Windows 8 usability study

Peon said:
As a reseller I'm concerned. It's going to be very difficult to sell this and expect my clients and users to "figure it out" on their own.

They should release an update where you can choose between the metro look or a standard classic work and feel.
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Maybe you should Download http://marketing.dell.com/windows-8-ebook and hand em on a cd when you sell PC's

My problem is not usability, Once I get to desktop and avoid Modern UI like the plague I am ok with it. Just a pity my old games did not work with it.
 
It took me a few days to settle into windows 8, but I use it as my daily driver for work now.

I spend 8 hours behind my laptop, and I am yet to have a complaint. - Is there a real reason that windows 8 "reduces productivity"? All I do is skip using the Modern UI stuff, and install desktop versions of whatever I want. Seems smoother, faster, and consumes less memory than windows 7.
 
Well I can't argue with "Hidden features", but "Reduced discoverability"? Really? Pressing the Windows key and typing something in is difficult?

I've been on Windows 8 since the Developer Preview (because I'm a developer! ba-dum-tish). The only changes I've noticed? Kick-ass task manager and copy dialogs, full-screen search for programs and files (compared to that cramped start menu in Windows 7, it's infinitely better), and insanely fast boot times.

That's something all these reviews seem to forget: Just because you have the Metro apps doesn't mean you're forced to use them.
 
It's just Windows 7 with the Start menu removed and some crappy phone stuff tacked on, FFS. Just download something like Start8, disable the CPU-munching Windows Defender background scans and you're good to go.
 
Just add the task bar to the bottom of the screen in the metro I mean modern interface that's all that is need tbh.
 
I wish there was a way to completely disable the Modern UI. If I had a touch-screen laptop/ultrabook it may have worked but I don't and it subsequently irritates the hell out of me. I use the desktop yes, but Modern UI sits there waiting to make its appearance just when I need to see it least. MSFT, PLEASE give us on install the option to not install the Modern UI. One day when I get a touch screen machine I will care about Modern UI, but until that day comes I do not want to even see it for a second.
 
A friend asked me to take a look at his daughters laptop, installing essentials and updating software and whatnot. And I must say, I have to motivate myself beyond believe to even touch this Windows 8 laptop. Everything is such a schlep...
It is just so counter productive. This is the first time I have worked with Windows 8 for more than a few hours. I dabbled a bit with the developer preview and that was that, so this is the first "real world" experience I have had with Windows 8.

By default you get the Metro screen that has been slammed in almost all reviews, then when you figure out how to get to the desktop there is no way to navigate all your installed software by default. I'm cringing to think that a computer illiterate user is going to have to bash their way through this mess. Have they even given a thought to people who are NOT computer literate? I cannot see this being implemented in an office environment since it will cause endless headaches for the IT department. Yes, you can navigate the Metro interface and most stuff you need will be there, but not everything. I had to spend a few minutes to figure out what was where and how to access it.
Keyboard shortcuts, hidden click menus, endless mouse scrolling, are you kidding me? How is the average PC user ever going to get to know this interface when they do not even know what ctrl+c does and most of them do not even know how to use a mouse wheel!
No more one or two click, many, many more clicks to do what needs to be done... this is bad, very, very bad.

Pressing the Windows key and typing something in is difficult?
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For people who refer to the media player as "the thing that plays DVD's/movies", yes, it will be difficult. I kid you not, I have worked with them on many, many occasions.

It will be interesting to see how she copes with this new version of Windows, I'll have to remember to ask her next year how she finds the interface and overall user experience.
 
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mmmig said:
Just add the task bar to the bottom of the screen in the metro I mean modern interface that's all that is need tbh.
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They should return the start button and allow us to run metro/modern in a window.
 
I do appreciate the far superior WinRT engine as Arthur so nicely explained, but MS dropped the ball with the way the forced the Modern UI into our faces. Have it there for those who want it, BUT PLEASE GIVE OTHER USERS A WAY OUT!!! Modern UI is a confusing mess for anyone not owning a touch-screen device. I predict that Windows 8 will go down in MSFT history as a disaster ... too much too soon. Should be a "normal" (mouse friendly) version and a "touch-screen" version. One should get the option to install one of the two on installation.
 
Microsoft, remedy the situation by giving people the "choice" of a metro or classic gui.
 
Another problem with my Windows 8 ultrabook that has been giving problems for the last three days is that it downloads Windows updates and then when the system reboots the installation fails. It does this over and over and over. I clean the update installation log to clear the failed installations ... the system then downloads the same update files again and the update process again fails on restart. This now forces me to disable auto updates.

Windows 8 = Fail. Sorry MS but this is not good enough. You have rushed a mess to market when Windows 7 was still 100%. Why not release Windows RT for tablets first and let that run for a year or so and then do Windows 8? But no, you wanted to create these super tablets that can run "normal" Windows software now(!) ... but now we sit with this hybrid rubbish of yours.
 
