3 ms·

I think many would agree with me when I say, Windows 8 was at least part, if not the biggest part of the problem. Nobody wants to relearn a UI just because MS

I think many would agree with me when I say, Windows 8 was at least part, if not the biggest part of the problem. Nobody wants to relearn a UI just because MS wants to create a bridge into windows phone. The fact is the UI changes did not serve the average MS user, but served Mircrosoft's business ambitions. Any feature that I care about in Windows 8(faster boot, better monitor support, and ah I don't even know of anything else I would care about) could have easily been put into Windows 7 without UI changes and everybody would have been happy. But instead they packaged up the good stuff with a big FU to the power users, who happened to have disproportionate influence on PC acquisition choices and it's not like it was just the power users that were completely flummoxed by the UI changes. Windows PC hardware is fine, drivers are more difficult because there is so much more Win PC hardware out there, but in general I have very little difficulty supporting a multitude of windows hardware/drivers. I actually have a much more difficult time getting driver support in Linux, but for different reasons. Basically, drivers are not what is holding PC sales down, it is Windows 8. It's not just that many saw Windows 8 as a step or two backwards, but the big loss is that it also failed to bring Windows forward.

ryan-allen 12y ago
I think they've learnt from their mistakes and are improving things dramatically in Windows 10. 8.1 was leaps and bounds ahead of 8 (which was a disaster). 10 finally is a sensible direction that allows them to do what they want with mobile and give the desktop users are familiar experience out of the box. 98% of the time when using Windows 8.1 (or 8 for that matter) on the desktop you're in familiar territory anyway. They screwed up, yes, but they will recover, and the way Apple is going with software I'm interested to see how much of the tables will turn in the next few years.
- thefreeman 12y ago
  I don't know about that. I ran 10 technical preview for about a month as a last ditch effort and it drove me to actually buy my first apple device ever when offered an upgrade from work. It was really just more of the same with a vista-esque start menu.
wvenable 12y ago
> Windows 8 was at least part, if not the biggest part of the problem. Yes I agree. But ultimately the OEM's produced a bunch of touch-screen laptops and needed an OS to make use of them. Windows 8 fit the bill. My father-in-law actually resorted to running programs from the Program Files folder because he couldn't figure out the start menu! > Windows PC hardware is fine, drivers are more difficult because there is so much more Win PC hardware out there, but in general I have very little difficulty supporting a multitude of windows hardware/drivers. PC laptops are 95% crap. They have low-res screens, poor batteries, low memory, etc. It actually took me a long time to just find a laptop with decent specs at a good price in store and it was an Asus Zenbook Prime. That HN topic about the trackpad driver was actually started because of a post I made here -- that exact issue was what I had with my laptop! I also had serious issues with the Intel wireless drivers causing blue screens (seems to be fixed now). The problem is the platform owner, Microsoft, isn't responsible for quality control. And even when they are, like with the Surface tablets, driver issues and problems still crop up. So you have mostly cheap hardware, mostly cheap driver software, and Windows 8. No wonder the PC market isn't doing so well.
- 72deluxe 12y ago
  I would concur that Windows 8 was a massive part of the problem. It was like they didn't listen to the resounding feedback from the RTM release. I think it is odd that OEMs released these touchscreen laptops in the first place! There wasn't any need driving them at all, nor even any "wants" for them. When's the last time they heard anyone say "This laptop's alright, but I REALLY need to reach out over the keyboard and put smudgy marks on my screen and get arm ache swiping left and right. I wish my laptop had a touchscreen!" It is like they produced a solution to fit a non-existent problem.
deeviant 12y ago
Oh no, the MS downvote crew is out in force.

ryan-allen 12y ago

I think they've learnt from their mistakes and are improving things dramatically in Windows 10. 8.1 was leaps and bounds ahead of 8 (which was a disaster). 10 finally is a sensible direction that allows them to do what they want with mobile and give the desktop users are familiar experience out of the box. 98% of the time when using Windows 8.1 (or 8 for that matter) on the desktop you're in familiar territory anyway. They screwed up, yes, but they will recover, and the way Apple is going with software I'm interested to see how much of the tables will turn in the next few years.

thefreeman 12y ago
I don't know about that. I ran 10 technical preview for about a month as a last ditch effort and it drove me to actually buy my first apple device ever when offered an upgrade from work. It was really just more of the same with a vista-esque start menu.

wvenable 12y ago

> Windows 8 was at least part, if not the biggest part of the problem. Yes I agree. But ultimately the OEM's produced a bunch of touch-screen laptops and needed an OS to make use of them. Windows 8 fit the bill. My father-in-law actually resorted to running programs from the Program Files folder because he couldn't figure out the start menu! > Windows PC hardware is fine, drivers are more difficult because there is so much more Win PC hardware out there, but in general I have very little difficulty supporting a multitude of windows hardware/drivers. PC laptops are 95% crap. They have low-res screens, poor batteries, low memory, etc. It actually took me a long time to just find a laptop with decent specs at a good price in store and it was an Asus Zenbook Prime. That HN topic about the trackpad driver was actually started because of a post I made here -- that exact issue was what I had with my laptop! I also had serious issues with the Intel wireless drivers causing blue screens (seems to be fixed now). The problem is the platform owner, Microsoft, isn't responsible for quality control. And even when they are, like with the Surface tablets, driver issues and problems still crop up. So you have mostly cheap hardware, mostly cheap driver software, and Windows 8. No wonder the PC market isn't doing so well.

72deluxe 12y ago
I would concur that Windows 8 was a massive part of the problem. It was like they didn't listen to the resounding feedback from the RTM release. I think it is odd that OEMs released these touchscreen laptops in the first place! There wasn't any need driving them at all, nor even any "wants" for them. When's the last time they heard anyone say "This laptop's alright, but I REALLY need to reach out over the keyboard and put smudgy marks on my screen and get arm ache swiping left and right. I wish my laptop had a touchscreen!" It is like they produced a solution to fit a non-existent problem.

deeviant 12y ago

Oh no, the MS downvote crew is out in force.