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PCGamesN: "Why I'm uninstalling Windows 8"

There is a ton of new stuff on the metro side....
The new app model brings a bunch of improvements:
setup/uninstall is vastly improved (no more debugging why certain apps didn't install properly or dependencies on other things)
Performance, Battery Life and Security in metro is superior to the desktop because apps are managed.
Apps can have states saved so you don't need to close apps in metro.
Making app designers think about reformatting their apps into the smaller side view and making them think about a universal app design to use across multiple device types.

Contracts (leverages things like direct skydrive or your corp network access within apps and eventually other services... this will be a much bigger deal once more 3rd party apps utilize it). Even right now skydrive is a gamechanger in the way it integrates with windows 8 (far more than just an app you are used to and I can see when dropbox, gdrive, Netflix, hbo, sharepoint, etc are all using contracts will really be something special)
Utilizing the online account (which syncs settings across computers and really gives you a worldwide domain)
The live tiles (some make better use than others) but games especially are making really good use of the live tiles (showing ingame stats) and this will only get more useful as more info is allowed on the live tile.

They could have done that while still remaining faithful to the name of their operating system, WINDOWS.

People want their apps running multiple resizeable windows when they're not using a touchscreen and an easy way to switch between them. If they made metro like a live wallpaper (remember active desktop) and windows you opened opened on TOP of it, I think many people would like it better. So what they should have done is to remove the flexibility of putting icons and such on the desktop, and replace that with metro tiles that work very similarly, but better. I think this one little change for the non-touchscreen devices would make 8 a great OS.
 
You know there's already a big rearrangeable visual space of icons where you can pin apps... It's called the "desktop." Seriously, does anyone not pin shortcuts of needed programs to the Desktop? I mean the actual Desktop, not the Task Bar.

I used to 10 years ago. I guess I decided it looked cluttered and crappy... but I suppose yeah, you can put icons on it and re-arrange it how you want. For the past decade I've considered a good desktop to be an empty desktop... just the recycle bin there. Everything else is there for temporary workflow, and is destined to be moved or deleted.

One of the things I like about Metro is how the windows key makes it like a "homescreen" button on a mobile platform. Bring metro up in front of everything with a touch, then hide it away with a touch. I guess there are "show desktop" options too, but as I said I don't like cluttering that space.
 
For the same reason that Windows NT wasn't mentioned either. Windows 2000 the final iteration of Windows NT, primarily targeted towards the business user.

Windows 2000 and Windows ME came out at the same time, with ME being targeted as the standard product for the average home user. As we all know, Windows ME was the worst iteration of Windows that has ever been released to market. I remember running it for a short time and going 5 hours or more without a BSOD was an accomplishment. Just double clicking an EXE would sometimes cause a BSOD, even within an hour of a fresh boot, it was so bad that I think people don't even remember in 2012 how bad it actually was.

Your point is correct, though. Windows 2000 was actually a good OS. Unless you were a gamer, then it sucked: http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=970855

And seeing as how GAF is a gaming forum, most of us probably didn't even bother with 2000. I know I didn't.

Yep Millenium is the worst ever. I used it for a few months and it would typically go to hell after three weeks of use. Slower, error messages.. and then ultimately BSODs. But games worked great although they crashed.

2000 was very stable, but I faced lots of problems in games I played at the time. low performance, mouse lag etc.

I remember XP initially being terrible as well.
 
Another thing is UI inconsistency. Working on the desktop then you hit the Windows key and BAM you are blasted with a completely different looking UI with totally different color scheme. Looks really jarring.
 
Has there been any positive Windows 8 articles or comments from credible people? For those on the fence for Windows 8 there is a 90 day trial you can grab.

Personally I don't think the OS is all that bad, in some ways it feels snappier than 7 and ultimately I think its something everyone should try rather than taking all the doom/gloom talk at face value.
 
8 sounds like such a catastrophe which is disheartening after how great XP and 7 were/is.

I think that's a wrong conclusion, personally.

