Where Is Windows 8.1?

By Scorbing
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Grand Master

n_K

Posted
Posted

Let me introduce you to the OS X fullscreen option. Introduced a year and a half ago and heavily critized by Windows users claiming that desktop guis should not be like tablet guis.

post-4652-0-11830900-1355182142.png

Wait what!?

I don't remember seeing that button on my macbook, and I've always used the green button... Am I missing something :s?

Grand Master

Joshie

Posted
Posted

Let me introduce you to the OS X fullscreen option. Introduced a year and a half ago and heavily critized by Windows users claiming that desktop guis should not be like tablet guis.

post-4652-0-11830900-1355182142.png

In the interest of fairness:

1) Yup. Mac OS has offered full screen mode for a little while now. Complaining that it doesn't exist is a little behind the times, but...

2) Mac OS's full screen mode has some shortcomings. In what seems like nothing more than a raging desire to be as unlike every other OS as possible, OS X full screen mode is roughly the same as running a game full screen (all elements of the desktop completely disappear). For people who just want to quickly and easily set an application to take up the maximum available space while allowing access to common OS visual elements, Mac OS didn't exactly deliver, and it really is on par with "tablet mode" as a result.

Also, I *believe* the Mac OS full screen mode must have support coded into each and every application. That is, no applications predating the feature would allow it. It's an application "mode", not simply a view. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Aside: I do realize that it's very difficult to make a maximize equivalent in Mac OS. A window can't really "maximize" in any meaningful way, leaving all common OS visual elements available, due to Mac OS using both a universal menu bar and the massive-by-default dock. Unifying the two to increase available desktop area would likely never happen for branding reasons, and possibly also because of the no-copy agreement between Apple and Microsoft (a unified menu/appbar is Windows turf, after all).

Grand Master

sanctified Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

Mac OS's full screen mode has some shortcomings. In what seems like nothing more than a raging desire to be as unlike every other OS as possible, OS X full screen mode is roughly the same as running a game full screen (all elements of the desktop completely disappear). For people who just want to quickly and easily set an application to take up the maximum available space while allowing access to common OS visual elements, Mac OS didn't exactly deliver, and it really is on par with "tablet mode" as a result.

Not quite right. You can access OS X components in fullscreen just like you would on Windows 8: Either by mouse proximity to certain hotspots or by shortcuts.

Also, you are right that the feature must be coded into apps. Just like Metro.

Grand Master

Dot Matrix

Posted
Posted

Except they do and it's not like 27-inch is the boundary where full-screen becomes useless.

Excluding techies, no they don't. I myself, won't buy anything great than 22 inch screens. They're too expensive, and too large.

http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=17&qpct=2&qpcd=13&qptimeframe=Y

Grand Master

.Neo

Posted
Posted

Excluding techies, no they don't. I myself, won't buy anything great than 22 inch screens. They're too expensive, and too large.

Most people with the means will buy screens in excess of 23-inch. It's really that simple and something I see happening all the time. If your situation is different either by choice and/or financial restrictions that's fine too of course.

Grand Master

Dot Matrix

Posted
Posted

Most people with the means will buy screens in excess of 23-inch. It's really that simple and something I see happening all the time. If your situation is different that's fine too.

Marketshare indicators don't support your claims, though. In fact, most places don't even display monitors any bigger than 22 inches, and in all my years of supporting people, I have never seen anything bigger from the people/places I've supported. So, who exactly are snatching up these behemoths like you claim?

Grand Master

.Neo

Posted
Posted

Marketshare indicators don't support your claims, though. In fact, most places don't even display monitors any bigger than 22 inches, and in all my years of supporting people, I have never seen anything bigger from the people/places I've supported. So, who exactly are snatching up these behemoths like you claim?

