Solved Is anyone on here happy with windows 8?

[fdegrove]

Hi,

I see you have 2 choices stay where you are, and be stagnate, or move to the next level.

The next level of what exactly?
Sorry to say so but I don't see the progress in being forced (kind of) to use something that should not belong on a desktop OS in the first place.
Of course it's easy to throw around stigmata saying that if we don't move on (to the next level of stupidity) we all be stagnate by which term one implies we'll all be backward idiots soon....

I think W8 in essence is a better OS than W7 just not the way it is presented right now. Unless you'd be of the schizophrenic persuasion.

Cheers,

 

[GMan]

Hi,

I see you have 2 choices stay where you are, and be stagnate, or move to the next level.

The next level of what exactly?

Yes, I agree. These are new times and we're like the pioneers adventuring through them. In the past, 98/Me>>XP/2000>>Vista>>7 - they all were technically superior to their predecessors with no clear reason to dislike them. (Vista needed good hardware at the time, but that's not what we mean here.)

Now, 8 does not have anything superior going for it over 7. Many would say quite the contrary. That is the new part, right there.

For the first time in my life, I can honestly say that if Microsoft continues on the path that it evidently is bent on, Linux will start to really gain a true foothold compared to where it's at now. Meaning, MS may lose desktop marketshare because of it all. I've never thought that of any of their OSes before. And man, 7 is so good. Really good. They don't need to regress the desktop from there.

 

[mart4494]

For the first time in my life, I can honestly say that if Microsoft continues on the path that it evidently is bent on, Linux will start to really gain a true foothold compared to where it's at now. Meaning, MS may lose desktop marketshare because of it all.

There are alternatives to MS and I don't mean Apple - they are control freaks and everything is just so expensive. Linux would be good if they could get their act together and be in a position to enable folks to use up to date Windows software. I thought Wine was going to be it a while ago but it shudders on anything new - especially the Adobe releases.

But whilst my Win7 is going good then I cannot see a problem and just maybe MS will offer the classic UI on Win8 so those real benefits that some members feel are worthwhile can be used. As it stands though Metro is not for me.

 

[area 66]

........I see you have 2 choices stay where you are, and be stagnate, or move to the next level.

Stagnate ???? I will prefer call it "status quo" until Microsoft start to respect the peoples who make them what they are now, meaning Desktop Users, would it not be normal to ask what peoples want instead of force them ?

I see you use the words ; "Disk Operating System" (DOS) I hope you still not using a Disk for your Windows 8 Operating system, because this is really stagnate.

There are alternatives to MS and I don't mean Apple - they are control freaks and everything is just so expensive. Linux would be good if they could get their act together and be in a position to enable folks to use up to date Windows software.

Well a good start will be to use something like Google Apps as replacement of Microsoft Office, it work on Windows, Linux and Apple and it's free, you can even use your domain name for free if you have less than 10 users. Or even LibreOffice work on the 3 platforms. It's not as good as MS Office, but it do the same job for free, this means quite a few saving if you own a business.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Agreed

Now, 8 does not have anything superior going for it over 7. Many would say quite the contrary. That is the new part, right there.

Agreed.

For the first time in my life, I can honestly say that if Microsoft continues on the path that it evidently is bent on, Linux will start to really gain a true foothold compared to where it's at now. Meaning, MS may lose desktop marketshare because of it all. I've never thought that of any of their OSes before. And man, 7 is so good. Really good. They don't need to regress the desktop from there.

Linux Mint is looking like a promising alternative (at the moment).
CentOS 6 isn't too bad either.

If you have to go to the trouble of learning how to use W8 (instead of just using it), you might as well learn how to use the Linux Terminal and then you can use any/every distro you like.

Working with text config files is a lot easier, than working with the cryptic Windows Registry UIDs.

 

[mart4494]

Well a good start will be to use something like Google Apps as replacement of Microsoft Office, it work on Windows, Linux and Apple and it's free, you can even use your domain name for free if you have less than 10 users. Or even LibreOffice work on the 3 platforms. It's not as good as MS Office, but it do the same job for free, this means quite a few saving if you own a business.

I don't have much use for MS Office - I still use 2003 with the compatibility pack to open DOCX files when needed. Never did like the ribbon interface so stayed (sorry, 'stagnated' with 2003).

