In the blue corner, we have the new look of Windows 8, and in the gray corner we have Mac, the underdog. But if we look into our crystal ball, Mac may need to learn a new left hook to try for the title. Or will he?
Thankfully, the ashes from the remains of Windows 8, the ultimate nightmare for computer technicians, have now been laid to the ground in the form of Windows 8.1. The main problem has been the new Windows 8 Start menu. Affectionately called “Metro” and then quietly unnamed, as a German company already owned the title, the Start menu interface was so unfamiliar that it has frustrated home users. and commercial alike. Windows 8.1 is the first step on the road to addressing the frustrations of PC users, who have been publicly fighting the new Windows Start menu tooth and nail.
Now we can see that in Windows 8.1, Microsoft has reversed some sweeping changes it made to the Windows 8 platform. This seems reminiscent of the introduction of the joystick-controlled Mercedes Benz instead of a steering wheel, showcased every few years but never before. reaches the main market. You might think this is strange behavior, making such fundamental changes to a machine and then… just changing it back. What is perceived as incremental change actually contradicts usability and effectiveness. This is arguably why Apple is succeeding.
How has Microsoft dealt with this? Well, this is an example of, get ready for it, “people power.” Yes, Microsoft is trying to avoid the derision of inventive new names for Windows 8 like “My Fisher Price Windows” and “Windows Hate.” With Windows 8.1 flying to the consumer for free on wings of gold, to systematically fix computers around the world in an incredibly clever PR stunt, they seemed to have humbled themselves and given in to the will of the consumer. Buyers who were utterly disappointed in their new operating system couldn’t have come at a worse time for Microsoft in 2012, who, reeling from record-breaking Mac sales gains, desperately needed to prevent the “I’m not a computer person” thing from popping up. from the boat to Apple. . At an extraordinary time in the company’s history, Microsoft is really listening to its customers and listening well. They have paid attention to the needs of their customers and PC retailers and they have. Isn’t this what we want from every company whose products and services we use?
What this means for this computer repair technician, and more importantly, for the home and business user, is that you can now set up your new computer or newly upgraded operating system in a familiar way, without having to learn a lot. new mouse clicks. It means you’re not paying me for an hour of IT support to make your new machine easy to use. This allows you to use your computer in the intuitive way you have for the past 20 years. It used to require a bit of Googling and a bit of computer trust, or a call to your local IT help desk to make the switch, so this return to the traditional style is very welcome to all.
When it really comes down to it, the price is also hard to beat. You still can’t buy a Mac for less than $750 and that’s for the basic run of the mill underperformer. For that kind of money, you can look into a custom computer running the new Windows 8.1, which will beat an iMac starting at $1600. That’s a big saving for a little adjustment to get used to a new operating system, and let’s face it, Switching to Mac is not a small adjustment in itself. Apple’s OSX operating system will take much longer to get used to than Windows 8, as there are clear differences in the way things work. Don’t think that because you have an iPhone you will instinctively know how to operate an iMac. Macs also have the potential to surprise new users more, which is why Windows 8 and some have reported, after some mild complaints, that they are now used to the new Windows 8 interface and actually quite like it. Also, unfortunately with Mac, you don’t have many options to choose between models and because of this, Windows 8 will support much more powerful hardware than Apple’s, so if you’re a musician, architect, graphic designer or similar, Mac is no longer. the premium choice for performance. Windows 8 will run any computer you can think of, and in fact, will dramatically improve the performance of older PC models, dramatically increasing their value.
