Jump to content

Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions


JorgeA

Recommended Posts

Owww, comeon guys let's be serious. :lol:

Let's say that they could have used better examples for that visualization of "productivity tools" ... :whistle:

I guess the problem is that there AREN'T all that many productivity tools for Metro (not yet, anyway). The idea of Metro isn't to make you more productive, it's to make it easier to waste your time monitoring the weather, following your friends on Facebook -- and shopping. ;)

But MagicAndre has discovered something that could really save Windows 8 from itself, if the productivity applications ever materialize. It'll be like Windows 2.0...

Windows_2.0.png

...only less flexible than Win2, as the tiles can't overlap. In that sense, Windows 8, once enhanced by Andre's "Toolbox," approaches Windows 1.0 in screen functionality. :w00t:

(Note BTW the remarkable similarity in the selection of certain applications to show on the images for the Toolbox and for Windows 2.0.)

--JorgeA

Edited by JorgeA
Link to comment
Share on other sites


The Wall Street Journal as you might expect has already posted 9 different stories. This was only the first ...

Windows Head Steven Sinofsky to Leave Microsoft ( WSJ 2012-11-12 ) 8:31 pm

Officially, Microsoft is saying that the move was a mutual decision by Sinofsky and the company.

Microsoft Gives Windows 8 Chief the Boot ( Wired 2012-11-12 ) 9:51 pm

Microsoft isn’t just changing up its software, it’s revamping leadership. In a release Monday evening, Microsoft announced the departure of Steven Sinofsky, the chief architect of its newly launched Windows 8 operating system.

Windows head Steven Sinofsky to leave Microsoft ( ComputerWorld 2012-11-13 ) 02:10 am

He added that Microsoft has so far been quiet about the sales performance of Windows 8 and of the company's Surface tablet, whose first models run a version of the OS called Windows RT designed for devices with ARM chips.

This relative silence "could be an indication that they did not meet expectations," Silver said.

Al Gillen, an IDC analyst, said Ballmer and the board may be second-guessing some bold bets Microsoft made with Windows 8, such as its radically-redesigned user interface.

The new UI uses square and rectangular tile icons to make it better for touch screens, such as those in tablets, and has a very different navigation scheme.

It could be that a critical mass of enterprise customers have given it the thumbs down, even though Windows 8 users can call up a traditional desktop UI, Gillen said.

"Frankly, that UI is enough of a paradigm shift that many enterprise customers will avoid the product for that reason alone," he said.

It wouldn't be surprising for Microsoft to make a point of converging the UI technology of Windows 7 and Windows 8 in the next release of the OS, he said.

Sinofsky's departure due to politics or products? ( Mary Jo Foley ZDNet 2012-11-13 ) 02:26 am

Microsoft Windows President Steven Sinofsky's departure asks the question: Was it products or politics behind the move?

Microsoft's Windows head, once a possible CEO, exits ( Reuters 2012-11-13 ) 08:32 am

The move was unexpected and neither Microsoft nor Sinofsky gave an explanation, although an executive at the company, who asked not to be named, said the decision was "mutual" and said he was not expecting Sinofsky to take a job at another company soon.

"This is shocking news. This is very surprising," said Brendan Barnicle, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities. "Like a lot of people, I thought Sinofsky was in line to potentially be Ballmer's successor."

Steven Sinofsky, head of Microsoft's Windows division leaves the company ( TechSpot 2012-11-13 ) 09:00 am

The sudden departure of Sinofsky evidently leaves a wide gap for speculation considering Windows 8 is barely out of the door and it’s not an ordinary release in the history of Windows. Whether he had decided to leave shortly after launch or not, it’s been rumored that an internal brawl between him and Steve Ballmer could be the real motivation for the departure. “I am grateful for the many years of work that Steven has contributed to the company,” Ballmer said in the official release.

Most recently it was speculated that Sinofsky was already working on the next generation of Windows and that he could be the most logical successor to take the reigns of Microsoft as CEO if Ballmer was to step aside.

Windows President Steven Sinofsky Quits Microsoft ( Tom's Hardware 2012-11-13 ) 09:28 am

In what is very surprising news coming out of the Remembrance/Veteran's Day weekend, Microsoft has revealed that Windows and Windows Live President Steven Sinofsky will be leaving the company effective immediately. Sinofsky was at the helm of Office products and lead the teams on the development of Windows 7 and 8 products.

