How I ended up with Windows 8.

[smurfercom]

It wasn't by choice I ordered a Dell 17R i3 2nd gen laptop through Harrah's Total Rewards in January. Dell shipped out a 3rd gen i3 17R with W8, my plan was to use it as a mobile guitar studio because all of my progs were working/tested in W7. Suffice to say I wasn't one to complain about the upgraded laptop but it sure blew a hole in my plans to get the 14.99 upgrade. Couldn't do it using the laptop had to be done on my main HTPC rig running x64 W7 and I also got the free MCE add on to boot. One thing W8 is good at is playing back movies I loaded upW8Pro on my main HTPC and use Lav decoders with MPC-HC and Media player. But when guest's arrive I'm back in 7 because it's tweaked for stereo 3D and regular 2D through my Pioneer SC-07. For some reason I get away with one video card (ATi 6850)with DP and HDMI split to the receiver for lossless and DP for stereo 3D in 7.

I already tested out the preview OS and knew exactly what I wanted to do with my new toy. After getting my guitar progs working and tweaking the OS to my liking I decided to stick with it and see if I could get used to the Metro interface. Well after two days of mucking around in Metro I decided to get StartisBack and just do away with the Metro clutter completely. 8 is not on any of my workstations and don't plan on using for my business it's just a tinker toy for now and may have to stay that way. I still don't like the flat look and prefer Aero Glass, another staple taken away.

Best explanation by a dev at technet forums and totally agree with his views of 8.
VeryBoringNickname:
1. The desktop has multiple windows, Metro has not.
2. Desktop programs can be resized, Metro apps cannot.
3. The desktop has drag and drop between applications, Metro has not. Instead of just selecting the items you want to export and actually move them into the other program, you need to handle with "charms" which comes across far more unintuitive than just dragging and dropping.
4. The desktop has nearly unlimited multi-tasking abilities, Metro has not.
5. Metro apps are far more limited in scope, by design, than desktop programs.
6. Desktop programs have depth and 3D, Metro apps on the other hand seem to be approved by the FlatEarth Society.
7. Desktop programs are usually more colorful and vibrant, the Metro design principle consists of CGAstyle mono-color.
8. You can open up other programs in the desktop, through the start menu, without disrupting workflow. On the other handthe start screen is something like the "item menu" in games where youdress up your character with weapons etc. Everyone knows that it is quite distracting switching between item menu and game world in games, and Microsoftbrought this concept onto its flag ship product! Hooray.
9. Desktop programs can be easily distributed, Metro desktops are locked-in into the store.
And that's just theproblem of the WinRT part. The fact that Win8 has multiple control panels and update mechanisms and is a duality monster hasn't been touched upon here. Yet alone that Win8 apologists in all seriousness propose arcane keyboard shortcutsas solution for some of the glaring problems, where previous versions workedjust fine without using them.
If an alien would justland on our planet and see Windows 7 and Windows 8 (and its programs) for thefirst time, without no prior knowledge, he would think Windows 7 is the successor, not 8.
I am not "against change", I am not married to the start menu or Win32. If something truly better would come along, I would be sold. But Win8 just isn't.
I still can't get over it. They took a phone GUI and put it on full fledged computers as default...
The premise is so retarded when you take your time to think about it for more than one millisecond, just unbelievable. Like putting a bike into a car chassis.

That they were able to go with this and run it to the very end is just incredible.
oEdited by Ronnie VernonMVP, Moderator Monday,November 19, 2012 3:30 AM edit
oEdited by VeryBoringNickname Thursday,January 03, 2013 11:22 AM
o
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w8itprogeneral/thread/2956149e-5ca6-4e5a-af76-d47547dc1a13

 

[rmeigs]

The problem with the TechNet forum "explanation" is that it is based on a false premise, i.e., Windows 8 = Metro.

Metro is just the start menu replacement within Windows 8; it is not Windows 8. There is little in their explanation that can't be done on the Windows 8 desktop.

 

[DavidY]

The problem with the TechNet forum "explanation" is that it is based on a false premise, i.e., Windows 8 = Metro.

Metro is just the start menu replacement within Windows 8; it is not Windows 8. There is little in their explanation that can't be done on the Windows 8 desktop.

People have stated on here that Microsoft have told developers they should be writing applications in Metro in the future. So assuming Microsoft follow their own principles and the next version of Office was Metro-only (I guess Windows RT already has something on these lines?) then the desktop functionality won't help.

 

[rmeigs]

So assuming Microsoft follow their own principles and the next version of Office was Metro-only (I guess Windows RT already has something on these lines?) then the desktop functionality won't help.

Certainly true and hard to know where Windows is going in the future, but we're talking about current Windows 8. "Assuming" what MS might do in the future is just speculation. Windows RT runs Office from the desktop, not Metro, and you can size, have multiple windows, etc.

 

[Coke Robot]

The metro apps are right now an extension of the Desktop, they're not right now suited for a FULL replacement of the Desktop. Keep in mind, this is a rather huge change in UI and coding paradigm, this can't be taken lightly in order to not screw up program compatibility and such.


I have to ask you for your opinion, does this Start Screen look interesting to you?