windows 8

[imnotmikal]

You can change the tile colors, or disable them completely. >.>

 

[Bob Maxey]

You can change the tile colors, or disable them completely. >.>

I sorta figured that was the case. Still, I do not like the look.

 

[Paulanater]

I've used all the betas from the first offered to internal Microsoft developers, to the external developer edition (first public version) through the current RTM version releasing soon. In my opinion, there's a huge learning curve but once you get over it, it becomes a very nice new interface. It took me about 4 days of forcing myself to use the new Metro theme before I got it and now I almost prefer it over Aero. When the app store gets a bit more populated, and with the amount of sales Microsoft has it's almost guaranteed to happen, there is really nothing that I would want in Aero. Once all the applications migrate to the new theme there's really no point in Aero and I wouldn't mind it being dropped in Windows 9.

 

[Rolo42]

Welcome to AF, Paulanater.

I played with Win8 on a test PC. I can see its usefulness on a tablet and maybe an entertainment center PC. I do think it is uuuuugly.

For a desktop, it makes no sense and just encumbers.

Intel has tick-tock. Microsoft has tick-flop.

Win95 - great
Win97 - flopped (not even released)
Win98 - nice
WinME - flopped
Win2000 - nice (I'd argue this doesn't count since it was a rushed version of XP to get the "2000" moniker)
WinXP - great
Vista - flopped
7 - great
8 - I expect it to flop in desktop markets and not do so hot in mobile markets, maybe "ok" maybe flop
9 - Like 7 is to Vista, 9 should undo the mistakes made with 8.

I'm thinking 7 will stick around for many years like XP did.

 

[Bob Maxey]

Win95 - great
Win97 - flopped (not even released)
Win98 - nice
WinME - flopped
Win2000 - nice (I'd argue this doesn't count since it was a rushed version of XP to get the "2000" moniker)
WinXP - great
Vista - flopped
7 - great
8 - I expect it to flop in desktop markets and not do so hot in mobile markets, maybe "ok" maybe flop
9 - Like 7 is to Vista, 9 should undo the mistakes made with 8.

I'm thinking 7 will stick around for many years like XP did.

I think it is a bit to early to predict what Win 9 will look like. My guess is Windows 8 will not be a big hit. In the tech game, making any kind of prediction is difficult.

Millions of people will buy it because they are hell bent on upgrading or they will not have any choice when they purchase a new PC.

Does anybody know what besides the gawd awful GUI was changed and how it different from 7? I hope MS is giving us features, features and more features not just a goofy GUI.

 

[350X]

...

 

[350X]

If i wanted an android like OS on a PC with millions of apps to download, Id put Android on my PC.

windows 8 is dumb as a desktop OS, leave it on mobile.

Big business has made it know they will not upgrade to win 8, was all over CNBC how one at a time they all said were stickign with 7. Though server side, they might upgrade.

 

[javasirc]

If i get Windows 8, i will get a Pro/X86 tablet to replace my laptop. Probably the Surface.

I often find myself using a note pad + pen, and often looking at just the monitor. Since i use a laptop, the keyboard is always in the way, and i cant move it. If i use a tablet, i can use a full sized keyboard and slide it out of the way when needed, and let the tablet sit on a stand. Plus the real keyboard is much more convenient and efficient to use than this laptop keyboard.

I usually have multiple windows open at once. Switching through windows on desktop mode, minimizing windows, resizing, etc by touching with my finger will be a hassle. Since i wont have a keyboard hooked up while im in bed, on the couch, or any other non-table place, i will not be able to use hotkeys to control the UI. I see myself struggling with the tablet in desktop mode.

These W8 tablets supposedly have slow processors compared to laptops on the market, and compared to the one i use now. That means it will be slower, and i probably wont be able to play the games i play now. Even if it does run the game, playing a X86 game on a tablet will be impossible without a mouse and keyboard.

I like the thought of using a tablet for everything i want to do, but it seems like the jack-of-all-trades. W8 tablet "can" run games, use X86 programs, etc. But it will not be efficient. And the W8 tablet specs will never even compete with a laptop/desktop specs.

So i can play games and work on desktop mode while its on the table with a mouse and keyboard. And i can use the "Metro UI" while im in bed or on the toilet. Im better off keeping my Windows 7 laptop the way it is, as a "productive" device, and use an Android or iPad for my mobile media consumption.

I honestly cant see Windows 8 succeeding when a Desktop or Laptop with Windows 7 + an Android/iPad can handle productivity + media flawlessly.

I used to view Microsoft as a huge skyscraper with a lot of lights on at night, with a big grass yard around the building, controlling the whole world with their software. My view changed to "Some bald guy that is trying too hard to impress consumers with something he thinks we want, in some shack on the outskirt of town." I like(d) Microsoft. I really hope they create a world-changing device/OS.

