Windows 8

Windows 8 Not the Beacon of Hope the PC Market Needs it to Be

The PC market is slipping and, despite being launched with much fanfare, Windows 8 doesn't seem to be the shining beacon of recovery for the market as predicted. According to analysts, Windows 8 may do well to keep the PC industry running, but isn't enough to restore it to its former glory. According to Pund-IT Analyst Charles King, "Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that Windows 8 will be enough to turn around PC sales."

In addition to that, King added, "At the end of the day, IT sales depend as much on customer confidence as they do on vendor innovation. Vendors can occasionally nudge a market in one direction or another, a bit like a tugboat guides a far larger ship. But no single company can drag broader markets along in its wake."

The weight of the sluggish world economy has brought down the PC industry and so has a growing consumer infatuation with products like the iPad and other tablets. A lot of analysts have said that some enterprises have been holding off laptop and desktop purchases until Windows 8 comes out while others have been turning to tablets and smartphones as replacements for the traditional systems.

Robert Enderle, an analyst for the Enderle Group, believes that the PC business should get help from at least some of the waiting demand for Windows 8. "We do traditionally get a slowdown prior to a release," Enderle added. "Windows 8 is compelling. It could help turn things around but it will really depend on demand."

Another analyst, Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategy, isn't quite as optimistic as Enderle. Moorhead notes that the biggest drag on the business hasn't been the imminent shipping of Windows 8 but has been the economy and tablets. "Windows 8 will help PC sales some, but won't be enough to make up for the lousy economy," he stated.

To top it all off, King added that he thinks the release of Windows 8 could even hurt business. "Windows 8 is so new and so radically different than previous versions of Windows that it could spark as much resistance as curiosity. On the other hand, some research has found that Windows 8's touch enablement tops the wish lists of most PC users. If that proves right, Microsoft and its OEM partners should reap the benefits."

Windows 8 Released to the World, But is it Good?

The wait is finally over, Microsoft Windows 8 is officially here. The newest iteration of the world's most popular computer operating system was released today after months of demos and commercials showcasing it. Microsoft has said that over 1.24 billion hours of testing went into the new operating system and is in many ways hedging the future of the company on the new release. Because of the increased pressure from Apple and Google, Microsoft wants to assure consumers that they are still relevant in today's world.

Windows 8 marks a radical change for Microsoft in terms of the layout of their operating system. Gone is the traditional start menu, replaced by an entirely new start interface with "live tiles" and an array of downloadable applications from the all new Windows Store. Current windows users will notice a drastic change from Windows 7 to Windows 8. While the traditional "desktop" is still there, it is no longer the center of the computer's processes, and more of a "background application". Part of Microsoft's reason for making such drastic changes to the interface is to make their operating system compatible across more devices. Microsoft is trying to not only keep hold of the traditional PC market, but also branch into tablets and smartphones. Windows 8 is truly built more for new hybrid, touch-based computers and tablets more so than traditional desktops, though it is built to run on those as well.

Having already downloaded Windows 8 to my laptop early this morning, I have only had a short time to interact with it. That being said, I noticed one thing right away, there is a steep learning curve. The interface, short of the traditional desktop which is now essentially an "app", is completely different. Even for someone that is very familiar with the way Windows computers work, navigating Windows 8 is in many ways a whole new experience. That is not to say that all is bad. I do like the modern interface that Microsoft has introduced, and I like many of the new, full screen applications that are available from the Windows Store. I also like the deep integration with all Microsoft services, if you have an email account, that allows many settings and files to be synced over the cloud.

There are, however, plenty of drawbacks, at least currently, to Windows 8. For starters, nothing is where it used to be. Just trying to turn the computer off takes multiple steps that may take users a while to figure out. Also while Windows 8 is "easy" to navigate, it is more so for a touch screen rather than a traditional computer. A traditional keyboard and mouse feel "out of place" in this new user interface, save for when working with the traditional desktop. I understand Microsoft wanting to make Windows 8 touch friendly for tablets and new touch-enabled computers, but traditional computers upgraded to the new OS feel a bit neglected. In addition, the current offering of applications in the Windows store is very limited, and until more popular applications are added, it will suffer.

Overall, my opinion of Windows 8 is still up in the air. While I think it is a must have if you are looking for a new, touch enabled PC, it is not yet a necessary upgrade for existing computers. If Microsoft continues to add new, relevant applications to its Windows Store and allows easier ways to interact with the traditional desktop, then I think it will truly be useful to everyone. It remains to be seen how the radical change in design will impact sales of the operating system, but one thing is certain right now, it is a new age for Microsoft and for the future of personal computers.

