Windows 8 Falls Behind Even the Maligned Vista


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And this is another example of someone who hasn't used 8, and comes with wild and outright wrong claims. another one of the popular win 8 myths. this one keeps being repetaed all over in various forms. and always completely wrong.

I think Apple employees are winning the hype and disinformation game. :woot:

My new laptop came with Windows 8. It didn't last very long very I downgraded it to Windows 7. Sorry, not into the whole Windows 8 thing. I get what they are trying to do, but it is not my cup of tea.

  • Like 1

I've read that PC sales fell 21% last quarter. The main reason is mobile and Android and iOS rules (so far) in that arena. So, as most PC makers were hoping that Windows 8 would revive PC sales, Windows 8 has been a failure so far.

you mean companies thought that the wave and tide of turning to mobile devices would cease when a new windows OS was offered.... they deserve to fail for that. Those companies should have made a ready to go device that was mobile and offered the win8 experience like the ipad does with the iOS.

win 8 has a ton of great features and is of course a huge step in the right and future direction, but people hate change, and on top of that, folks will will hold off purely based on the negative press and word that has been spread by rival companies and people that hate change and spent 30 minutes on it, and decided it was too hard, or some such nonsense.

BREAKSCLUSIVE: No name brand PC maker admits to no sales, then admits to not even having the one device that's getting them the slimmest of press time on the market.

Yup. Makes perfect sense. We'll blame Microsoft.

More at 10.

Do we blame Windows 8 for the complete lack of grammar and spelling in this entire thread?

Seriously, I don't like Windows 8, but the bashing has to stop. These numbers don't take into account the increased market share from other companies since the horrors of Vista.

BREAKSCLUSIVE: No name brand PC maker admits to no sales, then admits to not even having the one device that's getting them the slimmest of press time on the market.

Yup. Makes perfect sense. We'll blame Microsoft.

More at 10.

you never heard of fujitsu or fujitsu-siemens?

Actually that's one of the great thinks is the driver support. The only driver I had to wait on was a final AMD Radeon HD driver and it's quite good so far.

What drivers are you having issues with?

I've had problems with wireless cards and video, mainly, but also sound.. The wireless were older G USB sticks. Couldn't get them to work at all. The video was a Core2 HP laptop with on board video if I remember right.

When Vista came out, I had issues with sound that worked fine in XP. Same with on-board LAN on same machine.

Fujitsu has a very low marketshare on the PC market especially compared to the big ones like Dell, HP, Acer and even Asus and Toshiba. I won't say much for their quality in the computer department either. They make good heat pumps though...

It all about that totally ignorant start window!!

Anybody that get's to see Windows 8 before they buy it, or a new computer, will look at that mess and say WTF!!

What's with that totally ignorant trick of putting the cursor in the VERY TOP right hand corner to get that slide thing to pop out, or that equally as ignorant trick of the mouse in the lower left hand corner?

Windows 8 works and all, but it seems to be big mess, IMO.

Then there's the issue of the way programs shut down, that also seems as dumb as s**t to me!!

Personally,

I hope Windows 8 flops even worse than Vista did and maybe MS will go back to doing things the way people are used to!! The only thing they seem to want to do with a new OS is add eye candy and stupidity!!

It all about that totally ignorant start window!!

Anybody that get's to see Windows 8 before they buy it, or a new computer, will look at that mess and say WTF!!

Meanwhile I've shown it to a lot of people at the store and common to them all, they buy windows 8 over the windows 7 computer most of them where planning on.

Fujitsu has a very low marketshare on the PC market especially compared to the big ones like Dell, HP, Acer and even Asus and Toshiba. I won't say much for their quality in the computer department either. They make good heat pumps though...

Consumer market maybe, I support a 5 story office block that just bought a load of Fujitsu-Siemens workstations. I still support an office full of P4 machines that are still going strong.

BREAKSCLUSIVE: No name brand PC maker admits to no sales, then admits to not even having the one device that's getting them the slimmest of press time on the market.

Yup. Makes perfect sense. We'll blame Microsoft.

More at 10.

Microsoft apologist has no clue what hes talking about, more at 10.

Oh? How does it connect to the computer, and is it an all-in-one?

All-in-ones (from HP or anyone else) I generally despise on principle.

I have a standard HP Deskjet 940C that dates back to Windows XP (in fact, it predates Service Pack 2) that has worked with every flavor of Windows (in fact, every OS with the exception of Android) since. (That includes Windows 8 BTW.)

If you are relying on drivers from HP, don't - unless you need particular support for a specific feature, the generic Windows printer drivers are FAR better behaved - regardless of model OR brand of printer. (Not picking on HP, as i have recommended HP inkjet printers since 2006.)

