Have you gone or thought about returning to Windows 7?

[Albert]

nope. never left.

[shockz]

Went back to Windows 7 at work for a bit, after using 8 for about a year... lasted about a day. Now back on 8.1. After using 8, things are just more fluid, and once you get the shortcuts and navigation down it's by far a better desktop experience. It's also a better performer, espcially at boot. Booting to checking e-mail is about 20-30 seconds tops. 7 feels like XP to me now... outdated and clunky. And from someone who used to love Aero... just no now.

[notchinese]

I paid for and upgraded to 8.  Used it for a week, and still thought it was the worst OS I've ever used.  Requested a refund, got it, and went back to Windows 7.  I hate Windows 8, and I can't see 8.1 being any better.

I'm investigating the tools I will need to have available on Linux distros for my future beyond Windows 7, because as far as I'm concerned, Microsoft dropped the ball and stopped giving a **** about a large chunk of their user base.

 

 

Unbeatable logic right here. Instead of using one of the many programs that get rid of metro just switch to a completely different operating system and use all completely different applications.

[bigmehdi]

Unbeatable logic right here. Instead of using one of the many programs that get rid of metro just switch to a completely different operating system and use all completely different applications.

 

Undoing Microsoft work to push metro interface on your face ... but for how long ?

We know that in the long term, Microsoft wish to ditch the desktop side.

[shockz]

Undoing Microsoft work to push metro interface on your face ... but for how long ?

We know that in the long term, Microsoft wish to ditch the desktop side.

 

Eventually, yeah, but it's just not possible in the immedate future. By the time they do, metro will be fine tuned and nobody will miss the desktop, but we're still probably talking 2-3 major Windows revisions from now. Probably a decade or so, but Microsoft getting rid of it any sooner would cause everyone to either never upgrade or flee to other OSes.

[+virtorio MVC]

No. I like the Start Screen with the way I have it setup, and 8.1 resolves some more of the things I didn't care for,

[Nashy]

Unbeatable logic right here. Instead of using one of the many programs that get rid of metro just switch to a completely different operating system and use all completely different applications.

 

You can't get rid of Metro.  There is no program capable of doing it, not one.  Unless a company has completely re-written the Control Panel, there will always be Metro elements in the operating system.  I don't like Metro on my computer, and that includes things like changing my account password, or creating a new account.

How's that for logic, buddy?

[COKid]

I'm happy with Debian Linux, but Windows 7 is still a great commercial OS. Windows 8 and I never really hit it off. Anyway, interesting comments.

[Hum]

I never left Windows 7 :P

[Max Norris]

We know that in the long term, Microsoft wish to ditch the desktop side.

Only if they want to commit financial suicide. Windows has a long legacy of being backwards compatible, think they're just going to tell people to throw away a bajillion programs and start over from scratch? A new version of Windows for the desktop that doesn't run Windows software? Not happening.

 

You can't get rid of Metro. There is no program capable of doing it, not one.

Sure you can. Replace the Windows shell with the one from Windows 7. (Ex7ForWin8 I think it was called.) It pulls in the Explorer shell right off of a Windows 7 ISO, no Metro elements anywhere minus the login screen. Even if you went with a "Windows 7 workalike" start menu (ClassicShell or whatever) you still don't need to see the Metro bits to change your passwords and such... the classic control panel is still there.

[spaceelf]

Only if they want to commit financial suicide. Windows has a long legacy of being backwards compatible, think they're just going to tell people to throw away a bajillion programs and start over from scratch? A new version of Windows for the desktop that doesn't run Windows software? Not happening.

It could be sold as a supplemental OS rather than a complete replacement, if they wanted to fork it.  The new version without support for the old stuff would likely be cheaper...I don't actually see MS doing this, but it's still feasible.

[Max Norris]

It could be sold as a supplemental OS rather than a complete replacement, if they wanted to fork it.  The new version without support for the old stuff would likely be cheaper...I don't actually see MS doing this, but it's still feasible.

Hmm I suppose it's a possibility sure, especially if it's cheaper.. working off of that line of thought maybe "Windows 9 Basic" is just the Modern stuff, cheap, lets you work through the store, etc, then Pro/Enterprise/etc includes the same plus the full desktop OS. Personally I question the viability though, Modern's got some fans and it does have some interesting features despite needing further tuning, but less than what I'd call an enthusiastic response. I have zero interest in it for myself.. but I could see uses for it in a more public setup, budget systems, kiosks, etc sure. They just can't do away with the classic desktop entirely, there's way too many programs out there that use it, business and personal, never mind a good number of people flat out hate the new setup, they'd get dropped like a brick if they killed it entirely.

[NightScreams]

I like 8 cause it feels snappy and generally like it was a light weight OS. I like the tiles cause the start screen makes great Launchpad for everything I execute. I hated the tree view in the old start menu which often included links to shortcuts and anything else a developer felt like tossing in there. In 8 all I see is just nice, large icons to execute. Most everything I do is just launch 3rd party apps and games, I don't see the big deal really.

