The worst thing since Microsoft Bob: What is MS thinking?

[FSeal]

After many months of using W8 I am back to W7.

And what a relief.

I like to have the last versions installed always and be up to date, but God thank you for the Start Menu, for not having Metro, for not having the horrible charms showing up all the time, etc, etc, etc.

I feel at home again. I love you Windows 7. You are so normal and logical for a PC compared to that nightmare called W8.

I am starting to think that this might mean the beginning of my end with Microsoft in every sense. Everything they are doing, such as the new Outlook Mail replacing Hotmail, is just worse, ugly and horrible ideas.

I think they are going to crash beyond Windows, the crash can be generalized affecting their whole range of products. So many stupid and annoying ideas together can't survive long.

This is the most silly reply I have seen here so far

Jeff

Makes perfect sense to me... and frighteningly I bet atleast half of all other Windows users as well. I've complained about the same exact things. Metro is a pure annoyance to use every day if you need to use the desktop (and a LOT of us NEED to use the desktop). The charms bar popping up due to the enlarged hot corners IS a serious annoyance. The full screen start menu on a 24 in monitor IS a pure annoyance.

The low demand users may love it but high demand users revile it. MS is driving a wedge right down the middle of their customer base. We'll see where that leads in the coming months...

 

[Mike Lonewolf]

Fseal, it comes to mind. IT might be that Microsoft is trying to lead the seasoned Windows user away from standard version of Windows 8 to the Professional version of Windows 8, which on early indications is more directed at the power user.

 

[FSeal]

Fseal, it comes to mind. IT might be that Microsoft is trying to lead the seasoned Windows user away from standard version of Windows 8 to the Professional version of Windows 8, which on early indications is more directed at the power user.

Except that no such thing exists.

I would have been happy with a "Professional" version of Windows 8... if it existed.

 

[Mike Lonewolf]

Who says it WON'T? October 26th is still FAR off! Remember till the official release of Windows 8, all the news is just speculation. Were you one of the Windows XP beta testers too? We didn't know about XP Professional till the product was officially released. I have a feeling the same will hold true here as well.

 

[TerryE]

As I said before in these forums, I got a look at the Enterprise version a while back and it didn't look or behave any differently than the general-release RP. Of course anything could havbe changed between the RP and RTM, and we'll see, but I doubt there will be a significant difference. In Windows 7, Enterprise and Ultimate were pretty much equivalent: just what you got out of the box differed a little. (I don't remember all the details.)

 

[FSeal]

Uh... Windows 8 is DONE, no more changes. It was put to bed on July 25th.

They were busy metrofying the last bits of the desktop before final build.

There is NO chance of them having done anything that drastic. The best we might have gotten is an option to turn on the old start menu in lieu of metro but the chances of that are also pretty much nil. Not zero but immeasurably close :/

 

[sparky1]

After many months of using W8 I am back to W7.

And what a relief.

I like to have the last versions installed always and be up to date, but God thank you for the Start Menu, for not having Metro, for not having the horrible charms showing up all the time, etc, etc, etc.

I feel at home again. I love you Windows 7. You are so normal and logical for a PC compared to that nightmare called W8.

I am starting to think that this might mean the beginning of my end with Microsoft in every sense. Everything they are doing, such as the new Outlook Mail replacing Hotmail, is just worse, ugly and horrible ideas.

I think they are going to crash beyond Windows, the crash can be generalized affecting their whole range of products. So many stupid and annoying ideas together can't survive long.

I agree with you 100%.

 

[kmint]

After many months of using W8 I am back to W7.

And what a relief.

I like to have the last versions installed always and be up to date, but God thank you for the Start Menu, for not having Metro, for not having the horrible charms showing up all the time, etc, etc, etc.

I feel at home again. I love you Windows 7. You are so normal and logical for a PC compared to that nightmare called W8.

I am starting to think that this might mean the beginning of my end with Microsoft in every sense. Everything they are doing, such as the new Outlook Mail replacing Hotmail, is just worse, ugly and horrible ideas.

I think they are going to crash beyond Windows, the crash can be generalized affecting their whole range of products. So many stupid and annoying ideas together can't survive long.

This is the most silly reply I have seen here so far

Jeff

And what is the need to be offensive and unpolite for saying that?

 

[legacy7955]

After many months of using W8 I am back to W7.

And what a relief.

I like to have the last versions installed always and be up to date, but God thank you for the Start Menu, for not having Metro, for not having the horrible charms showing up all the time, etc, etc, etc.

I feel at home again. I love you Windows 7. You are so normal and logical for a PC compared to that nightmare called W8.

