The direction Microsoft took with Windows 8  

855 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you like the direction Microsoft took with Windows 8?

    • Yes I love it, i'll be upgrading
    • No I hate it, i'll stick with Windows 7
    • It doesn't bother me
    • I will use Windows 8 with a start menu hack program


Recommended Posts

I wish we could share some of the videos from them (I'm actually surprised Channel 9 never has, or at least if they did I couldn't easily find it).

That will be interesting thing to watch...for a few minutes at least.

I said that every person I've ever seen use a laptop just closes the lid when they're done, or in some cases presses the power button first. You said this wastes power, to which I said no, it doesn't, since it puts the laptop to sleep (very little power) and it then dozes to hibernate (no power). I didn't say that anyone knows or cares what sleep or hibernate is. They just know that when they shut the lid, or press the power button, it's "off." And when they need it, it's back "on."

I guess folks in the USA just do things differently. Here, people (all those I know, anyway), go to shutdown from the start button. Older versions of Windows have never really hibernated too well (my work one, running XP, is terrible. When I resume from hibernate, the docking station doesn't function :s), and people just got used to shutting down properly from that. People don't tend to change habits once they're ingrained.

Oh right, forgot it wasn't there, whoops. But yeah, that is the idea though. There's really one key thing you need to know when first using Windows 8. For mouse, it's throw the cursor into the corners. For touch, it's swipe in from the edges. Once you have that, it shouldn't be hard to figure out how to get around.

As I said. Once I explained that too them, they got it; but they still wanted a visual clue. I really don't expect them to remember all the mouse gestures and active corners etc.

I wish we could share some of the videos from them (I'm actually surprised Channel 9 never has, or at least if they did I couldn't easily find it).

Well, poke the powers that be about putting them up! Personally, I suspect a lot of these folks just told you guys what you were wanting to hear, especially if they were compensated for their time.

Some of you may find this hard to believe, but there are some people out there who don't see Windows 8 as a drastic but necessary leap forward for Microsoft as they fight to stay relevant in the advent of tablets and touchscreen PCs.

Indeed, some people view the 'modern' UI as an ugly, overbearing full-screen tablet interface awkwardly tacked on top of what is essentially a desktop OS. Others are mystified how Microsoft could have strayed so far from their original vision back when 'Metro' was first revealed, or claim that the two UIs were so rushed they bear almost no resemblance and have no place being part of the same OS. Then some just plain can't live without a Start button.

The only reason I bring this up is that given the overwhelmingly positive reaction Windows 8 has received on this site, I'm surprised these critics haven't been more vocal. Certainly if I felt the same way they did, I'd feel the need to express my opinion on any article even remotely related to the new OS. In fact, I'd be tempted to somehow shoehorn my opinions into articles that have nothing to do with Windows 8, or even Microsoft, just to ensure that even people who had no intention of reading about Windows today are aware of what a terrible thing Microsoft has done.

Maybe they're just shy or fear the backlash from expressing their opinions, and while I may not agree with them, I just thought I'd point out there is another side to the argument and give these critics a voice, as I feel they are grossly under-represented here on Neowin.

/s

  • Like 2

As I like to say: **** these people :p lol. Windows 8 is the next logical step in computer evolution. It allows for rich and beautiful applications that operate and interact in a very clean and never before seen fashion. People complain that's it's too hard to use when in reality it's a thousand times simpler than the good ol' desktop and with RT people will have access to really cheap computers that will accomplish all the tasks they want. It's a departure from the old way of doing things (without sacrificing anything about it) and it's more than welcome, in fact, people have been asking for it for a long time and it's finally here! I just can't wait for everyone to try it out! I already installed the release preview on all my friend's and relative's computer and so far they are loving it!

  • Like 3
The only reason I bring this up is that given the overwhelmingly positive reaction Windows 8 has received on this site, I'm surprised these critics haven't been more vocal. Certainly if I felt the same way they did, I'd feel the need to express my opinion on any article even remotely related to the new OS. In fact, I'd be tempted to somehow shoehorn my opinions into articles that have nothing to do with Windows 8, or even Microsoft, just to ensure that even people who had no intention of reading about Windows today are aware of what a terrible thing Microsoft has done.

