windows 8 Do you like or hate Windows 8?

[Active.]

the start screen looks tacky

I agree. Which is a shame, because I think what they started out with looked quite alright.

[Tomoko]

I agree. Which is a shame, because I think what they started out with looked quite alright.

That is a lot better. I still wouldn't prefer to use it on a desktop but it is much more professional and modern looking.

[The Rev]

OP- Whatever you say, newbie. Your reasoning is weak. I'm not saying I'm not going to use it, but your defense of it... Is not going to convince anyone to upgrade. It's the equivalent of some guy on the street trying to sell you a fake Rolex.

[Ottawa Gamerz]

win 8 vs 7

1-win 8 5 min to install 7 20 min to install so win 8 wins there

2.win 8 log in to 8 is better than a password on 8 so if u use another 8 pc u should have access to all paid and free just like apple

3.its alot faster it is because i got win 8 enterprize on a netbook and its fast and i love it

i wouldnt try anthing but home on it because it wont work

4.xbox glass on windows 8 rocks

5.all in all 8 to 7 is no start icons instead and thats that or isnt u cant crack it becuase of new login system

6.last but no lease achivments on windows 8 games that fn rocks becuase xbox360 rocks

all i know people hate 8 so hate it people love 7 well dont update not like we got a gun to our head upgrade or die

so thats my 2 cents

[MikeChipshop Member]

I'm loving 8 but do we really need another one of these threads?

There's threads like this out there that are far better at explaining things too.

[Growled Member]

Windows 8, Windows 7, Linux, OSX.....just use what you want and be happy.

[jesseinsf]

Windows 8 will be available soon, but many people decided they will stick with windows 7 because of the "drastic changes". Let's look at some of these changes.

1. OMG! My start button is gone!

No, the start button isn't really gone. You still got one on your keyboard, in the charm menu, and the start overlay in the bottom right corner.

2. Nuu! The start menu is gone!

Yes it is gone, but the new charm menu provides the same function as the start menu. Once you understand how the charm menu works, the UI becomes much more powerful. The start screen is a great for basic users. The live tiles allows you to take a look and move on.

3. The transparency thingy is gone!!!!

I'm sure you can live without it. Windows XP had no Aero and some people still prefers it over Windows 7 surprisingly. After using windows 8 RTM for a week, I quickly got use to the new UI.

4. The logo looks ugly

Does this really matter? The new logo actually makes more sense. The new logo looks like a window/tiles, unlike the old windows flag, which is irrelevant. It's not quite as fancy as the flag, but at least there is some reasoning behind it.

Most of the windows 8 haters I've seen never tried windows 8. I recommend trying the RTM out before judging whether you should get it or not.

To get to "All Programs" you have to open the start screen, then "Right Click" the start screen then choose "All Programs". I would like a direct link to "All Programs" because not all programs are pinned to the Start Screen. Is there a shortcut to this?

[Matthew_Thepc]

''Windows 8, not as bad as you think'' - your reasons doesn't convince me at all. Let's try something else like ''Top 10 Reasons to upgrade to Windows 8'' and please don't come with ''it's faster, it's more secure ....''.

10 Reasons to Upgrade to Windows 8:

1. Metro is the future. Whether you like it or not there's a strong indication (IME) that users like Metro apps. And they're going to like the Store, which provides them with a central place to download (METRO) apps. If you stick with Win 7>=, you're missing out on the latest & greatest from app developers who develop for Metro.
   
2. MSE is pre-installed. One of the major reasons (apart from just plain user stupidity) that so many computers get viruses is because of a lack of security software. Having MSE (Defender) integrated into the OS makes Windows a protection-by-default instead of an opt-in system.
   
3. The new form factors it supports. Windows 8 will run on everything from Surface-type hybrids to tablets to regular old laptops. That makes it easier for you to go back and forth between devices without having to readjust yourself to a new UI each and every time.
   
4. Superior cloud integration. Windows 8 stores all data from the style you use for your Start Screen to your IE passwords to your app settings in SkyDrive, which makes it easier than ever to own multiple computing devices.
   
5. The Charms menu. The Charms menu enables and standardizes OS-wide searching, sharing, printing, and settings-setting. Which means you don't have to learn a hundred different shortcuts for a hundred different programs.
   