 

[Matty18]

Having access to MSDN, I've had access to the full RTM version for about a month now, and I'd used the previews before that. And I've got to say, like many people, I've got mixed opinions.

I think it will work great on tablets. The tiles and new "metro" (even if it's not called that any more) interface is suited to touch a lot more than a mouse. Having used it on a conventional PC however, I've got to say it's pretty rubbish. It's really hard to move along the metro interface with a mouse, and with now way of disabling it (Microsoft secretly removed the ability to do that) I hate it. Let's just say I'll be using a LOT more keyboard short cuts now.

However, if you took away the metro interface, I like it. It is slightly faster than Windows 7 when I tested it, and some of the new features are good to.

 

[350X]

only hope would be if there were suddenly 19+ in touch screen tablet and PC monitors for the same price as reg, can't cost $500 more then normal, reguardless of the touch function.

 

[Sak01]

Upgraded yesterday on my laptop and I like it. It's quicker, looks nice and feels modern.

The problems I've encountered so far are some of my fn keys on the keyboard are not working, touchpad scrolling within apps and the Start screen doesn't always work and my wifi connection has dropped a few times although that could be coincidental. Hopefully updates will fix those.

 

[Atma]

The pre-release version ran very well on my laptop. I downloaded the Win 8 Pro update from Microsoft on Friday. The fan on my laptop kept running about 80 or 90%. About what it does on a 3D game. I finally went back to Win 7.

Maybe its because I didn't format and do a clean install. I made the mistake of not downloading the iso. I found the files that were downloaded and burned them to a dvd but apparently I need to make the dvd bootable. The Win 8 files included boot files and autostart, how do I make the dvd a bootable dvd?

 

[Rolo42]

Maybe its because I didn't format and do a clean install.?

There are utilities to make an ISO bootable but I'd recommend downloading the proper ISO from Microsoft (surely that has to be an option).

 

[Atma]

There are utilities to make an ISO bootable but I'd recommend downloading the proper ISO from Microsoft (surely that has to be an option).

There was an option to download the ISO when I first upgraded, which I didn't do, but I can't find a way to do it now without paying again. The upgrade assistant thing didn't have the option for formatting first.

 

[Mehta23]

What are the advantages of W8 over 7? If there's a lot I might consider dual booting both until I see which I prefer.

 

[javasirc]

Windows 8 = Windows 7, and then some, without Aero. Let me explain.

You can download a Start Button (there are multiple available). The one i use replicates the Windows 7 start button. This start button has a menu, accessible by right clicking it, which allows you to make a few adjustments, including disabling the Charm and Multitask menus when you move your mouse to a corner.

There is a third party program that applies Transparency to the Taskbar. This allows your Taskbar to look similar to Window 7's. Although i havnt found a transparency solution for actual windows yet.

You can enable Quick Launch icons to the Taskbar by adding a Toolbar, and selecting the Quick Launch folder.

You can make Windows 8 launch to Desktop by placing the "Show Desktop" icon into the Startup folder, which is here:
C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Replacing <user name> with your user name, of course. There is one downfall with W8, and thats the password screen. I dont know how to bypass it. You will have to enter your password prior to entering Metro UI or Desktop.

Just about all Windows 7 programs work on Windows 8.

You still get to use Metro UI if you choose to. And you also get to use the Windows Store, allowing you to download Apps you probably dont already have on your Windows 7 system. You can also open a metro app side-by-side with the desktop.

My Windows 8 desktop looks almost the same as my Windows 7 does.

My Windows 7 desktop:

And my Windows 8 desktop:

Note that some desktop icons and quick launch icons are missing from my Windows 8 desktop. I have not yet installed them. Im sure they work fine.

In my opinion, anyone who is saying Windows 8 sucks hasnt tried it, hasnt put any effort into making it work for them, heard bad things through hear-say, or simply hates Microsoft.

 

[Rolo42]

What I'm hearing is that everything you are used to doing gets more cumbersome and difficult, if doable at all.

We already have linux for that.

 

[javasirc]

Cumbersome and difficult? Its the same as Windows 7 with the added "Metro UI". I upgraded to Windows 8 a couple days ago. I got it set up to nearly match my Windows 7 desktop. Everything i did on Windows 7, im now doing on Windows 8. I even checked out the Metro UI and Windows Store, and downloaded a couple metro apps.

Making W8 desktop function the same as W7 may be considered difficult to some, since you have to download and install a few programs from the internet. Im 90% set on buying a Windows 8 tablet, and leaving my laptop to collect dust (as long as Microsoft doesnt disable me from booting to Desktop or disable me from using a third-party start menu. And if the Bluestacks gets the Android apps functioning properly, using Bluestacks on Windows 8 tablet should be a blast. From what i understand, i should be able to use an Xbox controller to play W8 metro games. That will be a blast.

