Adrian from ZDnet says: With the introduction of Windows 8, Microsoft removed the Start button, the Start menu, and pushed the desktop into the background. Were these changes too much for users who'd spent decades getting used to how Windows worked? Read More...
I say that Windows 8 at first glance runs well, is easy to use if your apps are on the tiles already, and yes, very snappy. What I don't like is the kludgy fat finger - non precision interface. Fingers are nice for big blocks and 1st grade pencils, but the mouse pointer is a precision device, not a blob. I also dislike the way that the most useful settings lack easy paths to the advanced settings. Windows 8 and yes, even Windows 7, make you dig deep to find advanced settings. Power users beware. Advanced settings should be accessible via a one stop shop screen or app/library. Why all the hunting?
I wonder why the Start Button was pulled from the Windows 8 desktop? Why couldn't Windows 8 have both the tiles and the Start Button, and why didn't Microsoft allow it's users to choose? Makes you wonder how they tested the interface, if they did at all. Remember Windows 95 supposedly went through extensive usability testing? Windows 8 was tested by 10 programmers who like smart phones. Did they even test on PCs?
