Windows 8 Is a Desktop Disaster


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I put windows 8 RTM on a system for my dad last night, he use to be a tech person in the 80's and early 90's but hasn't done anything realy since... he is so confused, the tutorial just left him more confused... questions like why are there no visual markers of where you can do things at come up... which is true, how do you know you can do something without knowing where you can do it at? the start button/orb is gone, ok so what we still have a start screen, we could of had something there still to show hey this area goes to that... or the side charms, how about something that shows this will pull those up, and the thing that got him the most is when you are in a app how do you close it? he didn't understand the grab the top and drag it thing, as "that doesn't make sense, there is nothing saying I can do that, how am I supose to figure that out?" is the response I got...

oh and don't get him started on how to shut the system down... I think non-tech people found it just to easy to click shutdown, instead of logging out going past the clock screen to get to the login screen to click on shutdown form there or going to the side charm bar and going into another page on that then shut down from there

oh and he just got ****ed when the huge windows update bar showed up across the screen while he was looking around the desktop... that is just an intrusive design by default...

I just installed Start8 by Stardock. Essentially the app reverse the process. I now how a normal operating system with the perk of looking at the tiles when I want. I highly recommend it and it is going for $4.99 if you buy it now.

yap, its great, only way to make 8 usable.

I put windows 8 RTM on a system for my dad last night, he use to be a tech person in the 80's and early 90's but hasn't done anything realy since... he is so confused, the tutorial just left him more confused... questions like why are there no visual markers of where you can do things at come up... which is true, how do you know you can do something without knowing where you can do it at? the start button/orb is gone, ok so what we still have a start screen, we could of had something there still to show hey this area goes to that... or the side charms, how about something that shows this will pull those up, and the thing that got him the most is when you are in a app how do you close it? he didn't understand the grab the top and drag it thing, as "that doesn't make sense, there is nothing saying I can do that, how am I supose to figure that out?" is the response I got...

oh and don't get him started on how to shut the system down... I think non-tech people found it just to easy to click shutdown, instead of logging out going past the clock screen to get to the login screen to click on shutdown form there or going to the side charm bar and going into another page on that then shut down from there

oh and he just got ****ed when the huge windows update bar showed up across the screen while he was looking around the desktop... that is just an intrusive design by default...

yap, windows 8 designer should be fired

yap, its great, only way to make 8 usable.

yap, windows 8 designer should be fired

While I agree with you in a lot of things you are saying, I must tell you that this is the future of Windows and we all have to get used to it whether we like it or not, unless of course you decide to jump ship to OSX or Linux.

If the new interface bothers you and your dad, then do like the rest of us who hate the new UI and get Start8 from Stardock. It will bring back the Start Menu and automatically log you on the classic desktop you are so used to using and all for a mere $4.99.

Trust me, it works great.

My Windows 8 Desktop with Start8

abudQZj0.jpg

While I agree with you in a lot of things you are saying, I must tell you that this is the future of Windows and we all have to get used to it whether we like it or not, unless of course you decide to jump ship to OSX or Linux.

If the new interface bothers you and your dad, then do like the rest of us who hate the new UI and get Start8 from Stardock. It will bring back the Start Menu and automatically log you on the classic desktop you are so used to using and all for a mere $4.99.

Trust me, it works great.

My Windows 8 Desktop with Start8

putting a start menu back doesn't fix what is annoyances like taking up 1/3 your total screen to show a windows update banner... or not knowing where there is an interactive location at... my dad had no problem with using the start screen, it was all the hidden stuff that they have no visual ques for that got him pretty annoyed fast

putting a start menu back doesn't fix what is annoyances like taking up 1/3 your total screen to show a windows update banner... or not knowing where there is an interactive location at... my dad had no problem with using the start screen, it was all the hidden stuff that they have no visual ques for that got him pretty annoyed fast

I know exactly how he feels dude...Believe me. I am trying very hard to get used to it but I still have my Windows 7 Pro Acronis Image on my backup HD just in case I wanna go back to it.

putting a start menu back doesn't fix what is annoyances like taking up 1/3 your total screen to show a windows update banner... or not knowing where there is an interactive location at... my dad had no problem with using the start screen, it was all the hidden stuff that they have no visual ques for that got him pretty annoyed fast

for the updates, you can always put "update" on the start8 search part and it will bring the windows update window, that's one thing that I missed of the start screen.

for the updates, you can always put "update" on the start8 search part and it will bring the windows update window, that's one thing that I missed of the start screen.

