Why not Windows 8 (yet).

I’m not a Microsoft basher, in fact quite the opposite. I am an official Microsoft Partner and as a .NET developer I am massively indebted to the Redmond Software giants for providing me with a career.

As a partner I typically get most of Microsoft’s software before the general market. This and the fact that I’m naturally inquisitive of applications make me and my company, Vectorsoft, a Early Adopter of especially Microsoft products and services.

With this in mind I installed Windows 8 a couple of months ago. I am quite forgiving of new software and I have a notoriously low RT (Resistance to Change) factor and so I expected to the Windows 8 experience not to be completely smooth in the beginning.

However now 8 weeks later, I am now longing back for the stability & predictably of good ol’e Windows 7. Don’t get me wrong; there is lots that I love about Windows 8. I actually really like the Metro design. The right-click functionality allows much more use of screen real estate and I love that. Some of the Microsoft Metro apps are brilliant – the email client is the best designed email client I have EVER used. I also like the Apps (or Store) model with easy-updates etc – quite similar to the Android Play model. I think they are onto a winner here eventually, but right now it is not ready.

Why I’m bitching:

1. The primary problem is that for a power user like me that spends at least 8 hours a day using Windows design familiarity is very important. Presently the switching between the new and the “old” look-and-feel is a very confusing experience.
2. Many of the great looking Metro apps aren’t as fully functional as their “old” versions. Teamviewer and the Mail App are two prime examples of this. This means I have both versions installed or only the “old” one.
3. The navigation between old and new applications is still buggy. Clicking on the top-left “charm” only iterates through the new apps and not the old ones. This is very irritating.

So for me I regret installing Windows 8. Eventually I do believe the reasons for it not being that good will become less – mostly because the apps will mature into Windows 8 to harness the new functionality and design elements, but until then I would hold off on Windows 8.