I have been using the Win 8.1 Preview and overall I like it because it allows me to set things up so that I can boot direct to the desktop which makes sense on my desktop and laptop computers since neither have a touchscreen. I personally feel that a touchscreen is only useful on smaller devices like a phone or tablet but has no use on larger screens used on laptops and desktops.
I think MS should make Windows 8x adaptive in that you can install it on whatever device you want and, if it senses a touch interface, it configures itself as a portable device with the Start Screen, it's tiles and Metro apps. However, if no touch screen is sensed, it should configure itself in desktop mode where it boots to the desktop, includes the Start button (real one, not the current 8.1 implementation) and essentially works as Win 7 does today. Of course, this auto adapt feature should be able to be overridden so that the user can ultimately decide which interface they prefer.
I personally like Win 8 but despise Metro apps because they prevent me from using my powerful desktop to its full capability by limiting how many Windows I can have open concurrently. That is fine for lower powered devices with smaller screens but doesn't make sense on machines with an abundance of power and RAM coupled with a large (or multiple) screen. I have my machines with Win 8 setup so that all Metro apps are unpinned from the Start screen and none are used as the default app for any file type. When using 8.1, I have it setup to boot direct to the desktop and virtually never see the Start screen. When using Win 8, I have the desktop tile arranged as the first tile on the Start screen and as soon as the Start screen appears, I click the desktop tile to go to the desktop and then stay there. I basically only see the Start screen at initial boot.
I think MS should make Windows 8x adaptive in that you can install it on whatever device you want and, if it senses a touch interface, it configures itself as a portable device with the Start Screen, it's tiles and Metro apps. However, if no touch screen is sensed, it should configure itself in desktop mode where it boots to the desktop, includes the Start button (real one, not the current 8.1 implementation) and essentially works as Win 7 does today. Of course, this auto adapt feature should be able to be overridden so that the user can ultimately decide which interface they prefer.
I personally like Win 8 but despise Metro apps because they prevent me from using my powerful desktop to its full capability by limiting how many Windows I can have open concurrently. That is fine for lower powered devices with smaller screens but doesn't make sense on machines with an abundance of power and RAM coupled with a large (or multiple) screen. I have my machines with Win 8 setup so that all Metro apps are unpinned from the Start screen and none are used as the default app for any file type. When using 8.1, I have it setup to boot direct to the desktop and virtually never see the Start screen. When using Win 8, I have the desktop tile arranged as the first tile on the Start screen and as soon as the Start screen appears, I click the desktop tile to go to the desktop and then stay there. I basically only see the Start screen at initial boot.
My Computer
System One
-
- OS
- W10 Pro (desktop), W10 (laptop), W10 Pro (tablet)
- Computer type
- PC/Desktop
- System Manufacturer/Model
- Home built i7-8700K, Hp Envy x360 EVO Laptop, MS Surface Pro 7
- CPU
- 3.7Ghz Core i7-8700K, 11th Gen Core i7-1165G7 4.7Ghz, 10th Gen Core™ i5-1035G4 1.1Ghz
- Motherboard
- ASUS TUF Z370-Pro Gaming, HP, MS
- Memory
- 16G, 8G, 8G
- Graphics Card(s)
- AMD Radeon RX580, Intel Iris X Graphics, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G4
- Sound Card
- ATI High Definition Audio (Built-in to mobo)
- Monitor(s) Displays
- Dual Samsung U32J59 32 inch monitors, 13.3" display, 12.3" display
- Screen Resolution
- 3840x2160 (Desktop), 1920x1080 (laptop), 2736x1824 Pro 7
- Hard Drives
- 500GB ssd boot drive with 2 & 10TB Data (Desktop), 512GB ssd (laptop), 128GB SSD (tablet)
- PSU
- Corsair CX 750M
- Case
- Antec 100
- Cooling
- Coolermaster CM 212+
- Keyboard
- IBM Model M - used continuously since 1986
- Mouse
- Microsoft IntelliMouse
- Internet Speed
- 665Mbps/15Mbps down/up
- Browser
- FireFox, MS Edge
- Antivirus
- Defender on all
- Other Info
- Retired in 2015 after working in the tech industry for 41 years. First 10 years as a Technician, the rest as a programmer/software engineer. After 1 year of retirement, I was bored so went back to work as a Robotic Process Automation Consultant. Retired for 3rd (and final) time in 2019.
