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You may not be a fan of the new Windows 8 UI, but is it too complicated for everyday consumers? If you answered yes then I think you need to take it up with this adorable little three year old. Adam Desrosiers has posted a YouTube video of his son performing basic everyday tasks common to the average Windows 8 user, and he does so with little to no difficulty or coaching.
Of course you could always make the argument that a three year old doesn’t have decades of built up muscle memory interacting with a desktop environment, or more damning yet, that the new Windows 8 UI is so overly basic, that it’s best relegated to the tasks of a precocious toddler. Both of these are valid points of view of course, but it’s hard to argue with the reality that Windows 8, ecosystem issues aside, is already far more powerful and advanced than iOS.
So are tech pundits treating Windows 8 unfairly? Or is the new UI just too basic and underpowered for the average desktop user? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Source Credit (WinSupersite)
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AzMonguse
October 25, 2012 at 1:22pm
Well Win8 has done one thing for me I just put Linux Mint on my laptop, so far so good and after I use it and understand it a bit better I may just put in on my desktop as well and dump MS for good time will tell. When win9 comes out I may reconsider, but after using win8 for a bit I find it to be garbage.
frumper
October 23, 2012 at 12:23pm
Too bad I'm not a 3 year old. Last I checked things designed for adults have more functionality than something a toddler uses. I think this is an apt description of windows 8 though, the giant panes, and the scrolling interface, these look wonderful for fingers and tablets, but its downright childish on a 27" monitor and an accurate pointing device.
The software developer claiming windows 8 is good must be a plant. As a software developer this is nightmarish to work with multiple monitors and programs.
Hilarity
October 22, 2012 at 1:05pm
Metro is fine. Give it 2 hrs and look at some shortcuts online and you'll be set (or get some Win 8 books).
Why is no one mentioning the improvements? Storage spaces? Native .iso mounting? Built in MSE/Defender in one? Kernel rejigged to be more secure and bottom line, faster?
Get rid of your shitbox Core 2/Pentium 4 system, and slap in a 3220/5, 256GB SSD and Win 8. Modern shit, not an OS that was built when VHS was still very popular or old ass hardware.
Don't piss and moan about the cost of a new PC either. A Pentium G2120 is faster than any dual core Core 2 and nipping on a Core 2 quad. A Core i3 3220 is faster than anything AMD had before FX and faster than any Core 2, creeping up on the old i5 750. You don't build a new system every day. They are not that expensive. Upgrade.
Andrew.Hodge
October 22, 2012 at 8:03pm
Glad to see how you really feel. Good to see such an intelligent and fully thought out response. Very stimulating. :/
Andrew.Hodge
October 22, 2012 at 8:03pm
Glad to see how you really feel. Good to see such an intelligent and fully thought out response. Very stimulating. :/
dherrick12
October 22, 2012 at 8:02pm
Umm how bout we come up with some thoughtful responses here? I think he is on to something. Win8 IS AN IMPROVEMENT! I'll list a few more to add to his (source http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-windows-8-will-it-breathe-new-life-into-older-pcs-7000002634/):
- Installation and boot are much faster, and for a software developer like me that is really huge.
- The new Windows Explorer is much better with more functionality where you need it. I love being able to just double click an ISO file and open it like a ZIP file. It is also an easy way to get to the Control Panel. - Fast and fluid really is a noticeable improvement as I have grown too much gray hair waiting for the Windows UI in the past.
- Storage Pools it's about bloody well time and they even work with USB devices.
- Single cloud-based login, again, it's about bloody well time.not to mention the ability to reinstall windows very easily with or without wiping all your data
jmc8888
October 27, 2012 at 11:09pm
Umm the funny thing is, and it is funny, is that people have forgotten that a new os that features these things DON'T need metro in order to do it.
In other words, they limit functionality and speed for aesthetics and ease of use for 3 year olds...and to entice you they throw in some improvements that could come in a Windows 8 without metro.
I think anybody would praise MS for bettering things, but not at the expense of other more critical factors.
It appears multitasking will be a nightmare. I love being able to switch between things without a single click and browse a few hundred things in a few seconds to find what I need in multiple windows, programs, tabs, etc.
Apparently in Windows 8 this is gone and everything like this takes a bunch of clicks.
