Just How Much Do People Hate Windows 8?

stealthy123 said:
I have literally never been forced to use metro other than to click the desktop.

you really didn't spend enough time with the OS as it comes from MS, anyone who uses words like "forced" in reference to metro most likely never gave it a chance and are still bitching about a feature they never intended to use.
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Unless you want a bunch of icons and shortcuts cluttering up your desktop, then yes... you are forced to use it at some level (including launching the desktop).

That's why startisback is such a handy application ;) boots right to the desktop, replaces start screen with start menu and life is good. You NEVER have to look at metro again (unless you want to)
 
Yea this shit is getting Ghey as AIDS at how many complaints people are having about the new OS. I understand and get that it a pain in the ass. Veer that all this energy towards MS website. I'm sure they'll listen then(especially if they want products like Surface to actually sell well).
 
Catsonar said:
Yea this shit is getting Ghey as AIDS at how many complaints people are having about the new OS. I understand and get that it a pain in the ass. Veer that all this energy towards MS website. I'm sure they'll listen then(especially if they want products like Surface to actually sell well).
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Yes direct your complaints to the only place Microsoft can ignore them - their own website.

Sorry, the bad press they're getting is deserved. Love it or hate it, now was not the time for Microsoft to be polarizing.
 
Catsonar said:
Yea this shit is getting Ghey as AIDS at how many complaints people are having about the new OS. I understand and get that it a pain in the ass. Veer that all this energy towards MS website. I'm sure they'll listen then(especially if they want products like Surface to actually sell well).
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One of the big complaints about Windows 8 though is that Microsoft ISN'T listening. I'm sure however that that they are listening, they just aren't doing what everyone is asking. In looking at the Blue leak, it's pretty obvious that Microsoft is addressing many of the complaints with the new UI, from an improved Start Screen, multi-monitor support and better multiple on screen Metro app handling.

But there is no indication in the Blue leak of the return of the Start Button/Menu and it looks like current 3rd class shell replacements don't work with the leak, though I wouldn't take that as Microsoft trying to shut down the 3rd party replacements as much as alpha code that was never intended to be used publicly.
 
I used it for several weeks and posted a thread about reverting to Win7. My issues with 8 are pretty short and simple...

1) Metro is just terrible but you can get rid of it with Classic Shell
2) Lack of Aero Glass is horrid - it looks like Win3.1 totally square, no shadows/shaders. Essentially inelegant and harsh looking.

I could live with 1 & 2 but the last item was a deal breaker

3) Windows 8 does not support NV Surround desktop properly.

So I had to revert to Win7.
 
heatlesssun said:
One of the big complaints about Windows 8 though is that Microsoft ISN'T listening. I'm sure however that that they are listening, they just aren't doing what everyone is asking. In looking at the Blue leak, it's pretty obvious that Microsoft is addressing many of the complaints with the new UI, from an improved Start Screen, multi-monitor support and better multiple on screen Metro app handling.
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Jesus that sounds like PR copy. Addressing's *who's* complaints? Even longtime Windows/MS proponent Paul Thurrott admits Blue appears as basically more of the same with zero relief in sight for desktop users.

Blue leaks = ZERO to address the complaints of desktop users.
 
If you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all, but when you do something wrong, or mildly wrong, expect the RAGE.
 
I think, if Microsoft was smart, they would attempt a middle ground with the Metro interface. Having a start button, and a quick click would bring up a "mini" Metro screen that's about the same size as the standard Windows 7 start menu and allow you to scroll through the applications, whereas a long press brings up the full Metro UI. Or something. I'd like more intuitive gestures, because trying to use them on a touch pad makes little sense.

Still, I otherwise like Windows 8 well enough, it's just... a bunch of small things. And with full blown ISO support, I'm not going back to Windows 7.
 
odditory said:
Jesus that sounds like PR copy. Addressing's *who's* complaints? Even longtime Windows/MS proponent Paul Thurrott admits Blue appears as basically more of the same with zero relief in sight for desktop users.

