Installed Windows 8 to friends and family, everyone loves it.


Recommended Posts

I know many of you are not gonna believe this, but in reality normal people love Windows 8. I've installed Win8 on 9+ computers which previously had Windows 7 (and XP in one of them). Absolutely all their owners love the new OS.

  • First, of course, they love the insane boot speeds. Improving the boot was a smart move by Microsoft because it's a performance improvement that normal people can measure.
  • They love the Start Screen. Seriously. They like being able to customize it, to pin all the stuff they care about. Everyone loves how fluid it is, and how much has improved the search functionality from Win 7.
  • The Metro apps are amazing for non-techie people. My sister always wanted an easy to use Photo editing application (Photoshop was too daunting to her). So I've installed Fotor, a free app from the Windows Store, and she absolutely loves it. There's many people out there that don't do much else on their computers than web-based activities, like Facebook, YouTube, and web browsing, so the Metro environment works great for them.
  • Everyone loves how much connected Windows 8 is. They love the integrated Facebook chat, they love the Mail app notifications (Sadly you have to configure notifications for each mail account manually...) and the People app.
  • They also love having a built in antivirus software (Windows Defender). They love how silent it is, unlike other traditional antivirus software they've been running.
  • Honestly, there is a learning curve. I don't think everyone could figure out easily how to work with the new OS without my help.

Of course I have Windows 8 installed in my own machine, I still spend most of the time on the Desktop running productivity applications (Visual Studio, 3ds Max, etc.), but I'm using the Metro environment a lot when consuming media or browsing the Internet (I'm typing this on Metro IE, I absolutely love the full screen browsing experience). I'm completely in love with the Mail app. Even though it could be a bit more polished, It is absolutely great and a must for any heavy email user (particularly if you have multiple mail accounts).

Im loving it too :D

i rarely use Metro Modern UI, but one thing i have done it pin my most used programs to it (mostly just chrome) and once my comps booted up, i click chrome, it instantly takes me to desktop and launches chrome. just feels so natural, have had no problems with it what so ever, no learning curve here.

cant wait to get my surface in a couple weeks.

  • Like 2

the only people that don't like windows 8 and find it confusing are the computer tough guys,a.k.a computer gurus on the internet. the general consumer actually loves it,and that's who Microsoft is targeting, not the know it all techies or the hardcore users who need a million windows open at the same time. the other day I was in an electronics store and this teenager dragged his mom over to the surface pro and said this is so cool as he proceeded to swipe on the touch screen,and said look how small they started making these.

The other day something similar happened to me, I like Windows 8 but due to its nature I don't recommend it unless my friend, relative or client insists or have a touch device compatible with Windows 8; well, one of my clients was talking about how awesome was her iPad and how cool is doing basic stuff with it and then she mentioned that her husband, a doctor who doesn't have a lot of experience with computers, installed Windows 8 on his new computer and it happened that he loves it! I was like... Really? Cool! It turned out that some people loves Windows 8, I like it but I admit it needs some polishing.

I think the speed improvements are great. The Start screen is also a nice addition with Live Tiles, though I wish they'd add an analogy to Jumplists for Start screen tiles.

I disagree that the Start screen offers good customizability, and I think the transition between desktop and Start screen could be less jarring if the Start screen would inherit the desktop background and either blur it, desaturate it, or apply a tint to improve contrast for any given background color.

I think the default apps leave a lot to be desired. For a bundled app that takes the name of a desktop version (Mail, etc), it should at least offer feature parity. I also expect that the Store experience will remain poor: the number of ****ty apps far exceeds those of quality, and while I'd love for Microsoft to be the first that draws a line in the sand and rejects subpar apps, I don't see this happening.

Overall, it's faster, and adds some nice new functionality, but I'd really just like to see the apps take off as far as being truly competitive with their desktop counterparts.

(I'm typing this on Metro IE, I absolutely love the full screen browsing experience).

I can't say enough how much I love the full screen browsing experience. Kudos, mate!

  • Like 3

Thats been my experience also. The few minor niggles are easily sorted, and the benefits arehuge. I am also a power user, but I find myself using more and more Modern apps. I'd like a decent gmail app though...

  • Like 2

the only people that don't like windows 8 and find it confusing are the computer tough guys,a.k.a computer gurus on the internet. the general consumer actually loves it,and that's who Microsoft is targeting

If the general consumer loves it then why did it fail at retail?

With a confirmed adoption rate that is far behind Vista, windows 8 has completely/utterly failed.

(I'm typing this on Metro IE, I absolutely love the full screen browsing experience).