Cloud based is only good when it works, but other than that it is good. But there will come times when it goes down and somebody that relies too much on it will be screwed for work or school. So while good, it does open up some bad. It also makes whatever is in your cloud hackable from any Win 8 computer.
You can already set your control panel in your start menu on win 7, so it already was really easy. There were already programs where you could double click and open iso files. OS'es are always faster when they're fresh. Even then with an SSD and an i7, the UI really isn't slow at all. Just longer startup, but still quite fast.
Also over the years alot of people have gotten bigger screens so they don't sit within arm lengths of the screen. Personally I have a 40" HDTV, and have no desire to use touch screen control, and couldn't even if I wanted to. No way will I use some small thing just to use touch screen. (that's for phones because they don't have screen space or a mouse).
I remember when they updated the xbox 360 dashboard a few years ago, it went from a click or so away from demos and game, it turned into a chore just to get at my demos and games. click, scan, over, over, don't go over the advertisement, click, over, click ah there we go.
So for things that were instant, if I were to use Win 8, from people's reviews, this is what is going on. Needless extra clicks and scrolling through and all sorts of jazz, especially when multitasking.
How easy is it going to be to easily check on 14 firefox windows, be able to go to the right one the first time and browse through all 20 tabs in each window on the fly before scrolling over a txt file for maybe a save password, while also able to do lots of other things like this is seconds. It seems like it'll take me as long just reach firefox window 1 as it took to do all that, and with a bunch of various clicks.
Apparently you can't even view the back button or various tabs on firefox windows without right clicking first. Just a lot of needless crap.
I have a feeling that once people that do alot with computers have a chance to do these things on a regular basis, they will find it's very limiting.
Maybe I'm wrong. But I like versatility, multitasking, scanning, etc over aesthetics.
davelray
October 28, 2012 at 12:16am
So you signed up a little over an hour ago to do what? Write incoherently about an operating system that, from the best I can understand from your writing, you have not even used? I use FireFox and Chrome and I can see the back and forward buttons just fine. I multi-task the same as I did in Windows 7 and in Windows Vista and in Windows XP. I do not find Windows 8 to be limiting at all. And I do quite a bit more on my system than "browse the web." Troll elsewhere.
Neufeldt2002
October 23, 2012 at 9:46am
-Installation is about the same as 7 20-30 min. hardly an improvement. Win 8 boots a whole 3 sec faster on my machine, colour me impressed, not.
-Windows explorer is not that awesome as you would have people believe, I guess if you can't organize your files in a easy to understand way it might be useful. Ooh, can open an iso natively, big deal, you lose more than you gain with this OS for supported formats natively. Control Panel is split in two, with each not being linked to the other, hardly more efficient.
-Storage Pools, most people won't even care about this.
-Single cloud based login, are people so enamored with social that everything they do on a computer has to be logged by MS, Google, Facebook?Honestly though the like to dislike of Win 8 is roughly 50/50 from what I have seen on the net. It is getting sickening to see just try it, you'll like it or give it a chance, and Win 8 can F%&*@ng die. Pretty sure nothing anyone can say will make either party change their minds so why bother.
Andrew.Hodge
October 22, 2012 at 12:54pm
I really don't see what everyone's bitching about. Half of peoples' complaints don't even exist. Stop bitching about metro. It's a non-issue.
TechW
October 22, 2012 at 8:04am
Children are not afraid to try just about anything. On a computer they will click away at everything. Most adults I know will not do this. Many because they are afraid they will break something, others because they want everything shown to them.
So, while Windows 8 may work fine for youth, for seniors and many others it will be a big challenge.
Obviously I am not talking about the MaximumPC crowd here.
Ledoubleu
October 22, 2012 at 9:07am
+1. That child whipped around Win 8 UI like a preschool-pro and didn't even get his Huggies in a bunch about it.
somethingelse
October 22, 2012 at 7:03am
At 3 years old, most kids know how to interact with basic electronics (like a computer and phone). So this video is nothing shocking really
My 3 year old watches Youtube on my Linux PC and my wife's Win7 PC. He has no problem clicking on which video he wants to watch using the mouse. Not sure if that's a testament to Chrome/Firefox, YouTube's UI or maybe he's just bound to be a rocket scientist...you decide.
