Poll: Windows 8 Experience (How do you like it?)



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One thing I would love to see is the ability to rename the tiles themselves, i know technically the icons are different and I only need both for a temporary period but it would still be nice..

 

01-10-201310-45-46.jpg

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One thing I would love to see is the ability to rename the tiles themselves, i know technically the icons are different and I only need both for a temporary period but it would still be nice..

 

01-10-201310-45-46.jpg

 

You can sort of, for pinned desktop apps go in to the user profile, find the Start Menu folder and rename apps as you please. It's not ideal i know but its one way I found of doing so.

 

What I would like is the ability to have one background colour for all the pinned desktop apps, like on 8.0. I hate the random rainbow colour tile backgrounds on 8.1

You can sort of, for pinned desktop apps go in to the user profile, find the Start Menu folder and rename apps as you please. It's not ideal i know but its one way I found of doing so.

 

What I would like is the ability to have one background colour for all the pinned desktop apps, like on 8.0. I hate the random rainbow colour tile backgrounds on 8.1

Never thought of that - is it much clearer, not really but I like it!

Yeah I agree on that, the OCD inside me hates having mixed colours that there is no "right" way to organise. I always have more of one colour too so can never mix them sufficiently.

Never thought of that - is it much clearer, not really but I like it!

Yeah I agree on that, the OCD inside me hates having mixed colours that there is no "right" way to organise. I always have more of one colour too so can never mix them sufficiently.

 

Same with me, it just annoys me too much... must be some OCD thing lol as little things like that annoy me ever so bad. I have no apps really pinned to my start screen, the majority i have on Object Dock or the task bar for the most used.

After playing with Windows 8 in a VM for weeks, I've decided to put it back on my main machine. It just flies on it compared to Windows 7. The Start Screen is okay but I'm still not a huge fan of it but I do use it some. I use my desktop with Classic menu much more, however. Most of the time I don't even know I using Windows 8.

Once you get past the StartScreen, it's basically an enhanced Windows 7 (for those of us using mostly desktop software) - the hard part has been getting past the StartScreen (for the recent converts).  For those of us that would rather use the Taskbar to launch desktop applications, remember that Taskbar pinning is still available - in fact, if need be, you can, in fact, pin to the Taskbar FROM the StartScreen (or the AppScreen) - I have Word, Outlook, and SkyDrive Pro pinned to the Taskbar - with the first two on my StartScreen as well.  I have three of my four desktop Web browsers (IE11, Firefox Aurora, and Google Chrome) pinned to the Taskbar (which is their defaults on install) with the fourth (Firefox main) in reserve.  (Amusingly, ModernUI Aurora, not Modern IE, is my default.)  My most played games aren't pinned to the Taskbar - because I can launch them via the TaskTray, which has been the case since Windows 7, if not before.  (Steam and Origin - my two game services - both are in my TaskTray - therefore, any game, on either service, is launchable from there.

After a year or more of using Windows 8 I am still not fond of the start screen on a desktop or laptop (everything else is fine). On the other hand, the start screen is amazing on a tablet and especially all the modern apps. Windows 8 is moderately faster than Windows 7.  Windows 7 and Windows 8 aren't enormously different from each other than the touch UI in Windows 8 and some other things. I am hopeful Windows 9 will be even better than Windows 8!

  • 1 month later...

Update Nov 25 2013

Windows 8 works great, programs work, but there's one problem, the schizophrenic interface. I think my blood pressure rises using windows 8 with the two different user interfaces. Windows 8.1 still doesn't fully bring the windows 7 feel back. I have noticed booting to the desktop in windows 8.1 it boots to the desktop and then it feels like it wants to go to the start screen by flashing a blue screen which is the start screen background. I think the ribbon interface is kind of silly and I think the windows 7 menu was better.

If I were to rate windows 8 now 8.1 1 year after, I would give it a 7.5/10 because it wants to be tablet os and a traditional desktop os at the same time, and the two interfaces is confusing at times.

Update Nov 25 2013

Windows 8 works great, programs work, but there's one problem, the schizophrenic interface. I think my blood pressure rises using windows 8 with the two different user interfaces. Windows 8.1 still doesn't fully bring the windows 7 feel back. I have noticed booting to the desktop in windows 8.1 it boots to the desktop and then it feels like it wants to go to the start screen by flashing a blue screen which is the start screen background. I think the ribbon interface is kind of silly and I think the windows 7 menu was better.