Blue leaks = ZERO to address the complaints of desktop users.
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You left out the part where I pointed out that there is no indication that Blue will restore the Start Button/Menu and that the current 3rd party replacements do not work with the leak.

Much of what has changed in the Blue leak is CLEARLY targeted at desktops. Metro apps running on multiple screens and a persistent Start Screen that can be opened on any monitor while not suspending Metro apps running on other screens obviously has no effect on a single screen device. These changes only manifest themselves on multiple monitor systems. And these specific changes have been requested by many Windows 8 users from Day One. So it is pretty clear that Microsoft was listening and seems to be responding to these folks. But as I said, they don't seem to be responding to people who want an Metro off switch.

So I am simply pointing out what changes I've noticed in the Blue leak and making a logical conclusion that Microsoft must be listening and responding to at least some Windows 8 users since the specific changes in Metro's multiple monitor support have long been asked for. But since there is no indication of anything regarding the old UI, there's nothing to indicate that Microsoft is responding to those folks. Such as statement is about as far removed from PR as it gets.
 
dr.stevil said:
Unless you want a bunch of icons and shortcuts cluttering up your desktop, then yes... you are forced to use it at some level (including launching the desktop).

That's why startisback is such a handy application ;) boots right to the desktop, replaces start screen with start menu and life is good. You NEVER have to look at metro again (unless you want to)
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Well Rocketdock is great for hiding icons and shortcuts so my desktop stays clean and I don't have to use Metro if I don't want to. It is however a nifty feature and makes my HTPC, gaming PC, and slowly but surely my workstation more efficient.

Also a 30 second script and Windows 8 boots into desktop.
 
Qinsp said:
They moved stuff around. It's still there, but they need to find it. They will eventually get the same efficiency.

Will they get better efficiency? No. They run application software.
...

What productivity improvements have you seen with Win8?
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Productivity improvements? It is faster than Windows 7 but other than that everything is the same. If your staff is still trying to find things on Windows 8 after months of use then well...I'm not going to insult them so I'll just leave that alone.

Once you either learn the mouse shortcuts or the keyboard commands, both of which should be equally familiar with anyone who has Windows experience, Windows 8 IMO is just as fast if not faster productivity wise for day to day work use. Now that will probably depend on what work is being done; however, for graphics, regular office use, and what not I find it faster or similar to Windows 7. If you have Windows 7 then no reason to upgrade to 8 as the improvements aren't significant; however, if you have XP or Vista then sure upgrade to 8 if you want. It is a tool so upgrade to what will work for your company or your workflow.

Qinsp said:
PS - I have 5 Win8-Pro machines. How many you have?
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6
 
If it were not for the pain that was necessary in Vista moving forward the Windows OS, then Windows 7 would not be such a loved OS.

It wasn't too long ago I was hearing the lament of Windows 2000 Professional users crying about how there was no reason for them to move to XP.

I'm sure when MS drops 32 bit support, the droves of cry-foul will be out en masse yet again.

I think it is funny when technology users can't adapt to change. Reminds me of all those NetWare admins that took a stand on principle and loss their jobs to NT admins. Face the change, or be left behind.
 
AceGoober said:
I don't know the actual figures yet after using Windows 8 for over close to two weeks, I've come to the conclusion it is on-par with Windows ME; except, without the constant crashing.
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Explain to the rest of us how your genius mind came to this wonderful conclusion, please.
 
Putz said:
MS needs to either let people choose or keep 2 OS's one for tablet and one for PC, i dont know why its so hard to them to have an option on install to ask if you are installing on a tablet or a pc with mouse/keyboard
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It's not. I'm sure the idea is to push people to buy touchscreens and/or move away from traditional desktop computing.

Without a big change such as this it would take longer for the transition to happen.
 
blunt_eastwood said:
It's not. I'm sure the idea is to push people to buy touchscreens and/or move away from traditional desktop computing.

Without a big change such as this it would take longer for the transition to happen.
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Great in theory, terrible in MS's execution. Their grand plan is backfiring because they're losing and alienating longtime desktop users faster than they're gaining mobile users.

