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re: Windows 8 Device Choices Baffle Buyers
Interesting article... Seems lots of folks, media folks included, are into bashing Microsoft over Windows 8. I personally think, it would be nice if the media would not foster whining by simply echoing complaints. Instead, the media should be reminding people that Microsoft is doing something new here. AndGǪI believe they have done it well.
We would all do well to remember: 1. Brand new animal. 2. Choice is good. 3. Good marketing makes GǣchoiceGǥ better. 4. Economy is down, be patient.
Gets me frustrated when I hear, Apple is simpler. Not a fair comparison. With Apple you only have only a few dull choices, the cost is higher for a similar product, and you have to deal with their non-standard ways of doing everything. (disclaimer: If you like Apple and they work for you, then great!) I hear and read things like Windows 8 is only suited for touch screens. I say again, GǣBrand New Animal!Gǥ They have built it and the touch will come. Frankly touch is still too expensive! I also hear, too hard to decide what to buy to suit my needs. Again, new! Manufacturers are building hardware around the idea of Windows 8, but many are not doing it well. Add to that the down economy which leads to lackluster marketing, and then tell me we should blame Microsoft! How are people are supposed to know what will work best? Have we forgotten to ask the professionals! Work with vendors that buy and test before deciding. Task your I.T. staff to do the same. I believe Microsoft is on to something, and time will prove why they are the global giant that they are.
We would all do well to remember: 1. Brand new animal. 2. Choice is good. 3. Good marketing makes GǣchoiceGǥ better. 4. Economy is down, be patient.
Gets me frustrated when I hear, Apple is simpler. Not a fair comparison. With Apple you only have only a few dull choices, the cost is higher for a similar product, and you have to deal with their non-standard ways of doing everything. (disclaimer: If you like Apple and they work for you, then great!) I hear and read things like Windows 8 is only suited for touch screens. I say again, GǣBrand New Animal!Gǥ They have built it and the touch will come. Frankly touch is still too expensive! I also hear, too hard to decide what to buy to suit my needs. Again, new! Manufacturers are building hardware around the idea of Windows 8, but many are not doing it well. Add to that the down economy which leads to lackluster marketing, and then tell me we should blame Microsoft! How are people are supposed to know what will work best? Have we forgotten to ask the professionals! Work with vendors that buy and test before deciding. Task your I.T. staff to do the same. I believe Microsoft is on to something, and time will prove why they are the global giant that they are.
re: Windows 8 Device Choices Baffle Buyers
I'd argue that Win8 is an all around upgrade over Win7 for every setup, touchscreen or not, but ONLY after installing Classic Shell and on non touch screen devices set it to launch directly to the legacy desktop.
Win8 is faster and more stable then Win7 in every way except that the new Metro interface has no place being on a non touch screen device and Classic Shell is an excellent tool giving you back your desktop and start menu. It also includes a bunch of other improvements for explorer and other legacy apps. Google it.
Win8 is faster and more stable then Win7 in every way except that the new Metro interface has no place being on a non touch screen device and Classic Shell is an excellent tool giving you back your desktop and start menu. It also includes a bunch of other improvements for explorer and other legacy apps. Google it.
re: Windows 8 Device Choices Baffle Buyers
Windows 8 is OK at best and it's still better than and Mac OS or iOS.
http://bit.ly/IC4m9t
http://bit.ly/IC4m9t
re: Windows 8 Device Choices Baffle Buyers
Seems like Android has done OK with a lot of flavors. Not sure the author's premise has any validity.
re: Windows 8 Device Choices Baffle Buyers
I bought a laptop running Win 8 Pro and upgraded a PC to Win 8 Pro. No touch screens. At work I use Win 7 Pro, Win 8 Pro desktops, and Win 8 ultrabooks with touch screen. Win 8 has been a great upgrade. Faster boot, shutdown, and application processing, Tronist may regret staying behind on Win 7 instead of learning how to use Win 8.
re: Windows 8 Device Choices Baffle Buyers
I agree with the article in that Windows 8 hardware choices are a joke. I do not agree that Apple's one size fits all works but I see it being easier for people who are not tech oriented.
First off selling a traditional laptop on windows 8 should simply not be allowed. Manufacturers had time and knew what was coming and are trying to sell old stock as new. Win 8 needs a touch screen not to work but to take advantage of its full feature set. Selling any product without a touchscreen is a dis service to MS and the OS. Windows 8 changes everything like vista changed hardware requirements win 8 does too. I tried the pre release versions on my laptop and although it worked fine it was not intuitive and made life more complecated rather than easier. It felt like a step back not forward. I think the unity desktop in Ubuntu Linux is a much better solution for both touch and non touch devices. MS should have copied unity instead of their tile system IMHO.
It is going to take a year or two before manufacturers really catch up and sell all the old stock and come up with better new touch based solutions. Windows is still a great choice but this was not a well coordinated or well planned release. I think that is why MS tried to come out with their own bramd tomshow others what it should look like.
