I’ll Take That Tablet in Stone, Please

I don’t get all the hand-wringing and saber rattling over what some are calling “the steep learning curve,” required to master Windows 8 touch. And neither does InformationWeek editor Paul McDougall, who responded to the fuss by saying that Windows 8 just ain’t that hard to use.

He also questioned the skill set of employees who can’t manage to evolve. Ouch. I’ve never been one to blame the user, and I’m not a Microsoft fan-girl, but the controversy over the new Windows 8 touch interface and departed Start button does have me slightly befuddled.

I realize that change and learning aren’t much fun until you get to put them to good use. Maybe that’s what all the noise is about. It’s simply unpleasant to be out of your comfort zone ― even for a minute.

But don’t you have to change things up to innovate? And does it make sense to reject a new technology because it’s, er, new? Imagine if we never changed a user interface. We wouldn’t have our fancy new smartphones, or ATM machines, personal computers, and any other form of modern communication. Maybe we’d still be using (gasp) stone tablets.

Kidding aside, when the blogs clear, Windows 8 will be measured by weighty things like stability, security and performance — not its new interface. And those still troubles by the passing of the Start button can hang back and hope for the best.

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Ana Cantu

Managing Editor at Dell

Ana Cantu is Tech Page One’s managing editor for business content. Before joining Dell as a blogger and social media manager, she was a multimedia journalist, and was a member of the Los Angeles Times team awarded the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting. She is one of the company’s subject matter experts in cloud computing and data management.