These Were Sinofsky's Final Words to Microsoft Employees ( Tom's Hardware 2012-11-13 ) 10:20 am

Gotta love that Surface RT commitment.

Steve Ballmer's Memo on Windows President's Departure ( Tom's Hardware 2012-11-13 ) 11:00 am

Following the departure of Steve Sinofsky, former president of Windows and Windows Live, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has responded to his exit via a memo.

Microsoft Windows Head Departure Viewed Negatively ( Investors Business Daily 2012-11-13 ) 11:12 am

Microsoft shares were down more than 3% in early trading Tuesday.

The Microsoft announcement gave no reason for the departure of Sinofsky, who had been viewed as a possible successor to CEO Steve Ballmer. Sinofsky had been with the company for 23 years. His aggressive management style alienated too many colleagues, Reuters reported. Sinofsky also was viewed as territorial and frequently unwilling to cooperate with other divisions, the New York Times said.

Windows President Steven Sinofsky Leaves Microsoft ( Slashdot 2012-11-13 ) n/a Comment Thread

But Sinofsky’s legacy will be felt for some time. Windows 8 is a radical departure from previous versions of the operating system, with a Start screen of colorful tiles linked to applications. In theory, that new user interface will allow the software to run on tablets (where the user can tap the tiles with a finger) or a traditional PC (where they can use the keyboard and mouse to navigate) with equal facility; for traditionalists and power users, there’s also a desktop accessible via a particular tile. It’s a sizable bet for Microsoft, and one that will stick around for years—long after Sinofsky lands on his feet somewhere new.

The real reason Steve Sinofsky left Microsoft ( InfoWorld 2012-11-13 ) n/a

I bet Sinofsky made up his mind weeks ago. Just compare the enthusiasm he exuded at last year's Build conference (see below) with his milquetoast performance last month at the Windows 8 product launch (starting at 11:30 in the video). Veteran Microsoft reporter Mary Jo Foley contends that Sinofsky's press interviews, scheduled to take place just before the product launch on Oct. 26, were cancelled at the last minute.

Windows chief Steven Sinofsky pushed out of Microsoft ( Guardian UK 2012-11-13 ) 12:58 pm

Microsoft staff stunned as chief executive Steve Ballmer pushes out man many had seen as his successor

... He brought discipline." There was particular emphasis on the final word - for Sinofsky was a tough manager who didn't suffer fools gladly.

That, in fact, seems to have been his downfall, allied to Ballmer's unwillingness to loosen his grip on the company. Another former Microsoft staffer told Reuters that Sinofsky's "relentlessly aggressive" style had annoyed and alienated others – even Bill Gates, his long-time mentor who is still company chairman. "He had no one left to fight for him," one staffer told Reuters. "Gates gave him cover, so he must have eventually caved [to Ballmer]."

Sinofsky, 47, had prevailed in a number of other fights – including seeing off Gates protege and former chief software architect Ray Ozzie, according to journalist Jay Greene, a longtime watcher of the company. Profiling Sinofsky last month, Greene noted that "Sinofsky's critics say he's elevated those battles to a new level, thriving by marginalising rivals while running the company's most profitable businesses, Windows and Office."

Windows 8 head Steven Sinofsky leaves Microsoft ( PC Gamer 2012-11-13 ) 9:43 pm

Microsoft’s leadership echelon experienced a shakeup in its Windows division yesterday with the sudden departure of President Steven Sinofsky for unexplained reasons. Sinofsky oversaw and was responsible for the development of both Windows 7 and Windows 8. Microsoft’s official announcement states the mutually agreed decision takes effect immediately.

Sinofsky OFFSKI: Is Windows 9 now codenamed 'Defenestrate'? 'Inconceivable' - May not mean what you think it means ( UK Register 2012-11-13 ) 9:54 pm

So Microsoft's Windows 8 chief Steve Sinofsky is offski. Was it corporate politics, modest Surface RT sales, or some hippie desire to find himself that made him quit?

P.S. This is the last bunch of links from me, promise! ( unless something radical occurs ). It has been just over half a day and the articles are already too numerous to count. It was fun to read all the comments and notice the similarities that abound between all these different groups of people that inhabit all these different websites. It is safe to say that the natives are restless, everywhere. It is also a pretty safe bet that this is not over. I'm out!

Final Note: the New York Stock Exchange just closed. NO crash, but markets all slightly down. MSFT closed at $27.09, down -0.90 which is off -3.22%.

