What do you think about Windows 8

[Pawelk198604]

The system is on market almost 10 month i have since December an in my opinion, but i heard that many users hate it, mainly because it don have start menu. I had some problems to get used to it but i think new windows is really cool:)

[Anton P. Nym]

I have a Surface Pro, and I have no trouble at all with Windows 8. I gather some folks with desktops running Win8 are having issues getting comfortable, but I also gather the 8.1 update is supposed to address their concerns.

-- Steve

[AlexL]

Yeah, it seems to me that it should be a good tablet/touchscreen interface, but that doesn't work well on a non touch device. It also seemed to lack continuity and not flow smoothly between the two modes, which you have to swap between due to lack of start menu and auto-boot to tablet UI.

[Pixel of Life]

I have a Surface Pro, and I have no trouble at all with Windows 8. I gather some folks with desktops running Win8 are having issues getting comfortable, but I also gather the 8.1 update is supposed to address their concerns.

And this is exactly what's wrong with it. The Metro UI has clearly been designed to be used on a tablet - it feels extremely clumsy when used with a keyboard and mouse. I think I'll hold back on Windows 8 and get 9 when it comes out as Microsoft seems to have a habit of alternating between good products and crap products - and hopefully they will either continue doing this or make every version as good.

In a way though, the fact that Windows 8 is an epic fail might actually be a good thing as it will surely encourage more people to try Linux.

[NGTOne]

The thing I like about Win8 (I don't use it personally, but my dad and sister do) is that it's a fully-featured Windows environment on a tablet. It's not a locked-down mobile OS like iOS or even 'Droid. The power available there is, to me, a very good thing.

The downside is that, yes, it is rather clumsy in a desktop setting. That can be countered to a certain extent with an alternate file browser (my dad found a good one long ago and never stopped using it) and a few other things, so that you don't even have to touch the "Metro" side of it (they had to drop that name - copyright issues, if memory serves).

In a way though, the fact that Windows 8 is an epic fail might actually be a good thing as it will surely encourage more people to try Linux.

And, while we can hope that that is true, I doubt it's gonna happen. Even Ubuntu represents too large a paradigm shift for the average user to get comfortable with, and it's by far one of the friendliest Linux-based OSs out there. That's the issue when the market is 90% dominated by a single product - retraining everyone to use a different one just won't work, because they know how this one works, and, if nobody else is using the different one, why should they?

[Faark]

Yes, they try to enforce a touch UI to everyone, while abandoning all those good old windows concepts. That stuff existed and was developed for a reason, so ofc lot of users are pissed about it.

Also their AppStore should be mentioned. An store integrated into an OS can just be bad, since there is no way it will not end in a monopoly. So instead of just serving us an OS, MS can soon also decide what software most of the PC users will use and get a nice share from that. Just like those game companies are trying to as well with services like Steam or Origin.

As more software a user bought on such a service as less likely it is he will look for software somewhere else, making it more important for other companies to offer their software on that service as well, leading to even more users and hopefully (from service providers point of view) will lead to world domination one day.

Well, there is sth trending horribly wrong in the software industry. Rly hope there will be some regulations soon about how virtual property ownership should work in the future. Free market is an awesome concept, but while it guarantees companies do whats good for them, it does not force a good outcome for us customers...

PS:

The thing I like about Win8 (I don't use it personally, but my dad and sister do) is that it's a fully-featured Windows environment on a tablet. It's not a locked-down mobile OS like iOS or even 'Droid. The power available there is, to me, a very good thing.

Its not. Most mobile devices run a reduced variant of win8 that [afaik] can only run windows store apps (Great for MS profits, especially in a long term perspective). It is not a free operating system!

Edited August 18, 2013 by Faark

[tavert]

As Faark mentioned, major difference (mostly hidden from users who don't know what they're doing) between the cheaper ARM-based Surface version of Win8, and the x86 version that runs on Surface Pro and PC's.

Win8 is the first decent touch interface Microsoft has made. But finally making a decent touch interface does not justify forcing users on non-touch hardware to use the same interface. It seems Microsoft saw a lot of the gimmicky multi-touch scrolling things that Apple has been bringing into OSX from iOS lately, but failed in their execution of the tactic.