They can't force change, not in this post-Microsoft-monopoly era with so many alternatives and competing offerings. If they want to sell mobile products, the products have to be compelling and able to stand on their own. People have to want them. And once someone's been frustrated by the tiled interface on their non touch PC they picked up at a BestBuy or Staples where Windows7 was not an option, how likely do you think they are to look twice at anything else with the recognizable Metro interface including tablets and phones.

MS is making more net enemies than friends with the blind, arrogant insistence on Metro Über Alles.
 
P.S. Here's the disconnect in Microsoft's new iPad-chasing tunnel vision corporate direction: People say they like the idea of touch, but aren't willing to spend extra on touch laptops or touch monitors. You'll hear a man-bites-dog anecdote here or there about "I bought a touchscreen laptop and its pretty cool with Metro" but by and large people wont spend extra for vertically oriented touchscreens -- they're impractical and sorry to sad they're just a fad once again just like 3DTV.

Tablets and horizontally oriented touch is a different story.
 
blunt_eastwood said:
It's not. I'm sure the idea is to push people to buy touchscreens and/or move away from traditional desktop computing.

Without a big change such as this it would take longer for the transition to happen.
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The idea wasn't to push people to buy touchscreens, it was to merge the two to create a more unified experience to ease transition from desktop to tablet and back.
 
All this talk about "needing to adapt or die"....

What we're talking about here is dramatic shifts in what is essentially "infrastructure" to force people into directions that either doesn't make sense, doesn't apply, or demands a "learning curve". Let's not forget, making a switch from Windows to Linux also requires dealing with a "learning curve" that most people just don't want to deal with. I have no problem with the idea of "touch-screen" and am rather glad to see it at the forefront. But, servers do NOT generally use them. Touch screens are only one facet of a much larger diamond and certainly has it's place but is simply NOT the preferred way to go in ALL cases to be applied universally as a demand from MS or any other company.

There is absolutely no justifiable reason to force the world into a single direction that "THEY" think everyone "SHOULD" go. Technology is alot more flexible than that. It's like sending video signal into a sound system via HDMI when the sound system doesn't even have a video display of any kind. It's absurd and just over-complicates things by adding extra switching. Why not redesign $10 2-slice toasters to require an online updatable OS at twenty times the cost?

I can see using Win8 on certain things....tablets...maybe laptops

But to use it as a tool (weapon) to get the world off of desktops....here's where we have a problem.
 
odditory said:
Great in theory, terrible in MS's execution. Their grand plan is backfiring because they're losing and alienating longtime desktop users faster than they're gaining mobile users.

They can't force change, not in this post-Microsoft-monopoly era with so many alternatives and competing offerings. If they want to sell mobile products, the products have to be compelling and able to stand on their own. People have to want them. And once someone's been frustrated by the tiled interface on their non touch PC they picked up at a BestBuy or Staples where Windows7 was not an option, how likely do you think they are to look twice at anything else with the recognizable Metro interface including tablets and phones.

MS is making more net enemies than friends with the blind, arrogant insistence on Metro Über Alles.
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Can you or anyone point to any hard numbers to back this up, at least as far as the desktop market is concerned? It could be possible that people are buying tablets because of dissatisfaction over Windows 8 but the usual market share trackers aren't showing any real uptick in OS X or Linux at this point. Net Applications is reporting Windows 8's market share at 3.31% as of the end of March, considerably ahead of any single version of a non-Windows OS and actually closing in on Vista. By mid-year, Windows 8 should become the 3rd most popular desktop OS worldwide, only behind 7 and the all but dead XP.

I agree that the market adoption of Windows 8 is slower than many expected, though many like myself did expect this at launch until improvements were made to 8 and better hardware came along. Would a Metro off switch help sales of Windows 8? Probably some, but I really doubt the increase would be as significant as many think. Most are probably still happy with 7 and businesses were never going to adopt it out the gate no matter what 8 looked like. These are the headwinds that a new version of Windows always faces, the prior version of Windows is generally a new version of Windows biggest competitor. And if 7 was indeed a great release, 8 was already facing stiff completion from its older brother.

