Microsoft and, for that matter, Steve Ballmer should know that someone looking to buy a PC is looking for flexibility and compatibility. Windows 8 is anything but that, it was seen (and still is) as a knock off on what Apple was doing with iOS and OSX and PC buyers are not looking for that. Windows 8 represented a massive about face on the message that Microsoft had been pushing on the consumer for years. They went from buy a PC for flexibility and cost to buy a PC because we are just like Apple.
The sad part about all of this is that Microsoft knew Windows 8 was not going to be well received, but they chose to ignore the warning signs. During the run up to launch their Building Windows 8 site was cluttered with feedback about the Modern UI and concerns about the removal of the start button. Microsoft chose to ignore this saying that the Modern UI was great and everyone would love it once they got the hang of it.

If they had listened to the people that were using their OS through the beta programs and the CPP they could have avoided the need to make such massive changes eight months after launch and admit that Window 8 is a failure from a user acceptance stand point. However this is Microsoft and Steve Ballmer we are talking about so we will not get our hopes up too much especially since Microsoft is not releasing the full details of what they are changing.

For now we will have to wait for Windows 8.1 to what Microsoft is changing and if those changes will help Windows 8 and the PC recover from the slump that they have been in. Who knows, maybe Microsoft will fix the issues that are keeping Windows RT from taking off while they are at it.

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