Don't hate Windows 8!

Windows 8 takes a lot of getting used to, but it's the best OS made by Microsoft, and could be the best OS ever made by anyone...

Windows 8 is really hard to get used to. Really, really hard.

Don't get me wrong, even when when you're running through the install process, Windows 8 looks absolutely fabulous. Never before has so much elegance been wrought from such basic use of colour and typography. It's beautiful from the get-go.

But when you get to the Start screen -- well, it's really that where it starts to fall apart for people.

I started using Windows 8 full-time on March 1st 2012, just under eight months ago. Soon after starting I wrote a particularly harsh article about what I thought of it. Over the weeks and months that followed, I grew to really enjoy using Windows 8 and -- in all honesty -- regretted being quite so harsh.

Read more at source:
Don't hate Windows 8! | ZDNet

 

[Night Hawk]

We will have to disagree. My view is that the Metro interface is a pointless and useless second rate mobile phone interface that has no place on a PC. Only by deleting all the apps and installing StartIsBack to hide the monstrosity, its daft corner and edge effects, pointless lock screen etc, does Windows 8 become a worthwhile and useful operating system.

It's not quite a mobile phone but Tablet designed touch & swipe type gui not suited for the desktop environment to start with. The problem is that someone at MS decided to have the new Surface Tablets look the same as what would be seen on the new desktops and laptops so everyone would feel comfy buying a new Surface model(which by the way sold out on the first day for the Surfacce Pro).

The problem is the Desktop needs a "Desktop GUI" to work with! Someone wasn't paying attention to that over at MS apparently!

 

[BillWindows]

We will have to disagree. My view is that the Metro interface is a pointless and useless second rate mobile phone interface that has no place on a PC. Only by deleting all the apps and installing StartIsBack to hide the monstrosity, its daft corner and edge effects, pointless lock screen etc, does Windows 8 become a worthwhile and useful operating system.

It's not quite a mobile phone but Tablet designed touch & swipe type gui not suited for the desktop environment to start with. The problem is that someone at MS decided to have the new Surface Tablets look the same as what would be seen on the new desktops and laptops so everyone would feel comfy buying a new Surface model(which by the way sold out on the first day for the Surfacce Pro).

The problem is the Desktop needs a "Desktop GUI" to work with! Someone wasn't paying attention to that over at MS apparently!

I think if they would have had two GUIs the media would have torn them to shreds for having two confusing interfaces, and like you said having the one would make it more comfy for people making the move to tablets.

I think the whole thing will get better in time, even the Store is starting to look better already. This whole thing would have been a lot easier if CPUs and GPUs would have been more powerful, smaller and energy efficient, you can't blame Microsoft for that.

 

[labeeman]

I think if they would have had two GUIs the media would have torn them to shreds for having two confusing interfaces, and like you said having the one would make it more comfy for people making the move to tablets.

I think the whole thing will get better in time, even the Store is starting to look better already. This whole thing would have been a lot easier if CPUs and GPUs would have been more powerful, smaller and energy efficient, you can't blame Microsoft for that.

I do not think the media could get any worse than it is now.

 

[Night Hawk]

The blog writers have been having a field first bashing 8 and then making comparisons when looking at Surface and now Surface Pro. The problem is Win 8 is still a Desktop/Laptop OS while Windows RT is a Tablet OS. The Metro or Modern is Windows RT designed for Tablet. This is where MS was focused not actually on an updated gui for desktop and laptop use.

The slippery make all look the same idea is strictly to bolster tablet sales for their new Surface Tablet series passing by the desktop users and why most are frowning at 8 to begin with. The ggek will simply work around with the 3rd party options while the noob will be frustrated immediately and be stuck not having 7 media to go backward to 7 or with a previous version when grabbing at the 8 upgrade offers to quickly. Hey no one is going to pass up a $15 cheapie or will they if they have a look ahead of time?! Many simply jumped on the 8 bandwagon and then said "oops! I goofed!"

 

[BillWindows]

I don't think it would have mattered what Microsoft did the media would have torn them to shreds, it's a whole new sport, well not that new, they've virtually been doing it since day one.

I'm amazed at Microsofts resilience, they've been buried an awful lot of times.

 

[Night Hawk]

They are not worried too much about anything as you can see from how they stripped down their main desktop OS and simply threw a tablet gui onto an updated core and called it a day as opposed to not seeing the commercial interests always onboard. The mobile market was recent with the Windows Phone while tablet has actually been around for a decade. The only thing however is that you never saw a tablet gui tossed onto any previous version like 8 has seen since MS got into manufacturing their own tablets.