 

[Sak01]

What I'm hearing is that everything you are used to doing gets more cumbersome and difficult, if doable at all.

I think it depends on what you use your computer for and how you're used to doing it. And of course, how one handles change.

For me it's a refreshing change and pretty easy to get to grips with. I actually found the old Start button tedious and cumbersome so maybe I'm in the minority that are glad to see it go.

 

[Speed Daemon]

New releases of Windows and other Microsoft products are a lot like rearranging the furniture in a blind person's home with the message that "it's just gotta be done". Things are shuffled around to unfamiliar places, many things that used to be 3rd party accessories get copied and made mandatory, a few new toys are added. But the basic functionality is still pretty much the same. And for that privilege you get to fork over a few hundred bucks.

I can't make a business case for the endless "upgrades" and the managerial dogma that drives them. In my own business, I just don't do things like that. I'm in business to make money, not to be an obedient consumer or to be entertained. It's that simple.

Things like living in houses, sleeping in beds and using heat to prepare food is the norm for the vast majority of humans. The rebels and dedicated followers of fashion are very small exceptions, and even they tend to come back to the norm sooner than later.

WIMP works, plain and simple. It doesn't need to be fixed, and attempts at making radical changes have worked about as well as sleeping in trees instead of beds. If something comes along that really and truly revolutionizes computing user interfaces, and really and truly sticks for a very long time, I'll be interested. But until then I have better things to do than being an obedient consumer.

Those who have the free time that they're fine with spending on entertainment, and the wealth to support that kind of lifestyle are welcome to do as they please. And I don't begrudge their choices. It's just not for me after spending a career of keeping up with the latest and allegedly greatest.

 

[Mehta23]

I use win 7 + rain meter + onomino anyway. Shouldn't be too far a change.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/ck5r3xaxkgqod2o/Untitled.png
https://www.dropbox.com/s/g8iuek7rg3zcj3i/Untitled1.png

Is it worth making the change to Win 8 ?

Could I dual boot Win 8 and Win 7 ? And then make a move permanently?

 

[Xyro]

At this moment in time, windows 8 almost feels like you're dual booting two different operating systems at once.

When you click through to the desktop, it's everything you're used to from windows 7. There are some tweaks, such as the removal of aero glass, the new office-like ribbon menus in windows explorer, and the way you access the power options by mousing over to the top right of the screen, but nothing that will really phase you. The only difference is that the start menu is gone, to be replaced by:

Metro UI. This covers all the same functionality your start menu used to; you can pin shortcuts, or start typing to search for files, settings and programs. However, the big difference are the 'apps', for which microsoft have launched their own walled garden app store. When you launch an app, it fills the entire screen - your taskbar isn't visible. Metro apps are clearly designed for tablets and phones, with touchscreen control in mind. You can only switch between apps using an awkward mouse gesture at the top left corner of the screen (something that is actually really tough when using dual monitors). At the moment, they are all very basic in terms of functionality and customisation. I'm interested to see what they make, but currently, they are useless for users on a PC.

So, because I have yet to find any use for Metro or the Metro Apps, windows 8 is really just windows 7 with a fancy, full screen start menu.

EDIT: I just realised that Alt + Tabbing shows a combined list of metro apps and windows, so that's easier than messing around with that gesture based system of switching.

 

[SamuraiBigEd]

So, because I have yet to find any use for Metro or the Metro Apps, windows 8 is really just windows 7 with a fancy, full screen start menu.

And a few improvements.

I like the ability to snap three different programs, one as a sidebar and two splitting the remainder of the screen, for this reason alone I may give it a shot.

 

[saptech]

How does W8 handle dual booting with other OSes, such as Linux? Are is it going to be an issue with new computer and the new BIOS or whatever the controversy is about?

Just a thought!

 

[Xyro]

And a few improvements.

I like the ability to snap three different programs, one as a sidebar and two splitting the remainder of the screen, for this reason alone I may give it a shot.

Yeah, the boot up speeds are a lot better, especially. They have made it so that 'shut down' is really a semi-hibernation mode, so booting back up is really quick. (Although this means that only a deliberate restart will let you install windows updates). I also found that, with the actual hibernation mode, my PC is responsive almost instantly, whereas it would be really sluggish for several minutes after coming out of hibernation on windows 7.

It also has all of the features of Microsoft Security Essentials built into the OS, which is great.

That ability to snap different programs is one potential way I can see metro apps being useful - once some more interesting apps are released. Essentially, you can devote 1/4 of your screen as a sidebar to a metro app, and most of them support a narrow version of the UI for this. In the remaining space, you can either load another full scale metro app, or the desktop. The desktop can then be split 50/50 between two windows, as per normal in windows 7.