Windows 8 Is a Desktop Disaster

[Scorbing]

Scorbing starting yet another "I don't like Windows 8 and you shouldn't either" thread. Shocking.

:rolleyes:

I wonder how long before this nonsense gets locked too.

I haven't started anything. I simply posted a link to an article I saw at PC Magazine. You obviously don't know how to read.

[Ice_Blue]

Oh gawd. Not again.

[Dot Matrix]

Mouse cursor movement problems solved.

[TPreston]

It does seem that there are a large percentage of people who like Windows 8, who are utterly unable to empathise with anyone else who has a different opinion to them on Windows 8, or accept that there are people who dislike it.

I totally get why people like Windows 8. It's a genuine attempt at a paradigm shift from Microsoft, it's fast, it's a great way to fuse the desktop and mobile devices into one cohesive platform. I totally get it. I get what Microsoft are trying to do. But I just can't warm to Windows 8 at all.

However I read the opening page of the article and I understood entirely where he's coming from. The things that bug him about Windows 8 are exactly the same things that bug me. I loved Windows 7... my absolute favourite version of Windows that Microsoft ever produced.

This is an opinion. A preference. It's neither right nor wrong. That's all there is to it... I'm not a n00b, I'm not an iSheep, I'm not an Android fanboy.. I use anything and everything... I have no bias to any platform.... I love change, I love new technology. I'm open to it all. But Windows 8 just doesn't work for me at all.

Sure but how many of the people with this opinion just installed the consumer preview in virtual box and thought to themselves "oh this is different" and deleted it ? 80 % 90% ?

These are the same people who were crying for years about how xp is the greatest os ever, It gets old after a while.

[Arceles]

Mouse cursor movement problems solved.

I have a R.A.T. 5 Mouse (5200 dpi) speed doesn't solve that fact precisely...

[Calum Veteran]

It does seem that there are a large percentage of people who like Windows 8, who are utterly unable to empathise with anyone else who has a different opinion to them on Windows 8, or accept that there are people who dislike it.

[. . .]

My problem isn't with those who dislike it, or even those who don't agree that it provides a much better computing experience. I completely understand that everyone has different likes, dislikes, and preferences. My problem is with those who are spreading lies and falsehoods about it. Some people are saying it's unusable or harder to use and that simply isn't true; similarly, some are claiming that it doesn't work well with a hardware mouse and keyboard, and again, that isn't true at all. These are all qualities of the operating system that I don't think can be subjective, but I could be wrong.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

I have a R.A.T. 5 Mouse (5200 dpi) speed doesn't solve that fact precisely...

Mine doesn't have that much dpi, but does the job precisely

[Calum Veteran]

It is difficult to use with only the mouse and keyboard, because if you want to, you have to remember every single command that the Start Menu used to do with just a click. That's why windows 8 is only alright with a start menu replacement, otherwise becomes very tiresome to re-learn to use the Start Screen, just to do what the Start Menu already did but this time slower.

I'm not sure what you mean, so could you possibly expand more, please? :) The Start screen caters for all of the functions that the Start Menu did, accessible with the same amount of clicks as they were in the Start Menu, along with more functions. So you can do everything on the Start screen with just a click that you could do on the Start Menu with just a click. I might be missing something, so please point out if I am, but I don't think I am, as nothing of the sort has stood out to me since I started using Windows 8 daily in February.

I don't have to remember any commands for doing things that the Start Menu used to do. There are some commands I know for doing things like bringing up the Charms bar, but I don't actually use keyboard shortcuts for things like that (I use my mouse). Even if I did use keyboard shortcuts for those features, remembering them wouldn't be a problem. We're intelligent enough for that to not be a problem.

I didn't have to "relearn" anything. I had no problem using Windows 8 or the Start screen from the first minute I installed it, and using the Start screen hasn't ever been slower than the Start Menu, for me.

[SharpGreen]

The fact that there were several factual inaccuracies in that article leads me to believe he was just fishing for hits. So yea...

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

My problem isn't with those who dislike it, or even those who don't agree that it provides a much better computing experience. I completely understand that everyone has different likes, dislikes, and preferences. My problem is with those who are spreading lies and falsehoods about it. Some people are saying it's unusable or harder to use and that simply isn't true; similarly, some are claiming that it doesn't work well with a hardware mouse and keyboard, and again, that isn't true at all. These are all qualities of the operating system that I don't think can be subjective, but I could be wrong.

