699 replies to this topic 14 votes

[+patseguin]

Anyone else go right back to Windows 7 after playing with 8 for a little while? I think it's kind of a mess and definitely not ready for prime time.

[Lucas]

Totally, I was expecting it much more 'fluid' but I felt like I had to hard learn how to do weird mouse gestures just to go around my desktop, it's stressing.

[Azies]

Me, I gave it a chance and really like it, but being a beta it was a bit iffy with some apps, I don't like having to go to the Metro screen whenever I want to open Explorer, so I guess I ended up pinning it. They really need to allow people to enable the start menu, or this is going to flop hard.

[Andrew Lyle]

I hope they bring the start menu back. I believe they said metro will be disabled by default for desktops and non-touch screen laptops, so people can transition into it.

Well see though. I hear way too many requests to bring back the start menu.

[+Evolution]

Yeah after a few hours I got tired of it.... whereas up until the CP was released I was using the developer preview which to me was better.... (boots were simple and didn't require a reset to switch OSes and they seemed to have taken away the ability to use the scroll wheel on the left side of the screen to switch between apps)

[+patseguin]

Yeah I downloaded it and played just for a minute before work and was excited. After about an hour when I got home, it wasn't for me and I've spent the night reinstalling Windows 7. I guess that'll teach me to use a VM next time.

[motivr]

I think there should be two modes or verisons for Windows 8. On my non-touch laptop, everything is just so awkward. I have to scroll my touchpad or mouse up and down to scroll horizontally.. and I have to take additional steps to just go to Control panel or run Windows Updates. I think Microsoft has long long way to go on this one.

[Tekkerson]

Lol you guys got it all wrong. I haven't used my mouse for Windows 8 at all.

Windows explorer is Windows key + E (or if on the SuperBar it's Windows Key + top numbers on keyboard)

Anything I want to search for is the same as windows 7 albeit just full screen search now.

I don't know what you guys are complaining about.

The only chance I get to use metro is when my computer boots up, no search queries, just click & go.

After I'm on the Desktop I just do:

• windows key
  
• first few letters of program/settings from control panel to files and anything really
  
• enter key

Simple, fast.

Metro pops for a half a second and my program/file/setting is already loading.

Although I'm not used to the full screen search, just the little search box that windows 7 used to be. It's no different from it.

[kaotic]

I'm using it right now, and I really like it, but I'll probably go back to windows 7 tomorrow. I actually had no problem getting used to the metro UI and really like the apps that they have included. My only problem with it is that I wish it was all Metro and not Metro / Aero.

[+Evolution]

Tekkerson, on 01 March 2012 - 02:50, said:

Lol you guys got it all wrong. I haven't used my mouse for Windows 8 at all.

Windows explorer is Windows key + E (or if on the SuperBar it's Windows Key + top numbers on keyboard)

Anything I want to search for is the same as windows 7 albeit just full screen search now.

Windows key + search query + enter. The same for control panel settings, files and pretty much everything.

I don't know what you guys are complaining about.

Windows key + search query gives apps, you have to make an additional click if you want to get to settings or files, unlike in Windows 7.

[Omen1393]

2 hours is not enough time to judge an entire operating system. On the Developer preview I didn't really like it for the first 48 hours, but once I got used to how the OS worked and learned the gestures, I began to catch on and really enjoy the experience. Although my time is spent mostly in the desktop UI, the Metro apps really are much nicer than the apps that were around before. For example the mail app is much, much faster than Windows Live mail and the live tiles make it worth the switch.

[Tekkerson]

Evolution, on 01 March 2012 - 02:52, said:

Windows key + search query gives apps, you have to make an additional click if you want to get to settings or files, unlike in Windows 7.

No you don't, to search settings it's Windows Key + W.
Windows + F is to search files. Easy.

[+TruckWEB]

I gave it 1 hour and it was enough for me to NOT like it at all. I'm back to Win7 and I feel right at home. I much prefer OS X or Win7. MS wont get any money from me if Win8 stay that way. It may be fantastic for a touch screen, but it's crap for desktop use. And suddently, it's okay to learn new keystroke to do things? Wow, this seems backward in evolution.

How do you close/quit a Metro app? Do they stay open all the time?

And why do I feel like I'm dealing with 2 OS at the same time: Metro and Desktop? What does Win8 want to be?

[+scumdogmillionaire]

I installed it on a VM, and on my wife's laptop early this morning. We both used it for our normal stuff all day long. We also both have (and absolutley love) Windows Phone 7.

Reverted the laptop to a Windows Home Server backup from last night, so it's back to normal.

The biggest issues for her were:

1) No ability to print in Mail
2) No Favorites in Immersive IE
3) No Search from Address Bar in Immersive IE
4) Not great for multi-tasking. She usually has multiple brower windows open, Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Mail. While the multiple browsers can be addressed on the regular desktop, in that view there is no way to know if you have new instant messages or emails.

Overall it was not a great experience.

From my point of view (as a .NET developer) I was also disappointed. Doing simple things (like printing) seemed impossible and the apps are far from beta quality in my opinion. Switching back and forth between the start screen and the desktop (again, in Visual Studio all day long) seemed unnatural. I instant message with my wife all day long (even though we're in the same house, I'm in my office upstairs, so it's just easier) and switching between Visual Studio, to the start screen to get a new IM was a mess. I couldn't stand it.

[simplezz]

Gonna give it a try later when I have time to download/install it. It looks surprisingly good on that 82 " screen. I didn't think it would work on larger screen devices, but it looks like I might have been wrong.

How does the performance compare with Windows 7?