Radeon Series RX 6700 XT preview & analysis
Corsair MM700 & Corsair Katar Pro XT Review
Guru3D Rig of the Month - February 2021
ASUS GeForce RTX 3060 STRIX Gaming OC review
EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 XC Gaming review
MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Gaming X TRIO review
PALIT GeForce RTX 3060 DUAL OC review
ZOTAC GeForce RTX 3060 AMP WHITE review
Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact chassis review
Sabrent Rocket 4 PLUS 2TB NVMe SSD review
Windows 8 pre-launch adoption rate not looking good
Net Applications compared the pre-launch adoption rate of Windows 8 with Windows 7 and found that it's five times lower. The low adoption rate reflects the overall sentiment about Windows 8, as many power users feel Microsoft is going in the wrong direction with its latest operating system. At a month before the launch of Windows 7, it was receiving a warm reception and overall usage was sitting at a healthy 1.64% of all Windows installs.
However, Windows 8 is sitting at a mere 0.33%, just a fifth of what Windows 7 had achieved - and the operating system is mired in controversy over its new interface previously known as Metro, plus its closed ecosystem that is the Windows Store, too. It's also not unreasonable to believe that Microsoft could extend the Windows Store to the desktop as well in time, giving them total control over what software their customers can run on Windows - while taking a big cut from sales, of the order of 30% and perhaps even more. A totally unacceptable situation we think you'll agree.
Even gaming companies such as Valve aren't keen on the new OS, saying it will stifle gaming and calling Windows 8 a "catastrophe". Interestingly, Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson has slammed Windows 8, refusing an offer from Microsoft to certify his game for it, which would allow it to run under the new "Metro" interface, Tweeting, "I'd rather have minecraft not run on win 8 at all than to play along. Maybe we can convince a few people not to switch to win 8 that way.." Ouch. It's not looking good for Windows 8, is it? It's also far from certain that with this much backlash against Windows 8 already, the $40 heavily discounted introductory price will help much. If people don't like something, then they just won't buy it at any price.
HP ElitePad 900 Windows 8 Tablet - 10/01/2012 12:10 PM
HP has introduced the all new HP ElitePad 900, a tablet that balances a beautiful design with enterprise-grade features, functionality and support. The HP ElitePad Smart Jackets, which add connectivit...
Microsoft Windows 8 Keyboard With Split Backspace-Spacebar Key - 09/20/2012 05:41 AM
Microsoft is announcing Windows 8 hardware peripherals, today they introduced the Sculpt Comfort Keyboard, an keyboard featuring an enlarged split spacebar with optional backspace functionality that e...
ASUS Windows 8 tablet pricing kind of leaked - 09/20/2012 05:31 AM
Pricing of ASUS' upcoming Windows 8 tablets have surfaced on the web.The Windows RT based Vivo Tab RT is rather expensive, pricing starts at $599 for this Tegra 3 based slate with a 10.1" IPS s...
HTC launches new 8X and 8S Windows Phone 8 handsets - 09/19/2012 03:12 PM
Microsoft is busy with the launch of their Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 platforms sheduled in for late
Steve Ballmer on Surface Pricing & Windows 8 - 09/17/2012 05:53 AM
Steve Ballmer has been talking about 2012 as “the most epic year in Microsoft history,” most probably because the software giant isn’t just a software giant any more, its...
thatguy91
Senior Member
Posts: 6643
Joined: 2010-08-27
Senior Member
Posts: 6643
Joined: 2010-08-27
#4422880 Posted on: 10/03/2012 08:08 AM
Yes, for desktop the Metro UI is crap. Also, Metro UI apps aren't that good either, and seem to take up a lot of disk space. People will have to be careful on portable devices with Metro apps, so they don't go over download quotas, which is very possible on 3G/4G networks. It is bland too, taking aero out of the final Windows 8 was just arrogant - trying to make the desktop view look crap so you use Metro instead.
Yes, for desktop the Metro UI is crap. Also, Metro UI apps aren't that good either, and seem to take up a lot of disk space. People will have to be careful on portable devices with Metro apps, so they don't go over download quotas, which is very possible on 3G/4G networks. It is bland too, taking aero out of the final Windows 8 was just arrogant - trying to make the desktop view look crap so you use Metro instead.