Oh, he even plays games on our Android phones! ...maybe I should post a youtube video and enter him into gifted toddlers contest; or at least get him featured on MaxPC :P
h e x e n
October 22, 2012 at 4:46am
Exactly who Windows 8 is for... Children
I'll stick with my grown up desktop OS, thanks.
Justin.Kerr
October 23, 2012 at 10:27am
The Windows 8 desktop is more powerful than 7, and Metro is just a replacement start menu with more useful features either with touch or a keyboard.
eday_2010
October 22, 2012 at 4:45am
I don't know what is wrong with everyone, but the Start Screen works just fine with a keyboard and mouse. I am in and out far faster with the Start Screen than I am with the traditional Start Menu.
maxeeemum
October 21, 2012 at 11:46pm
Obviously a staged video! How many tries before you got this one? And coached all the way as others have stated.
These type of tactics just backfire and insult ones intelligence. This is truly desperation!
Just face it M$ you are going to take a beating with this OS.
Jeffredo
October 21, 2012 at 11:29pm
No thanks. Any minute performance increase isn't worth the hoop-jumping and unintuitive UI for keyboard/mouse. Never understood the logic of reinventing the wheel when you conditioned the public during two decades to expect certain UI locations and steps. Evolution, not revolution, is the best approach to software development once you have a recognized product and customer base. Yes, there will always be the user who enjoys mastering esoteric knowledge so they can say "OMG, you people are just idiots/pussies/babies/whatever! Stay with Win 7 and us cool kidz will use 8!" I see them out in force already. In spite of them I give even odds to a lot of this clumsiness being addressed in the first service pack.
davelray
October 22, 2012 at 1:10pm
Guess that means there's never been a properly built OS nor ever will be one. Because every OS has had service packs.
andrewc513
October 21, 2012 at 7:01pm
Here's my take on it:
Windows 8 is messy on keyboard/mouse, wonderful on touch/gesture-driven devices. Microsoft could have done better on UI design for the non-powerusers during this huge transitional phase for Windows. But it's not hard to pick up on if people would just stop complaining, play with it, and actually *read/watch instructions*. As a whole, society has gotten this weird privileged notion that you can toss out the instructions and knowledge of how to uses a product should just transfer into your brain telepathically. And as an IT person that has actual networks and servers to keep running, the last thing I want to do is waste an hour teaching someone how to shut down a computer. That's what tutorials are for, not me.
If you still don't like it, just don't use it. Either keep your existing system, or plop an OEM Win7 on whatever post-Win8 launch system you may buy.
livebriand
October 21, 2012 at 6:57pm
That's pretty funny. That said, it's confusing for people already used to the existing way things work, and if you actually want to be productive on the machine, metro doesn't help. A 3 year old doesn't know anything yet but is able to learn quickly, and is probably only running games anyway.
orca11
October 21, 2012 at 6:23pm
Yawn, my kid was using an Android tablet and a Linux distro (Qimo, designed for kids) at about 2 1/2.
This claim only sounds impressive to people who haven't had kids in the smart phone/tablet age... it's just not that big a deal.
Erris
October 21, 2012 at 6:12pm
I've tried Win8 for about 2-3 months now.
What I don't like, without typing walls of text:
"Metro UI" is ugly
Position/size/shape of tiles in "metro UI" are too automated. I want to be able to customize them MUCH more if I will have to use them every day.
Searching for programs in "Metro UI" puts the results in 3 buckets. So even if you have only 1 hit, if it is in bucket 2 or 3, you have to actually click on that bucket for the result to display
"Metro UI" is not integrated throughout the system
I have to move my mouse a lot more to get to my programs
I have to move my mouse and click more to get to some tasks
I cannot close "Metro UI" programs - no X to press to get rid of them
No widgets/gadgets - REALLY MS?
MS can uninstall apps from my computer
MS can track what apps I have installed on my computer if they so choose
New Copy/Move UI is very underdone - where are my limit speed, pause, drag and drop to choose target or copy/move to the same place options?
Task Manager is also underdeveloped - for example I can't even see what speed my Wi-Fi has connected on until I go through 5+ mouse clicks and menus. This is just one instance of buried basic info and inefficient design.
Basically to me Win 8's interface is an example of half-assed work with some stupid ideas thrown in.
