It’s Official: Windows 8 Is a Design Failure

For all the hubbub over Windows 8's new design, and how it's better suited to the newer generation of interactive touchscreen devices, Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) most loyal customers want a PC they recognize. Windows 8 is a design failure for these users.

How do we know? The good folks at The Register quote data from PC management firm Soluto that says more than half of all Windows 8 users ignore the new start menu in order to preserve old habits. Touchscreen laptop and tablet owners also largely avoid Windows 8's most advanced features. No wonder sales haven't lived up to expectations, says Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova.

Mr. Softy's problem is that it hasn't trained users to accept disruptive changes in design and development in the same way that Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) has. Instead, Windows customers expect Microsoft to be stable and predictable. Modernizing -- as Microsoft did with Windows 8 -- means risking alienating big chunk of the installed base, Tim says.

Do you agree? Please watch the video to get Tim's full take, and then let us know how you're using Windows 8.

A hard road for Mr. Softy
Is the brave new world of smart devices an opportunity for Microsoft, or a threat? A Motley Fool analyst answers this question and more in a new premium report on Microsoft. The report includes regular updates as key events occur, so make sure to claim your copy now by clicking here.

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