Microsoft has had a funny old time with Windows over the years.  The butt of jokes to many, it’s either unstable or it stole all of its ideas from somewhere or other… but let’s face it, it’s popularity came for a reason.

Windows for a long time has been considered the best option for a general computer used by a normal person.  I don’t think there are many out there who would argue with that.  Certainly *.nix systems are technically superior – including OSX – but seeing as it’s only relatively recently that Linux has become friendly enough to consider an option for general users, and Apple machines are closed and overpriced*, Windows for a long time has been the best option.

Windows has had its ups and downs though; ME was dire, Vista was awful.. and Window 8 looks like being a Frankenstein’s OS with some sort of bizarre mix of tablet OS and desktop OS that excells at neither.

Let’s get this straight, Windows is a desktop OS first and foremost.  I have no issue with Microsoft making a tablet OS, but Windows is not it; the vast majority of their potential user base will be using mice and keyboards and have no desire to put their fingers all over their screens.  People like being able to run whatever web browser they like, to be able to run whatever software they want in whatever size of window they want.

With the current iteration of Windows 8, Microsoft are at serious risk of losing the people who care about flexibility at the expense of their entry into a market that is already crowded with myriad Android options and the iOS market leaders.  I can’t see myself changing away from Windows 7 to anything other than Linux.

*To all Mac fanboys – yes, I know Apple machines are very nice and epically well built, but that doesn’t justify quite as much an increase in price as that. No, it doesn’t.