Comment by DCKing | Hacker News Reader

Comment by DCKing | Hacker News Reader

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This is not true. The most powerful tools often require a lot 'teaching' and have a steep learning curve even for basic usage. See vim or Blender as examples. I would argue that Windows 8, even in its RT form, is far more powerful than iOS in this sense. Once you get used to all the swipes, it is much quicker to access OS features, perform multitasking and do all kinds of things.

Microsoft did not build a bad OS by any means. As someone who can take this learning curve, I really enjoy using it on a tablet (I think it's much superior than iOS and superior to Android when it comes to the core OS), and I also like its Metro features a lot on my desktop. What Microsoft did very wrong however is building this interface for an audience where the overwhelming majority is not willing to take this learning curve. It's simply not built for the "average user".

"The most powerful tools often require a lot 'teaching' and have a steep learning curve even for basic usage"

Or better said: "The most powerful tools that don't care for user experience often require a lot of 'teaching'"

Unless you're talking about something like a CNC machine, Electronic test equipment, EEC machine, etc

'It's simply not built for the "average user"'

No? Then they shot themselves in the foot, because Windows is associated with that, more than anyone. Hence, they can't complain it's not selling well.

It's very easy to shy from making things easy to use behind "it has more features".

"The most powerful tools often require a lot 'teaching' and have a steep learning curve even for basic usage"

I guess he meant tank or nuke or something ;)

The problem with Windows 8 on traditional PC form factors is it deliberately ignores ("blows up") the model that's been fixed over 20 years in users' heads and replaces it with a new model they've attempted to design from scratch from first principles. It's not that the new model is especially complex or badly designed on its own terms, it just clashes with the model people already have in their heads.

That is also why people often say the Windows 8 UI works well with touch, but is unusable with mouse and keyboard. The inherent usability characteristics are actually not hugely different between input methods, it's just that with touch there's not as much competition in people's heads from an entrenched existing model.

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