Windows 8 - I don't get it

[xaephod]

It runs like Windows 7, except for a new wrapper that goes over the OS. I have used the trial extensively and I don't get it. For a PC, its a bad OS. It may be great on anything that has a touch screen like a laptop or tablet, but as for my PC, I will stick to Windows 7 for now. I hope someone is able to hack the OS and get rid of the tiles.

I can understand some of the ideas in regard to tiles, but the Start button is actually easier to use and a lot of the tile stuff could have been optional widgets which behave exactly the same and make the desktop customizable.

Anyone feel other than this? I would love to hear your explanation as to why this is better.

I bet if MS gave the option to turn off the metro interface and go back to the traditional one, 90% of users would switch out of Metro.


~Xaephod




Zaphod Beeblebroxx 2012!

 

[dextermat]

+1xeaphod, I'll stick with xp/win 7 for now and see what microsucks has in stock for windows 9 +

 

[MacPCiOSAndroidGuy]

I think Windows 8 is sort of a failure and an attempt to copy what Apple is doing with OSX. Apple started its iOS integrating into OSX with Lion, the "launch pad" being the home screens on an iOS device. Mountain Lion looks even more similar to iOS. This is a good and bad thing. Good: Ease of use across all devices. Bad: No "personality" for either OSX or iOS. Nothing to make one or the other stand out from each other.

MS, took its (in my opinion) horrible mobile OS, and move it to its PC suite. Mistake. Most people don't buy Windows phones because of the weird OS and choose either Android or iOS. So why integrate something no one likes into something a majority of the world uses? Makes no sense to me. Also with the fact that every version under Windows 8 Pro won't come with Media Center and other basic apps is pointless. I agree that most people would switch out of the Metro U/I also, because I sure would. OS programmers should be looking at how to create an OS thats less resource-hogging but still easy to use. Not create fancy "wrappers" for them.

 

[thently]

Yes I have been using 8 for a while on a spare PC and I just dont get the start button taking you back to metro .... I could almost exept the change if they had left the start butten and everything it does how it is in 7 and just slapped Metro on top.. Then once metro is up i could just slide into windows and never look back... Or I could stick a few things I know I would do right out of metro on there IE or word.... I have used 8 like it is 7 so not most likely getting the most out of it I go right to desktop and still put shortcuts on desktop and use it that way I just end up ignoring all the little tiles... I have been trying to make it usefull as I am in IT and know I will have to endure users using this pile of OS.... Oh well onward and forward or maybe a little sidways and backwards.. :/

Thent

 

[smorizio]

i can see that they like apple trying to write one os for all there products...it fails in the end for a pc or server do to all the old and new hardware that pops up. Also people for what the last 10 years have had the same window screen..no matter who pc you logged onto the menus and start button were there. as there been a lot of feedback that no good of the missing start button you think microsoft would have made a few new skins for metro and put them out to see if they fixed people complant of missing start button. how hard would it have been tto put a new defult skins in one that would act and look like windows 7.

 

[XmortisX]

Yes I have been using 8 for a while on a spare PC and I just dont get the start button taking you back to metro .... I could almost exept the change if they had left the start butten and everything it does how it is in 7 and just slapped Metro on top.. Then once metro is up i could just slide into windows and never look back... Or I could stick a few things I know I would do right out of metro on there IE or word.... I have used 8 like it is 7 so not most likely getting the most out of it I go right to desktop and still put shortcuts on desktop and use it that way I just end up ignoring all the little tiles... I have been trying to make it usefull as I am in IT and know I will have to endure users using this pile of OS.... Oh well onward and forward or maybe a little sidways and backwards.. :/

Thent

^+1 same thing here. We all will have to adapt to it sooner or later weather we like it or not if we want to continue working in this industry. It is a pos in eyes of many. I wish they would allow the OS to detect for any input touch devices if the OS see's non then it should disable the Metro Start UI whatever they wanna name it. :lol:

its going to turn alot of users away, not everyone has a touch screen system, if a someone buys a computer from the store or online takes it home, if it has no touch interface they are going to get frustrated. Windows 8 concept is not a bad idea. However its too early, they need to wait at least another 2 yrs when more people are up to touch screen systems. Besides majority of then are....slow and underpowered anyway at the moment

 

[Robi_g]

Honestly I like the new interface, apart from that it boot so much faster (than XP and 7). The tiles are nice and quick to use and you can group them into sections so no more alphabetical list of start bar which works for me fine. I can see why some people don't get where the stuff is as you have to move the mouse off teh screen but once you've figured that out then it's just like any other OS really

 

[WR2]

I've been using Win8 exclusively for a few months now as my primary OS.
Just a few trips back and forth to Win7 or WinXP to finish up a few specific projects or handle some OS specific work.

Having the Metro Start screen mapped to a mouse button or using the Windows key has helped a lot.
Building a bunch of Metro shortcuts & macros and custom Tiles has helped too.

