Windows 8 Is a Desktop Disaster

By Scorbing
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Grand Master

Arceles

Posted
Posted

Start8 to the rescue:

Hot corners are one of the bad things designed on win8 indeed, if they were configurable it would have been better (even as a hidden setting) but no, we have to literally disable them :D

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scaramonga

Posted
Posted

I really do not want to start using third party tools, but this mess is not very fun while working.

Windows 8 requires the use of third party tools just to make it seem kinda 'normal'.

  • f0rk_b0mb and Arceles
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Grand Master

+Warwagon MVC

Posted
  • MVC
Posted

Trying to activate the charms bar on a dual monitor setup also isn't very fun. I know windows 8 has keyboard shortcuts out the ass. Like Windows key +C displays the charms bar. Which is great for someone who knows their ass from a hole in the ground. But what about the average user? They barely know control + c copies.

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j1232

Posted
Posted

I have been running Windows 8 for over a year now on a desktop and have become use to it. But now I cant decied on what to install. Apps from the store on the metro side or native apps. For instanse there is the skype version for desktop and there is a version in the metro side. . . which do i use or keep. Also there is another anoying thing with Chrome, Chrome has a sandboxed version in metro and the desktop is completly seperate. Even if operating at the same time. . . its wasting reasources and also anoying.

There is always linux.

I have been running Windows 8 for over a year now on a desktop and have become use to it. But now I cant decied on what to install. Apps from the store on the metro side or native apps. For instanse there is the skype version for desktop and there is a version in the metro side. . . which do i use or keep. Also there is another anoying thing with Chrome, Chrome has a sandboxed version in metro and the desktop is completly seperate. Even if operating at the same time. . . its wasting reasources and also anoying.

There is always linux.

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scaramonga

Posted
Posted

If that were the case I would require 3rd party tools to change things the way you have to work in a 'normal' manner and I don't have any installed.

Hmm...

I work very differently from you, believe me. ;)

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Shane Nokes

Posted
Posted

I work very differently from you, believe me. ;)

Very likely. I've been working on PC's and doing IT, networking, and QA testing and such for about 15 years professionally...so I tend to use my PC in multiple ways doing about 30 things at once.

For this scenario it works awesome. :)

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scaramonga

Posted
Posted

Well, I go back to my Sinclair ZX80, all those many moons ago, I recall it was difficult to use, but once you got the hang of loading code from tape, it was a breeze, and I suspect it will be the same for Win8, people just adjust, eventually I guess. But at nearly 50 years of age now, and through many iterations of the Windows OS along the years, I'd rather have my ZX80 back in my lap today. :)

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Shane Nokes

Posted
Posted

Well, I go back to my Sinclair ZX80, all those many moons ago, I recall it was difficult to use, but once you got the hang of loading code from tape, it was a breeze, and I suspect it will be the same for Win8, people just adjust, eventually I guess. But at nearly 50 years of age now, and through many iterations of the Windows OS along the years, I'd rather have my ZX80 back in my lap today. :)

I remember my mom was telling me about having to put things on punch card, and work from that. I can't imagine trying to work with that...it would drive me nuts...well maybe not if I lived back then...but having lived in the here and now? Yeah...crazy making.

My point though was that sometimes we get set in our ways. I know even at just over 30 I have certain ways in which I'm set...but with technology you have to keep moving. It changes...and if you don't like change, you don't like technology. ;)

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scaramonga

Posted
Posted

My point though was that sometimes we get set in our ways. I know even at just over 30 I have certain ways in which I'm set...but with technology you have to keep moving. It changes...and if you don't like change, you don't like technology. ;)

Hey I love 'change', its what keeps the human race progressing. Technology moves that fast now, that its really hard to keep up with it all, but that's good, else, we would stand still, and that's not good.

I think Windows 8 made a leap too far in progressing though. Too much at the one time, as in 'change'. Yes, by all means move forward and do away with the old style. But why not 'introduce' the new, instead of forcing such a 'drastic' change on the end user?

