4 ms·

Apple's key insight was that touch interfaces are fundamentally different than WIMP interfaces. Microsoft's attempt to have its cake and eat it too by smushing

Apple's key insight was that touch interfaces are fundamentally different than WIMP interfaces. Microsoft's attempt to have its cake and eat it too by smushing Metro on top of Windows and then forcing it down everybody's throat is just going to piss people off. The right thing to do would be to release Metro as a tablet-only OS and gradually cherry pick the best features for future versions of Windows but they've played the trick of piggybacking everything on Windows so many times now they don't know any other game.

Zirro 14y ago
I am actually starting to wonder if Microsoft is intentionally making the PC-version of Metro/Windows 8 awkward to use, as a way to speed up the adoption of tablets.
- jgroome 14y ago
  There's no way in hell that would work. But this is Microsoft, so they may be arrogant enough to think it will.
  - ddt 14y ago
    I think it would be hard to make the argument that Microsoft is arrogant in its current state. Sure, back when no one used anything but Win 95/98 and Office, they strutted around like they could do no wrong. And they continued with this attitude long after they really had any right to. But if you look at their behavior today, they're acting like they have to win users, which they do. The Apples and Googles of the world have unseated Microsoft and the competition has left them a more customer-oriented company, which is one of the biggest reasons competition exists. I'd be interested to know how/if you think they've been arrogant recently.
emehrkay 14y ago
I've come to accept the dual personality of win8 and was going to hold off any real judgement until we started to see the hybrid laptops that have touch screens. As of this week, we've seen quite a few and it is strange. You are touching metro and then may be thrown into classic, where touch is second class. The same shortcomings since Gates started championing convertibles become apparent at an instant. The worst of them, which im sure is configurable, was that touch+drag === click+drag. So in an instant the user is taken from a situation where touch+drag == drag screen around to one where it means highlight. I'm no UX guru, but that was startling. Old people will hate this.
- jsz0 14y ago
  I could see a huge number of people sitting at the Windows 8 login screen with no clue how to click and drag to login. A simple floating tool tip ala 'slide to unlock' would help a lot.
JoelSutherland 14y ago
This is exactly the point of Windows 8! Need to do work? Use the classic desktop. Aside from the Start Menu it hasn't really changed. Office doesn't even look like it will open in Metro. Want to 'consume' content? Undock it and use it as a tablet with Metro.
- MattRogish 14y ago
  Although that makes sense to me as a technologist, I'm afraid that's going to confuse a whole lot of people. "So, this is my computer. That has Office, a bunch of games, etc. But when I take it with me, I can't access any of that? It's all different? Why?" Apple's insight was that they should remain distinct devices - and I agree with them that this is a better user experience.

Zirro 14y ago

I am actually starting to wonder if Microsoft is intentionally making the PC-version of Metro/Windows 8 awkward to use, as a way to speed up the adoption of tablets.

jgroome 14y ago
There's no way in hell that would work. But this is Microsoft, so they may be arrogant enough to think it will.
- ddt 14y ago
  I think it would be hard to make the argument that Microsoft is arrogant in its current state. Sure, back when no one used anything but Win 95/98 and Office, they strutted around like they could do no wrong. And they continued with this attitude long after they really had any right to. But if you look at their behavior today, they're acting like they have to win users, which they do. The Apples and Googles of the world have unseated Microsoft and the competition has left them a more customer-oriented company, which is one of the biggest reasons competition exists. I'd be interested to know how/if you think they've been arrogant recently.

emehrkay 14y ago

I've come to accept the dual personality of win8 and was going to hold off any real judgement until we started to see the hybrid laptops that have touch screens. As of this week, we've seen quite a few and it is strange. You are touching metro and then may be thrown into classic, where touch is second class. The same shortcomings since Gates started championing convertibles become apparent at an instant. The worst of them, which im sure is configurable, was that touch+drag === click+drag. So in an instant the user is taken from a situation where touch+drag == drag screen around to one where it means highlight. I'm no UX guru, but that was startling. Old people will hate this.

jsz0 14y ago
I could see a huge number of people sitting at the Windows 8 login screen with no clue how to click and drag to login. A simple floating tool tip ala 'slide to unlock' would help a lot.

JoelSutherland 14y ago

This is exactly the point of Windows 8! Need to do work? Use the classic desktop. Aside from the Start Menu it hasn't really changed. Office doesn't even look like it will open in Metro. Want to 'consume' content? Undock it and use it as a tablet with Metro.

MattRogish 14y ago
Although that makes sense to me as a technologist, I'm afraid that's going to confuse a whole lot of people. "So, this is my computer. That has Office, a bunch of games, etc. But when I take it with me, I can't access any of that? It's all different? Why?" Apple's insight was that they should remain distinct devices - and I agree with them that this is a better user experience.