24 replies to this topic

[ねこ。]

Windows 8 is another flop from a failing company. First Vista and now this! Maybe their plan now is to terribly designed terrible operating systems.

[deeluna]

As much as I agree that Windows 8 is a pain in the . I have figured out how to do some things such as customization and gaining access to the hidden power tools. The power tools are rather useless but at least it gives you the functionality. and you can dump to a desktop. Personally I believe that the metro BS should have been saved for the tablets only. The windows phone and windows RT are passable for toy computers for quick access to whatever internet related crap you use, but I would still want a true desktop for power gaming and stuff. Windows 7 was passable there, giving people exactly what they wanted while keeping their crap they wanted in Windows Vista.

Though the sad thing is that Windows 8 was developed to help Microsoft take over the phone and tablet market. Apparently they don't like being on the bottom sellers list in any market. I bet they even don't like how the Xbox 360 isn't the top selling system. Just a thought.

[Fire Fox 2007]

Microsoft tries to do everything but they just know other than Windows and Office, they suck at everything. Maybe not Xbox.

[Chiri Kitsu]

I'm having hands on experience with Windows 8 right now along with Office 2013.

 

Up until now, I can only say: The interface takes a bit of getting used to, but Windows 8 does improve on many things, especially from the point of view of someone that owns many devices.

 

What do I mean by that?

- Your settings on one PC can be synched to all your other devices. that being said, your wallpaper, lock screen, password management, etc is uniform between your PC, laptop, tablet, Windows Phone, etc.

- Your files are harmonized in the cloud thanks to SkyDrive. Again, insteresting as you can access all your files from any device at any given time.

- The start up speed... slightly improved is a joke. It vastly improved. My laptop after a fresh install with Office 2013, it takes literally 1 second to reach my login page with my SSD drive. Back with Windows 7, it took a good 5 seconds before reaching the login screen. Many people confirmed the faster boot up times and such on regular hard disks also.

- Installation process is the same as Windows 7 and Windows Vista. For those working in IT won't find it hard to adapt new installation sequences to Windows 8 if they worked with Windows 7.

- Office 2013 is more of a downer for most people: It is now subscription based for I think $8 per month and includes a higher capacity SkyDrive with the subscription. Again, what's interesting is that all your documents you works on are in sync with the SkyDrive, so you may access everything everywhere. For those wanting to purchase the per-system license, they go up for I think $300 the license... not really worth it in a sense.

 

Up until now, my experience with Windows 8 has been nothing but good. My HTPC with the Metro UI is the best move I've done: A regular desktop interface on a 42" TV isn't as easy to manage as the big tile presentation of the Metro UI. That alone makes it a lot easier for me to access all my media files and play them in the players I setup.

On my work laptop, I've tested my VPN client, which works flawlessly along with all my other tools needed.

The only thing I can't imagine is the Metro UI on my main desktop setup. A 3 monitor setup would most probably looks weird with the middle screen being focused on the UI, and the 2 side screens on the desktop... unless DisplayFusion takes care of having the UI on all 3 screens... I can't see it convenient at all for my multi-tasking needs.

[Ferig]

- Your files are harmonized in the cloud thanks to SkyDrive. Again, insteresting as you can access all your files from any device at any given time.

Bit of a moot point, ain't it. Windows 7 also has a SkyDrive program, hell even Android has one.

[Chiri Kitsu]

Yup, but now it's pre-integrated into Windows 8, as Windows 7 is optional.

 

My experience so far with Windows 8 has only been positive.

[deeluna]

On a different note.  Microsoft needs to be more careful about what they do with their OS. They got busted hard for integrating a lot of crap into an OS and making it needed to function before (windows 98 and IE)  And from what I have seen the new Metro IE is the only browser that works with metro and it hijacks any clicked link from an email or IM or whatever program you click a link from.  Sounds iffy to me.

 

I can say with all honesty though that my opinions are biased as I have been used to a classic desktop for the longest time. And before the desktop I had a simple menu for executing DOS commands with a Simple and decent (for it's time) interface.  No mouse was required to use it and due to the way that system was set up it even had a link for activating the mouse driver.  >.> long story short, I like things simple.  Every version of windows Prior was a baby step in interface design.  Though Windows 8 has to be the most drastic jump I've seen in interface design since the introduction of the start menu. The Windows Phone devices I have tried have been annoying and clunky. I didn't mind the older windows mobile 6 but phone 7 and phone 8 were a major WTF to me. Hence when it came time to get a new phone for me I went android (Droid 4 to be specific).

