I don't care for Windows 8


Recommended Posts

I've used windows 8, on my PC and my surface, and i must say I really love it....but I don't think its an "upgrade" per se over Win7...more a side-grade. The issue is...windows 7 was so damn fantastic! It was super stable, super pretty, and really smooth to use.

Where I do think Win8 is great is that I can have a consistent UI on my surface AND home PC...I do value that. My mum knows how to use her surface, and when i sit her in front of my PC she goes "hey its the same!"

The number of "improvements" are immediately invalidated once a person is confronted with the hostile UI.

lol Hostile UI? The only significant changes to the UI on the desktop are the loss of transparency on window borders and the addition of the ribbon (which can be disabled, though I forget where I got the program to do that). Honestly, once I got my frequently used apps pinned to the taskbar I can hardly tell the difference from 7. I even got my sidebar gadgets back thanks to somebody on another site who ripped the components from the release preview and put together a batch installer. If you happen to have a ******** of apps you use frequently, Bins has been updated to work with 8 so you can group your shortcuts. If you can't live without the start menu there are a ton of 3rd party programs that will add it back for you (I personally prefer Start8). Yeah, I'll agree that you shouldn't have to install another program to restore or enhance functionality so it works as you would expect it should (like previous versions of Windows), but I really don't understand people having this extreme a reaction to a change of the application launcher.

@OP: I'm sorry Windows 8 didn't work out for you. 7 is a great OS, too, so it's not going to hurt you considerably to stay with it. There were a few irritating bugs that I won't miss, but essentially 8 is to 7 what 7 was to Vista: a service pack. I'm glad I only paid $15 for it, because I probably wouldn't pay $99+. But that doesn't mean I regret it, at all; I'm thrilled that MS was practically giving it away at launch. It probably cut down on a lot of piracy, too.

So do I, you are not alone. Waiting for Blue.

Blue is looking to be more of an under the hood update with a new kernel etc rather than bringing major UI changes etc. I would only expect some very minor changes to the UI but nothing major in that department.

I don't care for it but I'll make a topic about it. /s

As said above, if you love Windows 7, there is no reason to hate Windows 8. Want to search for something? Hit the Windows key and type. Want to search for files faster? Install "Search Everything". It's simple.

Blue is looking to be more of an under the hood update with a new kernel etc rather than bringing major UI changes etc. I would only expect some very minor changes to the UI but nothing major in that department.

We'll see. After all, it's not a big deal. Windows 7 is well supported right now.

I actually like windows 7 and theres no much difference between the 2. The reason I dont install it though is becuase for some reason my keyboard stops working when I install windows 8 even though drivers and so on are installed.

Windows 8 doesn't do it for me one simple reason.

It is a built for touch, those of us with desktop machines find it simply (for most of us) unworkable and unbearable to work with.

I still think they need 2 distinct operating systems.

1 for touch based devices, and another for home desktop machines with mouse and keyboard inputs.

Because of that, I'm sticking with Windows 7, and I know MANY others doing the same for the above reasons.

You're not alone. Apart from hating the start screen and UI changes I found it to be a buggy mess. My licence only cost me ?14.99 and I still feel like my money was completely wasted.

I dont like the inconsistency in Win8. Like lhe all apps menu scrolls when I move the mouse to the edge of the screen. It does not scroll when I am browsing Apps in the App Store. I can deal without a start menu but it needs to be polished more. Plus, Windows 7 just looked better. I liked the Aero look and Win8 looks plain without it.

You're not alone. Apart from hating the start screen and UI changes I found it to be a buggy mess. My licence only cost me ?14.99 and I still feel like my money was completely wasted.

Have not even used my license yet. Cost me the same but I have been fooling with the trial for a while now. Start Menu wasnt as big a deal as I thought it would be. Just looks ugly, plain, and boring.

Once you get a Start Menu replacement, Windows 8 becomes essentially Windows 7. If you're lucky you won't have any issues.

