[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Stuart

People are happy with change if
a) it doesn't happen too quickly, and
b) it brings a real advantage to them.

You mention VHS, Audio Tape and CRTs.. Those were all technologies where the replacements brought definite and real advantages to the user. Usually quality of reproduction (although I still think CRT produces better colours than either LCD or LED).

Actually I'm glad you mentioned VHS and Audio Tape, because the replacements for them are good examples of where people readily accepted change. In both cases, people spent (in some cases) a lot of money on media they already had just to get the advantages of the new format (be it CD or DVD). In both cases, CD and DVD (particularly DVD) eventually killed the technology they were replacing.

Please tell me the advantages that the start screen brings over the start menu. The only one I can see is Tiles, but that doesn't give me anything I need when using my desktop PC, and even when I do need information it can provide, it's far easier to access on my phone. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say that the way Microsoft have implemented them in Windows 8, Tiles even get in the way of how I want to use my PC. That's not a good thing for any user interface element.

Also Microsoft forced the change upon their users. If they have offered it as an option, I don't think people would be avoiding Windows 8 as much (bearing in mind that has some real advantages over Windows 7 under the bonnet).

As for Windows 8 not being a failure (which is a point you made the other day) with 10% of the market. It has attained that market share after over a year of sales. This is, I believe, the slowest rate of adoption for windows ever.

It's also worth remembering that Microsoft are currently in the same position in the corporate markets that IBM were 40 years ago, which means that pretty much anything they sell is guaranteed to sell well in corporate markets. Based on their previous performance, I would be surprised if they didn't at least expect Windows 8 to have a larger market share than XP (which is still 29% apparently).

Good post sir