Yes, Windows 8 had significant issues and was widely criticized for its design and functionality.
Yes, Windows 8 had significant issues and was widely criticized for its design and functionality.
8 felt really mixed up. 8.1 is much better now since it’s not full of ads or unwanted apps and no endless tracking. I’ve gotten used to it.
It was really bad. Think of Windows 7 as if it had Windows 7 but with a confusing interface designed for early smartphones. Technological progress is impressive, yet the huge touch screen with no privacy safeguards makes it seem outdated. There’s a clear reason why Windows 7 remains more popular than Windows 8 even now. I’m actually surprised that Windows 10 managed to succeed somehow.
UI posed challenges for keyboard and mouse navigation. The first time I installed 8, locating the shutdown option took nearly half an hour. 8.1 was manageable, but it offered no real benefits, so I consistently switched back to Windows 7.
8 performed well on tablets but struggled with desktops. 8.1 resolved the main problem by introducing a start menu button, which might have reduced criticism. Still, the emphasis remained heavily on tablets rather than supporting dual modes. Overall, it was decent—especially with the classic shell installed—but 7 remained clearly better, making a switch to 8 unnecessary for desktop users.
I was among the few who used Win8 on a real tablet. As a tablet operating system it performed quite well in my opinion. However, ten versions broke some features that worked in eight, so I never really enjoyed version ten for tablets. Common criticism is that a physical Windows key on a tablet made navigation much simpler. Many drawbacks stemmed from low-power x86 not being widely adopted and Windows not supporting the "always-on-screen-off" approach that Android and iOS embraced. Additionally, the absence of app support meant I mostly ran desktop applications.
I run Windows 8.1 with an industry embedded pro on my main machine. It’s the top choice MS ever made. All the benefits of Win10 without any downsides. (updated drivers, USB 3.0, etc) The advantages of Win7 are present without the negatives. (mostly it retains the UI from Win7) Security patches only. No spyware, no live tiles, no ads, nothing like that. Games work perfectly.
8 wasn’t terrible; it wasn’t much more difficult than 7. People just end up with their underwear mixed up since the start menu looks different.
I really enjoy Windows 8.1. I haven’t used Windows 10 much, so I don’t have a strong view on it.