Windows 8

[TriniXaeno]

Nice...very nice...(though I don't use any Modern UI apps) but still nice.

[Spazosaurus]

Another step in the right direction for general usability. Microsoft should really wake up and do this for themselves

[/wishfulthinking]

Like Wyatt, I dont use metro apps aither.

[MessiaaH]

I tested out modernmix for a few days, but when metro apps in desktop mode, notifications are unreliable at best. So i uninstalled modernmix. When they get the notifications thing sorted mite re-visit it.

[Arcmanov]

Trouble in 'paradise'?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57573370-75/four-months-in-windows-8-needs-help/

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Windows-8-Start-Menu-Start-Button-IDC-Bob-O-Donnell,21461.html

[Preston786]

Those two articles based off one guy eh... they're essentially the same

Sent via my HTC Raider™4G

[Arcmanov]

Is Microsoft finally listening?

Well, it's a start: http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-windows-8-plan-blue-bring-back-the-start-button-boot-to-desktop-7000014075/

[W1nTry]

It's unfortunate ppl have not embraced metro and the lack of a start button.  I don't and haven't used win 8 but honestly when I DO move from  win 7 I honestly want change Daz my 2c

Sent from my MB865 using Tapatalk 2

[Spazosaurus]

Good news is that they are open to listening to the consumer. Took them too long though. The negative stigma has already set in. They could recover but its gonna take some time.

[Arcmanov]

I guess that 'vocal minority' whip still have some lash left in it eh? 

Like Ubisoft, and EA before it, Microsoft will come to know, and respect (fear?) that vocal minority.
To ignore the voices of those that take the time and effort to give you their opinion, however small their number, is to court peril.




SwiftKey 3 | Samsung Galaxy Note 2 | Tapatalk 2 | Omega v16

[Spazosaurus]

Ent. I look forward to my start button in Windows Blue and the ability to lock off metro ui entirely. Microsoft, MAKE IT HAPPEN.

[Arcmanov]

Oh, the delicious irony of it all  *gloat*  http://www.guru3d.com/news_story/windows_8_1_to_bring_back_familiar_parts_of_windows_7.html



Windows 8 is notable for many reasons, but one of the more astonishing aspects of that release, given Microsoft's history, is that it drove aggressive, mobile-oriented UI changes into Windows without providing ways—even hidden ways—to return to the previous interfaces.

For example, when Windows 95 shipped with the then-new Explorer user interface, customers who pined for the previous Program Manager interface could reconfigure it for that by editing an INI file. And when Microsoft radically changed the Start menu in Windows XP, it allowed customers to return to what it called the "classic Start menu" so that the system more closely resembled its predecessor, Windows 2000.

But Windows 8 offers none of these customer-centric niceties. A pop-up Start tip replaces the Start button, a full-screen Start screen replaces the Start menu, and the PC now boots into the mobile 'Metro' environment instead of the desktop, even on traditional computers. And in each case, there is no way to configure the system to go back to the previous interface. This is a first for Microsoft and Windows, and as I reported last summer, the firm even went to the drastic step of removing legacy Start menu code from the internals of Windows to ensure that third party developers wouldn't be able to do so either. (Developers have instead been forced to recreate these interfaces manually instead, a process that is more time- and resource-intensive.)

Was that a good decision? No, absolutely not. On the one hand, I salute Microsoft for finally acting decisively and pushing forward with a new way of doing things without watering it down, as they'd always done, with backwards-looking alternatives. But on the other hand, doing so is deeply antagonistic to customers, in particular the bread-and-butter corporate customers that will not be buying new-age tablets and hybrid PCs anytime soon regardless. They have completely alienated too many of their own customers.

One might theorize that this wrong-headed decisiveness is what led to Steve Sinofsky's departure from Microsoft, and that the current edict to fix things from on high is something that could never have happened with him still in charge. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that Microsoft, is belatedly, is finally listening to feedback from its customers and changing the product as a result. That is, by far, the most alarming thing that didn't happen—Windows division protestations to the contrary notwithstanding—during the Sinofsky regime.

