“What the heck is happening to Windows?” had Paul reaching the heights of frustration as he watches the cluster..I mean the new features and enhancements being added to Windows 8.1 Update 1.
Now there has been some controversy on Twitter because if you sift through his older articles, you can see apparent contradictions to what he is saying now.
Like most situations in life, it’s not that simple.
Disclaimer: I have met Mr. Thurrott at several conferences and I think he is one of the funniest and nicest people you will meet in this business. One of the funniest for sure. He is very level headed and friendly in person.
I will (unfortunately) have to play armchair shrink for a little bit because his obvious frustration with Windows hit very close to home for me.
How this began
When Microsoft announced they were taking a big bet and making radical changes to Windows, a lot of people were excited. Heck I was excited enough to start this blog you are reading now 5 years ago, even before the announcements. It was refreshing that Microsoft was about to shake things up and change the game. A lot of us were excited that Android and Apple would (FINALLY) have some competition and we would see real choice in the marketplace. Then came the unveiling and all the Windows 8 Previews.
It became clear at that point that while it was a good effort, there were MAJOR structural deficiencies that were clear to everyone.
It was a little too much at one time.
Ironically, the company that did so much public testing did so much ignoring of the public feedback. They chose instead to focus on obvious benefits like startup speed and a pretty amazing install/upgrade process.
They chose to ignore obvious distress about the Start button and the distress starting in a TOTALLY new environment would cause for the average user on the street.
Then came Windows RT and we know where the story goes…..
The fact of the matter is that over time, the entire enterprise has been shown to be a failure.
A failure not because people aren’t buying it or using it (some are and I get a LOT of anecdotal feedback from readers on this blog who really like it), it was a failure because collectively as a society, this software made a bad impression upon introduction.
You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
It failed because it didn’t “change the game” and really didn’t give Apple or Google any pause at all. It failed because it wasn’t something people HAD to HAVE. They could (as I predicted) simply stay with Windows 7. This failure happened slowly over a period of two years and even people who were collectively rooting for Microsoft had the enthusiasm sucked out of them. I have to speak personally as a blogger and say it’s hard to day in and day out try to be objective about something that’s obviously not working. This is because every technology blogger has an inherent conflict. On one hand you owe the software vendor some space to see if their risk will pay off but on the other hand you need to be brutally honest when it’s clear it hasn’t. Blending of those two should result in objectivity but this is not a perfect world and it’s really hard to do. So as we see Microsoft make “changes” to Windows 8.1 in this new update, Mr. Thurrott correctly points out that the Operating System is becoming a Frankenstein of sorts. Part Windows 8, Part Windows 7, part Windows 8.1, part future and part retreat from the future. He’s right. What we are seeing is Microsoft put a band aid on the patients cancer, and whisper to the nurse “This one’s done for, we’ll get em next time”. The truth is Windows 9 is where Microsoft have to put their attention now. Satya and Bill have to go back to the drawing board and do a comprehensive autopsy. Learn all the lessons, start over and pray the marketplace will be attentive to a new OS. There’s a lot of intellectual capital from Windows 8 that will come in useful but the truth is, people didn’t respond to it and Microsoft need to try again. If Windows 9 is just Windows 8.1 update 4, turn the light off, it’s over. Once again, Microsoft as a financial entity and a business will be fine, they’re not going anywhere, but unless Windows is really fixed, the heart of their ecosystem will be broken. You can’t blame Paul Thurrott for that, he’s just calling a spade a spade. That’s my 10 cents, let me know what you think. Use the comments below.]]>Article Tags:
editorial · Metro Design · Paul Thurrott · update · Windows 8.1 update 1 · Windows 8.1 Update 1 Leaks
All Comments
You’re absolutely right!
You hit the nail on the head, Microsoft listened to no one and just rolled this sucker out. Surprise, it doesnt work.
Duhh!
I hear you…
I was an avid windows user up until windows 8 came out. I currently have 1 computer using it. I never bought a computer made from an manufacturer I built my own. I did this because I enjoyed it. But I switched to apple after windows 8 got tired of the every other operating system being a let down. I am not a wealthy person saved some money and did two things I never done before. I bought a computer from a manufacturer and it was a laptop to boot. It’s a macbook pro. Had to learn a new operating system but it didn’t take long. I found it easy to learn and very stable. The laptop is great. I am happy that apple left the Mac operating system and the IOS system separate. when I want to use my laptop I want an operating system I don’t have to switch between Tiles and desktop. Microsoft pushed to much to fast with this operating system. So hats off to you Onuora. You are not pushing apple products. You call an orange an orange and a lemon a lemon.
Tony
Thanks Tony.
I love my Macbook Pro too. I spent $2000 on it and the value I get from it is about $10,000.
After you go Retina, you never go back.
Thanks for the comment.
I love mine to. I bought a macbook pro 13″ that i can upgrade when the time comes. Still can’t take the builder out of me 🙂
That’s Steve didn’t listen to feedback and he was out as soon as win8 came out. And then another Steve as well.
I couldn’t agree more. Well put!
🙂
When windows 8 came out, I liked the idea behind it but I knew that Windows 9 was the ticket so now we’ll see what they come out with – Agree with your assessment
Thanks for the comment.