Final Final Note: ruh roh! I just heard that tomorrow ( Wednesday ) the largest lockup for Facebook shares is lifted. 800 million Facebook shares set to flood market. This makes Ballmer and Company quite possibly the most inept and irresponsible managers in history. Allowing this news the day prior to the Facebook shares event is suicidal. There is a very good chance that the market will tumble tomorrow dragging along perfectly good stocks in the process. But since Ballmer has literally greased the skids on the MSFT sled, they may be in for a wild ride.

EDIT: added links

Edited by CharlotteTheHarlot
Link to comment
Share on other sites

P.S. This is the last bunch of links from me, promise! ( unless something radical occurs ).

I, for one, don't mind these bunches of links as they neatly collect a ton of information.

The least plausible-sounding theory for Sinofsky's departure is the one that has to do with his having finished a project and it being a good time to leave. Huh? Why would you want to leave just as your prescience and genius are about to be demonstrated (with explosive, worldwide Win8 acceptance)? Maybe going on a long relaxing vacation, but not quitting just BEFORE achieving the (presumed) vindication. It doesn't make sense to me.

And, as they say, you can't argue with success. If Win8 sales were going through the roof, whatever internal opposition there might be to Sinofsky would hardly be in a position to speak up. So I'm betting on a mix of both internal politics and less-than-stellar early sales figures for Windows 8 and/or the Surface, where the latter weakened Sinofsky's standing and emboldened his opposition.

--JorgeA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The least plausible-sounding theory for Sinofsky's departure is the one that has to do with his having finished a project and it being a good time to leave. Huh? Why would you want to leave just as your prescience and genius are about to be demonstrated (with explosive, worldwide Win8 acceptance)? Maybe going on a long relaxing vacation, but not quitting just BEFORE achieving the (presumed) vindication. It doesn't make sense to me.

And, as they say, you can't argue with success. If Win8 sales were going through the roof, whatever internal opposition there might be to Sinofsky would hardly be in a position to speak up. So I'm betting on a mix of both internal politics and less-than-stellar early sales figures for Windows 8 and/or the Surface, where the latter weakened Sinofsky's standing and emboldened his opposition.

I think that is a very logical theory based on what we know.

One thing is for sure, the talk about planned exit is bull. The alluding to health issues is also bull. In fact all the lame excuses are bull because nothing short of a stroke or heart attack would prevent him from completing the work week, or better yet waiting until next Wednesday prior to the 4-day weekend where any news, good or bad will dissolve and be diluted by the Thanksgiving holiday, Football overload, and the Christmas shopping season kickoff with the Black Friday super sales. That day is in fact one of the 2 or 3 most optimal days to release something potentially damaging in any calendar year. Of course that is what a competent management team would do. I wonder if it is really possible that they are so incredibly insulated in a thick translucent bubble that they in fact can not relate to the world outside any longer. That would explain their astonishing tone-deafness with all aspects of Windows 8.

So we can be pretty sure that Ballmer and the Board along with billg himself let this thing get wildly out of control. For his part, you would expect that Sinofsky would still have the natural loyalty, no matter how angry he is, to voluntarily hang out for a while or take a vacation or at least keep a lid on his exit until the Weekend or Thanksgiving, right? So the interesting thing is what happened on Monday afternoon that caused Microsoft to issue that press release saying "effective immediately" instead of the more logical "effective at year-end" or "after a period of transition"? There is no way to read it except to imagine he packed his stuff and left.

So unless Sinofsky did something completely off the wall and was fired for cause ( e.g., criminal, immoral, unethical or illegal ) which there is no reason to believe, we have to assume this 'coup' was not of his doing and was instigated from inside Microsoft. This in turn begs the question as to what he might say now in an interview or maybe a book. Certainly he has NDA restrictions concerning Microsoft IP, maybe even a non-compete clause ( though these are very dubious legally and I don't think they have been tested fully ). But Sinofsky is carrying around a lot of info in his head. He no doubt has enough to sink Ballmer and possibly the company if he were so inclined. Which again, makes it astonishing that Ballmer, the Board and billg could allow it to happen. At the very least the management is utterly incompetent. But it is also possible considering the many errors in recent years that the company is FUBAR. And I don't know how you get out of this either. Maybe they can rescue Mark Russinovich from whatever cloud hellhole they stuck him in and beg him to help. But if I were him I would decline.

