On Sun, Jan 27, 2013 at 8:54 PM, Jason Hsu <jhsu802701 at jasonhsu.com> wrote:
> As a Linux user, I've been so spoiled by the user-friendliness of Linux Mint, Puppy Linux,
> and antiX Linux.  Windows 8 is even worse than Unity.  I felt completely out to sea.

I posit that you (nor 95% of TCLUG list members) may not be
Microsoft's target market for Windows 8.

> There were some Windows 7 computers there as well, and Windows 7 (at least in the
> configuration I saw) didn't look that different from Windows XP, the last Windows OS
> I have significant experience with.  I can't imagine how anyone who likes Windows XP
> or 7 will like Windows 8.  Anyone who objects to Unity will hate Windows 8 even more.

The "blocky" Metro UI seems to be the main point of consternation, and
from what I understand, that is fairly easy to disable. I'd imagine
that most corporate IT departments will just disable Metro via a Group
Policy. As for home users, well, they have a remarkable ability to
figure things out. The vast majority of "laypeople" deal with major OS
UI changes each time they buy a new computer anyway, so while the Win8
UI is quite different, it's not insurmountably so for most of
Microsoft's customers.

Look, Microsoft isn't stupid. They have many *very* smart people
working for them, some of which contributed in a significant way to
the Windows 8 UI changes. Some say that MS overreached with their
changes, but IMHO a year or two from now, we'll all look back on this
as a small blip on an tech radar that's cluttered with many other more
interesting things to discuss and marvel about.

UI aside, I must complement Microsoft for the progress they've made
with regards to security and stability over the last couple OS
releases. I've been fortunate in my career to be charged with
maintaining significant numbers of both Windows and Linux servers, so
I've gotten to see the good, the bad, and the ugly of both, and
believe me, *both* Linux and Windows have provided each their fair
share of security vulnerabilities, instability, and headaches through
the years.

-Erik