win8 Poll: Windows 8 Experience (How do you like it?)

[Seahorsepip Veteran]

Drivers have nonthing to do with win8 being good or bad, if something doesn't work in win8 but does in win7 it's NOT microsofts fault but the vault of the company responsible for delivering up to date drivers as example nvidia is atleast updating their drivers compared to a lot of other companies...

[Noir Angel]

I did, and I still don't think you installed the filter drivers, because the error you describe, down to the delayed effect, fits perfectly with missing or faulty filter driver. Never mind the fact you never said you installed the filter driver in your post.

Renesas drivers from here:

http://www.station-drivers.com/page/renesas.htm

USB drivers included in Intel chipset software

Next excuse, please.

[HawkMan]

Renesas drivers from here:

http://www.station-d...age/renesas.htm

USB drivers included in Intel chipset software

Next excuse, please.

I guess you missed the filter" part of USB Filter Drivers.

[Noir Angel]

There are no USB filter drivers provided, either on my motherboard's website, on Intel's website, or the page I download my USB 3.0 drivers from. Odd that such a necessary component would be so hard to download, hmm? Also rather strange that I've never needed one on Windows 7.

[HawkMan]

you probably did, and it was probably provided by windows update, and whoever provided it to windows update for win7 hasn't bothered to do it for windows 8. filter drivers should be on he motherboard providers website if they ever bothered to provide one.

[Noir Angel]

I pay very close attention to what gets delivered to me via WU and I have never seen such a driver offered to me, either as a critical update or an optional update. As for motherboard manufacturer's site, if you don't believe me you're welcome to look for yourself, however given that it's an Asus ROG motherboard if I needed it I am sure they'd provide it

http://www.asus.com/ROG/MAXIMUS_IV_EXTREMEZ/#support_Download

[George P Global Moderator]

There are a number of bios updates for your board that say "Enhance compatibility with some USB devices.". You might as well try that.

[spenser.d]

I got this at the end of December:

Its an Ultrabook/convertible. Intel i5 @ 1.7Ghz, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 13in screen, 10-point touchscreen - built for Windows 8 and it shows. I don't ever want to go back. Could use some more apps, but they'll come as Windows 8 sales keep increasing.

[Noir Angel]

There are a number of bios updates for your board that say "Enhance compatibility with some USB devices.". You might as well try that.

I'm already running the newest bios available.

[Charneowin]

Installation: Globally no problem. However, I had some issues while installing languages, as the download of a language could not be completed: I had to re-install Windows 8 to solve this problem. Luckily it was at the begin of installation, so the reinstallation was not a problem.

Speed: Quick startup, quick shutdown. Excellent. Execution of programs are a little faster than Windows 7 so it is positive as well.

Features: Bad. Why?

1) No way to avoid the RT display - I want to go directly to the desktop, why not add an option to choose the environment when starting Windows? It is as if Linux were in front of the desktop!

2) The big squared unicolored icons are absolutely UGLY. I removed them all as I can't see them. And I believe this to be the 1st reason of lack of success for Win8 as it is VISUAL. Do you buy an ugly car, even if it is a good one? No, of course, you are looking for an alternative because the eye wants something as well. Dito for an operating system.

3) Impossible to put the squares as we want to have them organized. There are always 2 extra squares before we can put one under them!

4) Where the hell is the START button?? It is very hard to work without it! As hard as if there were no icons on the screen!

5) Glad that the windows are again opaque (I dislike the Aero feature). But at some places, Aero transparency is still visible, for example on the taskbar!! Forgotten? How is that possible!?

6) Scrollbars and titles are now almost invisible as there is almost no contrast anymore. Where is the time of Windows 2000, when the visual aspect was really EXCELLENT...???

7) And finally, how can we accept this very UNprofessional look that you can see on the picture below? Are the menus redesigned by a child? (because they are outbound from the window!)

Thank you for reading. I am not angry, but disappointed. Some of you as well. Evolution is not always a revolution.

[Tuishimi]

Features: Bad. Why?

1) No way to avoid the RT display - I want to go directly to the desktop, why not add an option to choose the environment when starting Windows? It is as if Linux were in front of the desktop!

2) The big squared unicolored icons are absolutely UGLY. I removed them all as I can't see them. And I believe this to be the 1st reason of lack of success for Win8 as it is VISUAL. Do you buy an ugly car, even if it is a good one? No, of course, you are looking for an alternative because the eye wants something as well. Dito for an operating system.

3) Impossible to put the squares as we want to have them organized. There are always 2 extra squares before we can put one under them!

4) Where the hell is the START button?? It is very hard to work without it! As hard as if there were no icons on the screen!

5) Glad that the windows are again opaque (I dislike the Aero feature). But at some places, Aero transparency is still visible on the taskbar!! Forgotten? How is that possible!?

6) Scrollbars and titles are now almost invisible as there is almost no contrast anymore. Where was the time of Windows 2000, where the visual aspect was really EXCELLENT...???

7) And finally, how can we accept this very UNprofessional look that you can see on the picture below? Are the menus redesigned by a child?

