Windows 8

Anyone using it? I am currently, and I actually kinda like it. Metro's annoying and there's a few glaring oversights in functionality, but for the most part it's fun and it's gorgeous.

Shall we commence in discourse?

Have fun with the kill switch that modifies or deletes the apps you get on Microsofts whim.

You can also look forward to the eight or so versions you get to choose from after beta. lolwut.

You're also using a tablet OS on a desktop. Windows 7 with a tablet UI... not sure what the point is.. especially when you mentioned you didn't like the only new part of the OS- the dumb metro crap. Something that this author seems to agree with.

Originally Posted by Article

I might not even bother with the final version, scheduled for release later this year. Windows 8, as currently constructed, is designed primarily for PCs and tablets that have touch screens. It features a desktop environment called "Metro" with large, colorful icons that look and act like those found on Windows smart phones.
Microsoft also seems to have concluded that the traditional PC - on which most of its business is based - is a dying breed. So don't expect Windows 8 to be an improvement on Windows 7. In fact, a Windows 7 Desktop is built into Windows 8 almost as an afterthought. It even lacks a Start button - perhaps the most important feature of Windows for the past 15 years - so you're forced to use the Metro navigation tools whether you like it or not.

If you don't have a tablet (and if you do, it's probably an iPad) Windows 8 is not worth the $150-200 pricetag or even the trouble of cracking it.

So, they seemed improved the performance (along with boot time with uefi). So why are they making you spend a couple benjamins on just a performance hike? Why can't they update Windows 7 to perform better? What are the service packs for? Derp.

Unless Windows 8 will literally be $30. That'll shut me up.

Originally Posted by Aniday

Have fun with the kill switch that modifies or deletes the apps you get on Microsofts whim.

jesus.

You can also look forward to the eight or so versions you get to choose from after beta. lolwut.

lolwut indeed

You're also using a tablet OS on a desktop. Windows 7 with a tablet UI... not sure what the point is.. especially when you mentioned you didn't like the only new part of the OS- the dumb metro crap. Something that this author seems to agree with.

I wish there was a way to turn Metro off and have an actual start button again. Something as ♥♥♥♥ing simple as Searching takes hovering over the right side of the screen, clicking the search button, typing in whatever, and then going through sub-sections to see where the thing you're looking for is. Ridiculous.

If you don't have a tablet (and if you do, it's probably an iPad) Windows 8 is not worth the $150-200 pricetag or even the trouble of cracking it.

I've only gotten Windows 8 because I didn't have a copy of Windows 7 around to put on my new computer, and getting 8 was fast and easy. I have no intention of ever buying it because everything you've mentioned.

So, they seemed improved the performance (along with boot time with uefi). So why are they making to spend a couple benjamins on just a performance hike? Why can't they update Windows 7 to perform better? What are the service packs for? Derp.

Unless Windows 8 will literally be $30. That'll shut me up.

It is fast.

Originally Posted by Aniday

So, they seemed improved the performance (along with boot time with uefi). So why are they making you spend a couple benjamins on just a performance hike? Why can't they update Windows 7 to perform better? What are the service packs for? Derp.

Unless Windows 8 will literally be $30. That'll shut me up.

Because Microsoft needs to make money? It's not as if Apple is any better, releasing incremental updates as full new versions of the OS.


I'm ambivalent about 8 (haven't been able to get it to run in a VM, either, which is frustrating) but I don't understand all the hate it's getting. Metro is entirely optional and it provides several very nice performance and UI improvements. The biggest complaint seems to be that it's different and so must be bad, which is wrong on several counts, not the least of which being that it's only different if you leave it at default settings.

Originally Posted by Beorn

Because Microsoft needs to make money? It's not as if Apple is any better, releasing incremental updates as full new versions of the OS.

The last two OS X updates have been no more than $30 and Lion had as many if not more updates and changes as Windows 8 will. Windows forever will be expensive. I will eat my words if Windows 8 is as cheap as the last few and upcoming OS X updates. They want you to buy the tablets to compete with the iPad and will charge your ass as always for desktop upgrades.
What part of eight versions of the OS did you not understand that they aren't doing anything different this round?

Originally Posted by Beorn

Metro is entirely optional and it provides several very nice performance and UI improvements. The biggest complaint seems to be that it's different and so must be bad, which is wrong on several counts, not the least of which being that it's only different if you leave it at default settings.

No, it's not optional. It can be mitigated and made to be used as little as possible, but there are times when you have to use it.

As for it being different-- I went in to it with an open mind ready to try new things, and it's just underwhelming. The UI actually isn't the greatest for keyboard and mouse. As a tablet UI, I'd be willing to bet it's fantastic, but as a desktop UI, it's just annoying.

You only need to see Metro at first logon and when you pull up the start screen, other than that it has a complete desktop with everything 7 has and then some.

Again, I'm not sold on Metro, but short of letting you disable it permanently I don't think Microsoft could've done a better job.

Originally Posted by Beorn

You only need to see Metro at first logon and when you pull up the start screen, other than that it has a complete desktop with everything 7 has and then some.

Besides Charms replacing the Start Menu (an important part of Windows, I thought.) So, you're kind of forced into the UI whether you like it or not.

