It's funny that you say that Roloccolor because there have been times I've actually been looking for files only to realize the command-prompt window which I usually keep on the left was covering them up!  hehe

http://news.yahoo.com/quarterly-personal-computer-sales-decline-steepest-record-202342978--finance.html

Some quotes....

"Apple Inc was not immune from the decline, as some sales of its own Macs appeared to be displaced by iPads. Its U.S. PC sales fell 7.5 percent in the quarter, but it held on to its spot as No. 3 U.S. PC manufacturer, behind HP and Dell."

"Both firms [IDC and Gartner] blamed the sales drop on fading sales of netbooks, the small laptops that have been rendered obsolete by tablets, and more consumer spending going toward smartphones."

"Microsoft's new Windows 8 actually deterred potential PC buyers, IDC said, as users felt they could not afford touch-screen models required to make the most of Windows 8, even though the system runs equally well on standard PCs and laptops.  'People think they have to have touch, and they go look at the price points for these touch machines, and they are above where they want to be and they say, "I guess I'll wait," said Bob O'Donnell, an analyst at IDC."

Conclusions:

• Tablet/smartphone market is the main reason for PC sales decline
• W8 is certainly not helping sales, but that's a far cry from being the cause of PC sales declines
• Ignorance about W8 is abundant and adversely affecting sales (ex: people think they have to have a touch screen in order to use W8, which is utterly wrong)

Terry, Terry, Terry, what am I going to do with you?  All this "epic fail" talk, and "people telling Microsoft that with their wallets", yet no mention of the many contributing factors as to why Win 8 hasn't done so well from a market perspective. 

One vital point that must be mentioned is the piss poor state of the economy in those countries hardest hit by the GFC... with the US being high on that list if not at the top.  Fact is, the US economy still hasn't recovered and unemployment is high, so is it really a case of people [in any country] rebuking MS over Win 8 and voting with their wallets, or is it a case of having nothing in their wallets to consider purchasing Windows of any flavour? For mine, the latter has the greater air of truth about it... and does not prove Windows 8 to be an epic fail.

Another vital point is the ongoing craze for mobile/portable devices, and how two companies have the mobile market pretty much sewn up with their IOS and Android operating systems. So, if people have money to spend on computing consumables, they are more likely to go with products that have been tried and true.   Now while Microsoft has entered this market and made some inroads with Windows 8 devices, it is a late comer and is competing against proven performers, therefore sales are not going to be ideal at such an early juncture.  However, this does not prove Windows 8 is an epic fail.  It merely suggests a market shift and that other platforms have the greater market share due to pre-existing popularity.

Now this is what really peeves me, that Metro is the reason Win 8 supposedly sux.... why so many people say they hate it.  Frankly, anybody who flat out condemns Win 8 purely on the basis of Metro hasn't bothered to investigate or navigate the OS properly.  With a bit of common sense and a bit of effort, Win 8 can be set up to do everything Win 7 and previous OSes could do.... and that's without having to keep going back into the Metro UI.... AND without having to resort to installing 3rd party start buttons/menus. 

Yes, I have Start8 installed, but I rarely use it nowadays because I have Win 8 set up to suit my needs, with shortcuts and icons for my most used programs, with Winstep's Worshelf containing all the places I need to go within the OS.  I rarely see the Metro UI, and if/when I do it's because I call it up because I want to access the store and/or an app.

So, all this drivel, baloney and bullshit about Metro being the reason to hate Win 8, it's pathetic and whiney assed nonsense, just a piss weak excuse for some to mouth off because they have eff all else to whine about.

In general I agree with you, but the US unemployment rate has supposedly improved.

Of course, it makes no mention of how many people stopped bothering trying to find work since they couldn't.  It's a little stilted, but then, it always has been.

Still, it certainly undoubtedly shifted peoples buying patterns.  I imagine a lot of people are less willing to just pile on the debt that was a cornerstone of the previous economy.

It's a bit like it is here... up and down like Mary's pants.

We have these statistics that say one week employment is up, and another week the statistics say unemployment is up.

Then other weeks it's neither up nor down.... cos Mary forgot to put any on, and thus cannot join the jobless queue.

For mine, employment/unemployment figures are used by governments to deal whatever fiscal/economic cards they see fit to inflict

Undoubtedly, and Windows 8 isn't the only OS to suffer.  Apple's OS-X has seen a decline in sales also.

True, portable devices are flavour of the month right now, but they're not going to take over completely from the desktop PC.  Companies like Intel; AMD; Nvidia; Creative; Asus; Gigabyte and other hardware manufacturers are still developing for the desktop market and do not appear to be slowing down any time soon, so it's most likely that desktop PC's will be with us for a few more decades yet.

