Holy Cow - Windows 8. OMG

[Ketchup]

Thanks for sharing that article blankslate. Very interesting, and sounds closer to reality than other numbers I have been seeing.

My experience is in line with that as well. My new work laptop has a Windows 8 Pro sticker on the bottom, but when I booted it up (once one of our IT guys handed it over) I see that it is running good old Windows 7. I was pretty sure they weren't going to 8, but was still a relief.

 

[blankslate]

Which is no big deal. Everyone installs 3rd party drivers and apps anyway, regardless of OS used. It's seriously no big deal at all.
So why is it a deal at all? Because of drama queens, there MUST be something to complain about and it's sadly that simple.

It's not a big deal to people who are "tech savvy" or whatever term you want to use. However there are enough people using computers who aren't.

It's probably their complaints that were heard by the sales people and support staff who are in contact with the customers more than the people who dreamed up the new interface and then decided there's to be no built in way to revert to an older style interface.

Just because it's not a big deal to some people doesn't mean it's not a big deal to all people.

 

[R0H1T]

It's not a big deal to people who are "tech savvy" or whatever term you want to use. However there are enough people using computers who aren't.

It's probably their complaints that were heard by the sales people and support staff who are in contact with the customers more than the people who dreamed up the new interface and then decided there's to be no built in way to revert to an older style interface.

Just because it's not a big deal to some people doesn't mean it's not a big deal to all people.

Does the same apply to Android & iOS users, granted those devices don't fall into traditional computing products' category, because majority of'em spend lots of time customizing their phones/tablets not to mention rooting/jail breaking is also common amongst such folks ! If one can spend hours doing that for a portable communication/entertainment device then spending a few minutes or so for something that's work related should be equally acceptable & not an excuse to throw a fit !

 

[blankslate]

Does the same apply to Android & iOS users, granted those devices don't fall into traditional computing products' category, because majority of'em spend lots of time customizing their phones/tablets not to mention rooting/jail breaking is also common amongst such folks ! If one can spend hours doing that for a portable communication/entertainment device then spending a few minutes or so for something that's work related should be equally acceptable & not an excuse to throw a fit !

Who knows? It's probably a higher population of smart phone users who are able to be there own tech support than PC users. Smart Phone users and PC users are not the same market although there is quite a lot of overlap.

Throwing a fit? really? All MS had to do is allow a way to go back to an older ui style to be put into the new OS... you know, like they did for just about every version since XP. Then if they spent a few minutes with the PC they would be using the old UI while getting used to the new one without having to get a 3rd party program...

 

[Tom]

Which is no big deal. Everyone installs 3rd party drivers and apps anyway, regardless of OS used. It's seriously no big deal at all.
So why is it a deal at all? Because of drama queens, there MUST be something to complain about and it's sadly that simple.

When you have no actual point resort to personal insults. That is sad.

There is no drama in rejecting Windows 8. Its worse than a pointless upgrade compared to Windows 7 for pc's without touch input.

The drama comes from people who think they need to defend Windows 8, as if it matters that some people don't see the point in paying MS to make their computer less useable.

 

[Mem]

When you have no actual point resort to personal insults. That is sad.

There is no drama in rejecting Windows 8. Its worse than a pointless upgrade compared to Windows 7 for pc's without touch input.

The drama comes from people who think they need to defend Windows 8, as if it matters that some people don't see the point in paying MS to make their computer less useable.

It's not so much defending Win8 it's more about some people moaning on little things(I have read one guy moan about UAC on Win8 even though UAC in both Win7 and 8 has improved with less nagging),personally I don't care if people like Win8 or not,for example I like some of the Linux Distro's( I use those virtually everyday) and others that I don't like so don't use those,so does that make Linux bad?...Obviously not,people will always find something to moan about.

I even remember seeing some people moan about a few things in Win7 for example,end of the day you have plenty of choices out there and if you are like me ie like trying and using different things all the time then you just get on with it regardless without ALL the drama that you see in forums etc..

I've seen so many changes since DOS 6.22 days that nothing really phases me on either Linux or Windows,if you don't like something fine you are not forced to use it,end of the day its just an OS and everyone you can name comes and goes,sure some of the comments are constructive and have a valid point.