USB and no, its just a bog standard printer about the size of a big loaf of bread, its not here atm so can't remember the exact model, I`ll find out though

Just kept saying "Driver not installed" X

Fujitsu has a very low marketshare on the PC market especially compared to the big ones like Dell, HP, Acer and even Asus and Toshiba. I won't say much for their quality in the computer department either. They make good heat pumps though...

Fujitsu is big here in the UK business scene, it's pretty much HP, dell, fujitsu and lenovo.

This thread outlines why i'm sometimes ashamed to be a member on Neowin and why i took such a long break from posting here.

Babies on both sides competing on how far they can throw their toys out of the pram. Grow up for god's sake, your supposed to be adults.

  • Like 2

you never heard of fujitsu or fujitsu-siemens?

I've heard of them but never seen one in the wild - using the same metric that was applied to declare WP a failure. ;) their presence in consumer market is near zero in the two markets I know of.

Consumer market maybe, I support a 5 story office block that just bought a load of Fujitsu-Siemens workstations. I still support an office full of P4 machines that are still going strong.

Microsoft apologist has no clue what hes talking about, more at 10.

So a primarily enterprise vendor declaring winners on the consumer front - that makes perfect sense. Enterprises were not going to get Windows 8 anyway, metro or not. I was told by our IT that they had no budget for Win8, having just finished Win7. This has nothing to do with metro, start screen or other crap spewed by the whineboys.

Indeed, this happens every time. Anytime anyone posts anything that can even remotely be construed as unflattering to win8, the same cast of characters come in and start their little flame war with the obvious aim of getting the thread locked.

The only thing worse than this infantile behavior, is that the staff seems to support it by dutifully locking the threads almost on cue, instead of recognizing that behavior and dealing with it appropriately....

Indeed, this happens every time. Anytime anyone posts anything that can even remotely be construed as unflattering to win8, the same cast of characters come in and start their little flame war with the obvious aim of getting the thread locked.

The only thing worse than this infantile behavior, is that the staff seems to support it by dutifully locking the threads almost on cue, instead of recognizing that behavior and dealing with it appropriately....

I've noticed similar things when senior members who should know better decide to turn a completely normal thread into a religious debate and then leave the thread with a great big trollface grin, for no reason other than to get it locked, its blatantly obvious and childish

Gets annoying I agree

Indeed, this happens every time. Anytime anyone posts anything that can even remotely be construed as unflattering to win8, the same cast of characters come in and start their little flame war with the obvious aim of getting the thread locked.

The only thing worse than this infantile behavior, is that the staff seems to support it by dutifully locking the threads almost on cue, instead of recognizing that behavior and dealing with it appropriately....

Pot, kettle, comes to mind when I read this post

  • Like 2

I would like to see Microsoft just acknowledge its failure. It's painfully obvious to everyone how horrible it is.

I thought nothing could be worse then Vista and ME, but 8 proves us all wrong.

I would like to see Microsoft just acknowledge its failure. It's painfully obvious to everyone how horrible it is.

I thought nothing could be worse then Vista and ME, but 8 proves us all wrong.

How can you call Win8 a failure after being out for just 2 months and most PC makers still have to release the bulk of their new Win8 hardware?

Why don't we give it a couple more months before we declare it anything

Indeed, this happens every time. Anytime anyone posts anything that can even remotely be construed as unflattering to win8, the same cast of characters come in and start their little flame war with the obvious aim of getting the thread locked.

The only thing worse than this infantile behavior, is that the staff seems to support it by dutifully locking the threads almost on cue, instead of recognizing that behavior and dealing with it appropriately....

Please be aware that my post was aimed at you as well.

Why don't we give it a couple more months before we declare it anything
I agree. Despite my few jab postings I have made about Win 8, I know we don't know for certain what the future holds. Are we seeing another Vista in the sense that Win 9 will be what Win 8 should have been from the start, but couldn't be as amazing if Win 8 never paved the original way? Either way, I've already bought licenses for Start8/StartIsBack, just in case I make the switch.

And this is another example of someone who hasn't used 8, and comes with wild and outright wrong claims. another one of the popular win 8 myths. this one keeps being repetaed all over in various forms. and always completely wrong.

how is he completely wrong? I just tried it and indeed. If I type powershell, i only get one result. whatever you type AFTER powershell, gets passed as a command. so if you type "powershell ISE", it will launch regular powershell and run ISE from it.

