back to article Windows 8.1 Update: Throws desktop drones a bone but still as TOUCHY as ever

After months of slowly inflating expectations, Microsoft recently released its follow-up act to Windows 8.1 – the Windows 8.1 Update. It’s a transitional release, with the destination being a substantial reworking of the original concept. The problem for Microsoft is that it based Windows 8 around a new touch-friendly app …

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  1. bigtimehustler

    I can't say I truly understand Microsoft strategy these days. One of the things that kept business users in the Windows OS ecosystem was the office application suite. I am not a Windows user, but in the past I always run Windows in a VM just to use Outlook for its exchange features. These days with Office 365, I simply have a browser window open with Outlook open, LibreOffice is good enough for all my other document editing needs. So ultimately if users get more familiar with Office 365 as a whole, this could mean businesses having to do less retraining to move a user off Windows...surely making Office work so well finally in the Web has started the decline in market share of Windows.

    1. GrumpyMiddleAgedGuy

      Absolutely - just the same way Java cannibalised Sun.

    2. big_D Silver badge

      Yes and no.

      Office 365 web apps are getting better, but it is like the difference between a Mercedes C Class with the base engine and no extras and a fully loaded AMG C Class, they look vaguely similar, but one is underpowered and lacks a lot of features.

      It depends on how many of those optional extras you can shift onto the web platform and how good the browser experience becomes. The web apps aren't bad, for when I am not working on one of my PCs, but I wouldn't swap my Office 2013 installation for them. At least not yet.

    3. scopesoft

      The Data Centre returns

      We seem to be going back to the early days of computing when the data centre existed. We now store all our files in the cloud (as per the data centre) and get charged for the storage, we now can pay a subscription to run an application (as per the data centre), and we now have to get permission to run our apps (as per the data centre) and pay to do this. LOL

    4. Avatar of They
      FAIL

      Except

      Microsoft and other cloud storage companies don't understand real world situations. (ignoring PRISM and Snowdon and the NSA for a moment)

      The DPA and safe harbour are a joke and yet companies must obey them, so having all your data in someone elses hands and in a place you can't control and don't trust is not legal. So all this talk of clouds and azure and rubbish MS infrastructure is pie in the sky for most businesses.

      Never mind that 1000 people suddenly trying to use a web interface in the UK when BT and virgin can't give 100% uptime means you are relying on your 100/1000 network being massively crushed (not just throttled) when you get to the pavement interface.

      You can't run a company like that. A decent company has control of its data, and so MS miss the point yet again.

      The problem with Win8 is they did all this and didn't consider what people actually do, merely what MS think they should be doing. Which is working, on a machine, at their desk, on a legacy app, that was developed or paid for to be as the customer wants. (not shiny, not fancy, not via a the app store and certainly not as MS demand.)

      Not as MS believe us all to be doing, playing apps, or surfing the web or arguing with touch screens and horrible interfaces.

      Until MS realise they are not targeting the right people, the workers, then they won't get the take up they need. Afterall IT bosses and Directors decide what a company spends money on, not some sad teenager that wants angry birds on a surface tablet.

      We took fifteen minutes to turn our backs on Windows 8 from a works point of view, because we don't have 3 million pounds spare for development costs and because we can't afford to replace 1000 monitors for touch screen.

      Silly Micro$oft.

      1. Hooksie

        Re: Except

        Wow, you gave it a whole 1 minutes? Really evaluated all the pros and cons there didn't you?

        What do you think the desktop in Windows 8 is? There for a laugh? No, it's the desktop, just like you've always known it and doing the same things as Windows 7 except better and more efficiently. On top of that you get a sandboxed environment that employees can use at lunch time to play about with or, heaven forfend they actually use its multi-tasking capabilities and have more than one app running.

        I've been running Windows 8 since it came out and I have to say that the most recent update is my least favourite since it drags us back to Windows 7 by making the desktop prominent rather than a legacy interface. But I recognise that not everyone is up to speed with the modern world and some people know either Desktop or IPad and that's about it. Windows 8 is a best of both worlds OS and if spent longer than 15 minutes getting to know it you might have made a better decision.

        Nobody says you NEED a touchscreen. And the testing department are lying to you because that's how they make their money. If it works on Windows 7, it will work on Windows 8.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Touch or no touch

    People like long term transitions. Windows 95 still allowed the Program Manager to be ran, for example.

