Big backlash is building against Windows 8. Will Microsoft listen?

Pre rant disclaimer: I have yet to use windows 8, and I rather enjoy Unix based OS's.<p>But lets be honest with a few things, this sentence irks me: "In hindsight, I suppose that Microsoft's quest to combine a desktop and mobile OS into one was damn near impossible to begin with." And there seems to be so much backlash against attempting to do so.<p>I'm pretty sure this is the direction all OS's we will be using are going to end up in the coming years. Some people will cry and yell and holler that there is no way something can be made for both keyboard, mouse, and touch screen. I see this as simply a failure of vision. That's absolutely the way things are going to be going, and it's coming sooner rather than later. (I actually think the OSX launchpad is pretty close to allowing this implementation) Devices are getting smaller and smaller. I use a Mackbook air. but guess how it gets hooked up at home? That's right, wireless keyboard and mouse, nice big monitor, I never see the actual computer. It's only a matter of time before my laptop gets replaced by a tablet that has comparable hardware specs. The OS allow for my normal desktop interfaces, along with a nice touch screen interface. I'll use it to pick out movies to play on my TV, from my couch. I"ll use the same device to write code at my desk. My kids will use it to play video games, both mobile, and on the TV. I'll use it to send email in the backseat of a car moving at 65mph. (As a wireless comms guy, I fully appreciate the technology it takes to perform that last action.)<p>But the bottom line is, It's going to happen. Sooner rather than later. And Windows, and every other OS, is going to try their damndest to build the first, and/or best implementation of this model. Windows my not have it sorted out yet (like I said, I haven't used it yet) but they HAVE HAVE HAVE to try. I'm sure they'll produce something useable eventually. Everyone has their Vista moments...

The purpose of the consumer preview is to collect data. It's not primarily a marketing tool.<p>If the biggest complaint one can muster is that a new OS is unfamiliar (which is the vast bulk of non-ideological criticisms), it's hard to envision a meaningful backlash among users.<p>As every blogger notes, Microsoft is not Apple. People will not be camped in line at midnight to purchase copies of Windows 8. Microsoft does soft rollouts of its OS - the fact that there is a consumer preview is obvious evidence of that.<p>Most Windows users upgrade their OS when a new computer is purchased, not upon the OS's release. The few who will upgrade their OS as soon as it becomes available probably have availed their selves of the beta or RTM versions and thus have had time to become familiar with it.

As much as I want to support the backlash, it sounds just conservative and reactionary. The start bar is gone? Really it seems like Microsoft has grown a contingent of users who are even more conservative than itself.

I fear that developers will flock to developing Metro apps in the future instead of regular windows apps. And thus forcing desktop users to use the crappy metro experience and crippling the desktop experience even further.<p>They need to do something progressive but a touchscreen OS for the desktop is <i>not</i> it imo. I'm sure though that it'll be a blast on a tablet.<p>If they can manage to explain it well to new users and to have 2 different app ecosystems it might just work. If either fails I don't see it ending well.

Cue the 30-page MSDN blog post explaining with charts and graphs that "no, seriously, our focus groups think this is the best user experience ever!"

What I'd really like is Windows 7.1, not Windows 8. However, I doubt that Microsoft will ever come around and embrace incremental upgrades (or switch to a subscription model, or subscription-level pricing that would fund such a form of development).

As a loud critic of Windows 8, one aspect of the counter-argument that bothers me is the argument that we're simply unwilling to accept change, sticking to what we know, etc.<p>I adapt to and accommodate change willingly and eagerly <i>where it benefits me</i>. The problem with the change in Windows 8 is that it provides a significant negative change for desktop users. It forces a seriously crippled experience all so Microsoft can try to funnel desktop users to their mobile experience.