Boy, these conversations will just never end. 

I know, I didn't have to click on it and read, should have just ignored it.

The idea that just because you happen to like it makes it the epitome of form and function is beyond arrogant.  I've had win 8 on one of my computers for quite some time and still don't like the metro interface.  I think I've given it a more than fair run.  

I see no reason to be force fed a touch screen interface in order to conform to Microsoft and their fanboys.

Sure, Win 8 hasn't been proven to be a failure and certainly not an "epic fail", but certainly at your age, you can see things from a perspective other than your own.

OK, I'm off of my soapbox now.  Waiting on the hope that Win 9 will be better.

On a site called 'Wincustomize.com" you are definitely within the minority.

The whole point of people's [here] displeasure with 8 is exactly its GUI.  Even its avid LOVERS grudgingly yearn for WB8 to improve things...and yet it's this very GUI "advancement" that prolongs its [WB] release.

IF there were actually no real issue with MS' direction they have taken with the PC OS GUI then such programs as Start8 and ModernMix would NOT be as popular as they are.

To suggest those who ARE dissatisfied with 8 are simply sheep following bad press is quite demeaning [and wrong].  Each PC USER uses his/her PC through/via its GUI.  Most care little about whether or not the underlying OS itself is better or not [provided whatever it is is reasonably reliable and idiot-proof].

Yes, there ARE other reasons contributing to poor sales....though comparatively the same factors have always generally applied.  The reality is said factors do NOT explain the magnitude of the 'fail'ed success, and it is patently obvious the product itself is blameworthy.

As a microcosm of Computer users Wincustomize.com will be heavily prejudiced towards an importance directed towards GUI design/implementation/success - where it's-OK-I-can-adapt-to-anything-because-I-am-good will actually be few and far between.

Flaws in an OS GUI have always led to outside 're-thinking' - a conscious attempt to better an interface.  All versions of the MS OS have led rise to this....from Dos vintage to today.  Whether it's a GUI for Dos...or for Win3 or Win95/XP, 7 or 8 they have ALWAYS been there.

The difference is...in 7 there was a decline in actual 'need' but in 8 there's a resurgence.

Colour it any way you like, but the fact remains in this area of the woods concensus will see 8 as an error of judgement...

I can definitively say that I am not on that site.

And don't care what WB8 does or doesn't do, since last (several) time(s) I tried WB it made games unstable so I uninstalled it.

i still win8 and wp8. they work very well on my desktop, surface pro, and phone.i also like office 2013. 

No, you're on 'Stardock Forums', so rather than being on the site hosting GUI modification skins you are on the Primary site of the company producing the GUI modification programs for which Wincustomize.com hosts skins.

Again you will be in a minority...

Always have been on this site.  I was more interested in the games.

Now my interest is mainly that I still like you guys, whether I think you're full of it or not

To my recollection I have not visited wincustomize.com nor have I posted from there (actually I believe there are a few replies to posts maybe, but only because I clicked on another link directing me there).  I visit the stardock forums from a general IT, networking and gaming perspective.  I have always posted from that same perspective.

I don't believe I have referred to anyone as sheep, or following bad press or that the new UI isn't a problem for people.  It just isn't a problem for me.  In fact I specifically pointed out the following:

In an effort to suggest that of course people are free to not like it because of UI, I just expect people to understand that some like me who might care more about what's under the hood than the topical (UI) could still actually like it?  I understand I'm in the minority here thanks!  Again, I actually pointed it out.......

In any case......being in the minority doesn't (at least not yet) make one's opinion any less valid that that of the majority.

RedneckDude

reply 51

On a site called 'WinCustomize.com" you are definitely within the minority.

 

 

   

Might mean something to me if I visited or posted at winCustomize and expected to change someone's mind about customizing their OS (which of course I don't).........    

No...that was not referencing you...I had moved on to respond to everyone else in general.

Again, however the excuse [as it were] you were not commenting from Wincustomize doesn't save you...as comment #54 applies to you too...

I just kinda wish I could stop hearing about it.

You all know my opinion just like I know yours, we keep having these conversations and the tech media is just feeding the fire for pageviews.

Mac sales are down, are we saying Windows 8 caused that too?

Seriously, the whole 'pointing fingers' thing is just silly.  There is always more than one reason.

Anyway, I think I've said my piece about three billion times, so I'm off.

I don't know if it was directed at me or someone else, but it is hard to deny that misinformation about W8 is abundant...

There is a huge difference between not getting W8 because you want a start menu and not getting W8 because you believe you can't have multiple programs open simultaneously...the actual deficiencies of W8 are a problem, but so are the perceived deficiencies...