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if all you did with the start menu is to open it and search your computer then i dont understand your problem.

either click in the lower left corner and just start typing for a search, or press windows key and start typing. not really that hard :-S

metro apps suck imo, they take way to long to load and i dont use them expect the skype and leo app. especially leo is great if snapped to the side of the monitor if you need to do some frequent translations.

As for the start screen, my frequently used applications are pinned to it and i find it alot easier to get to them then in windows 7 or before

It does take some time to get used to using. I only used it off and on since March, but since it was officially released I've used to constantly on my desktop and overall it has been a pleasure to use. Once you "force" yourself to do more with the Modern UI, you find out how easy it is to use. There are some things I still need to do on the desktop, but that should change as better apps are released.

I was concerned if MS made the right move, but after using it regularly, that is a definite yes.

No start8 here, that's going back to the past, but Decor8 is an awesome program.

I don't see why so many people have a hard time with this. It took me all of about 30 seconds to get used to it. You still move to the bottom left, you still click something that says "Start", just instead of it being desktop + start, the start fills your screen. IMO, this is actually better because you can see MORE apps on the screen.

The only area of contention is the metro tiles, im getting used to them, but other than that 8 is so much better for me that I hate using 7 on my work laptop. If it takes you more than 5- 10 minutes to get used to 8, you probably are too old to grasp new things...

That's what I don't understand, Microsoft.

Why not give users who shelled out their own hard-earned money for Windows 8, a choice -- Metro or the 'classic' Start button ?

'Different' is not always better.

Because the start menu was an outdated part of the operating system. https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1081755-do-you-like-or-hate-windows-8/page__view__findpost__p__595048551

As for the thread starter, I wouldn't bother with a start menu replacement. Just use the start page, for me it works almost identical to the start menu. I open it (usually using the start button on my keyboard) and start typing to launch a program. I don't use many metro apps and don't bother with the live tiles.

How much time it took you to adjust to windows 8?

not possible

That's what I don't understand, Microsoft.

Why not give users who shelled out their own hard-earned money for Windows 8, a choice -- Metro or the 'classic' Start button ?

'Different' is not always better.

excactly if windows 8 had a start menu and users had a choice, it would have a lot more positive launch.

About 5 minutes, the only time I used the start menu was to open explorer (which I now do on Windows 8 using Win + E) and starting an app via Win -> Type -> Enter (which can still be done on Windows 8). I never use metro apps though.

I've been using it for a week now and I still feel pretty much lost.

I miss the start menu! All I did there is used the search and click My Computer but I keep going to the corner of the screen searching for it.

Metro is ..idk, not for me. Why the apps takes a few seconds to load? Sure, every application we use takes a few seconds to load but with metro the stupid splash screen stops me from doing any thing else. It's like metro takes me to a completely other place in windows with its full screen etc' and i don't like it. Makes me feel disconnected.

This is hilarious. The first two pages of replies to this post were people giving alternatives to what Windows 8 really is, or ways to get around the Start Screen. And yet on other areas of the forum if you say something bad about Windows 8, you'll get absolutely railed. I'm posting this from a Win8 PC, which i mostly dislike. But I'm like the OP: It still just doesn't seem like any improvement (except for faster boot times, perhaps)

Because the start menu was an outdated part of the operating system. http://www.neowin.ne...t__p__595048551

I'm not starting a flame war or mentioning the start menu but by your logic it's time to get rid of cars becuase they're an outdated part of travel. And graphics because they're an outdated part of seeing things. Heck, let's get rid of toilets because they're an outdated part of everyday life.

I'm not starting a flame war or mentioning the start menu but by your logic it's time to get rid of cars becuase they're an outdated part of travel. And graphics because they're an outdated part of seeing things. Heck, let's get rid of toilets because they're an outdated part of everyday life.

The toilets and cars analogies don't work for me.

As for the start menu being outdated did you read the link I posted? Basically said the start menu was so outdated that it wasn't compatible with recent technologies that they wanted in Win 8.

And yet, with all the technological difficulties, they managed to put it in the preview but not in the RTM ?

The start menu wasn't in the preview, the code for the start menu was still available as you can't just remove something like the start menu without major testing which is why you were able to apply a hack to get it back.

And yet, with all the technological difficulties, they managed to put it in the preview but not in the RTM ?

You said it wrong.. They hadn't removed it fully in the preview. It completely reverted the entire Explorer shell to put the start bar back. You lost single dialogue copy, ribboned browsing etc etc.

You didn't just bring back the start bar, you brought back the entire older shell.

The toilets and cars analogies don't work for me.

As for the start menu being outdated did you read the link I posted? Basically said the start menu was so outdated that it wasn't compatible with recent technologies that they wanted in Win 8.

haha, and yet all the start menu replacements apps proof excact opositive, start menu can and does work great, truth is MS wants to force millions of people to use their pathetic app store, force them to use tablet/phone apps, force them to get used to square metro interface in hopes that more people will buy their insignifican phone platform that has only 5-6% market share.

Don't care if it has a start button or not, it still will not replace Windows 7 till MS fix the issues.

I am finding Windows 8 a very broken OS for mouse and keyboard use.

Unsupported file formats, having to resort to the command line to make network links just to be able to play music and then have it fail .Along with a few other things.

Has the feeling of a console with an OS running in the background, this needs to be reversed.

Not as much as a disaster as expected but still a major headache.

I'm not stressing I'll continue to dual boot till I'm happy to switch permanently.

I am finding Windows 8 a very broken OS for mouse and keyboard use.

Unsupported file formats, having to resort to the command line to make network links just to be able to play music and then have it fail .Along with a few other things.

Mouse and keyboard use works just the same as within all previous Windows releases, same goes for file formats, there is no compatibility lost when it comes to what is supported.... So I'm not exactly sure why you would be having any issues...

haha, and yet all the start menu replacements apps proof excact opositive, start menu can and does work great, truth is MS wants to force millions of people to use their pathetic app store, force them to use tablet/phone apps, force them to get used to square metro interface in hopes that more people will buy their insignifican phone platform that has only 5-6% market share.

When exactly did I say the start menu didn't work???

What I said was the start menu wasn't compatible with the newer technologies that MIcrosoft wanted to use.

Sure they could have kept the start menu and re-wrote it to be compatible but they wanted to use the same codebase on both their tablets and desktop which is why we've got the start page.

It works almost identically to the start menu for me, in both Windows 7 and Windows 8 I open them with the Windows key and start typing for the program I'm looking for and launch it using the arrow keys and enter.

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  • Posts

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    • 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.
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