Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions

[JorgeA]

Here's another Windows 8 "deeper impression" from a business perspective.

A letter writer in the June 2013 issue of PCWorld magazine points out that...

...The biggest reason not to move to Windows 8 is that installing apps must be via the store after Microsoft has reviewed the apps, as opposed to the current open system. If we support this, the limits for business are huge. Could you imagine if your line of business sytems required a critical upgrade but you had to wait a week or two while it was reviewed and approved? It makes absolutely no sense for any business to invest in Windows 8.

--JorgeA

[Formfiller]

One reason the Xbox One has a mandatory always-connected camera is to enforce that evil DRM one day.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Charlotte has seen the same warnings, and linked to two further articles about the same report. Let's see you take this up with Charlotte instead of me.

Actually I could , but as a matter of fact you started it, and Charlotte only provided additional sources and commented only on the comments...

Naah, I'll blame just you , at the most Charlotte could deserve a stern look of disapproval, which I have ready, in case of need :

jaclaz

Psst Microsoft, Windows 8 Users are Barely Touching Metro Apps ( Maximum PC 2013-05-23 )

Report: Majority of Windows 8 Users Ignore Metro / Modern UI Applications ( Tom's Hardware 2013-05-28 )

Soluto analyzed 10,848 Windows 8 machines and examined more than 313,000 Metro app launches across 9,634 unique Metro apps. The result? On average, a Windows 8 user will launch a Metro app 1.52 times per day.

Not sure what all the fuss is over ( if there is any fuss ) but that story is being reblogged almost everywhere, making it a story in itself. Let's just face it, it will be in the news cycle until the next MicroFail comes to light. Probably in the next few minutes.

EDIT: added article

Edited May 29, 2013 by CharlotteTheHarlot

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Microsoft is Confident Xbox One Won't Have Quality Issues ( Tom's Hardware 2013-05-23 )

No 'Red Ring Of Death'-style disasters for Xbox One, says Microsoft ( NeoWin 2013-05-24 )

What they're talking about naturally is the RROD - Red Ring of Death, and they're pretty sure it won't be showing up this time. I feel sorry for them, you know there are gonna be many sleepless nights for the designers waiting for the inevitable fail that will be splashed around the world in mere minutes should it occur.

EA CTO: Xbox One architecture is “a generation ahead of the highest end PC on the market” ( PC Gamer 2013-05-23 )

EA: PS4, XBox One Are a 'Generation Ahead' of Gaming PCs ( Tom's Hardware 2013-05-25 )

More foot-in-mouth disease. Not going over well with hardcore gamers and power users in the comments. I'm not sure Microsoft will be happy that their moral support is coming from EA officials ( and ex-officials ). It's a little like Al Capone getting praise from Tony Soprano.

Add the Aero glass look to Windows 8 with the beta of WindowBlinds 8 ( NeoWin 2013-04-23 )

From watching this saga unfold ( I mean the purposeful destruction of the desktop aesthetics ) this will probably be the closest thing to a one-stop solution for fixing the whole mess. If they accurately re-create all the popular themes, from Win2k/9x classic to XP Luna and MCE, Royale Noir, plus Vista and 7 Aero, and also pay attention to the details like drop shadows and 3D chrome and corner geometry, they will have a gold-plated winner and save Microsoft in the process. If anyone can do it, Stardock can as they have been doing this with and without Microsoft's blessing for many years. We'll have to watch this one closely. Don't screw it up Stardock! There are lots of details to get right.

EDIT: added articles

Edited May 26, 2013 by CharlotteTheHarlot

[jaclaz]

Not sure what all the fuss is over ( if there is any fuss ) but that story is being reblogged almost everywhere, making it a story in itself.

Well, that's calling for it!

And here is the stern look of disapproval :

jaclaz

[Tripredacus]

Here's another Windows 8 "deeper impression" from a business perspective.

A letter writer in the June 2013 issue of PCWorld magazine points out that...

...The biggest reason not to move to Windows 8 is that installing apps must be via the store after Microsoft has reviewed the apps, as opposed to the current open system. If we support this, the limits for business are huge. Could you imagine if your line of business sytems required a critical upgrade but you had to wait a week or two while it was reviewed and approved? It makes absolutely no sense for any business to invest in Windows 8.

