I think what MS are trying to do is to satisfy your average user, but leaving features in for the power user too, but have struggled to create a working relationship between the two. People are screaming the apocalypse at Windows 8, but as usual, folks over react. Yeah, it ain't what everybody wants, but I think continuously having the *same* approach allows for things to be stagnant, that said, it doesn't mean all risks will play out to an advantage.
Really, working in customer services you find how non-technically minded many people are and many of whom would consider themselves techno-phobes. Heck, even with Smart TV's, LG are marketing a new range of Smart TV's and some of their Smart Phones as "making things simple again", WebOS is designed in such away that it is simple, but really...I would argue that Smart TV's in general are very simple and I've barely touched one.
At work, I have to find a means of making things I think are simple even simpler. It makes me feel like a minority, but it's not obvious to most folk, heck, my mum gets confused by her iPad sometimes and I facepalm it, but it's simply the things people don't invest the time in to learn or simply don't have the means to grasp the concepts of or in some cases, are willfully ignorant of. We share our devices with these people and companies want to not just make them accessible to us, but also them. Perhaps you could argue they *should* invest the time, but then, they may invest that time in other areas of their lives - perhaps things that people such as ourselves are pretty ignorant of. Computers are very integral to the modern life and have been increasingly doing so for the last couple of decades, so it's not stupid to try and make them more accessible.
I am not concerned about the future of Microsoft or their operating systems. In fact, I am more hopeful, why? I used to be a strong MS hater back in the 98 and early XP days, now I would find it hard to give up. For me, I'm able to do exactly what I want, I know how I can do it, I can do the technical stuff I want and I find it incredibly stable and fluid by comparison to previous Windows experiences. For me that's the important point: stability and fluidity (Vista was bloated, but Windows 7 is extremely responsive, even by comparison to XP). I am of the opinion Windows 7 and 8 are good steps in the right direction, though the latter could have been executed much better, but that's what Windows 9 is for. Of course, people don't necessarily favour change, particularly in how an operating system works or how to use the interface, but I feel one of the characteristics of being an IT nerd is the ability to understand principles of an operating systems and being able to adapt efficiently. Things change at fast pace as technologies improve. Yes, not all of them are favourable, but the fact I see so many IT geeks profess how difficult it is to work with Windows 8 makes me laugh, because I found it REALLY easy to get into. Would I say it's worth paying for the upgrade? No, I paid £25 for it on release, so I have no complaints, it was an amount worth punting for. Now that it's full price I would say to anybody currently running Windows 7, even those who like how Win 8 works that unless they're looking to develop for Windows Apps, then it's not worth it. For those getting a PC with Windows 8 on it, I would say, it's worth trying it with an open mind and if Windows 7 is still preferred to down grade if they're willing to pay for the software.