 

And the syncing across devices? Cool feature but it is not surprising at all.

Edited by deeluna, 20 December 2012 - 09:06 PM.

[Ascension]

It's a genuine marketing strategy: have a user buy a Windows 8 phone or tablet, have him get used to the UI and the OS.
Then wait until he buys it for PC and we have more profit; because that is what the user will do if he simply is used to it.

I could not ever imagine using Windows 7 on my mobile phone because I am used to using Android 2.3.4.
And, conversely, I could never imagine using Android 2.3.4 for my PC. I am good at using W7, XP and what not, but I simply cannot use Android 2.3.4 nor iOS or MacOS.

And this is where Windows 8 kicks in: an OS available for both mobile phones, tablets AND PCs.
Now if only W8 supported universal programming tools or old-school functions.

[WinterNut]

Pros: Fast internet and intuitive GUI and office systems. Perfect for an office worker or a child's first system.

 

Cons: Software incompatibility turns the PC from a universal gaming machine to a simplistic arcade machine.

 

That's what I think from experience.

[cloud360]

I've been trying it for a few months now, and even though I didn't much like at first sight, I have to say it's quite a relieve for the eyes. With a very neat interface, now I can find what I am looking for with less effort. After a little long, it becomes a pretty user friendly experience. I even used for a bit in my Netbook and, even though its resolution didn't allow me to use the Modern UI, the OS and the system in general ran even more efficiently with it. So I'm sticking with it now that I have a new laptop to use it.

[yangj08]

Personally, the fact that the user doesn't get to choose whether to use Metro or not (sure, there are third-party add-ons to get back the Start Menu, but the fact that MS removed a registry entry that was the Metro on/off switch in early preview builds kinda sets their tone on the matter) really bugs me.

[Chiri Kitsu]

That's going to be corrected in Windows 8.1.

It's already slated for release very soon. Once 8.1 proves to be stable with the return of the traditional desktop start menu, I'll be hopefully upgrading all my computers to it.

 

Only reason why I didn't yet was that my main computer has 3 screens, and using the default Metro UI is a horrible experience on it.

On my laptop and HTPC however, I'm really happy about them.

[GBATEST]

That's going to be corrected in Windows 8.1.

It's already slated for release very soon. Once 8.1 proves to be stable with the return of the traditional desktop start menu, I'll be hopefully upgrading all my computers to it.

 

Only reason why I didn't yet was that my main computer has 3 screens, and using the default Metro UI is a horrible experience on it.

On my laptop and HTPC however, I'm really happy about them.

There will be not traditional desktop start menu.

 

The preview of Windows 8.1 has a "Start Button"  that takes you to Metro UI. There is not start menu.

[Maverick Hunter Axl]

I am using the WIndows 8 OS and here's my review.

 

The GUI is for touch-screen laptops. If your laptop isn't touch screen, you can miss half of the fun use of Windows 8. Honestly speaking there are minor improvements around this OS. The part about reformatting the OS itself sounds like a small redeeming factor to Windows 8.

 

Not all programs are compatible to Windows 8. It'll take some time before some of the common programs are available in Windows 8.

 

There's one thing to describe Windows 8: Crummy account requirement and constant internet connection. It makes me laugh about the Skype for Windows 8 now requires your MS Account instead of your usual Skype account itself.

 

Pretty clunky despite of the new interface in the Start Menu. I'd prefer the old Windows 7 since it's organized yet easy.
 

By the way, can you folks tell me a decent Download Manager program for Windows 8? It's kinda hard to find a 100% functional one.

[ChexGuy331]

My impressions on 8.1 aren't that great, but the laptop I'm using is a pile of junk anyway. I'd feel a lot better if I could use a touchscreen with Windows 8.

[JustCallMeNed]

My only real issue with Windows 8 is that it was primarily designed for tablets, which makes some of the functionalities of the UI a bit impractical for any PC users who don't own a tablet, like the touch keyboard and the swiping.

 

Also I don't use many of the apps and most of the time I just do everything from the Desktop - I can see where some of their ideas COULD be useful to someone, just not for someone like me.

[Und3adMercenary]

I miss XP, that had to be the best windows to date; instead of making new things, why not just make the good ones better??