Removing hack that would bring back the Start button.
Microsoft is busy preparing for the launch of a brand new version of Windows, but the company is also said to be 'working furiously' to remove code that would allow developers to make Windows 8 more like an older version of the Windows operating system. According to Paul Thurrott over at WinSuperSite, Microsoft has been "furiously ripping out" legacy code in Windows 8 in order to prevent people from reintroducing the start button or other nifty little features that would make the OS feel a bit more like Windows 7.
The remark was made in a recent article about Microsoft ignoring businesses with Windows 8 and creating a UI that catered more to the consumer. Thurrott said he had heard Microsoft was removing code to prevent well-known UI hacks that worked with Consumer Preview from working with the Release Preview of Windows 8. But that's not all. Apparently Microsoft is also removing the ability for businesses to boot to the desktop.
"And those with hopes that Microsoft would allow businesses, at least, to boot directly to the desktop should prepare for disappointment," he added. "That feature not only isn't happening, it's being removed from Windows Server 12 (Windows 8's stable mate) as well."
Microsoft has faced an increasing amount of criticism over Windows 8's Metro UI and its place on the desktop PC. While most seem to agree Metro is perfect for tablet devices running Windows 8, many can't make peace with the idea of touchscreen desktop computers.
Talk about being force fed features. Why not instead listen to what your consumers want?
all the people will do is compare the consumer preview to retail release and figure out how to merge them
had windows xp for 10 years, ill happily wait out for win9/10
i dont have a messy desktop as im old school everything has a folder and everything is in em...
i dont like having all my icons on screen at 1s and i dont have a touch screen so the metro ui is pointless for me...
its not a change thing either... i have grown up with computers so change is a necessary part of the evolution of em. but this is a backward step... taking out features that people like and have asked for is not a good business model. but hey, xbox 360 wasnt either... yet they still convinced 30 million idiots to buy it even though its still failing on a regular basis...
the good news is that mac osx can now just as easily be installed on a windows based machine as windows ever was... so if you want consistency there are alternatives...
Removing old features just to make it seem like you're releasing a completely new product is rediculous.
Who the heck wants their £1500+ Rig to look like it's running windows XP?
I am very happy with Windows 7, the look, feel, stability and compatibility. Why exactly do I want to pay >£120 for Windows 8 so that my PC either looks like a tablet without a touchscreen (Microsoft doesn't even push Kinect for the PC for goodness sake) or have it look like it's running XP's outdated and plain windows.
I like the look of Aero and am happy to have a Rig that can comfortably run it well.
Microsoft seriously better start listening to it's customers as the ONLY thing tying me to Windows anything is it's gaming support and that is quickly going to be a moot point as smartphones and tablets become more powerful. As developers start coding seriously for them I see a huge surge in Linux installs or at the very least a desktop variation of Android taking the limelight.
Most people who spend serious cash on their rigs are gamers and they are tied to Microsoft by Direct X, a fact that Microsoft exploited to push sales of Vista/Windows 7 with no official Direct X 10+ support in XP, gamers were forced to upgrade. I personally feel that Microsoft is taking a big gamble with Windows 8 and I really don't think it'll pay off, although knowing Microsoft they will probably release Aero like functionality as a purchasable Add-On through the App Store.
Anyway, take off metro ui from windows 8 and tell me a good reason to install it? none, im fine with windows 7, exactly.Windows 7 will run for more years just like windows xp did and still.
That was my main point, I don't want that and I wholeheartedly agree with you that Windows 7 will be my OS of choice until such a time as I need to upgrade. I'm also quite sure that Windows 8 will NOT be that upgrade path :-)
I apologise for any confusion I caused through my comment.
"Life is like a Microsoft OS. It's either good, or a complete epic failure, but it continues onwards anyway."
The thing is, being forced to Windows 7 due to DirectX although wasn't a pleasent experience, wasn't entirely a bad thing either. At least Windows 7 is a good OS, whilst Windows 8 on the other hand... If they did the same thing with the newest games, I think I'd wait for a hacked up version of Windows 8, purely because there's no way I'm using that as a Desktop OS. I'd rather enjoy the games I already own, than buy new ones for a platform that's barely usable no matter what I lose out on.
Forcing users to upgrade can only take you so far before they'll point blank standup and simply say "no".