The start menu will come to Windows 8.1!

[tgp]

I'm seeing a lot of user error here. You're just... Doing it all wrong. It's like Microsoft gave you a new car and you hate it because it's heavier than your old one and harder to push around, meanwhile we are all trying to tell you the key is in the ignition you just have to turn it...

That's obvious; I am doing it wrong. So are most of Windows 8 users. Why do you think Microsoft is retreating? Every update since the original Windows 8 has features edging back towards the Windows 7 style. Windows 8 was optimized for touch/Modern apps. It's not taking off like it was thought it would; hence the backtracking.

 

[spaulagain]

That's obvious; I am doing it wrong. So are most of Windows 8 users. Why do you think Microsoft is retreating? Every update since the original Windows 8 has features edging back towards the Windows 7 style. Windows 8 was optimized for touch/Modern apps. It's not taking off like it was thought it would; hence the backtracking.

Where does this most figure come from? Are there actual figures on who wants the start menu back?

As a UI designer/developer I can tell you that the most vocal users are almost always in the minority. I've had multiple UI update releases with very vocal user feedback. But turns out, they were in the minority. The rest of users liked it when we researched more.

The Start Menu advocates are almost all power users and tech bloggers (also power users). Power users make up about 5% of Windows users.

Microsoft is retracting because they shell shocked their customers with changes rather than ease them in over a few years. It's not the changes themselves that are flawed, but the speed/manner in which they were pushed on the users. I hold Sinofsky responsible for that.

 

[tgp]

Where does this most figure come from? Are there actual figures on who wants the start menu back?

I was wrong to say "most"; it was presumptuous. I was assuming that it must be a lot to cause Microsoft to backpedal.

But to turn it around, where to your figures come from? 5%? I find it hard to believe that Microsoft would act on that number alone. I happen to work in sales, and I know for a fact that users are still buying Windows 7. I push Windows 8 (except for business users), but a lot of buyers still decide to get Windows 7.

 

[spaulagain]

I was wrong to say "most"; it was presumptuous. I was assuming that it must be a lot to cause Microsoft to backpedal.

But to turn it around, where to your figures come from? 5%? I find it hard to believe that Microsoft would act on that number alone. I happen to work in sales, and I know for a fact that users are still buying Windows 7. I push Windows 8 (except for business users), but a lot of buyers still decide to get Windows 7.

When Microsoft was developing Windows 8 they had a blog post that discussed user patterns and the type of users they had, etc. I don't remember if it was 5% exactly, but it was something under 10% were defined as power users.

Just at my company alone, I'd say there are less than 15% that are power users. And that's in a web tech company where you'd expect higher concentration of computer experts.

 

[link68759]

Where does this most figure come from? Are there actual figures on who wants the start menu back?

As a UI designer/developer I can tell you that the most vocal users are almost always in the minority. I've had multiple UI update releases with very vocal user feedback. But turns out, they were in the minority. The rest of users liked it when we researched more.

The Start Menu advocates are almost all power users and tech bloggers (also power users). Power users make up about 5% of Windows users.

Microsoft is retracting because they shell shocked their customers with changes rather than ease them in over a few years. It's not the changes themselves that are flawed, but the speed/manner in which they were pushed on the users. I hold Sinofsky responsible for that.

In my personal experience, most discontent has been expressed by people who had never even used 8. The hype just caught on and many were eager to join the discussion... not letting a little thing like complete lack of knowledge on the subject matter stop them. Most people claiming to have used 8 could not answer basic questions about how it worked and often just echoed the incorrect statements I'd seen on many a blog.

I remember trying out the developer preview and reading all the blog posts about how it's the end of the world... I wouldn't have called those bloggers power users. A power user would have known that a developer preview is for developers, and none of the features are refined (most not even implemented). A power user would not have made so many inaccurate and wrong statements about the workings of the system. Many of the complaints about the developer preview were just false (one thing I often had to correct was that no, they did not remove search; press start and type, it works exactly like it did before...). Many complaints I still hear to this very day about the developer preview were in fact fixed in the consumer preview. That's like... hating firefox because you experienced something go wrong in firefox 3's nightly build 5 years ago. Yeah OK your opinion is completely valid... /s

The developer preview was a pre alpha created to give developers a head start on the new OS. It was too accessible though, and too many.... less intelligent users grabbed it thinking "free version of the next OS!"

