Laughing at Windows 8

So through a Facebook post I saw the link to the Windows 8 Preview and I have to just sit there and laugh.  I think crayon and finger paints look better than this preview.  When Vista and then Windows 7 came out I scoffed at the flashy interface and Microsoft's lame attempt at "Pretty" interface.  Mac had them beat hands down.  I run across this link where someone references this as potentially Microsoft's "Tablet" to come and I nearly fell of my chair in laughter.

When I see this I thought I flashed back to 1997.  This is beyond a minimalist approach it's down right pathetic.  When I ditched my Windows Mobile phone several years back I said that it was the single most worst interface I ever used.  Seeing this it seems that Windows Mobile now made its way into "Windows 8".

I fail to understand where Microsoft is going with this.  The iPhone interface has been around quite a while and for the most part people love it.  So much the iPad is just as popular as the iPhone.  Android is just making a killing basically modelling after the same interface (due to it being so successful) and then Microsoft says "I know, people want a dos style dir /w with some icons next to it".  I just dont get it.

I fail to understand this for a few reasons.  First, Microsoft has been building UI's for over a decade.  You would think at some point they would have learned what to do and not to do.  Is this what all our user experience data they are collecting has come up with?

Next, does a iPad look like this?  Let's be honest.  iPads are created so an absolute idiot can use it.  They isolate you from even more than Microsoft does and they don't look anything like this.

Who seriously is going to use this interface?  Certainly not anyone with something to do.  This is just in the way of getting real work done.  Ok, so maybe Facebook is not a paying job yet (although my ex-wife tried to make it one).  Given that you still want to fire up an app and go to Facebook.  Who cares about this crap.  It's just something annoying in your way.

The personalized lock screen.  Not since the Edsel has there been such a bad idea.  Yes I know they are not the first.  Android has this and I'm not a fan.  Any "plug in" or other application able to display data from the lock screen is just a stupid idea.  Why?  Security.  It just takes someone with some evil powers to compromise an application and make it so when you press the battery icon, mail icon, battery icon then the clock twice the tablet unlocks or displays all your passwords.  Mark my words the day of reckoning cometh! 

Any way you want to slice it this looks like a bad idea.  I can't believe Microsoft has not just given up and said "Yup, we're not in the mobile market" but they keep trying.  Whats worse is some idiot out there keeps buying this stuff.  I have met more than my share of Microsoft fantasists but I have to question anyone buying this.  If you are considering it let me ask one thing.  Do you live under a rock? 

Android owns 43% of the market.  Apple and RIM own the rest.  Yet Microsoft with less than 5% keeps trying.  Who do they think they are Linux?  I don't understand what they hope to accomplish here.  Is this their tax write off?

I'm not excited at all by this.  What would be entertaining is a WebOS style of surrender before the fight even starts.  I have to say one thing for Microsoft, at least they are keeping programmers employed and for that my hats off to you.