Windows 8.1- Desktop lovers rejoice (brief review)

[Dot Matrix]

That's great, too bad I wasn't talking about the All Apps list.

You said you wanted MRU functionality. Well, that's where it's at.

[Darrian]

It's also where the information from the start folders is displayed, the same information that was displayed in the old start menu, so it makes sense for it to be there.

[Athernar]

You said you wanted MRU functionality. Well, that's where it's at.

 

You really need to start reading posts properly and not just skim reading, I never said I wanted MRU functionality, I was sympathising with those that do. If you had also bothered to read the conversation you'd see why your response is useless even if I did want it.

[+Anarkii Subscriber²]

Day 2 of using Windows 8.1

Disabled the silly login screen since im the only one that uses this PC. 
Finished installing my applications and other junk I use for my game development, these installed just as well as they did on Windows 7.
Every time I read DotMatrix's posts the more I think he should work for the marketing department of Windows, because of all the uses here, it seems like he is the only one fapping over Windows 8/8.1
Cant say whether im liking or hating Windows 8. I do know that the Start Screen is the most badly designed and usless P.O.S. that Microsoft ever invented. Downloaded a few apps too from the recommendations of the post here on Neowin earlier, and uninstalled them all 20 minutes later. Those apps are horrible. It is much much better to just visit the websites and you can do much more from the webpage then you can do in those apps.
Cant stand the fact those Metro apps always open full screen too, which means you cant do anything else at the same time. Want to respond to a friend on Skype? Nope, you cant do that, you gotta close the app first. 
I remember reading a couple of pages back that somone is waiting for a AAA app. It will never happen. EVER. 
Anyway day 2 summery
Metro and its apps still suck. Still have just one app that is good enough to stay on my start screen and thats the 'Desktop' app. Everything else has been uninstalled.

The only other thing I hate is how Windows 8.1 is activated, yet still says 'evaluation copy'. 

[Darrian]

At the risk of finding out you also abhor and refuse to install 3rd party apps, I'm going to recommend that you check out ModernMix from Stardock.  I didn't used to push Stardock products so hard, but the few new apps they have made solely for improving Windows 8 are all really very good (though with the changes in Windows 8.1 I'm not sure if it's really worth installing Decor8).

[Kyang]

Day 2 of using Windows 8.1

Disabled the silly login screen since im the only one that uses this PC. 

Finished installing my applications and other junk I use for my game development, these installed just as well as they did on Windows 7.

Every time I read DotMatrix's posts the more I think he should work for the marketing department of Windows, because of all the uses here, it seems like he is the only one fapping over Windows 8/8.1

Cant say whether im liking or hating Windows 8. I do know that the Start Screen is the most badly designed and usless P.O.S. that Microsoft ever invented. Downloaded a few apps too from the recommendations of the post here on Neowin earlier, and uninstalled them all 20 minutes later. Those apps are horrible. It is much much better to just visit the websites and you can do much more from the webpage then you can do in those apps.

Cant stand the fact those Metro apps always open full screen too, which means you cant do anything else at the same time. Want to respond to a friend on Skype? Nope, you cant do that, you gotta close the app first. 

I remember reading a couple of pages back that somone is waiting for a AAA app. It will never happen. EVER. 

Anyway day 2 summery

Metro and its apps still suck. Still have just one app that is good enough to stay on my start screen and thats the 'Desktop' app. Everything else has been uninstalled.

The only other thing I hate is how Windows 8.1 is activated, yet still says 'evaluation copy'. 

 

You can respond to your friend on Skype and do something else.  The other App will just snap to the side, just how how regular windows on the desktop snap on either side of the screen.  Hope that helps.

[Darrian]

You're right, but I think you posted the wrong screenshot to illustrate that. :D

[+Anarkii Subscriber²]

You're right, but I think you posted the wrong screenshot to illustrate that. :D

That was a screenshot to illustrate how my Windows is activated, but still says evaluation copy.

Is it a known bug or is something just being retarded here?

[Kyang]

You're right, but I think you posted the wrong screenshot to illustrate that. :D

 

If that's directed at me, that's his image, from his post that I quoted.

[Darrian]

Oh, duh, ok.  As far as the activated/evaluation bug, check if there are any windows updates available.  There was one regarding the desktop showing a watermark that stated secureboot is not configured correctly, even if it is.  Maybe it's related somehow.

[bandit_liberty_rumble]

 Windows 8.1 will make those who are unhappy with Windows 8, very happy.  

