IDC ‘Research’ Points Out Two Biggest Complaints About Windows 8

March 11, 2013
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Windows 8 certainly has its fans, but it also has quite a few critics as well. In fact just recently Samsung decided to take a pretty big shot at Microsoft by stating that Windows 8 is “no better than the previous Windows Vista platform”, which is often considered one of the worst-received versions of Windows in history – next to Windows ME, that is.

The problem is the new changes and the complaints that they add confusion without really giving you any major benefits. Is that true? Honestly, that’s probably a matter of opinion. I can say I use Windows 8 and have ABSOLUTELY NO problem with it. That said, I don’t use it any differently than I did Windows 7.

I rarely use Metro, just like I rarely ever used the Start Menu. Everything I need to achieve can be done through the desktop and Windows Explorer. If I need something else, I merely hit the Windows key on my keyboard and start typing away (I love Windows 8’s search).

Still, there are many people who want the Start Menu back for whatever reason. Now an analyst from IDC, Bob O’Donnell says that their newest ‘research’ indicates that most folks miss the Start menu and are annoyed by the lack of an option to boot directly into the desktop, bypassing the fullscreen Start Menu of Windows 8.

According to CNET, O’Donnell said this about these two complaint areas in Windows 8:

Those two things have come up consistently. We’ve done some research and people miss that. And there are a lot of people that as soon as they boot into Windows 8, they go to desktop mode and do most their work there and occasionally back to Metro. But the point being they’re much more comfortable with desktop mode.

Are these Valid Concerns or Not?

First off, it is hard to call this ‘research’ when just about EVERYONE knows that these are common complaint areas. While the Start Menu problem might be a big deal for some (even if I personally don’t think it is), why is booting to the screen so bad?

Windows 8 boots much quicker than Windows 7. So you have to take an extra 1-3 seconds to hit on the “Desktop” icon in the Start UI, why is that such a big deal? I guess I just don’t understand why that makes people so mad. They have the right to feel that way, I just don’t agree or see it as a real problem myself.

So will the continued drama and complaints surrounding Windows 8 eventually get Microsoft to change its mind, whether in Blue, another update or Windows 9? We’ve said it a thousand times but I’ll say it again: NO. Microsoft is going to ride this one out, regardless of the criticism.

As for the second issue of booting into the desktop? O’Donnell seems to think that Microsoft OEMs could pressure them to change their minds about that, and I can at least agree that it is possible. This isn’t as big of a deal and doesn’t really change Windows 8’s ‘core idea’ all that much.

Of course Microsoft might want us constantly booting into the full-screen Start Menu in order to get used to the change and adapt. If that is the case, they probably won’t budge much there either.

Do you think either of these complaints are that big of a deal? Do you use Metro, or like me to you feel that bypassing it and using it occasionally isn’t a problem or deterrent for using Windows 8? Share your thoughts below.

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Mike Johnson is a writer for The Redmond Cloud - the most comprehensive source of news and information about Microsoft Azure and the Microsoft Cloud. He enjoys writing about Azure Security, IOT and the Blockchain.

All Comments

  • actually i use the new startscreen and Metro very often. i only Switch to Desktop mode when i want to manage files, create stuff with Office or when i do some CAD stuff.

    but everything else (browsing on the Internet, E-Mail, games, calendar, YouTube, Facebook, Video, Music, Fotos etc etc) i do on Metro. and it’s simply amazing after you got used to it. another supercool feature is opening or choosing a file in Metro: you can switch between skydrive, harddrive, dropbox, bing etc etc immediately! great Integration.

    i also use the share and search charme really often. go on Microsoft! it’s really nice work! but there are still some minor things i would like to see improved. such as color choice in Metro, or the ability to create folders on the startscreen… improving mail and calendar app.

    but all in all i love win8. looking forward to seeing more about blue 😉

    123321 March 11, 2013 8:19 am Reply
  • actually i use the new startscreen and Metro very often. i only Switch to Desktop mode when i want to manage files, create stuff with Office or when i do some CAD stuff.
    but everything else (browsing on the Internet, E-Mail, games, calendar, YouTube, Facebook, Video, Music, Fotos etc etc) i do on Metro. and it’s simply amazing after you got used to it. another supercool feature is opening or choosing a file in Metro: you can switch between skydrive, harddrive, dropbox, bing etc etc immediately! great Integration.
    i also use the share and search charme really often. go on Microsoft! it’s really nice work! but there are still some minor things i would like to see improved. such as color choice in Metro, or the ability to create folders on the startscreen… improving mail and calendar app.
    but all in all i love win8. looking forward to seeing more about blue 😉

