Now that PC users have the chance to upgrade to the Windows 8 interface, there is a great deal of debate going on about Microsoft’s new operating system. While there is no denying that the new Windows 8 setup is inventive and completely different than the previous one, the verdict is still out on whether the new setup is user friendly, especially for long-time Windows users. For most Windows fans, the biggest question about the new system lies in the redesigned “Start button,” or the blatant lack of a traditional Start button, which many users are already stating is confusing.
When Windows began accepting orders for their new operating system earlier this month, many Windows users quickly looked to see what the new, highly anticipated Windows 8 would look like. What many likely didn’t expect was the operating system’s noticeable embrace of the tablet setup and that Windows 8 had completely redesigned the Start button that has been a staple of their system for years.
The once reliable button conveniently tucked in the lower left corner of their screen that once allowed users inside the entire system, has now been replaced. Instead, users can find a bright and dynamic “Start Page” that covers the entire interface and features colorful tiles filled with system information.
While Microsoft clearly tried to think outside the box with its new Windows 8 Start Page interface, early complaints have already surfaced about the usability of this new feature. At a basic level, the addition of the Start screen has created an entirely new way to use the computer, to organize information, and to access files and programs.
While there is coordination and organization to the interface, the fact that Windows has deviated so far from their normal structure will likely confuse users — at least at first. While there will be younger generations of users who will catch on quickly to the new system, there is an entire group of users who will likely be unable to forget Windows 7 as they attempt to learn Windows 8 and remember the differences between the two interfaces.
The biggest summation from those who have used or previewed Windows 8 is simply that there is a steep learning curve involved with adapting to the new system. Reactions have detected that many will find this newly enhanced Start screen complicated. Even if some users are finding the interface to be highly usable, the big issue for many lies not in the system, but in the change.
What Windows fans will have to remember is that, as with most forms of technology, there will come a point where the decision to upgrade is virtually out of their hands. Whether Windows fans think the new operating system is right for them or not, by the time Windows has officially launched the new system, by December most new PC computers will likely come with this new Windows 8 operating system. Ready or not, confused or not, PC users will at some time need to learn this new way to use Windows.
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