After Bumpy Start, Microsoft Rethinks Windows 8

[mikexthetyrant]

"Ms. Reller said Microsoft had sold about 100 million licenses for Windows 8 since the software was introduced, roughly in line with the number of Windows 7 licenses sold in the comparable amount of time after its introduction. While research firms like IDC are showing double-digit declines in PC shipments, Ms. Reller said those figures reflected sales into retail channels, not to actual customers. She said Microsoft was seeing consistent growth in PCs going through the online activation process that everyone with a new PC has to do."

hmmm It doesn't say if it counts the fact that if you bought a PC/Laptop it counts as buying Windows 8. Most new Computers you buy come with Windows 8 now. And guys its a company so BLUES wont be free and we know it. What ever they can do to make money they will make money. They being ANY COMPANY.

[David2074]

mikexthetyrant

And guys its a company so BLUES wont be free and we know it. What ever they can do to make money they will make money. They being ANY COMPANY.

No argument that MS wants to make money but it doesn't mean an upgrade for to the 'fixed' version of Windows 8 will necessarily be a charge for folks that bought the first version. This would not be a first. They are making the changes because they acknowledge a lot of people do not like the current version. So basically they will probably go which ever way they think will cost them less.

Charging for upgrades makes them more money up front but may cost them more in the long run due to unhappy customers. Either due to them considering a move to Mac or due to folks being slow to adapt Windows 9 or whatever they call the next big version. If you screw over the folks who are first to try your new product, whether that is a Windows or an iPod or whatever, then the next time around more people will hold off on buying to let others take the initial risk. Then slow sales of the new version can create the public perception that it is a flop.
I'm sure they have folks trying to figure out which approach helps them to milk the most money out of people in the long run.

[Keltoi Samurai]

mikexthetyrant

"Ms. Reller said Microsoft had sold about 100 million licenses for Windows 8 since the software was introduced, roughly in line with the number of Windows 7 licenses sold in the comparable amount of time after its introduction. While research firms like IDC are showing double-digit declines in PC shipments, Ms. Reller said those figures reflected sales into retail channels, not to actual customers. She said Microsoft was seeing consistent growth in PCs going through the online activation process that everyone with a new PC has to do."

hmmm It doesn't say if it counts the fact that if you bought a PC/Laptop it counts as buying Windows 8. Most new Computers you buy come with Windows 8 now. And guys its a company so BLUES wont be free and we know it. What ever they can do to make money they will make money. They being ANY COMPANY.

the funny thing is that, by those sales models, they are pretty literally admitting that nobody likes Windows 8, since at the current timeframe, the bulk of those Windows 7 sales are gonna be people who bought a new computer, uninstalled Windows 8 because it was horrible, then installed Windows 7, meaning that their own sales figures suggest their Windows 8 is a flop.

they're basically admitting to polishing up a turd for us to buy.

[Jeremy Kaji]

tl;dr We need to teach the losers with normal computers how to use our new OS.

Seriously? Microsoft needs to get a clue. Not everyone likes touchscreens. Forcing them to use such devices will make them seek alternatives unless they play windows games, in which case they will uninstall and get windows 7 or (gasp) XP or not even upgrade if they have a functional computer.

I see Windows 8 as good on surface pro like devices, on a desktop, unless it is an all in one with a touch screen, is a waste of time. but small screens are difficult to use the typical desktop to interact with windows and what not.

But what really erks me is the way that the higher the resolution screens that are being produced are unfairly being used up by a majority of the interface items. I have always hated screen clutter. even on windows xp I hated it when the new interface took up 20 extra pixels (just an assumption, don't know exactly), on the screen I had at the time, I had 1024x768 and the screen real estate was wasted with the start menu and task bar size, I would usually use classic mode for the interface. Fast forward to windows 8... suddenly the start menu (so to speak) takes up the whole screen and wastes a lot of space. Even the metro apps waste a lot of space just so that if touch screen is being used it's easy to poke. But that still annoys me. at least 7 let's you adjust sizes of objects in the interface.