Windows 8 could have easily included what was before, i.e start menu, whatever etc, and still introduced the end user to the new Start screen/features at the same time, then pending feedback from the end user, these old features could have then been removed in the next iteration of Windows?

This would have made users 'warm' more to Windows 8, and give them an insight as to what was coming in the future, rather than the way MS have chosen to do so.

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Shane Nokes

Posted
Posted

Well that's what they did actually.

The glaring this is the omission of the start button. The start screen however is just a new version of the start menu. The first thing you see is the personalized side of things (like in XP, Vista, and 7 with your most frequently used programs) and then you click on All Apps, and poof there's everything that the old start menu had.

All the old stuff is still there, just presented in a new way. They left the desktop there, and compatibility with all your old drivers and programs. They made sure it was incremental...but still a big enough change in order to move forward.

A lot of people seem to think that things are gone. The only thing that is gone is the graphic for the start button...and the old start menu look. In it's place you now have a 'start corner' if you will...and a full screen start menu with more options and better customization. :)

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scaramonga

Posted
Posted

Well that's what they did actually.

The glaring this is the omission of the start button. The start screen however is just a new version of the start menu. The first thing you see is the personalized side of things (like in XP, Vista, and 7 with your most frequently used programs) and then you click on All Apps, and poof there's everything that the old start menu had.

All the old stuff is still there, just presented in a new way. They left the desktop there, and compatibility with all your old drivers and programs. They made sure it was incremental...but still a big enough change in order to move forward.

A lot of people seem to think that things are gone. The only thing that is gone is the graphic for the start button...and the old start menu look. In it's place you now have a 'start corner' if you will...and a full screen start menu with more options and better customization. :)

I'm not saying your wrong at all, but I just think a 'gradual' progression may have been better?, but hey, that's me, and I don't really care for the start button anyway lol, I use a variety of OS's in my environment, so I'm unaffected really :)

feeling political? miss your start button? start a petition on care2 about it! Lawlz.

I really have nothing to say about that stupid comment, sorry.

Mentor

(Account no longer active)

Posted
Posted

Mathworks could have simply built a launcher program to do what they've done in the start menu there.

That type of handling for their products is just lazy.

Yes, they should replace it with a Modern UI/Metro interface with lots of fancy effects, and super large tiles which show equation results. :laugh:

What MathWorks have done is great. It's called "keeping things organized", and compact. Everyone who uses MathWorks will learn that "Start" menu off by heart, and won't have to waste time scrolling across a full-screen tiled menu to access its many options.

Veteran

Shane Nokes

Posted
Posted

Yes, they should replace it with a Modern UI/Metro interface with lots of fancy effects, and super large tiles which show equation results. :laugh:

What MathWorks have done is great. It's called "keeping things organized", and compact. Everyone who uses MathWorks will learn that "Start" menu off by heart, and won't have to waste time scrolling across a full-screen tiled menu to access its many options.

I said a launcher. I never said anything about Metro.

I used to use a ton of programs where instead of 50 start menu entries they had a single entry. It would pull up a launcher with all the programs selectable inside.

Mentor

(Account no longer active)

Posted
Posted

I said a launcher. I never said anything about Metro.

I used to use a ton of programs where instead of 50 start menu entries they had a single entry. It would pull up a launcher with all the programs selectable inside.

Sorry about that - I misunderstood. I presume by launcher, you mean something like Backstage in Office 2010:

800px-Office_2010_Backstage.png

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    • Microsoft releases major feature updates for stock Windows 11 apps

      By TarasBuria · Posted

      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.
    • Microsoft about to radically change how often your Edge browser updates

      By ShahinD · Posted

      again, an article about Microsoft Edge and ridicules hater's comments
    • Microsoft about to radically change how often your Edge browser updates

      By leonsk29 · Posted

      From this very same article: "For organizations that prefer a “more deliberate pace”, the Extended Stable channel remains an option."
    • Microsoft about to radically change how often your Edge browser updates

      By leonsk29 · Posted

      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.
    • Microsoft about to radically change how often your Edge browser updates

      By ShahinD · Posted

      or google chrome

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