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    • Nope. That lack of surround sound capability (analog) won't fly with me. Sure, I use headphones most of the time, but still.
    • Creative Sound Blaster AE-X PCIe review: your headphones will love it by Steven Parker If you have been reading Neowin for any length of time, you may remember that I reviewed the Sound Blaster Audigy FX Pro back in April. I found it to be an excellent budget sound card, even though it lacked support for formats such as DTS over the included SPDIF port. Anyway, Creative reached out to me again asking if I was interested in reviewing the Sound Blaster AE-X. It is a card mainly targeted at headphone wearers, which I'll get into a bit later. Before we get underway, here is a disclaimer: Creative Labs provided a free sample without any review pre-approval. Here are the full specs of it: Creative Sound Blaster AE-X Dimensions: 179 x 126 x 18 mm Weight: 263g / 9.28 oz Platform: PCI-e DAC: ESS ES9039Q2M Connectivity Options Side: Rear: 1 x HD Audio Front Panel Connector, 1 x ⅛“ Headphone port, 1 x RCA Line-out (Left) port, 1 x RCA Line-out (Right) port, 1 x Coaxial SPDIF-out port, 1 x ⅛“ Mic in/Line-in port, 1 x TOSLINK SPDIF-in port Surround: No DNR / SNR: THD+N: 0.0001% Dynamic Range 130 dB Recording Resolution: PCM up to 32-bit / 192kHz (Stereo) Direct Mode: Line Out (Stereo): PCM up to 32-bit  384 kHz Coaxial SPDIF Out: PCM up to 24-bit 192.0 kHz Headphone Amp: PCM up to 32-bit / 384kHz (Stereo) Native DSD: DSD64, DSD128, DSD256 Output Impedance: 1Ω, Supported Headphone Impedance: 8–600Ω, IEM: 0.5Vrms, Low: 1.5Vrms, Mid: 3Vrms, High: 6Vrms, Maximum output power: 350mW @ 32Ω (High), Maximum output voltage: 6Vrms (High) Front Panel Headphone Amp: PCM up to 32-bit / 192kHz (Stereo) Native DSD: DSD64, DSD128 Output Impedance: 10Ω, Supported Headphone Impedance: 32–300Ω, Maximum output power: 40mW @ 32Ω, Maximum output voltage: 1.9Vrms ASIO: ASIO 2.3 Total Harmonic Distortion: THD+N: 0.0006% Dynamic Range: 114 dB Scout Mode: Yes EMI shielding: No (but it passed all the FCC emission tests) Operating temperature: 0–45°C Input Power: 12V⎓0.5A Warranty: 1 Year (MSRP) Price: $179.99 / £169.99 The Sound Blaster AE-X was announced at the end of May, and it becomes clear that it is mainly for headphone wearers. I should also note that the card does not support DDL/DTS encoding technology, but it is said to support decoding through the coaxial SPDIF port. I was able to test this working with the classic Windows Sound properties, but I could not get a DTS (decode) signal through my Logitech Z906, it defaulted to 3D sound whenever I played DTS content through Plex or Emby. In addition, this card only supports two channels (stereo) over the speakers. The surround support is limited to the Headphone Amp, so before I get underway, what we have here is a card mostly intended for headphone use, especially with its SPDIF In (Toslink) port where you could connect another device like a console. So what about the highlights of this card? The AE-X is powered by the ESS SABRE DAC (ES9039Q2M), which is capable of a 130 dB dynamic range. In addition, it supports 32-bit/384 kHz playback for deeper detail and clarity. The headphone amplifier delivers up to 350 mW @ 32Ω, which admittedly far surpasses standard onboard audio, offering support for studio-grade headphones. DSD256 and ASIO 2.3 are also supported. What doesn't it have? No support for What-U-Hear, Super X-Fi, or the SmartComms Kit No EMI shielding, but it passed all the FCC emission tests (from the FAQ) I also want to make it clear that I am no audiophile. For me, it's purely subjective and it should just "work" out of the box. First impressions As I said in the introduction, I was a bit sad to see that the AE-X only supports stereo output, meaning it would not be on par with my ALC1220 over my speakers, as I mentioned it seems like this card is marketed toward headphone users. Since I am not an avid gamer that would rule me out as a potential customer, but I can still test its capabilities! The card arrived in a nice-looking box, as shown above. It's quite a bit larger than the Audify FX Pro that I reviewed back in April, and at first I thought the covering meant that it was EMI shielded, but it isn't as mentioned above in the highlights section. What's in the box: 1 x Sound Blaster AE-X PCIe card 1 x 3.5 mm CTIA TRRS to Dual TRS Headset Splitter Cable 1 x Quick Start Guide Aside from the Quick Start Guide, which someone at my age (I guess) needs a magnifying glass to read thanks to the tiny fonts, Creative Labs also has the manual online, which first requires you to prove that you're human in order to access it (so I can't direct link it). Anyway, the box is mostly made up of cardboard, and the only plastic in it is the anti-static bag for the card itself. Design Top Bottom The card itself looks pretty cool and actually wouldn't look out of place in an all-white build. There's only one connector, and for some reason it is awkwardly placed on the side (front-facing) that is for the front panel audio connector, which will let you use the headphones through the front PC audio jack. Since the front panel Headphone Amp has