Some good points and I understand where you're coming from.

However I do think the things you mention *are* subjective, and will be different for every person who uses Windows 8. It's impossible to say they're not when so many people are expressing similar concerns about certain areas of the OS.

I mean - for example, do you not feel that it will confuse new users the notion of being able to run applications within the Start Screen environment (e.g. Internet Explorer) but then have certainly applications that take you out to the desktop? I understand entirely why Microsoft have done this and it seems that, longer term their only goal must be to nix the desktop completely and ensconce users permanently within this Start Sceen environment completely and have all applications launch and run within this framework. Once this migration is complete and the desktop is no more, then I can see Windows 9 / 10 / 11 (or whatever version it is by the time this happens!) being a much better environment for new users but I feel this hybrid as it exists in Windows 8 is going to do more damage, than be helpful.

As a fairly long time Windows user the option to float between the Start Screen and the desktop doesn't confuse me - and indeed I accept why they've done it. However my feeling is more of frustration because I don't necessarily believe that the "desktop" as we know it is wrong. I like the desktop. I like having a view of what applications I'm running, and I like being able to easily close applications I don't want, etc etc. I find the Start Screen environment too simplistic and dumbed down. And I guess I just don't like the fact that, assuming the desktop is heading out to pasture, I don't have a say in it - Microsoft have made our minds up for us.

If that makes sense? :)

[Ottawa Gamerz]

isn't there anything else to talk about but windows 8 if u like it good if u hate it go back to 7 STOP BITCHING ABOUT IT no one cares to do this for the thousand time just search find an old post put in there

[Scorbing]

isn't there anything else to talk about but windows 8 if u like it good if u hate it go back to 7 STOP BITCHING ABOUT IT no one cares to do this for the thousand time just search find an old post put in there

It's called: Freedom of Expression

By the same token, if you don't like the thread, then don't read it and go somewhere else. See...it's a choice.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Frustrated, I decided to check my Hotmail account (also the source of the Microsoft ID I entered while configuring Windows 8). I clicked on one new message, then another. The first wasn't marked read. Clicking on a third did mark the second one read, for some reason.

This guy doesn't even know what he is talking about and how it works.

When you click an e-mail, after 2 seconds, it gets marked as unread, presuming that the reader has read it, or atleast, has come to know of it.

Yeah, its a total disaster.

Idiot

I was certain that Internet Explorer must be better. Launching it revealed the PCMag.com home page, centered on my enormous display, with gaping chasms of white on each side. Naturally, I couldn't resize the window. So I went to open a new tab. Except I couldn't do that, either: One browser window per screen.

Learn to open tabs.

Idiot

I moved to use Windows key?D to show my bare desktop, but my finger slipped half a second too early and I was thrown back to Start.

If you hit 'Windows' key in 7 or in 8, it only takes one click, on both versions, to get where you were. So whats the point?

Idiot

[Dot Matrix]

He doesn't know about tabs on IE? Learn to right click.... :argh:

[Eric Veteran]

^

I was certain that Internet Explorer must be better. Launching it revealed the PCMag.com home page, centered on my enormous display, with gaping chasms of white on each side. Naturally, I couldn't resize the window. So I went to open a new tab. Except I couldn't do that, either: One browser window per screen.

I find it odd that the author thinks it's Windows 8's fault that they have a crappy site design. HTML is a text markup language. If you cram all of your content into the center of the page it's going to stay there. If you lay it out properly it adjusts to the size of the client window.

[+Warwagon MVC]

I have windows 8 all setup on my machine and I was using it all day yesterday. over all it's not THAT bad, i'd give it a 70% here are some of the things that annoy me so far

1) That very small pixel you have to press to get the square to appear in the bottom left, not so I can open it but so I can right click it. It always disappears and takes a few tries

2) On dual monitors the charms bar is hard to get to stay up long enough to move the mouse up and use it.

3) The Lack of Glass. Windows 8 looks like Windows 7 did when it would automatically switch you out of glass and turn off the transparency. it looked bad then and it still looks bad now.