I don't understand point 2 in relation to points 3 and 4. If you remove the ugly tiles then you have removed your start menu. As far as the unprofessional menu... that looks like something you coded, an app, and we know little or nothing about it.

Anyway, the "start button" is in the charm bar to the right, or the lower left corner. It is in 2 places now. If you have a keyboard, the easiest thing to do is to hit the "windows" key.

I do share your pain in regards to arranging the tiles, how they flow in groups...

I don't remember why they left the transparency in the task bar... I think I remember reading about it somewhere else, probably in an article linked to from this site. The scrollbars... I think in the designers' minds they have become less relevant (touch screens and all). But yeah, they could be a little more visible on the desktop.

[Dot Matrix]

Scrollbars have all but been replaced by the scroll wheel on mice and trackpads. It's still there to see where you are on the page, but for all intensive purposes, no one still clicks on them to use them.

[Noir Angel]

They still work logically however. You move the wheel up and down and the page moves up and down.

[Charneowin]

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I don't understand point 2 in relation to points 3 and 4. If you remove the ugly tiles then you have removed your start menu. As far as the unprofessional menu... that looks like something you coded, an app, and we know little or nothing about it.

Anyway, the "start button" is in the charm bar to the right, or the lower left corner. It is in 2 places now. If you have a keyboard, the easiest thing to do is to hit the "windows" key.

I do share your pain in regards to arranging the tiles, how they flow in groups...

I don't remember why they left the transparency in the task bar... I think I remember reading about it somewhere else, probably in an article linked to from this site. The scrollbars... I think in the designers' minds they have become less relevant (touch screens and all). But yeah, they could be a little more visible on the desktop.

Well, pictures show more than words, so I will show you some pictures.

I removed the ugly tiles (I wrote: I removed them all - I mean: all those I dislike :laugh: )

This is ugly to me (ugly icons, and truncated right part of the screen):

However, this is beautiful to me: (I have even replaced the Desktop tile with a identical color!)

And impossible to put the tile "Free YouTube Download" under "Skype for Desktop"!

Okay, it is probably a matter of taste.

Next point, the pull down menu that is RIGHT aligned in comparison with "File", hence it goes outbound. With full-screen displays, you don't have that, but when you 'restore down', making the window smaller, and place it in the middle of your screen, and then click on File, then you have a Right-aligned menu. Yes, the picture I posted before, was coded by myself, but this one is from Microsoft, and I did not code myself :D :

Now look at this image, and you will have to find the scrollbar (yes, I am still using it !!!):

Not easy huh? The next screenshot is picked from the internet, to show that the scrollbars are more visible under Win2000:

and finally, the transparency on the taskbar, very annoying:

I hope Windows 9 will be much better.

It looks like M$ is alternatively making a good OS, then a bad one, then again a good one, and so on...

Microsoft made the big error to force the Metro display and the error to avoid the ability to disable it, and the huge error to remove the start button.

The start button COULD be an option, too.

And oh yes, Microsoft made also the error to reverse the default for "confirm delete", which is now disabled by default! It is faster, but if you press accidentally the Del button without your knowledge (or a cat running on the keyboard and pressing the Del button while in Explorer, you may wonder where your files are gone).

To reset it in a safe state, right click on the Recycle Bin icon, click Properties, and check "Display delete confirmation dialog". Safety first !!! :rofl:

Imagine that you change the "settings for selected location" to "Don't move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted", and NO confirmation dialog, then it can be really disastrous, as the deleted file(s) will be gone forever in less than one second!

Cheers ! :)

[BannanaNinja]

The start button is still there in the bottom left corner. It is now a hot corner so just move your mouse to the bottom left and click as always.

[Charneowin]

The start button is still there in the bottom left corner. It is now a hot corner so just move your mouse to the bottom left and click as always.

Hmmm, and how do you click it with your finger? (=tapping) Because Win8 is designed for your fingers.

*joking* And if it is a hot corner, I should not touch it, otherwise my finger is "fired" ;)

[Joswin]

Install and drivers 5/5. It installed from a USB stick to an SSD in under 10 minutes, well more like 5. Everything worked.

Features? Ok lets see..

I miss Aero, and the Start Menu (yea I went there) - just being able to pop up a small list of my most common programs instead of a FULL SCREEN clusterf*** of flashing icons and blank space. I now have to add desktop shortcuts for everything which feels like im in 1995. The charms bar remains useless, its just another way to open the start screen? I mean share seems to have no purpose on the desktop at all.

Wasted space everywhere, huge flat icons. Just clicking the networking icon on the taskbar, instead of bringing up a small window, now takes up 1/3 of the screen with empty space? Using the Metro UI on a 24" screen is nasty. I thought computing power was increasing, but apparently we are moving back to 8-bit.

The default metro apps suck, things like the in-built messenger are a NIGHTMARE because they auto log you in and you cant log out unless you disconnect your Microsoft Account from your Windows account?? The hotspot corners are bloody annoying, if I go to click the pinned program icon in the bottom most left corner I have to be careful else it will bring up the start screen button/hotspot thing and open the start screen. Easy to do in a rush. Same happens with the top left, go to the left most tab on my browser and boom up pops the metro app switcher. FFS.