I'm not talking about getting to updates, I am talking about Windows filling your whole screen with a banner saying there are updates available.... when it finds them it littearly draws the whole screen dimmed then puts a banner across the screen saying "Updates available download now?" in a big banner box that just pops up outa no where

I can't find a pic of the you have updates banner but here is one I found of it wanting restarted after the updates install... this even pops up on the desktop, no more bubble non-intrusive updates messages....

2011-11-16-image-2.jpg

I personally love this quote

Once it?s time for a monthly restart, Windows 8 will notify you at the login screen rather than invade your space with bothersome pop-up notifications inside of Windows.

not how its working for me, it just pops up in the middle of doing anything which is more invasive then a pop-up balloon that doesn't take z-order priority and prevent you from doing anything until you take care of it's question

not how its working for me, it just pops up in the middle of doing anything which is more invasive then a pop-up balloon that doesn't take z-order priority and prevent you from doing anything until you take care of it's question

This. I was copying 200GB to an external drive and the reboot thing popped up. I had 4 mins before it would auto-reboot. I'm like "yeah whatever". Well, when it wants to reboot, it will.

This. I was copying 200GB to an external drive and the reboot thing popped up. I had 4 mins before it would auto-reboot. I'm like "yeah whatever". Well, when it wants to reboot, it will.

I'm starting to notice more of these annoying banner pop-ups for other things also... looks like windows update isn't the only one

Lol people are spending money to get their beloved Start menu back? *facepalm*

Modern UI isn't THAT bad. It's called learning something new, but most of the detractors act like 5 years olds and go "WELL I DON'T WANNA, HMPH!".

Ahh my old friend the "it's newer so it must be better" mantra. It's my call to make usability decisions not yours ;) when I consider a change to be worth adapting to (like the superbar) I will adapt to it.

  • Like 2

for the updates, you can always put "update" on the start8 search part and it will bring the windows update window, that's one thing that I missed of the start screen.

I'm not using start 8, I just pinned the control panel icon to the classic taskbar, and its jump list includes windows update (and some other useful items)

I slightly prefer the classic start menu to the metro screen, although I'm not sure if I like it enough to pay 5 dollars, I may give start8 a try though :D. After pinning my most used stuff to the taskbar I have no huge issues.

I'm not talking about getting to updates, I am talking about Windows filling your whole screen with a banner saying there are updates available.... when it finds them it littearly draws the whole screen dimmed then puts a banner across the screen saying "Updates available download now?" in a big banner box that just pops up outa no where

I can't find a pic of the you have updates banner but here is one I found of it wanting restarted after the updates install... this even pops up on the desktop, no more bubble non-intrusive updates messages....

2011-11-16-image-2.jpg

I personally love this quote

not how its working for me, it just pops up in the middle of doing anything which is more invasive then a pop-up balloon that doesn't take z-order priority and prevent you from doing anything until you take care of it's question

Yeah thats a pretty bad overlook, however one of the first thing I configure when I install any windows version, is setting it to download updates automatically but never install them automtically. I install them whenever I'm ready.