If MS wants to push new interface on us they should have rebuilt EVERY piece of it from the ground up and made it more efficient to use with touch, keyboard AND mouse.
As is the UI feels like the first draft of a student project to me. It's a hint of what could have been but wasn't.
To address any potential "you are not using it right" comments - when the market leader and multi-billion dollar company releases a UI overhaul for a mass-user targeted OS, it should not require training. There should be no "right way" to use. It should be intuitive and efficient.
jmc8888
October 27, 2012 at 11:24pm
See this is the sort of thing I'm talking about, plenty of examples (these ones new ones from others I've read) about the needless extra clicking (or change cl with d) around to get something.
I just don't like going from 1 or 2 steps to 5-8, and call that improvement because it looks pretty.
I still have a feeling it's a nightmare to corral hardcore web surfing where you keep 3gb of ram filled with webpages and easy mouse over aero glass to access any of a few hundred tabs in seconds, and beyond that can access plenty of other things in a single click.
It seems to me the pc illiterate, or the pc literate that do one thing at a time will like Win 8.
Those that max out what windows can do at once will hate it's restriction. Like driving a Ferrari in a 5 mph zone.
That's also the point this video misses with the 3 year old. He was doing ONE THING at a time. Not a bunch and easily switching between them on the fly, scanning, etc.
TrackBallGT
October 21, 2012 at 5:52pm
When microsoft builds an os for pcs that is all about gaming and doesn't remind me of a politician who I won't mention with any modesty and at the same time gets out of the console business. I will try it. But I will not turn my perfectly good Aero for the artist formally known as "Metro" Also I am a paranoid elitist pc enthusiast and 3 out of every 5 post that are pro 8 seem to me to read like they were written by someone who stands to lose a lot if 8 goes badly. But I am probably just a loon but either way I am happy with 7 and it Really will be my OS for another 3 years minimum. The improvement to it seems marginal at best and even if is that cheap I still see nothing broken with 7. Also I am a Valvevolyte, if they make an steamed out linux I am fuckin gone no if ans or buts take my monies now the promised land etc etc etc
winmaster
October 21, 2012 at 5:48pm
Couple points:
Young children actually learn faster than adults. The problem is they don't know anything, so people assume that young children are less intelligent. Remember, intelligence =/= wisdom.
Also, just because it is easy to use doesn't mean its better. I don't think its particularly difficult, but it is cluncky and feels less efficient.
If this video proves that Windows 8 is good then clearly we all need to start writing our notes in crayon as well.
w2ed
October 21, 2012 at 5:13pm
The problems with any shift in the way we use computers is that some of the steps we attempt to go forward with actually are painfully, and in some cases take us backwards. Microsoft's Metro UI Does a decent job for what it's trying to do; if it wasn't trying to take over the Aero Interface and was better blended - merged -with the old interface, I think many of the complaints would be fixed. Microsoft has some good ideas, but they should have waited and took some more time to make things work better.
To be fair, however, it's been a few months since I last played with it - real life is more important than any beta test, unless the beta is real life.
jmc8888
October 27, 2012 at 11:27pm
But is it really forward if it's adding steps that don't need to exist. That's backwards.
It LOOKS better, but don't let LOOKS confuse one with better productivity and hardcore multitasking.
Besides again, most of the improvements don't come from metro, they come from something underneath or aside from metro and could have been implemented in a Win 8 WITHOUT metro.
lordfirefox
October 21, 2012 at 4:42pm
That's good because it looks like the UI was made for toddlers.
mero909
October 21, 2012 at 4:24pm
From a PC use, Windows 8 is great. I've used the RTM 64-bit since mid-August and I love it. Here are some reasons why:
A) It's far faster than Windows 7 and actually faster than the Linux installations I've tried.
B) Boot up time is extremely fast.
C) PC wide search is far better than Windows 7. (Shortcut: WinKey+Q)Here's a tip: Learn the keyboard short cuts. Everything revolves around the Windows Key.
Have fun!
Zedro
October 22, 2012 at 8:28am
I am tired of people telling me I need to learn keyboard shortcuts. Im faster with a mouse and my start menu. Why do i need to change the way I use my computer so m$ can stuff the tablet interface down my down my throat? Why not have both? What reason is there to remove features that were already there?
I wish I could take away your precious keyboard shortcuts so I can tell you to learn to the mouse and the damn right click to do common tasks.