I am starting to think that this might mean the beginning of my end with Microsoft in every sense. Everything they are doing, such as the new Outlook Mail replacing Hotmail, is just worse, ugly and horrible ideas.

I think they are going to crash beyond Windows, the crash can be generalized affecting their whole range of products. So many stupid and annoying ideas together can't survive long.

Agreed.

So I suppose millions of users that agree with this opinion are silly?


One thing that seems to constantly pop up in these discussions of Windows 8 is that the few that like it are very reactive and aggressive in their attacks on those that DISlike the new OS. While those that dislike it are level headed, rational, and logical in their opinions. I wonder why this is? Usually when there is a serious weakness with some aspect of something it causes folks to lash out in a defensive posture.

 

[Mike Lonewolf]

Like from one user that was removed from this forum for saying Windows sucks and Linux rules? Explain to me Legacy how this is a level headed objective response?

 

[SIW2]

I can't recall the last time I booted into win8.

I have pretty much given up on RP now.

I will have a look at rtm - always optimistic.


Is it just me , or does anyone else think there is a problem with the aesthetics?

Leaving aside the question the start screen,charms,bar, apps. and so on.

It is just not welcoming, to me at least.

It is to do with the square blandness of it all.

Reminds of that minimialist interior design thing that was going quite a few years ago.

I think most people who tried that for a while gave up on it.

It is ok for an Art Gallery, but you wouldn't want to live in it.

Probably doesn't matter if you are using a small screen device that you aren't going to be looking at for hours on end.

 

[McRuff]

I can't recall the last time I booted into win8.

It is to do with the square blandness of it all.

Reminds of that minimialist interior design thing that was going quite a few years ago.

What it reminds me is the fashions of the 70's. Bright colors, bold shapes. Modern at the time but dated very fast. The house I own now had been last painted in the 70's. White paint over 100 year old wood paneling. Yellow cupboard doors etc. Took a lot of work to fix it and try and get it back to how it used to look before it's "modernization".

There is nothing subtle about the Metro design, so I suspect it will also date fast.

I downloaded the Office 2013 trial and I found it to Bright and Stark for me to want to work with it. However to be fair it is a personal preference thing and my dislike for Metro may be influencing my view of the look.

 

[pparks1]

Is it just me , or does anyone else think there is a problem with the aesthetics?

I think it's plain and boring. I prefer the look and feel of Windows 7 better myself.

I think most people who tried that for a while gave up on it.

I am trying it on a desktop at the office. I've still got it setup, as I expect to have to provide some support for this going forward. It's ok, as a secondary desktop, but I can say for sure that I won't be upgrading either my work laptop or my work desktop off from Windows 7. In addition, I have no intention on putting Windows 8 on either my wife's laptop (currently Vista) or my desktop (Windows 7).

 

[TerryE]

I will probably put it on my netbook and run it as a VM on my primary desktop (Win7 x64) at home. At work, it ain't gonna happen. I work in IT and I know how "we" frown on unapproved operating systems and applications. More than likely if I chose to "adopt" Win8 at the office I would just as quickly be "asked" to remove it. I'll stay with my Windows 7, which is still ahead of 90% or more of the company (most people still run XP).

I will have to see what Windows Server 2013 offers but it might be interesting. By default the Metro start screen is off, so that's already a big plus for the server OS in my mind!

Since my wife uses the desktop machine to check e-mail and surf the internet I am not about to put her through more misery trying to navigate her way through Windows 8.

 

[FSeal]

I can't recall the last time I booted into win8.

I have pretty much given up on RP now.

I will have a look at rtm - always optimistic.


Is it just me , or does anyone else think there is a problem with the aesthetics?

Leaving aside the question the start screen,charms,bar, apps. and so on.

It is just not welcoming, to me at least.

It is to do with the square blandness of it all.

Reminds of that minimialist interior design thing that was going quite a few years ago.

I think most people who tried that for a while gave up on it.

It is ok for an Art Gallery, but you wouldn't want to live in it.

Probably doesn't matter if you are using a small screen device that you aren't going to be looking at for hours on end.

There is a small aesthetic to the design, but yes I find it very tiring to look at after a while. It's very sharp, contrasty and bright. It is not soothing at all to look at. The windows features should blend softly into the background and let the information or work stand alone. That and yes... it is so very boring to look at.

I posted an article that Microsoft can't use the name "Metro" any more and they have told people to call it "The New Interface" but they should just call it "Squares". The entire UI and all the Microsoft supplied Met... Er... New Interface apps are nothing but collections of brightly colored squares.

