Office 2013 may drive people away from Windows 8

[caveman-jim]

Patrick Moorhead, Principal Analyst at Moor Insights & Stategy and contributer to Forbes, Mashable and Techpinions publications today tweeted about how his experience with Microsoft's Office 2013 and it's Metro style interface may drive him away from using Microsoft products.

@PatrickMoorhead: I do not know if I can work for hours on Office 2013. It is so drab and lifeless. Sitting in front of it is just so depressing.

@PatrickMoorhead: this could actually be the thing that moves me over to Apple. Not trying to be dramatic here.

@PatrickMoorhead: I wish it were just nostalgia. All I'm looking for is some shadows, depth, contrast.

@PatrickMoorhead: having to sit in front of that for 10 hours a day seems like torture.

@PatrickMoorhead: ...it's motivating me to look into Apple now. Apple integrates better with all of my Google apps anyways.

@PatrickMoorhead: I'm going to give it a week, and then see about investing in Apple products.

Following on the heels of Valve's Gabe Newell's condemnation of Microsoft's proposed Store being bad for PC's, a sentiment supported by Blizzard, it's looking like the combination of Windows 8 and Office 2013 is going to break the market stranglehold Microsoft has on personal computing.

Or is it? How does your experience with the Windows 8 community preview and Office 2013 preview programs compare?

[Kombatant]

Love Pat as much as the next guy but he's exaggerating imo.

[lemonhead]

Love Pat as much as the next guy but he's exaggerating imo.

You can see a gallery of Office 2013 screenshots, organized from first boot up and going through each of the office applications.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/16/3157516/office-2013-screenshots#3552258

It does seem very plain on the visual front, with no shading, depth and shadows and a UI that's predominantly bright and white, blending with your worksheet. But then that's part of the new chrome-less (or minimum chrome) design sensibilities that MS is heavily adopting. It can get annoying for some.

[Kombatant]

I am actually working with Office 2k13 for the past two weeks or so. So I have first-hand experience. Granted, it's too white, but it's just a theme. As a program, I see improvements - and it's still a beta, mind you.

[Saggypoo]

this could actually be the thing that moves me over to Apple. Not trying to be dramatic here.

Not trying, but successfully dramatic.

The new Office is a bit too white, but I like the more minimalistic approach to it UI.

[quintonql]

Not trying, but successfully dramatic.

The new Office is a bit too white, but I like the more minimalistic approach to it UI.

I find it ironic that the author is contemplating moving to the Mac environment - known for minimalist user interfaces for many mainstream applications. ;-)

I like the menus better but the general editing interface is, as we all agree, far too white.

[Sasquach]

UImm...it looks almost the same...just....too much white....
I mean, the file menu is there, the 'ribbons' interface is still there....

its just too white.....

When i read the news post i was expecting it to be so dramatically different that it would piss me off, and that was far from the case.

Its only just...far too white....

I mean, going from office 2003 to office 2010 (or whichever version that introduced the ribbons and reorganized a bunch of stuff) pissed me off more just because it moved everything around to create some unfamiliarity.

This one just looks like it got bleached...

[WimpMiester]

Why move to Mac when you can just use Open Office? I dropped MS Office for open office years ago.

[Crisler]

There is way to much drama being amde about Windows 8 and now Office 2013. While they might not what we expect in the appearnace departments, they do the job well.

[Redshirt_X]

If it really is a theme (and one of the screenshots refers to Office looking "Circuit"), then it theoretically can be changed. Which is fine, IMHO; this color scheme is oddly WfW3.11-esque. I'm more concerned about how cloud-linked Office '13 will be, but that's my paranoia talking...

[Sazar]

<insert epic facepalm smiley and overly dramatic squirrel>

[karma77police]

Windows 8, Office 2013 is stripped down just so it can run on devices which do not qualify as PC namely Tablets and Smart Phones. First time in life i have no desire to upgrade to new Windows. Usability wise and UI just fails and MS literally destroyed PC with new Windows.

For PC Users Windows 8 < Windows 7, Office 2013 < Office 2010

You think Vista was a failure...wait for this.

Worst part is that i have to deal with Visual Studio 2012 which follows same retarded Metro interface and i have to because it is my work. My eyes just commit suicide.

[karma77police]

Besides work i have no reason to run Windows 8 or Windows 7 as matter of fact and after Steam ports 2500 games on Linux i am switching to Ubuntu and end of story

[Thr0tt]

Bloody drama queen, whats his problem not got enough attention on @tw@tter?

[Hidavi]

I HATE THAT UI

But yea "not trying to be dramatic" by tweeting the same **** 6 times in different ways, right...

[noko]

Is Microsoft retarded?