Here are my issues with Win8:

Netflix/Silverlight broke. Whenever a Netflix video is paused, the screen goes black. Issue began after upgrading to Windows 8 from Windows 7. Reinstalled Windows 8 and issue went away. Month later, issue is back.

Bluescreen. I've had Windows 8 bluescreen on me while checking for Windows updates.

Explorer.exe crashes, this one might be related to Start8

Just built new computer, don't care for Windows 8; good topic.

I didn't care for Windows 8 much, and there's still a lot I don't like about it. Modern UI Search is abysmal, and the Core Media apps are crap, and there's no Modern Media/Playlist/Sync app for Windows Phone 8 or Surface RT. It needs Zune Modern UI bad, but MS isn't going to make that piece of middleware. They're stuck on stupid with the craptastic Xbox Music app for Windows 8.

Having said that, Windows 8 Desktop Environment is a meaningful upgrade from Windows 7. Get Start8 or a similar start menu replacement and you won't think of going back. Modern UI apps themselves aren't bad, especially if Snap is designed well. But the Start Page is mostly a wasted, doesn't handle lots of tiles well, and has no folders/nesting. Modern UI, right now, is primarily for tablets and to me that's not debatable. If full-blown high end Modern UI apps show up, that may change. I think games will come first, and they perform better under Windows 8.

So, if you new PC budget has $5 left, I highly recommend purchasing Start8 and moving forward with Windows 8.

Secure Boot, Hardware independent backups, Windows to go, storage spaces, refs, file history, multi-monitor , NTFS quick repair, metered networks, reset/refresh windows, HyperV, ISO and vhd mount, Improved explorer and task manager...

So much improvements its not just a pretty gui

lol Hostile UI? The only significant changes to the UI on the desktop are the loss of transparency on window borders and the addition of the ribbon

Not sure if you are trolling or just on another planet altogether.

Windows 8 doesn't boot to desktop by default, it boots to the user-hostile "start screen" or "metro" or whatever name you have for the abomination and there is no start menu on the desktop.

Not sure if you are trolling or just on another planet altogether.

Windows 8 doesn't boot to desktop by default, it boots to the user-hostile "start screen" or "metro" or whatever name you have for the abomination and there is no start menu on the desktop.

Tiles are "user-hostile"? Please...

Let me explain. My girlfriends mom bought a new laptop with Windows 8 and I can live without it. I'm not a Windows hater at all since I have used EVERY Windows OS since 95, but this one doesn't do it for me. I was one of the few people who loved Vista since it worked flawlessly for me, but for some reason I can't get into Windows 8. I just want to know, am I the only person that would rather stick with Windows 7?

And no, I'm not saying Windows 8 sucks, that would be a lie. But I AM saying that since Windows 7 is such a strong OS, I will probably stick with that for now.

I don't care for you either because you don't care so don't I care, because you hate windows 8.

I didn't say "tiles" were user-hostile, just one of the many examples of you trying to twist comments and put words in my mouth.

That shaky ground you're on...

Then how is the Start Screen "hostile" if tiles aren't? Because that's all the Start Screen is.

Then how is the Start Screen "hostile" if tiles aren't? Because that's all the Start Screen is.

A few reasons I can think of off the top of my head:

- Sideways scrolling is off-putting with a mouse

- Viewing all installed programs involves opening the start screen, right clicking on an empty area and having to click All Apps. Why no just have an All Apps button in the wasted space next to the User button.

- The All Apps view is dreadful anyway

- Lack of context menus, and their solution to get around it is fine for touch, not good with a mouse

- Having a open a whole new environment to search or open a program is jarring

- Organisation of files by group is fine, unless you want a lot of tiles. No sort of folders means scrolling.