My last point it always seems those anti-8 people don't like those that do use Win8 or defend it,they have as much right and opinions as the rest of you guys out there,kind of funny and sad in some ways because personally I've seen more changes(both good and bad) in Linux Distro's then Windows yet Linux users seem to be more mature with their attitude on things etc...I'll say for the record I do think Linux is superior to ANY WINDOWS you can name.

Little tip if don't like Win8 fine wait for Win9 and hope its for you or use Linux .

Now I'm going to play with my Win8 and Linux Mint for a bit :biggrin: .

 

[Chiropteran]

The same thing works with Windows 7 and the Start menu.

No, the "same thing" does not work with Windows 7, although windows 7 has similar function in the start menu. It's similiar, but inferior in Windows 7. Windows 8's search is improved.

But the Start menu makes it easy to find programs you don't know the name of, not to mention do things like easily find properties, open a file explorer window in a given directory, as well as about a 1000 other things that aren't nearly as easy without a Start menu.

Sounds like you are talking about a function you have never actually used. The Windows 7 equivalent works as you describe, you need to know the exact file name. In Windows 8, as you type characters, it lists EVERY program with those characters in the name, narrowing down as you type additional characters. It's very easy to find something even if you don't know the exact name.

The start menu and the start screen are identical in function, not sure what your point is there. If something is hard to find in Windows 8 because you unpinned it from the start screen the same thing will be hard to find in Windows 7 if you remove it's icon from the start menu. This is not an OS difference.

>open a file explorer window in a given directory

What are you even talking about? How you can do this in windows 7? The only method I can think of is actually typing out the directory structure you want to open at, which you can do fine in Windows 8. Please explain.

 

[Chiropteran]

. dp

 

[bshole]

In Windows 8, as you type characters, it lists EVERY program with those characters in the name, narrowing down as you type additional characters. It's very easy to find something even if you don't know the exact name.

Windows 7 does the exact same thing. In fact it will show all emails/documents/control panel/music title that have those words in it. It does it dynamically and the list gets better as you add letters to your seach name.

 

[Chiropteran]

Windows 7 does the exact same thing. In fact it will show all emails/documents/control panel/music title that have those words in it. It does it dynamically and the list gets better as you add letters to your seach name.

No, it doesn't do the exact same thing. It does something similar, but inferior.

On Windows 7, I can hit window key, type c, and it'll show programs (21) "connect to a Projector" "calculator" "remote desktop connection". What does the 21 in parenthesis mean? It means there are actually 21 results among programs, but only 3 are shown.

I do the same thing in Windows 8, and EVERY RESULT IS SHOWN. It doesn't limit the results to showing the first 3, it shows all of them. This is similar to Windows 7, except it's better, because I don't need to click an extra button to see what all the results are- it shows them to me immediately.

 

[Ketchup]

...This is similar to Windows 7, except it's better, because I don't need to click an extra button ...

Wow, talk about trivial trivialities for 7. Excuse me while I don't rush to the store for my copy of 8.

 

[Chiropteran]

Wow, talk about trivial trivialities for 7. Excuse me while I don't rush to the store for my copy of 8.

What do you expect it to do, read your mind and start the program you want before you even touch the keyboard?

An improvement is an improvement, if you don't like it you can always stick with Windows 95

 

[bshole]

On Windows 7, I can hit window key, type c, and it'll show programs (21) "connect to a Projector" "calculator" "remote desktop connection". What does the 21 in parenthesis mean? It means there are actually 21 results among programs, but only 3 are shown.

Mine had (99) not shown. I could see 3 (all of which I use VERY often, CodeWright, Calculator and Command Prompt). That is kind of weird, why would it say there was 99 but not show them (teasing me)? I couldn't figure out how to have it show all 99. I would be interested to know if anybody has a way of modifying this behaviour.

 

[bshole]

Ok I figured it out....

If I click on Programs, it shows them all. No biggie.