I'm hopeful that the terribleness of Windows 8 might actually lead to some acceptance of Linux, but that's mostly dependent on vendors offering pre-installed ready-to-go machines. It feels to me that switching from Windows to Ubuntu these days should be no more difficult for average users than switching to OSX in terms of day-to-day usability, most people just don't even realize there's a third option besides cheap & annoying Windows or expensive & shiny Mac.

I used to say I would use Linux on my primary machine except for some particular application I needed to use that wasn't available on Linux... I think the main one was Solidworks, which I used frequently in undergrad. These days I'm using fewer and fewer (if any?) Windows-only applications, so this excuse is not as valid today as it was 5-10 years ago. The extra expense of a Mac will never be worth it to me as long as they continue selling the same hardware for twice as much money, so the next new machine I buy will definitely be a Linux box, either from Zareason or System76, or I might put it together myself. Better question is whether to use Ubuntu, Mint, or plain Debian.

Android phones are tremendously successful, but Google has much more clout with consumers than Canonical. Perhaps if Microsoft keeps making unpopular changes some bigger vendors might start trying to sell Linux machines more seriously (hopefully in a more sane way than Google's Chromebook idea, with a conventional allowed-to-be-offline setup).

Edited August 18, 2013 by tavert

[dharak1]

I hate windows using a series designed for desktops as an excuse to RUIN it by setting it up for people with their fad touchscreen desktop all in ones that are outperformed by a basic office phone. They should have made a new OS for touch all in 1 "computers" and kept 7 for actual desktops. I am actually going out to futureshop in a few days to get 10 copies of windows 7 so I can have an actual OS made for desktops.

I hope windows 9 is normal.

[Tw1]

Nice and fast. Sure, I don't use the squares menu thing that much, I installed something that gives my a seven style start bar, and I liked seven's style better.

[Nachtwind]

I've been very reluctant to switch to Win8, but after my late Win7 dies of old age i tried it and chose not to install classic shell or similar software..

Now, half a year later, i think that switching to win8 (8.1 here) was a great choice. The system is pretty fast and very very stable (even on a public beta OS here).

The main problem everyone has is the Metro Start screen.. but truth to be told: I dont see the difference.

As human beings our eyes can only focus on an items as big as >>>this<<< word. Try it for yourself - when you look at that you wont see much more

So clicking on start to search a word is for me the same as hitting start (or clicking it on 8.1) and looking for a picture. But the best part is: In 8.1 i always know where my programs are. I dont need to search so its faster than on 7. Also the type-to-search function of the new metro feels faster and more complete than in 7 - but thats subjective.

So all in all:

I dont regard it a bit to have switched.

[NGTOne]

Its not. Most mobile devices run a reduced variant of win8 that [afaik] can only run windows store apps (Great for MS profits, especially in a long term perspective). It is not a free operating system!

So far as I'm aware, the only thing preventing a user from installing the full version on their mobile device is hardware limitations and know-how.

[Fabri91]

Regarding Windows 8 on traditional desktop/laptop PCs: I like it!

Seriously, it boots up extremely fast, runs every "legacy" application I managed to throw at it, and, at least until now, I haven't noticed any instabilities.

Granted, with the original release of Windows 8 there was the problem of the constant switching between the two interfaces when dealing with the control panel, since most of the settings were only available on the "classic" control panel.

However, I find that the 8.1 update alleviates most of these concerns.

For example, here's how I setup my start screen:

With one click on the windows button one can check (like in my case) weather for a number of sites and e-mail on a glance, and the tools available for contact syncronization across devices and services is also handy.

PS: there is also a free 90-day trial of Windows 8 (and 8.1) Enterprise available, which is virtually identical to the consumer version.

EDIT: Windows RT is indeed locked to MS Store apps, and while techincally it is possible to sideload desktop applications, they still have to be recompiled to run on the different architecture (ARM).

So even if Microsoft removed this restriction you could not just copy KSP over and play, sadly.

Edited August 18, 2013 by Fabri91

[rasheed]

Im on Win8 and im liking it so far. playing KSP perfectly.

[Galacticruler]

Burn it with fire, it is an abomanation, windows 7 is superior.

[Nachtwind]

Burn it with fire, it is an abomanation, windows 7 is superior.

Mind to give a reason?

So far this thread, which is prone to a flamewar, is pretty objective and by ar the best of its kind that i know. So please keep it that way.

[Bioman222]

I myself have messed around on my mom's Windows 8, and I personally perfer Windows 7. I'd perfer Windows 8 on a tablet or phone, but that's it.