    The Windows 8 default desktop with all the boxes just feels too much like a mix of MS Bob and Xbox 360 (where it was difficult to find things at the best of times!)

  3. Roger Stenning
    FAIL

    Touchscreen is fine and dandy...

    ... for a mobile device like a PDA, mobile (Cellular) phone, and phablets, but NOT, say again NOT for a desktop machine, where keyboard shortcuts, F keys, etcetera are often in regular usage; the Win8 environment is just not keyed up (sorry, couldn't help it) for this at all.

    I appreciate that they wanted to keep it effectively to something like "one system to rule them all", but in the real world that's just not going to happen. Two versions, minimum, was what they should have aimed at; Mobile and desktop.

    The end result: They've pissed off a fair slice of their formerly loyal following.

    My new notebook came with In8 as standard. It took some modding (OK, a quick search and a simple download and installation of IOBit's "Start menu 8") to add the functionality of the windows key and start bar (3rd party application), but I've got it to where it's usable.

    But the next upgrade I have in hardware WILL be for a Linux machine, and the hell with Windoze.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. Hooksie

      Re: Touchscreen is fine and dandy...

      Utter bollocks. I wish I could come to see you buy your next machine with Linux on it and see just how long before you chuck the thing out the window. (no pun intended)

      I've used Windows 8 in a non-touch screen laptop, non-touch desktop, Surface and touchscreen laptop. The fact that it's versatile is its greatest asset and depending on which version I'm using and which input method I have available I can work in different ways. When I have a physical keyboard I can do things with keyboard shortcuts that would normally take several clicks of a mouse.

      What you did was buy a new machine with a new OS and instead of taking the time to get to know it you whined, moaned, poo'd your pants and went out to make it look like the old one. That's like trading in your wife for a younger model then making her wear the old ones clothes.

      If you or the countless others like you out there, (and I don't mean any of this as a personal attack, you're by no means alone, tech journalists, especially the Register have been the worst at it) had taken the time to watch a 5 minute YouTube video or actually learned anything about your new OS you would have found it a more rewarding experience.

      Why do you need a frikken start menu? You've got a personalised Start screen, a taskbar, a desktop, charms and a start key on your keyboard. How many more ways do you need to get to a program? Going through a hierarchical tree structure vs hitting start and clicking on the thing or typing the first three letters then click. Hmmm.

      Learn Windows 8 before you moan about it and I assure you, if you can't figure out Windows 8 you've got feck all chance with Linux

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Windows 8 was built for one reason only

    The 30% margin on everything sold through the store.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

      This. I'll not even post Anon. I'll put my name to it. There was one "clear and concise mission" for Windows 8. As a consumer, it missed my needs, but only the accountants/sales people will know if it was successful on their account.

      As Windows 8.1.1(or whatever) is getting long awaited features that consumers were asking for, I'd assume that 30% cut was not enough with low uptake in either apps made, sold or user adoption.

      1. David Webb

        Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

        Personally I think the Win 8 touch screen style is too far into the future, it may be a required feature in the future (maybe 5 or so years) but currently it's stuck between a rock and a hard place. Windows 7 is pretty unusable from a touchscreen perspective, it's developed for mice, Windows Metro is great for touchscreen but poor for mice.

        As demographics move away from traditional beige boxes to portable, touchscreen, the Windows Metro interface becomes more and more understandable, but at the cost of usability for people with mice.

        I've bought an Acer W500 to use Windows 8 on (full fat, not RT) and I'm looking forward to playing with Metro interface when it arrives, with the touchscreen it's going to make a lot more sense to use the Start Screen rather than traditional keyboard/mouse style, my desktop (Windows 8 too) will continue to use the normal desktop interface and I'll use it for stuff that the W500 isn't suitable for (especially games).

        So that is my reasoning as to why Windows Metro (I know it's not metro anymore but meh) is poor, it's caught between desktop and touchscreen and maybe went too far over to the touchscreen side at the cost of desktop usability which garners the irk of traditional users.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

          "Personally I think the Win 8 touch screen style is too far into the future"

          They should just develop it as a Linux desktop, then anyone who wants to use it can and the rest of us can use something useful

          1. nematoad

            Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

            I think that Canonical have more or less beaten you to it on that idea.

            Just take a look at the Distrowatch hit page rankings to see how well that has worked out.

            http://distrowatch.com/

            Remember, Ubuntu was *the* most popular distro until that Unity nonsense was rolled out.

