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Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista

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Re: Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista

#51

Post by douglasisshiny »

I honestly don't understand much of the fuss regarding the removal of the start menu (replaced by the start screen). For one, I spend 99% of my time on the desktop (which is an app in the metro interface). This comes as no surprise, considering that people didn't spend much time on the start menu. Second, the start screen / metro is easier to use than the start menu. If an app isn't pinned to the dock, I press the windows key and start typing the name of the application. Then I press enter. The application starts.

The Start screen / metro stays out of the way. There are improvements that can be made, sure, but it's not horrible. As a whole, Windows 8 provides better performance. Plus the upgrade was cheap ($15 for me).

Re: Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista

#52

Post by wvenable »

kenjackson wrote: post #48
gambiting wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can do EXACTLY same thing with an Asus Transformer, which is cheaper, and works just as well. It even supports multitouch gestures when connected remotely to your Win8 PC.

Really, the ASUS with Android runs RDP as well as Win8? I find that hard to believe.

Why wouldn't it? About a 2 dozen RDP clients exists for both Android and iOS.

Re: Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista

#53

Post by raintrees »

EwanG wrote: post #27

My personal favorite Windows 8 feature - plug in a mouse, but not a keyboard. Go to a text field. Windows 8 figures that if you have a mouse you "must" have a keyboard even though it can plainly see you don't. So the on-screen keyboard doesn't come up. Even if you load it in the desktop pane, it won't be available in other panes (like the Store). The solution is to unplug the mouse, and then the keyboard shows up. Th…

That reminds me of one of my first experiences with a Mac (Mac 512, I think). Borrowed one from the office, forgot the mouse, figured "Hey, I am an advanced user, used to being able to toggle around with Tab and what not, I should be fine."

No way. Complete boat anchor without a mouse.

Re: Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista

#54

Post by raintrees »

douglasisshiny wrote: post #51

I honestly don't understand much of the fuss regarding the removal of the start menu (replaced by the start screen). For one, I spend 99% of my time on the desktop (which is an app in the metro interface). This comes as no surprise, considering that people didn't spend much time on the start menu. Second, the start screen / metro is easier to use than the start menu. If an app isn't pinned to the dock, I press the wi…

I agree, having set up my first couple of systems for stand alone users and a Server 2012 with Remote Desktop Services for a group of users.

As long as a keyboard is handy with the Windows Start key, no worries. Start Menu? Windows Start. Charms sidebar? Windows C. All Programs menu? Windows Z. Logout? Windows, click the login name, Log Out.

The zones for the mouse/touch for the Start Menu and Charms sidebar a too sensitive, so I just show folks the Start key on the keyboard.

The hardest part now is removing all of the cruft systems integrators are shoving into the Start Menu, especially if they are live-feed updated content - Just like remoting into a system that has yahoo.com or msn.com as the home page: I have to wait awhile before the UI is responsive again to a remote user. Can't have those flash-based ads slack in performance, can we?

Re: Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista

#55

Post by Bill_Dimm »

andrewaylett wrote: post #49
rcthompson wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why does my PC need a touch screen? I've never been using a desktop or laptop computer and thought "If only this had a touch screen, my task would be so much easier." For that matter, same question with s/a touch screen/Windows 8/g. Seriously, I haven't seen any commercial that tells me what Windows 8 will actually do for me. Live tiles and "doodle passwords" are nifty, but I'm not going to drop several hundred dolla…

I've had a touch-screen laptop with Windows 8 for a couple of months now, and I wish all my PCs had touch screens. Not that I'd use it for every interaction, but sometimes it's just so much easier to swipe at the screen than to use the mouse or the keyboard.

I can't reach the monitor for my desktop computer without leaning forward. I think a desktop with touch would be an ergonomic disaster.

Re: Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista

#56

Post by raintrees »

randomfool wrote: post #50

Win8 actually does have some great functionality in WinRT and the new application security model which has been sorely needed. The problem is that these are all tied to the Metro interface. Once Microsoft supports these in the classic desktop and stops pushing users into Metro then it'll be a decent OS again.

The latest trick is to use Task Scheduler to run Explorer.exe upon Login. This bypasses the Metro screen as the starting point, going straight to the Desktop.

Re: Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista

#57

Post by xefer »

Oddly (to me anyway) my youngest kids love Windows 8. I'm not sure if it's because they didn't have as much "invested" in the old desktop experience, they just like the dancing colors, or if there is some generational thing I don't quite grok.

Re: Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista

#58

Post by therobot24 »

wvenable wrote: post #52
kenjackson wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really, the ASUS with Android runs RDP as well as Win8? I find that hard to believe.

Why wouldn't it? About a 2 dozen RDP clients exists for both Android and iOS.

most require a desktop client to be installed on the other machine - in instances where you have only user permissions on the other machine (work) this becomes troublesome.

Re: Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista

#59

Post by rprasad »

mtgx wrote: post #8

Microsoft made a mistake trying to force a made-for-touch interface on PC users, and in the end the strategy is not that different than forcing a PC interface on a touch device. It may actually be worse, because at least in that case you would be familiar with the interface, so at least it would have that advantage. I think this video explains most of the problems with Windows 8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTYet-…

I see Windows 8, like Vista before it, as the trial run for the OS that Microsoft intends to sell to enterprises. Work out the UI kinks, etc., and have a battle-tested version 2 they can ship to businesses with long-term support.

It also probably helps that by the time Windows 9 is released, people will have adjusted to the new Metro (Civic?) interface and so the leap won't be as big for businesses looking to upgrade.

Re: Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista

#60

Post by ct »

douglasisshiny wrote: post #51

I honestly don't understand much of the fuss regarding the removal of the start menu (replaced by the start screen). For one, I spend 99% of my time on the desktop (which is an app in the metro interface). This comes as no surprise, considering that people didn't spend much time on the start menu. Second, the start screen / metro is easier to use than the start menu. If an app isn't pinned to the dock, I press the wi…

I have like 10 frequently used apps that I had pinned to the start menu and launching them is a pain with having to search or if you pin them on the metro desktop its a lot of scrolling due to the large tiles. Plus there's a contextual switch that takes a user out of the zone with the entire screen switching especially when you have to close and open different apps constantly due to memory constraints, so that's a lot of jarring context switching.
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