Seriously? It's near impossible to find a thread where the same people aren't whining about Windows 8 repeatedly, and yes even in threads that have nothing remotely to do with Windows, Microsoft, or even computers. I'm probably not the only one who's sick to death of reading the same complaints over and over. Some like it, some don't. We get it already.

  • Like 3

Seriously? It's near impossible to find a thread where the same people aren't whining about Windows 8 repeatedly, and yes even in threads that have nothing remotely to do with Windows, Microsoft, or even computers. I'm probably not the only one who's sick to death of reading the same complaints over and over. Some like it, some don't. We get it already.

Exactly!! Every thread about Microsoft/W8 has someone complaining in it about the OS. The only one that is clean at the moment is the thread I created about positive experiences but that thread is a bit dead now :(

  • Like 1

Seriously? It's near impossible to find a thread where the same people aren't whining about Windows 8 repeatedly, and yes even in threads that have nothing remotely to do with Windows, Microsoft, or even computers. I'm probably not the only one who's sick to death of reading the same complaints over and over. Some like it, some don't. We get it already.

whiners are always louder than the pleased ones... and i'm pretty sure a big portion of the winers NEVER used W8 for a moment, just judging after screenshots...

The only reason I bring this up is that given the overwhelmingly positive reaction Windows 8 has received on this site, I'm surprised these critics haven't been more vocal. Certainly if I felt the same way they did, I'd feel the need to express my opinion on any article even remotely related to the new OS. In fact, I'd be tempted to somehow shoehorn my opinions into articles that have nothing to do with Windows 8, or even Microsoft, just to ensure that even people who had no intention of reading about Windows today are aware of what a terrible thing Microsoft has done.

WTF! Do I live in some alternate reality where every ****ing remotely Windows 8 related thread on Neowin has people whining/moaning/complaining about it?

  • Like 2

I think this is exactly what the OP is getting at - anybody who doesn't like it is just a "whiner" or "doesn't like change".

I don't like it. Not because the start button is gone or the start menu has changed (I loved the original Metro concepts and some of the first pictures released of Windows 8), but because it is such a half-finished mess which is little more than an attempt by Microsoft to muscle into the tablet market.

With changes it could be great. Microsoft seem to be too busy trying to be like Apple though and in the process have taken the quickest route to a tablet OS.

I'm anxious to load the final bits on my Acer W500 tablet. I'm still hesitant to load in on my main machine though. I'll give it a shot though.

I like where they are headed, they are trying to blend the user experience across numerous devices to a consistent one. I get it! The hard part is dumping something that I've used since my first PC running Win95.

Thats pretty funny. Or is it ironic.

Its a rather sad state of affairs that it is dead but Neobond did advise me not to make the thread until the RTM had been released on msdn and technet or else it would be forgotten about. I think I need to update the title and first post information to make it more relevant or appeal to everything helpful/ good about w8

That's funny because in every single windows 8 thread on here I see the same 2 or 3 people going on and on using the same reasons why everyone should think it's the next greatest thing ever made and none of their reasoning's even attempt to understand why people might dislike it.

I think it is the greatest thing BUT i dont disregard peoples reasons for disliking it. I just dont understand the endless 1 line posts saying modern ui has ruined it, I want the desktop back.....when it is still there. Thats the only sort of comment I dont like seeing.

Although mainly people who have said they dont like w8 have constructed very well put together arguments about why they dont like it which I respect but alot of these people are overshadowed by "modern ui is for nooobbbsss mmaaannnnn, warezz da desktop"

Exactly!! Every thread about Microsoft/W8 has someone complaining in it about the OS. The only one that is clean at the moment is the thread I created about positive experiences but that thread is a bit dead now :(

and you are surprised that a thread about positive Win8 experiences is dead? That's really funny, nothing needs to be said more about the situation than that :)

Some people don't care for what other people think about a new Windows release. Instead they either use the new version or stick to an older version or use something completely different.

Without having to whine on an internet forum about people liking (gasp) a piece of software the OP doesn't like (how dare they?).

and you are surprised that a thread about positive Win8 experiences is dead? That's really funny, nothing needs to be said more about the situation than that :)

Nah I'm not surprised it is dead, still though some of the peopls responses in it will be useful to someone somehow im sure lol

I think this is exactly what the OP is getting at - anybody who doesn't like it is just a "whiner" or "doesn't like change".