            Lead balloons, both MS and Canonical have managed to launch one of these.

        2. Tom 35

          Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

          It's not even very good with a touch screen. I have a surface RT and if I am doing anything more then watching Netflex it's kind of crap. If you want to use office or even IE you need the floppy keyboard. The on screen keyboard is crap compared to what I can get for my Nexus 7 as you don't get a choice. You can download a better one as MS will not allow it in their lets pretend to be Apple world.

          Without the keyboard you don't have the "It's Windows" advantage, you have something like android except crappier with almost no apps. I could have got a playbook for $99.

          1. Hooksie

            Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

            Again, more lies and FUD. I have a Surface my friend and you're talking pish. I have run my entire week on the Surface including support emails, VPN in to client's systems and remote desktop to any server I need to fix. All snappy, all smooth and all gravy. I do have the flappy keyboard but I could just as easily have any full size keyboard plugged in to the USB port or attach a hub and have a keyboard/mouse. Stick in the £35 adapter and it can attach to a monitor through HDMI or VGA giving you a dual screen PC. I just gave my uncle this very set up to replace his hulking great PC.

            So utterly sick of people bashing Windows 8 or RT when they've not bothered to use it.

            What's wrong with the on-screen keyboard and the 4 configurations it has or the fact you can move it anywhere on the screen?

        3. tabman

          Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

          Exactly, horses for courses.

          Use Metro or TIFKAM on touchscreen devices, especially handhelds. Makes alot of sense.

          Use the desktop for desktop oriented software (like games) but also in my case Office 2013 and VS2013.

          The only problem is that I have to use middleware to achieve this. Start8 boots me to desktop which is where I want to be on my Win 8 desktop. If the next major update of windows (8.2) allows me to remove Start8, all the better.

          1. mmeier

            Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

            Actually Win8.1 had "boot to desktop" as an option. And this "Servicepack" adds a detection and will boot to desktop if it does not detect touch hardware (see another post for a problem with two synced devices) so if that is what you use Start8 for you can ditch it.

            1. Hooksie

              Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

              @mmeier Shhhhhh! What are you doing man!? Don't you know that positive stories about Windows 8 aren't allowed in the comments section? Are you mad? Suggesting that actual users like the thing where people who've worked in IT for 30 years don't? Heresy!

              ;)

        4. Hooksie

          Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

          hold on; you're "looking forward" to using it but you're complaining that it's stuck between two OS's? How about you use it first before making that judgment?

          Until you've used it with a mouse and keyboard I don't see how you can comment on that aspect of it. I assure you that using a mouse and keyboard with Windows8 is by no means a chore and if you set it to boot to desktop you rarely even need to see the Start Screen (though I would encourage you to do so)

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

        "As Windows 8.1.1(or whatever) is getting long awaited features that consumers were asking for..."

        Where? As I read it MS have continued to do what THEY want, not what I want, and not what WORLD + DOG want. They are promising that the next version might get things we want, but as they've serially not given people what they openly asked for I'm not hopeful.

        This weekend the XP laptop at home is being treated to a dose of Ubuntu. If it works then that's good, if it doesn't then a large Android slab will replace it. I could buy a new version of Windows, but that's expensive, and as a matter or principle I'm not giving my money to a company that simply refuses to listen.

        1. Vociferous

          Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

          > This weekend the XP laptop at home is being treated to a dose of Ubuntu.

          Oh, uh... Ubuntu Desktop uses Unity, a touch-first interface not all that dissimilar to Windows 8, and sucks nearly as hairy goat balls. For a non-touchy computer, consider Mint with the interface of your choice (I'd suggest XFCE for weak hardware, Cinnamon or MATE for everything else).

          1. janimal

            Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

            I assume you can install ubuntu & replace unity with something that isn't crap though? Or have they stopped all that sensible nonsense?

            1. frank ly

              @janimal Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

              You can install and then use any DE you like (selected on a button at the login screen). If you're used to Windows, I'd go for MATE, XFCE or LXDE in that order of decreasing 'power'. (They have pop-out toolbars, just like XP did, but which Win7 got rid of.) Try Cinnamon if you like; they are all free apart from the cost of your time and a bit of disk space. If you want a truly 'futuristic' experience, try KDE.

              1. janimal

                Re: @janimal Windows 8 was built for one reason only

                I personally use mint on my laptop, the only thing that annoys me about that though is the upgrade process (at least the last time I updated).

