Windows 8 Preview Struggles On the Desktop – Updated
Posted by Chris Dodds
I've been using the Windows 8 preview on and off for the last month. Initially, I had intended to use it more heavily for the things I need that are Windows-based (I use Mac OS X as my main operating system (OS)), but the wheels fell off that bus fairly quickly, even for a preview build.
Before I delve into that, let me give some background. I'm not an Apple or Linux zealot; I believe in using the appropriate tool for a particular job. Sometimes that's OS X, sometimes it's Windows or a Linux distro. The majority of my technical experience is actually on Windows. I've got both the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) credentials. Microsoft has indirectly paid my bills for most of my career and I'm grateful for that.
Microsoft has repeatedly stated that Windows 8 was designed for touch and after reading other's experiences, it seems they've been somewhat successful in creating a solid OS for touch-devices. But I've been using Windows 8 on the type of device that a large portion of business users will be – a workstation that doesn't have touch controls.
Trying to be all things to all people is rarely a recipe for success and Microsoft seems to have stumbled when it comes to the desktop experience of Windows 8. I can normally adapt quickly to a new OS, even if it's in a different family (Windows XP vs. Ubuntu), but in trying to use Windows 8, I never could develop a smooth workflow. For the entire time I used the OS, I felt like I was fighting with it.
I found myself having to constantly flip back and forth between the new Metro interface and the older Explorer interface that most Windows users are familiar with. It doesn't help that each interface uses different control concepts. The Metro side is designed around touch controls (gestures to open and close apps or access menus) that mostly have mouse & keyboard based analogs, but aren't very intuitive when using a mouse and keyboard. The Explorer interface uses many of the old control concepts that feel familiar to long-time Windows users but some are randomly swapped out with touch-style controls and it's never clear what mode you need to put your brain in when you're looking for something like the setting to shutdown the computer (which is hidden beneath three layers of menus and screens).
Navigating the system is different depending on which screen you're on. Sometimes the new system menu will appear when you put your cursor on the right side of the screen, sometimes it won't. Selecting many options in the Metro interface pulls you back into the Explorer interface. Even in a preview build, I think it's fair to expect a general understanding of how the interface is supposed to work. I don't think I got that.
What is a new user supposed to do with this?
The result of trying to mash together these two different control styles is a confusing interface that just feels clunky on a desktop or laptop. I don't have a tablet that will run Windows 8 but a recent Ars Technica article noted several issues with controls that are keyboard & mouse focused not translating well into the touch-environment. So the problems seem to go both ways, at least to some extent.
I've used every version of Windows since 3.1 and have gone through each cycle of changes without much worry. There were always people who griped about how Microsoft had ruined their OS, but once I used the new version, I found that most of the complaining was overblown and came from people who were opposed to change. I like change, I want things to be new and different and better. But this is the first version of Windows that really makes me worry about the effects of Microsoft's changes on how I do my work.
The menu looks nice, but I have no idea how to get out of it and back to the desktop.
Microsoft needs innovation and change to compete, but I believe that trying to ship a single OS that works on both tablets and PCs was a mistake.The dual interfaces are confusing and in many cases unintuitive; retraining users is going to be difficult. The company focused on making a lot of design improvements and it shows, Windows looks a lot better and once you can find the menus they are generally well thought-out. But in process of making Windows pretty, they seem to have forgotten to make it usable. The design is very simple and clean, but lacks the visual cues and hints that teach people how to interact with it.
Again, I've been using a preview build and a lot can change between now and the fall when Windows 8 is supposed to be released. I hope that all the feedback they are getting from the preview will drive positive changes in the final build. But, as is, Microsoft has a ton of work ahead of them in making Windows 8 a pleasant experience on the desktop.
Update: When I wrote this I didn't realize how close Microsoft was to releasing their final build. Per Engadget, as of today (8/1) Microsoft has shipped the final Windows 8 code to manufacturing partners. Unless they made some major changes in the last month, this release is going to be a mess.
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