Is Windows 8 “The New Coke?”

Do you remember when “The New Coke” came out? I know. It was a long time ago. But, I remember running to the store to buy the real, original Coke, before it was all gone! New Coke was terrible… fortunately, Coke had the good sense to take New Coke away and go back the the real thing! Is that what Microsoft will do with THEIR “New Coke?”

Microsoft exec hits back at Windows 8 bashing, says OS is not like ‘a can of soda’

“Microsoft executive Frank Shaw is not happy with everyone who compared Windows 8 to New Coke this week. Shaw, who serves as Microsoft’s vice president of corporate communications, has written a blog post swiping back at media outlets who bashed the company’s latest operating system and said that comparing it to Coca Cola’s ill-fated attempt to rework its soft drink formula was completely ridiculous.

‘Unlike a can of soda, a computer operating system offers different experiences to different customers to meet different needs, while still moving the entire industry toward an exciting future of touch, mobility, and seamless, cross-device experiences,’ he wrote.

Shaw said that Microsoft’s acknowledgement that it needed to make some changes to Windows 8 should have been interpreted as a good sign because it was ‘listening to feedback and acting on it’ rather than simply sitting on its hands. He also defended Windows 8 as ‘a good product’ and said the company was going to ‘keep improving Windows 8, as we do with all our products, making what’s good even better.’

Shaw’s points about Microsoft deserving credit for listening to its user base is certainly fair. As we observed this week, bringing back some classic features from earlier Windows operating systems could go a long way toward bringing back some users who have been put off by the changes that Microsoft made with the new OS.”