▁importance , ▁and ▁eye ▁appeal . ▁ ▁N iel sen ▁has ▁been ▁quoted ▁in ▁the ▁computing ▁and ▁the ▁main stream ▁press ▁for ▁his ▁criticism ▁of ▁Windows ▁ 8 ' s ▁user ▁interface . ▁Tom ▁Hob bs , ▁cre ative ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁design ▁firm ▁Te ague , ▁critic ized ▁what ▁he ▁perce ived ▁to ▁be ▁some ▁of ▁N iel sen ' s ▁points ▁on ▁the ▁matter , ▁and ▁N iel sen ▁respond ed ▁with ▁some ▁clar ifications . ▁The ▁subsequent ▁short ▁and ▁trouble d ▁history ▁of ▁Windows ▁ 8 , ▁released ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 6 , 2 0 1 2 , ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁confirmed ▁N iel sen ' s ▁criticism : ▁the ▁sales ▁of ▁Windows - based ▁systems ▁pl um met ed ▁after ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁Windows ▁ 8 ; ▁Microsoft ▁released ▁a ▁new ▁version , ▁Windows ▁ 8 . 1 , ▁on ▁Oct ▁ 1 8 , 2 0 1 3 , ▁to ▁fix ▁the ▁numerous ▁problems ▁identified ▁in ▁Windows ▁ 8 , ▁and ▁later ▁released ▁Windows ▁ 1 0 , ▁a ▁complete ▁over ha ul , ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁N iel sen ' s ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁gu idel ines ▁that ▁web ▁sites ▁for ▁mobile ▁devices ▁be ▁designed ▁separately ▁from ▁their ▁desktop - orient ed ▁counter parts ▁has ▁come ▁under ▁fire ▁from ▁Web mon key ' s ▁Scott ▁Gilbert son , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Josh ▁Clark ▁writing ▁in ▁. net ▁magazine , ▁and ▁Opera ' s ▁Bruce ▁Law son , ▁writing