Bought my first Win8 laptop

[Polarhound]

Finally got around to upgrading my old Netbook. Went for the lower end overall and got the lowest Inspirion 14R at Microcenter.

While it is nice having a touchscreen, pawprints add up quickly and are very noticeable when the screen is off. What are good overlays available to combat this? I'm also looking at either a memory or ssd upgrade as Win8 still churns away at times.

As for Win8, I'm avoiding Metro like the plague. The few times I did use it, annoyed me to no end. While I am trying different start menu replacements, is there a way to force apps (like Chrome) that want to force themselves into overriding the taskbar to not do this? My work applications open by default in separate windows as you open them, so it is a pain at times to switch between them with the extra swiping.

 

[Sleepingforest]

What, in particular, are you looking for from the start menu? There may be easy ways to get to similar services, such as Win+X.

Opening an application in the desktop environment should keep you in desktop. My Chrome and Firefox, for example, stay in Desktop.

 

[Polarhound]

What, in particular, are you looking for from the start menu? There may be easy ways to get to similar services, such as Win+X.

Opening an application in the desktop environment should keep you in desktop. My Chrome and Firefox, for example, stay in Desktop.

When I open Chrome, it overwrites the taskbar at the bottom. IE, on the other hand, does not; I can still click over to other apps.

As for the Start menu itself, I prefer the Win7 style functionality and would prefer to stay as close to it as possible as opposed to constantly stopping and looking down for the Windows key (which I never had much use for in the past, it being more of an annoyance than anything else).

 

[colonelciller]

one start menu replacement is Start8

there's another but the name is escaping me right now... there are lots of of threads in the "operating systems" sub-forum on this topic although i'm not finding them at the moment

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2283053

here's one (above link) from a diff sub-forum

 

[jacktesterson]

I use Start8

Love it.

 

[aigomorla]

lol...

reminds me of when i first installed win8.

*RAGE* where is the dayam start button!!

CTRL - ALT - DELETE... rawr no start button!.

*drag the cursor to edge* <--- which idiot at microsoft thought that would be better then a freaken start button.



They get us addicted to the start button for how many years?
They put a freaken start button on the keyboard even.

Which noob at microsoft thought it would be a smart idea to get rid of start button?

 

[hans030390]

I think you should give the new interface some time and an open mind before switching to something else.

 

[lagokc]

While it is nice having a touchscreen, pawprints add up quickly and are very noticeable when the screen is off. What are good overlays available to combat this?

I recommend washing your paws :whiste:

 

[Throckmorton]

Install Classic Shell, problem solved.

And stop worrying about fingerprints when the screen is off. That's completely irrelevant. Any overlay will make the screen less clear and sharp.

 

[Polarhound]

I recommend washing your paws :whiste:

I work in a very dirty industry, not always an option.

 

[mnewsham]

When I open Chrome, it overwrites the taskbar at the bottom. IE, on the other hand, does not; I can still click over to other apps.

wait what version of chrome are you using desktop chrome or metro chrome? there are now 2 different versions for W8

Metro chrome opens up with metro and so is full screened and therefore no taskbar.

Desktop chrome is exactly like chrome for Windows 7 where it opens up in the desktop environment.

 

[Sleepingforest]

Yeah, make sure you download Chrome with desktop IE and not the Windows Store.

 

[capeconsultant]

I will use Metro on my laptop when I am dead. The same way Microsoft's brains were dead when they FORCED us to use it without even a nod to the years of time and effort we put in to learn the desktop metaphor to get our work done.

Case in point, Windows Blue. At least they finally listened. The take away of the start button was WAY bigger a corporate gaff than the "New Coke". I would think some folks would have gotten fired for that pathetic disaster. Mind you, for a tablet/phone Metro is a fine interface.

Long live the Start Button!

 

[Polarhound]

wait what version of chrome are you using desktop chrome or metro chrome? there are now 2 different versions for W8

Metro chrome opens up with metro and so is full screened and therefore no taskbar.

Desktop chrome is exactly like chrome for Windows 7 where it opens up in the desktop environment.

This, I did not know. I just did what I always did, opened up IE (in desktop in this case) and went to chrome.google.com and hit the download link.

Thanks for letting me know about this.

 

[hans030390]

I will use Metro on my laptop when I am dead. The same way Microsoft's brains were dead when they FORCED us to use it without even a nod to the years of time and effort we put in to learn the desktop metaphor to get our work done.

Wow, it took you years to learn to use the Windows desktop? Perhaps that would explain why people are finding it so difficult to adapt to the changes in Windows 8.

Again, to the OP, I would strongly suggest you approach Windows 8 and the interface changes with an open mind and patience/time to learn it. If you have any particular questions about how to use it, differences, etc., I've been using it at launch and can help you get up to speed on how everything works, so feel free to PM me directly with any questions. I certainly don't miss the previous versions of Windows or their interfaces now than I'm used to Windows 8 (on my desktop, laptop, and tablet).

If there's one thing Microsoft failed at, it was providing tutorials and documentation on how to actually use Windows 8...

 

[vbuggy]

Wow, it took you years to learn to use the Windows desktop? Perhaps that would explain why people are finding it so difficult to adapt to the changes in Windows 8.

Again, to the OP, I would strongly suggest you approach Windows 8 and the interface changes with an open mind and patience/time to learn it. If you have any particular questions about how to use it, differences, etc., I've been using it at launch and can help you get up to speed on how everything works, so feel free to PM me directly with any questions. I certainly don't miss the previous versions of Windows or their interfaces now than I'm used to Windows 8 (on my desktop, laptop, and tablet).