[NightScreams]

 

Sure you can. Replace the Windows shell with the one from Windows 7. (Ex7ForWin8 I think it was called.)

 

Which is now called startisback I believe. That one is no longer supported.

[Max Norris]

Which is now called startisback I believe. That one is no longer supported.

Yes, but StartIsBack doesn't pull in the real Windows 7 shell like the other one does, which gives you the 7 shell running with 8 under the hood, different sort of thing. Not advocating it, just tossed it out as an option, if you want Metro gone you can get rid of it entirely versus just hiding it.. namely there is a way to do it contrary to what the other guy originally claimed. Even if you use another start menu replacement though you can still do without any of the modern bits at all, specifically talking about changing your password.. the modern start menu brings up the modern version of that control panel... so don't use it, use the older one.

[bigmehdi]

 They just can't do away with the classic desktop entirely, there's way too many programs out there that use it, business and personal, never mind a good number of people flat out hate the new setup, they'd get dropped like a brick if they killed it entirely.

 

well, there are other people that think otherwise.  So much "enthusiasm" for windows RT here, especially in the comments of article published in front page, it's baffling.

 

I'll quote a comment from link8506:

 

, Microsoft is pushing Windows RT for home users, and windows 8 for professionals and advanced users, which is a smart move because win32 compatibility should be limited to professional and server versions of Windows, and no longer available to regular users.

having unsandboxed (win32) apps on a consumer OS is no longer viable because most people are too easily tricked into installing malicious apps or apps bundling toolbars and adwares on their system. The same problems exists on osx and desktop Linux. None of the current desktop OSes are malware proof / idiot proof. That's why bringing windows RT to desktop and laptop PCs will totally make sense, once people can find everything they need in the windows store.

 

Quote taken from here:

https://www.neowin.net/news/is-dell-not-out-of-the-windows-rt-business-after-all

[Growled Member]

Sure you can. Replace the Windows shell with the one from Windows 7. (Ex7ForWin8 I think it was called.) It pulls in the Explorer shell right off of a Windows 7 ISO, no Metro elements anywhere minus the login screen. Even if you went with a "Windows 7 workalike" start menu (ClassicShell or whatever) you still don't need to see the Metro bits to change your passwords and such... the classic control panel is still there.

 

I can see that going over big in the enterprise. :D

[cooky560 Veteran]

You can't get rid of Metro.  There is no program capable of doing it, not one.  Unless a company has completely re-written the Control Panel, there will always be Metro elements in the operating system.  I don't like Metro on my computer, and that includes things like changing my account password, or creating a new account.

How's that for logic, buddy?

 

It's remarkably easy to change account passwords / add new users without metro

 

Entering control userpasswords2 in run still works:

 

 

As does lusrmsg.msc

 

[NEVER85]

Thought about it, but didn't. Windows 8.1 for me. I'll run 7 in a VM if need be.

[ManMountain]

I haven't considered going back to Windows 7 since first purchasing Windows 8, I immediately liked it and with 8.1 I'm more than happy to continue to keep it as my main OS. 

[Nashy]

It's remarkably easy to change account passwords / add new users without metro

 

Entering control userpasswords2 in run still works:

 

userpass.png

 

As does lusrmsg.msc

 

lusr.png

 

I'm not a nerd who's going to remember those codes.  That's not easy for an average user.

[georgevella]

Nope, Windows 8 (and soon 8.1).  Using Windows 7 at work and the one think I miss is the full screen search results.

[Manarift]

Im using windows 8.1K and i have no issues what so ever.

 

Key things i like changes wise is the start screen isnt like 8 it now has to be manually pinned for items sort of like windows 7 had with ability to select all apps for the next one ability to select and pin multiple apps for the start screen is a plus over past

 

8.1 Also changes how activation servers activate Windows so its allot faster then windows 7 and 8. This here helps allot when you are setting up a system for a client or someone who is newbie to installing.

 

Full screen search is alot faster then windows 7 search mode by far for looking for key items.

 

Boot to desktop is back to its nice to have the setting based on system used.

 

Boot times are way better now then they were on winodws 7 for my self so i stick to 8/8.1

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

I have to say that my negative reaction to Windows 8 actually drove me off Windows at home all together - I ended up buying the hardware to run a Hackintosh and honestly haven't looked back. That has subsequently given way to buying a full on Macintosh so I'd consider myself switched.. I run a Windows 7 VM for a few Windows apps that I don't want to re-buy licenses for (Creative Suite 5 for example) and that's it. 

 

Similarly at work I ran it for about 5 months and was so infuriated with the way so many things were done that I went back to Windows 7. I have however had a short amount of time playing with Windows 8.1 and a number of the areas that specifically annoyed me had been addressed (so evidently I wasn't the only person disliking certain features) so there's a good possibility that my work PC will become Windows 8.1 in the not too distant future, when I have a quiet day to get it reinstalled and set back up again! :) 

[Haggis Veteran]

Never Left it

 

I use Window 7 in the house for the rare times i need to use photoshop

 

and i use windows XP at work

 

But for the last 2 years my full time OS has been various Linux Distros, started with Suse, then Fedora and now Debian