I can't say enough how much I love the full screen browsing experience. Kudos, mate!

So, your f11 keys have seen very little use in the past....

If the general consumer loves it then why did it fail at retail?

With a confirmed adoption rate that is far behind Vista, windows 8 has completely/utterly failed.

Windows 8 is an excellent OS, but the general consumer doesn't even know it exists. People are not buying computers because everyone has one (and there's no need to replace them, as they are still fast and reliable for current tasks). What people are buying is tablets, new form factors (Sadly win8 tablets are quite expensive). Also, people do not do upgrades. Upgrades have never been an important business for Microsoft, it's all about OEM sales.

I think the transition between desktop and Start screen could be less jarring if the Start screen would inherit the desktop background and either blur it, desaturate it, or apply a tint to improve contrast for any given background color.

That sounds nice, something like OS X's Launchpad. Although I don't think live tiles would look great on a composite background like icons do.

So how long have you worked for Microsoft?

:)

Haha, I wish I were... :(

So, your f11 keys have seen very little use in the past....

I know, but it's not the same. Metro IE removes absolutely all clutter from the webpage, even the scrollbars (when you stop moving your mouse for a while). Besides, it is insanely fast.

This is where I think the difference is. Anybody who enjoys full screen browsing, is one kind of person. That kind of person probably loves windows 8. In fact, if that certain person was female, they would probably want to have Windows 8's baby. But then there are people who don't want to have 1 app fill up their entire screen. These people generally hate windows 8.

I'm personally annoyed on how Microsoft and Firefox by default now hide all the menus. They are the first thing that get enabled on a new install of Firefox. Give me back the menu bar on top. It's useful.

I'm going to give Windows 8 a slight complement. Most people are very unproductive. They do Facebook, a little email and surfing. That's pretty much it. So yes, those people probably would LOVE windows 8. Good Job Microsoft!

For everyone else....

  • Like 2

If the general consumer loves it then why did it fail at retail?

With a confirmed adoption rate that is far behind Vista, windows 8 has completely/utterly failed.

Because Windows 7 is good enough... very well received and respected... and relatively new. When Vista was released, XP was very established but aging and significantly less secure. Another reason is that there are more PCs in use in the world today than when Vista was released. You have to sell a lot more computers to get 5% today than you did in 2007. In fact, Windows itself has less desktop marketshare than it did in 2007. It matters.

And of course they love it, because they have you! :p

Very true, actually. Everyone I know that I've shown Windows 8 to has loved it... but I wouldn't dare dump it on someone without at least a 30 second explanation.

This is where I think the difference is. Anybody who enjoys full screen browsing, is one kind of person. That kind of person probably loves windows 8. In fact if that certain person was female they would probably want to have Windows 8's baby. But then there are people who don't want to have 1 app fill up their entire screen. These people generally hate windows 8.

Until they stop torturing themselves with full screen apps. You don't have to use them. And you can keep the larger full screen start menu, or you can install 3rd party software to modify your computer to your heart's content. See? Not so bad :)

  • Like 2

I can count on my hand the people i've met (in person) that actually enjoy it.

In your opinion, were they idiots novice or were they sophisticated users?

  • Like 2

If the general consumer loves it then why did it fail at retail?

With a confirmed adoption rate that is far behind Vista, windows 8 has completely/utterly failed.

MacOSX Lion adoption rate got to %40 in 9 months between mac users,while Windows 7 adoption rate got to %40 in 26 months between windows users. Do we label MacOSX the winner here? And Windows 7 failed at retail? Of course windows 7 completely destroyed them in amounts sold.

This kind of comparison between vista and windows 8 is bogus. The % comparison means nothing. Windows 8 sold 40 million copies in its first month.If these weren't selling then why would OEMs and other buy another 20 million the next month? Vista only sold 20 million in its first month. It took windows 7 longer to sell 60 million than windows 8.

About the whole PC sales being lower. Well with windows 7 we have something called netbooks which were ridiculously cheap.Windows 8 doesnt get the benefit of being installed on these small cheap computers and count as a sale. We also had the problem of not finding any of the new windows 8 hardware for most of the quarter. You also don't know how many people simply upgraded to windows 8. PC sales being lower doesnt mean windows sales are.In the old days,you also needed a new PC to run the latest OS. Windows 8 actually has less of requirements than the previous version. Microsoft also posted much higher revenues and profits in the windows division,obviously from windows 8 sales even though PC sales were lower.

