105 replies to this topic 6 votes

[Tyler R.]

Dot Matrix, on 05 November 2012 - 18:38, said:

You CAN setup an IMAP account. Mail doesn't require a Live account. You can setup Google, Yahoo, and AOL accounts.

But for IMAP: Charms > Settings > Accounts > Other Account. Boom there you go.

Right, but you need a Microsoft Account to use the Store, Music, and Video apps. Technically, you can use the Music and Video apps without one, but it ask you to login every time you launch the app--which is annoying...

[+ViperAFK]

Dot Matrix, on 05 November 2012 - 18:38, said:

You CAN setup an IMAP account. Mail doesn't require a Live account. You can setup Google, Yahoo, and AOL accounts.

But for IMAP: Charms > Settings > Accounts > Other Account. Boom there you go.

I know how to set it up, what I meant is that if you don't log into a windows live account, accounts isn't even listed in the charms menu. You need to login to a windows live account before it lets you set up any other type of account:

[GP007]

Well, regardless of how MS updates Win8, be it with a SP that brings features or just a 8.x update or w/e they call it in the end I expect and want to see more options on the start screen side of things, you still have to dive into the old desktop control panel to do more advanced stuff, that should start to find it's way in the metro control panel or the charms as well IMO.

Updated apps ofc, though I expect them to push out app updates independent of any OS updates but we could get another round of them if the OS update adds things to WinRT etc.

And that's the other thing, more features to WinRT to make it more mature and allow developers to do more with their metro apps etc.

Some more UI tweaks would be nice. Though I don't expect to see the start screen and the desktop merge more till Windows 9 probably.

[Dot Matrix]

ViperAFK, on 05 November 2012 - 18:43, said:

Accounts does NOT show up in the mail charms menu until you've logged in with a windows live account.

Then make an account? Windows 8 is pretty much DOA without one anyway.

[+ViperAFK]

Dot Matrix, on 05 November 2012 - 18:57, said:

Then make an account? Windows 8 is pretty much DOA without one anyway.

How many times do I have to say that I have a WL account, and this problem isn't about me specifically. I am talking about people that don't, particularly tech illiterate people that I deal with daily at work, that only use their ISP email address and can barely handle using that.

For example I was talking to a lady earlier trying to set up her ISP mail via imap in the windows mail app. She was very confused about why she needed another account, to use the email she's always used. She went though the microsoft account setup, and it said she had to go to the confirmation email that it sent to her ISP email to activate it, thats when she called us. The activation mail never showed up, and every few seconds windows popped up a message telling her to check her mail. I ended up just having her download windows live mail. This is not user friendly.

[+Brando212]

ViperAFK, on 05 November 2012 - 19:02, said:

How many times do I have to say that I have a WL account, and this problem isn't about me specifically. I am talking about people that don't, particularly tech illiterate people that I deal with daily at work, that only use their ISP email address and can barely handle using that

how is this any different than needing a google account to do most things on an Android phone/tablet or vise-verse with an Apple account for iPhone/iPad?

[theyarecomingforyou]

I think it would be wise for Microsoft to put out a substantial free update to address the core concerns and to show their commitment to the Windows brand, in much the same way as is done for phones. With Windows 8.5 we could see usability issues addressed (multi-monitor Metro apps; blank screen when side-snapping; inconsistent mouse gestures, etc), an increase in customisation options (Start Screen backgrounds; new colour schemes, etc) and a greater unification between the two environments (a single settings centre, rather than Control Panel and PC Settings; desktop-style on the desktop, like Network). They could also update the WinRT framework, as the more functionality they add the more compelling applications become and the more money Microsoft makes.

If Microsoft is to make the majority of their revenue from app sales - which seems to be their plan - then they need to change the way they support and update Windows. Windows 8 has a lot of great functionality and with some tweaking it should be possible for them to win around a lot of the critics.

[mahara]

TS should actually ask: Windows 9: What We Hope To See

Nothing would be changed in Windows 8 SP1, even if it would exist.

[nekrosoft13]

Brando212, on 05 November 2012 - 19:53, said:

how is this any different than needing a google account to do most things on an Android phone/tablet or vise-verse with an Apple account for iPhone/iPad?

how about this was never a morm on windows pc, how about people that don't have smartphones, people that never had to go though this BS. requring that you have a microsoft account just to check your email is silly.

Dot Matrix, on 05 November 2012 - 18:57, said:

Then make an account? Windows 8 is pretty much DOA without one anyway.

a lot of people don't want one, a lot of people simply don't need their information all over the web, numerious useless acounts.

ViperAFK, on 05 November 2012 - 19:02, said:

How many times do I have to say that I have a WL account, and this problem isn't about me specifically. I am talking about people that don't, particularly tech illiterate people that I deal with daily at work, that only use their ISP email address and can barely handle using that.