- Lack of decent customisation options without 3rd party software

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • My experience in the past with older Windows 11 builds was not great on unsupported machines but I recently used Rufus to put the latest build on a older 5th Gen Core Thinkpad T that we upgraded with a SATA SSD and 8GB of RAM four years ago when hardware was reasonable and it seemed pretty fast and solid. Customer is very happy with the performance and will probably get four more years out of that venerable laptop that he loves so much. Another customer just retired his Dell Studio laptop from 2009 running Windows 10. It got an SSD over 10 years ago and did everything he needed it to for 17 years but he also retired last year and is happy doing everything on his iPad now.
    • Apple's newest AirTag 2 gets first big discount by Taras Buria In late January 2026, Apple introduced its second-generation AirTag trackers, bringing a refresh to the old model that has been on the market for half a decade. Now, you can get these new trackers at an all-time low price, thanks to the first big discount that brought the price down by 17% on Amazon. While the second-generation AirTag looks identical to its predecessor, it packs meaningful upgrades inside. The second-gen ultrawideband chip works 50% farther than the original AirTag, allowing you to detect lost items in a wider range. In addition, the second-generation AirTag features an upgraded Bluetooth chip for extended range and a significantly louder speaker (up to 50%) so that you can hear it better when locating a lost item. Note that the second-gen AirTag only works with iPhones and iPads that run iOS/iPadOS 26 and newer, so you need a compatible device to use the tracker. Like the original AirTag, the AirTag 2 is available in two packs: one and four pieces. Both are now available at a notable discount on Amazon, and you can purchase them using the links below. Apple AirTag 2 tracker - $24 | 17% off on Amazon Apple AirTag 2 tracker (four-pack) - $89 | 10% off on Amazon Good to know This Amazon deal 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.
    • I've been on Deezer for over a decade, but glad that Tidal joined them in fighting AI slop. Can't stand such takes as Spotify's: "Spotify's CEO recently pushed back against listeners who call AI music "slop," urging people to stop using the term and instead embrace the creative potential of AI music."
    • “Could” … in the IS the healthcare is run by insurance companies that make indecent profits denying basic treatments to people that are paying money for nothing. Besides, where are all the Trump epigones who were stating that the tariffs were going to paid by foreign companies and not the US citizens? …
    • Microsoft Teams gets smarter at spotting sneaky meeting bots by Usama Jawad Microsoft Teams is set to receive a couple of new features soon, including a dedicated Recap app and a rather controversial location tracking functionality. The Redmond tech giant has also explained how it has made online communication and collaboration a lot more performant this year. Now, the company has detailed more secure bot admission mechanisms, as first reported by us in March 2026, and now available in Teams. As the use of AI has expanded across enterprise environments, Microsoft has begun allowing users to integrate bots into their meetings for various tasks, such as note-taking. While this has a tangible productivity benefit for users, Microsoft has highlighted how misconfiguration has allowed bots to join meetings that they shouldn't. This has created security and privacy risks, which Microsoft is now combating using a new Teams admin policy that allows organizers to control how external bots access meetings. Admins can leverage a policy called Manage external bots and their access to meetings. The default configuration is "When detected, require approval before joining", which places detected bots in a lobby before they are explicitly admitted into the meeting. The other option disables the experience. Microsoft has also requested admins to only allow organizers and co-organizers to manage access to a meeting, so that other people don't randomly allow bots into meetings. Teams will now be able to leverage infrastructure signals to intelligently detect and distinguish between bots and humans. Microsoft will soon also trial a registration experience for independent software vendors (ISVs) to build a system that registers a bot with Microsoft, so it is marked as a "known" bot. Teams will also categorize bots as trusted and suspected threats so that organizers can quickly identify which bots they want to allow into a meeting. Additional safeguards to block accidental admission of a bot into a meeting include: No one-click Admit option for identified bots Confirmation prompts when admitting participants that include bots Warnings when organizers choose Admit all, and bots are included Microsoft has begun rolling out this experience, and it will be retiring the current CAPTCHA verification implementation. In the future, the company plans to roll out new capabilities like allow-lists, organization-wide policies, admin reports, audit logs, and more granular controls.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Reacting Well
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      BA the Curmudgeon earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Conversation Starter
      rosiecharles earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • First Post
      KMilenkoski1202 earned a badge
      First Post
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      538
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      266
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      151
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      98
    5. 5
      macoman
      66
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!