                The funny thing about that is that it is an HP Elitebook i5 supposedly designed for W7, but with W7 on it and the correct drivers it doesn't recognise the hardware buttons or even the software fn buttons.

                I put Mint on it & everything works like a charm, bloody quick too.

                1. clriis

                  Re: @janimal Windows 8 was built for one reason only

                  I also use Mint (Cinnamon) for my old HP dv2 and it works well for general purpose tasks BUT there are still problems with Bluetooth and HDMI.

                  With the risk of being flamed I would like to state that I am quite happy using Win 8.1 on my Yoga 13 hybrid and using VMware for other OS's. IMHO nothing still beats the amount and quality of software developed for Windows.

                2. AceRimmer

                  Re: @janimal Windows 8 was built for one reason only

                  "I personally use mint on my laptop, the only thing that annoys me about that though is the upgrade process (at least the last time I updated)."

                  I have Mint too and although I love it I can see the lack of a clear upgrade method being a major issue for a lot of people who decide to ditch windows for Linux.

                  In my (very humble) opinion, every linux distro I've seen still lacks the completeness of product you get with Windows or OSX and they just aren't yet ready for the very casual user who wants something that works. Even I, a reasonably competent IT pro, managed to completely break my first Mint installation and had to reinstall from scratch.

                  FWIW here's the upgrade path from windows 1 upwards

                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPnehDhGa14

                  1. Vociferous

                    Re: @janimal Windows 8 was built for one reason only

                    > I have Mint too and although I love it I can see the lack of a clear upgrade method being a major issue for a lot of people

                    Upgrade from what? Windows? Yeah, Windows doesn't really play nice with that kind of thing, see e.g. the secureboot DRM problem, you can dualboot, but usually it's best to reformat the disk.

                    If you mean upgrading Mint: sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

              2. keithpeter Silver badge
                Windows

                Re: @janimal Windows 8 was built for one reason only

                "If you want a truly 'futuristic' experience, try KDE."

                And if you want something well outside the box, try DWM/dmenu.

                Not your father's UI. :twisted:

            2. smot

              Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

              "I assume you can install ubuntu & replace unity with something that isn't crap though? Or have they stopped all that sensible nonsense?"

              I use Ubuntu Gnome for all my dev work, with Win 7 in a VM when I need to use Win-specific stuff. I rejected Unity after struggling with the global menus and the annoying launcher which needs to be scrolled far too often. Some of these issues have been resolved, and Unity is starting to look a bit better.

              But it won't take me away from Gnome Shell yet - this is the desktop for people who don't like clutter. If you're someone who likes a raft of icons, folders and docs liberally scattered over the desktop, choose Cinnamon or KDE. If, like me, you prefer a clean desktop, go Gnome Shell. Whichever you try, give it some time before you give in - these desktops are not like Windows or Mac even if superficially they resemble them. And the beauty is, you CAN change!

            3. Vociferous

              Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

              > I assume you can install ubuntu & replace unity with something that isn't crap

              Yes, you can, BUT in my experience changing Unity for something else is highly likely to lead to problems. I've tried it three or four times, with different replacement GUIs, it has never worked right for me, it has always resulted in weird crashes and UI glitches (e.g. missing menus).

              Mint is based on Ubuntu -- everything which works on Ubuntu works on Mint and the other way around, so if you're going to use any of the interfaces available on Mint, I'd strongly suggest using Mint instead of retrofitting that GUI on Ubuntu.

        2. mmeier

          Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

          World and Dog or some screaming minority und click baiting "journalists"? Most users do not care about start menu and it's features. They have their 10 programs pinned to the desktop or taskbar and use the menu to shut down the box. For them Modern work just fine.

          1. Kiwi
            Linux

            Feeding the trolls works best with rat poison...

            " For them Modern work just fine."

            If that were true, then why do so many of them complain bitterly about how horrible TIFKAM is?

            I only say this as someone at the coal face of IT.

            Still.. I personally love TIFKAM, it's really helping me get people to switch to Linux with the sensible (and optional) UI's, faster and more stable system, and no more need for AV... Old folks especially love Linux as it makes their computers easy for them to use! :)

            Yes that's right.. Elderly grandmothers find Mint easier than TIFKAM, and say Linux makes their comptuers enjoyable!