[Nuke]

my plan for windows:

continue using 7 until a new windows comes out and gets good reviews (9 if the pattern repeats itself), or reactos hits beta, whichever comes first. im not switching to linux at this time.

[KvickFlygarn87]

Hooooorible.

[Nibb31]

The problem with Windows 8 is that it is a schizophrenic OS. Having the desktop on one hand and the Metro UI on the other is like having two different operating systems that work in very different ways using very different graphical cues and functional pradigms. Every time you switch from one to the other, you have to mentally switch from one OS to another, it's like switching incessantly from a Mac desktop to an Android smartphone, or from one language to another, or switching from a driving a car to riding a bike. Although most computer-savvy folks can figure it out, it remains distracting and takes your mind off of what you were trying to do (the function) to force you to think about how you are going to do it (the form). In the long run, the lack of consistency and the fact that a lot of it is driven by hidden gestures is just time consuming and mentally exhausting. For example, on the desktop, moving the mouse wheel up and down typically scrolls the document you are working on up and down. In Metro, scrolling up and down scrolls left and right, which is confusing, illogical and breaks everything you've learned since you have been using computers.

On a tablet, it's not so bad, because that's what it was designed to run on, and you can ignore the desktop in most cases. Tablets are designed for consuming information somewhat passively. However, at work or at home, people use their computers for creating and entering information and actively. They are typically more concentrated on the content that they are working and don't want to bother about figuring out hidden gestures just to print or save their work.

The IT industry is still dominated by non-touchscreen desktops or laptops. One of the reasons Windows 8 is a flop is because corporations have no interest in replacing their current office PCs with touch-enabled devices. For professionals who work all day on Excel, Word, SAP, or any other professional software, leaving the keyboard/mouse to raise your hand up to the screen just for the Start menu is disruptive, tiring, and just slows you down.

On the other hand, it's probably the fastest and most stable version of Windows. There are some good things in it. I find it usable only with something like Classic Shell, which allows you to completely bypass the Metro UI and get a proper Start button and a highly configurable Start menu replacement.

[King Arthur]

Windows 8? Potentially great on tablets, utterly pathetic crap on desktops/laptops.

[jwenting]

Mind to give a reason?

So far this thread, which is prone to a flamewar, is pretty objective and by ar the best of its kind that i know. So please keep it that way.

he doesn't have a reason, apart from "mi hatuz microzoft", as with all such hate stuff.

I was initially skeptical about Win8, but it's fast, stable, and overall works pretty well now that I know where to find most things.

Still miss the start menu and especially the search prompt in there which I used a lot to launch things, but I guess it's still there somewhere just waiting to be discovered

[Nuke]

windows really hasn't changed much since the death of the 9x/me line. they changed some graphics, renamed a lot of things, added a couple new systems over the years (which i usually disable for the sake of performance), and each version pretty much has slightly different default settings (which are stronger on some versions and weaker on others), and of course support for newer cpu features (the only real reason one should upgrade their os every so often). i wouldn't doubt that the actual codebase difference between 7 and 8 is less than 5%.

[jwenting]

and you'd be wrong. But don't worry, you're in very good company, the company of all the other millions who've no idea what sits under the hood of a complex piece of software.

[Nachtwind]

Still miss the start menu and especially the search prompt in there which I used a lot to launch things, but I guess it's still there somewhere just waiting to be discovered

That was the same for me.. yet when i understood that you can just start typing in the start screen everything was fine ^^

[tavert]

There's a fascinating article from Ars Technica last year that goes through a lot of the history and technical details here: http://arstechnica.com/features/2012/10/windows-8-and-winrt-everything-old-is-new-again/

While WinRT (by which I'm referring to the library, rather than the brand name of Windows-on-ARM) is a brand-new piece of technology that much of the new stuff in Win8 is built on, it's largely a new intermediate layer on top of familiar legacy systems. The UI is the main part that users see and interact with though, and as long as it's needlessly changing patterns users have gotten accustomed to, it will take ages to make headway in enterprise settings. Enterprises want things to work and be simple to use and support (and inexpensive to purchase), power users and developers care more about function than appearances so have better options. Windows is long extinct in servers and HPC (I'm amazed there are still even 3 Windows systems in the Top500), and they are definitely not immune from competition in home and enterprise use...

Edited August 19, 2013 by tavert