This is where I think the difference is. Anybody who enjoys full screen browsing, is one kind of person. That kind of person probably loves windows 8. In fact, if that certain person was female, they would probably want to have Windows 8's baby. But then there are people who don't want to have 1 app fill up their entire screen. These people generally hate windows 8.

I'm personally annoyed on how Microsoft and Firefox by default now hide all the menus. They are the first thing that get enabled on a new install of Firefox. Give me back the menu bar on top. It's useful.

I'm going to give Windows 8 a slight complement. Most people are very unproductive. They do Facebook, a little email and surfing. That's pretty much it. So yes, those people probably would LOVE windows 8. Good Job Microsoft!

For everyone else....

Anyone who enjoys clutter on their screen, is a one kind of person.

Seriously, menus don't need to be on my screen until they are needed. I have 1680x1050 worth of pixels that are better spent on content, not a mess of controls. People know how to right click, they'll find them.

Anyone who enjoys clutter on their screen, is a one kind of person.

Seriously, menus don't need to be on my screen until they are needed. I have 1680x1050 worth of pixels that are better spent on content, not a mess of controls. People know how to right click, they'll find them.

To each their own, I have 1680x1050 on two monitors so double that up for total pixels, and I personally can't stand full screen apps unless it's a game which has a tonne of controls and buttons anyways. Much rather have menus and buttons and such right there instead of hidden away (except in the case of the start menu which I personally much prefer).

I hate having to go find menus and accidentally hitting the hot-corners I disable them whenever possible.

So just because you prefer one way doesn't mean everyone does, which is why people get frustrated and have problems. It's not because people don't want or like change, hell if 8 was closer to 7 in the UI department I would have updated for sure. It's because it doesn't work how us, the consumers, want it to work (based on our own feelings).

this reads like a sponsored microsoft ad instead of a serious discussion about things like why a multimillion dollar os in 2012/13 still cant fix scrolling bugs and other stuff......

  • Like 3

the only people that don't like windows 8 and find it confusing are the computer tough guys,a.k.a computer gurus on the internet. the general consumer actually loves it,and that's who Microsoft is targeting, not the know it all techies or the hardcore users who need a million windows open at the same time. the other day I was in an electronics store and this teenager dragged his mom over to the surface pro and said this is so cool as he proceeded to swipe on the touch screen,and said look how small they started making these.

Wrong. I have done downgrades of lots of computers that came with 8 and people can't get accustomed to it. Speaking for the 'general consumer' all at once is dangerous and stupid. Win8 is a great home-user based OS. For anyone using it for a business purpose, however, it isn't.

Also, if the uptake is slower than Vista, as is documented (and you have to use percentages, raw numbers don't matter), then it is NOT only the tech-savvy that aren't liking it.

One more thing: The Surface Pro is not relevant to this argument, as it is a great little device (except for battery) regardless of the OS you have running on it.

I've had a considerable number of complaints from customers about Windows 8. This includes people from all walks of life...

I can count on my hand the people i've met (in person) that actually enjoy it.

Same here. I normally hear "uhh, no thanks" as soon as people see the Metro screen with all the tiles. Its an ugly interface.

