video Windows 8: The Animated Evaluation

[Xerax]

The average user is suppose to automatically know this how?

They don't need to worry about it, that's the entire point. I've never seen someone complain on their iPad, iPhone "omg, how do I close this????". They press the home button, and then they don't need to worry about it again.

[+Warwagon MVC]

But they are coming from a windows world where closing apps mattered. Until someone tells hem differently they wouldn't know.

[+Warwagon MVC]

I find it funny how all those who are complaining about this video say that they can't get passed 4 minutes or 8 minutes or whatever... they would probably be the same people who would save those of us who don't like windows 8 haven't givin it enough time....

An interesting point he made is the product key sticker, anyone know why thats gone? gonna be awfully difficult for me (and other computer technicians) to reinstall windows on faulty computers...

https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1127162-my-first-attempt-of-a-clean-win8-install-with-product-key-in-bios-wrks-gr8/page__pid__595407704#entry595407704

[Som]

http://www.neowin.ne...#entry595407704

oh that's actually handy :) thanks

[jesseinsf]

Guys, relearn the dang thing. When you buy a new camera you have to learn how to use it. Come on now, most of us are not retarted. :)

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

Ok.. I've been quite vocal in my dislike of Windows 8 but as I'm a Windows guy for my job, I stuck Windows 8 on my work PC to just "get on with it" and see how I do. I'm not going to say I'm loving it, because I really think it's a mishmash of terrible ideas and inconsistency but I'm getting along with it just fine. However only a few minutes in I can't agree with some of the points in this video. I'm going to watch through it and respond to specific points he makes...

1. Mentioning just how much more simple, direct, clean, etc Windows 3.1 was - hard to argue with that. You look at how messy and complex Windows 8 is, it does make you think MS need to go back to look at their roots a little.

2. Windows 8 does things without telling you - his example is he's typing an essay and the weather app comes up?! Honestly I've been running Windows 8 for a couple of weeks now and I've not found it doing things I didn't want it to do... I load apps, I spend 99.9% of my time in the desktop. Nothing like that has happened for me.

3. Usage of Metro apps - being full screen, difficult to close.. I agree this is frustrating. The click / drag to kill an application is not obvious. But then I think this is a carry over for old school PC users being used to closing apps.. I'm presuming Microsoft didn't really envisage people closing Start Screen apps as such and them just being backgrounded like on mobile devices.

4. Trouble finding the Control Panel..? It's on the Start Screen - I didn't find this a problem personally?!

5. Searching on the Start Screen - agree it's utterly pants. The point about it not having multiple aliases for popular searches, and not displaying settings unless you actually search for them is baffling. I've not really had to use this but agree it's not user friendly nor does it really make sense (at least from my point of view).

6. The mish mash of Metro / Start Screen and Desktop - agree. Total inconsistency between the two "worlds" - I really don't think it's a good idea for more basic users at all.

7. Not labelling anything.... I agree for new users, this probably isn't a good thing. And Charms Bar is a totally ridiculous name, and it's really just not obvious what it's there for and what you should use it for over say Control Panel, etc.

8. Windows 8 should be recalled.. hmm, not sure about that. But I do think it needs some serious work.

Just my 2p :)

[Arceles]

That's the truth, everyone calling him a moron or a retard can give descent arguments as he just did. Please note, I'm a windows 8 user since RTM and I'm still in it... with a proper start menu and hiding any metro-ish thing on the OS.

[+Anarkii Subscriber²]

Chicane - nice post man. Good to see actual reasons as to why Windows 8 is a mess, rather then saying its just crap.

[vraev]

too long. stopped watching when he said its unusable. Been using win 8 since release. For sure...metro needs work...better integration...it looks like a black/white difference with old explorer style. That needs more work..more blending. But otherwise, win 8 is better than win 7 in every way.

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

Chicane - nice post man. Good to see actual reasons as to why Windows 8 is a mess, rather then saying its just crap.

Thanks! Glad someone read it :)

[BajiRav]

Ok.. I've been quite vocal in my dislike of Windows 8 but as I'm a Windows guy for my job, I stuck Windows 8 on my work PC to just "get on with it" and see how I do. I'm not going to say I'm loving it, because I really think it's a mishmash of terrible ideas and inconsistency but I'm getting along with it just fine. However only a few minutes in I can't agree with some of the points in this video. I'm going to watch through it and respond to specific points he makes...

