Windows Blue: Microsoft’s plan to release a new version of Windows every year

[gmonks]

I'm finding everything long winded and cumbersome in Win8 - everything is hidden in menus, administrative tasks are especially awkward now! The whole Metro GUI is based around touch screen devices, it does not work well with a mouse.

Yes you're right. It took me 20 minutes to find System Properties and that was with me having to use Windows Help.

[jumpinjamez]

That's the thing - Microsoft made $22bn from their business division in 2010-2011. That's the division that makes Office, Exchange etc... They made $19bn from their Windows division and a megre $9bn from their entertainment division. The most money comes from their business stuff!

They made a loss in their online services division!

Interesting article showing this sort of breakdown - Why Microsoft doesn't need your money: Business brings home the bacon | Digital Trends

Only $3 billion more not major is it

M$ must be looking at the billions apple are making from consumers and are deciding that they want some of that and this is how they see that happening. Time will tell i guess.

i look forward to the "ipod killer" that will be a windows 8 zune player.

[Quackers]

I much prefered Windows when Gates and not Balmer was at the helm. Microsoft stuff is just turing into one big mess now.

[Michael]

I visited Currys two weeks ago and they told me they had seen a rise of Windows 7 upgrades from XP since Windows 8 has been released.

They also told me that they found some tasks such as burning recovery media twice as long and complicated to do than in Windows 7.

Yeah that doesn't surprise me. I had a hard time finding Shutdown the first time... I really do think this is Vista V2.

[LosOjos]

I had a hard time finding Shutdown the first time... I really do think this is Vista V2.

Exactly! How ridiculous is it that Shutdown/Restert is in the Settings menu?! Shutdown is only a setting in so far as your PC can be either on or off! I prefer Vista to this carp, and that's really saying something!

[localzuk]

Only $3 billion more not major is it

Ah, no. Windows includes business purchases of Windows as well as consumer. The business division is basically 'Office' and the stuff that goes with it - and the main customers, hence the division name, are businesses.

The consumer division is the entertainment division - the one that makes Xbox etc...

M$ must be looking at the billions apple are making from consumers and are deciding that they want some of that and this is how they see that happening. Time will tell i guess.

i look forward to the "ipod killer" that will be a windows 8 zune player.

Why can they not look at those billions and say 'we need something new, whilst supporting the people who have made us all our money so far' instead of 'lets burn the existing business and focus on a business we suck at'.

Another example of their weird thinking is the abandonment of Forefront TMG and a pile of other Forefront products.

[sparkeh]

Just how many people are actually using Windows 8 and have used downgrade rights is a much more interesting number!

Sounds familiar... remember MS inflating Vista sales figures by reporting on 'licences' sold rather than installations?

Oh and I actually quite Windows 8, I just stay out Metro and all is well.
*tumbleweed* *a bell tolls in the distance* *sparkeh shivers* Its lonely and cold over in this camp.

[VeryPC_Tom_M]

Oh and I actually quite Windows 8, I just stay out Metro and all is well.
*tumbleweed* *a bell tolls in the distance* *sparkeh shivers* Its lonely and cold over in this camp.

You're not alone Sparkeh!
Microsoft reveals Windows 8 & Surface RT Product Lifecycles

[gmonks]

Yeah that doesn't surprise me. I had a hard time finding Shutdown the first time... I really do think this is Vista V2.

Same. It's shocking how bad some of it is designed.

[Simcfc73]

Maybe M$ have realised that W8 is not for desktop pc's and W9 will be more desktop based.

[Michael]

Microsoft wouldn't ever admit Windows 8 is or will be a failure - they'll just say it had its 'problems' and that they need to listen to customers more... clearly the message hasn't got through, but you never know Windows 9 might be good. Time will tell. Microsoft have seem to forgotten that businesses and education still use desktops and have designed an all-in-one touch screen OS that will apparently work with everything. It's laughable really...

I suppose thinking about it, what could be damaging is the overall sales of tablet devices. It's easy to buy a desktop or notebook and install whichever OS you want (within reason), but I think it'll be more difficult with tablets and customers won't make purchases Microsoft would like.

[LosOjos]

Microsoft wouldn't ever admit Windows 8 is or will be a failure - they'll just say it had its 'problems' and that they need to listen to customers more..

This. I cannot understand why on Earth Metro has made it to release - what the hell was the point of the year long developer previews if they had no intention of listening to feedback? I know they wanted to give devs a chance to work with Metro and start making apps ready for Win8's release, but the vast majority said from day one that the Metro UI is horrible to use on a desktop machine.

Well, I suppose they can afford to make huge losses even in the current economic climate...

[zag]

The simple reason is they need developers to make the apps for their touchscreen devices in the future.

Forcing metro on all users was the only way to achieve that.

Its just a shame Windows 8 will go down in history as a botched transition release. I expect the next versions to get a lot more right.