I just cannot see the enterprise environment adopting Windows 8. I will never ever allow this confusing mess of an OS into my organisation. The support queries/demands will drive the techies crazy. I genuinely cannot appreciate what MS is trying to do here and how they thought the enterprise market will adjust to this hybrid "thing". How do you set this up in a managed environment? What do you allow and not allow? What UI gets preference and then how do you lock the other one out? Until companies are ready to move to touch screen PC's and laptops this is not on. Many organisations only got Windows 7 fully implemented now and now MS wants us to jump to something so drastically different. People will have to be retrained to use Windows which will lead to tons of unproductive hours/days/weeks. Strategy all wrong imo. One step at a time please. Not all at once ... bang!
 
BeVonk! said:
I just cannot see the enterprise environment adopting Windows 8. I will never ever allow this confusing mess of an OS into my organisation. The support queries/demands will drive the techies crazy. I genuinely cannot appreciate what MS is trying to do here and how they thought the enterprise market will adjust to this hybrid "thing". How do you set this up in a managed environment? What do you allow and not allow? What UI gets preference and then how do you lock the other one out? Until companies are ready to move to touch screen PC's and laptops this is not on. Many organisations only got Windows 7 fully implemented now and now MS wants us to jump to something so drastically different. People will have to be retrained to use Windows which will lead to tons of unproductive hours/days/weeks. Strategy all wrong imo. One step at a time please. Not all at once ... bang!
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Not sure if we qualify as an enterprise with 120 users, but we are adopting it during the next couple of months.

There are a couple of us running it since official launch. It took me less than 1 day to "get used too".
I have subsequently removed most bloatware that installs with Metro.
Windows 8 is very smooth and absolutely no problems on my 2 year old laptop. All drivers worked without a single standalone/separate install.
 
Peon said:
Microsoft, remedy the situation by giving people the "choice" of a metro or classic gui.
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As I understand it, by Win 10 or so the plan is to be Metro-only, dumping the "legacy" of the desktop and the "crufty" mess of the aging traditional Windows APIs. MS have chosen, in Win 8, not to implement choices, so as to start forcing the new world upon us unsuspecting users. They can kiss my arse.
 
pjjdp said:
Not sure if we qualify as an enterprise with 120 users, but we are adopting it during the next couple of months.

There are a couple of us running it since official launch. It took me less than 1 day to "get used too".
I have subsequently removed most bloatware that installs with Metro.
Windows 8 is very smooth and absolutely no problems on my 2 year old laptop. All drivers worked without a single standalone/separate install.
Click to expand...

What will a normal person without a touch screen PC do with Modern UI in a corporate environment that Windows 7 cannot do? Why change to Modern UI in a corporate environment? The lack of a start button alone will send most into a fit. Talking here of 20 000 plus corporate environment.
 
BeVonk! said:
I just cannot see the enterprise environment adopting Windows 8. I will never ever allow this confusing mess of an OS into my organisation. The support queries/demands will drive the techies crazy. I genuinely cannot appreciate what MS is trying to do here and how they thought the enterprise market will adjust to this hybrid "thing". How do you set this up in a managed environment? What do you allow and not allow? What UI gets preference and then how do you lock the other one out? Until companies are ready to move to touch screen PC's and laptops this is not on. Many organisations only got Windows 7 fully implemented now and now MS wants us to jump to something so drastically different. People will have to be retrained to use Windows which will lead to tons of unproductive hours/days/weeks. Strategy all wrong imo. One step at a time please. Not all at once ... bang!
Click to expand...

I think they're allowed to change the UI as dramatically as they need, and people can make a bit of effort to just learn it - AS LONG AS it's implemented in a competent and usable way. I've got no problem with the strategy, it's their execution that just falls down. Metro is embryonic, insecure, schizophrenic and poorly tested. Everything is flattened so nothing stands out as a distinct part of the UI. Mouse gestures aren't explicit. The app tiles become clogged up with multiple instances of the same app, unless you manually clean them up which is a pain for casual users. Snapping windows isn't thought out adequately - why can't you resize multiple apps onto one screen for instance?
 
There's two sides to this thing Cerebus. Yes, one the one side MS has the right to go with whatever OS/UI improvements they see fit as Windows is their product. On the other side one must consider the extremely large % of computers running Windows and the responsibility that comes with that. Companies and individuals have invested heavily in the Windows ecosystem. MS must therfore imo be conservative with changes. Companies and individuals cannot just change ecosystems without great change/cost implications. Microsoft has a great hold on the market. Windows 8 as we now have it with the Modern UI is in my opinion an arrogant and irresponsible effort to make a jump to a new ecosystem that many existing users do not want nor appreciate. MS could have done this softer by providing Windows 8 buyers with UI options (1) Classic, or (2) Modern, or both (the only option now). What I hate about this is how MS forces their larger ecosystem down our throates so that they can sell tablets and phones. I don't want either but am now forced to live with the Modern UI. This approach is too aggressive and will hopefully come back to bite MS. Apple will for sure gain the most from this. Pity Google has no Windows PC/laptop alternative OS with all the software available. I've migrated to Corel Draw on Windows as it is so much cheaper. This is not available for Mac. To go back to Mac means I must go back to heavily overpriced Adobe products. I genuinely do not like/appreciate where MS is trying to take us.
 
Excellent article. Summaries most of my concerns with Windows 8 ... and predicts why it will ultimately fail.
 
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