🙂
As I sit here reading your web page on my 8-inch Windows tablet, which i have to say is the greatest thing since sliced bread, I have pulled my Bluetooth keyboard in front of it so I can type away. The problems you echo from Mr Thurrott seem far away, enough that I wonder what on earth all the fuss is about.
My main laptop does not have a touch-screen so I use keyboard and mouse with that. I have embraced the Metro apps, which are great for consumption mode, though I still get to run my desktop apps, which I use intensively at other times. And I can workably use all my desktop apps on my tablet too, whose 8-inch screen is bigger than the one on my original Asus EEE PC from 5-6 years ago, which I have to say used to run Windows 2000 beautifully.
Windows 8 syncs all my Metro apps and their data between my devices. Dropbox syncs all my files. I can switch between devices in an instant, continuing where I left off. It all ‘just works’. So from my perspective I find the scenario you expound is almost unrecognisable.
I found 8.1 to be a useful incremental improvement over 8.0 and yet I talk to people who have never installed it because they have read that it is terrible. I have talked to plenty of people who will not even try 8 because they have read that they have to return to a childhood of Fisher-Price toys and Lego bricks. Others pick up the hearsay and spread it as gospel.
You talk about being objective, and about Mr Thurrott’s flaky objectivity. In reading endless blog postings on endless web-sites I see little of objectivity. A great deal of damage is being done by people who have jumped on a band-wagon.
Do Windows users troll Apple web sites? I don’t know because I never look at them. Why would I? But I am amazed by the number of Apple cultees who seem to have boundless energy and spare time to trash their pet hate. Don’t these people have a life?
It is worth reminding people that Apple gear is for rich folks. I once bought an iPod. A piece of junk. I have family members with iPads who tell me they are tablets but then sit with them on stands and a keyboard in front of them trying to make laptops out of them. There is so much denial of reality. I cannot afford Apple stuff. Many people can’t. But Windows has always been the common man’s system, Apple always the one for the monied elite.
Microsoft will survive the bile. It is time to re-define evil. It is no longer Microsoft. Look around at the major competitors who would wall you off in their garden, inject viral ads direct into your DNA sequences if they could figure out how, or who re-define privacy as a quaint historic concept because it gets in the way of their greed.
None of us have 8.1 Update 1 yet. I do agree that there is a bit of back-stepping with it, a recognition that all is far from rosy with 8.0 and 8.1. But when it comes to egg on faces, just be aware that Apple has its moment coming, because it can’t downsize the iPad more than 8 inches, or upsize iPhone, because there is a massive investment in apps locked into 2 nominally standardised screen sizes. Microsoft was bold with Metro, producing a UI that is potentially scalable across the entire size range, and no one else has anything like it.
The future is not written yet, but I hope it is one in which Microsoft is successful, because the alternatives are all scrambling to lock people into their aforementioned prisons of greed.
Beautifully written.
Thanks for your comment.
Well said.I just wanna ask if hypothetically apple brought this iOS instead of windows would you all be using the word FLOP or do u ve different vocabulary …they changed whole perspective of tablets n PC use was it amazing no but its good ..at least they ve balls to bring something new n improve it not every one is lucky as apple to release the same iphone every year with tiny change yet be the no.1phone really ..if its apple there is room to improve if its anyone else rip them apart.grow up
Hey there is that school of thought that people are this critical just because it’s Microsoft.
I don’t really buy it because the sales numbers are the proof. People just aint buying. All the PC bloggers in the world could talk crap about Apple all day and Iphones and Ipads would still fly off the shelves.
The marketplace spoke, thats really all there is to it.
That’s just wrong, sorry. You underestimate the power of your profession. When I show around my Surface, I always get statements like “Hey, this is not at all how I read about it! It looks actually good and you also have keyboard and mouse, I read it was not working well with that”. I was in a meeting recently with 7 other people and we had 3 Macs, 3 W8.1 and 2 W7. What more do you want?
What? 7 people using 8 devices. Who is using more than one in a meeting? Oh sorry. Forgot to count youself.
Market share of iPhone is really shrinking. Same as iPad. You can see it from the share price of Apple from $700+ dropped to $500-. It’s back to $500+ just because Apple spent over $500mil+ buying its share back.
It’s like the old saying, “if you think you can’t, you won’t.” People can say that negative media has nothing to do with it, but if all you’re hearing is “it’s too hard, it’s crap, you can do what you need to do on it” when you sit down with it, the first sign of trouble you’re thinking “yeah this is too hard.” Then you have sales people pushing people away from Microsoft products. People in the media are simply not honest. If they were the common opinion of Windows 8 would be,” it’s basically Windows 7 with no start menu and Metro added; if you really just have to have the start menu either Windows 8 isn’t for you, or you need to use a 3rd party app. But honestly it’s not hard once you get used to it, and the average PC user uses the actually start menu itself much less than in the past.” Then for the last 20+ years, we’ve probably all known that one tech person who is either always badmouthing anything Microsoft or telling people how much better Apple products are.
