14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 has marked the beginning of a completely new approach for Microsoft, as the world’s number one software company decided to involve its larger user community in every decision it makes for the operating system.
With the help of the Windows Insider program, the company has pledged to improve Windows 10 based on user feedback, technically adapting it to better meet everyone’s needs.
From a business perspective, this certainly makes sense, and at first glance, it’s all a win-win idea. Microsoft can thus deliver just the right Windows 10 updates, while users finally get an operating system that’s built exactly the way they want it to be.
However, this doesn’t mean that everything has gone completely seamlessly, and Microsoft took several decisions that made people wonder whether their feedback is important or not.
And when looking at the feature suggestions submitted by users, not all of them have been implemented, despite many having thousands of votes on Microsoft’s feedback platforms.
For example, the majority of submissions in the Feedback Hub have already been acknowledged by Microsoft, and most come with a message to confirm that the company is looking into such ideas.
“We’re continually working to improve your experience based on this feedback. We’ve made some changes and more are on the way. If there’s more you think we should do, please leave a comment,” this message reads.
Users who have been keeping an eye on Microsoft news lately probably know that the software giant is by no means stranger of controversial decisions.
And pretty much everything started with the release of Windows 10 more than three years ago. Microsoft turned to a rather aggressive approach to convince users to upgrade, and in some cases, this tactic even involved forced installs on a number of systems.
Microsoft Edge browser itself has been the subject of several highly criticized decisions, and one of them took place earlier this month. Microsoft started displaying warnings to users whenever they attempted to install a third-party browser, technically trying to convince them to stick with Microsoft Edge.
Needless to say, this idea hasn’t been received well, and the software giant eventually decided to give up on it, once again claiming that it’s listening to users and making changes based on what they think.
Microsoft highlights this approach occasionally and reminds users that it’s listening to them. But on the other hand, not all user feedback has been addressed.
One of the most relevant examples in this regard concerns bloatware in Windows 10. Microsoft is offering Windows 10 with a number of pre-installed apps and games, like Candy Crush Saga, despite users constantly calling for a completely clean experience in the operating system. While removing these apps sometimes is more complex than initially expected, many turned to this solution to get rid of the bloatware, only to actually end up having it back on their systems following updates.
At first glance, Microsoft’s feedback approach doesn’t always go in the same direction, despite the Windows Insider platform giving the company the chance to try out some changes before they are rolled out to users. This is the case of the recent Microsoft Edge warning I told you about earlier and which was only implemented in preview builds.
The best feedback on the way Microsoft handles user suggestions can only come from you, the people who actually install Windows 10 and get in touch with the company every once in a while through various channels.
So that’s why we’re asking you: are you satisfied with the way Microsoft handles feedback? Or is it all just a marketing push to make users believe their opinions matter when, in fact, the company only updates Windows 10 based on its own direction?
Let us know what you think in the comment box after the jump.