P.S. One of the stranger conspiracy theories has Microsoft planning on a major stock buyback and therefore all the bad news driving the price down is actually good news since they have enough cash to recover at least a third of all outstanding shares. Conspiracy aside, it is not that far-fetched because buybacks were one of the main methods that IBM employed after the crashes in the late 1980's to shore up their stock. Intentionally driving down the price would naturally make employees and other shareholders nervous of course, but also would invite federal scrutiny like they've never seen so it is admittedly crazy. But we really can not rule out anything these days, can we?

The best theories for Sinofsky's exit ( NeoWin 2012-11-13 )

Report: Bill Gates agreed Sinofsky should leave Microsoft ( NeoWin 2012-11-13 )

EDIT: Added links.

Edited by CharlotteTheHarlot
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey guys, are you hinting that Mr. Sinosky actually lied :w00t::ph34r: here?:

http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/windows-leadership-changes-part-2

Some might notice a bit of chatter speculating about this decision or timing. I can assure you that none could be true as this was a personal and private choice that in no way reflects any speculation or theories one might read—about me, opportunity, the company or its leadership.

As I’ve always believed in making space for new leaders as quickly as possible, this announcement is effective immediately and I will assist however needed with the transition.

jaclaz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Views from the inside ...

A Microsoft Without Sinofsky? ( Mini-Microsoft 2012-11-13 )

The thread has 163 comments so far, many ( if not most ) are Softies, all posting anonymously, displaying their amazement, astonishment and theories at the sudden exit of Sinofsky. It is quite an Earthquake. Lots of speculation, personal encounters and nuggets of information. If I had to tally the opinions I believe it is fair to say that Sinofsky is better liked than Julie, who is better liked than Ballmer. The engineers and programming grunts were clearly pulling for Sinofsky to replace Ballmer. There is much, much more. There is also a faction that parallels those of us in threads like this that are disgusted with the lurching towards Apple and the destruction of Windows. The overall tone is dismal. The theme song would be funeral march. No need to read Thurrott's skimpy self-serving tidbits any longer, listen to employees and ex-employees themselves Just a small sample ...

Good riddance, Mr. Sinofsky. Unfortunately for MS, Julie Larson Green makes the man look like a genius.

Could this be a primer to a massive reorg ? God, not Green, she is so short sighted and never original. Good riddance to Steve S. Wish we could add B to the list. How many chances do the Board of Directors give Steve B, Spineless folks pocketing msft $$$$$.

What facts do you have to back that up? Sounds like you're another opinionated MSoftie.

Also, why are you panning Julie already? Another ax to grind?"

First: I drive by the Microsoft store every day. The first week after Surface released it was fairly busy -- it's now a ghost town while the Apple store across the street is always SRO. Given that it's the only store where can buy Surface, that tells you everything you need to know.

And seriously - real the media commentary. Even ignoring Ballmer's "sales are modest" quote, they're all saying that consumer interest has fallen off a cliff over the last week. It's as dead as Windows Phone. But don't take my word for it, just wait and see.

As for Julie, she's one of those Microsofties who everyone always threw their hands up about whenver we heard she was promoted again. They are all over Microsoft -- people with no actual talent but who excel in the art of succeeding in a big corporate environment. Seriously, search out her talks on Youtube -- the woman is barely cogent at the best of times, and at her worst she's an unintentional comedian.

I left Microsoft a while ago so my axes are long since ground. Now I just enjoy watching the clown car roll along.

"Julie Larson didn't create the ribbon - Jensen Harris and others did. She was just a muddling middle manager the entire time she was involved in the process."

EXACTLY MY POINT. But who got all the credit and the promotion to VP? Julie.

BTW: This blog, which I don't recall ever reading, actually dates to 2004 and I'm looking forward to reading back into the different eras for internal insight when other dramatic events occurred like Vista and various Google and Apple releases for example. No time at the moment ( :lol: ) so I hope this thing survives for a while! Update: links to more of these: Mini-Like Sites

EDIT: Added link. Here's another that many Softies in that thread will disagree with: Microsoft and Google in world's top five best places to work.

Edited by CharlotteTheHarlot
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Views from the inside ...

A Microsoft Without Sinofsky? ( Mini-Microsoft 2012-11-13 )

Wow, another great excuse to spend an afternoon not getting work done. ;)

Here's my favorite comment from that blog post:

Mark my words: Ballmer will announce his retirement soon. Sinofsky left because he was informed he wouldn't be considered for the CEO job.