It's divisive and not to everyone's liking, yes. But a catastrophe would imply objective problems. Many people like Win 8.
 
Seriously all I'm asking is a simple change. Why not make the Metro screen the default desktop and any programs that you open, open on TOP of it? Screw the regular desktop and useless icons and .txt files and the recycle bin that clutters it up, make everything on the desktop tile based.

I think that little change would make 90% of the problems people have with windows 8 go away.
 
It does have one good feature I found which is the updated version of File History. It's finally working as it should.
 
There really isn't a lot of appeal to Windows 8 for me. It adds a needlessly convoluted layer on top of something I already consider perfectly functional. Even the benefits it does provide like faster boot times, aren't really particularly relevant to me because I do not feel like my Windows 7 machine has inconveniently long boot up times, and I typically just shift it into Hibernation rather than fully powering it down. I simply fail to see what Windows 8 is really bringing to the desktop space that is wanted or needed by most of the consumerbase.
 
Seriously all I'm asking is a simple change. Why not make the Metro screen the default desktop and any programs that you open, open on TOP of it? Screw the regular desktop and useless icons and .txt files and the recycle bin that clutters it up, make everything on the desktop tile based.

I think that little change would make 90% of the problems people have with windows 8 go away.

That would be a horrible idea. lol
 
I used to 10 years ago. I guess I decided it looked cluttered and crappy... but I suppose yeah, you can put icons on it and re-arrange it how you want. For the past decade I've considered a good desktop to be an empty desktop... just the recycle bin there. Everything else is there for temporary workflow, and is destined to be moved or deleted.

One of the things I like about Metro is how the windows key makes it like a "homescreen" button on a mobile platform. Bring metro up in front of everything with a touch, then hide it away with a touch. I guess there are "show desktop" options too, but as I said I don't like cluttering that space.

...Uh, you do know that Metro's going to get cluttered up just as much as the Desktop would, right? I mean my own Start Menu is pretty cluttered but whenever I use it, it takes up less than a third of the screen, even if I go deep into it to get something I never use. I can permanently pin a link to the start menu or the taskbar. The most popular of programs will show up first, and the desktop can be used for any programs that I would need to access very quickly. I don't really see what Metro can add for someone who doesn't use a touchscreen.
 
Yea the default Metro screen looks a lot more cluttered than the default desktop. I had to remove a lot of tiles after OS install. Metro screen had over 20 icons, default desktop on Windows 7 has like what 3 icons?
 
...Uh, you do know that Metro's going to get cluttered up just as much as the Desktop would, right? I mean my own Start Menu is pretty cluttered but whenever I use it, it takes up less than a third of the screen, even if I go deep into it to get something I never use. I can permanently pin a link to the start menu or the taskbar. The most popular of programs will show up first, and the desktop can be used for any programs that I would need to access very quickly. I don't really see what Metro can add to someone who doesn't use a touchscreen.

It's just a better way to re-arrange and access applications, IMO. You can divide them into various columns of similar apps. You can scroll right if you ever have more than one page worth of apps.

Putting icons on the desktop always felt like putting all your toys on the floor so you could play with them, but just looked messy to me. Win 8 is more like a smartphone homescreen. You can jump up to it quickly, and when you choose something it's hidden away.

All the pinning stuff works the same. RE: Pinning to start button vs. pinning to metro: If you think a small pop up in the bottom left corner is more usable than something that fills the screen while you choose, and can go away in an instant, I respect that... but I don't agree.
 
Yea the default Metro screen looks a lot more cluttered than the default desktop. I had to remove a lot of tiles after OS install. Metro screen had over 20 icons, default desktop on Windows 7 has like what 3 icons?

Just wait. Asus/Sony/Hp etc. are gonna fill you up with your next laptop!


oh god. I can't even imagine.

shit is gonna look like your typical non nexus android phone or osmething.
 
Just wait. Asus/Sony/Hp etc. are gonna fill you up with your next laptop!


oh god. I can't even imagine.

shit is gonna look like your typical non nexus android phone or osmething.

