Posted on 06/03/2012 7:30:21 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
BERKELEY, Calif. (MarketWatch) — I am writing this review on a computer that runs Windows Vista. It’s not that bad.
Generally speaking, I like Microsoft Corp. MSFT -2.54% and what it has done. Over the years, I’ve even supported the idea that Microsoft’s Bob interface was mismarketed and actually was unique and interesting.
That said, Windows 8 looks to me to be an unmitigated disaster that could decidedly hurt the company and its future.
This opinion is based on using the new release candidate beta that is pretty much what will finally ship after some bug fixes.
It’s not that the product out-and-out stinks. It is refreshingly slick-looking and modern, albeit without any charm whatsoever.
The real problem is that it is both unusable and annoying. It makes your teeth itch as you keep asking, “Why are they doing this!?”
First of all, the system-software product is mostly divorced from all the thought and trends developed by Windows over the years, as if to say that they were wrong the whole time, so let’s try something altogether new.
No business will tolerate this software, let me assure you. As a productivity tool, it is unusable.
Most applications cannot even be scaled down and so take up the whole screen. To even get out of these “apps,” you have to ram the cursor down into the lower left corner and click. That puts you back onto the vapid “Metro” start screen, where you can begin another miserable adventure.
Do you work on a huge 27-inch or bigger monitor? You know, so you have room to organize your programs and files? Well, imagine everything running full screen on that. It’s a joke.
(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...
BUMP
Microsoft gets corporate brainlock periodically, for instance when they missed the advent of the whole internet thingie back in the nineties. They lined up all the Senior VP’s of Product Development, gave them the “Internet Internet!” marching orders, they fanned out across Redmond and spread the word. Next thing you know, you couldn't escape it, internet bloatware, internet activation, internet error reports ... I'm surprised Clippy didn't get with the program and sprout an “@”.
Same thing here, singleminded brainlock on tablets and cross platform OS. It makes a great Powerpoint presentation, to show all the little devices arrayed around Mother Windows Desktop, all with Exciting Innovative Large Tiles. Nevermind that end users aren't interested in working that way, it's just an annoyance. The poobahs have Addressed The Market Challenge.
I have no idea how Microsoft ever became such a colossus, they're the prime example of every silly corporate behavior and buzzwordism to come down the pike, Dilbert central.
I've long loved to hate them, but a lot is riding on their getting their collective corporate heads out of their posteriors, a lot of decent people depend on them for employment. So, I hope they figure it out and right themselves before it's too far gone,
No there is no way to have the desktop be the default setting every time. You need to trick it by opening Internet Explorer in desktop mode, and then clicking a check box within IE10 to remember to open IE in desktop mode not Metro-Sexual mode. Still, there is no way around the Start screen which you will be prompted with first before you can start IE10. So basically to get to a desktop you need to click on IE10 from start screen and then close IE10, and then you are on the desktop. Idiotic if you ask me.
Object Desktop,paid for that one,its good,using Object Dock and Nexus Dock which slides out from the right side of the screen when I need it.
I’ve noticed Microsoft’s pattern. That’s interesting and strange....
Microsoft does not survey their public to find out what's needed and wanted from them in the way of new products. Because they assume the position of being all knowing, all seeing savants, they continually produce products that initially flop in the marketplace.
The know-it-all geniuses could just ask their public to begin with, but no. They know better than the customer. They only perfect a new OS after the marketplace has rejected it repeatedly. What a wasteful way to do basic R&D.
Horrible... it’s the ‘new coke’ ...
Is that a Gibson?
Finally forced to move from XP to 7 (old computer crashed), I find 7 to be fairly decent, especially the 64-bit oS with lots of RAM. I agree that, if they want to keep coming up with new OSs to sell, they should concentrate on smaller, faster, more stable instead of trying to add extra bells and whistles, most of which cater to small niches of users and would be better used as add-on apps.
If it works with a new generation of tablets they will have what the business community has waited a year for avoiding the iPad — if it doesn’t this is an epic fail that will make RIM look like a bunch of geniuses.
My brother use to be in a band,still has an old Les Paul.
My legacy industrial sotware allegedly runs in XP mode on 7 but it doesn’t do so reliably, we’ve tested it. Software is Italian and very dated in appearance as far as the user interface, but it’s the best one out there as far as accomplishing the necessary task, so much so that the asking price for the hardlock key and sortware has increased, from $1,000.00 to $1,500.00 in the past year.
Thanks, m; I’ll have a look at it.
XP Pro was the OS of choice for my business work, and it was stout and stable in the home environment. I stuck with it until Windows-7. Using Win-7 on a Dell XPS and on my HP laptop, now. Had to upgrade to the latest MS-Office to get full functionality, but Win-7 is functioning near flawlessly in my world. And, I’ve not had any major issues since installing the full MS-Essentials for security. While I’ve not been a huge fan of MS over the years, I think they got things pretty much ‘right’ with Win-7.
I’ll not be in a big hurry to make the migration to Win-8 unless I see substantial business need, which I don’t think is likely given recent reviews.
They’ll have to pry my XP from my cold, dead hands.
But what would be really nice is a meta-OS, something where you could roll your own interface over a collection of interchangable, interoperable OS objects. What a cool secondary market that would make. What freedoms we could enjoy. Why should we be subjected to the tyrannical whims of the capricious self-proclaimed OS deities at MS? Occupy the OS!
Just kidding. XP will work for now. Probably forever, for what I do. But I am hedging my bets. I run my XP on a Mac via Bootcamp. Best of both worlds.
MS seems to suffer from “Star Trek Movie Syndrome” — only it’s the even # releases that are garbage*
Windows 7 has competent Ease of Access support (including voice recognition) from startup, which is a plus ... And it’s the new company standard to support (replacing XP), I don’t see 8 ever being seriously considered.
If you’re talking flatbed scanners; Canon, and I beleive HP, both still make those, just to name two popular names.
Yep. You’re absolutely right.
They have a pattern they follow: winner - loser - winner - loser - winner - loser .........
One of the reasons that W7 was immediately so successful is because their customer base couldn’t escape Vista fast enough.
I’m in the same boat.
I’ve been experimenting with Linux on a couple of spare machines here at my desk at home. I really like Linux Mint.
For my job, I have to access websites for engineering drawings and specifications and the vast majority of these plan rooms don’t play well with Linux.
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