I don't like it. Not because the start button is gone or the start menu has changed (I loved the original Metro concepts and some of the first pictures released of Windows 8), but because it is such a half-finished mess which is little more than an attempt by Microsoft to muscle into the tablet market.

With changes it could be great. Microsoft seem to be too busy trying to be like Apple though and in the process have taken the quickest route to a tablet OS.

No, OP said there were only positive posts about Windows 8 which is certainly not true (I didn't miss the /s in OP but not sure what exactly is sarcastic in there).

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • We have disabled advertising in the forums for now for an undetermined period. If you feel like you get a lot of value out of the site please do whitelist ads on the news articles, and/or consider getting a subscription, we offer two tiers, one at: $14 per year (support the site for just over a dollar a month) or the $28/year tier (just over $2/month) that disables advertising and affiliate link tracking throughout the site (so also on the news side). We also have a 'Buy us a coffee' page if you just want to make a one-time donation. I am not mincing words when I say it is becoming harder and harder to monetize publications like Neowin, it's a fact of life that when we can no longer afford to pay for everything we'll go like many other sites already have. It doesn't have to cost you anything There are other ways to support Neowin too, like posting on topic content in the forums (technical support/questions/helping others) and sharing our news articles.. this costs nothing but your time and is just as important as subscribing or making a monetary donation! Anyway thanks for your time and continued support of Neowin. Now in our 26th year, and hopefully many more! For all the lurkers out there that whitelist us, make a free member account, and see fewer (only inline) ads on the news side  
    • BATorrent 3.0.2 by Razvan Serea BATorrent is a lightweight, open-source BitTorrent client built with modern C++ and Qt 6, offering a clean, fast, and privacy-focused alternative to traditional torrent apps. It supports magnet links, .torrent files, resume data, sequential downloading, per-file priorities, and even imports from qBittorrent. Power users benefit from integrated RSS auto-download with regex filtering, duplicate detection, and automatic tracker lists from Stremio. Streaming is seamless thanks to auto-detected players like VLC and IINA. BATorrent includes robust VPN tools—interface binding, auto-detection for WireGuard-based services like Mullvad and NordLynx, kill switch, proxy support, and IP filtering. A full WebUI enables remote control, while integrations with Plex, Jellyfin, and Emby automate library updates. With themes, speed scheduling, system-tray alerts, and cross-platform support for Windows, Linux, and macOS, BATorrent delivers a polished, high-performance torrenting experience. BATorrent features: Core .torrent file and magnet link support Resume data — picks up where you left off after restart Import torrents from qBittorrent Create .torrent files from any file or folder Sequential download mode Per-file priority control (skip, low, normal, high) Seed ratio limits with auto-pause DHT, PEX, UPnP, NAT-PMP RSS Auto-Download Subscribe to RSS feeds — automatically download new torrents as they appear Regex filters — match only what you want (e.g. 1080p|720p, S01E\d+) Per-feed settings — custom save path, check interval (5–1440 min), enable/disable Auto-download — matched items are downloaded automatically in the background Supports magnet links, .torrent URLs, and tags Tray notifications when items are auto-downloaded Duplicate detection — never downloads the same item twice Stremio Stremio Addon System pre-installed — works out of the box Auto tracker list from ngosang/trackerslist Streaming Play while downloading — stream video files before the download is complete Supports mp4, mkv, avi, mov, wmv, flv, webm, m4v, ts Auto-detects installed players (VLC, IINA, system default) VPN & Privacy Interface binding — lock torrent traffic to a specific network interface (e.g. tun0) Auto VPN detection — identifies VPN interfaces (tun, tap, WireGuard, Mullvad, NordLynx, ProtonVPN) Kill switch — automatically pauses all torrents if the VPN interface drops Auto-resume — resumes only the torrents paused by the kill switch when VPN reconnects Proxy support — SOCKS5 and HTTP proxy with optional authentication IP filtering — load P2P blocklists to block unwanted IP ranges Protocol encryption (enabled / forced / disabled) WebUI Remote management — control torrents from any browser at http://localhost:8080 REST API with JSON responses Add torrents via magnet link or .torrent upload Pause, resume, remove torrents remotely View peers and files per torrent Dark theme matching