 

[BillWindows]

They are not worried too much about anything as you can see from how they stripped down their main desktop OS and simply threw a tablet gui onto an updated core and called it a day as opposed to not seeing the commercial interests always onboard. The mobile market was recent with the Windows Phone while tablet has actually been around for a decade. The only thing however is that you never saw a tablet gui tossed onto any previous version like 8 has seen since MS got into manufacturing their own tablets.

Boy you make creating a new OS sound simple, which is what they did, Windows is just an App. I personally like Windows 8 and what MS is trying to achieve. Considering I can do all the same things on Windows 8 as I can on Windows 7 I'm happy.

 

[Coke Robot]

I'm going to bluntly sum up some of the angst against Windows 8: user ignorance/lack of knowledge about using it.

Many problems would be gone in Windows 8 for many people IF they KNEW how to use it effectively. Most don't so most hate it just because they can't figure it out and sometimes don't even try to learn it and would rather toss it out the window.

But some people don't like it for other reasons...

 

[Night Hawk]

For me here the Taglet gui is more of an annoyance while not any stopping block if I did have a reason to be running 8. Unfortunately since several programs will not run on 8 and 8 no longer sees a DX version suitable(DX9c elements still goes on 7 despite DX11) for many older apps and games that was one stumbling block to add to the list!

Rushing out to buy 8 wasn't on the shopping list anyways having found what I needed with 7 having come up from the old dos, 3.1, 9x days to present and finding MS went off in some other direction. The investment and repurchase of softwares for 7 would then need to be all replaced all over again for 8? I would be paying out nearly what I paid for the Ultimate edition back in 2009! That wouldn't be the best move at $15-$40(initial offerings) just to say I have Win 8.

Now for others not previously moving up from XP to Vista or 7 they might like 8 simply to look at something new and blue while the practical user will say "what is this crap!" and then want an older version back! The Aero didn't always meet with 100% approval either with many looking to bring back the Classic Windows themes.

Hard to use at first and despite expecting to be learning a new curb with each newer version MS scrambled the eggs up big time slapping a totally different gui not intended for the desktop platform to begin with into the mix! If you don't have any issues with the core elements and toss on some workarounds like Classic Shell you can be as a happy as a pig in the mud.

And it isn't simply "user ignorance" as to why many simply do not take to 8 right off but how MS trashed the desktop OS side of things. You have to look at both sides of the story there. Now as far as the typical home users not tech geek why does Staples need to now provide free instructions for those that buy a new pc from them with 8 on it? The OS was turned upside down when comparing tablet compact to desktop platforms making things confusing as ...

 

[DooRules]

I'm going to bluntly sum up some of the angst against Windows 8: user ignorance/lack of knowledge about using it.

Many problems would be gone in Windows 8 for many people IF they KNEW how to use it effectively. Most don't so most hate it just because they can't figure it out and sometimes don't even try to learn it and would rather toss it out the window.

But some people don't like it for other reasons...

Blunt but as usual consistently off the mark.

Just more of the I like it and why the hell don't you also. It's a lame argument.

 

[DavidY]

You're the one who doesn't understand tablets, if they're not meant for serious work why do Pilots and Doctors use them as well as many other Professionals.

See, now you've put this vision into my head...

...of a plane where all the instruments and windows in a cockpit have been replaced by a single viewer (Star Trek style) in front of the pilot. You can look out the view out of the window, but you can't see an instrument at the same time. Press a hotkey (or swipe) and you can see, for instance, the altimeter (displayed 2 feet high), but you lost the view out the window. Press the hotkey again and you can see the airspeed indicator (but you lost the altimeter and still can't see out the window). This probably doesn't end well...

I'm going to bluntly sum up some of the angst against Windows 8: user ignorance/lack of knowledge about using it.

Many problems would be gone in Windows 8 for many people IF they KNEW how to use it effectively.

Yes, although I lay some of the blame on Microsoft for not making it easy to find out how to use it. Previous versions of Windows have Help links and/or an F1 key to press if you were stuck... neither of which work on the Start Screen. If you know the trick, you can type in "Help"... and get zoomed over to the Desktop, in a generic Help Window which has none of the context of what you were trying to do. So it's no wonder people get stuck.

But some people don't like it for other reasons...

On a big screen TV Windows 8 is absolutely awesome, it seems tailor made for home entertainment.