Would experiment with Linux more especially the Mint flavor but many of my clients are using the latest Adobe stuff - CS5 upwards. Not a great Adobe fan myself although they do make good software albeit imo overpriced. So I'm stuck with Win7 although as I'm not having any problems with it then I'm not inclined to move or be bothered with the 'left behind' label.

Any new software must prove purely from both a financial and productivity point of view a reason to change. Simply introducing something new does not automatically mean it is better.

 

[SIW2]

My gues is they will bring in direct desktop boot and classic start menu options before releasing it to the consumer market ... or risk losing their share of the Desktop market, which would be a real shame.

If they do that they will onto a winner.

I am not too hopeful, though.

 

[mart4494]

My gues is they will bring in direct desktop boot and classic start menu options before releasing it to the consumer market ... or risk losing their share of the Desktop market, which would be a real shame.

If they do that they will onto a winner.

I am not too hopeful, though.

They dug their heels in over the Office ribbon. Why they didn't offer a classic as well is anyone's guess. Although on second thoughts, just maybe there wasn't anything genuinely worthwhile.

May be the same with Win8. Expecting people to upgrade simply because it's new. Hope I'm wrong on this but it looks like Metro all the way.

 

[poppa bear]

They dug their heels in over the Office ribbon. Why they didn't offer a classic as well is anyone's guess. Although on second thoughts, just maybe there wasn't anything genuinely worthwhile.

May be the same with Win8. Expecting people to upgrade simply because it's new. Hope I'm wrong on this but it looks like Metro all the way.

If history is any indicator, and we compare Microsoft to the Roman Empire, with Linux as Hannibal, when the Romans first encountered Hannibals elephant charges into their ranks, they were decimated. But they learned from their mistakes, re-grouped and figured out tactics to overcome the elephant charges.

Lets hope Microsoft are humble enough to learn from their mistakes and sort this mess out.

Just maybe MS will offer the classic UI on Win8 so those real benefits that some members feel are worthwhile can be used.

I think W8 in essence is a better OS than W7 just not the way it is presented right now.

Agreed! Win8 is a good system in itself, so why cripple it with Metro?

 

[Mike Lonewolf]

I have one point I have to agree with you about, and have said it myself. I see Windows 8 prosper on a tablet more than a desktop. I personally would think on a smart phone, it isn't worth it. But there will be always hacks to make something work for everyone. Microsoft is to the attitude, change or stagnate. Remember, people didn't want to leave XP, they DID stagnate!

 

[whs]

Lets hope Microsoft are humble enough to learn from their mistakes and sort this mess out.

What mistake?? You get two systems in one. How much better can it be.

And Hannibal was just a Linux - going nowhere. The Romans annihilated the Carthaginians at the end.

 

[poppa bear]

I have one point I have to agree with you about, and have said it myself. I see Windows 8 prosper on a tablet more than a desktop. I personally would think on a smart phone, it isn't worth it. But there will be always hacks to make something work for everyone. Microsoft is to the attitude, change or stagnate. Remember, people didn't want to leave XP, they DID stagnate!

The thing is Win7 does everything Win8 does, and on my machine it's lightning fast. So why move to a system that in my opinion goes backward? I repair computers as a hobby, and belong to a fellowship where I help members by doing it for nothing. And believe me, XP is still out there in very, very big numbers and very much alive and active.

Re hacks, people went crazy when Windows Mail was omitted from Win7. Myself and a few other guys in the Win7 Forum did a hacked version of Windows Mail from Vista to Windows 7 which can be viewed as a tutorial in the Win7 forum here. However, being a hybrid not all of the functions worked. And, in that instance M$ provided a viable alternative in WinLiveMail. The hacked version of the Start Menu in Win8 does not come close to equalling the original. And there's no way I'm going through the dramas again that we had getting WinMail to work in Win7. I want a system that works how I want it to work straight out of the box.

As far as stagnating, I won't be doing that because when Win7's use by date comes up for me, and I suspect that will be a lot of years, I'll move to an operating system that provides exactly what I want ... meaning direct boot to desktop, and cascaded text menu.

And I venture to say if Microsoft persist in their push to use a tablet form on a desktop OS, they will the ones stagnating and left behind as the other operating systems rush in to fill the vacuum.