Running Win8 exclusively for this long means I no longer need to have the shortcut keys taped to the edge of the monitor. And I've setup the Desktop so I don't need to use Metro Start unless I want to start a Metro app. PinballFX or Flow for example.

Upgrading from Win7 to Win8 on the same machine is going to be a hard sell. Why pay for something no one needs?

On the other hand anyone buying a new PC or notebook once Win8 is released and Win7 is no longer an included option should have nothing to worry about. It won't take long to get comfortable with Win8 changes if you spend a little time working at it.

For me - it was about the same amount of time I spent learning the differences between XP and Win7.

 

[kivblue]

I think the point of metro interface is it's real-time interactivity, which is kind of useful, all the stuff is like updated for you when you power up your PC, you don't have to have individual application to launch at start-up, I mean I have to launch Chrome just so I can get my e-mail, but with metro interface it's already ready to be accessed.

Having said that, I'm only in my 3rd year of using Windows 7, which has been fantastic, I think I'll stick with Windows 7 for at least 2 more upcoming systems, for about 5 years.

 

[bwrlane]

The idea behind Windows 8 is a good one. Microsoft is recognising the superiority (in some respects) of the tablet form factor. It recognises that it needs to compete with the iOS and Android devices that are appearing on the market but it's doing so its own way. This means:

- something that doesn't have Android/Google's obsessive and tiresome preoccupation with cloud computing and cloud storage, and that does not have the fragmentation associated with vendor customisation

- something that doesn't have Apple's horrible and massively destructive preoccupation with "breaking" and redefining the traditional concept of what an OS should be about, by restricting its connectivity, ability to access the filing system, and locking down the APIs in a way that has no objective besides tying you into Apple's ecosystem

In other words, Windows 8 hopes to be the first foray of the tablet generation into the world of "proper computing".

Considered as such, I am genuinely looking forward to it, but there are a number of gotchas.

It is understandable why Microsoft have gone for the metro interface. They need an interface that works with touch screens and the traditional Windows 7 GUI doesn't cut it. But there's more to it than that. To succeed in the tablet space means a successful implementation on the ARM architecture. At least currently, Intel devices haven't a hope in this form factor. High power consumption, a need for cooling, fans and ventilation are deal breakers. But having application compatibility across Intel and ARM architectures means a new programming framework. And that's the other thing Metro's all about. An app designed for metro on x86 architecture will easily re-compile to an ARM binary due to the use of an a common high level programming framework. In turn, this absolutely requires that Metro is implemented on the Intel version of Windows. Microsoft's ultimate goal is that Metro becomes the default framework, allowing easy portability between all form factors.

But... and here's the problem. Have Microsoft tried to be all things to all people? Have they done something that, in attempting to address a new market segment ends up alienating the old one? Or are we looking at another milestone towards the eventual obsolescence of traditional desktop/laptop form factors? (I hope not).

So yes, it is easy to understand where Microsoft are going with Windows 8 and the reasons they have made the decisions they have. It remains to be seen whether they've produced something that falls between two stools. Only time will tell but I really hope they succeed. Apple and Google are well overdue a kick in the pants.

 

[WR2]

The 'Holy Grail' of personal computing might be a single interface style across all our personal data devices. Phone, tablet, notebook, and PC. Plus any 'Net connected devices, maybe TVs, gaming console, cars(?) and major appliances(?). All operated by a similar easy to learn interface and all connected and sync'd with our personal data across the cloud to the different devices.

Building a grocery shopping list in the kitchen now? It's available on the phone of a family member just leaving the office on the way home. You already hear people talking on phones all over the place. You're going to have to put up with a lot more of people talking TO their phones in the future. Those of you that have watched the Apple Siri commercials or have played around with any type of natural voice interface to a computer know what I'm talking about.

 

[Fict1on]

There *has to be an option to turn of metro.
As in the only + i see of windows 8 is that AMD FX- Bulldozer users there are some rumors that the cpu will run better on 8.

i only hope this is true.

 

[xaephod]

I especially enjoy where at the start screen you have to drag the whole screen up to login, and you login with your email account.

Weird thing is that I am using Windows 8 on a dual monitor setup and the right screen is metro the left screen is Windows 7 without a start button. Couldn't they again, just use widgets which run in java or something which can be common on different platforms? Widgets which can copy exactly what metro tabs do?

I am using it as I type this, and it just seems disjointed.

 

[Wamphryi]

I can see some of the positives of Win 8 and I used it for a week to get used to it. I find the "apps" far more annoying than the Metro GUI. Knowing it is the consumer preview I expected to have to tweak and workaround. A new MFC I bought wouldn't run its software but it did basic printing. Warcraft 3 TFT lost its sound after updating off battlenet but that could be worked around by using Garena.

What I couldn't deal with was the appalling drop in performance that I am assuming was related to my SSD. Another machine that is running a Velicoraptor seems as fast as one can expect and it seems Win 8 does not support TRIM yet ( at least that is what I read).