I didnt have any problems going from Windows 3.11 to Windows 95...and that was back when I knew little about what I do now. Windows 8 just reduces my work productivity and since you cannot disable UAC (easily) and still use the Web apps, I said screw it.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • I notice how you dodged the questions I had about the racism shown by ignorant, gullible, cowardly people when the Poles, like your partner, were the immigrants. Ahem. I wonder how you'd feel if native born Brits suddenly treated you as "dirty crooked immigrant" for being half Trump-American? If they ordered you to leave and "go back to your corrupt country" (on the other side of the Atlantic), would you go? The truth is based on facts as supported by evidence. As requested in your previous posts, I have used the facts in your own post to show everyone the truth.
    • US citizens are paying to their government, who could use that to fund healthcare and tuition and relieve the costs of these for citizens instead of making tax breaks that overwhelmingly favor the rich. I'm not saying that tariffs are the correct solution, but what else would they be used for? What else could Trump have in mind for wanting them, if he hasn't figured out that labor costs are higher in the US?
    • I’m in need of a new chair and it sounds like the backrest cannot be locked? I also sat on a Herman miller and was devastated that it couldn’t be locked also, what is going on with chairs. I want to be able to lock the backrest into any position but not even the Herman’s do that
    • Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 Ergonomic Office Chair review: The Ikea of chairs by Steven Parker I've reviewed a few gaming chairs over the past three years or so and generally found them to score well in our reviews. SIHOO reached out asking if I was interested in taking a look at their flagship chair, the Doro C300 Pro V2. I never got the chance to check out its predecessor, but the V2 is described as an "Adaptive Ergonomic Chair." It became available to buy in April of this year. Let's get things rolling with a closer look at the specifications and features. Specifications Doro C300 Pro V2 Model Ergonomic Materials Mesh Back and Seat; Soft PU Coated Armrests Height adjustability 45.5 - 53 cm / 17.5" - 20.9" Seat (w+d) 52 x 43 - 47 cm / 20.5" x 16.9" - 18.5" (adjustable) Backrest 52 – 60 cm / 20.5" - 23.6" (adjustable) Lumbar support Mesh built-in (adjustable) Armrest adjustability 8D Bionic Armrests Rocking angle 105°, 120°, 135° (fixed) Neck support Mesh built-in (adjustable) Net weight 27.3 kg / 59.64 lbs Weight support 150 kg / 330 lbs Colors Black, White Warranty 5 years (upon registering) Price $499.99, $539.99 Introduction At first glance, it looks like a chair that in another life wants to be a Herman Miller; It certainly looks like my Aeron Remastered, but the Doro C300 Pro V2 has quite a few more features and costs quite a bit less. SIHOO says that it is made up of a "DynaCore" system that tracks your movement and synchronizes the headrest, backrest, lumbar support, and armrests as you shift, twist, or recline. They also say that the "SyncroFlex Backrest" molds to your spine, which kind of describes how the mesh fabric works in most ergonomic chairs, but anyway. Below are the meat and potatoes measurements for the chair. Here is the same tech sheet, but in inches. Durability I would be remiss to not talk about the various durability testing this chair underwent before coming to market, as this is claimed on the product page. First of all, the chair is BIFMA-, SGS-, and TÜV-certified. As for durability, the tests undergone were: 100,000 Castor cycles tested 120,000 Armrest cycles tested 120,000 Recline cycles tested 120,000 Gas lift cycles tested 60,000 Armrest durability cycles tested 120,000 Rotation cycles tested Nothing about weights testing, though. Now that's all disclosed, now onto my own personal findings. Assembly The Doro C300 Pro V2 came in two large boxes (1) (2), and everything was packed very well, protecting the different parts of the chair. In the box, there is a folded sheet that explains the 12 steps to assemble it; they are: Remove the bottom cover on the aluminum base; Insert the five legs into the aluminum base and use ten screws to fasten them; Insert the castors into the legs; Replace the bottom cover on the bottom of the aluminum base; Place the Class 4 Hydraulics gas cylinder into the aluminum base; Screw the bottom part of the arm rests, taking care of the orientation using two screws on each side; Use three torx screws to fasten the footrest to the bottom of the seat; Fasten the backrest to the seat using four torx bolts; Fasten the armrests to the backrest using four Torx bolts (two on each side), taking care to note the orientation; Place the chair onto the Class 4 Hydraulics gas cylinder; Insert the headrest into the top of the backrest; Use two torx screws to fasten the headrest to the backrest. There's also an online guide you can refer to. Carefully unpacking the two boxes took around 15 minutes because almost everything is wrapped in plastic and protective foam; the chair assembly itself took around an hour. I say in the above assembly steps to take note of the orientation, because it's not obvious which way around the bottom portion of the armrests go, and although there is an L and R on the bottom of the armrests, it also wasn't clear from the instructions which was actually left or right, facing the chair, or in the seated down orientation? Anyway, I ended up putting the bottom portions on the wrong sides, and after securing one of the armrests, I discovered that although it was on the correct side, the armrest base could rotate a full 360°, but not when bolted to the chair, so I had to remove it, rotate it, and then bolt it back on. Truly an Ikea experience! Also, to complicate things further, although all the parts are labeled from A to X (yes, that's 24 parts) unhelpfully, these letters do not appear on the parts themselves or the package with the bolts, screws, and washers. There's also a pair of protective gloves in the box, but I think they were made for much smaller hands than I have. Even my friend, who is 5.1, had difficulty putting them on. Once assembled, I needed to sit down. Anyway, as I said, it looks quite similar to my Herman Miller. And here is the back of it. If you look at the product page and on Amazon, it seems like a lot of thought has gone into the chair itself and what it's capable of, but there is no mention