For example I was talking to a lady earlier trying to set up her ISP mail via imap in the windows mail app. She was very confused about why she needed another account, to use the email she's always used. She went though the microsoft account setup, and it said she had to go to the confirmation email that it sent to her ISP email to activate it, thats when she called us. The activation mail never showed up, and every few seconds windows popped up a message telling her to check her mail. I ended up just having her download windows live mail. This is not user friendly.

plus a lot of non-tech savy people, will have their info send to their address (ISP), but might not know how to retrieve that information, since stupid metro mail app won't let them into their acount

[forster]

Is anybody else getting tired of this yet - Win8 is fine for me, it might not be for some people, but it is for me - hows about letting the horse just die already? If you dont like it, use Windows 7, we all have a choice in life, choose something else.

[nekrosoft13]

theyarecomingforyou, on 05 November 2012 - 20:11, said:

I think it would be wise for Microsoft to put out a substantial free update to address the core concerns and to show their commitment to the Windows brand, in much the same way as is done for phones. With Windows 8.5 we could see usability issues addressed (multi-monitor Metro apps; blank screen when side-snapping; inconsistent mouse gestures, etc), an increase in customisation options (Start Screen backgrounds; new colour schemes, etc) and a greater unification between the two environments (a single settings centre, rather than Control Panel and PC Settings; desktop-style on the desktop, like Network). They could also update the WinRT framework, as the more functionality they add the more compelling applications become and the more money Microsoft makes.

If Microsoft is to make the majority of their revenue from app sales - which seems to be their plan - then they need to change the way they support and update Windows. Windows 8 has a lot of great functionality and with some tweaking it should be possible for them to win around a lot of the critics.

merging metro and desktop simply doesn't work, and windows 8 is just a big mess. metro apps lack function, functionality, usability, multi-tasking and style.

they need to add option for user to choose if they want metro or desktop to be the main interface. metro should be seperated from desktop, if you want to use the simpler more idiot proof apps then you could launch metro, if you want functionality you would stay in desktop.

bring back the start menu, only way to fix windows 8.

[Dot Matrix]

nekrosoft13, on 05 November 2012 - 20:54, said:

how about this was never a morm on windows pc, how about people that don't have smartphones, people that never had to go though this BS. requring that you have a microsoft account just to check your email is silly.



a lot of people don't want one, a lot of people simply don't need their information all over the web, numerious useless acounts.



plus a lot of non-tech savy people, will have their info send to their address (ISP), but might not know how to retrieve that information, since stupid metro mail app won't let them into their acount

How about, blah, blah, blah... whatever. This is the new norm. Having a Live ID helps users out. It doesn't matter that your PC isn't a phone. It's still a device, and a device that functions like all others. Your comments are getting sillier and sillier by the moment. Welcome to 2012. It isn't 1995 anymore.

[theyarecomingforyou]

nekrosoft13, on 05 November 2012 - 21:01, said:

merging metro and desktop simply doesn't work, and windows 8 is just a big mess. metro apps lack function, functionality, usability, multi-tasking and style.

Actually, I don't think that's true. All that is needed is for Metro apps to be able to run in a window that can be resized freely (maintaining the aspect ratio to avoid issues). That way you could migrate all Control Panel functionality into PC Settings and have that be the new hub for system settings. It would also mean x86-64 and Metro apps could share the same taskbar and the Charm bar could be moved off to top-left so that it doesn't clash with Aero Peek. It would also mean that Metro apps would be better for multi-tasking. Doing that would allow Microsoft to provide a truly unified interface, instead of the horrible mismatch they have at the moment.

You're right that Metro apps lack functionality but Microsoft could add a 'power' mode that allows Metro apps to run in the background without resource restrictions. They still won't have as much functionality as desktop apps but it would make them a lot more usable.

[Shane Nokes]

ViperAFK, on 05 November 2012 - 18:43, said:

Accounts does NOT show up in the mail charms menu until you've logged in with a windows live account.

Microsoft Account.

Also you can make pretty much any existing email address into a Microsoft Account.

It doesn't require that it be a live.com/msn.com/hotmail.com/outlook.com/etc address.

It requires the MA in order to enable the various purchasing features and such for apps so that it can build an order history in case you need to reinstall.

Similar to how an iPad requires that you have an account with Apple to use features on an iPhone, iPod, iPad, etc.

[Reverend Spam]

If Microsoft's trends remain the same, SP1 will NOT bring feature changes, like bringing back the old start menu, or even changing its behavior... You're all dreaming if you think that's coming in SP1.... I think even though people hate it, MS will stick with it, because... *shrugs* that's just what they do. Stick with what doesn't work, even in the face of a huge population of their users in uproar. People didn't like Aero when Vista first came out.... They kept it into Win7... Chances are, this new start menu will stay around until they dream up a better creation of the start menu that doesn't involve going back to the OLD start menu.