Well, chances are, if you really hated 8, then 8.1 will hardly change your mind.  But if you already somewhat liked the idea of 8 or at least found the concept generally workable and were only waiting on Microsoft to fix a few specific annoyances, then you'll likely enjoy 8.1 (even more).

 

Whether Desktop lovers should rejoice in light of the release of 8.1? Meh.

 

These are  all wonderful and welcome changes. What you may have noticed, however, is that virtually all of them are changes in TileWorld. All of them are designed for touch screens.

[...]

There?s a reason Microsoft mostly ignored the traditional Windows desktop world in Windows 8.1; the company is betting that all computers will someday have touch screens. Maybe Microsoft actually believes that someday, the mouse, keyboard, menus and windows will go away. In that case, the lovely, fluid, vastly improved TileWorld will be all anybody needs.

[Davo]

Did you do a clean install using an upgrade copy?

 

• Open regedit by pressing Windows-q, entering regedit and selecting the result from the list of hits.
• Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/OOBE/
• Change MediaBootInstall from 1 to 0
• Go back to the start screen and enter cmd there.
• Right-click Command Prompt and select to run it as administrator.
• Type slmgr /rearm on the command line and hit enter.
• Reboot Windows now.
• Run the activation utility afterwards, enter your product key to activate Windows.

[+Anarkii Subscriber²]

 

Did you do a clean install using an upgrade copy?

 

• Open regedit by pressing Windows-q, entering regedit and selecting the result from the list of hits.
• Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/OOBE/
• Change MediaBootInstall from 1 to 0
• Go back to the start screen and enter cmd there.
• Right-click Command Prompt and select to run it as administrator.
• Type slmgr /rearm on the command line and hit enter.
• Reboot Windows now.
• Run the activation utility afterwards, enter your product key to activate Windows.

 

I upgraded/downgraded from Windows 7 Sp1. It was not a clean install like as in format c drive, then install windows 8.1. It was run install from Windows 7, keep nothing, install 8.1 pro.

Thanks but the above would require a legitimate copy of Windows 8.1 Pro, which it semi is (the iso is from M$), the activation method is not. 

[Darrian]

 

I still haven't reinstalled a few things like photoshop because I haven't needed to use them since my last windows install, but this should give an idea what I mean by organizing your start screen.  I don't see any reason why every program needs its own folder and useless links to places you will never go or uninstallers.  That's what add/remove programs is for.

[Dot Matrix]

Every time I read DotMatrix's posts the more I think he should work for the marketing department of Windows, because of all the uses here, it seems like he is the only one fapping over Windows 8/8.1

Is the name calling necessary?

 

Cant stand the fact those Metro apps always open full screen too, which means you cant do anything else at the same time. Want to respond to a friend on Skype? Nope, you cant do that, you gotta close the app first.

Second of all, have you been living under a rock? You can snap Metro apps, so that you can have more than one open. C'mon dude, you know this. You're just trolling for responses now.

[The Dark Knight]

I will just say this to all supporters of the new Start screen......

 

NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE THEIR ENTIRE SCREEN USED UP BY A BUNCH OF ICONS. SOME PREFER SOMETHING A LOT MORE ELEGANT LIKE THE START MENU. IF YOU LIKE THE START SCREEN GOOD FOR YOU, BUT DON'T GO AROUND TELLING PEOPLE WHO DON'T THAT THEY ARE STUPID, RESISTANT TO CHANGE ETC.

[Stoffel]

I will just say this to all supporters of the new Start screen......

 

NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE THEIR ENTIRE SCREEN USED UP BY A BUNCH OF ICONS. SOME PREFER SOMETHING A LOT MORE ELEGANT LIKE THE START MENU. IF YOU LIKE THE START SCREEN GOOD FOR YOU, BUT DON'T GO AROUND TELLING PEOPLE WHO DON'T THAT THEY ARE STUPID, RESISTANT TO CHANGE ETC.

 

 

Get of your high horse, we who love Win8/ Start screen, constantly have to hear that we are retarded, we are dealing with a hostile UI, we are MS shills,....

There is no need for name calling over an opinion 

[Darrian]

I can't believe this debate is still going on after more than a year.  The start screen is here.  Microsoft has made it clear they are not bringing back the start menu.  Like it or don't.  Adapt or don't.  Stick with Windows 7 or install Start8 or ClassicShell or Startisback or whatever.  But for the love of god stfu already.  I'm not going to claim that the start screen is better than the start menu, but it is stupid to keep arguing over this.  Every Windows 8/8.1 thread does not need to turn into a goddamned "the start menu is better and Microsoft should cater to me so Windows 8 sucks because they didn't" debate.  There's a lot more to Windows 8 than the Start Screen.