 

[eggbrook]

I would bet that the RC of Windows 8 will have a feature to turn off the tiles and make it run more like Windows 7, if they do add this I will grab it purely for the Application store. It will make reinstalling windows so simple and also make finding new software even easier. I have seen some features they are adding and they sound good. But like I said before... if they don't allow me to run Win 8 so it looks like Windows 7 I am not going to use it. I like the start menu and task bar and that is what I intend to stick with as I don't have a touch screen and have no intention of getting one.

 

[ejb222]

I think if people give W8 the same amount of time as they have their previous OS's they would come to like Metro alot. The ONLY reason anyone would find the old Start button more efficient is because they know exactly where their programs are and have built a behavioral habit. But the behavioral habit aside, Metro is a ton more efficient. Even without human interaction, your program icons are already working for you by displaying info for you to see...in the old Start button they just sat in a folder...or blankly on your desktop. Now add the human interaction...click on the tile in front of you. The tiles are organized how you please. Not in Alphabetical order or what ever the old start button did...now you decide where they go. Works fine with a mouse...touchscreen too. How is that bad? You'd rather search through folders than just click the botton in front of you?!

Now add in the social integration, cloud integration, more efficient code, again where is the complaint?

I mean seriously...people gripe about it not being efficient for mouse and keyboard and say it's only for touchscreen. Explain to me how it is more efficient to search through a start menu with a mouse than it is to click a tile on your screen?

 

[dexpedition]

neither do i my friend, neither do i....

 

[sammathew]

I have not installed Windows 8 till now, but as per the review, i am not considering it to be a good option.
_________
Diy Kits

 

[game junky]

It's important to realize what Microsoft's goal with Win8 was - to mate the look and feel of their Windows Phone with the functionality of a full OS (Win7). If you were running it on a slate or had a touchscreen monitor, I think Win8 would probably be really enjoyable to use.

I too don't think that Win8 has a purpose for my computing needs because I have a stationary desktop and an older laptop. Win7 has treated me very well and I don't see a need to struggle to get my control panel launched just to shave a second or two off my boot time. Keep working on it MS...

 

[lusofox]

I think if people give W8 the same amount of time as they have their previous OS's they would come to like Metro alot. The ONLY reason anyone would find the old Start button more efficient is because they know exactly where their programs are and have built a behavioral habit. But the behavioral habit aside, Metro is a ton more efficient. Even without human interaction, your program icons are already working for you by displaying info for you to see...in the old Start button they just sat in a folder...or blankly on your desktop. Now add the human interaction...click on the tile in front of you. The tiles are organized how you please. Not in Alphabetical order or what ever the old start button did...now you decide where they go. Works fine with a mouse...touchscreen too. How is that bad? You'd rather search through folders than just click the botton in front of you?!

Now add in the social integration, cloud integration, more efficient code, again where is the complaint?

I mean seriously...people gripe about it not being efficient for mouse and keyboard and say it's only for touchscreen. Explain to me how it is more efficient to search through a start menu with a mouse than it is to click a tile on your screen?

You know you can pin the program icons to the Start menu and/or the task bar, right? I almost never need to search through the Start menu folder, and I have a lot of applications installed.
Besides, why radically change a UI, if the former worked well? It's like when they ripped off the menu bar from Office applications. Do you have any idea of the time spent by millions of people just for re-learn how to do some basic tasks? And I don't see my 73 yo father having to learn how to use Win8, hell, he still has problems with Win7!

Like others, I'll start using Win8 as soon as Microsoft restores the Start menu, not before. Windows 7 works fine for me, and I will migrate only if the new OS works the same or better (for me) than the present one.

 

[mindless728]

Loss of the start menu is a non issue, I haven't used it since I installed windows 7 because of the ability to pin items in the taskbar

the metro UI while better for touch screens (tested it on a tablet, pretty awesome), isn't that bad when you do not have one

People just need to actually give it a good try, not a install and 10 minutes later decide to reinstall windows 7. Try using it for a month or so before casting judgment down

 

[mercer95]

Windows 3.11 or 3.1 = Good, Windows 95 = Horrible, Windows 98 = Good, Windows 98 se = Fail Sauce, Windows 2000 = Good, Windows ME = Epic Fail, Windows XP = Amazing, Windows Vista = Windows ME on drugs, Windows 7 =Best Yet.

follow the pattern..........

 

[deathrune]

I do not like this windows.
The reasons, well mostly rummors but it will ship with some xbox stuff and will abandon gfwl.
I don't like how things are going with these tablets and touch screen shananagins, i want the classics back.

If microsoft doesnt give 8 core thresded cpu's any support like there was a rummour for the bulldozers then i will be angry. And hopefully by the time Valve will be porting Steam to Linux. And i will switch to linux for good!

If there is increase in performance i will buy though

 

[xaephod]

Best answer selected by xaephod.

 

[nnorton44]

I really like Win 8, but that's probably because I have an HP Elitebook that is a touch screen laptop.