 

[bshole]

If MS fixes the UI in this iteration (and allows Metro to be disabled), I will consider upgrading. I have a 2 month old Windows 7 machine (self built for $2k) that absolutely screams right now. I have heard that there are significant performance and security improvements under the hood, I would like to have access to that w/o sacrificing anything from the ui perspective. I STRONGLY suspect MS will get it right this time around.

 

[colonelciller]

if 8.1 provided a start menu and offered an option to completely, permanently and irrevokably remove metro it would be a brilliant move

 

[Bateluer]

if 8.1 provided a start menu and offered an option to completely, permanently and irrevokably remove metro it would be a brilliant move

The Start Button in Windows 8.1 is purported to be a short cut to the Metro Start Screen. The exact opposite of what users what.



I've had Windows 8 Pro installed on my test machine, a C2D E800 with 8GBs of RAM and a Radeon 6950, for about 6 months now. Since December or so. It is complete and utter garbage. I have tried to find a positive, any positive to it, and the closest I can come up with with is that the UI is fast. Which should be expected, given that they've removed shadows, window animations, windows transitions, and all 3D effects completely. Finding essential utilities is a chore, navigating the OS is a chore, finding settings is a pain. Everything is buried. I have tried to find a positive to this OS, and I'm coming up empty.

Every time I use my test machine, I want to visit MS HQ with a base base ball bat. Everyone involved with the design of Windows 8 should be taken out behind the shed and shot and their descendants barred from using any and all computing devices for the next decade.

Mint 15 just entered RC1 on the 16th, when it goes live, I'm taking W8 off my test machine and installing that.


Sad thing is, I want to buy a Haswell ultrabook this fall, but if it comes with Windows 8, thats a complete deal breaker. Needs to be Windows 7, Linux, or no OS at all. :/

 

[beginner99]

I want to visit MS HQ with a base base ball bat. Everyone involved with the design of Windows 8 should be taken out behind the shed and shot and their descendants barred from using any and all computing devices for the next decade.

this

 

[blankslate]

The Start Button in Windows 8.1 is purported to be a short cut to the Metro Start Screen. The exact opposite of what users what.

Yeah well, if they brought back a full start menu option then they might be opening themselves up for lawsuits...

I'm sure stardock has made quite a bit with their start menu replacement and the other add on that lets a person resize metro apps just like they were desktop windows.
http://www.neowin.net/news/stardock...d-resize-modern-windows-8-apps-on-the-desktop

 

[gizbug]

Been using it a month and really don't get the hate. Works fine for me, it just took a little adjusting. By little I mean very little.

Ive used windows 8 w/ start8 since day 1. Have had 0 issues. People who start these topics are just Windows 8 Haters. Can't do anything about it. If they dont like Win 8, dont run it. simple as that.

 

[Ketchup]

Ive used windows 8 w/ start8 since day 1. Have had 0 issues. People who start these topics are just Windows 8 Haters. Can't do anything about it. If they dont like Win 8, dont run it. simple as that.

So what does a "Hater" do when they need a new laptop and it is the only option? Shell out another hundred plus time to put 7 on it?

 

[Snoop]

So what does a "Hater" do when they need a new laptop and it is the only option? Shell out another hundred plus time to put 7 on it?

Just use Win 8 and pay 5 bucs for start8. You will never see the metro again.

 

[R0H1T]

Just use Win 8 and pay 5 bucs for start8. You will never see the metro again.

OR use other free alternatives, plenty of'em out there !

 

[TechAZ]

Ive used windows 8 w/ start8 since day 1. Have had 0 issues. People who start these topics are just Windows 8 Haters. Can't do anything about it. If they dont like Win 8, dont run it. simple as that.

Same. I never see Metro. I still think the UI was a boneheaded decision by MS, but I'm not irrational enough to boycott something that can be changed with a couple of minutes time and a few bucks.

 

[Snoop]

Ive used windows 8 w/ start8 since day 1. Have had 0 issues. People who start these topics are just Windows 8 Haters. Can't do anything about it. If they dont like Win 8, dont run it. simple as that.

Some people are not comfortable using a 3rd party utility to manipulate the UI. I was one of them until I spent some time testing Start8 and finally felt comfortable with it.

Without a Start menu replacement, I could not use Windows 8.