cancel2 2022
Canceled
Those of us who live on the bleeding edge of technology are not normal. I've been using Windows 8, for example, on a daily basis, and while there are still bits of it that aggravate me, I've become more or less acclimated to its idiosyncrasies. But in less than a month, the general public will start having its first brush with Windows 8, and average PC users will suddenly encounter a strange new world that, based on my experience today, will drive them to the edge of frustration.
My wife was home sick today with bronchitis, and wanted to get some work done. But her laptop wasn't working (my daughter had mislaid the powerbrick), so she turned to me for tech support. I gave her a notebook I had loaded with the Windows 8 RTM and Office 2013 Home preview. I showed her a few basic things, and then went back to work.
That's right—I gave my sick wife a brand new operating system and an updated Office suite to use with 5 minutes of training. I'm surprised she didn't call a divorce lawyer. I wasn't handing Windows 8 to a tech novice. My wife is the textbook definition of an information worker, and she spends a good deal of time helping out both colleagues and customers with tech issues. But the Start screen and settings were Chinese finger traps to her, and the navigation between "Desktop" and Metro was maddening.
And while she kept mostly to the safe path within Word 2013, she found it just different enough to drive her nuts. The same was true of the browser experience. Some Web application editing controls simply didn't function well. The changes in the browser interface were less than intuitive—"How do I change the search engine? How do I bookmark this?," she had to ask. While she eventually managed to get done what she needed to do, I could tell I was going to be paying for the experience for the next week at a minimum. There were several accusations of cruelty.
As my five-minute tutorial became about an hour or so of guided instruction, the degree to which I've sublimated my rage at the new Windows 8 UI became apparent. Perhaps it's because I've watched it evolve from being nightmarish in the first developer preview to merely misery-inducing in the RTM. But it's clear Windows 8 is not safe for public consumption without adequate safety equipment—especially for anyone who ends up supporting its users.
If even a tenth of a percent of new Windows 8 users respond with the level of dismay and distress my wife did, Microsoft and those unlucky enough to be in frontline tech support are going to be at the business end of a volcanic eruption of hate. The reaction will be worst from long-time Windows users, and I'm betting it will cast a shadow on the amount of hate Vista got at launch.
This is why the rollout of Windows 8 to businesses is bound to be slow, if it ever really happens at all. While plenty of applications may work fine, just the shift from Start button to Start Window—and the whole "charms" metaphor on the right side of the screen to navigate—will be enough to cost hours of productivity before people are acclimated to them. Even with some initial user training, desktop support teams unlucky enough to deal with an early Windows 8 rollout will be beating their heads on the helpdesk in short order.
At least corporate users will have a helpdesk, though. But who will those unwitting consumers who find Windows 8 foisted upon them turn to for guidance?
I'm guessing, dear reader, it's you. Perhaps making a tip jar would be wise.
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/10/prepare-for-windows-8-induced-user-rage/
