Windows 8

I held a class on Windows 8 this week. Eleven people came. When I asked how many of them currently used Windows 8 ten hands went up. The follow up question was "How many of you like Windows 8?" No hands went up. There was a collective giggle across the room. You could tell every one of them was relieved to find that they were not alone in their disappointment with the newest Microsoft operating system. To reenforce that I told them that they were not alone. That the reviews were not good, and that Microsoft's Windows 8 tablet had cost them a $900 Million write down. That the stock had plummeted as a result, and recovered with the announcement of Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer's retirement.
As I described how Microsoft had tried to unite a tablet operating system with a desktop operating system you could read lips around the room "oh that's why it's like that". Then I told them some keyboard shortcuts that would improve navigation. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/keyboard-shortcuts
Finally we looked at how they could have the start button back, with a program called Classic Shell.
http://www.classicshell.net/ If you have Windows 8 and you don't like it don't worry your not alone.