They made some poor decisions in the user interface this time that make things more difficult or impossible for average users. Hidden menus, hidden options... I know they can't copy iphone/android's user interface elements because of patents, though. Plus everything is so slow - launching apps, loading web pages, etc. Things that hinder both average and power users include having two desktops, two control panels, two versions of most apps (the metro one usually being very crippled), and having no start button in the windows 7-like desktop anymore. Add onto all that the lack of apps, the un-user-friendly behavior, like shutting down without asking, including while I was trying to record a meeting in onenote - the expensive desktop version, not the free metro version, which doesn't include the ability to add audio anymore. Luckily I was also recording it on my android phone - had no problem, shared the audio file to dropbox and emailed the link to others. Can't do any of that in Windows 8, at least no where near as easily anymore.
I agree there are UI changes, though after a few weeks they made perfect sense to me. Converting the start menu to a full-screen experience throws people off at first, sure. It's not obvious that you can tap the "windows" key on your keyboard and just start typing to find anything (programs, files, control panel, etc).
I like Windows 8 and love my Surface RT. But the OS does need some work. They need to make all the OS settings work in Metro mode. Right now I have to open IE on the desktop to change certain browser settings like my search engine. That is silly. I bet with Windows 8.1/Blue they will correct a lot the issues. Windows 8 RT is a much better UI and OS than iOS. They are on the right track.
I also got a Windows Phone 8 (Lumina 920) and I like it and the UI and OS is more modern than my old iPhone. But all the apps are rough. I mostly use Facebook, Twitter, Maps apps. That's it. They are all sort of buggy compared to their iOS counterparts. Again they are on the right track but the lack of users is leading to subpar apps by developers, which leads to fewer users.... And me missing my iPhone some days.
I don't think Windows 8 has failed as it shows so many great things for their direction. Perhaps it was more of a Vista release that just needs a follow up to perfect. Lets hope Windows 8.1 does it.
Don't worry Windows 8.1 aka Windows Blue will be out, for an additional fee to address issues with Windows 8.
Well actually no, it is basically a service pack to Windows 8 that is sold as a brand new version of Windows, but doesn't actually address any of the issues, but will make Microsoft richer anyway. Sort of like how Windows 7 was a service pack to Windows Vista. The only reason why Windows 7 was better than Windows Vista despite being the same damn thing, is they made better drivers for it from third parties and updated the apps to work with Vista/7 after they failed to work by releasing a new Visual Studio to upgrade to the new API calls and new Dotnet. I predict a Windows 8.1, and then a Visual Studio 2014 as well as a new Windows 2014 Server, SQL Server, Exchange Server, Outhouse/Outlook and MS-Office 2015, Sharepoint Server, Microsoft Deepthroating EUFI blackmail to run a non-MS OS on a brand new PC like Linux, FreeDOS, BSD Unix, Haiku, AROS, etc, and of course more FUD from Microsoft on the alternatives having a 'gasp' virus as to why they won't install unless you turn off that feature.
Well, I for one don't think windows eight was designed to succeed in the marketplace, it was really designed - via UEFI SecureBoot - to throw a monkey wrench into the widespread adoption of GNU/Linux by the average consumer. That's why you won't really see ballmer weep at the poor sales numbers. The fact that microsoft was able to pull that off without a massive anti-trust probe by either US or EU regulators is, I think, being regarded as a quiet success of windows eight during water cooler conversations in Redmond.
Except that it can backfire on them big time, which is if manufacturers see UEFI as hindering sales because they don't even get the incremental Linux sales they will drop it and the Secure Boot initiative will have failed.
And while I would see some people jumping up and down about that, I point out that one of Microsoft's challenges is that people don't want to use it for doing things like browsing the web if all the scaremongering about zero day exploits rages around them.
I am not sure how the industry is going to deal with the eroding trust in systems but I do know that if they don't it will be hard on all of us.
