A Laymans Perspective On Whats Wrong With Windows 8

Summary

Summary

It has been more than a month since the almighty Microsoft launched the new version of its flagship Windows- the new Windows 8. Having had a month to use the new apps, I feel I have seen enough to form an opinion about Windows 8. These are my personal views and feel free to disagree with them.

The Windows 8-Windows RT Mess

On 26th October, Microsoft actually announced the launch of two separate OS targeted at different devices- the Windows 8 for PCs and the Windows RT for tabs/smart phones. There are several subtle and not so subtle differences between the two OS apart from the devices issue, though few sales people seem to be aware of them. Windows RT is a dedicated mobile environment, which only supports in-built software and apps downloaded from the Windows Store. Windows RT is definitely focused for use on mobile and tablets, though both new OS share an identical graphics design and UI (User Interface).

The RT works only with ARM processors, which are only found in tabs and phones. In case of RT, you are stuck with your existing apps and any other apps that are available on the Windows Store. On the bright side, Windows RT is available with a pre-installed version of Office 2013, which though not full-featured, takes care of basic word documents, power point slides etc. All in all, I would think a lot and hard before I decide to get a Windows RT device for office use. I have heard that Nokia will be using the RT in a few of its smart phones, but I doubt whether such devices can successfully take on iPhones and the thousands of Android devices out there.

Looks Aren"t Everything

I will be direct and say I do not like Windows 8 and I hope that by the time you finish reading this, you will understand why. Win 8 does have snazzy looks and the demo looks great specially if you use a touch screen, but seriously, how many of us use a touch screen on the PC? I for one do not and when you use the system with a mouse and keyboard, it becomes a bit of a struggle. During my first encounter, it took me a while to get my bearing as the Start button was missing. I figured out that each tile on the start screen was a program but knowing and finding it quickly are different things. I still have a problem finding the correct tile and feature, even worse, if you move a tile to a location of your choice, the tile distribution changes accordingly.

All in all, I don"t think Microsoft did a good job while designing this OS (reminds me of the nightmare known as Vista) and the attempt combine a full functional PC OS into a tab-style interface was good in theory, but does not bode well for usability. I have also been having problems while switching between applications. Earlier everything was left to right while now things are all up and down- I think I might get cervical problems considering the long office hours I put in. Clicking or right clicking on pictures or tiles is also very difficult, because Win 8, the entire screen is used and you are left chasing the options using your mouse.

A Layman"s Advice

Stay away from Win 8 unless you are planning to work using a touch screen interface and even then, please think twice before you upgrade. I feel that this is a disaster, which perhaps is a good thing and hopefully, the proposed Windows 9 will turn out better after Microsoft resolves these as well as many other issues that continue to emerge with Win 8.

by: Abhishek Chakravarti

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