Microsoft's 11-year itch: The uncelebrated anniversary of Windows 8

Microsoft is seldom awkward erstwhile it comes to anniversaries. However, 1 milestone passed past week that nan institution is still possibly trying to forget: 11 years since nan motorboat of Windows 8.

Even pinch nan use of hindsight, 1 cannot flight nan consciousness of "what were they thinking?" erstwhile looking astatine nan operating system.

Microsoft was still basking successful nan occurrence of Windows 7 arsenic its successor began seeping into nan channel. This hack has memories of firing up a beta and being alarmed by what he saw. Could this really beryllium nan early of Windows? A full-screen Start paper that looked amended suited to a mobile instrumentality and one's acquainted applications hidden down nan scenes?

Microsoft surely thought so, and possibly mindful of nan occurrence of Apple's iPad, had decided to bolt a touch-friendly interface to nan operating system, obscuring nan acquainted desktop pinch chunky, full-screen applications, over-sized fonts, and menus hidden successful various obscure places.

When nan operating strategy was released, The Register described it arsenic "painful and incoherent." However, it was noted that erstwhile a personification had go accustomed to nan operating system's quirks, nan underlying level was really alternatively good. You conscionable had to conflict done a batch of touchscreen delirium that did not use to nan immense mostly of Windows users to get to that all-important "legacy" desktop.

The Windows 8 personification interface made consciousness connected tablets and mobile devices. Microsoft's statement of Surface touchscreen PCs benefited hugely from nan caller moving method. Still, it ne'er represented much than a mini niche of users compared to nan mostly who struggled to understand really a institution that had moved from Windows Vista to Windows 7 could person followed up with… this.

• Windows 8: Microsoft will state victory, but will anyone judge it?
• Salesforce CEO Benioff: Win 8 is 'the extremity of Windows'
• Windows 8 hold prompts PC income droop successful EMEA
• Windows 8 ads deed US screens: Death Metal, exploding laptops

There are various method reasons down Microsoft's approach, not slightest a desire to create a accordant acquisition crossed each its platforms and trade a unifying framework.

Alas, nan institution didn't succeed, and nan operating strategy grounded to surpass its predecessor successful usage.

Windows leader Steven Sinofsky, flush pinch Windows 7 success, would depart from Microsoft soon aft nan debut of Windows 8, and Microsoft worked feverishly to undo immoderate of nan harm pinch Windows 8.1, released little than a twelvemonth aft its predecessor.

The calamity of Windows 8 is that nan arguable personification interface masked what was really a useful upgrade connected Windows 7. It included further information and information features arsenic good arsenic nan preamble of an app store, which was an betterment connected nan various installers and uninstallers recovered successful erstwhile versions of Windows. The full point besides felt a bully woody snappier.

However, that touch-friendly interface sharply divided users. Some liked it, galore did not, and that is what Windows 8 is astir remembered for. Microsoft's tone-deaf insistence connected an interface that served to alienate ample swathes of its personification guidelines remains a determination that nan institution is still moving to rotation backmost today. ®