LesserHellspawn
Senior Member
Posts: 658
Joined: 2010-03-27
Senior Member
Posts: 658
Joined: 2010-03-27
#4422884 Posted on: 10/03/2012 08:15 AM
I can't help feeling that Windows 8 is mainly an app store with an OS attached to it, and that I will never support.
Other than that it might even be acceptable on a desktop meanwhile, since there are enough 3rd party solutions out there by now that block Metro out. Some even boot right past it to the desktop, so you never have to see it at all.
For tablets Windows RT could be a good choice....if you didn't have to use the desktop for quite a few things. And the desktop is just not very touch friendly.
Summary ? Incomplete separation of Metro and Desktop as alternative options: fail. Appstore: fail. ALL shortcuts of an installed program cluttering the Metro screen without being able to remove the unneeded ones: fail.
I think, no, I *hope* Windows 8 goes down in history as Vista 2.
I can't help feeling that Windows 8 is mainly an app store with an OS attached to it, and that I will never support.
Other than that it might even be acceptable on a desktop meanwhile, since there are enough 3rd party solutions out there by now that block Metro out. Some even boot right past it to the desktop, so you never have to see it at all.
For tablets Windows RT could be a good choice....if you didn't have to use the desktop for quite a few things. And the desktop is just not very touch friendly.
Summary ? Incomplete separation of Metro and Desktop as alternative options: fail. Appstore: fail. ALL shortcuts of an installed program cluttering the Metro screen without being able to remove the unneeded ones: fail.
I think, no, I *hope* Windows 8 goes down in history as Vista 2.
WhiteLightning
Moderator
Posts: 28805
Joined: 2007-09-19
Moderator
Posts: 28805
Joined: 2007-09-19
#4422886 Posted on: 10/03/2012 08:25 AM
Unfortunately i had to revert to windows 7 because of d3doverrider and inject plugins didnt work half of the time for me.
i dont find metro clunky at all tbh, being html5 programming gives potential over the traditional start menu imo. (live updating etc) wish the stacking would be more configurable though (which shape etc) .
Unfortunately i had to revert to windows 7 because of d3doverrider and inject plugins didnt work half of the time for me.
i dont find metro clunky at all tbh, being html5 programming gives potential over the traditional start menu imo. (live updating etc) wish the stacking would be more configurable though (which shape etc) .
SirDremor
Senior Member
Posts: 586
Joined: 2008-06-20
Senior Member
Posts: 586
Joined: 2008-06-20
#4422896 Posted on: 10/03/2012 08:49 AM
Ha-ha!
Though I really like Microsoft, I must say all this Windows 8 idea is total crap.
And I can't even imagine why in today's world of mad "Apple's walled garden of delights", numerous petitions forcing big companies to change "endings" and their products, why Microsoft sticked with this crappy interface (for desktop-mouse-keyboard PCs) and even removed opportunity to easily change that?!? Why didn't they listen?
I always said I am skipping Windows 8, now I am relieved many others will do the same.
Ha-ha!
Though I really like Microsoft, I must say all this Windows 8 idea is total crap.
And I can't even imagine why in today's world of mad "Apple's walled garden of delights", numerous petitions forcing big companies to change "endings" and their products, why Microsoft sticked with this crappy interface (for desktop-mouse-keyboard PCs) and even removed opportunity to easily change that?!? Why didn't they listen?
I always said I am skipping Windows 8, now I am relieved many others will do the same.
Click here to post a comment for this news story on the message forum.
Senior Member
Posts: 16007
Joined: 2004-08-18
Urgh, after reading that, it has completely put me off buying Windows 8 and I was never very interested in it in the first place. I'll stick with Windows 7 for as long as I possibly can. Windows 8 doesn't offer me anything more beyond what I can do already on my PC anyway, which is used solely for gaming and browsing, and that Metro interface annoys the hell out of me. It looks bland and ugly and clunky to use in my opinion. I have a desktop not a touchscreen tablet or smartphone.