6. Easy access to admin tasks and programs. Just right click on the bottom-left hand hot corner and you get a list of commonly used administrator apps.
   
7. Real SIDE BY SIDE multitasking on a tablet. Windows 8 is the first tablet OS to actually have side-by-side multitasking (even if it is only 2 at a time, and one takes 2/3 while the other is 1/3).
   
8. The lowered price. Just $40? It's a steal :)
   
9. Live tiles. Give you all the information you need on one screen - the start screen.
   
10. It still has the Desktop. If something doesn't work right or hasn't been upgraded for Metro, OH LOOK, there's a desktop app right there! What do you have to lose?
    

:D

and OP: I really do agree with everyone else, I think we should quit these Win 8 arguments and then see what the consumers decide ;D

tbh, I can't wait for the first wave of "told you so!" posts :)

[d1glow]

1. live tiles live updates

2. AREO gone. best thing Microsoft ever did. hello NEW era of gaming <3

3. dx11.1 even tho most cards don't support it yet the speed of graphics rendering is immensive

4. even thought transfer rates are a bit slower then windows 7 atleast your safe when it scans the items you transfer before it fully saves to your HD

[dafin0]

To get to "All Programs" you have to open the start screen, then "Right Click" the start screen then choose "All Programs". I would like a direct link to "All Programs" because not all programs are pinned to the Start Screen. Is there a shortcut to this?

a more direct way of getting to all programs would be to use the charm bar and click/tap on search

[Calum Veteran]

To get to "All Programs" you have to open the start screen, then "Right Click" the start screen then choose "All Programs". I would like a direct link to "All Programs" because not all programs are pinned to the Start Screen. Is there a shortcut to this?

Why don't you just hit Start and start typing the program you're after? Searching through a list of all programs is surely making things harder/more time consuming for yourself?

[Matthew_Thepc]

a more direct way of getting to all programs would be to use the charm bar and click/tap on search

or just Win + Q

[Growled Member]

Metro is the future.

Except, Microsoft doesn't want it called Metro anymore.

[d1glow]

nope its just called windows 8 now

[Matthew_Thepc]

Except, Microsoft doesn't want it called Metro anymore.

yeah, still don't think they should quit with the Metro branding -.=

but "Modern UI" is easier to understand :\ has there been any official word on what they want it called?

[d1glow]

best part is how you can grab ur desktop screen and move it to the side and click on the empty side of the screen and open windows IE10 from the startmenu and you can swap between desktop and IE10 without having to swap pages superb multitasking ^_^

[PGHammer]

To get to "All Programs" you have to open the start screen, then "Right Click" the start screen then choose "All Programs". I would like a direct link to "All Programs" because not all programs are pinned to the Start Screen. Is there a shortcut to this?

All Programs is the default on the Start Screen - just tap the Windows key by itself. The only time a program *won't* be on the StartScreen is for the same reason it wouldn't be on the Start menu - it is specifically told NOT to on installation. (Even Office, which by default creates no desktop shortcuts, still creates Start menu/StartScreen links by default. You could, of course, tell it not to do so - just as you could in Windows 7, as the Windows Installer, and the switches thereof, haven't changed any between Windows 7 and Windows 8 for Win32 applications.

[FMH]

Whatever with you man, you have thousands of post where this is properly explained

True. But this is one of the most well-written one, and to-the-point.

[jesseinsf]

All Programs is the default on the Start Screen - just tap the Windows key by itself. The only time a program *won't* be on the StartScreen is for the same reason it wouldn't be on the Start menu - it is specifically told NOT to on installation. (Even Office, which by default creates no desktop shortcuts, still creates Start menu/StartScreen links by default. You could, of course, tell it not to do so - just as you could in Windows 7, as the Windows Installer, and the switches thereof, haven't changed any between Windows 7 and Windows 8 for Win32 applications.

Have you tried pushing the "Windows button" on the keyboard and then "Right" Clicking the "Start screen"? If you did then you will see something on the bottom come up......What does it say? It says "All Apps". Not all desktop apps are "PINNED" to the start screen.

[Ice_Blue]

nope its just called windows 8 now

Bummer. "Metro" was cool.

Welcome to Neowin!