Julie LG and Tami Reller's appointments are only temporary. A massive re-org (either timed to Ballmer's retirement or sure to follow in his replacement's first quarter) is a certainty.

That'd be great -- it would complete the cleanout of the Three Stooges who gave us that Windows 8 abomination.

--JorgeA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A lawyer is suing Microsoft for false advertising after his 32GB Surface slab turned up with 16GB of free space.

//

Sokolowski hopes, however, that his complaint will gain class-action status

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/11/15/surface_lawsuit/

Get in on this, if you feel you were wronged. For some reason I feel it will be a very small class. :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A lawyer is suing Microsoft for false advertising after his 32GB Surface slab turned up with 16GB of free space.

//

Sokolowski hopes, however, that his complaint will gain class-action status

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/11/15/surface_lawsuit/

Get in on this, if you feel you were wronged. For some reason I feel it will be a very small class. :rolleyes:

Is that because there will be so many delighted Surface customers that few will want to sue, or because there'll be so few Surface buyers that there won't be all that many eligible to sue? ;)

--JorgeA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Live Long and Prosper SteveSi ( Hal's (Im)Perfect Vision 2012-11-13 )

Interesting blog. So interesting that Sinofsky drops by to add a comment.

Sinofsky speaks, denies he tried to take over Windows Phone division at Microsoft ( The Verge 2012-11-15 )

Reaction to the drive-by from Sinofsky.

Ballmer praises Sinofsky, still no reason for exit ( NeoWin 2012-11-15 )

But look at what they are calling praise ...

Steven has made one of most amazing contributions anybody will ever make to any company in terms of guiding key activities and engineering systems, I wish him well. He's always recommended if you make a change you make it on a product boundary.

Man that's cold!

Screen_Shot_2012-11-14_at_7.51.37_PM_610x402.pngGodfather-MarlonBrando-movie.jpg

( Images at CNet and Regulus )

EDIT: added link

Edited by CharlotteTheHarlot
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Paul Thurrott offers thoughts that may surprise some in his personal "verdict" on Windows 8:

I dont honestly think that most people will dislike Windows 8 on traditional computers. I dont really believe that the lack of a Start button is unsurmountable, that any normal person cant, after just a few days of use, figure out how things work and be efficient in this new system.

But I also have a hard time believing that any normal personthat is, any non-enthusiastwould want to, or should, go through the time, effort, and potential disaster of upgrading a perfectly good Windows 7-based PC to Windows 8.

(Of course, it's not hard to think of computing "enthusiasts" who won't be coming anywhere near Windows 8...)

And here he expresses frustration at the insertion of ads into Metro apps:

Ads are unacceptable in Windows 8 for the same reason they’re unacceptable in the Xbox 360 Dashboard, another place where Microsoft is pushing the boundaries: You pay for these products, so they don’t need to be further subsidized. (And why Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers still see ads in the 360 is an insult I’ll never understand.)

There should be no ads in Windows 8. Period.

--JorgeA

Edited by JorgeA
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's an incisive critique of the Windows 8 UX from somebody who evidently gave it a lot of thought.

For touch, having cascading menus is harder because the gigantic icons to cater for the huge finger hotspot takes up too much space and leave little room for cascading menus to be practical. For PC users, we don't want icons (we have since graduated from kindergarten), and often, we use fast keys (because we have a keyboard) to jump to a menu item, and grouping and cascading menus is a time-tested excellent scaling solution. Textual lists are easier to search as they can be in sorted in alphabetical order. What is the sort order for icons? Colors? Picture complexity? Faced with a 1920x1080 screen of icons, I have a hard time locating what I am looking for. For the type of work I am doing, the difference between 0.2s and 2s is 10X, a big number.
Right now the Metro Modern UI is unsuitable for the PC. As an example which I face many times a day, I press the Windows key and type in something, the letters I type are shown on the FAR RIGHT of my 1920x1080 screen. The search results of what I type appear on the FAR LEFT of the screen. But the thing I want is under Settings instead of Apps and so I have to swing to the FAR RIGHT of the screen to select Settings. Then my attention has to switch to the FAR LEFT of the screen for the results. And if I right click an item shown, the context menu is not in context but at the FAR BOTTOM of the screen. Don't you think this is a giant leap backward if not comical?

And check out the concurring opinion by @xpclient three posts down.

--JorgeA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...