Windows

Windows 8 referred to as "the new Vista" by Microsoft employees

posted by Michael H. / Jan 17, 2014, 1:28 PM

Windows 8 is a tough nut to crack. Some people love it, and some people hate it (and whether or not your Windows 8 device has a touchscreen seems to be a big determinant in which side of the fence you fall on.) But, would you go so far as to call Windows 8 "the new Vista"? Because it seems that some Microsoft employees have been saying just that.

The news comes from Microsoft uber-newsman Paul Thurrott, which makes it fairly credible. Thurrott tends to have the inside scoop when it comes to Microsoft. The difference is that Vista was widely panned due to usability issues, while Windows 8 is getting its reputation based on "sales and market acceptance" according to Thurrott.

There were high hopes for Windows 8 to bring back some interest in PCs, or at the very least to steer consumers towards PC/tablet hybrids, but so far the public has been reluctant to choose Windows over Android or iOS offerings. Either way, this is good news for consumers, because if Microsoft believes there is something wrong, there will certainly be work going on to fix it.

source: @Paul Thurrott 1, 2, & 3 via BGR

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89 Comments

1. AfterShock

Posts: 4147; Member since: Nov 02, 2012

Do not want!

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 1:30 PM 9

11. Finalflash

Posts: 4063; Member since: Jul 23, 2013

Damn, wonder how the MS fans are going to justify this one. Calling the employees that made it retards isn't going to be the same as calling a random commenter such.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 1:46 PM 4

13. AfterShock

Posts: 4147; Member since: Nov 02, 2012

Kind of sounds like a large group is referring to it like such to break camp and make a story on the net. That will hurt some, but not the majority that don't want that gui forced on them one way or another.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 2:06 PM 1

27. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

I'm a fan of the W8.. That's all that matters to me.. It works great with my WP device, and I love all the new modern features it has over Seven.. What's to justify❔All that matters is if you like something.. You can't always worry about what other think, or what the majority likes.. Some people aren't afraid to be in the minority because they'd rather please themselves than follow.. Spoken from a true WP fan.. Lol❕

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 3:32 PM 5

36. PapaSmurf

Posts: 10457; Member since: May 14, 2012

W8 isn't bad, and looks great, but Mac OS X is almost in every way superior imo. I switched over last year and don't plan on going back.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 3:54 PM 4

40. Extradite

Posts: 316; Member since: Dec 30, 2013

Windows is windows, and Linux Ubuntu. Nothing can come to close to these 2! MacOsx limitations just like it's crap Ios caged platform...

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 4:13 PM 2

50. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

Nothing wrong with that.. Whatever works best for you.... Good to have options.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 5:17 PM 4

67. XperiaFanZone

Posts: 2280; Member since: Sep 21, 2012

I don't understand why you call users troll when they talk about something that's not mentioned in the article, when you do the same.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 6:52 PM 0

75. PapaSmurf

Posts: 10457; Member since: May 14, 2012

Article is about W8, which I gave my opinion on. How is that NOT directly related?

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 11:23 PM 1

83. XperiaFanZone

Posts: 2280; Member since: Sep 21, 2012

You were talking about Mac OS.

posted on Jan 18, 2014, 8:47 AM 1

72. jove39

Posts: 2148; Member since: Oct 18, 2011

I want to switch too...but cant get over spending $2400 on 15” MBP!

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 10:11 PM 2

41. Ravens

Posts: 7; Member since: Nov 07, 2013

I don't think most of the hate was OS on the phone. It actually makes more sense on windows phone and tablets and so on. The problem is when I'm on my main computer and forced to comply with this new gui that didn't seem to directly increase my productivity.Don't take this wrong, some people do appreciate this new gui, but I would appreciate "options". That's just my take on it however.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 4:16 PM 4

52. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

You do have the option to have W8 boot from the desktop... That's more options than you had with W7.. Think about it.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 5:19 PM 2

70. Ravens

Posts: 7; Member since: Nov 07, 2013

But it was built upon the vision of windows 8 through metro or modern or whatever it's called now. So it feels very much intertwined with it. I'm not sure how far windows is now with it, but I have a bunch custom stuff on so that I don't have to ever go through "metro" for anything at all. So yes as you said, options, but I question if booting directly to desktop saves you from "metro". If it does now with the windows updates, great. I'm just not to sure. Maybe someone can inform me.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 9:04 PM 0

73. N-fanboy

Posts: 543; Member since: Jan 12, 2013

Be honest. W7 vs W8 on a device with no touch capabilites. W7 all the way. I tried windows8 on a friend's laptop and hated it. It is confused... It doesn't know if it wants to be a tablet or a desktop OS. I hope M$ fixes it.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 11:17 PM 7

80. lallolu

Posts: 734; Member since: Sep 18, 2012

I felt like that at the beginning but after 3 days I got used to it. The UI change is almost like using a new OS like the few times I use mac OS, it seems confusing since I am used to windows. That being said, I win8 is a good OS, it just has a learning curve before one gets used to it.

