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Windows 8 Arrives

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Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#191

Post by Zr40 »

contextfree wrote: post #182
MBCook wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It really wouldn't surprise me at all if it turned out that tons of regular users loved Metro. The problem I keep reading about is the fact you can't stay in Metro all the time. There are some settings that you have to go into desktop mode to mess with, and if you're only used to Metro that's going to be really confusing.

The design is that there really isn't a "desktop mode". the desktop is a feature/surface of the system, it's not something you switch your whole computer into.

While perhaps technically true, as a user you really don't notice any of that. When you log in to Windows 8, it automatically shows the Start screen. While this is Metro, all you have to do is start any desktop application, and the desktop appears.

This is no different in Windows 7. After logging in, surely you would start any application, either by opening the Start menu, or by clicking a application pinned to the task bar, or by double-clicking a shortcut on the desktop. You can put anything onto the Windows 8 Start screen (just right click a file or directory and select Pin to Start), so it's functionally identical -- just with bigger buttons.

And if you really don't like it, you can always move the Desktop tile to the top left, so you can enter the desktop by pressing Enter.

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#192

Post by TazeTSchnitzel »

jerednel wrote: post #50

I happen to think that Windows 8 is a welcome refresh. At first, I was confused by the dashboard but I am finding it easier and easier to navigate around. For instance, going to the traditional desktop is as easy as clicking the "Desktop" tile. And opening a new tab in the metro-IE was a bit confusing but after figuring out that double finger pressing the touchpad brings up the tab list and url bar it has become easi…

Perhaps it will wear off, but Windows 8 feels quite refreshing compared to other interfaces.

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#193

Post by tsotha »

at-fates-hands wrote: post #94

I see this as a pretty big leap. Remember, this OS isn't about forgetting about Windows or forcing change on anybody. It's about creating an ecosystem similar to what Apple has. They want you to use their apps (Office, Bing Search, X-box Games) across all of their products (Desktop, Surface, Windows 8 phone) and make it so you can access the same info anywhere you are. I'm surprised more people haven't picked up on t…

It's not that people haven't picked up on this "bold move". It's that they want an operating system, not an ecosystem.

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#194

Post by tsotha »

HelloMcFly wrote: post #95
wtallis wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Change for the sake of being different is stupid and shows that you don't care about your current users. An improvement has to be worth the trouble of re-learning how to use the software and changing your habits. That's why the Ribbon got so much flak - it moved every button and ate up a lot more screen space, for relatively minor improvements to overall UI organization and discoverability. The UI-formerly-known-as-M…

This isn't change for the sake of being different, it's a radical (and risky) attempt at change such that the mobile and desktop environments become merged. And you Microsoft Office ribbon example is great! That was another change that many saw as "change for change's sake", but it's become a UI function that the vast majority appreciate and depend on. I'm sure many of the HN crowd would have, or did, lambast the rib…

>This isn't change for the sake of being different, it's a radical (and risky) attempt at change such that the mobile and desktop environments become merged.

How does this benefit the actual customer? I don't have a tablet, and I'm not planning to buy one. It's great that Microsoft will only have one code base for the two platforms, but that's great for them, not for me.

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#195

Post by lmm »

cuu508 wrote: post #129
ComputerGuru wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You make it sound like it's black and white. I know plenty of people who would hate to torrent of, say, Photoshop, but also don't think it's worth $550 to them. Having a bought license that's legally of questionable origin is a compromise many non-business users would be more than willing to entertain.

But in case of OEM Windows licence it is black and white, no? What would be peoples motivation to buy it for existing computer? * "It's sorta legal, it's at least some kind of a licence, right?" -- they're misinformed / tricked /fools * "I want to pay something, but retail costs too much" -- if you pay without getting anything useful in return, you're donating. Why not donate to charity? * "I want to get Windows Upda…

>* "I want to pay something, but retail costs too much" -- if you pay without getting anything useful in return, you're donating. Why not donate to charity?

Because your sense of fair play says you've got something from MS so they, and not some random charity, deserve some of your money? Do you follow the same logic and donate to charity instead of tipping at restaurants?

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#196

Post by jpatte »

wslh wrote: post #71
luma wrote: post #22

I've been running Windows 8 since they release the RTM version to TechNet subscribers on my primary laptop (about a month now). Short version - outside of Metro it's basically Win7SP3 and it works great. Metro is every bit the usability disaster that people have claimed when not running on a touch screen. The good news is that you really don't have to interface much with Metro at all. It replaces the start menu, but…

We have an issue with Windows 8 that stopped us to installing it on some personal notebooks until sp1 cames. We installed Virtual CloneDrive from SlySoft knowing that it doesn't support Windows 8. After having a blue screen and being not able to boot the system again we tried with booting it safely and we couldn't! so we reinstalled Windows 7 there. Although it was expectable to fail, it was not expectable to not rec…

I've been using Virtual CloneDrive on Win 8 RTM since the first day I upgraded my computers (about 2 months ago), because I had to re-install several softwares from iso's... It worked just fine, and I actually never suspected any incompatibility issues.

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#197

Post by slackito »

cuu508 wrote: post #129
ComputerGuru wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You make it sound like it's black and white. I know plenty of people who would hate to torrent of, say, Photoshop, but also don't think it's worth $550 to them. Having a bought license that's legally of questionable origin is a compromise many non-business users would be more than willing to entertain.

But in case of OEM Windows licence it is black and white, no? What would be peoples motivation to buy it for existing computer? * "It's sorta legal, it's at least some kind of a licence, right?" -- they're misinformed / tricked /fools * "I want to pay something, but retail costs too much" -- if you pay without getting anything useful in return, you're donating. Why not donate to charity? * "I want to get Windows Upda…

I think a valid, although not legal, motivation for that could be "I just want something Microsoft will activate because I want a clean (i.e.: without applying a random crack from the Internet which could install malware) Windows install, at the minimum possible cost".

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#199

Post by ExpiredLink »

luma wrote: post #22

I've been running Windows 8 since they release the RTM version to TechNet subscribers on my primary laptop (about a month now). Short version - outside of Metro it's basically Win7SP3 and it works great. Metro is every bit the usability disaster that people have claimed when not running on a touch screen. The good news is that you really don't have to interface much with Metro at all. It replaces the start menu, but…

> Metro is every bit the usability disaster that people have claimed when not running on a touch screen

Is there a way to switch to 'Classic Desktop'?

Re: Windows 8 Arrives

#200

Post by zwischenzug »

Zr40 wrote: post #189
zwischenzug wrote: post #111

...and screws up my evening by apparently breaking flash. We only warned our clients 4 months ago.

How does it apparently break Flash? It's working fine for me in Chrome and Internet Explorer.

Yeah I should have clarified: for IE10, if you're not on the compat list, and you're in ModernUI.

We did warn them... but did they listen?

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