But they would never do that. I really don’t know why Apple would ever spend a dime on marketing ever. Everything Apple does, everyone hypes up as the greatest thing ever even when it’s really nothing special. Plus, it’s much easier to transition people from the iPod, to iPhone, to iPad. People just don’t look at Microsoft the same way, no matter what they do. People still have this nostalgic view of Apple in their mind as that same Apple that took on IBM and were the “cool kids.” Most of the stuff Apple is coming out with is not that much better than the product it replaces, but everyone feels like you have to have the next Apple gadget even if you can’t really tell the difference between that and the last one.
Excellent, what an admirable and totally agreeable set of statements.
Could not agree more, have nothing further to add.
Couldn’t agree more, thanks!
Thank you for your thoughts…. You just gave me a hope that not everybody is paid employe of Apple or Google to write negative articles and comments about Microsoft.
I am beginning to think he is being paid (or subsidized or sponsored) by Apple or Google
Hahahahahahah
From your mouth to their ears! I welcome their endorsements!!
That 2014 Rolls Royce Phantom wont pay for itself.
🙂
Are you confessing? (***Thinks to himself : When the argument is weak and counter-arguments seem to threaten my argument, I will draw for the biggest logical fallacy to silence them – the “my _________ is bigger than yours. And of course, we have to start censoring and moderating their comments. Can’t have anyone question my opinions. Fascism did have it’s benefits after all)
How petty.
END.
Microsoft for the past 10 years has been very profitable and financial facts show it is more profitable than Apple, Google, Samsung and IBM. Microsoft is well positioned for the future to dominate the business, enterprise and consumer world. The business and enterprise domination has always been a fact and their last financial report suggest the domination is deepening (Microsoft Cloud services and Office is booming). In the consumer segment they still dominate with 90% PC global market share, WP has sold 50 million units since launch (the same amount of Iphones we’re sold in the same timeframe of 3.3 years). WP is prognosed to sell 100 million units in 2014. Surface has a revenue of nearly 1 billion in one year and is expected to be 2 billion at the end of 2014. Skype has more than 1.3 billion users, 30% of international calls are made through Skype. Which global Carrier or Tellco can boast these claims. Yammer is the leading social network provider for businesses growing 200% in the first year after Microsoft acquired it. Then there are the 200 million Nokia feature phone users, that can potentially be converted to WP. The potential is huge. Xbox dominates the game console market along with PS. The future is Microsoft’s. Google has to prove that it can be profitable in anything other than adds, while the amount of clicks per add is declining, meaning less profit per ad. Apple is too reliant on tablets, Macs and the Iphones, which are under pressure because of lack of innovation and dwindling prices from rival products. Microsoft has made bold moves, while rivals are not active and has repositioned itself for the future, just in time.
In my article I said Microsoft would be fine financially. I guess that part was ignored?
🙂
iPod is a junk mostly bought by kids nowaday. I like the simplicity of other mp3 players to get the songs in and out of those players. With iPod, I have to use iTunes to sync. An extra no needed bloatware in my opinion.
I went out and brought Windows 8.1 and little learning curve but it works just fine. I’m hoping when windows 9 comes out i can just upgrade. Or it will be a waste of money, time will tell.
Time will indeed tell.
Thanks for the comment.
I am using Windows 8.1 as I type this on an ASUS T100. I have figured out how to use 8 to still be productive but not by much. Many of the apps I have tried for 8 are not up to what I get on my Android phone and tablet. My gripe about Windows 8 is what they did to Windows Media Center that I use heavily on Windows 7. Microsoft made switching to 8 very expensive if you expect to use Media Center. It was a real kick in the butt for me. It’s like I am to be punished because Microsoft slipped somewhere along the way and gave away Media Center with basic Windows 7 and I got used to that.
I got my media center free when I upgrade to win8 pro for $15 when it first came out. So next time, if you really need one feature, pay attention when you can get it for little money. Don’t wait and see or you will miss the boat.
Well, reading the comments of some enthusiasts deliriously extolling the virtues of Win 8 and speaking of how amazingly it has changed their lives for the better – it makes me wonder where I went wrong!
I have a laptop (still running 8) and a desktop which I ‘upgraded’ to 8 but have since re-installed 7 on. Guess which I prefer… In the fullness of time the laptop will be ‘downgraded’ to 7 unless 8.1 really does what it claims. I honestly feel that this was yet another mistake (or miscalculation) by Microsoft and I hope that they learn from it – although history doesn’t make it look likely.
Perhaps I should have learned when a long time ago I ‘upgraded’ to Millennium and later couldn’t find the ‘Wow factor’ when they brought out Vista! I didn’t think I’d be conned again, but I believe I was. No more early adoptions for me!
LOL
Not that extreme, just not that exciting.
Some people are not suitable to be early adopter. Also I have 6 win7 pc and only upgrade one to win8. Never upgrade all at the same time.
Yep, you’re right Willy.
There are times when early adopters are the first to be disappointed!
As always Mr Amobi spreads nonsense and negativity about Microsoft and W8 without substantiating it with facts. There is so much unfounded negativity about Microsoft and their products on the net thanks to tech bloggers like Amobi. That’s why I react to BS of these bloggers who misinform consumers, disrespects them and manipulates their choices negatively. First of all he states that W8 has failed because it is not selling. This statement lacks any sense of reality and he should long have been committed to a crazy house. Let’s check the facts.