fewer capabilities than the rear headphone port, I decided not to use it. Rear of card PCI-e interface The rear of the card is completely open and is normally where you would find the front panel connector. The PCIe interface side is completely covered, which initially made me think it was EMI shielded. I/O panel Side (front-facing) with Front panel connector On the outer rear bracket side we have the TOSLINK SPDIF in, Coaxial SPDIF out, RCA line out (Right), RCA line out (Left), Headphone out, and Mic/Line in ports. On the front facing portion of the card itself is the F-panel connector. Usage Test System Our test system consists of the following: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Gigabyte X870E AORUS MASTER (BIOS F12) Corsair RM1000x (2024) Thermal Grizzly Kyronaut (33x33x0,2mm) 2x 32GB Kingston Fury Beast RGB DDR5 6000MT/s CL36-38-38-80 T-Force Z540 2TB (PCIe Gen5) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition (NVIDIA) Creative Sound Blaster AE-X Windows 11 25H2 Pro I installed the card into the Gigabyte X870E AORUS MASTER which includes the RealTek ALC1220 onboard audio. For our subjective listening tests, I used the Coaxial SPDIF port to my Logitech Z906 speakers. For headphone tests I used the OneOdio Studio Max 2 Wireless DJ Headphones that I reviewed last month. After installing the audio driver, I installed Creative Nexus, which is a relatively new app designed for the latest Sound Blaster cards. Then I discovered the AE-X needed both a driver update from 1.00.15.0001 to 1.01.09.000 and a firmware update from 1.00.06.0000 to 1.00.06.0002, then I was set to go. It should be noted that the card did not work without the driver (not Plug and Play). As you can see above, you can manage the firmware, driver, and inputs via Advanced Settings on the Device tab. By default Nexus enabled "Direct Mode". Upon clicking on Acoustic Engine, the Equalizer can be enabled and set to four different presets, which are: Gaming Music Movies Footsteps Enhancer There's also a dedicated Scout Mode for gamers. I mainly used Tidal and Spotify in the past week to listen to some of my Liked Songs (which now total over 700) in Shuffle mode; there were no pops or interference that I could hear. I also found a 5.1 Surround Music playlist on Tidal that sounded really great over Studio Max 2 headphones. When I reviewed the Audigy FX Pro, I went out and purchased a Logitech Z906 set second-hand for €100 specifically to use with the card, but in this instance all I could get on the AE-X was the 3D output of surround sound through Coaxial SPDIF and although it still sounded great, it isn't quite as good as DTS Interactive via my onboard Realtek ALC1220. Conclusion So what have I learned? The AE-X lacks multi-channel support for 5.1/7.1 setups and drops support for modern surround technologies like Dolby or DTS, functioning strictly as a stereo output device. So to really benefit, you will need Studio-grade headphones to "hear" the benefits of this card. With that being said, I can imagine it will appeal to gamers who are switching between console and PC. By utilizing the SPDIF in port, you could just plug your headphones into the AE-X (front or rear port) and then switch between PC and Console without having to move the headphones to a different port. As I said in the Sound Blaster Audigy review, the EQ in the Creative Nexus app offers safe presets, which allows a user to further tweak the lows, mids, and highs for a personal listening experience. Of course it all depends on the headphones you hook up to it. Speaking of headphones, I kind of wish I had higher-quality Studio-grade headphones to really test this card with; I'm not usually wearing headphones in my day to day duties. The only time I will wear them is if I want to listen to music very late at night and I don't want to disturb my neighbors, so my rating (verdict) is based on this fact. Someone with a PC/Console setup and wears headphone religiously to game, and consume media will benefit much more than I from the high-quality Headphone Amps that are included in the AE-X. Once again, I do feel like Creative could have gone the extra mile to support the S/PDIF port a bit more. Why include it if you're not supporting the main popular digital formats? It seems like the decision was more of a legacy-based one, offering uncompressed 2-channel PCM audio, for users with high-fidelity audio systems and external DACs. Maybe I will be lucky enough to review a card that truly includes all these features in the future. I am sure readers with far more knowledge on audio systems than me will correct me in the comments below. I'll just say I am happy to learn what I don't know! Where to buy The Sound Blaster AE-X is available to purchase now in preorder for $179.99 on the U.S. Creative website, or for £169.99 on the Creative UK website and will start shipping to customers from June 25.
    • $80 or 90%, anything else would be financial suicide one way or another.
    • Or... just use Bitwarden. Free, and has on-prem option as well. Works both on desktop and mobile, wherever you are. The age of local password files is over.
    • Thanks
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