Windows 8

[DrunkenZombiee]

I am thinking about putting windows 8 on my bedroom HTPC as got a new SSD for XMAS so my old SSD is going on there. As its will use only XBMC and chrome it would be nivcew to have the performance increases (if there are any).

There seem to be a few chip-set issues and issues with older Laptop GFX but these are more likely drivers and its not entirely M$'s fault.

No way am i upgrading my other PC's, servers and NAS'es to windows 8 till they have the option to remove metro or dissable it and use the start menu like normal. I agree with Smilo third party unsupported APP's on an OS that you pay money for is a bit mad and unacceptable. M$ need to implement a fix or enable linux like support for UI's instead of Metro/Explorer only.

[kregoron]

I agree with Smilo third party unsupported APP's on an OS that you pay money for is a bit mad and unacceptable.

Or use one of the 20 free alternatives?

[DrunkenZombiee]

Errr... Paying for the OS means you shouldn't have to use 3rd party software to achieve easily every day use for the less informed. If its free yeah you should expect this.

When you buy a pair of shoes you don't expect them to come with fishing line for laces and have to use 3rd party laces to do them up in the way you are accustomed to. Yes you can get used to using something else but why would you want to when you like string laces.

Its actually quite funny as Microsoft have almost made windows 8 an elitist OS with prior knowledge of gestures or short-cuts from super users like windows key + R to get stuff done. This ironically is why people have struggled with Linux over the years as that relies on learning a lot of hidden information to be able to accomplish tasks.

Lets see what M$ do to get themselves out of a hole with this one.

[kregoron]

You dont need a start menu to make windows 8 work, you just need to learn a new way of navigating.. but yes a start menu is more familiar, so easier for some..

So you pretty much run a stock windows 7, without installing any extras when starting a fresh win install?

[Tutonic]

Having used 8 quite a bit to test our software at work, I have decided that it's a big load of pants.

Design inconsistencies all over the place.. it's an utterly horrible desktop OS if you ask me, I wouldn't like to try and get any serious work done on it.

[smilodon]

Want a beautiful desktop experience? Linux.

[BrotherTobious]

That's looks bloody great

[Ranualf]

Linux eye candy !

Much better looking than Win8... with their tiles... great for a touch screen, not so great for a pc with a mouse.. what were they thinking of.. seriously !

I will keep an eye on Linux, its come a long way, and i`m not enamoured by win8 one iota.. nope, not one !

[T-Bag]

I'm not a huge fan of the Compiz effects. When I use a computer I want it to be fast and responsive. I don't care about "fancy" transitions so having menus appear in a distracting haze (which blocks what you're trying to read) or disappear in one doesn't help my computing experience, it just slows things down. One feature of Linux I do like is multiple desktops it makes almost as much of a difference as adding a second monitor to a computer, but again they become slower to navigate between if you're rolling around 3D cubes etc, I can't remember ever fire writing on my desktop after first testing it.

I've not added anything to my version of Windows 8 to make it "usable", I barely used the start menu on Win 7, and don't really notice the difference with Win 8. Programs I use regularly are pinned to the taskbar, lesser used programs are grouped conveniently in the new menu, everything else is hidden. When I want to load something I typically press start, type the first few letters and press return. Then it's there and loaded before I've even really noticed I'd opened the start menu. Is that really that different to the old way?
Previously in Win 7 I'd pin to taskbar in the same way, and have the programs I use regularly pinned to the start menu, and then type to get anything to load. If it wasn't pinned somewhere there was the horrible task of diving into a mess of program folders etc. The only difference is the start menu covers open windows for the second or two it's open for...but that's where you'll be looking anyway. It took me about 1 min to group my programs in a better way that the default and I haven't touched them since.

It would be nice to have the option to boot straight to desktop, and a Linux style power control button by the clock would be nice too, but I don't think any of the changes are terminal and I don't think the general public are too stupid to understand the changes give a few minutes sat down with them. iOS is hugely popular, that is very different to Windows (and counter intuitive in many ways to me), the public have worked that out ok, so a slightly different way to launch programs shouldn't take long.

[TeaLeaf]

iOS is hugely popular, that is very different to Windows (and counter intuitive in many ways to me), the public have worked that out ok, so a slightly different way to launch programs shouldn't take long.

I'm assuming you mean "hugely popular amongst iOS users"?   Afaiaa Apple still has a hugely minority share of the desktop market?

I'd agree though with the 'frills' comment though, I want a desktop to work quickly, despite that Ubuntu looking very nice.

[T-Bag]

I'm assuming you mean "hugely popular amongst iOS users"?   Afaiaa Apple still has a hugely minority share of the desktop market?

I'd agree though with the 'frills' comment though, I want a desktop to work quickly, despite that Ubuntu looking very nice.

I was talking iOS not OSX. It's the most popular phone in the US and makes up a sizeable chunk of the UK smartphone and tablet market. My granddad got one recently to replace his PC and it becomes quickly clear they're entirely dependent on being plugged into a PC. He wanted photos transferred which without a PC needed a £25 SD card reader...which only worked intermittently. Downloading from dropbox is a strictly one at a time affair. Couldn't find a way to download all of them in a similar way I would on android (ie download a zip and extract).
My point is, I was running face first into these hurdles constantly...and yet it's still an incredibly popular platform. If you can do the stuff people care about (web browse, video, music etc) easily enough the ability to do the harder stuff (copying pictures without a PC) is unimportant to most people. The average user won't switch to Linux because they don't like the new start menu, that's more of a change to adapt to than the menu so defeats the point.

[TeaLeaf]

Ah, but I still think it's a bit of an odd comparison.   iOS being mainly smartphone/tablet versus the designed-for-tablet W8 which is on desktops more than anything else!

[Oberg]

I've been using w8 since oktober 27 and im quite happy with it.

It's not a bad OS like vista was but it has some features that i dont like. I mostly just hang around in desktop mode. Only metro app im using is netflix.

Bit overall hits a good OS.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

[smilodon]

Compiz is more of a proof of concept than a daily driver for my desktop.  I use multiple screens,  wobbly windows and the magic lantern effect. They look smart but still keep the desktop functional.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[albert]

I've been using Windows 8 on my laptop, not had any problems with it at all. Classic Shell is as good a Start Button app as any and the speed and responsiveness is better than Windows 7 on the same machine.

I never actually go to the new look home page other than to read the news and use Skype which both look great on the new interface, makes me wish I had a touch screen on the laptop. Classic Shell takes you right to a normal desktop. I've not found any games that are working any different to Windows 7.

I do like the tablet aspect of it probably because I like tablet computers generally. Considering making a Windows 8 RT machine my next Tab in April when my Xoom contract runs out. Also looking at the HTC 8X Smartphone. I haven't quite found any good reason to upgrade my gaming desptop machine to Windows 8 yet, that runs nice on 7 and I wouldn't entertain upgrading a Windows machine, only a clean install would do.