I return to this quote from Raluca Budiu here

Windows 8 is optimized for content consumption rather than content production and multitasking. Whereas content consumption can easily be done on other media (tablets and phones), production and multitasking are still best suited for PCs.

For some people, and some purposes (characterised by Budiu as content consumption - eg. big screen TV) they see Windows 8 as a big step forward for them personally.

For some people (Budiu's content creators; eg. music producers) , they see Windows 8 and in particular the Modern/Metro interface as a big step backwards for them personally.

And I think one reason there are so many lively discussions on here is that they're both right...

 

[BillWindows]

I read that Raluca Budiu story, it gave me a headache, Windows 8 doesn't and never has, she makes it sound a lot more confusing than it is. All it is is a couple of hotspots and right mouse clicks, the task bar on the left, the charms bar on the right and that's basically it.
The other thing is, can't anyone use Google or Bing, Using Windows 8, closing down Windows 8, it's harder to find your way around an iPad than Windows 8.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
PLEASE SOMEBODY tell me what's so hard with using Windows 8 compared with W7 from the basic desktop.

I agree there's some initial setup shenanigans to get convenient applications on to taskbar and desktop -- but once you've done that WHAT'S essentially the difference between the desktop in W7 to the desktop in W8 apart from no ORB.

All your apps can be executed from the desktop / taskbar just like W7.
At boot you have to click on Desktop from the W8 start screen -- what's hard about that.

For things like controls panel -- you press WINDOWS plus the X key and choose control panel rather than the ORB and select control panel.

W8 Search is MUCH easier and efficient than W7 or XP.

You NEVER need to use W8 METRO stuff if you don't want to -- and for those who have touch screens W8 beats W7 hands down -- but most of the complainers etc are those with traditional desktops who've probably never tried using Touch facilities on a computer.

I'm not saying W8 is without problems - Of course I'd like some better method of customising and arranging the tiles - that will happen anyway either by Ms or 3rd party developers - bust seriously folks if you sort your desktop out properly and just remember only TWO items - click desktop on Ist boot and the Windows+X key the differences between running W7 and W8 are NEGLIGIBLE.

(There are always some cases - especially if you have 100's of features on your machine - but this gets hard even with a Classic Menu) but my remarks are directed at around 85 - 90% of typical users out there -- and YES I do agree setting the machine up initially is a pain but if you've done it correctly -- no problem.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[David Bailey]

Hi there

At boot you have to click on Desktop from the W8 start screen -- what's hard about that.


I'm not saying W8 is without problems - Of course I'd like some better method of customising and arranging the tiles...

Cheers
jimbo

Bypass start screen-- http://www.eightforums.com/general-support/16696-boot-direct-desktop-bypass-start-screen.html


Customize tiles-- Download OblyTile 0.8.8 Free - Design tiles for your Windows 8 Start Screen - Softpedia

How to bypass password screen-- How to bypass the Windows 8 password screen | PCWorld

 

[BillWindows]

God how I hate that Classic Menu, if they ever bring that back, I'm outa here, as far as hating Metro, like Jimbo said one click and you're on the desktop and you're on a faster OS with more features, what's up with that.

 

[lehnerus2000]

No Clicks > One Click

God how I hate that Classic Menu, if they ever bring that back, I'm outa here, as far as hating Metro, like Jimbo said one click and you're on the desktop and you're on a faster OS with more features, what's up with that.

Windows 7 = no clicks and you are on the desktop!

Windows 8 + replacement Start Menu (e.g. Classic Shell) = no clicks and you are on the desktop!

 

[BillWindows]

God how I hate that Classic Menu, if they ever bring that back, I'm outa here, as far as hating Metro, like Jimbo said one click and you're on the desktop and you're on a faster OS with more features, what's up with that.

Windows 7 = no clicks and you are on the desktop!

Windows 8 + replacement Start Menu (e.g. Classic Shell) = no clicks and you are on the desktop!

Years ago I used to do all kinds of stuff to dress up my PC, then I started to wonder why it was slowing down, in the end I thought hey this is a PC not a sideshow. So now all I do is put a nice racing car or something that catches my eye on the desktop and that's it, still looks cool though.

As far as the one click goes, I figure over a lifetime it'll amount to one hour out of my life, I can wear that.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
as for bypassing password screen that's been around even from XP days

1) Windows + X key -- select RUN from the popup menu( W8) from XP/Vista/W7 from menu chose RUN

2) type control userpasswords2 and just follow instructions --simple.

Start menu is ALSO a mega pain if you have loads of apps -- it's just a choice of whether you prefer to scroll DOWNWARDS (Menu system) or Horizontally (W8).

