[nobleach]

Not the OP but I think hacksonx might be referring to the big squares UI. They designed an interface that one could use with their feet... elbows.... etc... And it had that Pinterest/Masonry appeal to it. I think they realized quickly that that's not how desktop users interacted with their computer. Was it a failure? I can't say I've met anyone that is trying to re-enable that interface on any other device. I do know they went back to using a more Window95-esque interface for the default Windows 10 desktop.

[Jedd]

Sure. It was an interesting experiment (and certainly not one that I enjoyed -- I'm on Win7 Pro on the few VM's that I have to run MS on).

My point was that MS hasn't suffered massive failure despite this ludicrous attempt at promulgating a feet/elbows interface on devices with actual keyboards and mouses.

Yes, lots of people (especially relatively technically aware people that I know) have resisted the upgrade to MS Windows 8 / 10 -- but they're still running Microsoft Windows.

Compare and contrast the Canonical Unity experiment.

[digi_owl]

I suspect there would have been less of an outcry if it had been more like 8.1 before it launched.

That said, i think perhaps Windows 8 is the first (or second if one consider the Phone 6.5 to 7 transition) time Microsoft had ignored the muscle memory aspect that had kept their products up top for so long.