New Windows chief explains why Microsoft redesigned Windows

You obviously didn't understand my comment. And for the record Microsoft couldn't get me to install their new OS if they give it to me. I've had several opportunities to try it for free and never felt a desire so why would I spend money on it now.

The real reason why they redesigned Windows (or replace start button with Metro-style) is to make their Windows ready for touchscreen-display.. with some changes of course..

Just curious, because I'm looking for a proper mod that works for me... Does StartisBack fix the absolutely horrendous multi-screen behavior of Window 8? Or do you know of any other method to get a true productive multi-screen setup out of Windows 8? That has been my single biggest issue - and why I find I really like W8 on a tablet (since I don't have to worry about multi-screen), but experience major disappointment on my desktop...

Just when I thought Windows took a step forward with Windows 7, Windows 8 puts them 3 steps back.

No excuse to not install a <I>third party app</I> to make your OS functional? Did you hit your head or something? But then you also say that those who despise Metro are a minority despite all the facts proving otherwise, so keep on drinking that Kool-Aid, bro - nobody cared when Windows 8 debuted and nobody cares now.

"Even if you?re a desktop user, over time there?s a cutover point around six weeks where you start using the new things more than the things you?re familiar with."

Unless they inject the same features of desktop version apps, metro apps are not worthy. Look at Skype for metro for example it is lacking many features from the desktop app.

Not only do I hope that Windows 8 fails miserably, but I hope the "Surface" tablet fails miserably as well.

The ads for the Surface are about as repugnant as you can get. So, wouldn't it be great to get rid of them both?

Nonetheless, first on my Christmas wish list, would be to be able to "unsee" Kanye West in his leather skirt.



Got ya,.....

(OTOH, if they could only get him to pitch a pink Surface tablet in the getup. Hm, maybe Dennis Rodman could dress up as his twin sister and slam dunk one).

I think the reason windows 8 is this way is for casual users, and people who use tablets and phones because latley they have been out selling laptops and deskstop pcs having this "user friendly" interface could help increase PC sales the only problem microsoft dont want to compromise and give us both. This feels simlar to the Kinect for xbox, just that they can say u can use your game handfree, they kinda limit them selfs to what it could do.

In other words typical MS. Late to the game but with billions to lose to get "competitive".
After Ballmer ridicules the whole touch thing and the market passes them by suddenly it's the "future".
Moneyball. That's what MS is really really good at.

I'm sure I'm not the only user who has paid for a license because they work in tech, and need to learn each OS that becomes popular (because the average non tech-savvy user buys the latest one on the assumption that it is best, and cool!). I couldn't find the benefits, despite months playing with the preview release, then the full one, when I downgraded sorry upgraded, so I reimaged my HDDs to Windows 7 and put Windows 8 in a Virtualbox, where it belongs (I still have it under observation, but it isn't fit to be let out yet).

As far as I can tell (working to the shaky assumption that I am sane and not in a simulation or anything tricky like that) I dislike Metro and the OS as aspects of one another. Probably.

Forcing Metro on you is all about $$ from the Microsoft store. If they gave you a choice of Desktop or Metro most people wouldn't come back to metro on a desktop. I gave Metro a chance. I work on my PC not play. If I had time to play and didn't care about being productive Metro is fine. I live to work and get things done so I installed Start8 and it's like heaven. It's the way Windows 8 should of been. I can still go into metro side if I so desire but with 95% of my day being work and productivity I just stay in desktop mode and things work great! Metro will be cool on tablets and phones...but on a desktop if your doing work...It's just doesn't work. Maybe a few years of tweaking and maybe windows 9. But for now it blows on the desktop. People who think it's great the way it is more than likely aren't power users.

"To all those complaining about Metro UI and the lack of Start button - you are holding it wrong."
sincerely yours
Julie Larson-Green

While all of you arguing about windows 8, MS itself is developing Windows 9, and they will even replace the DOS command prompt with 'metro style'

I don't use the metro ui and I don't use 3rd party apps to bring back the start menu so many seem to miss. There is no point for a start menu and the change had zero effect for my experience as the new menu that pops up when u right click in the very bottom left corner of your screen is all you will ever need.

Start menu is useless and you crybabies are funny

So true. For the past few months, ever since some issues on one of my pc's caused me to use a Linux-based boot CD, I have been entertaining the idea of switching to Ubuntu on it. Mind you, this from someone who's never even thought about using anything other than Windows (since 3.11). I actually loved that boot up disc (had Knoppix on it). I'll probably use it on that problematic pc and once stable, maybe switch over to dual-boot on my main's.

MS, you made a huge mistake with Win8. It is so sad your arrogance and presumptuousness won't let you see it.

This -> "Larson-Green does acknowledge that a finger will never be as precise as a mouse and that an on-screen keyboard will never beat a real one" is exactly while I will never use windows 8. Come on people, they admit themselves that touch will never replace a mouse and keyboard, yet they still try to force it down our throats... Touch UI belongs on hand held devices where it makes sense, not on a desktop I sit at which may I add does NOT have any touch functionality. Microsoft, just go away with your bs, I'm not buying it.

1 word: fullscreen

it's windows on a desktop with only 1 window......
I also found the normal start menu to be more useful than metro (no history for opened files... wtf ms?).

at least they did 1 thing good, the task manager.

Agreed 100%!
I think it's sick how MS thinks they can bend customers to their will this way.
Like Capt' Crank, I want windows 8 to fail horribly. Then maybe MS will go back to the drawing board!

Mint has taken Ubuntu's lead position in the Linux desktop, er, market precisely because Mint gives users a choice between the old-style UI and Ubuntu's Unity-style UI. It's about having the choice, being able to do something either way and settle on the way that suits you. It has been the PC's big advantage over Apple's products (other than much better bang for the buck) - that sense of having choices.

This Metro vs Start reminds me of a mouse vs keyboard squabble - give people the choice and they'll be happy, they'll join the squabble quite certain of their own superior position. Take away that choice and it's gonna piss people off. What, Microsoft didn't figure that out years ago?

I like Win 7 a lot but find myself spending more and more time in Mint simply because it is so clearly designed to give users all kinds of choices, and it's so much fun to play around in. Out of curiosity, I spent a week in Mint recently and found I could do almost everything in Mint that I can do in Windows 7.

So I seem to be shifting over to Mint simply because it's more fun and there are very few disadvantages. Switch to an OS that's less fun, more frustrating to use and less suited to the desktop? Not likely.

Microsoft is betting a lot on this change, though. I wonder if the betting sites have put any odds on Microsoft's success. Those sites are better than opinion polls at predicting disputed outcomes. Think I'll go check.

There's no need for further provocation, your syntax is sufficiently annoying in and of itself....