<<snipped>>

See this is a fair post about your Windows 8 experience whereas the video is just pointless and inaccurate bitching. I couldn't drag myself to watch the entire thing and skimmed through the video and nothing he said makes it unusable or recall worthy.

[firey]

windows 8 is trash and i'm keeping my parents and family away from it.

I agree, my father purchased a new laptop for my mother. First thing I am doing when she gets it (Christmas Present) is wiping it and putting 7 on it.

[seta-san]

I agree, my father purchased a new laptop for my mother. First thing I am doing when she gets it (Christmas Present) is wiping it and putting 7 on it.

i'm using a program that gives me the classic start menu and bypasses metro entirely. Windows 8 at it's core is superior to windows 7. The interface placed on top of that wonderful core ruins it. Just uninstall all the metro apps and get the start menu back and everything will be good again.

[firey]

i'm using a program that gives me the classic start menu and bypasses metro entirely. Windows 8 at it's core is superior to windows 7. The interface placed on top of that wonderful core ruins it. Just uninstall all the metro apps and get the start menu back and everything will be good again.

Not worth it. Easier to just put 7 on and not deal with any problems.

[thatonedood]

I lot of people I know have upgraded to it, nothing too wrong with it. Jut wish it became a more user friendly experience.

[*RedBull*]

Some truth in that video. :)

windows 8 is trash and i'm keeping my parents and family away from it.

There is very little truth in that video. And Windows 8 is not trash. Your no IT tech if you think so. You're moron who can't figure out the basic design is virtually the same. Yes it takes a little more to get to the simple stuff. Install a Wintutu or Start8 to have that access. It's a no brainer. Windows 8 is the best consumer OS MS has put out. You lack intelligence if you can't figure it out.

FYI, Seta-san, I wasn't specifically addressing comments to you. Don't be offended.

[linsook]

same guy... can you sit through this?

[argonite]

Windows 8 is a flawed experience. Some of the design decisions, like choosing not to show a better tutorial, are truly mystifying. If you aren't a user willing to experiment and read, you'll probably be overwhelmed.

But it is not unusable.

It is very usable, in fact, I use it almost exactly like I use Windows 7. Except now I get faster boot, better battery management, cloud sync, and a few Metro apps I may or may not use. I don't feel a need to go back to Windows 7 when Windows 7 is just a click of the Desktop tile away.

[xWhiplash]

He does have a few good points though.

Look, I like Windows 8. When I had to reinstall my Windows partition, I tried to go back to Windows 7 but I actually missed several things about Windows 8.

But why....why are they throwing a new interface on us when we are using the desktop? I still get calls from people (who I have talked to many times before about it) on how to shut the computer down. Everybody I talk to, they say "This is so stupid" every time when they go to the charms bar to shut down.

And no, simply pressing the power button is not a 100% guarantee that it will perform a shut down operation. My mac pro with Windows 8 installed even puts it to sleep instead of shutting down.

I am so sick of accidentally activating the charms bar and app switcher hot corners. MS made a HUGE mistake, I am glad that there are third party applications that completely disable them, because I will never need to use them.

What is worse is the attitude on sites like this. If we have ANYTHING bad to say about Windows 8, we are either an "Idiot", "suck at computers", "cannot adapt to change", and whatever. I said it before, I like Windows 8, but I have received a lot of heat just because of ONE ISSUE I have with the OS (the hot corners in the desktop environment). Really? I cannot say ONE thing about the OS that drives me crazy without being called an idiot or suck at using computers?

The guys presentation is bad, but he has very good points. I did not know how to close an application when I first used the OS, so he is not an "idiot" for not magically knowing how to close it. It does not matter if closing apps is not required, we are coming from an environment where we needed to. So I had to look online on how to close it.

Windows 8 is a flawed experience. Some of the design decisions, like choosing not to show a better tutorial, are truly mystifying. If you aren't a user willing to experiment and read, you'll probably be overwhelmed.

But it is not unusable.

It is very usable, in fact, I use it almost exactly like I use Windows 7. Except now I get faster boot, better battery management, cloud sync, and a few Metro apps I may or may not use. I don't feel a need to go back to Windows 7 when Windows 7 is just a click of the Desktop tile away.

Actually the faster boot is a myth (in terms of the Desktop mode). I have timed it and yes I get to the start screen faster, but when I click on Desktop, I am presented with a solid color background until everything loads again. It is just as fast (but not faster) as Windows 7 (in my experience on my SSD, it might be different with slower HDD).

