Windows 8

[Inimicus]

So what does it boot to? ... and why are your users not liking it?

It boots into the "metro" interface, that mobile device looking poo. Its got a desktop mode that looks just like Windows 7/XP but in order to get to it you have to select it after you log in. Its just added confusion.

As for what the users don't like about it. It boils down to anything that represents a shift from their normal work modes is viewed as an obstacle to efficient work. Right now getting to their applications and files is easy and familiar. Metro, while in the end may be intuitive, its different. And that means retraining and in some cases rewriting of procedure manuals.

Might be great and lots of fun at home but in the workplace, that kind of crap is an IT department nightmare.

[Darth Biscuit]

It boots into the "metro" interface, that mobile device looking poo. Its got a desktop mode that looks just like Windows 7/XP but in order to get to it you have to select it after you log in. Its just added confusion.

As for what the users don't like about it. It boils down to anything that represents a shift from their normal work modes is viewed as an obstacle to efficient work. Right now getting to their applications and files is easy and familiar. Metro, while in the end may be intuitive, its different. And that means retraining and in some cases rewriting of procedure manuals.

Might be great and lots of fun at home but in the workplace, that kind of crap is an IT department nightmare.

Yeah, I can see that... we do our own IT here and we don't like change either...

MS is dumb if they don't give people that option back... I'll never understand that mentality with software companies... more options is better, not worse.

[Inimicus]

Ive also got a fair amount of concerns for security.

Its such an integrated OS with cloud services and social media that in my very security conscious environment I worry that effectively locking it down is going to be a nightmare.

In the end though it wouldn't really matter what it was. If as a Director of IT if I allowed any first gen M$ product to be deployed as the companies standard platform I should lose my job. At some point we will have to make the switch but my plan puts that jump at least 3 years out and depending on how long M$ sells Win 7 licenses maybe considerably longer..

[Darth Biscuit]

I hear you... we still haven't even gone all the way to Win7, of the three PCs in my office, two run XP. Same for most of the office. Only the brand newest workstations have Win7.

[Niner National]

Apparently all versions of the Surface have already sold out.

The 32gb model sold out in less than 24 hours.

That's 3-5 million tablets - on par with what Google and Amazon expect to sell this holiday season. Demand is much better than I expected.

[Scrumtrilescent]

We have the beta on a desktop here in our workroom.

Without fail every user that has seen it has all but begged us not to put it in. Since M$ is disabling the boot to desktop mode that was there in the beta I'm budgeting to buy 100 new workstations next budget year so that I can ride Windows 7 licenses for 3-5 more years.

At least with the server platforms you'll be able to boot directly to desktop mode.

I was the guinea pig at work when I needed to have my laptop reimaged last week....I couldn't get 8 off of it fast enough. It was fast, yes...but I echo your opinions to a T here.