And to re-iterate for most users you can operate W8 identically to W7 by using quick launch bar and pinning commonly used applications as desktop icons -- so I can't see what the problem is in the workplace where generally you have far fewer applications on a desktop that you probably would at home. (Speaking here of typical users - not IT or server support type of people --in any case these guys would probably be working in command mode a lot of the time anyway).

I've posted earlier in the thread how to pin an application icon to the desktop in W8 so it looks and behaves exactly like the same function in W7 - but for those who missed the post

1) Windows key + X for the little popup menu -- select SEARCH. You'll get the start screen with the search input area at top left of screen.
2) enter name of application say Photoshop
3) right mouse click
4) now at the BOTTOM of the screen select Open file location
5) from the file location right click on the .EXE file or whatever and chose SEND TO DESKTOP (Create short cut).

Now go back to your desktop -- and you've got the standard Photoshop Icon on your desktop. Now when you want to run Photoshop just click the icon and it works (in non metro mode) just like it's always done.

Apart from a bit of setup what's hard about this -- you can work almost EXACTLY as you did in W7.

Again difficulties with W8 are IMO GROSSLY exaggerated in most cases. For those rare cases that need W7 --well no problem but W8's problems are GROSSLY EXAGGERATED.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[lehnerus2000]

I've posted earlier in the thread how to pin an application icon to the desktop in W8 so it looks and behaves exactly like the same function in W7 - but for those who missed the post

1) Windows key + X for the little popup menu -- select SEARCH. You'll get the start screen with the search input area at top left of screen.
2) enter name of application say Photoshop
3) right mouse click
4) now at the BOTTOM of the screen select Open file location
5) from the file location right click on the .EXE file or whatever and chose SEND TO DESKTOP (Create short cut).

Now go back to your desktop -- and you've got the standard Photoshop Icon on your desktop. Now when you want to run Photoshop just click the icon and it works (in non metro mode) just like it's always done.

Apart from a bit of setup what's hard about this -- you can work almost EXACTLY as you did in W7.

That used to be done for you AUTOMATICALLY in previous versions of Windows (for most software).
Now people have to execute more clicks and waste more time.

Not that this particular issue affects me anyway (I don't put program icons on my desktop).
I'd also describe this issue as an annoyance.
It's not difficult to overcome, just annoying (like the UAC in Vista).

 

[jimbo45]

I've posted earlier in the thread how to pin an application icon to the desktop in W8 so it looks and behaves exactly like the same function in W7 - but for those who missed the post

1) Windows key + X for the little popup menu -- select SEARCH. You'll get the start screen with the search input area at top left of screen.
2) enter name of application say Photoshop
3) right mouse click
4) now at the BOTTOM of the screen select Open file location
5) from the file location right click on the .EXE file or whatever and chose SEND TO DESKTOP (Create short cut).

Now go back to your desktop -- and you've got the standard Photoshop Icon on your desktop. Now when you want to run Photoshop just click the icon and it works (in non metro mode) just like it's always done.

Apart from a bit of setup what's hard about this -- you can work almost EXACTLY as you did in W7.

That used to be done for you AUTOMATICALLY in previous versions of Windows (for most software).
Now people have to execute more clicks and waste more time.

Not that this particular issue affects me anyway (I don't put program icons on my desktop).
I'd also describe this issue as an annoyance.
It's not difficult to overcome, just annoying (like the UAC in Vista).

Hi there
I agree -- it's a bit annoying when this used to be done automatically -- but as I said AFTER you've done the start up chores there's almost NO difference in the DAILY use of W7 to W8.

I'm sure there will be improvements in the OS especially with the customisation issues - but after this Boring Chore has been done I still maintain even for most desktop users the differences in the way you need to work between W7 and W8 are essentially very trivial.

I tend to use the quick launch bar for most of my stuff -- that has hardly changed - a lot of installers will ask you if you want the application pinned to the quick launch bar anyway (both on W7 and W8).

For people who haven't users Windows before - problems with W8 are (or should be a non issue) - they'd have to learn Windows in any case.

For those that HAVE used windows before - as I said it's relatively easy to almost replicate the W7 experience even if it IS slightly annoying at first.

You don't have to go ANYWHERE near Metro type apps if you don't want to -- and I find W8 far better with a touch screen enabled laptop - or even hopefully a W8 surface Pro type of tablet.

Syncing stuff to phones is also simpler in W8 too.

Cheers
jimbo