If I were to rate windows 8 now 8.1 1 year after, I would give it a 7.5/10 because it wants to be tablet os and a traditional desktop os at the same time, and the two interfaces is confusing at times.

Windows 8.1 wasn't intended nor designed to bring the Windows 7 UX back. You need to stop thinking of Metro as a tablet only UI. It's not supposed to be. (obviously.)

Windows 8.1 wasn't intended nor designed to bring the Windows 7 UX back. You need to stop thinking of Metro as a tablet only UI. It's not supposed to be. (obviously.)

 

 

But the geniuses here flamed me for telling them to get over it and that Metro was not bad at all once they got past their preconceived notions

 

I think we are one of the few people that "get it", and worse it's not even that big of an adjustment no matter what the haters claim otherwise

"I can't adapt to change". At least that's what people critical of Windows 7 users often like to say. Call me old fashioned, but I simply prefer an OS made for desktops/laptops, not a hybrid one that's also for tablets.

 

It's personal taste. Nothing more.

But the geniuses here flamed me for telling them to get over it and that Metro was not bad at all once they got past their preconceived notions

 

 

How is it your place to "tell" people to do anything?

 

A lot of people like Windows 8/8.1. Some don't. Is it really that important to you?

How is it your place to "tell" people to do anything?

 

A lot of people like Windows 8/8.1. Some don't. Is it really that important to you?

No, but the notion that Metro is "touch only" is ill conceived and a poor argument.  

I have windows 8.1 on my computer and really don't use metro all that much.  I go back to the desktop quite often and use winkey + f (really the only thing metro I use) to find what I am looking for.  I know what I want and what I need, no need to go browsing through tiles.  Anything that I need at a click I pin to the task bar or create a short cut to it.

Windows 8.1 is better then 8.

 

I'm STILL a desktop user because... well... that's my style. my interaction with the OS has no use for the touchscreen scheme.

 

So.. I install classic shell and I'm, running windows 7 style just alot faster

Windows 8.1 is better then 8.

 

I'm STILL a desktop user because... well... that's my style. my interaction with the OS has no use for the touchscreen scheme.

 

So.. I install classic shell and I'm, running windows 7 style just alot faster

See? That, right there, is what I was just talking about. 

But the geniuses here flamed me for telling them to get over it and that Metro was not bad at all once they got past their preconceived notions

 

I think we are one of the few people that "get it", and worse it's not even that big of an adjustment no matter what the haters claim otherwise

 

Here's what you're going to do, you're going to completely wipe Windows off your PC and install Arch Linux without installing a display environment.

 

You're going to use nothing but the command line for your day to day computing as it's arguably far more powerful than a GUI when used correctly, you just need to get past your preconceived notions.

 

You will post your Windows license key here publically since you won't be using it anymore, so someone else can have it.

 

Windows 8.1 is better then 8.

 

I'm STILL a desktop user because... well... that's my style. my interaction with the OS has no use for the touchscreen scheme.

 

So.. I install classic shell and I'm, running windows 7 style just alot faster

 

@ Dot Matrix .. what are you crying about? I highlighted the important text.. my interaction... yes i can use my mouse but why do you strain a gnat in this discussion?

@ Dot Matrix .. what are you crying about? I highlighted the important text.. my interaction... yes i can use my mouse but why do you strain a gnat in this discussion?

You equated metro to touchscreens.

You equated metro to touchscreens.

 

That is what Metros sorry to correct you, Modern UI,"MAIN use" was intended correct? sure you can use a mouse, but it was intended for touchscreens. aren't you getting a tad too technical?

That is what Metros sorry to correct you, Modern UI,"MAIN use" was intended correct? sure you can use a mouse, but it was intended for touchscreens. aren't you getting a tad too technical?

Microsoft moved to Metro to unify their platforms. Touch input (which Windows has supported since XP, and was improved in Windows 7), was a secondary feature. To say that Metro's primary function is touch, and nothing but touch is just plain wrong.  

Microsoft moved to Metro to unify their platforms. Touch input (which Windows has supported since XP, and was improved in Windows 7), was a secondary feature. To say that Metro's primary function is touch, and nothing but touch is just plain wrong.  

 

The purpose of Metro was to provide an interface that works as well for touch as for the traditional keyboard/mouse setup. While it does still need some refinement, I think it overall succeeds.

The purpose of Metro was to provide an interface that works as well for touch as for the traditional keyboard/mouse setup. While it does still need some refinement, I think it overall succeeds.

Yes. Its primary function was to create a sense of unity; To provide a common UX across devices.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
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