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Let's say the rumors are true, and that Microsoft does in fact bring back the Start button and a boot-to-desktop option to address longstanding user complaints. Can that fix what's ailing Windows 8? Perhaps, eventually — but Microsoft is still treating the symptom rather than the disease. The problem is the PC itself, not the operating system that runs it. And that's what Microsoft (and, secondarily, its Wintel partner Intel) really needs to transform. The PC is not dying. It's just becoming a niche product with niche needs.
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I totally disagree that the PC is dying. We're simply no longer using it for things that it's not that great at, such as lounging on the couch and reading the news, watching a video or chatting to friends.
Many things we used to do on PCs we now do on our phone or tablet. This doesn't mean that all those things we still need a PC for are disappearing too. Anything involving lots of typing (writing, programming, editing), anything requiring large screens (developing, writing, graphics), and anything that requires serious power still need a desktop. Granted, more and more can move to a tablet, but there's one fundamental piece missing with tablets: the PC. As a central place to sync and to organise your devices (especially in the Mac world) you still need a PC. As a place to store your music and movies you still need a PC unless you have small collections or unlimited gigabit internet connection.
My view is that Microsoft are trying to make the PC into a tablet experience which is a dumb, dumb, dumb thing to do. Make the OS suit the device, so on tablets and convertibles have the Metro UI. On desktops have the Desktop UI.
Further, stop making Windows complicated, especially if the feeling is the Desktop phase is coming to an end. Embrace what people really want, which is a super simple OS for organising files and running applications. Make the PC for the office super streamlined, easy to deploy, low maintenance and secure. Make the PC for the home a true hub. Make it be the thing you please next to your amplifier and serves your media, or as an all-in-one with a bluetooth keyboard that sits in the kitchen or living room and lets you organise yourself really easily, including allowing you to type and handle stuff like files and devices. This isn't a tablet's role.
Let tablets and phones be tablets and phones. Let the desktop be a desktop and be tuned for those tasks. Most importantly, make the OS (not necessarily the UI) consistent. In Metro you still have to drop back to Desktop sometimes. In desktop, on a touch device, you are still presented with XP-era dialogs.
Further, make the apps you offer decent. The out-of-the-box selection in Win8 are anything but showcase apps. They are a let down to users.
I personally wish they had not introduced Metro on desktops at all. Completely hide it. Then, on tablets ensure that Metro works really well and that all the Desktop stuff doesn't leak (no XP style dialogs). Then, ditch Windows Phone 8 and use the tablet OS on phones. You then have one underlying OS with 3 UIs: desktop, tablet and phone. Elements and branding will be shared, it will be comfortable switching between, and it will all make sense and be simplified.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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I mostly agree with you. I have not tried out a Windows 8 tablet, but I love my Windows Phone 8 and I don't want them to screw that up.
Soren Madsen
"When you don't know what you're doing it's best to do it quickly" - Jase #DuckDynasty
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With such a lengthy post (*snicker*), it was inevitable that you'd make at least one mistake.
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