Fact 1. In december 2012 W8 had 1.72% global marketshare; in may 2013 W8 had 3.84%, september 2013 it grew to 8.02% and by january 2014 to more than 10%. A growth in one year of more more or less 700%. If in the first two months 60 million licenses we’re sold, you can imagine that about 400 to 500 million licenses of W8 has been sold in one year. These are numbers that would make Apple and Google water mouth. Some would counter argue that these are licenses sold to OEM’s, but that is what Microsoft does, it sells software licenses and only recently sells it’s own hardware. This is their main revenue stream.
Fact 2. The last financial report showed that Microsoft had a revenue of almost 1 billion dollars from W8 devices (Surface, not smartphones). We can expect the revenue from Surface alone to top the 2 billion mark by the end of 2014. So Microsoft has created a new revenue stream in one year, and suprise suprise, it will be profitable this year. Yes W8 is not only selling as a software license, but also as a main component of a hardware product of Microsoft.
Fact 3. In december 2013 Net Markt Share did an analytics survey under 160 million users. Windows had 90,.88% of the global PC market, Apple’s Mac OS had 5% and Linux 1.5%. That leaves 0,12% for other OS’s like Chromebooks etc. This means that despite all the talk of doom, gloom and declining sales of PC’s Windows have maintained their global supremacy in the PC world. Despite all the overrated talk about Google (Chromebooks) and Apple’s (Macs and tablets) succes, Windows unit sales (in percentage) has stayed relatively stable the last ten years and W8 is growing at a substantially much higher rate than any other Windows OS or other OS period.
To tell you all the truth I have had it with bloggers like Amobi, who lack the intelligence and capacity to use data wisely and objectively and to inform and educate their readers. His negativity surrounding Microsoft and it’s products is an obsession that is becomming sickening. This article has no substance, only presumed and unfounded statement without any merit. Amobi should pursue other jobs and stop blogging.
So by your logic, Windows 8 was doing fine and Microsoft felt the need to make drastic changes to a winning formula?
Interesting.
What are the “drastic changes” ?
I choose to end here.
🙂
Yes, because you have no case. Update 1 hasn’t even been released as yet, so how could you? you’re making these wide arching statements based on rumours and speculations. Seems a bit like TROLLING to me. **shake my head**
END
Can one really troll on their own blog?
Thats a GREAT question. Almost existential.
See, no answer at all. Even making fun of the question by calling it almost existential.
Mr Amobi does nothing else but troll on his own website. In truth mr Amobi is an Apple fandroid, blogging about Microsoft. How credible is that????? But it’s very convenient for mr. Amobi, because this way he won’t have to troll his favorite products. So he can concentrate all his bottled up negativity on Microsoft, all his bias about Microsoft shines through his blog. As I said I have dealt with mr. Amobi’s bias and lack of factual information as a basis for his statements when it comes to Microsoft’s products in the past and he banned me from his website because he could not face the truth. Truth (or better put: facts) hurts mr. Amobi. Nothing has changed since then. His opinion counts and nothing you say, can move him, but time and time again he fails to substantiate his statements. It’s really sad. As a phychologist I think mr. Amobi suffers from some kind of reality distortion mental sickness, because even when confronted with hard facts, he does not budge. He never really gives an answer to questions, but sticks to his unfounded opinion.
That diagnosis has been given before.
Maybe I should pay more attention to it.
🙂
It’s about time if you really mean it, because through the years your demeaner has not changed. You are a blogger and not writing for a magazine. Either you base your opinion on facts or you give experts a voice, but you do not make statements which you cannot substantiate. I remember the first time you reviewed a Windows tablet. You did not even take the time to review it, exchanged it for your private Ipad and went on dissing the W8 tablet. Most commentators attacked you because you never even reviewed the tablet, while critisizing it. You could not find an app, so you used your Ipad, you critisized the keyboard because you did not have enough room in the airflight seat to type on the typecover and turned to your Ipad and so on. You once wrote an article about Google being better than Bing on the simple basis of your experience that your website comes on top of the search results with Google and not Bing. But I living in Holland always get your website on top of all search results with Bing and not Google. So I asked you which is better??? If you had done 100 search trials, maybe even 20, eventhought these numbers are not statistically relevant, I would have commended you for trying to be objective. But no, based on your sole experience with your website Google was better than Bing. 100 thousands of blind tests prove people prefer Bing, Google never contested these results, but you disregarded these facts entirely and kept to your point of view. Sad. It’s time for change mr. Amobi, time to redeem yourself and become a better blogger or just quit.
Words of wisdom.
I will sit in front of the fireplace, light my pipe and ponder.
🙂
Thanks for the comment.
But I’ve also read of many who dislike Windows 8 and who are really unsure of the Windows Phone as well. The situation is akin to Vista, many people really disliked it, and yet really love Windows 7. I’ve often found that people can be critical of a product created by a brand (and often overly so), and yet still remain loyal to that brand. I like to think of it as those who often criticize a product more so than average tend to also be its greatest supporters. Just think of any sports team, the biggest group to trash a team when they’re doing badly is usually their biggest fans.