[Anibal P]

This thread is entertaining and saddening all at once, for a bunch of supposed nerds, geeks, and supposed IT experts and admins, I see entirely too much clinging to the old ways just because attitude here, had this same discussion with a few if the IT guys at work too, most go into win 8/8.1 with their minds already set that Metro and the Start Screen sucks and no matter what reality and real world experience says otherwise you will cling to your antiquated was, and that's fine, but admit that's all it is, it not any more efficient or not using the Start screen than a bloated Start menu, hell most of us rarely used the menu or Start screen, all the important apps should already be pinned to your task bar

 

TLDR, you like the old ways, good, keep your old inefficient ways, but realize eventually you will "get" the Start Screen and like it once you actually try it with an open mind

[MorganX]

I don't like or hate the Start Page. It works, and is much better in 8.1. It's basically a graphical Start Menu with constraints that force you to be more efficient. I've seen some sloppy Start Menus and ridiculously cluttered desktops, including technical people. Being technically advanced does not make you neat nor organized and more often than not, the opposite is true. That's why uber technical people generally don't make good managers and have poorish communication skills. They can't see past what they're currently working on and the jumbled mess that is their mind and desktop is organized to them. Visit the cubicle of your best technical people, they're usually pig sties.

 

That's all good. However you get your technical thing done.

 

If you are task oriented and well organized you will love the Start Page. If you work in a more ad hoc fashion and drill down through the file system a lot, you will not. Windows 8.1 offers the most flexibility IMO. It is also, obviously a more portable UI/UX. End users do love the consistency across platforms.

 

One thing MS does need to do though, to really move this thing forward, is to work on the ability to more easily manage the start page and its contents from GPOs. This needs to evolve to being managed with GPMC ONLY, asap!

 

Edit: I do actually "like" the Start Page in 8.1.

[MorganX]

This thread is entertaining and saddening all at once, for a bunch of supposed nerds, geeks, and supposed IT experts and admins, I see entirely too much clinging to the old ways just because attitude here, had this same discussion with a few if the IT guys at work too, most go into win 8/8.1 with their minds already set that Metro and the Start Screen sucks and no matter what reality and real world experience says otherwise you will cling to your antiquated was, and that's fine, but admit that's all it is, it not any more efficient or not using the Start screen than a bloated Start menu, hell most of us rarely used the menu or Start screen, all the important apps should already be pinned to your task bar

 

TLDR, you like the old ways, good, keep your old inefficient ways, but realize eventually you will "get" the Start Screen and like it once you actually try it with an open mind

 

haahah, it's those traits that make technical people, technical people and good at whatever it is they do. As for admins, Modern UI is at this time, nothing more than an obstacle. Server Manager is a nice dashboard but you go to the same old tools and command prompt to do anything meaningful, so they're excused.

 

Many of the UIs that try to be Modern UI-like actually require more work, PowerShell is becoming quite popular nowadays, lol.

[Andre S. Veteran]

TLDR, you like the old ways, good, keep your old inefficient ways, but realize eventually you will "get" the Start Screen and like it once you actually try it with an open mind

You assume that, but I tried the Start Screen twice, once for a month and just recently for a week, and found myself much more productive by switching back to the Start Menu. There's a reason the Start Screen doesn't see much love from desktop users: it just doesn't mesh well with it.

[Davo]

SOME PREFER SOMETHING A LOT MORE ELEGANT LIKE THE START MENU.

 

I actually hated something being there all the time that I only use 10% of the time. Also not sure how a digital card catalog was elegant. At my job, literally everything is on the start menu, and when we open it up, it takes up 3/4 of the screen. At home, all I have to do is press Win Key and it goes away when I'm done.

[Stoffel]

You assume that, but I tried the Start Screen twice, once for a month and just recently for a week, and found myself much more productive by switching back to the Start Menu. There's a reason the Start Screen doesn't see much love from desktop users: it just doesn't mesh well with it.

 

That's all still opinion, others feel more productive with the Start screen

[techbeck]

8.1 was the update I was waiting for. Much more desktop friendly but still not 100 percent there. I go a new laptop at work and installed 8.1. NO issues so far and the UI is taking a little to get used to. Dont think I will ever be a fan of the tiles tho.