Windows 8.1 will be a free upgrade, will begin public beta testing on June 26

Share This article

2
inShare

Microsoft has announced that Windows 8.1, aka Blue, will be a free upgrade for all Windows 8 users. Microsoft has also confirmed that it intends to release a public preview of Windows 8.1 on June 26, the first day of the Build developer conference — and if everything goes to plan, you should be able to get your hands on Windows 8.1 sometime in the fall (it should release to manufacturing in August). As expected, there’s also a Windows 8.1 update for Windows RT.
For users who don’t already have Windows 8, you’ll have be able to buy a standalone version of Windows 8.1 — which will be priced the same as Windows 8 ($200 for the full product, or $120 for the upgrade). Microsoft has previously confirmed that Windows 8.1 will be available as an easy upgrade from the Windows Store, much in the same way that Apple distributes OS X upgrades via the Mac App Store. It isn’t clear if there will also be boxed versions of Windows 8.1, or if 8.1 will be a purely digital product.

Windows 8.1 (Microsoft, like Picasso, has now officially ended its “Blue” period) is a Windows 8 feature and service pack. Like a service pack, Windows 8.1 will roll up all of the Windows 8 security updates and fixes into a single installer. In this regard, Windows 8.1 is conventional. What is unconventional, however, is the release of a service pack that also significantly alters the interface, bundled apps, and overall user experience — i.e. a feature pack. Normally we would have to wait three years for Windows 9 for major changes, but Windows 8.1 represents the beginning of Microsoft’s shift to a faster, annual release cycle. This change, which affects almost every Microsoft software product, is due to the mobile ecosystem — and thus Microsoft’s biggest opposition — moving a lot faster than the desktop PC. Put simply, Windows 8 can’t complete in the tablet space if Microsoft only puts out a new release every three years, while Apple and Google release new OS versions every year.
As for what features Windows 8.1 will actually include, there’s still very little to report. There are strong leaks that indicate that the Start menu and button will return, and a leaked early build of Windows 8.1 shows some changes/updates to the Metro interface. There have also been repeated hints that Windows 8.1 will bring 7- and 8-inch tablets into the fold (at the moment, Windows 8 essentially requires a 10-inch display). Beyond that, Microsoft has merely said that Windows 8.1 will “respond to consumer feedback.”
In other news, Microsoft says it now has 70,000 Metro apps in the Windows Store — and, speaking at the JP Morgan Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, Windows CFO Tami Reller says that Microsoft won’t drop Windows RT/ARM support, despite Intel’s incoming Bay Trail chips.
If you don’t want to wait for Windows 8.1 to address your feedback, be sure to check out our collection of Windows 8 tips and tricks.

Windows 8.1 will resurrect the Start button, but not the Start menu

Share This article

3
inShare

According to the latest leaked build of Windows 8.1 (Blue), the Start button and menu will make their triumphant return — but they won’t look or work like the Windows 7 Start menu. With Windows Blue you’ll get a Start button in the bottom left corner — but when you click it, it’s the Metro screen that’ll jarringly greet you, not a resurrected Windows 7-style Start menu.
This latest info comes from one of Mary Jo Foley’s “good sources,” who has apparently played with the most recent internal builds of Windows 8.1, and Paul Thurrott who seems to have actually got his hands on the Milestone Preview build of Windows 8.1. We have no reason to doubt either source. According to Foley’s source and Thurrott’s screenshot, the Windows 8.1 Start button will look just like the flag icon currently in the center of the Charms bar. It will probably be on by default, but there’ll be an option to turn it off.
In Desktop mode, it sounds like the current “hot corner” feature will disappear — the new Start button will sit on the taskbar next to your pinned programs, just as in Windows 7 (pictured above). In Metro, instead of seeing a thumbnail of the Start screen, moving your mouse over the bottom left corner will show the Windows flag icon.

Windows 8.1 (Blue) Start screen, with the same wallpaper as the Desktop [Image credit: Paul Thurrott]

When you click the Windows 8.1 Start button, you will jump to the Metro “All Apps” view, which is basically a list of every program installed on your computer. While the All Apps view in Windows 8 is a fixed, alphabetized list, Windows 8.1 will apparently allow you to move the apps around, to create a customized “Start menu.” Furthermore, a screenshot shared by Thurrott indicates that Windows Blue will allow you to use the same wallpaper in both Metro and Desktop (pictured above), significantly reducing the discord created by the wildly different interface paradigms.Microsoft hopes that these changes will make the Windows 8.1 Start screen/menu experience a lot less jarring than it currently is. In related news, both sources confirm that Windows 8.1 will allow you to boot straight to the desktop, avoiding the Metro interface entirely after logging in. (See: How to boot straight to the desktop in Windows 8.)

The current full-screen Windows 8 All Apps view. Not exactly a Start menu replacement…

At first glance, these changes sound very welcome — but, really, it will all come down to just how useful the Windows 8.1 All Apps view is. As it stands, the All Apps view is useless compared to the Windows 7 Start menu. Even if Microsoft allows you to move the apps around, or change the sorting, there’s no getting around the fact that you have to move your mouse all the way to the top of the screen. It really would be nice if Windows 8.1 reintroduced the Start menu as a pop-up dialog, but alas: it seems Microsoft isn’t quite ready to fully back down from its full-screen folly.
Microsoft will release a public preview of Windows Blue (8.1) on June 26. In the mean time, if you’re a Windows 8 user, be sure to read our guide on restoring the Start button and menu.