Cases of Wirth's law
Cases of Wirth's law
From the start, I was certain Windows 8.1 would be the most responsive among recent releases. Its performance seemed exceptionally fine, with Metro apps feeling truly native and fluid (compared to Windows 10, let alone 11). Surprising that Windows 11 ended up near the bottom or second last.
It seems this OS really stands out these days thanks to continuous improvements. The more updates they release, the better it feels compared to older versions. You’ll start to notice the difference when trying alternatives. Right now I can open my file browser, jump into any folder, and it works much faster than the preloaded features on W11. Every interaction with your computer matters, especially how smoothly you see images. On W11, those visuals often lagged, which affected performance.
Sadly, they messed up with the fullscreen start menu because they assumed touchscreens would dominate and force a unified experience across all devices—desktops, laptops, tablets, phones. But they didn’t pause to consider what others would think on non-touch interfaces. Every business still struggled, and even on touchscreens, the experience was poor. The onscreen keyboard disappeared entirely when you pressed on the case, requiring manual activation. By 8.1, the situation was irreversible; people abandoned it for Windows 10, which mostly solved the keyboard problem. Microsoft clearly struggles to deliver what users expect. Instead, they cater to a narrow perception of desire based on limited insight.
I enjoyed the full-screen Start Menu even after switching to Windows 10. The best part for me are the live tiles, as they provide continuous updates on a single screen without needing extra apps. Unfortunately, most of those live tiles have been removed.
Using any current operating system on unauthorized hardware with a HDD is completely unreasonable. It also lacks real value unless you own outdated equipment and are undecided between XP or W11. It's similar to comparing a modern, reliable car with a vintage one that shares the same engine—both seem similar but differ significantly in quality. Oh well, YT keeps repeating about Microsoft teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and Linux taking over again, just like in 2020.
I enjoyed it on a tablet too. It was a genuinely pleasant experience once the 8.1 version came along, and 8 felt more refined. The performance was really responsive. However, Windows is quite heavy and nowadays it's easy to see its limitations as hardware speeds have slowed it down. It’s now just broken at a fundamental level. Trying a random Linux distribution can be enjoyable—it gives that refreshing "my computer feels fresh and fast" vibe even on older systems. It has that Mac OS feel.
I set up Windows 8.1 on my Precision 7540 for testing purposes. It operates smoothly without any display drivers. Surprising! VID_20260115_034954859.mp4 Also had Win+E repeated often. File Explorer felt very fast, even outperforming Windows 10 despite the visuals.