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In what way does merging the desktop and touch experience in one support ANYONE? Why did they (and some Linux desktops as well) try that at all? Two different

In what way does merging the desktop and touch experience in one support ANYONE? Why did they (and some Linux desktops as well) try that at all? Two different types of devices with two different input paradigms. Why merge them? Why not optimize them for each separate paradigm? It is much better for everyone, and friendlier to the user, to give them the best, perfect, interface, for the device they are using. Even if that device is a desktop computer.

adamman 14y ago
I use Windows 8 on my desktop without a touchscreen. I find it much more enjoyable to use than Windows 7 or my Mac.
- codeulike 14y ago
  Yeah I like it, you just have to get used to going to the corners. Admittedly, corners are a problem on VMs.
  - Zr40 14y ago
    Or use the keyboard instead. Win+c opens the side panel you'd get when going into the top/bottom right corner.
MatthewPhillips 14y ago
Merging them makes you think of tablets as computers and not entertainment screens. It's a power play.
codeulike 14y ago
You don't see a benefit to having a unified experience between Laptop, Tablet and Phone? And Xbox? By standardising the interface, you standardise the environment and interactions for apps. Metro apps for a Win 8 phone will also run on Win 8 tablets and laptops. I think its a pretty brave decision from Microsoft, and it may well pay off massively.
- silverbax88 14y ago
  It's a horribly bad decision. Why would you need a unified experience between devices with vastly different interaction and input scenarios? Desktops make up 80% of user interaction, but Microsoft is focusing on the 20% who use mobile or tablet. A small handheld device which is used primarily for content consumption would be best served with a Win 8 style UI, but for the desktop, it makes working much more difficult - people work at desktop PCs in a vastly different way.
  - drharris 14y ago
    I've been using Win 8 on the desktop for almost a year, and I have no need for a start button/menu/etc. The Metro (er, Modern UI) paradigm works as well with a mouse as it does with touch. The days of touchless screens are coming to an end; in the near future most laptops and desktop monitors will all be touch-ready. I find most of the FUD about the new paradigm is coming from people who haven't even used it. Use it for a month; you'll find it gets out of your way and lets you work just fine.
- Aardwolf 14y ago
  No it will not pay off, do you want Ferrari's to have a crappy engine to deliver a unified experience between city cars and race cars? No you don't. And for user interfaces it's the same. A desktop computer provides a lot more space than a mobile device, so just because mobile devices exist, is no reason to suddenly make a design meant for small screens on the big screen with comfortable input devices.
  - codeulike 14y ago
    To draw on your Ferrari analogy: Ferrari market to a tiny percentage of the car driving consumers as a whole. So of course that would make no sense. Also, Ferrari drivers don't tend to also drive Minis, so why have a unified experience. PC-users and Tablet-users and Phone-users are all huge, mainstream, overlapping markets. I can see there might be some trade offs and problems with unifying experience - which is why I said this is a brave move by Microsoft. But you're basically bringing up one of the trade offs (screen size) and using that to write off the whole initiative.
CervezaPorFavor 14y ago
That's Apple's stance, which I disagree with. Even today, some tasks are just faster and more natural with touch regardless of whether it's on a desktop computer or a tablet. Incorporating touch into a desktop OS also forces the industry (PC manufacturers, software developers, etc.) to innovate and think outside the box. Perhaps in the future, we no longer position our monitors upright all the time. Lastly, if you don't like touch-based interface, you don't have to use it.
- Aardwolf 14y ago
  We still eat with forks and knives, cars still have a steering wheel in front of us, a pen still looks similar as the plumes of way back, etc... Monitors not upright? I don't think so. Some things just exist as they are because, of all possibilities, they are the most convenient. You can put monitors on the floor, on the ceiling, horizontal in front of you, or vertical in front of you. The latter turned out to be the most convenient. Now we have the technology to make small phones with displays and use them. That is very convenient. But will it make me work on that on a desk? No.
  - codeulike 14y ago
    Have you tried Windows 8 for a day or two?
- numo16 14y ago
  > Perhaps in the future, we no longer position our monitors upright all the time Some manufacturers are working on heading in this direction. Exhibit 1, the new Dell XPS One: http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-one-27-2710-aio-t/pd?&~ck=mn&~ck=mn http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-one-27-2710-aio-t/pd?&~ck=m...
dagw 14y ago
Two different types of devices with two different input paradigms. Look at the Surface Pro. One device, two different input paradigms depending on what you're trying to achieve. I can be sitting at work hacking C code in vim in the desktop paradigm, then switch to the tablet paradigm for watching a video or playing a game on the bus home. Personally I think it sounds great and I'm looking forward to replacing my Macbook Air and iPad with one device that can fill the role of both.

adamman 14y ago

I use Windows 8 on my desktop without a touchscreen. I find it much more enjoyable to use than Windows 7 or my Mac.

codeulike 14y ago
Yeah I like it, you just have to get used to going to the corners. Admittedly, corners are a problem on VMs.
- Zr40 14y ago
  Or use the keyboard instead. Win+c opens the side panel you'd get when going into the top/bottom right corner.

