Start Button Back in Windows 8.1?

Now, one thing I want to settle; one of my tech pet peeves is having a tech news site with posts containing…rumors. Yes, fucking rumors. One, is cause they’re just that. Rumors. Nobody knows if they came from a source close to Microsoft, or just someone that has nothing better to do than spreading bullshit. Let’s remember something about a rumor from the so-called “Windows Mobile 7”.

Back when this spread, these screenshots seemed to be something quite tempting… Too tempting to be real. But it just resulted to be a fake. Look at the Word screenshot. It is just a Word 2007 screenshot forced to fit into the fake Mobile UI. FAIL.

Back into business; once again, I hate rumors, and I would NEVER post rumory shit unless it is officially confirmed. But this one really deserves our attention.

Anyways, it is said that, given the demands from the users and even manufacturers, the failure of their latest OS, which has triggered a downfall in the PC market, Microsoft is changing their mind and is bringing the Start button back into the Windows 8 Desktop in their next update: Windows 8.1, also called Windows Blue, besides a feature to boot directly to the Desktop itself. Well, I don’t know why Microsoft has decided to shove the Metro UI into everyone’s computers, touchscreen or not. It was just the worst decision ever, and most users complained about the so drastic changes. According to the…ahem…rumors, the Start button would have the old Start menu no more, but it would send the user back to the Metro Start screen. My opinion is: don’t give anything as a fact. I’m not going to judge, or review any of the leaks (since they’re still early WIP), I’m going to wait for a beta release to give my opinion on the matter.

Windows RT: Dead from the mere beginning

I know. Most of my blog posts are dedicated to lambasting Microsoft’s latest operating system, its new “Modern UI” interface, crippled desktop, yadda yadda. I’ve been focusing on most aspects that most users loathe about the OS. But at least, it can still run legacy software. Even old Windows 3.11 programs (unless the OS is 64-bit), and that is somewhat an advantage for people still running such apps, or even games. But, there’s something worse than Windows 8 aka Windows ME-3; and it is its “little brother”, Windows RT.

What is Windows RT? It is basically Windows 8, optimized for ARM tablets. It is somewhat the successor to Windows CE-powered devices, which mostly run on ARM architecture. And thus, it will only be sold with ARM-powered devices.

Microsoft has spent millions promoting Windows ME-3 and RT, along with their Surface tablet, and if Windows ME-3 seems to have the word FAIL imprinted in its very code, Windows RT might be the new Microsoft Bob.

A Windows CE desktop. Note its similarities with a traditional Windows OS.

Now you might ask yourself: was this a good idea? It would have been, if Microsoft didn’t mess up with how the OS is marketed and how does it work.

Windows RT’s desktop.

Microsoft confuses users regarding Windows RT vs. Windows 8 – While RT is a trimmed-down version of its desktop counterpart, it is not exactly the same thing. RT runs on ARM processor, while Windows 8 Core/Pro/Enterprise and the upcoming Windows Embedded 8 run on x86 and x64 processors. They don’t even have the same features. Even Microsoft fails to tell the differences between one and another.

Desktop software – Being a different architecture, RT will NOT run your traditional apps. For the desktop, it will only run the apps it came with (for example, Office RT), and Windows Store apps. Now, an user has recently developed a jailbreak tool to run unsigned Desktop software, but again, in order to run, it has to be re-compiled into ARM architecture in order to run in RT. If you cannot run your desktop software, then why the hell does RT have a desktop in the first place? It is pointless in my opinion. It is yet to be tested if software designed for Windows CE/Windows Mobile can run in Windows RT or not.

It is an utter waste of money – Microsoft wasted their money developing such a crippled OS, which seems not to have a bright future at all. They’ve clearly made a terrible mistake here. Any OEM making devices with RT is wasting money as not too many end users will be interested in a limited system. And given the limitations it has, any user buying RT is wasting their money, too. So here’s my advice; if you are thinking on getting a new computer, invest your money in one still with Windows 7, or at least, any desktop edition of Windows 8 (Pro or Core).

Windows 8’s price to increase about 400% starting February.

If you have planned in getting an upgrade copy of Windows ME-3 Pro, you still may get it for the unusually low price of $39.99 USD until January 31st. After that, Microsoft has stated they’ll be increasing the price to $199 USD for an upgrade license. Another nail to the coffin in my opinion.

Now, everyone knows how has Microsoft’s latest OS been struggling lately, having an adoption rate even lower than that of Windows Vista (aka Windows ME-2), despite, according to Microsoft, having sold over 60 million licenses, a number that seems to be ridiculously high if we get to see the low adoption rate (mostly by new computers). If Windows 8 is not selling well right now, it will sell even less when the prices go up.

Now, why is Microsoft soaring the prices up? If your OS does not seem to sell well, if it doesn’t get the results you expected, if people constantly lambasts your product, even if you’re selling it at a very attractive price you’ve got a bloody problem. And Microsoft needs to fix it ASAP if they don’t want to go bankrupt. Far from raising their earnings, people will end up boycotting the new OS. It is confusing and appalling for desktop users, who, in my opinion, will stick to Windows 7 or even XP for a while. You failed, MS.