I’ve also found online that when nothing can be solved through dialogue between commentators the old adage of “discretion is the better part of valor” just might hold true. People have to work and all, commenting just doesn’t pay the bills.
Well Amobi does not have any fundamental critisism, that’s the problem and does not support W8 in any way, never has. Today sales number of Windows came out: 420 million licenses sold of which 200 million W8 and 240 million W7. W8 is thus selling much better than Vista did and almost as fast as W7. W8 market share increased by 700% and W7 by less than 1%. Amobi claims W8 does not sell, so Microsoft must cancel it. What an ignorant and stupid comment, totally not supported by facts.
What’s interesting is that the site gets no credit when we post the stories with large sales numbers.
No one trolls to give us credit then.
Only when we say things people don’t agree with.
🙂
So far, I only see cosmetic changes to win8.x. Not really drastic changes to be seen. That’s why I keep saying win9 is supposed to be just win8.2 in reality.
No one ever said Windows 8 was doing fine, but considering the economic client, it having to compete with two of it’s on OS that are extremely popular, the average PC user not being able to deal with the smallest amount of change, and the fact no one in the media ever gave it a fair shake, 12% is not that bad. Plus, I didn’t think this article was about whether Windows 8 originally had problems but whether they should continue to improve it. My issue with Paul is this is the same person that has been saying Microsoft should be making some of these changes. Now there is some debate on whether they’re going too far. But you can’t criticize the product as is, then at the same time say don’t try to improve it. Paul constantly says when talking about Windows 8 “they should have done this, unfortunately it would not have worked.” Personally, I still think that if you take 8.1 and make a few more small changes, it nullifies a lot of the criticism about Win8 being too hard or too drastic a change from Win7.
The reaction of mr. Onoura is as expected for someone who does not pay attention to facts. It’s not a question of logic, let alone my logic. It’s a question of facts. Despite all the doom and gloom of PC sales slumping, negativity about W8, successes of Apple tablets and Iphone (by the way Iphone global market share is declinig from 25% to 14%) and Google successes, Microsoft for the last 10 years have increased their profits tenfold. This characterises Microsoft as a succesfull organisation. If Windows Vista was Ballmers biggest mistake, but Microsoft still remained very profitable in that period, why would it not be the case with W8 (which is a much better OS than Vista)? It’s not a question about W8 being more succesfull than W7, it’s the fact that Windows dominates, whether it be Vista, Windows XP, Windows 7 or W8, cumulatively they are all profitable to Microsoft. In time as The facts this past year has proved, W8 market share will grow stronger, since it grew 700% last year, while W7 grew a few tenths of one percent. If these facts does not convince mr. Amobi of his unfounded statements and thus baised article, like I said, mr Amobi should retire as a blogger and look for another job.
But furthermore these statements by mr. Amobi prove that he has no strategic insight in how companies are run and value is created in time. Products are continuiosly in development creating more and more value. Look at Office, we now have Office 2013 and Office 365. Windows has always been evolving, innovated, creating more value for Microsoft and it’s clients. Now we have Microsoft Cloud Services also which combine on premise applications with cloud applications based on Windows. Then there is Microsoft Intelligent Data Services which integrates with Excell, Sharepoint etc. Creating value on excisting products takes time, but the fruits have always paid off for Microsoft. So to dismiss W8 after one year is business wise shortsighted, real dumb, a waste of resources and money and tacticly and strategicly foolish. Compare it to Google spending more than 18 billion on Motorola (12.4 billion acquisition price, 3 billion loss of Motorola while under Google and 3 billion invested in Motorala by Google) and then selling it for 2.9 billion, just to gain a bunch of worthless patents. Microsoft is not as foolish as Google.
So not only does mr. Amobi ignore the hard facts and writes articles that have no substance or basis, but he also does not understand how businesses operate. So I will repeat myself mr. Amobi, seek another job. If you do jot understand how businesses work, you can never write a good business article.
Wow! I love forums because it is a place to read various arguments on a particular issue, some logical, some not so logical, but when people leave issues at hand and start to attack people and calling names, the whole soon of an intellectual forum loses its taste. Please people, no matter how emotional you are about an issue, let’s keep it civil and avoid the name-calling. After all everyone has a ‘good enough’ reason for taking whatever stance they take.
Maybe they will block me from the site as they did last time. Yes, when confronted with the truth about the quality of their blogs, that’s what they (Amobi) do: censoring. But the truth will not go away, because poor quality remains poor quality.
You’re not censored yet.
🙂
Sigh. I started out as a real fan of yours Onoura, but now, I don’t know if I should continue, but I think Rikikrik has it on point this time around. Let’s even look at Microsoft stock which has gained almost 30% since Windows 8 was launched. Where are your facts?
Thurrott uses words like “DISASTER” – I don’t agree. Don’t you think that’s a bit extreme in description? I have Windows 8 on every single machine that I have at home – that’s one Lumia 920, one T100, a Mac Mini (bootcamp), and two laptops. My life is not a disaster bro. I’m still doing what I do. I’m a multimedia producer – edit videos, edit photographs, compose music – I run a transcription business, called Bolt Transcription, I have an Office 365 subscription that I share with my family. I use Office 365 for my transcription business, for presentations, for letter authoring, accounting. HOW MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE DO YOU WANT ME TO BE? Am I enterprise? I dread the day that Windows 7 is made strictly for enterprise users, as Thurott proposes. Yet you say that you agree completely. You may want to rethink that statement.
