Windows 8 Pro price slashed..........

The Windows 8 Pro upgrade price has inexplicably been slashed on Microsoft's online store.

Source -

Windows 8 Pro price slashed to £45 | News | PC Pro

 

[mart4494]

Its been dumbed down, yet the dummies claim it's too hard and confusing.

Constructive comment Bill!!!!

 

[mart4494]

How much does something like that cost? When I say $1,200, they say, "um, yeah, I'll pass"

And maybe that's where the problem is going to be - it hasn't got the fruit company logo on it. And MS does not have the same fanatical following

 

[whs]

I'm not sure what market is demanding touch. Touch has been around for years with smartphones, handheld and fixed Windows CE devices, point of sale devices etc. It's been implemented where it best suits the application.

In fact, now I know where Microsoft got the idea for the MPI for the desktop:

View attachment 17838

View attachment 17839

They simply copied a point of sale device screen, which simplifies the process of finding the products that have been purchased, and dumbed down the entire Windows interface. It was effectively designed by pub and Macca's employees.

Its been dumbed down, yet the dummies claim it's too hard and confusing.

Yeah, it's too hard for the dummies because they forgot the ketchup.

 

[pparks1]

Lol! No one broke into a big dance, hah?

Nope, big disappointment. I really expected a party.

Are you going to install one of them there Start Menus on this machine?

If I were going to use it as a daily machine, probably. I purchased Start8 from Stardock for my new laptop running 8.

 

[BillWindows]

Its been dumbed down, yet the dummies claim it's too hard and confusing.

Constructive comment Bill!!!!

Unfortunately that's all you hear from bloggers, how hard and confusing it is, 3 year olds and 92 olds can get to grips with it in just a few minutes yet so called tech bloggers find it confusing.

Lets face it even people on here claim it reduces their productivity by 50%, what productivity, sitting on here all day rubbishing Windows 8.

 

[whs]

Its been dumbed down, yet the dummies claim it's too hard and confusing.

Constructive comment Bill!!!!

Unfortunately that's all you hear from bloggers, how hard and confusing it is, 3 year olds and 92 olds can get to grips with it in just a few minutes yet so called tech bloggers find it confusing.

Lets face it even people on here claim it reduces their productivity by 50%, what productivity, sitting on here all day rubbishing Windows 8.

Yeah, but the 3 year and 92 year olds do nothing with their system. Clicking on a couple of tiles or icons is no real work.

It's not confusing, it is just awkward.

 

[BillWindows]

Lol! No one broke into a big dance, hah?

Nope, big disappointment. I really expected a party.

Are you going to install one of them there Start Menus on this machine?

If I were going to use it as a daily machine, probably. I purchased Start8 from Stardock for my new laptop running 8.

You're kidding right, I can't think of anything more ridiculous, as Wenda would say that's like putting fly screens on a submarine. Did I get it right Wenda.

 

[BillWindows]

Constructive comment Bill!!!!

Unfortunately that's all you hear from bloggers, how hard and confusing it is, 3 year olds and 92 olds can get to grips with it in just a few minutes yet so called tech bloggers find it confusing.Lets face it even people on here claim it reduces their productivity by 50%, what productivity, sitting on here all day rubbishing Windows 8.

Yeah, but the 3 year and 92 year olds do nothing with their system. Clicking on a couple of tiles or icons is no real work.It's not confusing, it is just awkward.

So you're saying its harder to click on a tile than an icon. Once you're in Excel or Photoshop or indeed any App who cares about the OS. Pin a few icons to the task bar where's the difference.

 

[HippsieGypsie]

Are you going to install one of them there Start Menus on this machine?

If I were going to use it as a daily machine, probably. I purchased Start8 from Stardock for my new laptop running 8.

I realize the lappy is a bennie machine for you to bring back and forth to work. You stated the Surface is a company machine for (I think you said) review and testing. I don't think your bosses would like to see a Start Menu on this one, will they? What do your higher ups think of 8?

 

[pparks1]

You're kidding right, I can't think of anything more ridiculous, as Wenda would say that's like putting fly screens on a submarine. Did I get it right Wenda.

Kidding about what, putting the start button back? If so, no, not kidding at all. We have 5 people in our office now running 8, and 4 of them have added back Start buttons.

 

[pparks1]

I realize the lappy is a bennie machine for you to bring back and forth to work. You stated the Surface is a company machine for (I think you said) review and testing. I don't think your bosses would like to see a Start Menu on this one, will they? What do your higher ups think of 8?

The laptop is my primary work machine. I use it at work and am required to carry it back and forth when I go home so that I can VPN in and resolve issues remotely if they arise.

The surface pro we are using at work because tablets are all the craze and we have bought almost everything else, so why not try this one? My bosses wouldn't care one iota if I install a start button on the Surface Pro. It's not going to be a device that they end up using.

We had a sit down discussion of Windows 8 at work today. Overall, our enterprise agreement doesn't cover us for Windows 8, so we cannot move people over without buying licenses. So, the only people who "might" get Windows 8 are people who order new laptops, and most of these will still be purchased with Windows 7 it was decided. Myself and the other IT guys got Windows 8 since we have to be familiar with where all of this stuff is going.

There are huge concerns over a learning curve and training. There was also a productivity concern over people stumbling around in the new OS. There isn't too much yet in terms of Group Policy objects that can be used to control that much on the Start Screen itself...which we would want to pear down to only stuff that is needed for work.

