Windows 8 — Disappointing Usability for Both Novice and Power Users
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Re: Windows 8 — Disappointing Usability for Both Novice and Power Users
#2Wow. Scathing:
One of the worst aspects of Windows 8 for power users is that the product's very name has become a misnomer. "Windows" no longer supports multiple windows on the screen. Win8 does have an option to temporarily show a second area in a small part of the screen, but none of our test users were able to make this work. Also, the main UI restricts users to a single window, so the product ought to be renamed "Microsoft Window."
I wasn't aware of this "feature"...what a disaster.
Re: Windows 8 — Disappointing Usability for Both Novice and Power Users
#3Thanks. I was wondering when Jakob Nielsen would review Windows 8's UX. I agree the mono-color icons are a mistake. Icons exist for a reason - to differentiate between each app, and have its own unique identify. It's much less the case with Windows 8 icons because they are all white and mostly undifferentiated. It just makes it harder for the brain to process which is which, and where is what you're looking for, or what an icon means.
Re: Windows 8 — Disappointing Usability for Both Novice and Power Users
#4Oh, wow, that “Change PC settings” button (if you can call it that) is abhorrent. How can something like that happen? How are you even supposed to know that’s a button? Is it more often the case with Windows 8 that buttons have zero indication that they are buttons?
Re: Windows 8 — Disappointing Usability for Both Novice and Power Users
#5Wow. Scathing: One of the worst aspects of Windows 8 for power users is that the product's very name has become a misnomer. "Windows" no longer supports multiple windows on the screen. Win8 does have an option to temporarily show a second area in a small part of the screen, but none of our test users were able to make this work. Also, the main UI restricts users to a single window, so the product ought to be renamed…
Metro apps, or whatever they are calling them nowadays, do take over the entire screen, desktop apps are as they have always been and can be opened as many as you like, and arranged as you like given your screen real-estate. I routinely have 5-10 windows open at any given time on my desktop that is running Windows 8.
Re: Windows 8 — Disappointing Usability for Both Novice and Power Users
#6linux
Re: Windows 8 — Disappointing Usability for Both Novice and Power Users
#7Windows 8 must be the slowest train wreck in computing history, it's been being reviewed as crap for over a year now and they keep chugging along.
It's funny to read all the comments from over a year ago and how nothing has changed since then - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/10/18/designing-sear...
Re: Windows 8 — Disappointing Usability for Both Novice and Power Users
#8linux
It even supports Netflix now: http://www.iheartubuntu.com/2012/11/ppa-for-netflix-desktop-...
Tested it myself.
Re: Windows 8 — Disappointing Usability for Both Novice and Power Users
#9I've been using Windows 8 since roughly two weeks before its launch, and I agree with most of the article.
In fact, I just realized that I never use a single "Modern UI" app for the simple reason that they force my entire screen (2560x1440, 27") to be filled by one app. Such a waste of space. In desktop mode I often have four 1280x720 windows on my screen.
Windows 8 might just be the push I needed to switch to Linux.
Re: Windows 8 — Disappointing Usability for Both Novice and Power Users
#10Windows 8 must be the slowest train wreck in computing history, it's been being reviewed as crap for over a year now and they keep chugging along. It's funny to read all the comments from over a year ago and how nothing has changed since then - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/10/18/designing-sear...
And the driver was just pushed overboard, yikes.