I'm using it because it cost me ?24.99 for Pro.

[Tuishimi]

Well, pictures show more than words, so I will show you some pictures.

O.K. This post made much more sense to me with your clarifications! :) And I do find myself at least partially agreeing with all of your points.

[George P Global Moderator]

A bit off topic but is anyone who runs windows 8 on multiple devices also running the desktop wallpaper slideshow option? I have windows 8 on two systems, my desktop has 100+ wallpapers it goes through once a day, yet on my windows 8 tablet only the first 20 images have synced over. The others don't seem to want to sync.

[zeke009]

I miss Aero, and the Start Menu (yea I went there) - just being able to pop up a small list of my most common programs instead of a FULL SCREEN clusterf*** of flashing icons and blank space. I now have to add desktop shortcuts for everything which feels like im in 1995. The charms bar remains useless, its just another way to open the start screen? I mean share seems to have no purpose on the desktop at all.

Try Hedghog's jumplist launcher: http://en.www.ali.dj/jumplist-launcher/

I've used that since Win7 and was able to carry it over to Win8 and it's my own personal little 'start menu' for desktop mode.

[John.D]

Still has bugs for me to use it.

1. It doesn't like sharing with previous versions of windows, if you want to get into a shared folder (using the network icon in Win8, it says path not found). If you create a shortcut under sendto in Win8 however, it works every time (well it did for me). MS need to fix this.

2. The cam app needs to be fixed so when / if you install separate video drivers it'll still work. For me, it said it wasnt for my version of windows, after I installed ATI drivers. I had to uninstall them so the app would work

Something to do with OpenCL or GL. I think

3. The updates for it. KB2778344 atm crashes it. Altho MS have released an AMD microcode update fix (KB2818604), which is meant to fix this issue, it doesnt apply to me, since this is an Intel CPU not an AMD CPU. But the videocard is AMD/ATI

[_neutrino Veteran]

I had worked with the Beta for a while to try to learn how things were working so i could support the OS when people started getting and then just over a week ago I purchased a Windows 8 laptop, for the most part everything is fantastic, at first it took me a bit longer to get to things however, when i learned about how easy the universal search (and how quick) was i started jumping around things so quickly and its not bad at all.

[chillaaa]

Went back to Windows 7 for a week between PCs. Was constantly trying to use Win 8 gestures etc...

[PGHammer]

To those that insist that Windows 8 is a touch-centric OS and is unfriendly to desktop applications, my own desktop (which has run every public version of 8 back to the Developer Preview, and dual-boots 8 Pro and Server 2012 today) respectfully disagrees. Except for those applications mooted by either ModernUI applications (yes - some desktop applications did indeed get mooted by ModernUI equivalents) or by improvements included with the OS itself, I brought over every desktop application I ran in 7 - including Microsoft Office (2013 x64). If an application supports touch, it ALSO supports mice. (That isn't unique to Windows 8, by the by - it's also true of Android and even iOS - you'd be surprised how many mice are used with Android tablets, slates, and convertibles. I don't even know of any Android 3.x or later application that only works via touch - let alone any ModernUI application that does the same.) Does it support touch better than Windows 7? Yes. Is touch more obvious than Windows 7? Again, yes - that isn't disputed. But touch-centric? Hardly - no more than Android is today. (If anything, Android was MORE touch-centric in the Froyo days and prior - try navigating around an Android VM of that age with a mouse. That was PRECISELY the reason even Google disapproved of Froyo on tablets.)

Speaking of mouse support., ModernUI is actually friendlier to mice than Android 4.x - which is itself more mouse-friendly than 3.x.

My applications are all over the map - so are my games. ModernUI and traditional desktop - from casual to Crysis (both 2 and 3) I brought ALL my desktop games with me from 7 - not merely some or most. I've added more (along with a few ModernUI-based games); therefore, I have games on my PC that Windows 7 can't run *at all* (wrong UI). Same applies to some of my applications. That is what a superset-OS does for me - and does for me every day.

I live on the desktop - however, I'm NOT restricted to desktop-only applications. Therefore, I'm less "caged in" than I would be on Windows 7, or Android - let alone WindowsRT.

That is what Windows 8 does for me - on my non-touch-supporting desktop - every single day and night.

[chrisj1968]

Here's the Reason for Windows8.. tablet/portability for Cloud storage in the home. Windows 8 is pushing the envelope for cloud storage.

http://www.neowin.ne...ox-for-business

This begs to ask; What exactly is the premise of Windows 8 again? I know it works on Laptops and Desktops that's a given. But this is in fact by Microsoft's own surface line proving that apparently companies don't want people to own their data. Is this part of a greater scheme to prevent pirated software? could be..

But I'm sure alot of us still enjoy keeping our own data at home.

It seems to me in laymens terms, MS's attempt to try and reel in Apples iPAD is all. I can't even use one of these surface systems at home on my lap as i can my laptop