 

[poppa bear]

Lets hope Microsoft are humble enough to learn from their mistakes and sort this mess out.

What mistake?? You get two systems in one. How much better can it be.

And Hannibal was just a Linux - going nowhere. The Romans annihilated the Carthaginians at the end.

Duuhhhh! That's what I said in my post.

when the Romans first encountered Hannibals elephant charges into their ranks, they were decimated. But they learned from their mistakes, re-grouped and figured out tactics to overcome the elephant charges.

You failed to say they only beat Hannibal after they changed tactics! Perhaps I could recommend reading glasses? Or is it just selective memory recall?

As for two systems in one, which planet are you from? Your statement hardly warrants a comment. You get a hybrid that's half a computer and half an iPhone cum Tablet and good at neither on a desktop.

Right now Linux must be rubbing their hands with glee in anticipation of filling the vacuum left by M$'s demise in the desktop market.

The ancient Greek wise men were once debating for several days on how many teeth a donkey had and were divided in their opinions. (And no, they weren't referring to a Metro supporter.) A stable hand happened to come into the room and suggested they go out and count the teeth of a live donkey. They had him flogged for insubordination. So how much were they interested in facts or just opinions? Huuuh?

I'll spell it out simply. Pick out a batch of tasks to do on a desktop computer, which involve extensive work with the start menu. Do them on equally fast machines using Win7 and Win8 and see which one gets the job done quicker. No hacked start menu allowed .... and I might add no contest! Win8 left standing in the slipstream of Win7.

 

[Ex_Brit]

I think Microsoft should have approached this with 2 versions in mind. A desktop version where Metro could be turned off completely, and I mean completely, and a tablet version.

 

[mart4494]

Remember, people didn't want to leave XP, they DID stagnate!

Not true. Simply not using a new operating system because MS decide to introduce it is not stagnation. It's a failure on the part of MS to market the thing successfully and accurately and to establish there is a need for it. They failed abysmally with Vista even though under the hood was a good OS trying to get out. So are you suggesting it was the fault of existing XP users or did the MS focus group(s) let them down.

Simply attaching the 'stagnate' label on many individuals and companies that felt (and still do) that XP serves their needs better is arrogance.

Sometimes companies get so big they start living in a bubble believing their own self generated hype. Apple may be very successful at the moment but give it a few years and then look. Historically all empires fail.

 

[mart4494]

I think Microsoft should have approached this with 2 versions in mind. A desktop version where Metro could be turned off completely, and I mean completely, and a tablet version.

from all the feedback here if MS release Win8 with only the Metro UI then it will prove they live in a bubble. There's plenty of negatives about the force feeding of Metro being written everywhere. Sure there are positives as well but you ignore those negatives at your peril and many a software company has gone down that road in the past.

 

[glennc]

FWIW, IMHO, metro is there to attempt to force a change in computing. Instead of a desktop we are supposed to buy dumb terminals, everything in the clouds with it's effects. If I happen to be accidentally right, that happens to be exactly what I don't want, for whatever reasons. Metro after a fair amount of work makes a passable start up option. W8 runs again, IMHO much quicker than Ubuntu 11.10. I of course have deleted all the apps. Would I pay money for it, well depends on the price.
Glenn

 

[area 66]

I think Microsoft should have approached this with 2 versions in mind. A desktop version where Metro could be turned off completely, and I mean completely, and a tablet version.

this is what preach since day one here.

 

[poppa bear]

I think Microsoft should have approached this with 2 versions in mind. A desktop version where Metro could be turned off completely, and I mean completely, and a tablet version.

The problem is it seems M$ want one platform for all applications for purposes of economizing.

Or maybe Win8 Customer Preview is just spamming us with advertising for it's future Tablets and iPhones?

 

[mart4494]

I think Microsoft should have approached this with 2 versions in mind. A desktop version where Metro could be turned off completely, and I mean completely, and a tablet version.

this is what preach since day one here.

I think by now we've been backwards and forwards so many times over the virtues or otherwise of the Metro UI. I hope I'm wrong but I think MS have an agenda to force downloaded apps and cloud computing wherever possible in whatever way necessary. Maybe their own market research tells them they are finished as a major force simply bashing away with another classic UI Win release - who knows - only time will tell.

Maybe they are fazed by the Apple success story but like all fashion accessories they come and go.