          2. kiwimuso
            Thumb Down

            Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

            @ mmeier

            Really? What research have you uncovered that suggests that. Or is this just a case of you opening your mouth (figuratively speaking) and spewing any old garbage out into the ether to justify your own personal choice.

            Personally, I don't even like the Win 7 Start menu. Mainly because I no longer can find the things I want to use, easily and quickly, as they have renamed some functions or buried them as a sub-task under some other name which doesn't bear any resemblance to what I am looking for and I don't like the concept of pinning stuff to the desktop or taskbar.

            Call me old fashioned if you like, but I still use MS Office Toollbar on my old XP laptop as that is the way I have organised my stuff. I have several customised toolbars in there so I can go to the stuff I use most of the time in 2 mouse clicks. And that can be programs or folders or even specific web pages, and having got myself organised I don't really feel inclined to change my organisation just to suit you or Microsoft.

            For the rest I resort to the normal program list.

            How I organise my computer is surely up to me, not to you, not to MS nor anybody else.

            The search facility in Win7 sucks as far as I am concerned. I still prefer the 'right click menu' Search as being far more usable.

            I have yet to meet anyone in the real world who actually prefers Metro versus a Start menu, so can I use that fact in saying you are talking crap.

            Perhaps you should leave it to other people to voice their own opinions, rather than trying to foist yours on them.

            You don't have to like my opinions or agree with them, but perhaps you would be good enough to allow us to have them.

            Incidentally, for the record I have been in IT since the early 60's, writing software using Assembler as well as higher level languages, through mainframes and pcs, and all the various guises of Windows. I have never had any problem transitioning from one version to the next until we got to Vista, which fortunately I only had a fleeting look at and disliked at first sight. I am now retired and simply can't be bothered trying to learn something I have no interest in other than a system which works for me.

            There used to be a saying that 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' now seemingly replaced by 'change for changes sake.'

            1. mmeier

              Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

              Well let's see. We rolled out a three digit number of Win8 tablet pc in 2013. Choosen by our customers after they evaluated the three options. The units are well liked by the end user that have ten big icons on the Modern UI and touch them when needed. Typical sales users and engineers (non IT) in the field

              By now 30+ Win8(.1) boxes in family and friends, desktop, notebooks and some tablet pc (S/P2s and Ativs). And again most users pin their commonly used programs to the Modern screen and thats it. Depending on what one wants there may be a few more items (30 in my case)

              The usage pattern on most customer pc (and the clone setup used by some customers). Small ones with 4 and 5 digit numbers of clients.

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Ledswinger

          My apologies, it's getting one or two features that were somewhat desperately needed... but I agree it's mainly what MS want. :)

    2. janimal

      Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

      I agree completely.

      They are trying to transition the Operating System into a Consumption System.

      A consumption system is great for tablets & phones, but a general purpose computing device needs a customisable, configurable, general purpose operating system.

      1. JohnMcL

        Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

        Windows 8 was aimed at the idiot social media market, the market that thinks the world want to know every time someone, not even a Kardashian, sneezes. Businesses don't need or want this rubbish, nor do people who actually use their PCs for something more than email and browsing (twits using twitter and ??? using faecesbook). Microsoft should split their products into a "Lite" version for the idiots and a "Classic" version for serious users, then let the product streams diverge but share what is reasonably shareable.

    3. Splodger

      Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

      Well as someone still on Win8 (not 8.1), using classic shell, has deleted all the MS noddy apps, refuses to sign up for the app store experience and hates 'charms', is there a compelling reason to get this update?

      1. Champ

        Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

        >Well as someone still on Win8 (not 8.1), using classic shell, has deleted all the MS noddy apps, refuses to sign up for the app store experience and hates 'charms', is there a compelling reason to get this update?

        I've got 8.1 on two machines, and yesterday put the update on one of them. It certainly makes it easier to have a more traditional experience, and I even spent some time customising and configuring the start menu, so I might be going over to the dark side. To be honest, when set to boot into desktop, and with my desktop wallpaper persisted under the start menu, and the task bar there too, it doesn't feel schizophrenic any more.

        So, to answer the question: yes

      2. Chris T Almighty

        Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

        "is there a compelling reason to get this update"

        I think we'll stop getting updates for 8.1 if we don't upgrade. But for those of us with Classic Shell I doubt upgrading will do any harm.

        For those who havn't tried it, Windows 8 with Classic Shell is better than Windows 7, in my opinion at least.

    4. John Tserkezis

      Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

      "The 30% margin on everything sold through the store."

