Windows 8
From Invertopedia, the encyclopedia of how things fail
Windows 8 was Microsoft's combination PC and tablet operating system, widely panned by reviewers[2]. The October 2012 launch was called a "bet-the-company" moment[2]. By May 2013, the Financial Times reported, Microsoft was preparing to reverse course over key elements of the operating system[2]. PC shipments fell 14 percent in the first quarter of 2013, the biggest decline in two decades of records, according to IDC[1].
What happened
| Oct 26, 2012 | Windows 8 launches.[1] |
|---|---|
| May 7, 2013 | The Financial Times reports Microsoft is preparing to reverse course over key elements of Windows 8, and quotes: "The learning curve is definitely real."[2] |
| Jun 26, 2013 | The Windows 8.1 preview brings back the Start button and an option to boot to the desktop.[3] |
The kill shot
Microsoft rebuilt the way people used the world's most common PC software around touch, when most buyers still had a mouse and keyboard.
The Financial Times reported that Microsoft had failed to do enough to train retail staff and educate potential customers about the new software[2]. Reviewers had widely panned the software[2].
The inversion
Do not remove the thing your current users rely on to sell them the thing you hope new users want. Let them move over by choice.
What survived
Windows 8.1 brought back the Start button and added options to boot to the desktop[3].
References
- ^ “PC shipments slump, Windows 8 may be to blame”. Christian Science Monitor, April 12, 2013. Launch date, the 14 percent Q1 2013 drop and IDC's record.
- ^ “Microsoft prepares rethink on Windows 8 flagship software”. Financial Times, May 7, 2013. Ballmer's bet-the-company claim, the admission of failure, the learning curve, retail training slips.
- ^ “Windows 8.1: a first look at what Microsoft is changing”. The Verge, June 26, 2013. The Start button and boot-to-desktop returning in 8.1.