Obviously worldwide statistics will give you lower-res screens. Not to mention many people use laptops. I've been working for small IT support company in Amsterdam for four years now and I see 22/23-inch screens and up all the time in people's homes and at companies. The 21,5-inch iMac being the exception to the rule. Most really don't even bother with anything smaller. The last place I ran my internship, a large television network, all computers (both PC and Mac) were equipped with 21,5/22 to 30-inch screens. At college all computers, again both PC and Mac, are either 21,5-inch, 23-inch, 24-inch, 27-inch or 30-inch.

You always seem to have enormous difficulties with accepting views/experiences different from your own.

Anyway, here's a link to a popular Dutch computer store called MyCom. Notice how they only sell only two screens smaller than 21,5-inch? Both aren't being displayed in the actual MyCom stores anymore. I can assure you the situation isn't much different at most other computer stores.

Veteran

scaramonga

Posted
Posted

I seem to be able to multi-task and use Windows 8 just like I used 7. All I need to do once I boot my computer is click the Desktop tile.

All I need to do once I boot my computer is nothing, as I'm already at the Desktop. (and without any third-party app helping me along) :)

Veteran

DavidM

Posted
Posted

Marketshare indicators don't support your claims, though. In fact, most places don't even display monitors any bigger than 22 inches, and in all my years of supporting people, I have never seen anything bigger from the people/places I've supported. So, who exactly are snatching up these behemoths like you claim?

What? Staples, Office Max and Office Depot - ALL have 23" monitors and above out on display. Heck, you can pick one up for under $150 on sale, that's what I paid for my 23".

I don't know where you shop, but if the big 3 office stores keep them in stock and on display, then you can bet every electronic big box store has them.

Grand Master

Dot Matrix

Posted
Posted

What? Staples, Office Max and Office Depot - ALL have 23" monitors and above out on display. Heck, you can pick one up for under $150 on sale, that's what I paid for my 23".

I don't know where you shop, but if the big 3 office stores keep them in stock and on display, then you can bet every electronic big box store has them.

23 inch monitors aren't the question here. The We're talking 27+. Dvorak wants to claim fullscreen "sucks" on 27+ inch monitors, but no consumer I know of owns a 27+ inch monitor. The most I see on sale, in store is 21, 22, and 23. The common one is 21.5 inches, and Windows 8 on those is nothing.

Grand Master

Joshie

Posted
Posted

What? Staples, Office Max and Office Depot - ALL have 23" monitors and above out on display. Heck, you can pick one up for under $150 on sale, that's what I paid for my 23".

I don't know where you shop, but if the big 3 office stores keep them in stock and on display, then you can bet every electronic big box store has them.

Heck, $499 can get you a 2560x1440 27" display getting a 4+ star rating over at Amazon. Price isn't exactly a limiting factor here.

Grand Master

Shiranui

Posted
Posted

I usually spend 99.999% of the time in desktop mode.

Recently, thanks to the excellent "StartisBack", I have been spending 99.999999% of the time in desktop mode.

On tablets, I have no problem with them, but forced full-screen apps on the desktop represents a huge, misguided, pointless step backwards.

Veteran

DavidM

Posted
Posted

Heck, $499 can get you a 2560x1440 27" display getting a 4+ star rating over at Amazon. Price isn't exactly a limiting factor here.

Right, I was just pointing out you can go to ANY office supply store and pick up a 23" to 25" HD monitor, and that they are on display and in stock. I mentioned mine because it was/is a cheap monitor that cost less @ 23" than several of 19" top of the line models. People always think bigger is better and if they are cheaper than their smaller counter parts you are going to move lots of big monitors.

I usually spend 99.999% of the time in desktop mode.

Recently, thanks to the excellent "StartisBack", I have been spending 99.999999% of the time in desktop mode.

On tablets, I have no problem with them, but forced full-screen apps on the desktop represents a huge, misguided, pointless step backwards.

Same here, I have both Start8 ans Startisback demos/trials going right now on different machines testing which I want to spring for. I guess the idea that desktop users wouldn't want a tablet UI flew right over the heads of Microsoft. Not even and option to keep the os in "desktop" mode. The biggest surprise for me was that they removed the ability to change your system fonts without hacking into the registry, it just stunned me.

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