New
#1930
One of the absolutely main mistakes Microsoft made, compliments of Sinofsky, is that they eliminated about 75% (WAG) of the ordinary, regular Joe Sixpack beta testers from the beta of Windows 8. Look at the success of Windows 7 and then at the non-success of Windows 8. We Windows 7 BTs were listened to (for the most part) and our bugs were worked. We weren't allowed to even get a smell of Windows 8 until the public preview, which everyone knows is the final product sans a few final touches. When an operating system is beta tested, it takes all of the different aspects of end users to make it work. When you cut out a large segment of the population who are willing to test, you do yourself a disservice.
Hindsight is always better than 20/20. However it came about that Sinofsky was promoted to "god status", he took the new title into his greasy palms and ruined it for the majority of end users. Had he not "fired" most of Microsoft's loyal beta testers, things would have turned out much better than they did. Some of those fellow Windows 7 BTs are now quite high on the journalism ladder of technology magazines, blogs, help sites and technical tomes.
Can you imagine what would have happened with Windows 8 if the Insider Program had been initiated at the time Windows 8 started to be tested? With those same journalists and authors mentioned above, I'd hazard a guess that the final product would have become a much better Windows 8. And, I'd even bet the journalists would have had a much better outlook on the final product.
Uh huh . . . makes a huge difference when you invite the public to the party too. :)