On most phones a white pixel takes 5.8x the power then a black one since each pixel is light emitting diodes. I think most pads are the same. I hope Microsoft has some dark themes with Office 2012 if the interface is minimized enough for smart phones and pads (I hope it is usable in that space).

For desktop monitors with backlights the power savings going dark is not much if at all.

Plus a dark screen or theme is more viewable I would think in bright light.

From the images the ribbon type interface (which I love) looks intact and from the cloud type options not much significant over 2007 version (first version with ribbon bars).

Is this a metro app? Or are there going to be a couple of versions so it will still work on a normal desktop, Win 7 and a metro version which will work in Win8, smart phones and pads? Cloud version for pads and smart phones where only the interface is present on the smart phone or pad?

[Greasy]

The last several versions of Office have had multiple color schemes. I doubt this one is any different.

[Furious]

Well if I can use a "Midnight Rage" theme for Windows 8 and Office 2013 then maybe I'll actually use it. The way it is it's way too god awfully fugly.

Why, why, why Microsoft?

I mean we've got really high end hardware available to anyone who wants to buy it but it's all dumbed down to the lowest common denominator. It looks like Win 3.11 for god's sake.

[bacon]

Jeeze its just a color change.

[Sazar]

Mention the shortcomings of an advertised product like Siri, get shot down coz it's just a "beta".

Use a beta version of Win 8 or Office 2013 which people know are not full featured versions of the final release, proclaim it to be the definitive version and point out every shortcoming as gospel and be praised for it

[noko]

Well I use 2007 and 2013 looks to be a good upgrade.

[Treeckcold57]

I'll stick with Office 2003, 2007, and 2010. I liked 2003 and 2010 better.

[clutch22]

I've been using release preview since it came out. At first, Metro seemed kind of interesting. But after a while, you realize how limited and overly simplistic it is compared to a real desktop. Even simple stuff like tabbed browsing; they try to hide it from the user because it's "too complicated".

The desktop has improved and evolved so much since Windows 95. But it's like they took all that knowledge/experience and through it out in favor of a smartphone interface. Can you imagine if they did the reverse? Force a normal desktop OS on a smartphone and require an external keyboard/mouse? I'm sure that would go over just as well.

[Sazar]

I've been using release preview since it came out. At first, Metro seemed kind of interesting. But after a while, you realize how limited and overly simplistic it is compared to a real desktop. Even simple stuff like tabbed browsing; they try to hide it from the user because it's "too complicated".

The desktop has improved and evolved so much since Windows 95. But it's like they took all that knowledge/experience and through it out in favor of a smartphone interface. Can you imagine if they did the reverse? Force a normal desktop OS on a smartphone and require an external keyboard/mouse? I'm sure that would go over just as well.

You have tabs in the metro version of IE10. Right clicking anywhere in the active page should display open tabs.

[clutch22]

Yeah I know it can do tabbed browsing. It's just the way they implemented it (only visable when a button is pushed, and then its in an overlay). Just little things like that throughout the OS make it feel like it's been dumbed down for the OEM crowd.

Take Metro out of the picture and it's a great underling OS (better than Win7 IMO). I think thats what really annoys people. If it was just a complete piece of crap, no one would care...they'd just stick with Win7. But people are going to upgrade to it and Microsoft is going to take that as "everyone loves the new UI". Even though they upgraded to it with the intention of disabling metro and re-adding the start menu.

[Sazar]

Yeah I know it can do tabbed browsing. It's just the way they implemented it (only visable when a button is pushed, and then its in an overlay). Just little things like that throughout the OS make it feel like it's been dumbed down for the OEM crowd.

Take Metro out of the picture and it's a great underling OS (better than Win7 IMO). I think thats what really annoys people. If it was just a complete piece of crap, no one would care...they'd just stick with Win7. But people are going to upgrade to it and Microsoft is going to take that as "everyone loves the new UI". Even though they upgraded to it with the intention of disabling metro and re-adding the start menu.

What annoys people is that they don't like change. If you learn to use the start menu as intended and come to terms with the fact that you can do so much more with the metro screen than you currently can in terms of live tiles and so forth, you'll be fine and further along in the game than when using Win 7 for the same tasks.

Jump lists have not changed and still provide the same functionality.

I understand there is a learning curve but honestly, the start screen > start menu.

[Furious]

What annoys people is that they don't like change.

You know what really annoys me is people continually saying that I/we that don't like Metro just don't like change.

That's BS. I like change fine if it's for the better. We're all entitled to our opinions and many of us don't like Metro. You like it then fine but knock off the "They just don't like change." crap ok?

