Normally I don’t blog about rumors, but this one is just too good to pass up. Leaked screenshots of Windows 9 show what looks like the return of the much missed Start Menu that has been a staple of Windows computing since Windows 95. Do you really need to know anything more about Windows 9? OK, how about the fact that Microsoft seems to be stepping back from their bold push with the Metro interface – you know, the start-up screen with all the tiles that everyone immediately skips past to use the “old-fashioned” desktop interface.
What this means for you:
For the majority of my clients, I’ve been recommending sticking with Windows 7 unless you have an utterly compelling business reason to get a computer with Windows 8. I’ve been using Windows 8 for the better part of a year, daily, and the only way I find it usable is to boot into desktop mode and essentially use it like a Windows 7 computer. And this is from a guy who lives and breathes technology change! Keep in mind that Windows 8 features a lot of under-the-hood changes that considerably improve every aspect of the OS (security, speed, efficiency etc.), however they are all overshadowed by the changes made to the user interface that were too jarring and counter-productive (and under-utilized) for the average business user. And let’s face it, if you work for a large company, your IT department probably just finished upgrading everyone to Windows 7 only a year or two ago, so you are probably only just now getting over the switch from XP to 7. Just like you skipped over Vista, you may want to give Windows 8 a pass and wait until 2015 for Windows 9.
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