This thread entertains me every time I check it. Especially Culbrelai - I picture him as an old man in a rocking chair on the porch with his shotgun in one hand and his old dusty windows xp machine cradled in the other. Anyway onto my responses for the day...
W8 just plain sucks! It has no redeeming value in my opinion and is a giant step backwards in simplicity and ease of use.
Everyone including me said that when they first started using it. Give it time to eat your soul.
- Shut down/restart interface is kludgy
I think I shut down or restart my computer once every month. It doesn't bother me at all that it takes one second more. This agrees with the stability comments for windows 8 too... As an added bonus when I do restart happen to restart my computer from restart click to entering my password takes 5.2 seconds.
I use the Start Menu constantly, rather than clutter up my taskbar with pinned programs, I use the Start Menu, lol. Makes a lot more sense really to have a desktop with icons you use almost every day, and then a menu with cascading options for lesser used programs.
It is rare that I can see icons on my desktop. I don't want to minimize applications to find it. I pin the applications I use the most (windows key, 0 is the first spot on the taskbar, 1 is the next, etc). Second most I use the first few spots on the start screen. (Windows key, down or right arrow combination). The applications I rarely use I have to hit windows key and a few letters in the application name.
I constantly open Windows Explorer from the start menu to browse places, the large list of most commonly used programs I use a whole lot. It is a step backward in usability.
I never relied on that list as it was always changing. I can understand being sad to see that go if you do. Usability issue for you but perhaps not for others.
Windows 8's adoption rate is very slow I dont remember the benchmark they used, slower than Vista's adoption rate IIRC.
Yeah unfortunately windows 8 suffers from bad press as did windows vista. I didn't mind vista at all once they resolved all of the driver issues. I found it better than xp though I couldn't tell you anymore what I liked about it.
I am just curious, do you have a source for your claim of the Metro interface being a snap decision? I haven't ever heard exactly what the decision making process was on that so I am genuinely curious.
Metro was not a snap decision. M$'s primary goal with the windows 8 family was to make an OS that would have a similar interface on all devices. Even windows phone 8 works very much like windows 8.
It's not as secure as Windows 7, but a lot of it's problems can be mitigated simply by conscious use practices.
I still argue this. As I said before I haven't had any security related calls yet from friends or family on windows 8. Windows 7 I've had numerous even just in the past month. I have to say this concept extends to server 2012 too. It is the first microsoft server operating system where I don't cringe when I have to make a major change. I had to remove exchange, dns, and domain from a 2012 server. Under windows 2008 when trying to do something similar I ended up reformatting the server twice. Once because when I did remove services all of the sudden other services started failing. The second time because during installation something took a wrong turn during the installation of a service and the machine wouldn't boot. Sure I don't have as much experience with 2012 as I do with previous versions but I was very impressed with how much better configuration is.
Remember how many times XP was extended because people refused to move to Vista?
I see the same thing happening to 7.
We'll see if M$ learned their lesson but I would not be in the least bit surprised.
Even Micro$haft acknowledges that you're better off using a touch interface with Windows 8.
I've ever used the touch screen on my convertible laptop. I cannot get past fingerprints on my screen. I also rarely use my mouse/touchpad either. All M$ did is give you the option and said "amg guys you should try it". Does it bother you that the tiles are big so they could be used for touch if you wanted to? It doesn't bother me that fast food places put ketchup in the bag when I buy fries.
and STILL make a seperate one (Windows RT) for tablets?
I think the biggest problem facing both windows RT and windows phone 8 is the lack of quality apps. It's silly to me that Microsoft assumed it could launch an entirely new app platform and sell mobile devices at the same time. The windows store needed time to fill. They are both very obviously young operating systems too. Windows phone 8 is missing things like a notification center, task manager, etc. Windows RT I see fading whenever intel launches the full array of haswell LV processors.
Awktane you're amazing. Have my babies.
Unfortunately for you, I'm married. Also - the creak of your rocking chair and that shotgun both scare me. I hope you don't take offense to my image of you... it is not meant to be an attack or anything. Feel free to let me know if it bothers you at all and I will remove it. Love you long time!
The one remaining functionality gripe for me is that you cannot group files/folders anywhere on Windows 7 or Windows 8 other than their Desktops.
What do you mean by group files or folders together? Do you mean visually as you can in most of the apple/linux world?
Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Paint
You can do this sort of organization under windows 7 and 8 (perhaps prior as well) by using the windows toolbar (right click taskbar, toolbars, new toolbar...). It basically pins a folder off to the right of the taskbar that opens like a menu. I use it to pin things like shortcuts to open VPN connections, mount truecrypt volumes, etc while still keeping them organized in a folder view.
Edit: Wow I wrote a book! Look for me in your local book store in the loonie bin. (Canadians will catch the double entendre there!)