Put simply, Microsoft should have designed Windows 8 this way from the beginning, and didn't because the Windows division was given too much free reign after its Windows 7 successes. And it's doing it now because the leadership that triggered six years of ignoring customer wishes is no longer there.As a result, Windows 8.1 will more closely resemble Windows 7 than the original Windows 8 version.


As I said before...who doh hear does feel...and MS feeling it.

I notice certain people realllll silent in the face of this.  That's OK...I have enough laughter for you too.

[Spazosaurus]

*spit shines crystal ball*

This is EXACTLY the kind of backlash that Arcman and myself predicted from DAY ONE while the resident MS fanboys tried to justify the utter nonsense that MS do. Forcing people to use this Metro crap on a desktop. Listen up, MS. Give the people OPTIONS, OPTIONS, OPTIONS!!

[MessiaaH]

Boy i doesnt have time for Gatt again nah, ironically i see the news im about to post and was wondering if to come post it, i come in this thread and see alyuh galaraying alyuh self lol.

Doh feel too nice arcman, man not quiet, just busy.

Anyways,

1. The return of the start button is not the return of the start menu eh ppl. All that "start button" going to do, is launch the Metro Start Screen (thats the info i see from the articles i read). So alyuh vocal minority mite have to talk some more after 8.1, becuase alyuh still screwed.

2. http://pocketnow.com/2013/04/24/windows-tablet-sales , <- This is what i predicted when Surface Pro devices start to go on sale. I told all the nay-sayers, to WAIT!, hold on, give the thing ah chance. Let the Surface Pro, and the Dell XPS 13s, etc come out first, then judge. BTW, using windows 8 on touch screen is a completely differnet experinece, metro makes tons more sense, when u actually holding a surface or xps 13 in ur hands. in so much that when i using normal monitors now, i does be reaching up to touch the screen. ANd all those metro apps man does be cussing, make infiniate more sense once u rolling touch. In hindsight, i can see why ppl so disgruntle for it in desktop mode, this thing was really built for touch. (i bought a logitech T650 for my desktop, to give me all the touch screen features when using meh beast, i get too spoil on surface pro)

3. Windows Blue also adding something that i rel want, currently the limitation of metro apps to one monitor is very retarded. Blue fixing that, u go be able to drag metro apps to multiple locations, and pin up to 4 on wide screen monitors. Very very welcome.

All in all i think MS is on the right track. As with all new overhaul of a platform, it going to take time, to weed out what works and what dont work. Windows Phone 8 for e.g makes wp7 look like a pack of mess. But they had to start somewhere, wp7 was there starting point. Windows 8 come like a new start too, but all this particular start needs, is the hardware to highlight d features the OS was built upon. I.E. good solid tablets. With Blue they go fix up the desktop side of things, and in Yellow and Green to follow lol. So in conclusion, all alyuh start button men still hada suck egg. But i do admit there are plenty of areas Windows 8 metro can improve, and i already see plenty improvements in blue. The return of the orignal start menu is the last thing i want, glad dey eh doing it. If after blue man still bickering and they bring back the original start menu, ill personally disable it, and obviously go hada eat meh words, but that time eh reach yet fellers
Dont get ahead of yourselfs.

Anxiously waiting on Surface Pro 2! as that release is insta-buy.

[TriniXaeno]

I believe in giving people options. Love the way that the marketplace responds and provides those options (via addons)

Would be great if Microsoft themselves did it....but not necessary.

Just like Chrome as a browser. Sure we get IE included with the OS but we don't need to be limited by it.

Let Microsoft carry on with their agenda. Someone clever will give the people what they want. Third party if need be.

Best of all, nobody NEEDS Windows 8 to begin with. These articles rant on as if Windows 8 is a mandatory upgrade path for all users.

Windows 7 is solid as a rock. As mentioned before, some businesses...HUGE ones, are still on XP. lol

Don't cry for me Argentina.

