The Frustration Blues.. Windows 7 or Windows 8?

One of the things that I really wanted to get done with  and out of my hair this morning  was to go over to Carson-Tahoe Hospital’s business offices to pay my doctor bill.. while I was waiting I happened to glance over at the lady behind the counter’s computer monitor and saw the Windows logo on her screen.. I couldn’t help myself..

“7 or 8?” I asked.

“Pardon me?”

“Are you running Windows  7? or Windows  8?”

She said that she thought it was Windows 7  but the look on her face was telling me that it was 8. I’ve seen that look before, Most professional businesses here Seem to want to stick to 7 because its familiar and easy, but a few have turned to the Windows 8..  And much to their dismay the  frustrations that most people feel with W8 is fairly unanimous..  

I had a friend about a month ago that was ready to make the jump from 7 to 8.. He has a Dell machine that was still in good working order that was running a perfectly fine version of  Windows 7 home premium on it, but he’d decided to upgrade before Microsoft decided to force him to. When he decided to ask me what I thought, I told him that he should stick with 7 for as long as he could. Although I'm certainly no expert, I’d seen- first hand,  the Windows metro interface up close during a live demo that they were giving at Best Buy a couple of months ago.. It seemed  confusing and frustrating- not only to the people WATCHING the demo, but as much so to the guy that was giving it. long story short? No thanks.

Against the advice from me and a few others, he decided a week later to make the jump to Window 8,  even though the Dell was still working like a champ. I continued to assure him that nothing but frustration awaited him and that he would be lucky to survive the experience without pulling his hair out by the roots. I did Warn him- several times.  So he bought a new machine with Windows 8 on it, and within two weeks he called to tell me that he was ready to switch back to the Dell with Windows 7 on it.  In conclusion, he’d found the Metro interface to be much too confusing- (Not to mention annoying as hell) There is no start button, no start up menu, (Although I later found out that if you hit the Windows key it gives you something that kind of looks like a traditional Windows Menu.) Anyway, he was done with it within 2 weeks.

Well I can’t say that I didn’t see that coming from six miles away. The thing is from everyone that I’ve talked to, Windows 8 is too drastic a departure from what most people associate with a typical Windows operating system, the tiles on the start up screen were designed- (From what I was told) for a touch screen interface and are just too clunky with a mouse and keyboard on a desk top. for me at least- I think Windows 7 is by far a easier less confusing operating system to learn and I’m sticking with that, it will be interesting to see how Microsoft fixes this. They are saying Windows 8.1 will address and fix most of the problems that most people have been having with the current version. but as with anything concerning Microsoft, I will simply take a wait and see attitude. its ok I can wait for them to fix it.. if they can.