Microsoft trying to fix Windows 8 system confusion

Microsoft is preparing an update to Windows 8 for release later this year. It says the changes are designed to address complaints and confusion with the new operating system.

Part of the problem is that Windows 8 tries to be all things to all people. It’s designed to respond to touchscreen controls, but it also works with traditional mouse and keyboard commands. It offers a new layout that resembles tablet computers, but it also has a desktop mode that looks like previous versions of Windows. What results is confusion.

Here’s a look at some of that feedback and possible solutions in the coming update:

The problem: There’s no central place for launching programs and changing settings.

Windows 8 features a new start page that takes over the entire screen. The page is filled with boxes, or tiles, for accessing your favourite programs. But to get to programs you use less often, you need to slide up a menu from the bottom, click on “All apps” and find the one you want. When you’re already using a program, such as a Web browser, you have to switch back to this start page to launch a different one, even if it’s one of your favourites. By contrast, past versions of Windows have a “start” button on the lower left corner, which allowed quick access to programs and settings without interrupting your workflow. That button is always there as you move from program to program.

The solution: Restore the “start” button. Don’t make people figure out where everything is. Make it easy for them to see where to “start.”

The problem: Microsoft is encouraging people to use the new tabletstyle layout filled with tiles, but many programs are designed for the older, desktop mode. That’s the case even with Microsoft’s popular Office suite of business tools, despite the fact that the latest version of Office came out months after Windows 8.

As a result, using Windows 8 feels like running two different computers on the same machine, as the tile and desktop modes don’t communicate well with each other.

The solution: Allow people to enter the desktop mode automatically when they start their machines. Over time, people may get more comfortable with tile mode and may want to switch, but don’t force it on them and make them resent it before they are ready.