  • Like 2

Yeah thats a pretty bad overlook, however one of the first thing I configure when I install any windows version, is setting it to download updates automatically but never install them automtically. I install them whenever I'm ready.

yeah, but as I said before you get that same banner pop up when it realizes there are updates to install, but just says "updates available" and happens over and over again until you install them or tell them no.. every time I log in I get that banner, windows 7 at least its just a system tray icon and not intrusive at all.. windows 8 it pops up in the middle of doing something, right at login, when ever and takes away the entire screen until you answer it

HVjc5.png

that is just annoying in the middle of work (i know that is someones mockup, but its the only image i can find right now and im not at home to get a screen shot of it at the moment)

I was just reading a few tech sites that call this "making windows updates less annoying"... how? by annoying us more?!

then I get this full screen banner pop up every time I try to run some apps I wrote myself....

windows-8-smartscreen.png?6cc8a5

once again someone elses screen shot but that is what I get

For the life of me, I cannot figure out the mental status of the people that seeming can't figure out how to navigate and work fluidly in both the 'desktop' and the new app layout.

They are easy to manage, and aside from the fact people may not like the aesthetics, it is not something that should cause this much of an issue. At this point, I can't tell if it is just whining, or people are so afraid to even look at something different that they just shut down. That, or it's just normal Microsoft hate.

  • Like 1

I've been a loyal Microsoft user for 10 years (apart from smartphones, there it's all Android), so nice excuse but no. I really do just dislike it. As I seem to keep needing to point out to the many shills on this forum you have no right to tell other people what does and does not count as a valid usability complaint, because usability is a very personal matter, and a very important one. You love the start screen? good for you. Stop slapping those of us that don't down as if we have some kind of mental deficiency, it's rude and insulting.

  • Like 2

I've been a loyal Microsoft user for 10 years (apart from smartphones, there it's all Android), so nice excuse but no. I really do just dislike it. As I seem to keep needing to point out to the many shills on this forum you have no right to tell other people what does and does not count as a valid usability complaint, because usability is a very personal matter, and a very important one. You love the start screen? good for you. Stop slapping those of us that don't down as if we have some kind of mental deficiency, it's rude and insulting.

Agreed. I always upgraded to the latest OS the week it is released. I probably will not upgrade to Windows 8. Why is it such a big deal to want an option when you install windows?

  • Like 2

I'll probably end up using it (begrudgingly) as I like to stay up to date for gaming, but I'll probably use something like Tihiy's StartIsBack to bypass the start screen.

I've been a loyal Microsoft user for 10 years (apart from smartphones, there it's all Android), so nice excuse but no. I really do just dislike it. As I seem to keep needing to point out to the many shills on this forum you have no right to tell other people what does and does not count as a valid usability complaint, because usability is a very personal matter, and a very important one. You love the start screen? good for you. Stop slapping those of us that don't down as if we have some kind of mental deficiency, it's rude and insulting.

+2

Trouble is, those who disagree with those who are proclaiming Windows 8 as a wonderful piece of work, are somehow labelled as 'haters', 'trolls' and/or whining babies, just because we don't agree with their point of view.

If you like Windows 8, good, then use it. I don't, so I wont use it, which is also good.

  • Like 3

+2

Trouble is, those who disagree with those who are proclaiming Windows 8 as a wonderful piece of work, are somehow labelled as 'haters', 'trolls' and/or whining babies, just because we don't agree with their point of view.

If you like Windows 8, good, then use it. I don't, so I wont use it, which is also good.