MatthewPhillips 14y ago

Merging them makes you think of tablets as computers and not entertainment screens. It's a power play.

codeulike 14y ago

You don't see a benefit to having a unified experience between Laptop, Tablet and Phone? And Xbox? By standardising the interface, you standardise the environment and interactions for apps. Metro apps for a Win 8 phone will also run on Win 8 tablets and laptops. I think its a pretty brave decision from Microsoft, and it may well pay off massively.

silverbax88 14y ago
It's a horribly bad decision. Why would you need a unified experience between devices with vastly different interaction and input scenarios? Desktops make up 80% of user interaction, but Microsoft is focusing on the 20% who use mobile or tablet. A small handheld device which is used primarily for content consumption would be best served with a Win 8 style UI, but for the desktop, it makes working much more difficult - people work at desktop PCs in a vastly different way.
- drharris 14y ago
  I've been using Win 8 on the desktop for almost a year, and I have no need for a start button/menu/etc. The Metro (er, Modern UI) paradigm works as well with a mouse as it does with touch. The days of touchless screens are coming to an end; in the near future most laptops and desktop monitors will all be touch-ready. I find most of the FUD about the new paradigm is coming from people who haven't even used it. Use it for a month; you'll find it gets out of your way and lets you work just fine.
Aardwolf 14y ago
No it will not pay off, do you want Ferrari's to have a crappy engine to deliver a unified experience between city cars and race cars? No you don't. And for user interfaces it's the same. A desktop computer provides a lot more space than a mobile device, so just because mobile devices exist, is no reason to suddenly make a design meant for small screens on the big screen with comfortable input devices.
- codeulike 14y ago
  To draw on your Ferrari analogy: Ferrari market to a tiny percentage of the car driving consumers as a whole. So of course that would make no sense. Also, Ferrari drivers don't tend to also drive Minis, so why have a unified experience. PC-users and Tablet-users and Phone-users are all huge, mainstream, overlapping markets. I can see there might be some trade offs and problems with unifying experience - which is why I said this is a brave move by Microsoft. But you're basically bringing up one of the trade offs (screen size) and using that to write off the whole initiative.

CervezaPorFavor 14y ago

That's Apple's stance, which I disagree with. Even today, some tasks are just faster and more natural with touch regardless of whether it's on a desktop computer or a tablet. Incorporating touch into a desktop OS also forces the industry (PC manufacturers, software developers, etc.) to innovate and think outside the box. Perhaps in the future, we no longer position our monitors upright all the time. Lastly, if you don't like touch-based interface, you don't have to use it.

Aardwolf 14y ago
We still eat with forks and knives, cars still have a steering wheel in front of us, a pen still looks similar as the plumes of way back, etc... Monitors not upright? I don't think so. Some things just exist as they are because, of all possibilities, they are the most convenient. You can put monitors on the floor, on the ceiling, horizontal in front of you, or vertical in front of you. The latter turned out to be the most convenient. Now we have the technology to make small phones with displays and use them. That is very convenient. But will it make me work on that on a desk? No.
- codeulike 14y ago
  Have you tried Windows 8 for a day or two?
numo16 14y ago
> Perhaps in the future, we no longer position our monitors upright all the time Some manufacturers are working on heading in this direction. Exhibit 1, the new Dell XPS One: http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-one-27-2710-aio-t/pd?&~ck=mn&~ck=mn http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-one-27-2710-aio-t/pd?&~ck=m...

dagw 14y ago

Two different types of devices with two different input paradigms. Look at the Surface Pro. One device, two different input paradigms depending on what you're trying to achieve. I can be sitting at work hacking C code in vim in the desktop paradigm, then switch to the tablet paradigm for watching a video or playing a game on the bus home. Personally I think it sounds great and I'm looking forward to replacing my Macbook Air and iPad with one device that can fill the role of both.