4 ms·

The whole Windows, AD, O365 etc. experience is a PITA. I know there are all sorts of technological legacy and legacy business reasons for that, but let's face i

The whole Windows, AD, O365 etc. experience is a PITA. I know there are all sorts of technological legacy and legacy business reasons for that, but let's face it: in the current form, the Windows model can't compare to something integrated like a Chromebook. It's not about who is 'better' or technically more capable, it's about what works for users, and Windows isn't it. Most of the time it is just what 'happens to be there'. That seems to be forgotten quite often. I do wonder when some form of revised windows will come along that does away with 16-bit/32-bit legacy stuff, removes all the ancient API's and just focuses on the here and now. Breaking hard is of course not really Microsoft's way, as they make far more money by keeping legacy and tradition around, touting 'business support'.

AnonymousPlanet 10y ago
I would love to see that day. Maybe do away with most of the over engineered concepts as well.
- Koshkin 10y ago
  Or, you could use Linux. Today.
simonh 10y ago
That's what Metro was supposed to be - a complete reimagining of Windows in the modern era, with a legacy Desktop mode if you really wanted it. But it turned out the legacy desktop mode was the only part of it the market actually wanted.somehow I don't think think not including the legacy mode would have made it any more successful.
- vezycash 10y ago
  The market still wants Win32 because metro/uwp was crippled, limited. Or more precisely, apps built on the new platform were not powerful. Microsoft Edge which was built as a tech demonstrator still had to rely on private APIs. Second reason: The only place to discover and install the new apps is on the store which has bad, awful, pitiful search to using google or even bing. I don't know why MS doesn't leverage Bing in the store. Lastly, in my locale and surrounding countries, sharing EXES is still necessary because of internet speed and data limits. Ms removed the Small text size download links in the store. And their TOS prohibits development of apps to download them. To give a context of importance of UWP/Metro installation files downloadability: A customer walks into my shop and buys a new Android phone. And after that asks me to fill up the phone with apps like dictionary, bible, WhatsApp, anti-virus, games... for a fee. The same happens with Windows desktop portion. But this isn't feasible with the new apps - internet cost and download time. And it was one chief reason why Windows Phone didn't take off - at least in my country. A friend return a chrome book last year simply because he couldn't just copy apps from others (like on windows).
  - simonh 10y ago
    All perfectly true. MS did revamp Windows from the ground up and blew it badly.

AnonymousPlanet 10y ago

I would love to see that day. Maybe do away with most of the over engineered concepts as well.

Koshkin 10y ago
Or, you could use Linux. Today.

simonh 10y ago

That's what Metro was supposed to be - a complete reimagining of Windows in the modern era, with a legacy Desktop mode if you really wanted it. But it turned out the legacy desktop mode was the only part of it the market actually wanted.somehow I don't think think not including the legacy mode would have made it any more successful.

vezycash 10y ago
The market still wants Win32 because metro/uwp was crippled, limited. Or more precisely, apps built on the new platform were not powerful. Microsoft Edge which was built as a tech demonstrator still had to rely on private APIs. Second reason: The only place to discover and install the new apps is on the store which has bad, awful, pitiful search to using google or even bing. I don't know why MS doesn't leverage Bing in the store. Lastly, in my locale and surrounding countries, sharing EXES is still necessary because of internet speed and data limits. Ms removed the Small text size download links in the store. And their TOS prohibits development of apps to download them. To give a context of importance of UWP/Metro installation files downloadability: A customer walks into my shop and buys a new Android phone. And after that asks me to fill up the phone with apps like dictionary, bible, WhatsApp, anti-virus, games... for a fee. The same happens with Windows desktop portion. But this isn't feasible with the new apps - internet cost and download time. And it was one chief reason why Windows Phone didn't take off - at least in my country. A friend return a chrome book last year simply because he couldn't just copy apps from others (like on windows).
- simonh 10y ago
  All perfectly true. MS did revamp Windows from the ground up and blew it badly.