If there's one thing Microsoft failed at, it was providing tutorials and documentation on how to actually use Windows 8...

The one thing that amazes me, given that I'm >50 and picked it up in less than a minute (after, hey here's an idea, READING WHAT IT SAYS WHILE IT'S INITIALISING WINDOWS THE FIRST TIME AROUND) and that we're supposed to be living in an age where people are supposed to be more technologically literate than ever, is how Windows 8 really highlights the number of non-adaptables and technological illiterates there still are out there. The thing is that it's allied to a massive amount of ego as finding many of their peers online cements their delusion that they're the smart ones.

Little wonder really that Apple with their "we make computing for the preschool crowd look all sophisticated and shit" schtick has a massive following these days.

 

[JACKHAMMER]

The one thing that amazes me, given that I'm >50 and picked it up in less than a minute (after, hey here's an idea, READING WHAT IT SAYS WHILE IT'S INITIALISING WINDOWS THE FIRST TIME AROUND) and that we're supposed to be living in an age where people are supposed to be more technologically literate than ever, is how Windows 8 really highlights the number of non-adaptables and technological illiterates there still are out there. The thing is that it's allied to a massive amount of ego as finding many of their peers online cements their delusion that they're the smart ones.

Little wonder really that Apple with their "we make computing for the preschool crowd look all sophisticated and shit" schtick has a massive following these days.

You know in my experience it's nothing about intelligence or willingness to learn, but sheer frustration.

I have used win8 with tablets without out problem, desktops too. I bought my in-laws a new laptop, and OMG is the experience putrid. The trackpad has become next to useless as any gesture outside the middle 50% of the trackpad brings up a charm and other such non-sense. My inlaws are having problems using it, and even being careful I had some issue too. The trackpad is the main user interface and that shouldn't be compromised due to poor UI, there are no options to turn it off if you are having issues. My only hope is the classic shell can fix the problem.

 

[Sleepingforest]

@JACKHAMMER: you can turn off the edge nonsense without having to install Classic Shell (though you may want to do both anyway). Check this out.

 

[mnewsham]

This, I did not know. I just did what I always did, opened up IE (in desktop in this case) and went to chrome.google.com and hit the download link.

Thanks for letting me know about this.

iirc, it defaults to metro chrome, so yeah that's probably what happened.
Hope you found the right version.

 

[frozentundra123456]

You know in my experience it's nothing about intelligence or willingness to learn, but sheer frustration.

I have used win8 with tablets without out problem, desktops too. I bought my in-laws a new laptop, and OMG is the experience putrid. The trackpad has become next to useless as any gesture outside the middle 50% of the trackpad brings up a charm and other such non-sense. My inlaws are having problems using it, and even being careful I had some issue too. The trackpad is the main user interface and that shouldn't be compromised due to poor UI, there are no options to turn it off if you are having issues. My only hope is the classic shell can fix the problem.

I have never used a trackpad that did not suck, no matter what the OS. I think the idea of Win 8 was to make the touch interface good enough to eliminate or nearly so the use of the trackpad, and allow you to switch to the desktop when an external mouse was installed. I have not extensively used win 8, so I cannot say how well they succeeded. I mean, tablets and phones have no trackpad, and that is the formfactor they are trying to compete with.

The removal of the start button still galls me though, as does the inability to totally avoid the Metro (or whatever they call it) interface if you do not have a touch screen.

 

[beginner99]

The removal of the start button still galls me though, as does the inability to totally avoid the Metro (or whatever they call it) interface if you do not have a touch screen.

Exactly. The mixing of the 2 UIs is stupid. Even in desktop mode some stuff like wireless icon will bring up a Modern UI dialog.

A sane design would be to completely separate the 2 UIs. In modern UI everything look like Modern UI and in desktop mode you only get desktop stuff. And both should be able to run independently like in Linux world were you can choose which Desktop (GUI) you want to use.

Microsoft just once again showed the just don't get it. It's just plain not understandable for me how they could ever think it is a good idea to mix 2 UIs and have them depend on each other...plain Stupid.

 

[wirednuts]

Long live the Start Button!

hail start button!

its the best way to teach an old person how to use a computer. just say "here, that is the start button. anytime you get confused, PUSH THAT BUTTON!"

 

[Throckmorton]

Exactly. The mixing of the 2 UIs is stupid. Even in desktop mode some stuff like wireless icon will bring up a Modern UI dialog.

A sane design would be to completely separate the 2 UIs. In modern UI everything look like Modern UI and in desktop mode you only get desktop stuff. And both should be able to run independently like in Linux world were you can choose which Desktop (GUI) you want to use.

Microsoft just once again showed the just don't get it. It's just plain not understandable for me how they could ever think it is a good idea to mix 2 UIs and have them depend on each other...plain Stupid.

There is a much simpler solution. Two UIs don't make any kind of sense. Just make "Metro" be the desktop.

 

[Throckmorton]

hail start button!

its the best way to teach an old person how to use a computer. just say "here, that is the start button. anytime you get confused, PUSH THAT BUTTON!"

The problem is that people in that industry have a poor understanding of usability. They think that because something LOOKS simpler, that makes it simpler. That's why we currently have cars with touchscreens to control all the electronic devices, whereas buttons were much easier. They think the simple look of a single screen means it's easier to use, which is the opposite of reality.