Windows 8 a "catastrophe" says industry legend

[NotReallyaGoodUN]

BBC News - Valve boss Gabe Newell calls Windows 8 a 'catastrophe'

Blizzard seems to be with Newell on this one.

Blizzard: Windows 8 'not awesome for Blizzard either' :: TweakTown USA Edition

Do you think Newell is being dramatic? Snap judgement? Or do you think Windows 8 will be Vista V2? He has been in this business for a long time..

I think "catastrophe" is too harsh a word...but the metro UI does seem optimized for phones/tablets, and not PCs..I for one don't see myself ever investing in a touchscreen monitor unless it was extremely appealing aesthetically...or if I was forced into it. [The 16:9/16:10 aspect ratio comes to mind. You pretty much cannot find 16:10 monitors anywhere nowadays, they are almost completely obsolete.] I cannot imagine using touch input on a 21.5"-24" 1080p screen...the kinect voice control, maybe, given that Microsoft has released a module for PC, but definitely not touch. And the Metro UI can be turned off if you want..

I can see it not being "gamer friendly" but catastrophe seems to imply that it will precipitate the downfall of the company or something, which is extremely doubtful. The PC gaming industry is an extremely miniscule percentage in comparison to the entire user demographic. I can see Linux emerging as a viable competitor somewhere down the line, but an entire power shift where everybody condemns the platform would take a WHILE to take place..then again, this is business, stranger things have happened. Thoughts?

"This isn't about video games," he said. "It's about thinking about goods and services in a digital world."

Hmmm.

 

[Dod Draper]

When Windows 8 was first announced I condemned it for its "hip" tiled layout which is all the rage with Microsoft. The 360 integrated this horrible style and the thought of using a computer which uses it makes me feel sick.

It's going to be a glorified tablet. Not a proper computer like the ones we use today. User access is going to take a beating as Microsoft try to corner the market with their store.

Absolutely no interest in buying it or even downloading it. I'll stick with Windows 7.

 

[Pete]

Said it before, will say it again: this is Microsoft trying to be Apple. And I don't know why in blazes anyone would actively TRY to be Apple.

 

[Derrick]

 

[John McHenry]

I've used Windows 8 I have 3 machines it wasn't compatible with 2 even though it met requirements. On the third the damn thing was just good awful to use with a mouse it's for touch based machines. Too me touch based machines slow you down in any kind of scenario when you normally use a mouse

 

[Ryan]

I plan on buying a new PC just before the release of Windows 8 so that I can get at least a couple more years with Windows 7. I mean Vista was a disaster and I had Vista and hated it and then they finally released 7 and I was so happy that finally they had a pretty good OS. Now they're changing it completely. I have a feeling that when sales of it bomb, they'll bring back they're normal OS interface that they've been using for so long.

 

[NotReallyaGoodUN]

You don't need to be worried at all. Windows 7's life cycle has been extended.

....till 2020.

[Not mainstream, mind you. Extended. If you meant mainstream, then your two year span would be dead on.]

 

[Dale]

For the record, I never had any issues with Vista for what it's worth.

 

[Dod Draper]

Keep seeing adverts for this now.

It still looks like a horrible re-hash of the overrated iPads. A miserable concoction of "apps" and other crappy Microsoft products. Would love to see it crash and burn in sales.

 

[Kiffy Lube]

Does this mean that I couldn't torrent things? That is all I care about.

 

[Prodigy]

Mac OS > Windows.

 

[Chriss]

Looks like I am staying with Windows 7.

 

[Dod Draper]

Mac OS > Windows.

unk2:

 

[Dod Draper]

Does this mean that I couldn't torrent things? That is all I care about.

They will probably try to make it harder to do so, but if you're savvy you'll be fine.

 

[Prodigy]

unk2:

Please tell me when the mac os layout made a ridiculous indy change that no one would be used to? oh, that's right, it didn't