That's what I don't understand, the fanboys of Windows 8 here are hardcore, and defend it like nothing I've seen before. If you even offer your opinion (which come on everyone is entitled to), you're immediately shot down by the fanboys. After using it from launch, I can say the desktop experience is truly miserable (and remember this is my opinion). I spend most of my time on the "desktop" but anytime I go on the start screen or a metro app, I lose focus of the apps that need attention on the desktop (things like IM). I'm sure these apps can use notifications API in the OS...Anyways, I admire MS for trying to unify the UI experience on phone, tablet, PC platforms, but W8 just does not work on a non-touch screen device.
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    • Microsoft releases major feature updates for stock Windows 11 apps by Taras Buria In addition to releasing new Windows 11 preview builds, Microsoft announced that inbox Windows apps now have dedicated release notes in the official documentation. At long last, users have access to all the release notes for each app, with changes listed in chronological order. Microsoft used to announce feature updates for stock apps with each build. Now, with Windows Insider release notes hosted on the Microsoft Learn website, each app has a dedicated space for its changelog, which is very useful for those who want to track new features and improvements. Alongside that, Microsoft dropped massive feature updates for six stock apps: Clock, Media Player, Calculator, Voice Recorder, Photos, and Paint. Each app packs quite a lot of changes and new capabilities, so here are the release notes. Here are quick notes so that you can jump to the app you are interested in the most: Calculator Camera Clock Media Player Paint Photos Sound Recorder Here is what is new for the Calculator in version 11.2605.9.0: More accurate square-root results — Fixed rare cases where a calculation that should equal zero (like sqrt(2.25) - 1.5) returned a tiny leftover value instead. Readable text in High Contrast themes — Settings text now shows the correct colors in the High Contrast Aquatic and Desert themes. Fixed layout for right-to-left languages — For languages like Arabic and Hebrew, the graph, number pad, equation fields, and scroll buttons now appear correctly oriented. Reliable launch after upgrading — Fixed an issue where upgrading from much older versions could leave outdated settings that stopped the app from opening. Here is what is new for the Camera app (version 2026.2605.7.0): Zoom slider works on more cameras — The zoom slider now works on the latest cameras, respects your system zoom settings, and updates instantly when you change those settings. Full range of zoom levels — Fixed an issue where the zoom slider only showed three steps on some devices that zoom in finer increments. Front camera works on more devices — Resolved a problem that blocked the front-facing camera on certain wide-angle devices. More video resolution choices — You can now pick video resolutions that were previously hidden; the app shows a heads-up warning instead of removing them. QR links you can still use — When a scanned QR code points to something with no matching app, the link is now copied to your clipboard (with a notification) while still offering a Store search. Smarter default settings — When you haven't set a preference, the app now follows your system settings by default. The Clock app has a massive changelog with the following improvements in version 11.2605.9.0: Timers keep counting after they hit zero — When a timer runs out, it now keeps counting up (for example, -00:27:31) so you can see how far past the time you've gone. You can turn off the daily goal — Focus Sessions now include an "Off" option so you can skip setting a daily goal entirely. New 15-minute snooze option — Alarms now offer a 15-minute snooze interval. Run up to 3 countdowns at once — The Countdown Widget now supports three simultaneous countdowns, up from two. Timer Widget notifications now appear — Fixed an issue where the "timer finished" notification didn't show when the timer was started from the widget. Less clutter in Focus Sessions — Tasks you've already completed no longer show up in the Focus Session task list. More accurate focus progress — Fixed a rounding issue that could show your daily focus progress as a minute short (for example, 49 minutes instead of 50). Smoother World Clock comparisons — The World Clock compare page now loads dates as you scroll, so it feels more responsive. Up-to-date World Clock locations — Refreshed country and city names to match their current names. Correct sun and moon icons during midnight sun — Fixed an icon that wrongly showed a moon during all-day daylight in polar regions. Fixed back-button behavior in clock comparisons — Pressing back once now takes you back as expected, instead of jumping the date to 1926. Corrected the Newfoundland time zone — Newfoundland now uses the right time zone (St. John's). Disabled alarms stay looking disabled — Editing a turned-off alarm no longer makes it appear turned on. Cleaner timer cards — The expand button is now turned off on timer cards that have no time set, preventing actions that wouldn't do anything. Clearer theme setting — Updated the wording to "Choose your preferred app theme." Smoother Settings links — The "About" links