Important notice to Windows XP users.

[hometue]

Just want to mention that in a somewhat similar industry...idk whether you see this as similar but I see myself noticing some trneds between this two industries, the gaming industry. Not going to write an essay here, so I will give a link to a video instead http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxhs-GLE29Q. So in basic that video does point out that some games that are more daring to step out and are complimented as daring actually sell lesser than games from the similar series that follow something that has been done over and over again.(Figures were given, if you have some time go watch that video I think you might get what I mean). In short, I think that, yes the UI Microsoft made is good and I honestly would like it on my tablet (If I had one), but maybe for the desktop, they might want to retain a very similar UI than the one they have been using because people just like it that way. (I may be wrong, so yeah, its only my opinion)

[iansjack]

The thing is, the sales figures give the lie to this argument. In a time when PC sales have plumetted to still be able to sell over 200,000,000 copies of an OS is a staggering success. It's not as good as Windows 7, but the computer market has changed since those days.

And what did the geeks and nerds have to say about XP when it was released? http://arstechnica.com/information-tech ... -hated-it/

Nothing changes. For some reason the self-styled experts are far more conservative when it comes to Operating Systems than the general public. I guess they have more preconceptions and have invested more in the old technology.

[alexfru]

IRS Misses XP Deadline, Pays Microsoft Millions for Custom Support:
http://gizmodo.com/irs-misses-xp-deadli ... 1562954754

[onlyonemac]

We've already established that the opinion of geeks is very important to you, but Microsoft's purpose in life is to make money, not win aclaim from geeks.

At the same time, they should be interested in what geeks think because if geeks don't like it then Microsoft aren't going to make their money are they?

If geeks don't like it then they'll do what I did: switch to Linux (which has, after all, been the geek OS all along really). To be honest with you, I don't envisage Microsoft staying around much longer: it's not just UI design, it's all the bugs and all the bloat. I don't see Microsoft being able to add too many more layers onto the Windows kernel without the whole thing crashing. Unless they decide to rewrite from scratch (long overdue), I see a world where Linux is the only operating system for PCs (aside from hobby OSes, of course ).

[iansjack]

You suppose that geeks make up a significant portion of Microsoft's market. You couldn't be more wrong.

[alexfru]

To be honest with you, I don't envisage Microsoft staying around much longer: it's not just UI design, it's all the bugs and all the bloat. I don't see Microsoft being able to add too many more layers onto the Windows kernel without the whole thing crashing. Unless they decide to rewrite from scratch (long overdue), I see a world where Linux is the only operating system for PCs (aside from hobby OSes, of course ).

IMO, those are quite bold and shortsighted statements.

[Bender]

You suppose that geeks make up a significant portion of Microsoft's market. You couldn't be more wrong.

Not geeks but laymen (most people are in that category). I can already imagine people struggling to handle the new interface, the usual question is:
Where is my Start Menu?
But I'll have to agree to the fact that this won't make them switch to Linux (or anything) and MS knows that very well, they would still want all the familiar things like MS Office, Internet Explorer etc, and the reason that they don't like the newer UI is they aren't familiar with it, so why would they switch to Linux? The Linux UIs (KDE, Gnome, Unity etc.) seem to be more alien to me than the Windows 8 UI. So MS has done it cleverly, they know people have no other option than Windows..... (on PCs!), so they'll have to keep using it and get used to it..
As for Windows 8 on Tablets/Mobile Phones it's not going to be a success, Android already dominates that area.

it's all the bugs and all the bloat. I don't see Microsoft being able to add too many more layers

Yes, my Ubuntu Distribution crashed while copying 5GB files to my external HD, had to use Windows. In some cases Open-Source drivers/programs are of much pain than Proprietary ones. There is no such thing as Open-Source == Not Buggy and Proprietary == Buggy, everything has bugs, it's just that in open-source software they're repaired quickly (not in all cases!), as anyone from the entire world can report a bug by directly looking at the sources. However MS may know more than what's given in the manuals, i386 undocumented LOADALL instruction which was used in DOS comes to mind.

[iansjack]

To be honest with you, I don't envisage Microsoft staying around much longer: it's not just UI design, it's all the bugs and all the bloat. I don't see Microsoft being able to add too many more layers onto the Windows kernel without the whole thing crashing. Unless they decide to rewrite from scratch (long overdue), I see a world where Linux is the only operating system for PCs (aside from hobby OSes, of course ).

IMO, those are quite bold and shortsighted statements.

Considering that Microsoft have 91% of the desktop market and Linux 1.5% I'd have to agree that reports of Microsoft's demise are a little premature.

[iansjack]

I can already imagine...

I think imagination is the problem here. Work with the facts as they are (sales figures) not as you would like them to be.

[Bender]

I can already imagine...

I think imagination is the problem here. Work with the facts as they are (sales figures) not as you would like them to be.

Windows 7 passed the 240 million mark within its first 12 months on the market, while Windows 8 is just hitting 200 million after more than 15 months of availability.

I have to agree with iansjack's point, but Windows 8 sales are comparatively lower than Windows 7, however we'll have to wait as many people who use XP will decide to upgrade to either Windows 8 or Windows 7.

IRS Misses XP Deadline, Pays Microsoft Millions for Custom Support:
http://gizmodo.com/irs-misses-xp-deadli ... 1562954754

This is just...... unbelievable!

[iansjack]

When looking at sales figures you have to take into account the state of the PC market. By all accounts it has dropped like a stone since Windows 7. Yet still Windows 8 is an overwhelming success. Most of us would be happy to sell 1/200,000,000 as many copies of our OS as Microsoft manage. When we have achieved that we might have earned the right to lecture Microsoft on how to do business.

[qw]

Microsoft is dominating the PC market and I don't think that will change in the foreseeable future. However, PC's are loosing terrain and phones and tablets are rising. That is behind the current development in Windows. It is becoming more mobile-ish.

Whether I am a geek or not, I think most changes are just bloat. What have all developments since Windows 3 brought us? Fast Internet, video and audio are real improvements and I understand that Windows had to support those. But what else can it do today that it couldn't do back then?

P.S. One gets used to his success. So Microsoft sold 200 million copies. That makes selling 199 million copies a failure, where to me selling a single copy would be a great success.

[iansjack]

What have all developments since Windows 3 brought us? Fast Internet, video and audio are real improvements and I understand that Windows had to support those. But what else can it do today that it couldn't do back then?

You cannot be serious!

True reliable multitasking
Security an order enhanced in the face of increasing threats
Games many orders enhanced
Interconnectivity that was never dreamt of
Support for storage amounts unheard of with Windows 3
Support for a host of new hardware built in to the OS
etc., etc.

Given that "fast internet, video, and audio" covers the major part of what people use computers for you have rather preloaded the question and seem to be asking "What have the Romans ever done for us?". I mean, apart from those, what do you computers do for us that a pencil and a pad of paper didn't?

[qw]

@iansjack - I am serious. You name the enhancements of games, which I think is fair but already included in "Internet, video and audio". The rest are merely technical improvements. However, when I drive my car, I am not interested in what is under the hood. I just want it to be fast, safe and reliable. Microsoft Word may be a lot faster and easier than pen and paper, but Word 2013 provides nothing I need that wasn't already provided by Word 6. So what do I need all that storage amount for?

[Antti]

Users using Word 6 on Windows 3 were probably more productive at writing than users using Word 2013 on Windows 8.