Yes, I know, "Windows 8 comes on all new PCs with no ready option for most to easily downgrade." Just as it has always been with Windows. So yes, to some extent Microsoft certainly can "force" change, at least on the desktop with little fear of losing market share there, especially as corporate users can continue on with 7, as they were going to anyway regardless of 8.

Microsoft isn't totally stupid, they have been here before with a lot of complaints about Windows and the ribbon UI in Office. And history proves that most of the talk about mass market share loss is just that. Yes, Windows 8 needs to be improved and the integration of Metro and the desktop needs much refinement. But the UI changes at this time simply do not seem to be causing any notable market share shifting and Microsoft was no doubt counting on that and had some history at least on the desktop that lots of complaining doesn't really translate to market share shift.

A much bigger problem for Microsoft is just how effective all of this will be for getting into tablets. Keeping a high percentage of desktop market share simply isn't enough.
 
Just like the vocal minority hates 8 mainly due to the UI, the "problems" with vista was OEM's installing it on systems with 512mb of ram...in other words nothing to do with the o/s itself.

Vista is my personal favorite, I use it over both 7 or 8, and have used it since launch day.
 
I love this bs unifying experience.

People had iOS yet they don't buy Macs. So what does MS think yes lets make a touch unified UI yet no one is buying their Touch devices.
Yes Windows 8 might be growing in market share (mainly of a monopoly abuse) but the golden question is where are the statistics for Touch Windows devices, Where is the WinMO 8 phone statistics where are the Win 8 tablet statistics?
RT is an abysmal failure.
Surface Pro isn't doing all to hot either
I've have seen a massive growth in Childrens phones either where are the WinMOs? (I've yet to come across a single WinMO users 7 or otherwise and they ditched it because 1. It was free, 2. They got an iPhone.

Heck the anecdotal evidence according to the unified bullshit theory should mean that the Bulk of the Threads on Hardforum mobile should be about Windows 8 phone and not about Android or iOS?

But instead evidence is showing that since 8 has come out sales have declined in the laptop and desktop industry? Why is that?

Microsoft Dominance is starting to decrease. Consumer market Tablet its none existent, Phone its none existent. Servers are starting to go other way as well.

As far as I am concerned Windows 8 is a Ford Pinto.
 
SorienOR said:
Just like the vocal minority hates 8 mainly due to the UI, the "problems" with vista was OEM's installing it on systems with 512mb of ram...in other words nothing to do with the o/s itself.

Vista is my personal favorite, I use it over both 7 or 8, and have used it since launch day.
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supposed 'minority' aside. Wouldn't the analogy be installing 8 on a touchless machine. An I for one, don't plan to pay the premium for a touch screen which seems to grow exponentially with screen size.
 
SorienOR said:
the "problems" with vista was OEM's installing it on systems with 512mb of ram...in other words nothing to do with the o/s itself.

Vista is my personal favorite, I use it over both 7 or 8, and have used it since launch day.
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Low memory was one of the problems. UAC was introduced in a very annoying way, which 7 fixed to make much less intrusive, especially for built in applications. 3rd party applications were a big part of the problem, often requiring admin privilege due to bad development habits carried over from XP and earlier. There were also very annoying background tasks that have been made much less annoying in the service packs.

Many of Vista's worst annoyances were fixed in SP1/SP2, but people still have a bad impression of the OS before those came out. I don't think Vista is a bad OS, but Win 7 makes things even smoother. Vista -> 7 is much less jarring than 7 -> 8.
 
http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-momentum-sputters/240152051

^^ Newest Windows 8 marketshare article, fresh from today.

Let's see what does the two main netstats companies say:

"Windows 8 amassed a 3.17% market share in March, up from 2.67% in February, said Net Applications. Although the uptick represents progress, Windows 8's gains still trail what Windows 7 had achieved by the same time. "

"The Net Applications stats generally agree with those published by StatCounter, another service that tracks OS popularity. StatCounter paints a slightly rosier picture for Windows 8, asserting that the new OS has snared 3.9% of the OS field, a 23.4% improvement relative to February. However, StatCounter also says Windows 8's adoption rate is dwindling and that the OS's most recent uptick was its smallest yet."

