Microsoft Windows Chief Steven Sinofsky Out Following Windows 8 and Surface Launches

[Freyqq]

Originally Posted by johncrab

Business users killed Win8 before the official release by saying they had no interest in it. This is what happens when a company tries to create one IS experience to bridge desktops and tablets. There is a very valuable lesson here for Apple that they should make their products work together but not follow the path to destruction with a common OS that MS just took.

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HP tried the touch desktop years ago. Steve Jobs even joked about it in a presentation. "After the novelty wears off, the arms get tired." What in the world was MS thinking here?

MS needs to dump Ballmer and bring in a CEO who can push the company into the next real generation of computing with a total departure from the Win95 legacy of the registry with a new front end on it every few years. They also need to focus on what made their company and stop trying to me-too every product that comes along. They're no good at it and always years late.

All they had to do was make the other interface optional and provide a way to turn it off...even if it was just on the enterprise version. That was their mistake, and I hope they fix this simple omission in SP1.

[markfc]

Being an MCSE the worst thing about Windows 8 is the fact that safe mode has gone.

I spend most of my days in safe mode fixing windows boxes...

[LagunaSol]

Originally Posted by johncrab

They also need to focus on what made their company and stop trying to me-too every product that comes along. They're no good at it and always years late.

But "Me Too" is what made their company.

DOS -> acquisition
Mac -> Windows
Lotus 1-2-3 -> Excel
Netscape Communicator -> Internet Explorer
WordPerfect -> Word
PowerPoint -> acquisition
PlayStation -> Xbox
Halo -> acquisition
iPod -> Zune
iPad -> Surface
Apple Stores -> Microsoft Stores

Microsoft doesn't know anything other than following the other guy's lead.

[gillybean]

Originally Posted by aristotle

Right, well some people actually like to "get stuff done" rather than futzing around with their icons on a start screen but whatever floats your boat.

You spend 10 minutes arranging the icons the way you like, and then you can get back to working on the desktop. I've been using Win8 at work for programming, software development, etc, and it works just fine. So far it's felt pretty much like Win7 + better file copying ability + 1 or 2 useful metro apps + faster program launching.

[Freyqq]

Originally Posted by gillybean

You spend 10 minutes arranging the icons the way you like, and then you can get back to working on the desktop. I've been using Win8 at work for programming, software development, etc, and it works just fine. So far it's felt pretty much like Win7 + better file copying ability + 1 or 2 useful metro apps + faster program launching.

Yeah, if you change all the default programs to their desktop equivalent in control panel, which are mostly included except for a mail program (just download thunderbird)..it's basically just windows 7 with a metro as a start menu

[Aidan5806]

Originally Posted by arunim

Expected this.. Windows 8 is a fail for desktop, but very good innovation for tablet.

I agree that it is bad for desktops but what makes it so good for tablets? The app selection is very limited, and the interface isn't very user friendly. And despite the argument that it is more productive than other tablets is debatable considering the power and variety of software available for iOS.

[TrentS]

Originally Posted by fiveainone

Time for Apple to sue Microsoft for copying what they're doing!

This just in... Samsung head of operations, Simon Coppercat, steps down....

[Lycanthrope]

Originally Posted by diazj3

Microsoft has some of the best leadership in the business. Not to mention showmanship...!

YouTube: video YouTube: video

Thanks! I'd never seen that before, now I feel... violated

[Aidan5806]

Originally Posted by boss.king

Do you say that as someone who's never used it before? Because the desktop is still right there, just as good as it was in Windows 7.

Not even close. The desktop in windows 8 is intended to be nothing more than the trash bin for legacy software, which it still does badly because there is no place where you can view all running software at one time.

[iLoveiTunes]

probably this was the reason :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-pMZd1fupw

[you people smh]

knew there was a reason i clicked on

www.FactsAboutMicrosoftStaffingDecisions.com....

[MacDav]

Originally Posted by Start Menu is now fullscreen

[CENTER

[/CENTER]

Great...they took an old dinosaur called the "Start Menu" and instead of getting rid of it, they made it full screen. Talk about innovation. Windows...gateway to the future. I use Win 7 on bootcamp for gaming. Looks like I'll be sticking with it for quite a while. Win 7 looks to be the next XP. People are saying Win 8 is good for tablets. Let's see if they sell any. If Apple ever goes under I'll be switching to Linux.

[Steve121178]

Originally Posted by flopticalcube

Ballmer is the failure here. Why doesn't the board give him the heave-ho?

What is he doing wrong, in your expert opinion?

[Mike MA]

Not too many left till it finally will hit Ballmer

[Steve121178]

Originally Posted by nikhsub1

100% on point. I will go so far as to say that it is almost unusable as desktop software.

Nonsense. Windows 8 is a damn fine 'desktop' OS.

[kingtj]

I've been trying and trying to get used to (even like?) Windows 8 by loading it on a Dell portable I've got attached to a docking station with a nice LCD display, keyboard and mouse. I'm still pretty much a "Mac guy" but I support Windows PCs along with Macs at work each day, so I like the idea of getting familiar with Microsoft's latest product before the day comes when the office is ready to make the switch.

Honestly, I like a lot of things about Windows 7. It really improves on "good old trusty Windows XP" in a multitude of ways, without bringing the bloat, bugs and half-baked design they tried to dump on people with Vista.

But I just can't warm up to Windows 8 at all! I can see how it's fine on a new tablet with a touchscreen as the primary interface. But it just gets in my way on the PC at every turn. Even something as simple as browsing the web in Internet Explorer makes me stop in my tracks and go, "Huh?" Where's the "back" button? Oh.... it's completely hidden until I get some little floating menu bar to come up with it on there! How annoying!