What I will give you, is that when I want to go productive, I have to switch to a local account because I can’t stand the stupid notifications in the background. But that’s such a minor problem that I could NEVER label an ENTIRE OS as a DISASTER! You are reallllllly beginning to lose credibility bro – you’re bordering on slander for Windows 8 now.
Hey man, I agree with you in principle but the only reason MSFT are making these changes must be because more people disagree than agree.
Its a business and they dont make changes just to satisfy bloggers?
What DRASTIC changes are you referring to? C’mon man – let’s not over do this criticism, try and free yourself from your negative bias which you gained when MSFT wasn’t listening to feedback during the Win 8 preview stage. I too was pissed off, but Steve was fired. Let’s move on eh?
What I’ve heard so far
– allowing metro apps to be launched on the desktop: better than splitting the screen between a metro app and the desktop app, agree or disagree?
– Adding easily triggered close and minimize for metro apps: better than dragging down with a mouse, agree or disagree?
– Adding a power button to the start screen: just the same as right clicking on start, then going power options, agree or disagree?
– Adding a fully functioning start menu for desktop: better than having to switch to the metro, agree or disagree?
That’s the most credible, the rest is still speculative. What’s so DRASTIC about those?
Once again dude, you’re raging against the wrong person.
Even if I agree with you in principle, the only reason MSFT are making these changes must be because more people disagree than agree.
Its a business and they don’t make changes just to satisfy bloggers?
“It was a failure because collectively as a society, this software made a bad impression upon introduction.”
You see, that’s where you missed the point of other readers. You have to take responsibility for your influence. They may not change for a blogger, but they will change because the blogger has many subscribers who they have influence over. Isn’t that why you created a blog, isn’t that why you are responding now? Because you have followers. MSFT doesn’t care as much about you as they do your followers. And as a person who is a part owner of MSFT, I care too because you are misrepresenting the system with an awful bias.
Your argument is weak. I could go through sentence by sentence and rebut your arguments, but I will just choose one quote. You said “the entire enterprise has been shown to be a failure.” WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You still haven’t answered the challenges of your readers – what are the DRASTIC changes that make Windows 8 a FAILURE?
Bottom line is, YOU! Onuora Amobi, are an avatar for persons who are helping to perpetuate this bad first impression that Windows 8 made upon society. YOU, your bias, and your unwillingness to move on.
p.s. I’m still waiting to hear what these DRASTIC changes are that show that Microsoft admit Windows 8 is a failure.
LOL
If I had that much power, Microsoft fanboys would have destroyed Apple. How many fans and bloggers have said Apple make crap blah blah?
There are way more Microsoft products, blogs, fans and bloggers out there than Apple.
The marketplace still responds the way it responds.
Cant blame bloggers for the marketplace.
You’re trying to shoot the messenger. I understand the impulse. I have felt that way at times.
🙂
Lame response.
Okay. So you’ve just lost a reader. I will stick to your sight for insights and leaks, but I chose to end my interaction with your blog here.
You however, can continue to spout your ideas to an itching audience who will gladly tell you what you want to hear. Let no opposing ideas contend.
Adios.
I don’t believe that at all. How many people in media are actually Pro-Microsoft? Most people who work in the media or even creative areas have probably always been Apple product users. Many might not be anti-Microsoft, but they’re indifferent to Microsoft at best. This has nothing to do with you. No one should be shooting the messenger. I totally disagree that there are more Microsoft fans and bloggers out there, products maybe. Even if there are its not about have the most people, its about having the most vocal people. I’m sorry I just don’t see these blogs and media outlets out there that are so Pro-Microsoft. It’s just like in politics. When it comes to primary season, you’ll have one candidate that everything good they do is the best thing ever and everything bad they do is no big deal. Then their opponents are covered the exact opposite way. That person usually wins are has a spot on the stage much longer than they should have. I have the browser I’m on now set to open about 12 tabs on startup. All of them are tech blogs: your site, Paul’s Site, Mary Joe’s blog. I have yet to see any of these sites be particularly positive about anything from Microsoft. other than to say some of their products aren’t as bad as another companies. With the exception of your site sometimes, Paul’s site, and Mary Joe’s, almost everyone else I go on hype of every little piece of news about Apple as “Apple’s about to do the greatest X in history one more time.” And it’s not just the people who run the blogs. With the exception of your site, Paul’s, and maybe WinBeta, you can’t even go on a site a say “I have Win8/WP8, and it works fine for what I need it to do” without 20 people jumping on you saying you work for Microsoft, you must be a fanboy, etc. But these same people take offense to anyone calling Apple users fanboys. It’s like it’s a crime to not hate all things Microsoft or say you have different products from different platforms, and they’re all basically the same to you.
I’ll just remind you that I started this blog myself and have put/am putting lots of blood sweat and tears (lol) into it.
An Apple blog would have been just as easy to do but I chose Windows.
