Was Gabe Newell right to declare Windows 8 a catastrophe?

[Niode]

If I could just figure out a way of getting rid of these blasted Bad_Pool_Header BSODs it'd be fine. However, it seems like yet another Microsoft Operating System who's mantra seems to be "wait for Service Pack 1"... Eugh... Not worth the £25 upgrade from Windows 7. Wish I'd not bothered upgrading.

[Pulsar_t]

http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/8/385214 ... -of-gaming

[Hazerd]

It's a disaster as far as I'm concerned in that I have no compelling reason to upgrade from Windows 7. No good games require it, I don't have a touchscreen monitor or tablet PC, and the new interface looks annoying. I've been using the old style my entire life, ever since Windows 3.1. What makes MS think I suddenly want change now?

All this!

[Hobie-wan]

http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/8/385214 ... -of-gaming

A 'giant sadness' indeed.

[Stark]

Doesn't Microsoft have the right to try and innovate and move forward with its OS? Microsoft regularly makes mistakes in my mind and they made plenty with Windows 8, but it's not a catastrophe. I almost feel like they have to do something to make themselves stand-out from the competition, when you have things like Chrome OS or Android or MAC or whatever competing for attention with the consumer.

[Hobie-wan]

Doesn't Microsoft have the right to try and innovate and move forward with its OS? Microsoft regularly makes mistakes in my mind and they made plenty with Windows 8, but it's not a catastrophe. I almost feel like they have to do something to make themselves stand-out from the competition, when you have things like Chrome OS or Android or MAC or whatever competing for attention with the consumer.

But they have most of the market and the stupid start screen makes it look more like an Iphone or Android. How exactly does that make it stand out?

[Stark]

Doesn't Microsoft have the right to try and innovate and move forward with its OS? Microsoft regularly makes mistakes in my mind and they made plenty with Windows 8, but it's not a catastrophe. I almost feel like they have to do something to make themselves stand-out from the competition, when you have things like Chrome OS or Android or MAC or whatever competing for attention with the consumer.

But they have most of the market and the stupid start screen makes it look more like an Iphone or Android. How exactly does that make it stand out?

Maybe on the surface, but I think that functionally there is a lot of innovation with the "Live Tiles" and the way that Windows 8 apps function. I've not tried to use it as a desktop, I've only used it with their RT tablet (Microsoft Surface) and found it to work really well.

EDIT: And I think that's why there is so much outcry, because they've started to fork their OS to make more sense on the tablet space too and therefore they've alienated some of their user base.

[isiolia]

EDIT: And I think that's why there is so much outcry, because they've started to fork their OS to make more sense on the tablet space too and therefore they've alienated some of their user base.

Actually, I think most of the outcry is because they didn't fork the OS and insisted on not only including all of the touch-centric stuff (which is fine) but making it the only way to do certain things. It's not the desktop or Metro/whatever that's the problem, it's combining the two. The mixed environment is messy.

The basic problem I have with 8 is the lack of options. If you could choose to use the OS just like 7, only with the nice additions like the new file transfer window, task manager, multi-monitor support, and so on, then 8 would be loved. Instead it's a mixed bag.

[Hazerd]

Doesn't Microsoft have the right to try and innovate and move forward with its OS? Microsoft regularly makes mistakes in my mind and they made plenty with Windows 8, but it's not a catastrophe. I almost feel like they have to do something to make themselves stand-out from the competition, when you have things like Chrome OS or Android or MAC or whatever competing for attention with the consumer.

I think the main reason most people are pissed, is the fact they released it so soon after Windows 7 was out, they could of waited at least 5 years between OS's, there is absolutely not reason to upgrade to 8 unless your a OS Enthusiast and feel the need to be on the "cutting edge"

But by all means, let them innovate, but i dont want them pushing their crap down my throat, im glad i dont buy pre-builts from Best Buy, feel sorry for the general public having to deal with Windows 8.

[deathsled]

there is absolutely not reason to upgrade to 8 unless your a OS Enthusiast and feel the need to be on the "cutting edge"

Unless you happen to have a tablet, then Windows 8 is fantastic. I've had an Acer w500 Windows 7 tablet since summer of 2011 and it totally sucked trying to use it without a keyboard or mouse. I almost never used it and regretted the purchase, but now with Windows 8 I love the thing.