in Settings no longer trigger an unexpected "switch apps" prompt. Fixed spacing in Spotify settings — Corrected uneven spacing in the Spotify settings card. Better focus visibility in High Contrast — The focus highlight in World Clock is now clearly visible in the High Contrast Aquatic and Desert themes. No more double announcements — Screen readers no longer read the timer value twice. Countdown names read correctly — Screen readers now properly announce the name of each countdown. Keyboard focus stays put — Focus no longer disappears after you press the Timer Reset button. Clearer alarm toggle for screen readers — Tidied up how the alarm on/off switch is announced. The Media Player app received plenty of changes as well (version 11.2605.14.0): Custom captions — You can now personalize how closed captions appear, with caption styling tied to your Windows caption settings, plus a quick link to open those settings directly. "Indexing" banner in the play queue — When your media library is still being scanned, a banner now explains why some items may not appear yet. Fixed the look of selected items — Corrected a layout glitch with selected items in lists. Fewer playback failures — Improved how the app recognizes supported file types, so more files play without issues. Playlists need a name — You can no longer accidentally save a playlist with a blank name. Cleaner look for empty playlists — Improved how a playlist appears when it has no items yet. More stable play queue edits — Fixed a crash that could happen when changing the play queue while the app was switching between sessions. Clearer "missing codec" message — Improved the dialog that appears when a file needs a codec you don't have, with clearer guidance on what to do. A big update is also available for Paint in version 11.2605.61.0: Adjustable eraser transparency — You can now control how transparent the eraser is. Cleaner stamp brush strokes — Fixed visible color shifts and artifacts when using stamp-style brushes. JPEG photos save in place — Opening a rotated JPEG and pressing Save now overwrites the original instead of unexpectedly prompting "Save As." No more crash on bad image files — Opening a damaged or invalid image, from within the app, by double click, or commandline, now shows a clear error message instead of closing the app. Classic selection behavior restored — The selection outline now hides while you move, resize, or rotate a selection, just like in classic Paint. Tidier AI image panel — Fixed missing spacing at the bottom of the AI image generation panel for a cleaner layout. Visible button hover in light theme — Toolbar split buttons now show a clear hover highlight in the light theme. Snappier toolbar — Streamlined how the ribbon lays out, giving a small speed boost at startup. Fewer background crashes — Fixed a crash that could happen while background tasks were finishing up. Stable app shutdown — Prevented rare crashes when closing the app. Fixed layer removal glitch — Deleting the active layer no longer leaves the layers list in an inconsistent state. Here is what is new in the Photos app (version 2026.11060.2004.0): AI watermarking — AI-generated or edited images can now carry a visible Copilot watermark. You choose Never, Always, or Ask Every Time in Settings, with a confirmation when saving. The watermarking is off by default in settings. Better viewing of small images and pixel art — Tiny images (like 16×16 pixel art) now zoom in far more to fill the screen and stay crisp instead of looking blurry. Select scanned text with the keyboard — When text is detected in an image, you can now navigate and select it using the arrow keys, Shift+Arrow, Home/End, and Ctrl+A, with a clear focus highlight. Fixed a crash in text recognition — Resolved a crash that could close Photos while detecting text in images; the app now recovers gracefully. Easier keyboard navigation — Tabbing through the navigation bar no longer stops on hidden controls, so it takes a single Tab to move past it instead of three. And finally, here is the Sound Recorder (version 11.2605.1.0): Waveform shows with Bluetooth mics — The live waveform now displays correctly when you record using a Bluetooth audio device. No more stray scrollbar — A non-working horizontal scrollbar no longer appears at the bottom of the waveform unless you've zoomed in. Mark button ready right away — The Mark button no longer looks grayed out until you hover over it after opening the app. Markers hidden for WAV files — Markers are now turned off for WAV recordings, since that format can't store them — so they're no longer lost silently. Smoother deleting — Quickly pressing Delete and Enter to remove several recordings in a row no longer triggers a "file doesn't exist" error. Fixed a memory issue — Resolved a memory leak that occurred each time a recording started. You can find all these changelogs in the official documentation here.
    • again, an article about Microsoft Edge and ridicules hater's comments
    • From this very same article: "For organizations that prefer a “more deliberate pace”, the Extended Stable channel remains an option."
    • Or every other browser, because they all behave the same, at least the mainstream ones. Firefox does exactly the same: background updates, restart to install them. Haters gotta hate, I guess.
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