Your general opinions on Windows 8.1 Preview Release

[mdmd]

You are showing your age......

That's true. I am out of touch with youth. old, old, old...

 

[alphanumeric]

It is a deliberate and cynical move. MS deserve a bloody nose for it.

It didn't go over well with a lot of people. And locking it in place just made things worse for some that want to use a third party start menu. One has to wonder if that was planned?

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
Bit of Deja Vu here -- Windows 95 which essentially was a considerable GUI change from Windows 3.11 didn't have a Menu or even a "Program Manager" and I can't remember too many people having issues with it -- although the later versions of Windows 98 (Windows 98 SE) were quite well regarded Windows 95 wasn't thought of in any way at all as being a disaster.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[caperjack]

You are showing your age......

That's true. I am out of touch with youth. old, old, old...

happy ,happy,happy

 

[caperjack]

HA! dont understant what all the start button fuss is about, bought my first windows computer in 1996 win3.1,using win8 now nd liking it since August ,we bought a I-pad 4 last night ,don't need to know where the start button is ,found that ,I need to know where the FFing stop button is!!!,who the fugg designed that device ,lol


and to your 21 year old friend ,im 60 and i don't need icons on my phone ,i just need a dial tone .lol

 

[lehnerus2000]

It is a deliberate and cynical move. MS deserve a bloody nose for it.

It didn't go over well with a lot of people. And locking it in place just made things worse for some that want to use a third party start menu. One has to wonder if that was planned?

Of course it was.

"You're not doing what we told you to do, so now you have to be punished."

 

[jimbo45]

HA! dont understant what all the start button fuss is about, bought my first windows computer in 1996 win3.1,using win8 now nd liking it since August ,we bought a I-pad 4 last night ,don't need to know where the start button is ,found that ,I need to know where the FFing stop button is!!!,who the fugg designed that device ,lol


and to your 21 year old friend ,im 60 and i don't need icons on my phone ,i just need a dial tone .lol

Hi there
What's a PHONE !!! I thought all these tiny devices with small screens on them were mini tablets -- don't tell me people actually make PHONE CALLS these days !!!

Anyway I still have a set of Ships message / communication flags at home --those always work and aren't dependent on external power of any sort. !!! They don't depend on any OS and only require as hardware a stout pole and a piece of Rope -- no "OS updating" or "rooting" required either. No subscriptions payable either -- and even "The Cloud" can't get in the way unless the weather becomes incredibly foggy.

Maritime Signal Flags

Cheers
jimbo

 

[caperjack]

Cool ,on E-bay getting me a set of flags as we speak ,i mean wave a flag !

 

[pricetech]

Just a couple of comments, then I'll move on to my current opinion of 8.1;
I'm 3 days older than black pepper, so I still consider a phone to be for talking.
I was a "Wing Wiper", so I never learned to use Maritime signalling, but I do "speak phonetically".
I find myself amused by young people who think the abbreviations they use when they text are their invention. I was using them in the 70s and they were hardly new then. We in the Military picked them up from HAM Radio operators.

I too am disappointed that the Start Button doesn't open a Start Menu, but I can live with or without it. I've actually become accustomed to the Start Screen, which seems better under 8.1. I like having two separate screens, with my picks on one of them and everything on the other. It seems easier to me than the All Apps option, which is still there if you need or want it. I like the inclusion of "Shut Down" when you right click on it though.

My cheap, discontinued USB Bluetooth adapter doesn't work under 8.1 though it worked just fine under 8. I jumped through several hoops a couple of days ago trying to make it work, but it just won't happen. "Settings" opens, then dies leaving me no way to configure any connections, etc. This is no big deal since Bluetooth is not mission critical, but I would like to see it work if only as a convenience now and then. We have some new hardware showing up in a few days. I'll try it again in case it's an issue with the older hardware I have on my desk right now.

I was glad to see the Enterprise version offered for download. I have the ISO, but haven't applied it anywhere yet. I'll probably start with it on a laptop, then again on our new hardware that's coming. I ordered a WD WTG Certified USB Drive this morning from NewEgg (shameless plug; 49.99 if you use the promo code in the eBlast newsletter) so I'll be tinkering with Windows To Go as well. I'm chomping at the bit to start showing that off to some people who could really use it.

I won't say the performance is better under 8.1 than it was under 8, but it certainly handles its resources well. I've taking to loading my Windows box much more than I used to and it has yet to "break a sweat" with anything I've thrown at it. My hardware is rather old and limited in how much I can upgrade. I'm looking forward to the new boxen coming in so I can put it through its paces on new hardware.

The new look of File Explorer I can take or leave, though I will say I appreciate the name change. Maybe it will be easier for end users to understand the difference when you try to get them to open a folder rather than a web page.

I'm still learning my way around (I intend to know it intimately before I'm done) and I still have a few apps to test with it, but overall I'm very happy with 8 / 8.1 and look forward to deploying it some day for our users.

That's my opinion, as complete as I can give it.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
I've posted elsewhere but the Navigation in Enterprise is a bit stupid.