at all about the castors, and this is an area where I think the chair trips up quite quickly. I found it difficult to move the chair in any direction. I asked a friend who came to visit me earlier this week to test my findings, and she said that the wheels were "no good," so it definitely isn't just me. I am 6'2 myself and a big guy, I work from home and gained a few pounds from mostly staying in and the hell away from other people. However, the Doro C300 Pro V2 is rated for up to 150kg (330lbs), which in my case is used well within its max rating. Ergonomics The number of adjustments you can make, right up to setting it in nap mode — which I haven't fully tested yet — is what you'd expect from a premium chair. Yes, you can go up and down (max 7.5 cm adjustment), rock back and forth (with tilt adjustment), and lock the chair between three stages of 105°, 120°, 135°, which is not quite as flat as the AndaSeat I tested at 160°. Some thought has also gone into the "8D" armrests, too, which are cushioned but quite firm; you'll only know it if you press hard into the PU-covered tops, which give about half a centimeter, but it's enough to ensure your skin won't get awkwardly stuck to it in warmer (or sweatier) conditions. It almost feels like plastic and is very easy to keep clean. However, the armrest positions move far too easily, and I am not sure what that "elbow" function is. Maybe it is good for a short person with short arms, anyway, I never used it and kept it flat at all times. There are eight levels of adjustment for the armrests, they are: backwards, forwards, swing left/right, height up and down, tilt, and 360° rotation, which can be handy for desk clearance. As I said, the armrest pads shift far too easily, which could give off an ergonomic vibe, but who wants the armrest sliding when you are shifting weight? The height adjustability does lock into place when lifting and adjusting. Comfort This is ultimately what it boils down to at the end of the day, right? Quite a lot of reviews praise the comfort of this chair, and I don't disagree that the mesh seating is quite comfortable. I am used to the material from my daily Herman Miller. However, the backrest cannot be locked into place, and this is actually a feature; as you shift or recline yourself on the chair, the backrest moves with your body. It took some getting used to. The lumbar gives ample support, but I would have preferred an adjustable one built into the seat base, as this causes the backrest to move up and down at will. Again, as with my previous chair review, this chair is also rated for tall people, but nowhere in the product documentation does it say how tall. Being 6'2 myself, I'm happy to say that the backrest is tall and wide enough, and thought has been given to being able to adjust the neck rest, but as others have mentioned in their reviews, people as tall as 6.2ft is about the limit for the neckrest. Conclusion What I didn't like The footrest is rated for 15kg (33 lbs), which to me seems a bit light, and after looking online, it seems like a chair footrest for adults must be at least twice that rating. In all honesty, they are just hollow metal tubes, so it is not recommended to let a kid sit on them. I also feel like it doesn't really go out far enough for my height, so that kind of puts the dampener on me being able to use it regularly. I'll just have to continue to use my subwoofer as a footrest! I do not like the armrests being able to shift around as easily as they can, and they are a little too forward-positioned in the chair to comfortably sit close to my desk, because even in the lowest height position, they don't allow me to go under the desk like is possible with my Herman Miller. I also feel like this chair could have been delivered partially constructed, especially the armrests on the seat, and why the aluminum base wasn't already pre-constructed (without the castors) is baffling, considering it would have fit in one of the two boxes that way. The instructions also need to be clearer. On the pamphlet, there's an A to X listing (which is also used in the steps), but none of the physical parts use this lettering system! What I did like I'll be honest, I haven't used it for very long, just one week, and seating comfort is subjective after all! Any spills wiped straight off it, the stitching, and the lines look great, not a fray to be seen or stitch out of place. It looks kind of cool, too. My favorite feature of these seats is the nap mode. While you're not lying completely flat, it leans far back enough to make you easily doze off after a heavy gaming or working session. Overall, this chair offers plenty of comfort features. The MSRP does vary quite a bit depending on the region, at £549.99 in the UK, and €580 in Europe, and $599 before tax in the U.S. However, shipping is free, which is a bonus for such a heavy item. Is it worth it, though? At three years' warranty, I think it's a decent deal. Another firm out of Germany sent me a free replacement hydraulic gas spring for a chair that failed after almost four years, so it was well outside its two-year warranty. My advice is to always try, as you might have the same luck I did. If I could fault it at all, it would be the constant shifting of the armrests and backrest. Where to buy Although the footrest variant normally costs $539.99, it has been discounted to $469.99 on the official website in Black or White. In fact, the non-footrest variant is only $40 cheaper. On Amazon, it currently costs more at $499.99 links below. Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 for $469.99 (official website) Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 for $499.99 at Amazon US SIHOO provided a free sample without any review or pre-approval. Good to know This Amazon link is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Conversation Starter
      jessse3334 earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Reacting Well
      JuvenileDelinquent earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • One Month Later
      Excellence2025 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Excellence2025 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      flexorcist earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      506
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      207
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      151
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      73
    5. 5
      macoman
      62
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!