There, that is way more telling than Amazon Ratings.
 
heatlesssun said:
Can you or anyone point to any hard numbers to back this up, at least as far as the desktop market is concerned? It could be possible that people are buying tablets because of dissatisfaction over Windows 8 but the usual market share trackers aren't showing any real uptick in OS X or Linux at this point. Net Applications is reporting Windows 8's market share at 3.31% as of the end of March, considerably ahead of any single version of a non-Windows OS and actually closing in on Vista. By mid-year, Windows 8 should become the 3rd most popular desktop OS worldwide, only behind 7 and the all but dead XP.
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Third most popular by midyear is speculative at best, because fact of the matter is WIndows 8 adoption is SLOWING DOWN, not speeding up. And the initial push out of the gate with people buying $15 licenses is now gone.

"Windows 8 amassed a 3.17% market share in March, up from 2.67% in February, said Net Applications. Although the uptick represents progress, Windows 8's gains still trail what Windows 7 had achieved by the same time. What's more, Microsoft's touch-oriented OS has been slowing down. After launching at the end of October, Windows 8 adoption increased 57.8% between November and December, before dropping to 31.4% between December and January and 18.1% between January and February. March's growth rate of 18.7% will likely do little to silence the OS's critics but it at least stemmed what had been precipitous month-over-month declines in momentum."

Meanwhile, according to the NetApplications report you cite, Windows 7 actually *increased* its marketshare in the last month - granted it was relatively minor but a gain is a gain and not what has normally happened when a newer version of Windows was available.

Bottom line Win8 is stuck in first gear any way you want to slice it, and if MS and its astroturfers think they're in for an easy ride to glory on the back of captive, forced sales at B&M stores where people no longer have Windows 7 as an off the shelf option, they're in for rough waters ahead.
 
SorienOR said:
Just like the vocal minority hates 8 mainly due to the UI, the "problems" with vista was OEM's installing it on systems with 512mb of ram...in other words nothing to do with the o/s itself.

Vista is my personal favorite, I use it over both 7 or 8, and have used it since launch day.
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I prefer Vista over 7 or 8. I don't have any problems or gripes with either later OS version, but in day-to-day use outside of work, Vista the version of Windows I find most comfortable with various flavors of Linux following.
 
And by the way, lets put "third most popular by midyear" into perspective here by looking at the associated chart. And lets factor in that Win8 has been out just about half a year.

So how many DECADES is MS prepared to spend trying to polish this turd before they understand its not vaulting a needed majority of end users and enterprise customers over the fascination threshhold?

HBnBqby.jpg
 
Not all that complaining about W8 by (power) users is imho founded.

Yes they have make genuine big mistakes ​​by pushing Metro so hard and making it mandatory, and removing the start button.

But all this is easily solved by turning Metro off, and to bring back the Start button again.

But I as a power user certainly like some improvements to the OS.

- The Task Manager is really a whole lot better, and don't need Process Lasso anymore.
- The Prefetcher also works a lot better, especially with lots of memory.
- The integration with SkyDrive is ok specially if you use WP as i with my Lumia 900.
- And I as a user of Eyefinty with 3 screens and above there two older 15'' screens, with a total of 5 screens, the improvements in multiple monitor support i certainly can appreciate.
- Also the bug where my 4x 5870 2GB Matrix cards in CF is seen as slow and puts the desktop back to basic is resolved.

Is all of that now a good reason to switch from W7 to W8, i do not think so for most people, as W7 is good enough for most.

But for the ones who buy a new PC W8 is probably the better choice, tho for some who have difficulty with changes, they have to do a little work to turn it back to a W7 feeling

But by pushing Metro and removing the Start button in one go as mandatory, they just put W8 up to fail, because people really prefer that stuff just work out of the box.