And once I launch some of these new "made for Windows 8" applications from their playschool looking start screen, they don't have any clearly marked way to quit them. It seems like usually, I have to (again!) get a hidden, floating side menu bar to come up, showing them running in little windows, and select to close one from there? This stuff is a step backwards in usability and at least three steps back in intuitiveness for users experienced with anything else with the Windows name on it.

Originally Posted by nikhsub1

100% on point. I will go so far as to say that it is almost unusable as desktop software.

[cgk.emu]

Originally Posted by boss.king

Do you say that as someone who's never used it before? Because the desktop is still right there, just as good as it was in Windows 7.

Uh, the same question goes to you. If you really, truly think it's "just as good" as in Windows 7, you are either smoking something or have never used it yourself.

[Steve121178]

Originally Posted by kingtj

I've been trying and trying to get used to (even like?) Windows 8 by loading it on a Dell portable I've got attached to a docking station with a nice LCD display, keyboard and mouse. I'm still pretty much a "Mac guy" but I support Windows PCs along with Macs at work each day, so I like the idea of getting familiar with Microsoft's latest product before the day comes when the office is ready to make the switch.

Honestly, I like a lot of things about Windows 7. It really improves on "good old trusty Windows XP" in a multitude of ways, without bringing the bloat, bugs and half-baked design they tried to dump on people with Vista.

But I just can't warm up to Windows 8 at all! I can see how it's fine on a new tablet with a touchscreen as the primary interface. But it just gets in my way on the PC at every turn. Even something as simple as browsing the web in Internet Explorer makes me stop in my tracks and go, "Huh?" Where's the "back" button? Oh.... it's completely hidden until I get some little floating menu bar to come up with it on there! How annoying!

And once I launch some of these new "made for Windows 8" applications from their playschool looking start screen, they don't have any clearly marked way to quit them. It seems like usually, I have to (again!) get a hidden, floating side menu bar to come up, showing them running in little windows, and select to close one from there? This stuff is a step backwards in usability and at least three steps back in intuitiveness for users experienced with anything else with the Windows name on it.

Put the cursor in the top left and move the cursor downwards to get the pop-up of open apps, then highlight the app you want to close by right clicking. Why do you need to close them anyway? Sounds a totally daft thing to do. They just behave in the same way as iOS apps when not in use.

And it does help if you read how to use the OS before complaining.

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Originally Posted by markfc

Being an MCSE the worst thing about Windows 8 is the fact that safe mode has gone.

I spend most of my days in safe mode fixing windows boxes...

http://www.howtogeek.com/107511/how-...-the-easy-way/

[cgk.emu]

Originally Posted by Steve121178

Put the cursor in the top left and move the cursor downwards to get the pop-up of open apps, then highlight the app you want to close by right clicking. Why do you need to close them anyway? Sounds a totally daft thing to do. They just behave in the same way as iOS apps when not in use.

And it does help if you read how to use the OS before complaining.

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http://www.howtogeek.com/107511/how-...-the-easy-way/

Oh do, please go on! Teach us everything there is to know our Mighty Windows Lord!!

[Steve121178]

Originally Posted by cgk.emu

Oh do, please go on! Teach us everything there is to know our Mighty Windows Lord!!

Sound like I'm going to have to

[MacDav]

Originally Posted by diazj3

Microsoft has some of the best leadership in the business. Not to mention showmanship...!

YouTube: video YouTube: video

Yeah, that's why Forbs Magazine designated him as the worst Technology CEO ever. He definitely lives up to his title. It's baffling why he is still around after all these years. Does he have some dirt on Bill Gates?

[Technarchy]

Originally Posted by bushido

Windows 8 is the worst. those active corners arent mouse friendly at all and it took me literally 20 minutes to figure out how to close an app and how to turn the machine off.

with all those dif. windows editions, ms should have released a desktop specific edition

I got the logitech touchpad. Makes a world of difference.

However, the OSX gesture interface is nowhere near as intrusive, and OSX makes more sense in general.

[Steve121178]

Originally Posted by MacDav

Yeah, that's why Forbs Magazine designated him as the worst Technology CEO ever. He definitely lives up to his title. It's baffling why he is still around after all these years. Does he have some dirt on Bill Gates?

Why does he live up to the title?

[Dr McKay]

Originally Posted by aristotle

Right, well some people actually like to "get stuff done" rather than futzing around with their icons on a start screen but whatever floats your boat.

The ribbon interface is also a huge mistake. I don't play around with windows for the fun of it. It is what I have to use at work so I'm not planning on upgrading my work computer to windows 8 ever.

I too like to "get stuff done". After organising my most commonly used apps into an easy to access grid I can open what I want in an instant. In Windows 7 those apps I wanted access to but didnt want to clutter my taskbar with had to go on one stupidly long list in the Start Menu. I couldnt group them by category, they just had to be a list. The Start Menu couldn't utilise my screen real estate, only from the bottom to the top.

And just because you can't adjust to the ribbon doesn't mean its a mistake, I find it very intuitive, so do most people I know who use it. I die a little inside when I have to use Office 2k3 at work, all the functions I want and need are hidden in menus that often dont relate or have anything to do with it.

Ive seen too many people who just go on about how they're a "power user" or a "pro user". But in reality they just can't adjust to change and will cling on to the familiar.

I'm glad to see the back of this.

[Steve121178]

All "power users" need to do is put the cursor in the bottom left and right click to get "power user" options.