You are using this right? Or do you just not see what we're talking about? Windows 8 isn't a desktop OS. It's a mobile one.

Originally Posted by Aniday

Besides Charms replacing the Start Menu (an important part of Windows, I thought.) So, you're kind of forced into the UI whether you like it or not.

Is that what's it called? ♥♥♥♥ Charms. I want my goddamn Start Menu back.

I got a sick feeling when I heard the name, too... I know.

*shudders*

Originally Posted by Aniday

Besides Charms replacing the Start Menu (an important part of Windows, I thought.) So, you're kind of forced into the UI whether you like it or not.

You are using this right? Or do you just not see what we're talking about? Windows 8 isn't a desktop OS. It's a mobile one.

It's both. The mobile stuff works decently, if not exactly well, on a desktop, and is pretty much entirely optional.

I'll certainly not be rushing out to buy 8, but I don't think it's as bad as most people say. I mean, many of the people complaining about Metro were up in arms about Aero a few years back.


That said, I think Microsoft did mess up by not allowing the two to be completely and totally separate if one wished. Metro apps should run on the desktop in a window (as opposed to bloody fullscreen, which I'll agree is very annoying) if you want, and you should have a set-it-and-forget-it toggle to make everything be "classic". Solves all the issues that everyone's raised nicely.

Besides the Metro UI update, what is new about Windows 8? Because that is all I have heard about it. I did use it for a little bit, and the start up time was quicker, but that's it.

Originally Posted by Aniday

Have fun with the kill switch that modifies or deletes the apps you get on Microsofts whim.

Most companies that regulate app marketplaces for phones (Apple, Google) have this ability. Now the whole app (whatever happened to regular programs?) thing is becoming popular across all forms of technology, not just phones, so I don't think this will be a very big deal. Microsoft isn't the bad guy here. I don't know if Apple started it, but I'm willing to bet it did. Considering Apple is the king of trying to control the property of others and all.

You are using this right? Or do you just not see what we're talking about? Windows 8 isn't a desktop OS. It's a mobile one.

Not really. It's a desktop OS with a new UI that is a little ahead of the curve. Frankly, I can't wait to hook up my Kinect and mess around with the Metro UI.

So... I can't use a classic Start Menu?

It's only the start screen for now.

Personally, I don't get the fuss over that. It's just as many clicks as the start menu was, while giving you more information at a glance. It's not as if you'd ever pull up the start menu and not be giving it your full attention anyways.

It's got some flaws now with giving a panel for every piece of documentation that comes with a new install and suchlike, but that shouldn't be too hard to fix.

I downloaded and installed the consumer preview edition on an old 2004 computer I found on the side of the road, which I upgraded with some spare RAM and an old GPU.

Once I got the old drivers installed (from the XP and Vista era) I noticed a few things I really liked:

1: The computer has never locked up on me. Even with this old hardware, I have not experienced the annoying "this program is not responding". My computer slows down when multitasking (it's a single-core celeron at 2.4ghz), but it reliably plods through its operations in a manner I haven't experienced in a machine with such limited power.

2: The boot time is amazing. The OS goes from the spinning dots to my lock screen in about 8-12 seconds on the computers 8 year old HDD; I am ready to use it in another 5 after I put in my password, of course. My BIOS screen (GPU and mobo combined) take almost as long by themselves -- which is quite annoying. No windows 7 machine in my home can boot this fast; further, no Windows 7 machine without an SSD has booted this fast, in my experience.

3: I really like the metro interface. Ever since I got my GPU drivers installed -- which upped my FPS throughout the OS by a good 10fold, it's been a dream to use. The live tiles give me useful information without me having to open my programs, the notifications are much more efficient and unified, typing for a program (like I would in the Windows 7 start menu) is more effective due to a larger visual representation, and I very much enjoy the transition back and forth between the menu and my desktop.

4: Compatibility mode really worked well for me. I hadn't had a good experience with it Windows 7, and maybe I got lucky this time through, but it handled programs without compatibility for Windows 7, let alone a beta version of Windows 8 wonderfully. In fact, I have just the program I should try it on, considering I know it failed me in W7.

5: The expanded task manager. I like the heat-map it delivers alongside the added visual representation of various usages of your systems resources. It give me more insight into the systems performance.

I am pretty excited for Windows 8; less so because I don't have a touch screen, but I think the added smoothness and reliability will be worth a good chunk of its price.

I think I should get my girlfriend to get it; she has a TouchSmart.

Originally Posted by Beorn

It's only the start screen for now.

Personally, I don't get the fuss over that. It's just as many clicks as the start menu was, while giving you more information at a glance. It's not as if you'd ever pull up the start menu and not be giving it your full attention anyways.

Personally, I like the convenience of clicking outside the start menu to exit it.

I hate, hate hate hate, Windows 8. From a power user / programmer perspective, Metro is an utter nightmare. Live tiles are useless as you'll never be using any of the stripped down metro apps over the full versions, many shortcuts are broken are they treat the 'classic' desktop as one application, and being brought out of the desktop and into metro everytime I want to start any of the 10 or so programs I'll have running at the same time.
Unless a decent shell replacement comes along that's easy to set up, (LDXE for windows, maybe?) Windows 8 will be a flop for anybody that uses a computer to actually do things on.