Although Windows 8 has taken off more slowly than Microsoft had hoped, the new operating system recently hit a milestone of 100 million licenses. Even as Microsoft celebrates this moment, the company admits that the OS remains a work in progress and improvements are coming, explained DailyTech. The next generation of the fabled platform, code-named Windows Blue, is expected to launch this fall, although the exact timing hasn’t been confirmed by the company.
Specific updates about a redesigned Windows operating system haven’t been released, but signs point to Microsoft addressing many of the problems that have frustrated consumers. Forbes contributor Charles Sizemore explained that this will likely include bringing back the “Start” button, which was a much-maligned absentee in Windows 8.
Sizemore noted there are two main reasons that Windows 8 has been poorly received by consumers. For one, consumers don’t like being forced into making a big change quickly, like the move from Windows 7 to 8 which marked a big shift from previous versions of the operating system. Instead of phasing in certain features, like its radically new touchscreen technology, Microsoft bundled changes into Windows 8 all at once, overwhelming some users.
“The learning curve is real, and we need to address it,” said Windows unit co-head Tami Reller, according to DailyTech. “We’re not sitting back and saying, they will get used to it. We’ve considered a lot of different scenarios to help traditional PC users move forward as well as making usability that much better on all devices.”
A second reason is that many Windows users tend to be more conservative, especially in the business setting, when compared, for example, to Mac users. The new OS design, which is centered around a colorful, tiled start screen, is different enough from previous versions of the OS that executives have been slow to warm up to it. This is especially true for older users who have a harder time learning to use new systems.
Can Microsoft regain momentum?
What is interesting about a company like Microsoft, explained Sizemore, is that even though Windows 8 didn’t debut to as much fanfare as expected, the company still has the chance to redeem itself and remain a dominant force in the industry.
“Steve Ballmer called the launching of Windows 8 a ‘bet the company’ moment, but nothing could be further from the truth,” he wrote. “Microsoft’s ‘moats,’ or competitive advantages, are so strong that it can survive and thrive even after making a major miscalculation like this.”
Sizemore added that the new OS does have several new features that he thinks make it a good product. Windows 8 has a consistent and effective interface across a variety of phones, tablets and computing devices and is especially useful on touchscreen devices. Additionally, Microsoft SkyDrive simplifies file management because documents are available anytime, anywhere in the cloud.
Microsoft will remain a key player in the PC world for the foreseeable future, and even with improvements coming soon Windows 8 won’t have all the features that PC users need to keep their systems running smoothly. A quality PC tune-up product like System Mechanic can provide features for fixing problems and improving performance not found in your Windows operating system.