[+Warwagon MVC]

same guy... can you sit through this?

I watched the entire video. :)

The problem he was having was with his track pad. People actually use those things? ... God I hate track pads. Though I did laugh when he couldn't find the control panel . I could totally feel his pain.

[DavidM]

There is very little truth in that video. And Windows 8 is not trash. Your no IT tech if you think so. You're moron who can't figure out the basic design is virtually the same. Yes it takes a little more to get to the simple stuff. Install a Wintutu or Start8 to have that access. It's a no brainer. Windows 8 is the best consumer OS MS has put out. You lack intelligence if you can't figure it out.

FYI, Seta-san, I wasn't specifically addressing comments to you. Don't be offended.

Wait, wait, if W8 is the BEST consumer OS Microsoft ever put out - why do people feel the need to buy 3rd party software to do the things they were used to doing? Shouldn't the BEST CONSUMER OS EVER, be so intuitive that everything is easy to use?

Calling people names with differing opinions over a computer os shows your lack of intelligence, not ours. The best point he makes is the use of full screen apps, the only thing ever ran full screen on my desktop is Firefox and games. Why does the weather app NEED to be in full screen on a 1920x1080 23" LCD? Can I just check the weather without giving up every inch of screen real estate?

Look, I get it, the tablet market is killing Microsoft, and they want to be a "fun" OS like OSX, they want to be more than a workhorse OS. That stupid TV add with the dancers snapping on a keyboard is proof enough that they've lost their ****ing minds. Hey, thanks for showing me how the surface tablet is great for having a friend come over and attach my keyboard by doing a double backflip!!! But really just tell how to close the full screen apps... Remember, when Microsoft used to bitch about Apples ads, and their lack of content? Pepperidge Farms does... (sorry couldn't resist)

same guy... can you sit through this?

Now that was a lot tougher to sit through than the first video!

Windows 8 is a flawed experience. Some of the design decisions, like choosing not to show a better tutorial, are truly mystifying. If you aren't a user willing to experiment and read, you'll probably be overwhelmed.

But it is not unusable.

It is very usable, in fact, I use it almost exactly like I use Windows 7. Except now I get faster boot, better battery management, cloud sync, and a few Metro apps I may or may not use. I don't feel a need to go back to Windows 7 when Windows 7 is just a click of the Desktop tile away.

Funny, my W7 desktop boots just 3 seconds slower than W8, has no battery, doesn't sync with clouds and having a full screen metro app running on the 23" 1920x1080 is too stupid to really even try. You can't change the font... wait and let that sink in... YOU CAN NOT CHANGE THE FONT... what would seem like the most basic of user preferences for a desktop OS is hidden in the registry. You have to hack the registry to change the font, it just blows my mind. Honestly, for me that was the last straw, I know it sounds completely lame, but for some reason that pushed me over the top. I had to test several 3rd party Start Menu replacements, hack the reg to change the Window borders, try decor8 to make simple changes to the Start Screen, and then I found the font thing and just said screw this it's too much WORK to make it useable for ME. I'm the only one using my desktop, I'm the only one who matters. I hope you enjoy W8 and it makes your computing life better, but I can't get past the limitations they placed on the look and feel of it.

Now, I did like the new ribbon, the file transfers, and the task manager, but it wasn't enough to make me continue to make sacrifices to use it.

[*RedBull*]

Wait, wait, if W8 is the BEST consumer OS Microsoft ever put out - why do people feel the need to buy 3rd party software to do the things they were used to doing? Shouldn't the BEST CONSUMER OS EVER, be so intuitive that everything is easy to use?

Calling people names with differing opinions over a computer os shows your lack of intelligence, not ours. The best point he makes is the use of full screen apps, the only thing ever ran full screen on my desktop is Firefox and games. Why does the weather app NEED to be in full screen on a 1920x1080 23" LCD? Can I just check the weather without giving up every inch of screen real estate?

Look, I get it, the tablet market is killing Microsoft, and they want to be a "fun" OS like OSX, they want to be more than a workhorse OS. That stupid TV add with the dancers snapping on a keyboard is proof enough that they've lost their ****ing minds. Hey, thanks for showing me how the surface tablet is great for having a friend come over and attach my keyboard by doing a double backflip!!! But really just tell how to close the full screen apps... Remember, when Microsoft used to bitch about Apples ads, and their lack of content? Pepperidge Farms does... (sorry couldn't resist)

Now that was a lot tougher to sit through than the first video!

