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"In case you hadn't heard, Microsoft is launching a new version of Windows this year. Windows 8 is a radical departure from previous versions of the software since it's designed to work with both traditional PCs and tablets. Microsoft thinks it's done a good job of accommodating both experiences, but at least one former employee disagrees. Strongly.\nFormer Microsoft program manager Mike Bibik, who now works for Amazon as a senior user-experience designer, set up an entire website to highlight what's wrong with Windows 8 and how to fix it. \"Fixing Windows 8\" says Windows 8 is less than optimal for a mouse-and-keyboard setup. While he thinks that the touchscreen experience is \"great,\" he says Microsoft's repeated assertion (seen most recently in a post about how Internet Explorer will work in the new environment) that the interface is every bit as fast and fluid on a traditional non-touchscreen PC is \"not entirely true.\"\nBibik is talking about Metro, the side of Windows 8 that incorporates touch-friendly tiles and specialized apps that take up the whole screen. Windows 8 also offers the familiar Windows desktop, with the file-and-folder navigation that's been its core interface for decades. We took the most recent version of Windows 8 for a spin recently, and we had our concerns, too.\n\nSEE ALSO: Google Confirms It\u2019s Working on Chrome for Windows 8\nIn his initial \"rant\" about how Windows 8 works with mouse-and-keyboard setups, Bibik makes many points. Among them:\n\nNo tutorial: When you first launch Windows 8, it just dumps you on the Start screen. This will likely be addressed in the consumer release, however.\nIt's difficult to see all your Metro apps: While the Start screen shows some of the apps in Metro, seeing all of them requires a right-click and navigating to an icon that says \"All Apps.\" Bibik says this is hard to find, and we have to agree.\nA Microsoft account is required for some apps: A few apps, like Store, require a Microsoft account (Hotmail or Live will do) to work properly, which can take new users down a cumbersome registration process.\nScrolling is counterintuitive: The scroll wheel on the mouse scrolls left-to-right in many Metro apps, since that is the primary way to navigate in Metro.\nMetro apps don't have window controls: There's no way to minimize or maximize a Metro app \u2014 they either take up the whole screen or they're in the background. It's in this departure from traditional Windows that Bibik says he expects 75% of new users to just give up.\n\nBibik's points are illustrated quite painfully in the video below, from technology writer Chris Pirillo, who asked his father to use Windows 8 with no training or help.\nWhat do you think of Bibik's points? Does Windows 8 work just fine with the mouse and keyboard or does it need major work? Check out a brief tour of Windows 8 in the gallery below the video, and let us know what you think in the comments.\n\n\n\nWindows 8 Consumer Preview: The Good and the Bad\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nStart Menu\nHere's what greets you every time you log into your Windows 8 machine. Yes, the tiles are customizable, though it's a little unwieldy in practice.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSharing in Metro\nSharing is arguably Metro's most powerful feature. Although the sharing option is only populated with Mail right now, once Windows 8 apps get going, you'll see options here like Facebook, Twitter and all the rest -- in every app.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFinance Metro App\nMany apps, like the native Finance app, look beautiful in Metro.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTraditional Desktop\nYou can still get back to the familiar desktop anytime you want in Windows 8. Note the absence of a Start button, which you get to by mousing into the lower-left corner.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBing Maps\nBing Maps, like all Metro apps, makes use of the entire screen. Right-clicking brings up options.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMultitasking Menu\nYou can see which apps are running by pointing your mouse to one of the left corners and then moving it alongside. Right-clicking an app lets you stop it.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAction Menu\nThe side action menu slides out via the side and is the same no matter what app you're in.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBuggy Email\nThe consumer preview of Windows 8 still has lots of bugs in it, as evidenced by this screen shot of the email app.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nInternet Explorer Tabs\nSince the entire screen in Internet Explorer is dedicated to showing you the web page, right-clicking twice shows you the tabs that are open.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMessaging\nMessaging ties with your People app, bringing in contacts on Windows Messenger or Facebook.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFlickr Integration\nThe Windows 8 Photo app has built-in integration with Flickr, but it wasn't working on our device.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSkyDrive\nYour 25GB of free SkyDrive space is easily accessible via a live tile, and it integrates with the Photos app, letting you avoid sending large email attachments by uploading pics to SkyDrive.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWeather App\nThe Weather app also looks beautiful in Metro.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPC Settings\nThrough settings, you can make changes to your Windows profile, which will show up -- apps and all -- on any Windows 8 machine you log into.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFlash Player Download\nYep, you still need to download Flash to get your browsers to play many videos, like those on YouTube.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAdding Apps to Start Menu\nYou can customize your Start menu with specific apps, even if they're desktop-only apps like the browsers seen here.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVideo Hub\nThe video hub doesn't just show video files -- it also promotes content as well. Whether that's a plus or a minus is up to you.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSolitaire\nSolitaire was available on our Consumer Preview device via Xbox Live, though Microsoft said it couldn't guarantee it would be in the general release.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWindows 8 With a Mouse and Keyboard\nMicrosoft designed Windows 8 to be comfortable to use either by touch or with a mouse and keyboard. We found some functions counterintuitive, but it's still a powerful interface.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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