Holy Cow - Windows 8. OMG

[Towermax]

I put Windows 8 Pro on an old laptop (Turion X2 @2.3 GHz) because I wanted to try it out. Within a day, I added Start8 and ModernMix.

It's a great combination, and the laptop feels somewhat faster and smoother than it did with Windows 7. Like many others, I'm not fond of Metro, but there are some nice internal improvements in Windows 8. I'm thinking of installing it on my main desktop system.

 

[james1701]

I installed Windows 8 on one of my small 64gb SATA 2 SSD for testing purposes since I get a free Pro license from school. I was fooling around and installing a Facebook app and installed Poki. Honestly, I like this version. Some of MS thinking leaves me puzzled as to why they did not include DVD playback. I just installed VLC and have not looked back.

One thing I like was when I installed, I did not need to download a single driver for my Asus R3E or printer. I picked up my HP network printer, automatically downloaded and installed all apps and drivers for it. Windows 7, I always had to download the driver, and set it up on the network. When it picked up my external My Book hd, it installed a nice app that has several useful features.

With a little tweaking when 8.1 gets here, I think it will be my 7 replacement, well to be honest, I have not booted into 7 since I installed this.

 

[Ketchup]

The main thing I hated about the installation was the "need" of an email address. I shouldn't "need" that just to get on my computer. I told 8 that I did not want to use an email address to log in, after which I had to answer about 50 questions.

 

[readymix]

The main thing I hated about the installation was the "need" of an email address. I shouldn't "need" that just to get on my computer. I told 8 that I did not want to use an email address to log in, after which I had to answer about 50 questions.

your doing it wrong. click sign in without.............then click local account

 

[james1701]

your doing it wrong. click sign in without.............then click local account

+1 I did that first install and worked just fine.

 

[Ketchup]

your doing it wrong. click sign in without.............then click local account

Gotcha, thanks. My weekend with 8 has passed, but I am sure I will run into this again.

 

[blankslate]

Which should be expected, given that they've removed shadows, window animations, windows transitions, and all 3D effects completely

Meanwhile windows 7 users can choose to use the basic theme which pretty much does that (there are still some shadows and animations but those can be be turned off too).

 

[Tom]

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: .

Here's the deal about "not liking"..I don't like for my issues with W8 being referred to as "moaning". You could have said what you just said without that characterization and there would be less anger between proponents and opponents of W8.

Same thing with other people calling it "drama" or "sad". The point of words like that is to belittle people who are disagreed with. And it can come from either side.

Another thing, I wouldn't have any problem using W8, I've used all the same stuff you talk about..

That isn't the point. The point is on a non-touch pc there's nothing better about W8's user interface and there's several things that are worse.

 

[GoodRevrnd]

What's better/cleaner? Start8 or Classic Shell? Saving $5 would be nice.

 

[Mem]

Here's the deal about "not liking"..I don't like for my issues with W8 being referred to as "moaning". You could have said what you just said without that characterization and there would be less anger between proponents and opponents of W8.

Same thing with other people calling it "drama" or "sad". The point of words like that is to belittle people who are disagreed with. And it can come from either side.

Another thing, I wouldn't have any problem using W8, I've used all the same stuff you talk about..

That isn't the point. The point is on a non-touch pc there's nothing better about W8's user interface and there's several things that are worse.

There are those out there that do moan thats for sure and no the point is not to belittle them,sure you can dislike or have issues with something but its not exactly samething as moaning,some things I dislike about Win7,Win8 and just Windows in general but I don't moan about it,as to your last point I disagree there are some improvements in Win8 over Win7 and its ok as a desktop PC,end of the day we are lucky since plenty of choices out there.

I also expect Win9 to be an improvement on Win8 just like Win10 should be an improvement,point in question is it worth the money well only the user/buyer can answer that.

I've also seen some members throw cheap insults when somebody does not agree with their or other members points of view,again just like you I have no issues with people disagreeing but I do wish some members would follow AT guidelines in behaviour.


We can agree to disagree on some things and leave it at that .

 

[Mem]

What's better/cleaner? Start8 or Classic Shell? Saving $5 would be nice.

Try them both and see which one you like,Start8 I think you can use free for 30 days.

 

[Maximilian]

What's better/cleaner? Start8 or Classic Shell? Saving $5 would be nice.

Start8 is better, tried both back in feb and they were both decent but i found start8 had more make windows 8 less terribad options available, it goes a bit beyond being just being a start menu add on.

 

[BladeVenom]

What's better/cleaner? Start8 or Classic Shell? Saving $5 would be nice.

You don't need either, Microsoft is bringing the Start button back. Now it's on the mouse.

 

[sze5003]

Yeah I use classic shell and it's not bad at all for what I do. I could use the tiles but I don't prefer to on my desktop. Start 8 had a lot more options, many which I felt were more annoying for me to mess with but classic shell gave me what I wanted without a whole set of options to mess with.