In the end it reminds me of a children's toy, like Colorforms or something. Windows for preschoolers...

 

[Mike Lonewolf]

I talked to my friend and associate Kenneth Hess who writes Linux Desktop-related articles using the latest screenshot, video and screen recording technology to bring the Linux Desktop to the mainstream user, and according to him, he sees Windows 8 as the NEXT big thing. I inquired about the Metro interface, and he had said NOW grandma will not be bothering technical support asking where the "ANY" key is located any longer. (Laughing) But I believe Kenneth has hit the bulls eye on his speculation concerning Windows 8.

 

[jeffrys]

FSEAL,

"Metro is a pure annoyance to use every day if you need to use the desktop (and a LOT of us NEED to use the desktop). The charms bar popping up due to the enlarged hot corners IS a serious annoyance. The full screen start menu on a 24 in monitor IS a pure annoyance."

well everybody as his own opinion. I work an my pc all day and nothing bothers me much.

I only shutdown once every 2-3 weeks (any of my 4 computers), so hitting the desktop to leave the metro is not a big deal.

I think MS only needs a few changes to make in order to satisfy most of the users.

But there is still time for that.

Most of us here like(d) Win7 because Vista was a pain.....

I like Win8.

Jeff

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
you can make Windows 8 to look and behave 99% like W7 if you want to via two simple tricks -- install classic shell and send a lot of applications to the desktop as short cuts like you had in W7 and earlier OS'es.

have a look at my posts in this thread from W7 Forum. (Posts 18 and 20 - screenshots also shown).

Is 'Metro' now a banned word at Microsoft? - Page 2 - Windows 7 Forums

You don't have to have ANYTHING to do with metro if you don't want to -- and as for installing one small FREE 3rd party application -- well we do it all the time don't we -- AV software (not really needed for W8), decent 3rd party backup / restore programs, virtual dvd mounters -- also not needed in W8, DVD playing software (usually things like VLC), TREESIZE / WinDIR stats for presenting decent info about files we have on disks, music applications, office tools email clients, different browsers etc -- so why should people be up in arms against installing one tiny piece of very good software too.

(Yes the Classic Shell will boot you straight into the desktop bypassing the Metro start if you want it to).

Actually the charms bar at the side is fine - takes about 5 mins of getting used to but for switching monitors / swapping screens / and using the search I find it not unobtrusive at all --the search actually is better than W7's too.

I agree for most serious desktop work METRO is not 100% but 999% a total waste of time and not fit for purpose at all.


Note Windows server 2012 - you can install it without a GUI (just power shell -- great for a pure server) or with a GUI.

Metro / Desktop themes are not enabled unless you set these in the server settings customize your server ==> enable desktop experience - then you get Metro by default which IMO is just plain BONKERS for a server.

!!! At least the command line with the very enhanced power shell now makes Windows 2012 a serious server to start competing with a lot of the Linux stuff and with the HYPER-V feature could be good for running a whole slew of virtual machines. Just how good a competitor to VMWARE this will be remains to be seen but at least Ms is moving in the right direction with its servers.

I tried running Windows 2012 server as a Desktop OS -- Brilliant (I use the same program - Power Shell to enable the classic menu etc). Enabling the desktop experience allows W7 themes etc.

The only problem with it on a desktop is that there's a defect in the flash player that prevents you playing Video content from web sites when using IE (sound works fine). Other browsers manage so it's not horrific but it does need to be fixed (IE 10).

Provided you switch off certain "nag features" that servers have like prompting you for a reason when you want to re-boot - running a server OS on a desktop is quite a good experience as the server usually is far more optimised for performance than a desktop which is set to be convienient to the majority of users.

A server does need a bit of work to set it up properly though to be used conveniently as a desktop OS.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[SIW2]

@mike

I talked to my friend and associate Kenneth Hess who writes Linux Desktop-related articles using the latest screenshot, video and screen recording technology to bring the Linux Desktop to the mainstream user

No offence to Kenneth - but he has got a lot of work to do.

... and according to him, he sees Windows 8 as the NEXT big thing.

Isn't that the complete opposite of what your Walmart demo showed you?

Unless he meant it a different way. Perhaps he was saying Win8 is so awful - it will be a great help for other o/s - like Linux.

 

[Mike Lonewolf]

SIW2 said

Isn't that the complete opposite of what your Walmart demo showed you?

Unless he meant it a different way. Perhaps he was saying Win8 is so awful - it will be a great help for other o/s - like Linux.

There is a slight difference here! Kenneth is a professional, and the people at Walmart are novelists.