      Not to mention the fee for allowing sideloading... If you don't want to play in their store, you still have to pay.

      Just another nail in the win8 coffin.

    5. pirithous

      Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

      I think MS is going to eventually kill off Win32 in favor of RT-only applications. They are keeping silent about it, but how many times has the kleptocratic Microsoft been silent about something before killing off a technology? Windows is less expensive than it used to be and may be even less so in the future (free?), so MS is betting big on the store taking off. The problem is, I have to pay $100 to do what I want to do with _my_ machine to side load _my_ own application? Screw that! Many developers are resenting this, and the level of alienation is getting higher and higher by the day! These idiots are out of their minds. Comments written by paid shills on the internet don't make a valid case for what's happening in the world. The current mindset MS has isn't what made Windows flourish in the past, and I've talked to many developers that are shunning Windows because of this locked down nature. Microsoft is really truly clueless.

    6. mmeier

      Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

      In that case they failed since most Win8 licences sold are x86 versions and there they left the option in to install standard software the old fashioned way.

  5. Zog_but_not_the_first
    Linux

    Vox Pop

    Give Apple their due, their OS makes you want to play with it. My experience, and that of several friends who have bought new PCs and laptops, is that you just want the "new stuff" to go away.

    I think the chap on the right will be the ultimate beneficiary of this continuing madness on MS's part.

    1. Kristian Walsh Silver badge

      Re: Vox Pop

      " My experience, and that of several friends who have bought new PCs and laptops, is that you just want the "new stuff" to go away "

      If I may suggest: You only think MacOS X is better in this respect because you're not a long-time OS X user. I've been using OS X since early 2000 (and of my own free will since 2002), and frankly, I could do without every single "UI Improvement" Apple has added in the last five years of releases, from Spaces to Exposé to Launch Control and now the insanely irritating Notification Centre (I can't be the last Mac user who needs to do work on their computer that requires concentration, can I?).

      And, deciding to suddenly autocorrect my text by default without asking me first? That's a whole barrel of laughs the first time you try to tell someone what to type into their Terminal over an IM session.

      Yes, I know all of this can be turned off, and I've done all the "defaults" stuff to make sure it doesn't come back, but surely it's a waste of everyone's time (and don't start me on assigning every easily mis-hit function key to a different kind of disorientating window-juggle).

      In short, what I'm saying is that the grass isn't greener; it's only that the cowpats are in different places than you're used to seeing them.

      More relevant to this article, I quite like Windows8.1, but I'll qualify that by saying that I run it on a Surface 2 (yes, the RT one), which is exactly the kind of device I think it was intended for.. it certainly kicks an iPad's ass in terms of usefulness. On a destkop system, though, I go straight into, well, the desktop. I'm amazed that it has taken so long to suggest running Metro (whatever) apps in a desktop window - after all, Visual Studio's simulator does this, and it would have provided the best of both worlds (there are times when it's very useful to have nothing else on screen except the application you're working in)

  6. Tannin
    Facepalm

    Conservative

    “It is surprising how conservative Windows users have turned out to be” says a Microsoft executive. Spot on! I couldn't agree more. In fact, most of them are so blindly and rigidly conservative that they still want to do useful, productive work on a Windows computer, using real programs and ignoring toy-store apps. Blind fools! Don't they know that Metro is the future?

    1. T_o_u_f_ma_n

      Re: Conservative

      Actually wasn't that comment about being "conservative" made by the interviewer ?

      No matter how "passionate" users might be about the interface they were forced to use for nearly 20 years (!), one could hardly expect them to suddenly welcome such a sharp learning curve when they're trying to get their daily job done. Very few people care about the OS version they run on their computer as long as it doesn't get in the way of simple tasks: sadly getting in the way is exactly what Metro does. And please do not tell me to amend the registry or install an add on to disable parts of the interface. How does that even make sense to people who use mostly MS Office and Internet Explorer at work and have been doing so (by no choice of their own) for years ?

      I tried installing "Dropbox" on Windows 8.1 after downloading the installer from the Dropbox website. It would get stuck on "Initialising" for several minutes... Only after I searched on Google did I learn that one had to install it from the Windows Store. Would Microsoft expect all users to figure that one out ? If it has to be installed a specific way, maybe signalling that to the user would help...

  7. southpacificpom
    Boffin

    Clippy

    It looks like you're trying to write an operating system...

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