I think we're fighting the negative image that many blogs and news outlets created; an image of sheer misunderstanding and just plain bandwagon thinking. Once you pointed out to someone that their complaints about 8 were wrong and it in fact doesn't do whatever they complained about; rather than admitting they were wrong they simply would change their argument to accommodate the position they're married to (the internet in a nutshell). Because admitting fault is weak! So once all complaints were invalidated I would usually hear "well I still hate it because it looks dumb" or some BS about "it feels disconnected".

In regards to the start screen specifically, these people, having never used 8 (for more than a day at most) would say something that boiled down to "change is stupid".

 

[spaulagain]

In my personal experience, most discontent has been expressed by people who had never even used 8. The hype just caught on and many were eager to join the discussion... not letting a little thing like complete lack of knowledge on the subject matter stop them. Most people claiming to have used 8 could not answer basic questions about how it worked and often just echoed the incorrect statements I'd seen on many a blog.

I remember trying out the developer preview and reading all the blog posts about how it's the end of the world... I wouldn't have called those bloggers power users. A power user would have known that a developer preview is for developers, and none of the features are refined (most not even implemented). A power user would not have made so many inaccurate and wrong statements about the workings of the system. Many of the complaints about the developer preview were just false (one thing I often had to correct was that no, they did not remove search; press start and type, it works exactly like it did before...). Many complaints I still hear to this very day about the developer preview were in fact fixed in the consumer preview. That's like... hating firefox because you experienced something go wrong in firefox 3's nightly build 5 years ago. Yeah OK your opinion is completely valid... /s

The developer preview was a pre alpha created to give developers a head start on the new OS. It was too accessible though, and too many.... less intelligent users grabbed it thinking "free version of the next OS!"

I think we're fighting the negative image that many blogs and news outlets created; an image of sheer misunderstanding and just plain bandwagon thinking. Once you pointed out to someone that their complaints about 8 were wrong and it in fact doesn't do whatever they complained about; rather than admitting they were wrong they simply would change their argument to accommodate the position they're married to (the internet in a nutshell). Because admitting fault is weak! So once all complaints were invalidated I would usually hear "well I still hate it because it looks dumb" or some BS about "it feels disconnected".

In regards to the start screen specifically, these people, having never used 8 (for more than a day at most) would say something that boiled down to "change is stupid".

Ya, I was being a little generous when I grouped them with power users. Mainly, they're just a little more affluent with Windows than your average user.

Amd ya, there was a lot of bandwagon "journalism."

 

[tgp]

Amd ya, there was a lot of bandwagon "journalism."

Very true. And it spilled over to consumers. Almost every homeowner customer who I talk to says, "My (brother, cousin, Dr.) says I shouldn't get Windows 8 because...". Till I'm done with them they usually end up choosing Windows 8. (A lot of the PCs we sell come with your choice of 7 or 8). I tell them that it was a significant UI change, but updates have come and are still coming that make it a bit more like Windows 7. I can usually convince them to go with Windows 8 on the basis of support end date, because often the reason they are getting a new computer in the first place is because they're using XP. Windows 8 will give them 3 or so more years of support from Microsoft.

And don't get me wrong; I'll still take Windows 8 any day over Windows 7. I just have a couple of little niggles with it which we were discussing. I just installed an SSD in my 3 year old laptop, and with a fresh install of 8.1 it's lightening fast!

 

[Naveen1217]

When w8.1 will b available. For Lumia 520.

 

[mpt15]

When w8.1 will b available. For Lumia 520.

this discussion is about windows 8.1- the computer OS, not windows phone 8.1 (the mobile OS)