More than half of Windows 8 users just treat it like Win 7

Haven't been able to find any good news. At least this is funny :

Put bluntly, it would be fair to say that most desktop PC users never use Microsoft's vaunted new UI at all – or they only do so when they absolutely have to.

..they avoid the Start Screen like a leper wearing a loud shirt

Read more at:

More than half of Windows 8 users just treat it like Windows 7 ? The Register

 

[Ray8]

That sounds more tedious to use and doesn't strike me as any more portable/convenient than a laptop.

I don't get it, why do you have that tablet with touch if you don't even really use touch?

And again I will say, it's called a stylus.

Despite your tag, you actually do think entirely within the box, even though you believe otherwise. Also, you don't appear to take enough time to absorb what people write. I suspect that's all due to youth.

It's all about flexibility and versatility. The interface is more or less irrelevant, it's the way in which the device can be adapted to different usage situations that's important.

- A desktop is relatively inflexible, it sits on a desktop unless you're very adventurous, or a gamer with a specifically designed gaming box.

- A laptop introduces significant flexibility, but is still constrained by bulk and a more or less limited degree of screen positioning.

- A swivelling screen notebook (something that is problematic on a large screen notebook), introduces greater flexibility, but works best with small form-factor screens, which may not be an ideal viewing size. And they can still be relatively bulky.

- A tablet provides for a very flexible device, that can adapt itself to be a laptop/notebook as well as a light-weight large screen computer.

The notebooks are pretty much fading away, as a tablet can provide much the same capability and flexibility, in a much easier to use package.

My Fujitsu 8.9" screen notebook weighs 1.2kg on it's own. My 10.1" screen Gigabyte tablet with keyboard cover weighs 1.3kg and without the cover weighs 0.8kg (the same dimensions and weight as the Surface Pro - but with much more flexibility).

So using a bit of imagination, one can see that the tablet can offer a great degree of versatility over desktops, notebooks or laptops. The touch capability is neither here nor there, it's what UI works best under the circumstances. To give an example:



This is how I use my tablet when I go bush and use it as a off-road navigation device. Touch is pretty useless in this situation, as the navigation program does not have great big finger friendly controls when bouncing around bush tracks, or not. You can move the map about with touch, but for everything else I use a wireless mouse, which is infinitely better. It's not something that you can do with a laptop and even the Fujitsu didn't work all that well.

Then I can take it out of its cradle and use it for further trip planning at camp, download and look at photos I may have taken during the day and even connect to the internet and see the latest good news about how Windows 8 is faring, or not (thankfully, we're usually well away from any internet connections for that).

So you see, it's the flexibility and versatility of the device that's most important, not touch, which is really quite irrelevant and over-rated in the big picture. That is, if you can think outside the box.

 

[turbofish]

The Laptop is fading away? The Desktop is inflexible? Do you work for a living? In case you haven't noticed, the world still runs off of laptops and desktops. A tablet is inflexible do to its limitations of power and usability.

Right now, I'm typing this on my laptop although I often use my phone or tablet to do the same thing. Of course I can type about 10X faster on my laptop than on my phone or tablet. In a few minutes, I will VPN into my work desktop and check on a few things. Trying to do that on my phone or tablet is painful due to the limited screens/input devices. But if I had a choice between my laptop or my desktop, I would pick my desktop since it has the most power, best keyboard, biggest screen and most options

The bigger the device gets, the more options and flexibility you have simply because of what the device itself can accomplish.

To be honest, I have almost retired my tabet after getting my Note 2 phone. Maybe tablets are on their way out

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
C'mon guys

Touch devices when temp is -35 deg C or lower, or you are in some type of situation where you need to wear types of Biohazard / space gear type of suits. --

Some people just don't get it -- well if they really want to use touch in these types of situations --Good luck.

There were sayings amongst old WW II pilots -- You had Old Pilots or you had Bold Pilots -- nobody ever saw any OLD and BOLD Pilots.

There are literally Quadrillions of situations where TOUCH devices are NOT the answer even if they could be deployed -- and if you don't believe me just try putting on a pair of basic SIMPLE Motor Cycle gloves and keeping them on just try using touch devices.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[SIW2]

RAY8
I suspect that's all due to youth.

You see RAY, you are not young enough to know everything.

 

[skallal]

Hi there
C'mon guys

Touch devices when temp is -35 deg C or lower, or you are in some type of situation where you need to wear types of Biohazard / space gear type of suits. --

Some people just don't get it -- well if they really want to use touch in these types of situations --Good luck.


Cheers
jimbo

Hey Jimbo! That is why I live in Southern California. Even 0 deg C only happens every few years. But the biohazard suits can come in handy around here! And the next time your in town, let me know and maybe we can meet up, LOL...

 

[goodintentions]

Hi there
C'mon guys

Touch devices when temp is -35 deg C or lower, or you are in some type of situation where you need to wear types of Biohazard / space gear type of suits. --

Some people just don't get it -- well if they really want to use touch in these types of situations --Good luck.

There were sayings amongst old WW II pilots -- You had Old Pilots or you had Bold Pilots -- nobody ever saw any OLD and BOLD Pilots.

There are literally Quadrillions of situations where TOUCH devices are NOT the answer even if they could be deployed -- and if you don't believe me just try putting on a pair of basic SIMPLE Motor Cycle gloves and keeping them on just try using touch devices.