The START screen shows the Metro tiles just like W8 - but APPS are shown on a second screen accessed via the DOWN arrow on the Start screen. Fortunately you can at least navigate back to the desktop directly without needing to use the UP arrow to get back to the start screen first.

It would be more useful to show the APPS screen FIRST - especially on the Enterprise version which is what I'm using.

OK they are pinnable to the start but what a dogs dinner of a mess --it means EVEN MORE WORK after installing any proper desktop type application.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[torre]

Anyone hear recent info on when 8.1 will be released to the public ? I read RTM at end of August.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
I've posted a few comments about NAVIGATION in Enterprise W8.1 -- if you install apps (Windows) they don't appear on the START screen anymore but only under APPS (a new SECOND screen) so a user could be very confused when installing applications - not seeing them initially on the START screen although of course you can pin them to the start screen AFTER installation.

http://www.eightforums.com/general-...tions-screen-crazy-navigation.html#post263331

IE11 also seems to have shades of the VISTA UAC in it which you have to get round in order to get most websites to display without throwing up a lot of messages (Security levels etc). Mind you this is on ENTERPRISE -- maybe on the retail PRO version the default security restrictions are a bit less.

Boot and general operation seem decently slick -- don't really care for OFFICE 2013 -- but while I'm testing !!! it does work but I'll stick with Office 2010 once I've got a stable W8.1 version.

Networking seems to have a little problem though (Windows NETWORKING I think has ALWAYS had problems).

Windows 8.1 computer can see and access a Windows 8 computer. The Windows 8 computer can't see the Windows 8.1 computer -- network discovery is ON on both machines -- both machines are x-64 ENTERPRISE version.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[jladwig]

I like the upgrades and added features of Windows 8.1, but I found in IE 11 modern mode not desktop mode a problem/bug.

I use my home PC connected to a 60" flat panel monitor and in IE it is necessary to set the zoom level in order to read anything from across the room sitting on my couch. With the zoom set at 100% the screen looks like this.

screen shot 1


Setting the zoom level to 125% the screen looks like this -

screen shot 2


Closing IE 11 and then opening it back up it looks like this -

screen shot 3


Notice the scroll bars - Click on refresh and the screen will display properly again like in screen shot 2. Close and reopen IE 11 and it's back to like screen shot 3 with scroll bars.

This does not happen in the desktop mode, If zoom is set it will display correctly like in screen shot 2 all ways.

 

[lehnerus2000]

All Apps Mode

Hi there
I've posted elsewhere but the Navigation in Enterprise is a bit stupid.

The START screen shows the Metro tiles just like W8 - but APPS are shown on a second screen accessed via the DOWN arrow on the Start screen. Fortunately you can at least navigate back to the desktop directly without needing to use the UP arrow to get back to the start screen first.

It would be more useful to show the APPS screen FIRST - especially on the Enterprise version which is what I'm using.

OK they are pinnable to the start but what a dogs dinner of a mess --it means EVEN MORE WORK after installing any proper desktop type application.

There is a hidden setting that makes the Start Screen default to All Apps mode.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/27583-start-screen-open-start-apps-view-windows-8-1-a.html

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
That's better -- Documentation for Windows makes documentation for SAP seem absolutely wonderful --if you've ever used SAP or know people who have I'm sure you know what I mean.

anyway +1 for you thanks.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[lehnerus2000]

Hi there
That's better -- Documentation for Windows makes documentation for SAP seem absolutely wonderful --if you've ever used SAP or know people who have I'm sure you know what I mean.

anyway +1 for you thanks.

W8 has the standard MS help files then.

IMO, the last time MS released good help files was 10 years ago (Office 2003 and XP before that).

 

[jeffrys]

yes, we all know that many do not want to change, old habits die hard.....so the desktop is mandatory for many.

However, when doing as Lehnerus and Brink suggest, one can avoid the Start Menu. What more do you guys want?

Jeff

 

[jeffrys]

Jimbo Enterprise 80.1 can be nice as you suggest, but for me is a nono, i mean i am nog going to buy another license again.


Jeff

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
You can download an evaluation copy for 180 days BTW. Incidentally W8 will HAVE to be upgraded soon to W8.1 -- in spite of the horrors that IE11 can have - so eventually you'll have to use it -- or when you get a new PC it will be included anyway.

I've down some testing on it -- here are some conclusions and results.

http://www.eightforums.com/general-support/29135-windows-8-1-bugs-quirks-found-enterprise.html

Although Enterprise version some of these might apply to the standard version too.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[DavidY]

However, when doing as Lehnerus and Brink suggest, one can avoid the Start Menu. What more do you guys want?

The ability to see multiple Metro apps in overlapping Windows.

I know 8.1 has improved "Snap" but from what I've seen, it still won't let me look at a spreadsheet in the top half of the screen and a PDF report (in Reader) in the bottom half. I need do to this sort of thing to do my job.

No problem if you use only Desktop apps, as most people will at the moment, but if the push is towards developers writing Metro apps, Metro itself needs to become a better platform.

Oh and a few other things - organising Start Screen Apps into subfolders for instance.