Microsoft Windows 8 hasn't received the warmest of welcomes from Windows PC users. Complaints voiced about Windows 8 mainly consist of a dislike of the new user interface, and the missing Start button in particular.
Changing software is not always a smooth transition. Many Windows PC users become accustomed to and comfortable with their existing operating system. Windows XP is still the favorite of some users today, as some were not too accepting of Windows Vista. Some users who updated to Vista were less than satisfied and opted to downgrade back to Windows XP. Vista brought about headaches, with numerous reported glitches and incompatibility issues.
Microsoft got it right with the release of Windows 7, which proved successful among users. Ultimately, Windows 7 was the operating system that Vista intended to be. Two years later, Microsoft attempted to stay innovative with the introduction of Windows 8. Users haven't fully embraced the complete operating system overhaul. Gone are the all-too-familiar desktop icons, replaced with tiles that function as the apps or widgets seen on mobile smartphones.
Recent reports about the long-awaited Windows 8.1 update, code named "Windows Blue," suggest that Microsoft may go back to the interface that PC users seem to prefer. Leaked photos of Windows 8.1 build 9369, due for a June release, show the familiar Windows user interface and users may see the return of the start button. With Windows 8.1, users may have the option to run either the new tiled user interface or the traditional Windows look. Microsoft appears to want to encourage more users to transition to Windows 8 with the revamped interface of Windows 8.1. Offering consumers a sense of familiarity may be just what needs to happen.
According to worldwide statistics from Net Applications, 45 percent of people use Windows 7 and 39 percent still use Windows XP, which is considered by many to be the most stable Windows operating system. Only 3 percent of PC users have migrated over to Windows 8. Analysts are linking the decline of PC sales to the fact that many Windows 7 users refuse to upgrade to Windows 8.
"Unfortunately, it seems clear that the Windows 8 launch not only didn't provide a positive boost to the PC market, but appears to have slowed the market," Vice President of International Data Corporation (IDC), Bob O' Donnell said.
