News - Bill Gates believes many iPad users suffering from frustration

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The cure is a Microsoft Surface with keyboard /type cover and Office software.

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Read more.

I think he has a point in problem identification, but misses how users 'react'.

"Oh no, this website requires flash and mouse interactions <mouse over events, which touch can't do>.... This is the fault of the website, I blame the brand of the website, even thou it was made 10 years ago".

They turn the blame from the device to the problem. Or rather this is what I have seen iPad users to behave like, they do love to bitch about the screws they've been given being difficult to nail.

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“With Windows 8, Microsoft is trying to gain market share in what has been dominated by the iPad-type device. But a lot those users are frustrated. They can't type. They can't create documents,” opined Microsoft Chairman Gates. “So we're providing them something with the benefits they've seen that has made that a big category but without giving up what they expect in a PC.” He went on to plug the Surface “If you have Surface or Surface Pro, you have the portability of the tablet but the richness of terms of the keyboard, Microsoft Office of the PC”.

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Erm, I was able to do what he's suggesting with my old Asus Transformer and Docs2Go a year or two ago. And that at a price point less than Microsoft have seen fit to put the Surface at. Plus that old Transformer had the extra battery life and various ports that Mr G's beloved Surface lacks.

If he's serious about alleviating the "frustrations" of iPad users then reduce the cost of the Surface. Last time I checked the Surface was about £500 and the iPad was about £100 cheaper. Sure, the Surface has a USB port, but then again the iPad has that MASSIVE app store and very wide 3rd party support. If the Surface was at £400 with the keyboard then he'd be in with a shout, £300 and they'd be selling all they could make. But the current cost is too high compared to very capable iPad and Android-based gear, and too close (surely) to the Surface Pro which I've seen touted at £800.

Doesn't Bill have a load of shares in Apple he bought in the late 90s/early 2000 as part of a bailout?

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Originally Posted by avi8tor

Doesn't Bill have a load of shares in Apple he bought in the late 90s/early 2000 as part of a bailout?

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I believe he sold them back in 2003 or 2004.

As a windows 8 desktop user I suffer from frustration.

w8 is simply not designed to work with full screen browsers without touch - want to scroll using the browser scroll bar? oops the charms toolbar comes out when your mouse goes to right hand side of screen, scroll downs oops another toolbar comes out to greet you at the bottom of the screen (or more usually both toolbars appear because mouse is a bottom right corner).

There are lots of things I like about w8 but if you do not have a touch screen it is hopeless

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Originally Posted by cjs150

There are lots of things I like about w8 but if you do not have a touch screen it is hopeless

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I think you might also be the only one without a scroll mouse.

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Originally Posted by TheAnimus

I think you might also be the only one without a scroll mouse.

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... or an old(er) laptop that doesn't do the scrolling emulation/control on the trackpad.

But cjs150 got a point in that Billo is touting how wonderful the Surface is because you can get that PC like simplicity and productivity - while forgetting that, for some at least, a PC with Windows8 is less productive than one with ratty old Windows7. Roll on those laptops/PCs with in-built Leap Motion that will probably deliver a better user experience than the iPads, Galaxy Tabs, etc of this world - even if only because you won't have to spend time and effort cleaning mucky fingerprints off of the screen!!!!

No I use W8 on an HTPC with combined wireless keyboard and trackerball.

Then there is the kludge that MS insist upon because I have all my media on a NAS - libraries are a pain with a NAS

And the latest pain - plug the phone into charge on the USB hub and it will cause the computer to fail to recognise the keyboard even after a power down and restart - something to do with USB handover when you take out the charger!

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Originally Posted by cjs150

As a windows 8 desktop user I suffer from frustration.

w8 is simply not designed to work with full screen browsers without touch - want to scroll using the browser scroll bar? oops the charms toolbar comes out when your mouse goes to right hand side of screen, scroll downs oops another toolbar comes out to greet you at the bottom of the screen (or more usually both toolbars appear because mouse is a bottom right corner).

There are lots of things I like about w8 but if you do not have a touch screen it is hopeless

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You sure thats windows 8, on my copy of windows 8 the bar only appears if I go the very top or bottom corners on the right so scrolling anything on the right of the screen is a complete non issue.

Don't worry about it Percy, some people are just determined to use Win8 in the most stupid way possible just so that they can hate it (and thus be cool).

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Originally Posted by Willzzz

Don't worry about it Percy, some people are just determined to use Win8 in the most stupid way possible just so that they can hate it (and thus be cool).

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw9oX-kZ_9k

Hmm, I think you're being quite unfair in that assessment - and I fail to see anything "cool" in "Hatin' the 8" for the sake of doing so. The folks like Saracen etc who are "hating" (your term) are raising legitimate complaints - problem is that UI's are a pretty personal thing, so what works well for some, doesn't for others. Oh, and it's not "Windows8 hate", it's "MUI loathing" - I've yet to come across anyone who dislikes the non-MUI parts of '8.

Getting back to cjs150 point, I've seen others get that too - and best judgement I've heard is that it seemed to be related to the speed you went rightwards with. So a move right was fine, but a swipe type gesture right would always get the charms bar. However, those folks complaining/commenting about this behaviour have also said that it's become less of an annoyance - whether down to them working around it or some patch subtly changing behaviour I wouldn't like to say.

Oh, and all this MUI to-ing and fro-ing perhaps isn't really relevant to the topic of the article?

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Originally Posted by crossy

Oh, and it's not "Windows8 hate", it's "MUI loathing"

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Mooey loathing .. 'cos Metro on a PC is a load of bull****? ;o)

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Originally Posted by Willzzz

Don't worry about it Percy, some people are just determined to use Win8 in the most stupid way possible just so that they can hate it (and thus be cool).

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I guess you are right. Using W8 for an HTPC is stupid (although WMC with My Movies add on is excellent). I guess you are suggesting that those of us who are big media users at home use Linux and XBMC instead?