I'm so sorry for writing the same story over and over again. Windows keeps imploding, and Paul Thurrott keeps saying unfiltered things. Pleas note that Paul thurrott is the most recognizable voice of Windows in the tech universe. He makes a living writing books about Windows, and other Microsoft products. He is a super fan and a super professional. What he says on this subject matters a great deal. We have heard what he has said about Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. Now he is talking about the newest update that is not yet released to the public. His words should be taken as a warning to Windows users who has not yet made the Windows 8 leap:

What the Heck is Happening to Windows?

When critics described Windows 8.1 as a step backwards, I disagreed: Responding to customer complaints is never wrong, I argued, and the new version of the OS made it more acceptable on the many different types of PCs and devices on which Windows now runs. With Update 1, however, I'm beginning to question the validity of this new direction, and am now wondering whether Microsoft has simply fallen into an all-too-familiar trap of trying to please everyone, and creating a product that is ultimately not ideal for anyone...

The reason this happened is that while Sinofsky had the maniacal power and force of will of a Steve Jobs, he lacked Jobs' best gift: An innate understanding of good design. Windows 8 is not well-designed. It's a mess. But Windows 8 is a bigger problem than that. Windows 8 is a disaster in every sense of the word.

This is not open to debate, is not part of some cute imaginary world where everyone's opinion is equally valid or whatever. Windows 8 is a disaster. Period.

While some Windows backers took a wait-and-see approach and openly criticized me for being honest about this, I had found out from internal sources immediately that the product was doomed from the get-go, feared and ignored by customers, partners and other groups in Microsoft alike. Windows 8 was such a disaster that Steven Sinofsky was ejected from the company and his team of lieutenants was removed from Windows in a cyclone of change that triggered a reorganization of the entire company. Even Sinofsky's benefactor, Microsoft's then-CEO Steve Ballmer, was removed from office. Why did all this happen? Because together, these people set the company and Windows back by years and have perhaps destroyed what was once the most successful software franchise of all time.

Paul has much more to say on the subject, and I encourage you to read the entire article. 

When Windows 8 was first released, I hated it, but recommended people I know to go ahead and upgrade because, like it or not, Windows 8 was the direction Microsoft was going. At the time, I could imagine advising people to remain on a platform that was being abandoned. I was wrong, very wrong! If you are a full-time, or even occasional user of Windows, whatever you do, don't upgrade to Windows 8. Don't buy a machine that comes with Windows 8. Just leave it alone. Companies like HP will gladly sell you a machine running Windows 7. It is not just me. Windows 8 is every bit the disaster that people have made it out to be. We can reevaluate the situation as we get closer to Windows 9. That's going to be a while. 

David Johnson