Windows 8 – Follow UP

 Windows 8 No Thanks
Here’s a follow up on my last post about Microsoft’s new operating system.  As stated, I installed Windows 8 on my laptop with the intention of learning it so as to help customers and give seminars to computer clubs.

After six weeks of using the system, I am not impressed to say the least.  It might be fine on a tablet, for which it was really designed, but for a non touch screen laptop or desktop it is very disappointing!

Windows 8 is actually built on top of Windows 7 and is really two separate entities.  You boot up to a bunch of tiles which represent applications but in order to take advantage of what these apps offer, you have to sign up for a Microsoft account.  One of these tiles is your desktop which you can click to get to what you were used to looking at in Windows 7.  To make things interesting they left out the start button which has become a huge controversy. What was your thinking MS?

I have used every Microsoft operating system since DOS days in the late seventies and have never encountered anything so frustrating.  At first I thought it might be my age but after extensive research and talking with so called experts all agree that Windows 8 is a flop.

My advice?  Do NOT upgrade your present computer and only if absolutely necessary purchase a new machine with Windows 8.  Be satisfied if you’re using Windows XP as Microsoft will furnish support until April of 2014.  If you have Windows 7 don’t move a muscle as it is an excellent OS. 

Microsoft is already talking about “Windows Blue” their next OS to be released next year, so it won’t be that long to let them get their act together!