For the tablet market I am sorry but I feel at the moment Win 8 is a pretty big failure for several reasons. Price, who wants to pay $1000 for a tablet? I don't care what it can do that is too much money. Since Apple and Android have some pretty nice choices at half that cost it is a hard sell for $1000 just to have enterprize features and ms office suite compatibility.
I think if they had 3 models. A 7 inch with rt at $249 with 32 gb storage and a good cpu and ram. A 10 inch with rt at $349 and a 10 inch at $449 with full win 8 and all the goodies all with more cpu, ram and storage than competing tablets not factoring the os all with microsoft branding and one desktop all in one touch screen with a quad core and 6 gb ram high def ips for $700 24 inch screen with MS name they would have made a fortune and shown hardware makers what to copy. Laptops are dead, get rid of them. Have a nice tablet with a doc or all in one desktop with touchscreen and you could have recolutionized the market and blown user expectations.
As it is now there is a confusing mix of old hardware that is not optimally designed for win 8. It will make early adopters feel let down. Cohesion and vision with direction are good. Once you lay down a cohesive vision and say this is the base standard with this software then you let the OEMS add more choice in the mix. This is how Microsoft could have used its manufacturing diversity as a strength and not a weakness and improved customer experience at the same time.
Give the OEMS a year and I think things will work themselves out. Until then I will be using my awesome windows 7 laptop with keyboard and touchpad and my inexpensive nexus 7. Times are tough and not many people have the money to drop on a tablet that really does not offer thatmuch aadvantage and could still be dropped and game over. Portable devices just should not cost so much. The trend is pricing lower not higher!
All my opinion and not to be taken seriously because I am no expert.
R
First off selling a traditional laptop on windows 8 should simply not be allowed. Manufacturers had time and knew what was coming and are trying to sell old stock as new. Win 8 needs a touch screen not to work but to take advantage of its full feature set. Selling any product without a touchscreen is a dis service to MS and the OS. Windows 8 changes everything like vista changed hardware requirements win 8 does too. I tried the pre release versions on my laptop and although it worked fine it was not intuitive and made life more complecated rather than easier. It felt like a step back not forward. I think the unity desktop in Ubuntu Linux is a much better solution for both touch and non touch devices. MS should have copied unity instead of their tile system IMHO.
It is going to take a year or two before manufacturers really catch up and sell all the old stock and come up with better new touch based solutions. Windows is still a great choice but this was not a well coordinated or well planned release. I think that is why MS tried to come out with their own bramd tomshow others what it should look like.
For the tablet market I am sorry but I feel at the moment Win 8 is a pretty big failure for several reasons. Price, who wants to pay $1000 for a tablet? I don't care what it can do that is too much money. Since Apple and Android have some pretty nice choices at half that cost it is a hard sell for $1000 just to have enterprize features and ms office suite compatibility.
I think if they had 3 models. A 7 inch with rt at $249 with 32 gb storage and a good cpu and ram. A 10 inch with rt at $349 and a 10 inch at $449 with full win 8 and all the goodies all with more cpu, ram and storage than competing tablets not factoring the os all with microsoft branding and one desktop all in one touch screen with a quad core and 6 gb ram high def ips for $700 24 inch screen with MS name they would have made a fortune and shown hardware makers what to copy. Laptops are dead, get rid of them. Have a nice tablet with a doc or all in one desktop with touchscreen and you could have recolutionized the market and blown user expectations.
As it is now there is a confusing mix of old hardware that is not optimally designed for win 8. It will make early adopters feel let down. Cohesion and vision with direction are good. Once you lay down a cohesive vision and say this is the base standard with this software then you let the OEMS add more choice in the mix. This is how Microsoft could have used its manufacturing diversity as a strength and not a weakness and improved customer experience at the same time.
Give the OEMS a year and I think things will work themselves out. Until then I will be using my awesome windows 7 laptop with keyboard and touchpad and my inexpensive nexus 7. Times are tough and not many people have the money to drop on a tablet that really does not offer thatmuch aadvantage and could still be dropped and game over. Portable devices just should not cost so much. The trend is pricing lower not higher!
All my opinion and not to be taken seriously because I am no expert.
R
re: Windows 8 Device Choices Baffle Buyers
What's up with Information Week's obvious bias against all things Windows 8? If you keep publishing these articles that are in clear contrast with IT professionals' findings, only your reputation suffers.
re: Windows 8 Device Choices Baffle Buyers
I like Tronist had no problem:
Surface - Windows 8 PRO
Laptop - Windows 7
Surface - Windows 8 PRO
Laptop - Windows 7
re: Windows 8 Device Choices Baffle Buyers
Really? You take some time before making a purchase to do some research and then go to the stores (since this is a large investment) and try out the different products that are out there to see which best suits your habits and your needs. NO! Better to tie yourself in with Apple because they make life "so much easier" because they offer only two products....come on! That is what always made the Wintel world have a leg up as far as I am concerned - choice and flexibility (not to mention ease of service/customization). I don't need Big Brother Apple holding me back.
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User Rank: Strategist
3/16/2013 | 10:43:36 AM