# Why Windows 8 is a failure. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 24, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269 "2013-05-24T22:24:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/141 "2013-05-30T16:00:34Z")
In today’s [Wired.com](http://Wired.com): [“Here’s your first look at Windows 8.1”](http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/05/windows-8-1/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Top+Stories%29) ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/142 "2013-05-30T16:10:30Z")
Gotta say, I have learned a lot about how to streamline both my Win 8 and Win 7 experiences. Starting the search automatically when I type from the splash screen is very, very handy. I have Win 8 at work, and the only complaint I have is actually about Office 2013, and its inability to load Access files generated from some old software we use. I’ve had to do my exports as tabbed text files, which is a lot less handy. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/143 "2013-05-30T17:02:09Z")
Will 8.1 include Media Center? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/144 "2013-05-30T17:04:04Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Will 8.1 include Media Player? 😕 Your Windows 8 doesn’t? Mine does. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/145 "2013-05-30T17:28:33Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > 😕 Your Windows 8 doesn’t? Mine does. It doesn’t by default. Too expensive to provide it for everyone. So it’s only available as an extra if you buy the right version. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/146 "2013-05-30T17:43:55Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > In today’s [Wired.com](http://Wired.com): > [“Here’s your first look at Windows 8.1”](http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/05/windows-8-1/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Top+Stories%29) Basically, 8.1 slaps a fake “Start” button onto the desktop that leads to the touch-based wasteland of gigantic screen-eating tiles. Ballmer has turned around, dropped his drawers, and given the users a mooning with wet fart overture. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/147 "2013-05-30T17:44:50Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > It doesn’t by default. Too expensive to provide it for everyone. So it’s only available as an extra if you buy the right version. There’s no shortage of free media players out there, though, and most manufacturers are putting their own versions on machines that have dvd drives. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/148 "2013-05-30T17:45:56Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Basically, 8.1 slaps a fake “Start” button onto the desktop that leads to the touch-based wasteland of gigantic screen-eating tiles. > > Ballmer has turned around, dropped his drawers, and given the users a mooning with wet fart overture. You missed the part where you can change the size of the tiles, then? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/149 "2013-05-30T17:52:47Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > It doesn’t by default. Too expensive to provide it for everyone. So it’s only available as an extra if you buy the right version. That’s pretty messed up. (Anyway, I never actually use the thing. [Media Player Classic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Player_Classic) all the way.) Edit: Now the post I first replied to has been edited to say “Media Center”, not “Media Player”. I suspect there is some confusion going on. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/150 "2013-05-30T17:56:04Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > In today’s [Wired.com](http://Wired.com): > [“Here’s your first look at Windows 8.1”](http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/05/windows-8-1/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Top+Stories%29) The most promising thing is this: > [@](#): > > Now, on large desktop screens, you can run up to four applications at once. Anytime one application launches a second one, that second app launches in Snap view. If there are only two apps running, both run at 50 percent width of the screen by default. If you’re on a larger monitor, however, you can launch a third and even a fourth in smaller columns. You can also resize columns. They are venturing cautiously into the exotic world of resizing options. Not too fast. They still aren’t willing to let users resize the start screen. But there are signs that just maybe they will eventually come out of their shell into the modern world. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/151 "2013-05-30T19:16:21Z")
> [@Carmady](#): > > They are venturing cautiously into the exotic world of resizing options. Not too fast. They still aren’t willing to let users resize the start screen. But there are signs that just maybe they will eventually come out of their shell into the modern world. a rather strange comment from someone clinging so desperately to the past… ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/152 "2013-05-30T21:45:07Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > a rather strange comment from someone clinging so desperately to the past… It must really hurt you that MS is going to allow 4 Metro applications to run at once in resizable columns. I have no idea why though. Is it because you can’t multitask, and it pains you to imagine people with multiple windows/columns open at once? It hurts your brain to think about someone performing searches while participating in a live meeting? It may well be the future though. Think about this: what is the biggest weakness of resizable windows? Historically, they haven’t been smart enough. When you multitask with many open files/programs/searching, it is not easy to have everything arranged and sized perfectly. In that sense, MS is on the way to inventing Windows again. They have already arrived at the “columns” stage of development. Windows are a natural progression. But this time, the windows could exist in a way that made them easy to resize and arrange all at once. Just rows and columns would be great even. If I could have a resized start menu that appeared as a row at the bottom of the screen, maybe 1/3 of the height of the screen, that would work. Of course, having options would allow everyone to get it how they wanted it, which for you would still be a strict “one thing on the screen at a time please” policy. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/153 "2013-05-30T21:51:02Z")