Funny, my W7 desktop boots just 3 seconds slower than W8, has no battery, doesn't sync with clouds and having a full screen metro app running on the 23" 1920x1080 is too stupid to really even try. You can't change the font... wait and let that sink in... YOU CAN NOT CHANGE THE FONT... what would seem like the most basic of user preferences for a desktop OS is hidden in the registry. You have to hack the registry to change the font, it just blows my mind. Honestly, for me that was the last straw, I know it sounds completely lame, but for some reason that pushed me over the top. I had to test several 3rd party Start Menu replacements, hack the reg to change the Window borders, try decor8 to make simple changes to the Start Screen, and then I found the font thing and just said screw this it's too much WORK to make it useable for ME. I'm the only one using my desktop, I'm the only one who matters. I hope you enjoy W8 and it makes your computing life better, but I can't get past the limitations they placed on the look and feel of it.

Now, I did like the new ribbon, the file transfers, and the task manager, but it wasn't enough to make me continue to make sacrifices to use it.

Well each their own. For me I'm not trying to do any of that. But good luck to you.

[DavidM]

Well each their own. For me I'm not trying to do any of that. But good luck to you.

Thanks, but I'm not sure what I need luck for? W7 has support until 2015, that gives them time to make changes based on sales. They will either continue to change Windows, into a strictly tablet os user experience and forgo the desktop, or separate the two, or keep trying to force changes on their user base causing either adaption or dissension. Who knows, may be they will make Windows more modular, so the user can decide which features they wish to install to suit them the best, something like Linux does now. I will continue to use what make my life easiest, if not for gaming I'd probably learn Linux better and use it, not because it's better, but because I would have to ability to make MY desktop just the way I wanted it.. no metro, no full screen anything, no store, no big brother checking the net to see if my software is still "legal". Gabe and Valve may actually make gaming on Linux a viable option and then I wouldn't have to download 3rd party software to change the background.

[MindTrickz]

The guy on the video is obnoxious, but he does raise a few good points as to what is wrong with the OS. Although I do not understand why he simply did not fall back on the good old "Alt +F4" regarding his issue with the weather app.

I personally use Windows 8 as my main OS on my home PC and school/work laptop; BUT I only do that with the help of a third application. I easily got over the lack of text on icons, charmbar, figuring out how to close metro apps, the new ribbon UI or anything else; but the ONE thing I could not get over was the fact that Windows always returned to the metro UI as the default rather than the desktop. For example when I logged in or when a appliation. I did not like that.

Understand that MOST of the applications that I use (word, excel, photoshop, notepad++, Zend, browsers etc.) are all desktop based, so always having to return to metro as the default was really annoying. I off course also use metro apps, but not nearly as often as their desktop counterparts so having to always return to the desktop from metro was annoying beyond belief and made the OS unusable for me. I understand why it returns to metro with regards to touch screen laptops and the "tablets", Surface etc. but I do not understand why it would do that on a desktop. The majority of people use desktop applications so we should, through settings, be allowed to change our default go to UI. Most of the productivity applications ARE desktop based. That is the only issue I have with Windows 8. The fact that I could not change my default UI from Metro to Desktop. I got over everything else pretty quick.

I have since found out about Start8 and reluctantly paid $5 dollars to a third party company, worth every cent now, so I could make my OS more user-friendly and help me be more productive. The thing is that I do not feel that I should have to pay a third party company to fix the issues with Windows. I already paid Microsoft.

TL;DR The fact that Metro UI was the default when most of the applications I used were desktop based made Windows 8 unusable for me. I got over everything else quick but I could not get over that. I was saved by Start8; which made Windows 8 more productive and user-friendly.

Anway, God bless Stardock.

[DarkyDan]

I can't watch any more of that, the guy is clueless.

He was talking about farting goblins, the only reason the weather app would pop up like that is if you were BEING A RETARD.

The only people whose problems with Win8 I agree with are dual monitor users. I only have one monitor so Windows 8 is great, its faster, fresher, nicer. I don't have a use for 98% of the Metro apps, so I simply don't use them. Start screen is superior to the Start Menu, there is no solid argument against this apart from "wah I want the past back".

I will say this though, I don't have many allies on my side of the fence here defending Windows 8. It's possibly because any gripes I had with it I had in September 2011 with the Dev preview and I've worked my way through them in the year since then or they have fixed those issues.