I’ve been excited to see how the new iteration of Windows will look. Now that I’ve seen it on Youtube, I must admit that I’m disappointed. I don’t think making an operating system built around tablets/touch screens for the mainstream PC market makes any sense. Yes, on a tablet device, what I’ve seen of Windows 8 so far would be great, but I don’t want that interface on my PC. It’s been decades of using the Start menu and I like that. Microsoft is saying Windows 8 allows you to personalize your experience — I don’t want to be forced to personalize it. I can do all the personalization I want in Windows 7 and it’s still usable as an operating system.
I was hoping Windows 8 was even more visual than Windows 7 while staying within the boundaries we’re accustomed to in the OS. As a designer, I need an OS that’s easy to use and Windows 8 doesn’t appear to be it. I’m also a Mac user and I love what they’ve done with OS X Lion. If future versions of Windows is going down the path of Windows 8, I’ll be switching exclusively to OS X.
At the very least, Microsoft should give users the option of turning off the new “experience” and be able to use Windows traditionally. If that function doesn’t exist, I’ll be skipping Windows 8.
