<div>Windows and me go back a long way. We’ve been friends, enemies, and everything in between as we’ve navigated along the journey of the growth of technology together. We’ve worked hard, goofed around when the boss wasn’t looking, and we’ve torn our hair in frustration with each other — though that was mostly me, as I recall. As this ubiquitous operating system went from version to version, bringing new features and capabilities, it essentially remained the same at heart, sticking to its philosophy and its guns. <br /> </div><div>And then one day, it became unrecognisable. Gone was the old familiar look and we moved from an age of banging on the Enter key and double-clicking a tortured mouse to butter-smooth swipes, taps, flicks and flips. What the guys at Microsoft love to call “fast and fluid” any time they get a chance. But today, an even bigger change is in the philosophy of Windows, which has gone from being an OS to a people-centric ecosystem. It has to if it wants to take a sizeable bite out of the mobile market. Earlier, you, the user, had to adjust to Windows, with all its complexities, blue screens of death, clashes and crashes, and clunkiness. Looking back, dealing with all this was also a great way to learn about technology at a time when it was just beginning to be part of our everyday lives. <br /> </div><div>With Windows 8, it’s the operating system that’s trying to adjust to you. It’s not there yet, but this is only the first iteration of a new generation of Windows. So much of this change in orientation is evident in the catchy ads created by some genius of an agency for various countries. These speak the language of foot-tapping music and are filled with energy, vibrancy, youth and wholesome outdoor fun, no matter what you happen to be doing. A number of subliminal messages targets your emotions, aspirations and sensibilities. In these ads, life with Windows 8 is one big party-and sometimes you work. But that’s fun too. Hence the message: “I wanna be everything at once”, which applies to the user wanting the maximum out of life and Windows wanting to be part of it all. <br /> </div><div>There are many questions on the several confusing aspects of the Windows 8 family. Why are there two variants of Windows, with one of them being scaled down, for example? Microsoft’s Surface tablet runs this more “limited” version or Windows RT. Laptops will run the regular Windows 8 and Pro. Users are quite likely to wonder what they will get with each variant and what will they miss out. Another common question is whether Windows 8 needs special devices to run. Actually it runs on older devices as well, but it’s on a touch device that it comes into its own. <br /> </div><div>Questions don’t end there. Some apps work on the full Windows 8 and not on RT — this too isn’t particularly clear to potential users. From what devices are they buyable and do they need to be purchased separately for different devices? And why are there two apparent layers to the OS, the desktop mode and the modern and touch-friendly tile mode once known as Metro? There even seem to be two versions of Internet Explorer. Microsoft is really trying not to alienate users who are completely accustomed to doing things in a certain way, but it also should do all it can to dispel confusion and keep up the momentum of the interest it has generated in Windows 8. All the older, more familiar parts of Windows are still there, including the command prompt, but the touch friendly interface is what sits on top and needs a little exploring and familiarisation. There are videos to help but, of course, users need to take the trouble to see them. <br /> </div><div>Right after it finished with the main Windows launch, Microsoft went on to launch the Windows Phone 8 system. Those who have been using the Lumia phones will find greater personalisation with enhancements to the new Windows for phones. The lock screen, for example, can turn into a picture frame showing Facebook photos and statuses. Or the user can use information from other apps to come up on the screen. A user can also create “Rooms”, which are designated shareable contextual collections of things. The interface is also more customisable and should become more interesting as third party apps increase. Skype is integrated through the whole system and is always on without taking up resources. The Windows Phone 8 system is, of course, meant to integrate seamlessly with whatever laptop, hybrid or tablet you use, but how well and how easily this happens will only be known when users begin to take it up and get right into the system. Typically, it will happen more readily when users get new devices.</div><div> </div><div>mala(at)pobox.com, (at)malabhargava on Twitter <br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal; ">(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 12-11-2012)</span><br /><br /> </div>
BW Reporters
Mala Bhargava has been writing on technology well before the advent of internet in Indians and before CDs made their way into computers. Mala writes on technology, social media, startups and fitness. A trained psychologist, she claims that her understanding of psychology helps her understand the human side of technology.