Because nobody likes to be told what they can and can not do with there OS, and specially if they had to pay to money for it, MS broke the two golden rules of how to do business, first, the customer is king, and second the customer is always right.

If they had make Metro optional, i think it would had have a lot more people liking it, instead, because its mandatory, them now hating it!

And there were plenty of indications that people did not like the removing and pushing of those two, and would not accept it, but as usual, but MS was arrogant again, and had learned nothing from Vista, people hate big changes, especially if they get pushed down the throats!

I like W8 it fixed a lot of problems for me as a power user, but it is just ridicules that i had to do registry hacks and had to instal a program to get back my Start button!

And yes i only use the Start button once a week or so, dose not mean i want to learn a new way of doing tings, just because some one thinks i don't need it any more.

Almost all cars have the release leaver of hood, on the left under the dashboard, why? because people expect it to be there, same go's for the Start button, even do i seldom use it any more, i still expect it to be there!


Basically i really like the OS, but hate the UI.
 
JayteeBates said:
Fair enough but it is because they removed aero glass which the nv desktop hooks into to make a single big desktop surface.
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Whats sad is Aero was still in the Win8 beta (just like the start menu) but was ultimately removed thanks to what MS calls "de-emphasizing the desktop" and uglying it up under the misguided notion its going to make people want to spend more time in the web widgets interface.
 
Hey odditory, don't forget that the report also talks about how OS X has won market share since Windows 8 showed up! :p
 
odditory said:
Third most popular by midyear is speculative at best, because fact of the matter is WIndows 8 adoption is SLOWING DOWN, not speeding up. And the initial push out of the gate with people buying $15 licenses is now gone.

"Windows 8 amassed a 3.17% market share in March, up from 2.67% in February, said Net Applications. Although the uptick represents progress, Windows 8's gains still trail what Windows 7 had achieved by the same time. What's more, Microsoft's touch-oriented OS has been slowing down. After launching at the end of October, Windows 8 adoption increased 57.8% between November and December, before dropping to 31.4% between December and January and 18.1% between January and February. March's growth rate of 18.7% will likely do little to silence the OS's critics but it at least stemmed what had been precipitous month-over-month declines in momentum."

Meanwhile, according to the NetApplications report you cite, Windows 7 actually *increased* its marketshare in the last month - granted it was relatively minor but a gain is a gain and not what has normally happened when a newer version of Windows was available.

Bottom line Win8 is stuck in first gear any way you want to slice it, and if MS and its astroturfers think they're in for an easy ride to glory on the back of captive, forced sales at B&M stores where people no longer have Windows 7 as an off the shelf option, they're in for rough waters ahead.
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The month to month increase of Windows 8's market share seems to be at about 1/2 a percent and holing at that. So while 8's adoption spiked and then when down a lot it's now seems to be at this rate of increase. That's not gang busters but hardly stuck in first gear if the market share is increasing if every so slightly. And yes at this rate it 8 should over take Vista somewhere in early in the 3rd quarter. And a number of analysts are predicting the rate to increase as Blue gets rolled about with the next generation of hardware along with the approach of the end of Windows 8.

I understand that a lot of people want Microsoft to put in an Metro off switch so if Windows 8 is really a disaster that puts pressure on Microsoft to do so. At this point though I just don't know what hard evidence there is to indicate that putting in a Metro off switch would speed up Windows 8's adoption much. Microsoft seems to be willing to trade a slow start for Windows 8 in order to get the new UI established, or as many Windows 8 opponents would say, "force" Metro on Windows users.

And for the record I never once said that Windows 8 would be easy and said many months before its launch that it would start out slow but should pick up as improvements were made to the OS, more Metro apps came online and new hardware was released.
 
As many have said, if I can have the new improvements without them forcing my hand on the UI, then I would be all for it. That said, next SSD size upgrade I do, I'm switching to Windows 8 and will be adding a start menu to it. Hopefully Windows 9 will give users an option. :)
 
I just installed classic shell and I set files to open with windows 7 programs like WMP and windows picture viewer and I now never see anything metro.
 
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