Now I'm not sure if they still do it, but a friend of mine back in the xp days bought a new computer that had xp, uninstalled it, installed Linux, then took the windows install media and the product key, placed it in a package and sent it back to Microsoft, who gave him a refund for the license. Not sure if they still do that but something to think about. Something about rejecting the EULA.

[David2074]

Keltoi Samurai

they're basically admitting to polishing up a turd for us to buy.

LOL! That's not a first for MS. Windows ME anyone?

[Jeremy Kaji]

David2074

Keltoi Samurai

they're basically admitting to polishing up a turd for us to buy.

LOL! That's not a first for MS. Windows ME anyone?

Windows Vista anyone?

[Jeremy Kaji]

Eveille

Windows 8 was pretty easy to learn.....I like how you can just type right onto the start screen and the program comes up. On the other windows you can't just start typing on the desktop.

to an extent, ever seen the built in on screen keyboard on 7, vista, xp, 2000?

[Keltoi Samurai]

David2074

Keltoi Samurai

they're basically admitting to polishing up a turd for us to buy.

LOL! That's not a first for MS. Windows ME anyone?

but in that case, polishing a turd is what they DID, not what they blatantly admitted to doing as a marketing strategy.

[Femme Mantis]

Thank you Jesus! I am using Windows 8 on this laptop and I HATE no- LOATHE it passionately. It's too much of a hassle and it doesn't help that this is a freakin' Gateway laptop either, I need to get back on a Toshiba with a GOOD design and no more Windows 8.

[God Emperor Baldur]

Touch screen completely alienates gamers, though truthfully, most gamers don't use laptops and tablets. Not to mention there is no start menu. Why dis Microsoft kill an 18 year old prodigy for this garbage?

[David2074]

White Flag Idiot

Thank you Jesus! I am using Windows 8 on this laptop and I HATE no- LOATHE it passionately. It's too much of a hassle and it doesn't help that this is a freakin' Gateway laptop either, I need to get back on a Toshiba with a GOOD design and no more Windows 8.

What you do is up to you (of course) but you might find a product like Classic Shell lessens your frustration. It certainly did for my friend. I'm still on Windows 7 or I'd be using it myself. It's free, install was painless and as far as I can tell you don't lose any Windows 8 features, you just get back some of what you lost moving to Windows 8.
Review: Classic Shell brings the Start menu to Windows 8 for free

[David2074]

Jeremy Kaji

David2074

Keltoi Samurai

they're basically admitting to polishing up a turd for us to buy.

LOL! That's not a first for MS. Windows ME anyone?

Windows Vista anyone?

Having supported both I'll take Vista over ME but yes, both of them were 'special little snowflakes' in their own way. Windows 2000 was hard for some folks to get used to due to changes but at least it offered real networking and security enhancements over WIN 98. Windows 8 seems to just be cramming the touchscreen experience down our throats whether or not we want it or have a touch screen. If you are not using touch screen I don't see any serious gains for the keyboard user over Windows 7.

[2sarahgate]

Jeremy Kaji

David2074

Keltoi Samurai

they're basically admitting to polishing up a turd for us to buy.

LOL! That's not a first for MS. Windows ME anyone?

Windows Vista anyone?

i prefer my six year old windows vista sony vaio over my two month old windows 8 samsung. O_o
but i think my hard drive is starting to fail, so i finally have to transfer over soon... i heard the click of death. domokun stargate

[Heimdalr]

Windows 8 is actually Windows v6.2, while Win7 was v6.1. They're both practically the same as Vista, only they actually work and do as they're told. Windows 8 is a pain though, and stripped down much of the poweruser tools I need to accurately diagnose, optimize and tweak an installation. The removal of the Start menu was the big facepalm moment; that's pretty much the main feature of the Windows product line. The addition of some tiled interface to compensate just feels bloated and overbearing. Like Media Center, only mandatory and flamboyant. Needless to say I have been tasked with removing Windows 8 "features" from OEM installations for a few months now, and this update might make my job a lot less painful.

[Eisefin]

• I don't have a touch screen. I use a mouse. Windows 8 is fine.
  People need to stop bitching.