[MessiaaH]

Exactly Wyatt. Not bothering to add anything to that. I juss going back to enjoying my surface.

[Arcmanov]

I believe in giving people options. Love the way that the marketplace responds and provides those options (via addons)

Would be great if Microsoft themselves did it....but not necessary.

Just like Chrome as a browser. Sure we get IE included with the OS but we don't need to be limited by it.

Let Microsoft carry on with their agenda. Someone clever will give the people what they want. Third party if need be.

Best of all, nobody NEEDS Windows 8 to begin with. These articles rant on as if Windows 8 is a mandatory upgrade path for all users.

Windows 7 is solid as a rock. As mentioned before, some businesses...HUGE ones, are still on XP. lol

Don't cry for me Argentina.

No.  They don't.

What they DO 'rant' on this insistence on denying choice/options...and that's the crux of the problem.
Whether or not the Start menu actually comes back makes ZERO difference to me personally, because I've adapted,
but I can't recommend Windows 8 to anyone who isn't actually buying a Surface or XPS 13.

Can you even buy a new non-touch-enabled laptop with anything other than Windows 8?  I doubt it.

I've always said that the UI makes perfect sense on a tablet...not so much on a desktop/laptop...hence the backlash, and tepid uptake.


The point is...that very backlash is what's causing MS to backpedal now...and that's significant.

[MessiaaH]

There are loads of other advantages to be had using w8 on desktop. Its still a worthwhile upgrade sans metro. And as jarring as it may be to some using w8 on non-touch devices, I'll never choose to use win7 over it, especially when u can easily download a 15meg app to solve ur issues and still keep all d benefits of w8.

and I won't call 0% to 7.5 in 1 quater backlash, its exactly what MS wanted, tablet penetration.
There are merits to both sides d the argument. Bottom line is it have apps to do what alyuh want, and MS making small changes to try provide it natively, in the end, everyone happy. I personally want the evolution of metro, improvement, features, functionality, the future. MS doesn't need to spend time looking back at a past design. It worked great for many years, but clearly its time to move on. And as touch devices take a greater role in our lives in years to come, rapid evolution of touch UI is in everybody best interest. Transition is jarring at the minute, but they go get there. I think development of peripherals would help the future alot. And taking a look at the Logitech t650 amd Ms touch mouse, we already on that path.

[TriniXaeno]

Until my desktop has a touch screen monitor, I see absolutely minimal gain in day to day use with Windows 8 over Windows 7.

Care to highlight the advantages?

From a user perspective, I'm not seeing any major impetus to upgrade from Windows 7 (desktop wise)

Aside from the amazing US$40 price tag that was initially offered

[Spazosaurus]

"Progress" is inevitable. If they wanna go nuts with metro, fine...BUT they had absolutely no right to take away options and design elements that people have been using and grown accustomed to for the last TWENTY years in ONE os release. Such a move was monumentally stupid.

Is the OS selling? Sure...because people buying new pc's generally have NO CHOICE in the matter or are not aware that they do. Are people generally SATISFIED with the new changes is a completely different story. Even MS has seen this and hopefully now will finally see the error of their ways.

Apart from these issues, personally I think win 8 is a very very incremental upgrade over w7. There are nice little additions (windows+x menu, faster boot up on rotational hdd, new file transfer interface) but there is nothing that could not have been added to Windows 7 in a service pack or r2 release. At the end of the day though, improvement is improvement, cant really argue with that. What one CAN argue, however, is if these improvements are WORTH the time and effort in upgrading.

[TriniXaeno]

Apart from these issues, personally I think win 8 is a very very incremental upgrade over w7. There are nice little additions (windows+x menu, faster boot up on rotational hdd, new file transfer interface) but there is nothing that could not have been added to Windows 7 in a service pack or r2 release.

This^^!!one

On the desktop, it is very very incremental.

Conclusion....if you're on Windows 7, no compelling reason to migrate to Windows 8 for a desktop computer.


If you get it at a giveway price (US$40) by all means....other than that....Windows 7 ftmfw