Why Windows 8 Is A Failure And What To Expect From Windows 9

Windows provides the vast majority of people on the planet with the operating system they use on their desktops and laptops and any change to the operating system has a notable effect. The reality of the situation is that although Macs are far more exciting and desirable, Windows products are more cost effective and a multiple of times more common.

The latest version of the Microsoft operating system – Windows 8 and its constituents 8.1 and others haven’t been received with the open arms they had expected to be. Windows 8 had hoped to be the go to OS for touch screen desktops and laptops and essentially change the way we use computers. Unfortunately for Microsoft and also the general public it didn’t seem to press the correct buttons and so far hasn’t been nearly as loved as the previous version Windows 7.

Of course, change is often hard and can cause a number of issues in any area of life – whether it’s cars (look at the slow implementation of EVs) or computers. However, even though this is the case Windows 8 made a number of mistakes and we’re going to take a closer look at these and the reasons it’s not a success.

Why Windows 8 is a Failure

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Metro is Ugly

Metro is fine on a smart device, however on a desktop it’s a step too far and for a lot of people the idea of forgetting everything we learned about Windows is not an attractive option. Metro requires the user learn how to use Windows again and though you can use the traditional interface – it’s just a little pointless.

Interface is Impractical

One of the other issues with Metro is that it’s not really added anything to the Windows experience. Windows 7 was a huge leap and is a fantastic operating system, however Metro has added little and all that can be really said is that it’s faster in software terms. However, as there is a dual interface it’s actually slower in practical terms – even with the Win 8 upgrade. The omission of a start button in the initial release is a prime example of the oversights of this release.

People Love Windows 7

Windows 7 was an evolution as we’ve mentioned, however Windows 8 is little better than the previous operating system. This means people don’t want to stump up hundreds for new hardware for something that’s slightly better. This occurred with Microsoft Vista, which was scarcely better than the lauded Windows XP.

In addition, people like using Android and IOS based tablets, meaning Windows 8 just doesn’t seem to have a lot of say in the matter.

Windows 8 has actually done worse than Windows Vista. Vista had an adoption rate of 4.5% after the half year mark, while Windows 8 was at only 2.7% at the same period. This showcases how poorly it’s done. It’s also worth mentioning that Windows 8 has a line of tablets to help bolster those figures.

Windows 9

However, it seems that the next version of Windows could be on the horizon and rumors suggest we’ll see a release in early 2015.

So far rumors suggest that Microsoft will have learned from Windows 8 and offer different versions of the OS for different computers and customers. This would be somewhat similar to the way Apple does things – with a separate OS for its desktop and mobile software.

We don’t know much about Windows 9 but we do know that Microsoft are releasing it less than three years after Windows 8 – so we can expect it to be somewhat back to its roots.

Cormac Reynolds has written for a number of great tech sites in his time. He’s a lover of fitness and wellbeing and loves the gym.