We were excited to hear today that the long awaited Windows 8 operating system launched a day early. The reports have been rampant from early adopters of the product detailing the good- increased functionality and attractive interface, to the ugly – namely, the Start-less home screen that contributes to an unaccustomed learning curve for a Windows product.
But in their press event, Windows executives were confident and very enthusiastic about how much people will learn to love Windows 8 once they get past how different it looks. Chief executive Steve Ballmer encouraged the crowd to head out to stores and try out new Windows 8 machines. “In the case of Windows 8, seeing, touching, clicking, and swiping is really believing.”
And there have been reports of reviewers changing their minds after having some time to get used the new interface. As one writer on ZDNet who wrote a bad review particularly focusing on the Start menu commented, “As soon as a new drop of the OS hits all of the amateur and professional pundits pile on to comment. Because Windows 8 is so weird, most of these articles end up being negative. I do wonder how many writers have crafted a piece that’s harsh on Windows 8 when they started using it, only to look back and regret it weeks later just like I did.”
Even more than the improved UI that consumers have to see to understand, Windows 8 really should enable developers to expand the utility of applications from mostly smart phones to the personal computer. While the “immersive” style app may seem foreign to us now, it is beginning to look like the wave of the future.
To that end, they have “provided developers with a set of C++ Windows Runtime (WinRT) APIs giving comprehensive access to the OS capabilities, exposing them to managed and unmanaged code, and to JavaScript, and a new version of Visual Studio with plenty of Metro templates.” Windows has also recently launched the Windows Store to enable the sale of what will hopefully be a new explosion of apps.
While there has been some concern as to whether Metro Style apps and Windows 8 will be appropriate for the business environment, an interesting set of case studies we found today point to its utility for a number of business instances. Features like longer tablet battery life for sales people and the usefulness of the Windows to Go sticks for construction workers out in the field help explain that.
Entrance is looking forward to seeing how public perception of Windows 8 develops as more people use the operating system. We are also staying on top of how this product can help the bottom line of our customers.
Read more about how Windows 8 is changing the user experience here.