
Have you even bothered to really examine it? If you had, you would have found the regular desktop is restorable as you are used to seeing
Trent
February 9, 2012 at 5:37 pm
i only can laugh to people still using win xp. i really feel sorry for them. in fact i feel sorry for people still using any of MS bullshit. i stopped i think 5 years ago’ MS is passed for me, and it will stay there.
hhhhh
February 8, 2012 at 9:01 pm
Some people don’t want to use touch pads, personally I hate touch pads. I would rather a keyboard and mouse. Developers should think of this because it won’t exactly please everyone. Then again I am the kind of person who hates with a passion wireless technology and if I had a choice I’d stay plugged into my Router/modem. I don’t like how -everything- needs a touch pad. Why not instead of making new shit why not develop the things we already have?
Uno Aphex
February 11, 2012 at 10:04 pm
Windows 8 looks like a Vista 2.0
ill pass , wait for windows 9
amr
February 16, 2012 at 2:11 am