[Furious]

Take Metro out of the picture and it's a great underling OS

I don't have a problem with this statement. Metro is the main problem IMO. I love how fast it boots and many of the other features. If I could just disable Metro. Just give me the choice of using the regular desktop and my complaints disappear.

[Sazar]

You know what really annoys me is people continually saying that I/we that don't like Metro just don't like change.

That's BS. I like change fine if it's for the better. We're all entitled to our opinions and many of us don't like Metro. You like it then fine but knock off the "They just don't like change." crap ok?

The number 1 reason for many of the issues people have had with various iterations, not just of Microsoft products, but for other software, has been change.

Look back at the ribbon introduced for Microsoft Office. It was despised by a lot of people. And it was the single most useful feature advancement made.

I am not just parroting something out of the blue. And I personally had a huge apprehension about the start menu/start screen switch. It took a couple of weeks for me to arrive at a comfort level and when I finally started using it differently than when I first started, my overall productivity improved significantly. Keep in mind I am using Win 8 in a full production environment and not all tools I employ work perfectly just yet due to lack of patches.

Most comments about metro say how awful it is and bring the start menu back. My question to that is, what specifically is it about the start menu that makes it better than the start screen and it's live tiles? Is it familiarity? Is it speed? Is it customizability? What specifically is it that places the start menu so high in the list of wants and needs for so many? I am genuinely interested.

[Furious]

I suppose that much of it is familiarity but there is also the esthetics. To me looking at something pleasing is very important especially when you do it for, sometimes, hours at a time. Metro, IMO, is one of the fugliest (LOL is that a word?) things I've seen in a long long time. I'm hopefully awaiting some kind of customization that either lets me bypass it altogether or allows for me to make it at least somewhat visually appealing.

I actually like the ribbon added to Office but I know many didn't/don't like it at all. I'm fine with that too. I understand that many of the problems many have with Metro, etc are personal preference.

Also there's the silly things like taking more clicks instead of less to turn off the machine. Just stupid design decisions IMO that hopefully will be fixed before release.

You have to understand that I run my own IT support/consulting business and will have to deal with Windows 8 probably sooner rather than later. I really want it to be a great OS. I'm just not convinced yet.

[jlpktnst]

Same drama as vista/2007 again.

I bet less than 1% will be brave enough to ditch it though. Everyone comes around in the end.

[Furious]

Same drama as vista/2007 again.

I bet less than 1% will be brave enough to ditch it though. Everyone comes around in the end.

"Resistance is futile." - Bill G. Borg

[Och]

I'm still happily using office 2003. Faster than 2010 and no stupid ribbons.

[Sazar]

I'm still happily using office 2003. Faster than 2010 and no stupid ribbons.

Faster than 2010?

[slaWter]

Same drama as vista/2007 again.

I bet less than 1% will be brave enough to ditch it though. Everyone comes around in the end.

A lot of companies skipped that Vista / Office 2007 generation completely...

I hope this happens again.
MS finally brought a great Windows and a nice Office experience with their current line-up. Why do they have to mess it up again?
Hell, they even use Metro on their next-gen Server OS A server is definitely not a tablet!

[noko]

The number 1 reason for many of the issues people have had with various iterations, not just of Microsoft products, but for other software, has been change.

Look back at the ribbon introduced for Microsoft Office. It was despised by a lot of people. And it was the single most useful feature advancement made.

I am not just parroting something out of the blue. And I personally had a huge apprehension about the start menu/start screen switch. It took a couple of weeks for me to arrive at a comfort level and when I finally started using it differently than when I first started, my overall productivity improved significantly. Keep in mind I am using Win 8 in a full production environment and not all tools I employ work perfectly just yet due to lack of patches.

Most comments about metro say how awful it is and bring the start menu back. My question to that is, what specifically is it about the start menu that makes it better than the start screen and it's live tiles? Is it familiarity? Is it speed? Is it customizability? What specifically is it that places the start menu so high in the list of wants and needs for so many? I am genuinely interested.

Not all folks mind change so just labeling someone or concluding reason why someone doesn't like it is due to it being just a change is maybe being short sighted.

I almost fell in love with the ribbon style menu system of Office 2007 after a couple of uses, good change. Metro start menu as good change . Start menu was quick out of the way, part of the interface and did not shift to a different context, colors, fonts, background, ways of interaction etc to start a program. Start menu was automatically created while metro is more work involved to get something decent.

You tell me what is so good about live tiles? Live advertisements, live spam?

Win 8 interface is not consistent, in one context different gestures are needed to do the same thing from another context. This can only get worst as programs are programmed one or the other or hybrid which doesn't work in either or not well.

The rest of Win8 though looks really .

[Hidavi]

I was at a 750 user company yesterday where the IT department has already decided they won't be deploying Win8 or Office2013.