Windows 8.1 - Review from a Windows Veteran


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Metro apps being the default to open common file types from the desktop makes no sense whatsoever. I've been saying this since Windows 8's release.

I've been out of the loop for a while, is there a way to prevent that from happening? That would be a nightmare for me if I were to install 8/8.1.
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I've been out of the loop for a while, is there a way to prevent that from happening? That would be a nightmare for me if I were to install 8/8.1.

 

Sure, same way you did it in every other version of Windows, right click Open With then re-associate the file type.

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Sure, same way you did it in every other version of Windows, right click Open With then re-associate the file type.

Oh, right! Sorry, I misunderstood Asik's original post. Going from the metro apps idea to the point that you can have a 0% metro experience so long as you install third party addons lead me to think that I would need a third party tool to change that setting. Thanks for clarifying. (Y)
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Change takes time. Microsoft has a good thing going with their tablets, and I think the "blades" will be what wins over consumers, along with the ever growing ecosystem.

 

Odd, the iPad and iPhone sold pretty quickly, so did the first Android phones once they released devices that worked with an OSK.

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I've been out of the loop for a while, is there a way to prevent that from happening? That would be a nightmare for me if I were to install 8/8.1.

 

You can also just uninstall any that you don't use. I removed them all on Windows 8 and it reverted them to opening with their desktop equivalents automatically.

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Odd, the iPad and iPhone sold pretty quickly, so did the first Android phones once they released devices that worked with an OSK.

that's not really a fair comparison as that was all that was available then

 

the Surface & WP is coming in at at time with those products you mentioned already saturate the market. people go with what they know works. they don't often chance trying something new when it costs a bit of money

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Windows 8's UI is honestly  inconsistent. For instance, clicking the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar will bring up a metroized version of the wifi connections.  Some settings in Windows 8 are in the desktop and some are in the modern UI. Windows 7 is better in being consistent. As for the direction of Windows, I don't know where Microsoft is planning on going but I hope they never phase out the desktop in favor of the modern UI.

 

They wont phase out the desktop,but you need to look at it from the other side of the coin. The desktop could just become irrelevant as the windows 8 environment evolves over time,and becomes more powerful, with beefier APIs, controls, options and features. They are laying down the foundation,and who's to say they won't start implementing desktop like features in future releases? When Windows 9 rolls around, Windows 8 will look so primitive, and so on.

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While the desktop side will eventually disappear, I feel that Modern UI will be so similar to the Desktop to satisfy users before it does go away that its not really what MS want it to be anymore.

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While the desktop side will eventually disappear, I feel that Modern UI will be so similar to the Desktop to satisfy users before it does go away that its not really what MS want it to be anymore.

I don't believe the desktop side will disappear thank god, i love Windows 8.1 but i boot to desktop and only go to the start screen as a replacement start menu which is set as apps view.

 

There is no way in hell the desktop will disappear anytime soon as that will sound Windows death warrant.

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I never said anytime soon, by the time it does Modern UI will (or rather MUST) have proper multitasking with multiple windows, and none of the hidden garbage it has now, in essence it will slowly return to something similar to the desktop UI

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Nice review. Once you use Windows 8/8.1 for a few weeks, it becomes second nature.  I have been using it since day one and see no reason to ever go back to Windows 7 on my PC

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I'm going to say this with 100% certainty, you have something wrong that is not the OS if Chrome and Filezilla are crashing in Windows 8.1 and you are on the latest versions of those apps.

 

Are you running an HDD, maybe you have bad sectors... but it isn't the OS.

It's two 512GB SSDs running in Raid-0.. My games are running fine.. I'm not sure that the deal with with those apps.. It's now more of just Chrome being goofy.. I am not sure what the deal is.. Most likely, it is just something on my end, 

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The desktop will disappear just like the command line did before it. It's only a matter of time.

I imagine there is a difference between the command line and the command prompt? The command prompt is still there in Windows 8 from what I can see.
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I imagine there is a difference between the command line and the command prompt? The command prompt is still there in Windows 8 from what I can see.

Command Line isn't going anywhere.. especially with how hard MS is pushing powershell

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The desktop will disappear just like the command line did before it. It's only a matter of time.

http://m.windowsitpro.com/windows-8/windows-desktop-death

Surely you mean that the desktop and command line will become irrelevant instead of disappearing. PowerShell is getting a lot of attention from power users in recent times!
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While the desktop side will eventually disappear, I feel that Modern UI will be so similar to the Desktop to satisfy users before it does go away that its not really what MS want it to be anymore.

 

I can see this happening too, in time. I would welcome it myself. I hate switching back and forth. 

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I imagine there is a difference between the command line and the command prompt? The command prompt is still there in Windows 8 from what I can see.

But no one uses it anymore. It's not the main feature of the OS like it was. It's been regulated to a tool advanced users use to perform small tasks not easily performed in the GUI.

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Software

I am not going to go into every software that I tested on 8.1, but it is worth noting, that I have had a lot of issues with software..

Chrome - Crashing - Slow

Filezilla - Crashing Slow

Firefox - Slow

Putty - Slow

 

I use all of the softwares above except Putty, non crashes, or non is slow for me.

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One thing that annoys me is Microsoft's passive-aggressiveness to have your windows 8 profile be internet based vs the traditional windows profiles they've been using in 2k, Xp, Vista, 7, etc.

 

Examples, small font text / link, having to cancel option for the local account option to even show up. First time signing in to the Microsoft Store, asking if wants to convert your local account to the Microsoft account version. 

 

I do realize with each version of windows, they will be making things more cloud based then local machine based and enterprise versions of Windows 8 will be different.

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I've been out of the loop for a while, is there a way to prevent that from happening? That would be a nightmare for me if I were to install 8/8.1.

A definitive solution is to open up an admin powershell prompt and run:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage
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I never said anytime soon, by the time it does Modern UI will (or rather MUST) have proper multitasking with multiple windows, and none of the hidden garbage it has now, in essence it will slowly return to something similar to the desktop UI

The purpose of the MDL is content over screen clutter.

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Oddly, Chrome sluggishness can be cured by un-checking  "automatically detect settings" in the LAN connection settings of Internet Explorer. Might fix the other issues mentioned. Also agree It doesn't boot any quicker to desktop than Windows 7, Metro maybe.

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But no one uses it anymore. It's not the main feature of the OS like it was. It's been regulated to a tool advanced users use to perform small tasks not easily performed in the GUI.

 

Are you serious?  What about server administration using PowerShell?  

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