--JorgeA

He's comparing two different things! The current "open system" is desktop apps. That has not changed in Windows 8.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

BrandZ: Microsoft is seventh most valued global brand in 2013 ( NeoWin 2013-05-21 )

This will not be pleasant news for fanboys. Here are the four techies in the 2013 top ten ...

#1 Apple ..... $ 185 billion ( +1% ) ... #1 in 2012

#2 Google .... $ 113 billion ( +5% ) ... #3 in 2012

#3 IBM ....... $ 112 billion ( -3% ) ... #2 in 2012

#7 Microsoft . $ 069 billion ( -9% ) ... #5 in 2012

I think this is the kinda statistic that makes Ballmer crazy. A few more related articles ...

• Apple's cash heap could top $170 billion by year's end ( TechSpot 2013-03-20 )
  
• Former Microsoft executive says Apple has lost its way ( NeoWin 2013-03-26 )
  
• Facebook breaks into Fortune 500 list, Apple makes top ten ( TechSpot 2013-05-06 )
  

Windows 8 Causes Dip in Microsoft Customer Satisfaction Rating ( Maximum PC 2013-05-23 )

Microsoft customer satisfaction drops to almost Vista-era lows (TechSpot 2013-05-27 )

Windows 8 hasn’t exactly been able to charm PC users off their feet and Microsoft’s latest ACSI rating seems to confirm as much, with the company’s customer satisfaction rating falling one point from last year’s score of 75 and as many as four points from the company’s best of 78, which it achieved in 2011.

A little more ...

“It seems clear that the release of Windows 8 did not give Microsoft a significant bump, as the release of Windows 7 did, nor did it dramatically lower customer satisfaction in a rather short time frame, as the release of Vista did," David VanAmburg, director of ACSI, told Computerworld.com, adding that if Microsoft’s rating does take a more serious pounding next year then Windows 8 will surely be the one to blame.

Sorry, Microsoft, but consumers just don't like you ( NeoWin 2013-04-23 )

A month old post. This one is not a research poll or anything like that, but a rather long and detailed opinion piece from a writer, probably pro-Microsoft but certainly not fanatical. Unusually thoughtful fare for NeoWin. And considering the above article it seems he was really thinking ahead.

EDIT: added article

Edited May 28, 2013 by CharlotteTheHarlot

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Not sure what all the fuss is over ( if there is any fuss ) but that story is being reblogged almost everywhere, making it a story in itself.

Well, that's calling for it!

And here is the stern look of disapproval :

jaclaz

I guess I wasn't clear, I really don't know what the fuss is over and have no time to read through all the posts. I'll assume that the sample size of that "poll" is considered too small? Maybe, maybe not. But considering the torturing of statistics that Microsoft has done with their CEIP telemetry I would suggest that they deserve it, and more. Screw 'em.

P.S. I do love the picture of that Angry Bird! Probably an Owl?

[Formfiller]

Sorry, Microsoft, but consumers just don't like you ( NeoWin 2013-04-23 )

A month old post. This one is not a research poll or anything like that, but a rather long and detailed opinion piece from a writer, probably pro-Microsoft but certainly not fanatical. Unusually thoughtful fare for NeoWin. And considering the above article it seems he was really thinking ahead.

It draws some stupid conclusions at the end though:

[Formfiller]

Xbox One making fans already:

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/wii-u-sales-boost-following-xbox-one-reveal/0116135

"Sales of the Wii U have rocketed on Amazon.co.uk in the days following Microsoft's Xbox One reveal.

As spotted by Nintendo Life, last night the Wii U Premium machine had climbed from 243rd in the retailer's 'Movers and Shakers' list to 50th, with sales increasing 386 per cent.

At the time of writing the same SKU is sitting in 51st, up from 160th, with a sales increase of 213 per cent.

Sales of Wii accessories such as the Sensor Bar, charging docks and WiiMotes have also climbed significantly.

There's no way to tell if the boost is merely temporary or whether there will be a wider and more long-lasting uplift for the device, presumably amidst disillusionment with what Microsoft had to show on Tuesday."

[jaclaz]

Sorry, Microsoft, but consumers just don't like you ( NeoWin 2013-04-23 )

A month old post. This one is not a research poll or anything like that, but a rather long and detailed opinion piece from a writer, probably pro-Microsoft but certainly not fanatical. Unusually thoughtful fare for NeoWin. And considering the above article it seems he was really thinking ahead.