Hard to accuse me of being biased negatively when most of the posts here are talking about what Windows should be. It’s actually funny that if you look at the archives, a lot of them from 2009 to 2011 are very positive.
I just call em as I see em. Sorry.
🙂
But people follow the lead of bloggers. Look at politics. It only takes a few small voices, and it makes millions of people across the country become convinced of things that are absolutely not true. If 4 or 5 of the right bloggers and radio people said you have an Uncle who was on the terrorist watch list, we’d have millions of people who believe it, with no evidence at all. When you have to rely on selling products to people whose only basis of opinion is reviews by other users, media outlets, review sites, and their local tech guy. If everyone is giving them a distorted view of Windows 8, what do you think they’re going to do. Politicians hope to please a majority of the people, but to have success they usually just end up satisfying the right people with the right microphones(literal and figurative). It’s the same way with products. I doesn’t have to be Microsoft or tech products. Other companies have had to completely change products or ad campaigns simply because the right or wrong people depending on how you look at it, didn’t like something about what they were doing. You honestly don’t think the market share of Windows 8 or Windows Phone wouldn’t be significantly higher if it was more well-received by “analyst,” bloggers, review sites, and those in the media?
Which company does not make product changes for the sake of business???? Did Google not invest more than 18 billion in Motorola, losing more than 15 billion for a bunch of worthless patents, for the sake of business??? W8 is a wiser investment decision when compared to Google’s investment in Motorola. Or all those so called Google projects (in reality product launches or changes) that until now has not bore fruit. 90% of Google’s revenue and profit still come from adds. Should Google dismiss them all.
How do you know that most people disagree with the changes Microsoft made?? Did you hold a representative survey??? Is this another fact, or just your opinion?? I guess you have been reading a lot of blogs that voice your opinion, while ignoring the facts that more than 300 million PC we’re sold in 2013 of which a great amount W8 PC’s. Again W8 global market share grew from 1.7% to more than 10% in one year, ~ 700% growth. Which other product have ever achieved this feat??? Mr. Amobi should go suck a lemon. Surface sales alone doubled, ~ 100% growth. Analysts we’re surprised at these numbers. But according to mr. Amobi W8 is a failure?? You have got to be kidding me. Stop blogging mr. Amobi. Be a man and stop blogging.
I was an early adopter of Win8 and touch/stylus tablet hardware. I use stylus and screen recording video and audio to produce videos for my Youtube channel. My previous system was a 17″ XP convertible tablet with stylus input, and it worked great in all respects except the OS was getting old.
I decided to go ahead and replace the hardware with Win8 stuff (at substantial cost) and set up the studio with the new system. How long did it take to get back into reliable production with the new stuff? Lost nearly a whole year trying to make Win8 and hardware work for me.
Here are the main problems I encountered:
1- Tablet stylus-touch functions interfere with each other.
2- Palm rejection unreliable (palm rejection is absolutely essential for my stuff.)
3- Sketchy Win8 apps for screen video capture were unreliable and lacked needed functionality.
4- Win 8 convertible tablet “Metro” button in hardware easily activated by mistake (ruins video recording session.)
5-Win8 Tablet screens are too small for recording stylus input mathematical calculations and illustrations. We need a large active table area to do mathematical instruction using hand writing and drawing by stylus.
6-Screen video + audio capture apps for Win8 were really disappointing. I tried six or seven different Win 8 apps for this before finding one that was acceptable. I also tried a hardware DVR system. It was also unreliable and sketchy in that the control software and user settings were unreliable and hard to get going.
After a lot of wasted time and money, I’ve junked the Win8 stuff and re-did the whole thing using Win7. I found a great 19″ TFT digitizing pen interactive screen display that runs via USB to a nice Lenovo Win7 standard tablet. Screen video/audio capture from AVS4YOU works ok too. We are back in production with a straightforward solution powered by Win7.
I would consider Win8 again if they bring it up to professional business standards. But for now, I have to say: “Silly Rabbit. Win8 Touch is for Kids.”
It’s never a good move to set up a new studio with new and expensive hardware and OS. Always use battle hardened one. Few business will upgrade all their PC to new OS. They normally wait for at least 1-2 years if not more.
It’s true, I did fall victim to “Early Adopter Fever.” After all, windows
XP and era hardware did all I wanted with ease, except 16:9 1080p video screen capture. Very little to ask of a new OS with new apps. The reality was harsh. I was truly astonished at how bad the performance of Win8 apps and hardware was. My needs are simple and undemanding, but must work reliably in the production process.
My Win 7 setup is doing the job quite well, thank you, and it only took me three months and $2000.00 to discover the Win8 was not ready for prime time.
For new laptops or tablets, I would say go for win8.x. But if you are running win7, there is no good enough reason to upgrade as win7 is so solid. Not because win8 is worse than win7. Just not worth to spend $130. Even if win9 comes out next year, I would still say no reason to upgrade win7. I, myself, will keep my win7 pc running until 2020 or when it crashes, whichever first. My win7 pc is not my daily use pc anymore.