    123321 March 11, 2013 8:19 am Reply
  • I think that anybody that has used windows 8 for more that a week straight has forgotten these issues. Windows 8 is much better than windows 7 and does everything 7 did. Most people that complain are not users but Microsoft haters. NOTHING Microsoft does will suit them.

    mgp March 11, 2013 10:41 am Reply
  • The “big deal” is not really that you can’t boot to the desktop, it is that MS won’t let you boot to the desktop. It was working, like the Start Menu in the earier pre-release versions, then it was removed.
    Thes things were possible, even if it required a power user to jump into the registry and hack them back into the machine. Microsoft took special effort to be sure that they couldn’t be done. This is a red flag; this is a significant shift for Windows. It used to be that you could change things on your system if you didn’t like them. Now Microsoft is showing its Apple side and saying you can only change things if we approve it.
    This is part of a larger overall strategy. Windows Mobile phones were open. You could install what you wanted. Windows Phone is closed. You can install what Microsoft approves. Same for Windows 8 Monern UI. Right now, we still have the desktop and on non-RT systems, we can install what we want. If you read Thurott, you may have noticed that he believes that MS is moving to Modern UI for the future. Desktop will be eliminated. I believe that this is correct as Microsoft clearly wants to open up to different processors and the CLR allows them to do what the binaries won’t.
    So whiel people squawk about the Start Menu and booting to the desktop, what it really is about is the heavy handed approach being used to force the customer base to do what Microsoft wants. The failure here is that the customer does not have to buy, and in part, Windows 8 sales reflect this.

    Dan Stephens March 11, 2013 12:16 pm Reply
    • Unless you move to Linux, you can do nothing. Apple and Google are already moving to that direction. MS is actually late. And I actually don’t really care as the freeware you download from internet can expose your computer to risk and no one to blame except yourself. At least MS will now be held responsible if malware is found in their app store.

      WillyThePooh March 11, 2013 7:33 pm Reply
  • The “big deal” is not really that you can’t boot to the desktop, it is that MS won’t let you boot to the desktop. It was working, like the Start Menu in the earier pre-release versions, then it was removed.
    Thes things were possible, even if it required a power user to jump into the registry and hack them back into the machine. Microsoft took special effort to be sure that they couldn’t be done. This is a red flag; this is a significant shift for Windows. It used to be that you could change things on your system if you didn’t like them. Now Microsoft is showing its Apple side and saying you can only change things if we approve it.
    This is part of a larger overall strategy. Windows Mobile phones were open. You could install what you wanted. Windows Phone is closed. You can install what Microsoft approves. Same for Windows 8 Monern UI. Right now, we still have the desktop and on non-RT systems, we can install what we want. If you read Thurott, you may have noticed that he believes that MS is moving to Modern UI for the future. Desktop will be eliminated. I believe that this is correct as Microsoft clearly wants to open up to different processors and the CLR allows them to do what the binaries won’t.
    So whiel people squawk about the Start Menu and booting to the desktop, what it really is about is the heavy handed approach being used to force the customer base to do what Microsoft wants. The failure here is that the customer does not have to buy, and in part, Windows 8 sales reflect this.

    Dan Stephens March 11, 2013 12:16 pm Reply
  • Even with these complaints Windows OS continues to expand and become more and more robust than before. After utilizing windows 8 it actually persuaded me to ditch my android device and pick up the HTC 8x! Beat decision I could have made! I support and stand behind Microsoft through the transition and find the complaints to be irrelevant to the user experience. I can personally say i have enjoyed Windows 8 features and feel as though this new OS will continue to grow as a community and a common place on any user PC! Go Windows 8 for the win!

    Nico March 11, 2013 4:54 pm Reply
  • Agree completely here.. I took 2 hours to get accostomed to the new interface.. Booting to desktop does,not make much sense ad,you can now do most of the stuff from start screen. And when i do use office stuff which is mostly desktop mode.. Its a click away.. I think microsoft jas it right and people who are complaining are guys who are slow to adapt to change.. They will eventually come around on this.. May be when windows 9 comes with the same interface.. They would stop complaining and get on with life

    MIRxnv March 11, 2013 7:18 pm Reply
  • I think people review Windows 8 before they sit down for 1.5 hours and ACTUALLY use it. If your like me and many other people, the ones that have sat at a Windows 8 computer actually love it.

    jacob114489 March 11, 2013 9:58 pm Reply

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