You already have the option for all of those things, it’s called the desktop. You are, for no obvious reason, complaining about something additional that doesn’t impact on your use of that option. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/154 "2013-05-30T22:04:49Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > You already have the option for all of those things, it’s called the desktop. You are, for no obvious reason, complaining about something additional that doesn’t impact on your use of that option. I don’t have a start menu on the desktop, so I don’t have all those things. Do you agree that my idea is a natural progression from what MS is doing? Right now, you can open 4 Metro apps and have them open in visible, resizable columns. Being able to use rows is an obvious extension. Then, if the desktop itself is an app, logically you should be able to open things from the desktop and have them appear as a column or row. In particular, why not let the start screen itself appear as a resizable row when called from the desktop? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/155 "2013-05-30T22:08:34Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > Edit: Now the post I first replied to has been edited to say “Media Center”, not “Media Player”. I suspect there is some confusion going on. Yes, I made a mistake and wrote Media Player instead of Media Center and edited my post to fix it. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/156 "2013-05-30T22:12:48Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/157 "2013-05-31T01:01:07Z")
> [@Carmady](#): > > It must really hurt you that MS is going to allow 4 Metro applications to run at once in resizable columns. as I’m composing this post, I’ve 6 windows open on my \*nix workstation using CDE as the desktop environment. > [@](#): > > I have no idea why though. Is it because you can’t multitask, and it pains you to imagine people with multiple windows/columns open at once? It hurts your brain to think about someone performing searches while participating in a live meeting? no, it’s because- out of the six windows I have open- my attention is focused on writing this post. i.e. as I’m writing this post, the other five windows might as well not even exist. > [@](#): > > It may well be the future though. Think about this: what is the biggest weakness of resizable windows? developers are lazy sacks of shit who don’t write their software to be able to accommodate arbitrary window sizes? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/158 "2013-05-31T02:53:59Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Haven’t a clue what you’re talking about now. This is because you are just a _haughty sniff_ _user_ who thinks it’s a big deal that he can add Calc to his Start menu. 😉 I would go for years turning down offers to update my AutoCAD revision because it would take too long to migrate all of my changes in the service of efficiency. > [@](#): > > Seriously, do you operate the Windows Calculator app with the mouse? (that is, you enter and perform mathematical input by clicking on the calculator buttons with your mouse?) Sure, if it’s a simple calculation. Then I’ll copy and past the answer into what I need it for. > [@](#): > > Also, please describe the three clicks you say are necessary to launch Calc in Win7 (or XP, if you prefer) - I count four clicks (and on machines with a lot of installed applications, some scrolling within the Start menu) I have no idea. As I said before, I’m a hardcore XP user. I’ve used Vista on my daughter’s laptop and Win7 on her notebook, but not a lot. > [@RedFury](#): > > You can do it in _ **two** _. Just pin the calc to the Start menu by right clicking on it in accessories. From there click Start & click calc. Voila! I could do it in one, if I had it in my taskbar. But for real calculating I usually use a real calculator. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/159 "2013-05-31T03:09:16Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > In today’s [Wired.com](http://Wired.com): > [“Here’s your first look at Windows 8.1”](http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/05/windows-8-1/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Top+Stories%29) “Now, on large desktop screens, you can run up to four applications at once.” WHAT THE FUCKITY FUCK? I have four apps running and all I’m doing is griping here! When I’m working I have more like ten. What the fuck is all that RAM for? Shit-oh-dear, just on my old 512-KILObyte [Tandy Color Computer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandy_Color_Computer) running the _real_ [OS-9](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OS-9) I often had four apps running in different windows. And if the apps were small enough I could probably do it in 128k. Four apps? That’s a joke, right? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269/160 "2013-05-31T06:02:36Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > “Now, on large desktop screens, you can run up to four applications at once.” WHAT THE FUCKITY FUCK? I have four apps running and all I’m doing is griping here! When I’m working I have more like ten. What the fuck is all that RAM for? Shit-oh-dear, just on my old 512-KILObyte [Tandy Color Computer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandy_Color_Computer) running the _real_ [OS-9](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OS-9) I often had four apps running in different windows. And if the apps were small enough I could probably do it in 128k. > > Four apps? That’s a joke, right? Yeah, I wish someone would explain what’s the big deal with this. 😕 Doesn’t everyone already do this? I often have Photoshop, Illustrator, inDesign, Adobe Bridge, and Word open along with my email and a couple of browser windows. With 8 MB of RAM, they all do fine. I always have multiple windows open and floating (with the desktop showing in the background) on both my monitors. So…what am I missing re the noteworthiness of this? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-windows-8-is-a-failure/659269.md?page=9)