[contextfree]

or just Win + Q

There's also a Search option in the Quick Access Menu (right-click in lower left corner) which will get you straight to the Apps screen from anywhere, unlike Search charm / Win-Q which only gets you there from the desktop or Start (from within an immersive app it will search within that app). Or you could hit winkey, type a letter and then backspace it :)

[bj55555]

Why don't you just hit Start and start typing the program you're after? Searching through a list of all programs is surely making things harder/more time consuming for yourself?

The only time I ever look at "All Apps" now is to pin something I haven't already pinned to start. The Windows 7 Start Menu is actually pretty lame. It's just a single list of programs that you can't organize at all. I never use "Pin to Start" in Windows 7 because the list gets too damn unwieldy. I only ever click "All Programs" and find things by Program Groups, which is actually pretty damn time consuming to have to drill down into. Even if you're going to go to the Start Menu, right-click, click "All Apps" to go to the Program Groups in Windows 8, I think it's still faster than using the Program Groups in Windows 7.

Shutting down does take more mouse gynmastics, but I've gotten in the habit of just hitting the power button to put my machine to sleep instead of shutting it down.

[bj55555]

Have you tried pushing the "Windows button" on the keyboard and then "Right" Clicking the "Start screen"? If you did then you will see something on the bottom come up......What does it say? It says "All Apps". Not all desktop apps are "PINNED" to the start screen.

Most of the people complaining about losing the Windows 7 Start Menu don't realize that Windows 8 has the Windows 7 equivalent of "All Programs", which is NOT really the Start Menu AT ALL. The Windows 7 Start Menu is actually just the list of programs appearing above the "All Programs" menu option and all the stuff to the right of that in the 2nd column like My Computer and Control Panel, if you choose to show those items. The Start Menu in Windows 7 is not organizable and not customizable. It actually sucks balls. I only use "All Programs" in Windows 7 and drill down to the program I'm looking for in the Program Groups. In Windows 8, I actually feel compelled to use the "Pin to Start" feature, because I can arrange what appears there. Could there be improvements? Sure as hell, but it's way more usable than the Windows 7 Start Menu.

[jesseinsf]

Most of the people complaining about losing the Windows 7 Start Menu don't realize that Windows 8 has the Windows 7 equivalent of "All Programs", which is NOT really the Start Menu AT ALL. The Windows 7 Start Menu is actually just the list of programs appearing above the "All Programs" menu option and all the stuff to the right of that in the 2nd column like My Computer and Control Panel, if you choose to show those items. The Start Menu in Windows 7 is not organizable and not customizable. It actually sucks balls. I only use "All Programs" in Windows 7 and drill down to the program I'm looking for in the Program Groups. In Windows 8, I actually feel compelled to use the "Pin to Start" feature, because I can arrange what appears there. Could there be improvements? Sure as hell, but it's way more usable than the Windows 7 Start Menu.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Windows 8. And actually I don't use the Windows 8 Start Screen but rarely because I have no touch screens, so I prefer to use the task bar as my app launching scheme. But when I need to use an app that I rarely use, and it is not pinned yet to the Start screen, I then have to right click and choose "All Apps" from the start screen to locate and Pin to the Start screen. It takes 1 extra click to get there. I actually prefer to pin my most frequent programs to the taskbar (Just 1 click to get the app started vs. tapping the windows key to locate the app (if it was pinned), then clicking the app to get it started (1 extra click if it was not pinned). There is no difference in clicks If an App has been pinned to the start screen when compared to Win 7 Start Menu. But there is 1 extra click when the app is not pinned when compared to Win 7 Start Menu. Oh and BTW you can pin apps to the win 7 Start menu. Also there is allot more mouse movements in Windows 8.

[PGHammer]

I can't tell you what you will or won't do, but my guess is many like you will wait until there is a compelling Windows 8 app before they upgrade. And then they will as the desktop environment is still there and the Start Page annoyances are relatively minor; Some moreso than others but the speed and stability make it a worthy upgrade IMO (Which has evolved with lengthy use of the RP from hate to pretty dang good, with minor inconsistencies and annoyances and total lack of Windows 8 Apps worth discussing at this time.)

I agree - a lot of folks will indeed wait for the *compelling WinRT app*; however, I'm not one of them (largely because I evaluated Windows 8 as a straight upgrade, knowing that WinRT was still baking as far as apps went).

In fact, I seriously expect a large number of the *critics* of Windows 8 to opt for WindowsRT instead (which is what they really want).