Cheers
jimbo

Dude, have you ever worn a biohazard suit or any kind of chemical suit and try to operate a PC with a mouse and keyboard? The mouse might be tolerable, but the keyboard...

And why are these situations even in question?

 

[Brink]

   Warning

let's keep this a friendly discussion shall we.

 

[goodintentions]

   Warning

let's keep this a friendly discussion shall we.

I apologize if my post came across as nonfriendly. Sometimes I have to remind myself that voice inflections and such don't translate well over the Internet. I wrote my previous post half in jest and while half laughing. We're talking about designing computing devices for everyday use with chemical warfare in mind. Don't you see how that's funny?

 

[Brink]

   Warning

let's keep this a friendly discussion shall we.

I apologize if my post came across as nonfriendly. Sometimes I have to remind myself that voice inflections and such don't translate well over the Internet. I wrote my previous post half in jest and while half laughing. We're talking about designing computing devices for everyday use with chemical warfare in mind. Don't you see how that's funny?

No worries, it wasn't directed at you specifically, but anyone that wants to take it to a personal level.

We just want to keep it a friendly discussion/debate no matter one's view point.

 

[gzt7d8]

Like Frank Sinatra sang the song "My Way", that's how I'm using Windows 8 to look like Windows 7. I admit I'm using one of those addons to give me my Start Button back but other than that, I too like the quick boot up of Windows 8.

Even though I've been I Windows user since 1989, yeah I'm an old guy, I thought Windows 8 was not intuitive, things (features) just weren't in the place where I thought they should be. So you're thinking can't teach an old dog new tricks, well you could be right. I'll adapt to change, I usually do.

Greg

 

[goodintentions]

The Laptop is fading away? The Desktop is inflexible? Do you work for a living? In case you haven't noticed, the world still runs off of laptops and desktops. A tablet is inflexible do to its limitations of power and usability.

Right now, I'm typing this on my laptop although I often use my phone or tablet to do the same thing. Of course I can type about 10X faster on my laptop than on my phone or tablet. In a few minutes, I will VPN into my work desktop and check on a few things. Trying to do that on my phone or tablet is painful due to the limited screens/input devices. But if I had a choice between my laptop or my desktop, I would pick my desktop since it has the most power, best keyboard, biggest screen and most options

The bigger the device gets, the more options and flexibility you have simply because of what the device itself can accomplish.

To be honest, I have almost retired my tabet after getting my Note 2 phone. Maybe tablets are on their way out

This is why I've only been getting hybrids. No laptop. And my desktop got stolen some months ago. Burglary of my home. Anyway, my hybrid does everything that a tablet can and everything that a laptop can. I travel a lot for my work, so the 14-15 hour battery life is a godsend for me. Sometimes, I can just sit in my car parked in the field and crank out a quick report and email it to the clients.

If anything, I would put a lot of money in the hybrid devices of the future. Hybrids really is the way to go. They're flexible, work like a laptop, play like a tablet, and just look really cool when you're using them.

Right now, my only gripe is the split screen ratio. Why 1:4 ratio? I don't get it. I want to know the genius that thought it was a good idea to have a fixed split screen ratio of 1:4. Did this person ever actually try to use this ratio to do any actual work?

 

[XweAponX]

So then why want Windows 8 then if it's so terrible and restrictive of "choice?"

Coke, I know you are the foremost Proponent of Windows 8 in these boards, and I'm with ya, I love it. Despite what I post sometimes. I nitpicked Windows 95 through 7, that will never stop. I think what we see in these forums is a reflection of the attitude toward Windows 8 from outside of these forums. It reflects on us here, sometimes we get caught up in it here. Sometimes the complaints are petty, sometimes it is valid. But most of us in here, I can tell would not be in here if we did not like Windows 8 on some level. I try like hall to get people to install it, but most of my customers, well basically it is FEAR. Fear of the unknown, it's why we all argue about everything from Windows 8 to Politix to Religion (Not in here, but outside of here).

And I think the decision for Microsoft to build windows 8 they way they did was partially a political decision based on how they could farm out programs and features. So they made a deal with Stardock and other mod makers. And the App Store, it was designed ,ess for usefulness and more for there to be an internal money-generating app for MS from within the OS, and Windows 7 lacked this.

Last I saw, it costs about 165 bucks to post an Apple iOS app, I tried to make a Reverbnation App for my band and I got stopped short at the "Pay this NOW" button. So I imagine that Microsoft has a fee for posting apps in their store as well.

Either way, Windows 8 causes money to flow, Now, I'm for this, because it helps the economy, and therefore the 2nd political reason for Windows 8 being as it is - To HELP the IT Industry, somehow. Now, if some of that money is redirected back into the pockets of the people who make these hundreds of little repetitive apps, then that's good - Not good for the number of apps, but good because commerce has commenced. And of course we all have the ability to go through the available apps and buy what we think we can use. Of Course, there are not many trials, but sometimes I just take a chance and buy something outright.

So, I'm with you, I don't really have complaints against the OS, just the way it was marketed and designed. If MS tools around in these forums, they'll see some of the real issues that they need to deal with, and hopefully we'll have helped them decide how to fix things.