the desktop app HTTP Basic Auth with SHA-256 password hashing Configurable port and remote access (localhost vs 0.0.0.0) Interface 3 themes: Dark, Light, Midnight (bat/vampire aesthetic) Real-time speed graph Detailed panel with tabs: General, Peers, Files, Trackers Filter bar: search by name, filter by state (Active, Downloading, Seeding, Paused, Finished) Drag & drop .torrent files and magnet links Drag & drop reorder in torrent list System tray with notifications (download complete, kill switch events, RSS auto-downloads) Splash screen with bat animation Bilingual: English and Portuguese (BR), auto-detected from system locale Bandwidth Scheduler Alternative speed limits — set different download/upload limits on a schedule Time range — configure active hours (e.g. 01:00 to 07:00), supports overnight ranges Per-day control — choose which days of the week the schedule applies Automatically switches between normal and alternative speeds Media Server Integration Plex — automatically trigger library scan when a download completes Jellyfin / Emby — same automatic library refresh via API Configure server URL and authentication token/key in Settings System Cross-platform: Windows, Linux, macOS Auto-shutdown — automatically shut down PC when all downloads complete (60s cancellable countdown) Auto-update system (AppImage on Linux, installer on Windows, DMG on macOS) CLI arguments: pass .torrent files or magnet: URIs directly Keyboard shortcuts: Space to toggle pause, Ctrl+A to select all, Ctrl+O to open BATorrent 3.0.2 changelog: Phone pairing & WebUI The browser WebUI was reskinned to match the desktop app — same dark palette, Inter font, flat surfaces, the real BATorrent logo (it was a random bat before), and a proper magnet icon. It now looks like the same product, not a separate dashboard. Pairing is one tap and zero typing: the generated WebUI password is now copyable, and the QR code carries the credentials — scanning it from your phone logs straight in (no typing the IP or password), then drops the credentials from the address bar. Search Two new providers: RuTor (CIS sources, no login, via a public TorAPI relay) and Torrents-CSV. Results are sorted by seeders (healthiest first), and each search now times out after 15 s so one dead provider can't hang the UI. Files & trackers Per-file priority is back: right-click a file in the detail panel to set Skip / Low / Normal / High. Rename an individual file inside a torrent (double-click or the file menu), separate from renaming the torrent. Remove a tracker from a torrent (the ✕ on a tracker row); adding was already there. Smart Paste on Ctrl+V — paste a magnet, a 40-char info-hash, or a .torrent URL straight from the clipboard and it's added immediately (text fields still paste text normally). Covers & titles Anime fansub naming ([Group] Title - NN) now resolves to the right show. Audio channel layouts in titles (DDP5.1, 7.1, …) are stripped so they don't pollute cover matching. Under the hood The legacy QWidget interface is gone. QML had been the only UI since 3.0.0 (reachable old code lived behind a hidden --legacy flag); with parity confirmed, the entire QWidget layer — main window, every dialog, the theme manager — was removed (~13,400 lines). The four restored actions above were features that backend already supported but the QML port had never wired. macOS: the WebUI password hash moved out of the keychain into app settings, so launching the app no longer pops a login-keychain password prompt on unsigned builds. The actual password still lives in the keychain. Cleanup: ~400 orphaned translation strings and a batch of dead code removed; internal duplication collapsed; an ARCHITECTURE.md added for contributors. Unit / security / memory tests and the ASan/UBSan/TSan sanitizers stay green. Download: BATorrent 3.0.2 | 30.5 MB (Open Source) Download: BATorrent Portable | 42.3 MB Links: BATorrent Website | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • How about a global switch to turn the awful things off instead of a registry hack? Then everyone wins.
    • This doesn't strike me as so shocking when... " IT admins do have some control over this rollout. If they choose to opt out, devices in their tenant won't automatically get the dreaded Copilot app"
  • Recent Achievements

    • Mentor
      grik went up a rank
      Mentor
    • Dedicated
      JKR earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • One Year In
      CHUNWEI earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Conversation Starter
      FBSPL earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Week One Done
      I2D earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      475
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      262
    3. 3
      Skyfrog
      79
    4. 4
      ATLien_0
      60
    5. 5
      FloatingFatMan
      60
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!