Keep your Fisher Price OS & keyboard shortcuts. I'll stick with the adults on Win7.
dherrick12
October 22, 2012 at 9:20am
You are simultaneously acting like a child and an old geezer. I'm sure he knows how to use a keboard and mouse, and keyboard shortcuts are awesome ways to improve productivity. I use alot in MS office that greatly improve my speed.
I'll be buying windows 8 for my new build (which is currently is running windows 8 release preview temporarily). Its basically windows 7 anyways, plus I think the UI looks good and works. I will say, it might not be worth upgrading, but I think it would be stupid to put windows 7 on a new machine.
You can stick with the old geezers on Windows 7. The start menu hierarchy is somewhat painfull anyway, why not use the search function (on the start button) is windows 7??
Zedro
October 22, 2012 at 3:09pm
"...keyboard shortcuts are awesome ways to improve productivity..."
For you. Not for me. Explain to me how exactly the start menu is painfull. No one can give a good reason “why” it’s better while us “geezers” give reason after reason why we dislike it. This shits for the “iPhone” crowd. Rather than figure out how to use a super complicated OS like Windows 7 (it’s really not complicated) you’d rather have M$ dictate how to use your computer just like Apple does. You’d rather be lead than take control of your system. I really pity you and people like you…
You can search in the start menu in 7 the same as in Win8. Your point on that is mute. Why is it "better" to take the most used items that can quickly and easily executed from the start menu (which takes two seconds most of the time) and change it to a full screen affair?
…and I'd rather be considered a "geezer" than a child.
andrewc513
October 21, 2012 at 10:58pm
That, plus the Windows Runtime versions of a few apps are already a million times better than their previous alternative. Take a look at Netflix. In-browser Netflix is just a poor, clunky interface compared to Windows 8's native Netflix app. One-click installs for said apps.
And Xbox Music will be a huge killer app that will make Windows 8 seem enticing.
As Windows 8 matures, we'll see more and better apps on the Store/WinRT side of the OS.
Zedro
October 22, 2012 at 3:28pm
“And Xbox Music will be a huge killer app that will make Windows 8 seem enticing”
Renaming “Shit” to “Crap” doesn’t make it smell better. Same goes for renaming Zune to Xbox Music.
I see nothing that will threaten Apple iTunes and Amazon as the two leading music digital providers. Something tells me they’re not going to lose sleep over it.
igoka
October 21, 2012 at 2:35pm
Lol . To pull that trick Microsoft really shows how desperate they are . So basically you have to have three years old brain to operate it ? So in other words if you cannot operate it you are in Microsoft words stupid. Huh . This is a little bit insulting don't you think ?
Andrew.Hodge
October 22, 2012 at 8:10pm
Microsoft didn't pull that trick. A dad uploaded a video of his kid....
Andrew.Hodge
October 22, 2012 at 8:10pm
Microsoft didn't pull that trick. A dad uploaded a video of his kid....
RUSENSITIVESWEETNESS
October 21, 2012 at 1:59pm
LOL. FAKE.
And look at all the M$ employees posting their bullshit below. LOL.
Andrew.Hodge
October 22, 2012 at 6:01am
Because he has no other argument as to why " windoze 8 sux lol!".
whitneymr
October 21, 2012 at 1:41pm
To follow up Neufeldt2002 I too have joint issues, Rheumatoid arthritis,
and there is no way my hands and shoulders are going to handle reaching up to the screen over and over. Also a major use of my computer is for Photoshop and Lightroom so I won't buy any screen that isn't IPS. Somebody want to find me a screen that would be IPS and have touch control and have a price tag that wouldn't make you faint?
Blaze589
October 21, 2012 at 2:24pm
Get a mouse with a high DPI setting. My mouse is presently set to a DPI of 2000 for my desktop. An inch or two is all I need to navigate a 1680 x 1050 display. Since you need it for image manipulation you should get a mouse that can adjust the DPI on the fly for precision work in Photoshop.
As for a quality touch display for a good price that's fairly difficult presently without shelling out a lot of cash as you said. I just hope that OLED displays will be cheap (eventually at least). They've stated OLED screens can be printed and of course they're better than IPS displays. Hopefully 2013 can be the year OLED hits the mass market.