Windows 8 was never going to be something people had to have. No matter what they did with Windows 8, there was never going to be something people had to have. There just isn’t any must have tech out there anymore. All you can do now is make a good product and hope people give it a shot. There are probably some features out there people want to have like harder screens and water resistance. It might not be something people have to have, but it’s something they really should have. I’ve been able to do more with Windows tablets just playing around with them, than I’m able to do with an iPad I have with me all the time. Maybe they are putting too many things in Update 1, but a lot of the things are good like the power button and the menus. Do you know how many more people would have played around with Windows 8 a little more in the beginning in there was a power button or it was obvious how to log off? Then you add the weak economy. Plus, it really doesn’t matter what they do when the majority of the tech world is going to over-analyze and over-critsize everything they do.
This is the same Paul who didn’t think the iPad would take off. Although all his reasons are valid, and the vast majority of people who have iPads don’t need them, he didn’t take into account the hype that you should get whatever product is the next out from Apple, and people’s mindset that they have to have the accompanying product for the product they already have. People will iPhones and Macs were always going to get them an iPad. There was just no way they weren’t getting one. Anyone who thinks people’s buying habits and political views aren’t influenced by the media and certain figures they go to for opinions, is living on a different planet. People want whatever everyone else has or whatever everyone else is trying to get. Apple products have always been hyped up as the device you have to have but only certain people can get. Now that more and more people finally have a chance to try their phones as well as try Android and other platforms, they’re starting to realize it’s not always worth the hype and their Aura is starting to wear off a little bit. The one thing that keeps them big is there is so much love for them and so much hate for Microsoft in the U.S. Especially.
Ray,
I think you kind of make the larger point. Ipads may and should not make sense but they CONNECT with the public.
Windows 8.x at this point does not(for whatever reason).
Is that fair? Not necessarily but life isn’t fair either, it is what it is.
I’m still using Windows 8 after I upgraded from Windows7. Granted it is a Lenovo Laptop Convertible Tablet, but I’ve not really had any problems with Windows 8 beyond the upgrade of 8.1 that removed the ability to right-click and forget a network. Now I’ve attempted all the various hacks and nothing seems to work. It continues to connect first to an open wifi connection near me before my network. This is a huge bug that others seem to be having a problem with as well, and yet nothing is done about it on Microsoft’s end, that is to say make it better. But beyond that I’m fine with it.
I suggest you get your news from the source, instead of the middle man. Onoura has proven himself to be biased and unwilling to consider opposing views. His arguments are laced with logical fallacies, and he seems to be unnecessarily controversial. As a middle man, he is being intellectually dishonest in his filtering of news. I suggest we bypass his site, and subscribe directly to his sources.
I personally, will not be buying any more gas for his 2014 Rolls Royce.
So let me get the sequence of this straight.
You’re upset with me because I agree with what someone else said and have pointed out the fact that Microsoft are looking at the market winds and making changes?
The fact that I am pointing out those facts and refusing to argue with you in depth makes me biased and unwilling to consider opposing views (even though I said I agree with you in principle)?
Interesting.
🙂
In previous comments I’ve stated the reasons I am unsubscribing from your blog, and subscribing directly to your sources. Since you asked, I will restate in a more simpler way.
The article above leads me to conclude that
1) You are flaming/trolling (as other readers have rightfully observed and stated in this thread)
2) You did not present any facts but only speculation – yet drew a radical conclusion
3) Your logic is poor
4) You present opinions not based on fact but based on feelings (as other readers have rightfully observed and stated in this thread)
5) You labelled an entire sector a failure, thus misrepresenting the truth (flaming/trolling again?)
Your responses have led me to conclude
1) That you believe money makes you superior
2) That you are not practicing to be intellectually honest – When challenged you retreated
3) That you are not practicing to be intellectually honest – When references to your claims were requested, you retreated
4) You do not want to consider opposing viewpoints – because you have censored and are now moderating comments which pose opposing viewpoints
THEREFORE, I chose to END my subscription and following of you, not because I am upset, but because your opinions are no longer worthy of my time.
END.
So mr. Amobi, Important news flash, Microsoft sold 200 million W8 licenses against 240 million W7 licenses in 15 months. About 13 million W8 licenses a month sold. Yes, W8 is a failure, let’s drop it mr. Amobi?? It’s also great to see that W8 is selling almost as fast as W7. W8 is no Vista and even Vista was profitable. Opinions are one thing mr. Amobi, facts are another. Go get another job.
420.000 licenses sold per day of which almost half was Windows 8. Crunch those numbers mr. Amobi.
A couple of weeks ago I taught my mother’s blue-haired friends how to use their new Windows 8 machines for their computer controlled sewing machines. It took me less than 15 minutes to do so. Currently on my work computer (non-touch) I can do anything as fast (or faster) than on my Windows 7 machine at home.
FYI: Windows 8 is easy. If you are having problems than maybe you should ask an 8 or 9 year old child for help. If you are a tech writer having problems maybe you should ask a child for help before you make a public display of your stupidity.
Much of the problem is the “blind leading the blind”. We have so called experts who cannot “tech their way out of a wet paper bag” spreading tales of gloom and doom regarding Windows 8. If you are unable to master an O/S that a sewing circle of 80 year old ladies can handle than you are an embarrassment to IT workers everywhere.