Windows 8 usability report finds its seven deadly sins: Microsoft swapped features for color

Windows 8 is a completely reimagined Windows. It aims to bring the new Modern-style user interface with its Live Tiles and simplistic ideas and mix it together with the good old Windows look. But does this combination of the two result in a better product, or is it too confusing for the average user?

Usability expert Jakob Nielsen of UseIt.com took on the task to find out and had 12 experienced users test out the new Windows 8 on both tablets and PC. The end result? Nothing flattering for Microsoft’s UI team.

Turns out, the new Modern UI (previously called Metro) is actually very hard to understand for even experienced users. And while previously Microsoft took pride in having the operating system people most used for doing serious work, killing the multiple windows feature in Windows 8 actually cripples seriously that very core functionality. Interestingly, in Windows 8 you no longer have windows in the plural - all happens only in a single window.

In trying to make a “One Windows, everywhere” platform, Microsoft has hidden a lot of the features to cater to lower screen sizes, but that does not make much sense on traditional larger computers; it has also introduced gestures, but those are context based and work in some apps, do not work and others, and this hard-to-predict behavior mars the user experience.

There are a lot of other interesting findings in the report, so we definitely recommend you check it out at the source link below, and below we have the essential takeout summarized in a slideshow. What do you think, do you agree that Windows 8 has become more confusing to use in comparison to Windows 7, or not? Why?

source: UseIt.com