 

[pchelica]

Does anyone have problem with Store? I have W8 Pro and I can see the Store but when I click on it, it only has categories, without apps.

 

[smakme7757]

I put on Start 8 after using Windows 8 for at least half a year. Honest to god, i just find it so much smoother with the old school start menu.

I didn't dislike Metro, but not having to leaving my work space to search is actually really neat.

Definately worth $5 - two cups of coffee.

 

[OutHouse]

This sums it up pretty well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTYet-qf1jo

yup, server 2012 fucking blows. i had my first "experience" with the win8 platform with I installed server 2012 a few weeks ago. I had to watch youtube vids to figure out how to reboot it and to find normal everything things used to setup a server. god it sucks.

 

[JAG87]

This sums it up pretty well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTYet-qf1jo

Unbelievable.

People like the genius in that video are why I will never, ever be out of work.

Goblins popping up.... umm okay, never seen anything in Windows 8 appear by itself that was not triggered by me. Touchpad issues.... I guess he's never used a Macbook? A repair/recovery disc...... WTF? Are you serious? Who even uses these? Who even uses optical discs anymore??? You either make backup images or you format and re-install. And both can be done with USB bootable media. I have never used a recovery disc in 15 years of using Windows. Also, his point of backup images in hidden partitions.... why would anyone bother doing that... how is that a backup???? Next, he couldn't find the control panel. I mean seriously? Go to metro and search contr.... and it's right there. Nobody uses the Windows key.... bahahaha. I stopped watching at "I actually prefer the old Office menu". My retard meter just went off the charts there and I decided I had wasted enough time.

Windows 8 is a pretty bad OS from a design stand point, but it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out where things are. Sure, some tasks take more effort than they should, and overall Windows 7 is actually more efficient to use, but it's nowhere near as bad as the idiot in the video makes it out to be. Even if you've never used a computer before, it wouldn't be as bad. I can't believe he's comparing it to DOS... what a moron...

 

[Zaap]

Windows 8 is a pretty bad OS from a design stand point...

...some tasks take more effort than they should

...overall Windows 7 is actually more efficient to use

You pretty much just summed up most of the reasons people dislike Windows 8, including the main points of that video. So because he said pretty much the same thing illustrating it graphically, he's a retard?

 

[Zaap]

That isn't the point. The point is on a non-touch pc there's nothing better about W8's user interface and there's several things that are worse.

Exactly this.

 

[Ketchup]

Exactly this.

Yep.

 

[Chiropteran]

Why do people hate the start screen so much? In Windows 7, to start a program I might click the start button, move the mouse slightly, and click the program to start. In windows 8, I do the same. Except windows 8 start screen has a lot more room for programs and is much easier to customize, while in windows 7 except for the most commonly used 5 or so programs you need to navigate down sub-menus to open programs.

The fact the start screen covers the entire desktop was a bit to adjust to at first, but when you only open it for a moment and immediately click on the program you want to start it's size quickly becomes irrelevant.

 

[xSauronx]

Why do people hate the start screen so much? In Windows 7, to start a program I might click the start button, move the mouse slightly, and click the program to start. In windows 8, I do the same. Except windows 8 start screen has a lot more room for programs and is much easier to customize, while in windows 7 except for the most commonly used 5 or so programs you need to navigate down sub-menus to open programs.

The fact the start screen covers the entire desktop was a bit to adjust to at first, but when you only open it for a moment and immediately click on the program you want to start it's size quickly becomes irrelevant.

my windows 8 use is almost exactly like how i used windows 7: i pin everything i use on a semi regular basis to the task bar, and if its not on my task bar i tap the windows key and type in the program i want and click it. i spend all my time on the desktop.

the power button is stupid though, but it was also stupid in windows 7. /some other things are sometimes dumb but i pretty much never run into them.

 

[JAG87]

You pretty much just summed up most of the reasons people dislike Windows 8, including the main points of that video. So because he said pretty much the same thing illustrating it graphically, he's a retard?

Yes he is, because he's using unbelievably ridiculous supporting arguments. Windows 8 is clearly not the brightest moment Microsoft's had, but it's no where near as unusable as he makes it out to be. Only a retard would have that much trouble.

And let's not forget there are some improvements as well (at a first glance, major improvements to the task manager and file transfer). Just nothing compelling enough for someone to transition from 7, but if you are starting from scratch, there is no reason not to use Windows 8. I am even able to use it efficiently enough without a Start menu.

Windows 8 isn't bad, it's just not good. If we are so keen about talking shit about Microsoft products, let's talk about Outlook 2013.

 

[Doomer]

yup, server 2012 fucking blows. i had my first "experience" with the win8 platform with I installed server 2012 a few weeks ago. I had to watch youtube vids to figure out how to reboot it and to find normal everything things used to setup a server. god it sucks.

Server 2012 ain't bad once you get it set up. I added a start button for those rare times I have to interact with it. But mostly it just does it's thing on it's own. Out of sight, out of mind, lol.