Overall, interest in Windows 8 is only from the IT guys playing with it. The others really don't care.

 

[BillWindows]

See, here we go, a HUGE learning curve and yet Ray8 says its been dumbed down. If your people can't learn this I suggest you get new people or get new teachers.
I taught my wife in less than 5 minutes and she's flat out getting around Windows 7, anybody that can't learn this in 10 minutes should be looking for different work.
When I say 10 minutes, I mean after somebody has shown them, they're building blocks for gods sake.

 

[pparks1]

If your people can't learn this I suggest you get new people or get new teachers.

I suggest that you get out in the real world and spend some time with real employees who aren't computer enthusiasts. Some people are still struggling with Windows 7.

When some apps open and have an X in the corner and can easily be closed, but yet other apps open and consume the entire screen and don't have an X. And then some apps (the majority of what they would use in work) on on the desktop, but other apps (metro apps they may have launched themselves) don't show on the desktop, they are going to complain that they cannot find things.

And then you have things like, if employee X opens a Metro app, and then gets an Outlook email or Microsoft lync message, they don't get a notification of this in the metro app, so they sit there missing things.

It's not rocket science, but it's certainly a whole lot different than ever before. Some things are in the control panel, some things are in the charms menu, some things are in both places.

 

[BillWindows]

If your people can't learn this I suggest you get new people or get new teachers.

I suggest that you get out in the real world and spend some time with real employees who aren't computer enthusiasts. Some people are still struggling with Windows 7.

When some apps open and have an X in the corner and can easily be closed, but yet other apps open and consume the entire screen and don't have an X. And then some apps (the majority of what they would use in work) on on the desktop, but other apps (metro apps they may have launched themselves) don't show on the desktop, they are going to complain that they cannot find things.

And then you have things like, if employee X opens a Metro app, and then gets an Outlook email or Microsoft lync message, they don't get a notification of this in the metro app, so they sit there missing things.

It's not rocket science, but it's certainly a whole lot different than ever before. Some things are in the control panel, some things are in the charms menu, some things are in both places.

If they can't find something tell them to hover the mouse to the left side of the screen, everything is there. Don't close anything down, Windows 8 is like IOS and Android it's quicker to get around, it just takes someone a few minutes to show them.

Surely writing a few notes on the desktop for the slower ones would be an easy task. I personally think it's quicker to get to the Control Panel and Device Manager etc than ever before, it's actually one of the many things I like about Windows 8.

Actually, my belief is that for people who are completely computer illiterate, Windows 8 is a lot easier to learn than Windows 7, they just have to be shown the right way.

It's not rocket science.

 

[HippsieGypsie]

Learning 8 in 4 easy steps:

1. The splash screen that appeared in past OSs during boot and before the signin screen (if any) does not dissapear in 8. It remains until you hit any key, then signin screen appears. Sign in if necessary.

2. The Start Screen that replaces the Start Menu appears, not the desktop as in past OSs. The desktop is now a portal of the new UI.

3. The Modern tiles on the Start Screen are much like the old desktop icons. They are links that open Window Store Apps or the usual legacy desktop programs. Some of these tiles are called Live Tiles. Think of them as windows of the internet. They will update regulary. Widows Key/D opens the desktop. Enough for that right now.

4. Move the mouse pointer or finger on touch screen to right top or bottom corners. A Charms Bar appears. Some of this is part of the old Start Menu. Press "Settings" then press "Help". The "Help" is same as in past OSs. Read your butt off until you learn Windows 8. Repeat if necessary.

 

[BillWindows]

Here is something for people that complain about not being able to resize Metro Apps, now there's nothing left to complain about let's all have a party.

Windows utility maker Stardock has released an amazing application that lets you run Windows 8 “Metro” apps in a window alongside traditional Windows applications. It’s not free, but if you use Windows 8 on a desktop PC as I do, this might be the best $5 you ever spend..

How does this sit with you Ray, does this make the IMP better.

 

[whs]

Here is someone who talks about it: How to make Windows 8 seem normal | ZDNet

 

[chrisa]

Nobody is going to argue that 8 takes some getting used to, but then there has rarely been an instance of Windows where that wasn't the case. People take time to acclimate to The New, and more importantly need a reason to do so. Convertibles are it. I wouldn't even think of trying to use 7 on one of them.

What i'd really like to see them do is take the Start Menu and RT and provide the option to window-ize it to a static frame on the desktop(and put a start menu button where the old start button is that brings up that Window, you can drop it from the right-hand swipe-in). They allready do a variant of that in Visual Studio with simulator mode. There is absolutely no reason why RT or even the Start Menu have to be full screen on a PC. There isn't any reason why they can't drop a 'maximize' button in the normal place beside the Close either so you can kick back to full screen.

 

[Ray8]

That's how I've been saying Windows 8 should have been designed from the outset. If they'd listened to PC users instead pub and Maccas workers, Microsoft would have brought out what was patently obvious. I might have to give it a try;, but let Microsoft off the hook for poor design, no way.

That's another novel take on the MPI, it does appear as if the imps have taken over Microsoft, or is it chimp as Balmer has often been described, for some odd reason:

Steve Ballmer going crazy - YouTube

 

[chrisa]

Lol.. now that i've seen that ModernMix app.. ya... i can definately see Microsoft integrating that functionality. Especially if they like tied switching to the detaching of the keyboard. So without a keyboard, you get tablet full-screen apps, with one you get desktop windowed apps. That way it works as default on a workstation unless specified otherwise.