Naaah, it's just a re-post :

I see that you are also getting old and forgetful

jaclaz

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Sorry, Microsoft, but consumers just don't like you ( NeoWin 2013-04-23 )

A month old post. This one is not a research poll or anything like that, but a rather long and detailed opinion piece from a writer, probably pro-Microsoft but certainly not fanatical. Unusually thoughtful fare for NeoWin. And considering the above article it seems he was really thinking ahead.

It draws some stupid conclusions at the end though:

Whoops, I missed that! Sorry.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

He's comparing two different things! The current "open system" is desktop apps. That has not changed in Windows 8.

That's true, for now. Does anyone really doubt that they will build their walled garden in steps rather than all at once? I guarantee you that is the plan.

When companies outsource jobs overseas it is also done in steps. First hire in India and China. Then layoff domestically. At neither point can we say they are outsourcing but the net result is the same.

I believe Microsoft is keeping sideloading available as the fallback to thwart government or other legal action. They have it for enterprise but not for consumer. If they get attacked they can just enable it later. Regardless, the walled garden idea is the most sinister thing they have dreamt of. These are not "their" computers in the same way that Macs are Apple computers. They should be broken up just for entertaining the thought of trying to kidnap 3rd party computers into the Microsoft empire and locking out all developers except those they approve.

P.S. I see that thread ( "163057-how-to-recover-lost-access-database" ) was deleted. So they were spammers?

[jaclaz]

I guess I wasn't clear, I really don't know what the fuss is over and have no time to read through all the posts. I'll assume that the sample size of that "poll" is considered too small? Maybe, maybe not. But considering the torturing of statistics that Microsoft has done with their CEIP telemetry I would suggest that they deserve it, and more. Screw 'em.

Sure , we are just kidding, however the issue in that "study" is not the size of the sample (which is large enough) but rather the fact that it is not (and cannot be) "random enough".

Example:

If you make a poll at the exit of a subway station in (say) New York about the utility of small, electric, cars (let's say two seaters with max 35 miles range) it is likely you will find a majority of people expressing the desire to have one.

If you make the same poll at a diner on Route 66, it is likely that the percentage of people interested in small, limited range, electric cars will be dramatically lower.

You cannot draw a "US wide" conclusion from either of those, they simply make no sense as the samples do not represent population adequately.

P.S. I do love the picture of that Angry Bird! Probably an Owl?

Seemingly it is, in English owl:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owl

means both "gufo" and "civetta" (it is normally translated to "gufo"):

In italian it would be a "civetta" (Athene noctua):

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athene_noctua

a "gufo" (Asio otus) is different :

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asio_otus

I guess that it should be "little owl":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athene_noctua

The wikipedia page above demostrates how even babies have the same kind of look :

jaclaz

[JorgeA]

Psst Microsoft, Windows 8 Users are Barely Touching Metro Apps ( Maximum PC 2013-05-23 )

Soluto analyzed 10,848 Windows 8 machines and examined more than 313,000 Metro app launches across 9,634 unique Metro apps. The result? On average, a Windows 8 user will launch a Metro app 1.52 times per day.

Not sure what all the fuss is over ( if there is any fuss ) but that story is being reblogged almost everywhere, making it a story in itself. Let's just face it, it will be in the news cycle until the next MicroFail comes to light. Probably in the next few minutes.

Here are some additional numbers that support the fundamental point made by Soluto's report:

Is Windows 8 really killing the PC market?

Finally, Windows 8's app attach rate—or the average number of apps per license—also suggests Windows 8 isn't performing so well in the wild.

In the same blog post where Microsoft announced breaking the 100 million threshold, the company also said that 250 million Windows Store apps have been downloaded. That's just 2.5 apps per license, which is far behind the curve set by Android and iOS, whose users rock an average of 32 and 41 apps, respectively, according to data released by Nielsen in 2012. Comparing app store downloads isn't a direct corollary to overall usage, but it highlights Windows 8's struggle for mainstream appeal, 100 million licenses and all.

Even if (as @jaclaz has ably argued) we should be cutting that 100 million by up to one-half in order to account for licenses sold but not in use, then the average app download per "active" Win8 license is 5, which is still way below the averages for Android and iOS.

No matter how we cut it, it looks like Win8 is a real loser, failing even at its own game.

--JorgeA