4) Today I woke up and the computer had decided to mirror monitor 1 and 2, even though it's set not to. had to tell it to mirror and then not to mirror to get it fixed.

5) Did Have an automatic reboot yesterday though the crash dump wasn't much help.

Having said that there are some things that are better since XP, Vista or 7

1) The copy bar when moving files on a USB stick is actually accurate now. On previous version when moving a large file it would just jump to the end and stay there till it was finished. now it goes from 1 to 100%

2) On all previous versions of windows when I would left click the safely remove hardware icon it would pause for a few seconds before giving me the list. On Windows 8 it's instant.

[helios01]

Under the hood I don't doubt Windows 8 is that much better, but after installing it in one of my work machines I actually had to google how to shut it down and that is simply not right. Some things that are so simple and easy in Windows 7 can be quite tedious in Windows 8. And most importantly, I can't use the Windows key with the same functionality as in Windows 7 and that is the deal breaker for me, in Windows 7 I press the Windows key for everything from opening a program to opening a file to checking system settings, I barely make use of the mouse, in Windows 8 the windows key now has new functionality to go to the latest tile you've been to. The tile interface is useless to me, if only they had a way to run Windows 8 with Windows 7 functionality.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

Under the hood I don't doubt Windows 8 is that much better, but after installing it in one of my work machines I actually had to google how to shut it down and that is simply not right. Some things that are so simple and easy in Windows 7 can be quite tedious in Windows 8. And most importantly, I can't use the Windows key with the same functionality as in Windows 7 and that is the deal breaker for me, in Windows 7 I press the Windows key for everything from opening a program to opening a file to checking system settings, I barely make use of the mouse, in Windows 8 the windows key now has new functionality to go to the latest tile you've been to. The tile interface is useless to me, if only they had a way to run Windows 8 with Windows 7 functionality.

sounds like you're wanting Start8.

what's great about it is you can still launch metro(modern?) apps from it

[Dot Matrix]

Helios, Easiest way to shutdown any PC today - running Windows 7 or 8. Set the physical power button with your desired settings. Takes less effort than the mouse or any keyboard combo.

[ViperAFK]

So far my main problem with metro is that most of the metro apps seem very "half-baked", having silly bugs and lack of basic functionality. Currently the only metro app I've found remotely useful is the weather app, for everything else I still use classic desktop apps.

Luckily the classic desktop recieved some good improvements in windows 8, but I stand by my opinion that metro adds little to no value for a desktop system. I'd like to see more polished/usable metro apps and improved integration between metro and the desktop (like the ability for an app to have a metro front end and classic front end that can talk to each other, currently with winrt this doens't seem possible, which is a shame). Currently metro/winrt just seems too limited.

I don't think its a "disaster", but I do think it needs significant refinement.

[torrentthief]

All MS needs to do is to release a windows update to enable us the bring back the start menu if we wish. Steve balmer said days ago that they won't be bringing it back though :(

I suspect they are doing this so that people use the app store and therefore MS makes 30% of the money. Thats the only reason i can think of that they would not allow users to enable the start menu as it doesn't make sense to allow millions of customers to boycott your O.S over a single issue.

[Dot Matrix]

All MS needs to do is to release a windows update to enable us the bring back the start menu if we wish. Steve balmer said days ago that they won't be bringing it back though :(

I suspect they are doing this so that people use the app store and therefore MS makes 30% of the money. Thats the only reason i can think of that they would not allow users to enable the start menu as it doesn't make sense to allow millions of customers to boycott your O.S over a single issue.

There's no need to bring it back. It was a mess that would have required significant upgrading to play nice with the new features of Windows 8, which is exactly what the Start Screen is anyway.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

There's no need to bring it back. It was a mess that would have required significant upgrading to play nice with the new features of Windows 8, which is exactly what the Start Screen is anyway.

Wouldn't necessary call it a mess :laugh:

Though, I agree that Microsoft need not to bring it back. Start screen is an excellent replacement.

[skilithead]

People will use the app store whether they have the old start menu or not .

[Arceles]

Wouldn't necessary call it a mess :laugh:

Though, I agree that Microsoft need not to bring it back. Start screen is an excellent replacement.

?hm.... no, is an alternative... and not quite efficient at it.