posted on Jan 18, 2014, 5:00 AM 0

84. PBXtech

Posts: 1032; Member since: Oct 21, 2013

Like how the keyboard pops up on the screen when you hit the search box, even though it's installed on a laptop. For some reason it doesn't recognize the built in keyboard but defaults to tablet mode with the on-screen keyboard until you actually start typing. No idea how they missed that.

posted on Jan 18, 2014, 10:25 AM 1

86. tuminatr

Posts: 1169; Member since: Feb 23, 2009

i aggree with you my wife bought a surface and loves it, however I would not want the w8 experance on my desktop. She is ready for a phone upgrade and is concidering a windows phone , I will be suprised if whe gives up her fassion statement apple product

posted on Jan 19, 2014, 12:19 AM 0

89. Droiderr

Posts: 35; Member since: Mar 05, 2013

On a PC i always prefer win 7. Win 8 seems a bit complicated and not that user friendly but that may be because I have very less experience with it. But WP8 mobile OS really sucks. There are more than 100 things that an android phone but a windows phone cant. Trying playing an mkv file. To my surprise there's no way a windows phone can play the codec.

posted on Jan 20, 2014, 3:52 AM 1

24. PootisMan

Posts: 266; Member since: Aug 02, 2013

The new vista seems like a very appropriate name. I hate windows 8!

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 3:07 PM 5

2. Miracles

Posts: 560; Member since: Aug 31, 2013

Microsoft needs to work on improving windows 8....not jump to make a new OS and call it 8.2 or whatever. I hate seeing the "Update to 8.1 for free" tag every-time I enter the Store. Also the following.."This app works better in 8.1"...why can't they just make it work better in windows 8? The reason I'm not willing to upgrade to 8.1 is that my laptops hardware will get messed up because of Microsoft's poor attempt at a software upgrade.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 1:34 PM 1

7. ArtSim98

Posts: 3535; Member since: Dec 21, 2012

If it can run W8, why couldn't it run W8.1?

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 1:39 PM 4

9. Miracles

Posts: 560; Member since: Aug 31, 2013

I can run it, I just don't want it to. There is problem when upgrading to 8.1 The touchscreen becomes disabled after the upgrade including the home button and various other problems.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 1:45 PM 1

57. elitewolverine

Posts: 5192; Member since: Oct 28, 2013

SO miracles, you upgraded to 8.1 and it disabled the touchscreen? Sounds like a one off error, considering the entire OS is touch screen compatible. I take it you reinstalled windows 8. I find it hard to believe, but its software I have seen crazier things working in tech. I have 5 touchscreen devices with win8.1 and a nonstouchscreen 8.1, all worked without a hitch.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 5:45 PM 0

65. Miracles

Posts: 560; Member since: Aug 31, 2013

I'm not the only one with the problem....there are many others that are posting online with the same issue. So its must be the W8.1 upgrade. I doubt this is a problem on the manufactures' side.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 6:16 PM 0

10. CanYouSeeTheLight

Posts: 1122; Member since: Jul 05, 2012

Because W8.1 has a few little problems? When i first installed it my laptop would reboot with a blue screen of death when trying to play a game, or the fact that many people had issues with fastboot/adb commands on rooted phones myself included.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 1:46 PM 3

25. VZWuser76

Posts: 4974; Member since: Mar 04, 2010

Mine just loses sound randomly. It's not program dependent and there isn't a volume slider that's turned down. It just happens randomly and usually a reboot will solve it, but not always. Didn't have this problem before the 8.1 update. The funny thing is, calling W8 the new Vista is an insult to Vista. There are things I could do with Vista that I can't accomplish with W8, like streaming a video from any site and watching it on my TV. With Vista I could stream any video and output it using the HDMI out. With W8, the HDMI output doesn't work in desktop mode, and the W8 or Metro interface can't playback many different streams. As far as usability, W8 feels like a step back compared to Vista. Just my experience though.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 3:17 PM 0

58. elitewolverine

Posts: 5192; Member since: Oct 28, 2013

VZW, again that sounds dubious, because HDMI out in desktop is supported. What would be more credible than saying all 8.1 disables hdmi out via desktop mode, is saying what pc you have, and what device make/model/driver you are using for HDMI output.

posted on Jan 17, 2014, 5:47 PM 0

68. VZWuser76

Posts: 4974; Member since: Mar 04, 2010

HP dv6-7226nr laptop. Don't know the driver specifics, and this wasn't on 8.1, this was on 8. A popup came up saying that HDMI out wasn't supported in desktop mode. I assumed that meant that it wasn't natively supported in Windows8. It doesn't sound dubious that HDMI out is supported in some instances of Win8 but not others because of the driver? HDMI out should be as standard as USB.