Windows 8 - Second Pass: Early Reviews

Today I found several very helpful articles online that mostly support what I've been saying about Windows 8.  My point is not that they have to support my ideas but rather that they show that there is some consensus about the various issues with Microsoft and Windows 8.  I've posted these on my Facebook Timeline and Twitter feed but since I live to make your life easier I've also posted them here.  Check them out, they are well worth the read.

This first article talks about the lack of Start Menu and how Samsung attempted to correct the problem by providing their own third party app to bring the Start Menu back to life.  While the notion is good Microsoft apparently saw this one coming and has blocked it from happening in the final release of Windows 8.

The second article talks about the business concerns with Windows 8 and helping users make the transition in workflow from the Start Menu to the Start screen.  Apparently Microsoft wants to distance itself from calling it the Metro Interface, as I've been calling it, and started calling it the Start Screen.  This is confusing to me as we are going from the Start Menu to the Start Screen.  Regardless, I agree with her business case argument.

The third article refers to some of the great new hardware coming out to support the Start Screen and Windows 8.  I've worked rather hard on my old Lenovo T400 laptop to make it last through the end of the year so I could see what hardware, if any, came out to make Windows 8 and the Start Screen really pop.  Here are some previews and while the concept looks good on paper it is always fun to see if it works out in the reality of IT.

And finally, here is an article I completely disagree with (just to show you what others are saying).  I disagree with the notion that the Start Screen will be beneficial over the Start Button.  That is very hard to quantify. It will take time to get used to but I doubt the business world is excited to retrain everyone on how to get things done. The author also isn't recognizing that it shouldn't be up to Microsoft whether it is better for me to click Start or press the Windows Key. Everyone functions and interacts with the OS differently and here MS is saying they know what's best. Hardly.

Enjoy.