That is gonna be shit. :P No doubt. Hardly much different than all the desktop crap on Win 7 PCs today.... In either case: Fresh install or go home. :P
 
A virtual desktop function would've worked out a lot better than the Metro screen honestly. Still don't understand why there is no virtual desktops function built-in. It would've made organizing things a lot easier than the Metro screen.
 
add me to the list of people excited for Windows 8. From what I have experimented with on current builds, it does seem a bit more speedy, and I love the metro aspect just for screen saver use. Like I am not on my desktop so I can just have metro sexily providing me information on tiles while I am around the house.

Seriously, cannot wait.
 
what the hell is pcgamesn?

8 sounds like such a catastrophe which is disheartening after how great XP and 7 were/is.

it's literally windows 7 with a few new neat features but with a different start menu and metro app support. it's far from a castrophe

You know there's already a big rearrangeable visual space of icons where you can pin apps... It's called the "desktop." Seriously, does anyone not pin shortcuts of needed programs to the Desktop? I mean the actual Desktop, not the Task Bar.

I don't.. My desktop is cluttered with all kinds of shit -- I would never find an app there. I pin to the task bar or the start menu in Windows 7 but if you pin to the desktop (can't you still do this in 8 anyway?) then you shouldn't be bothered by pinning to the metro start screen. While I don't do that, I only launch a new app a few times a week and leave them running so I don't give a shit
 
So much stupid bitchin' over nothing. Just like all the bitchin' when mice were first introduced to windows. All the keyboard jockeys labeled it a disaster, less efficient etc. I'm so glad MS didn't listen to the idiots and make an incremental change to 7 with a faster boot and minor ui changes because like it or not in the near future you're not going to be able to find a new computer that doesn't integrate touch in some way be it touch enabled mice, touchpads, touchscreen monitors, tablets or Kinect like device accessories. The problem with people are they are too shortsighted imagining the world as it is instead of imagining of what it can and will be. MS can't ignore that future by releasing another touch unfriendly OS further delaying the future.

MS needs an OS that has apps that are easy to maintain leaving behind all the vestiges of the registry and poorly performing apps that can cripple a systems performance. Users shouldn't have to worry about managing apps by having to close them and constantly monitoring how much memory and cpu an app is using. Users shouldn't have to worry about rogue malware apps bringing your system to a crawl. Users should be able to logon to any computer and get to a familiar environment loaded from the cloud. Metro and other changes MS made to windows is for all of those reasons but again you guys are too shortsighted to see it. "I want my start menu back!" Use win7 then you freakin' whiners. The world will move on without you.

I'm using win8 on my desktop machine running visual studio, Adobe's suite of apps, custom windows business apps, and some cool Metro apps also with a keyboard and mouse and I'm loving it and can't wait to grab a tablet for which the experience will be even better.

Again MS, don't listen to the idiots. You're doing the right things for the future of your company and the future of the tech industry. Btw, isn't this the same forum that declared Kinect would be an utter failure before its was released. Just saying...
 
The only issue with 8 is that it shoves metro down your throat (when it's clear that it doesn't work from a keyboard and mouse set up) and forces you to relearn basic User Interface functions that have been standard since about 1994 or so which is about as big a taboo as you can make in UI Design.

The thing is, not shoving metro down everyone's throats would largely make 8 pointless.
 
The only issue with 8 is that it shoves metro down your throat and forces you to relearn basic User Interface functions that have been standard since about 1994 or so.

The thing is, not shoving metro down everyone's throats would largely make 8 pointless.

Windows 8 is much closer to what Windows was like in 1994 than Windows 7.


Also, everyone had the same complaint about the Ribbon when Office 2007 came out and then adapted anyway. That's the biggest change in Windows 8 besides the start menu being replaced by the start screen
 
The only issue with 8 is that it shoves metro down your throat (when it's clear that it doesn't work from a keyboard and mouse set up) and forces you to relearn basic User Interface functions that have been standard since about 1994 or so.

The thing is, not shoving metro down everyone's throats would largely make 8 pointless.
I personally think they should have made it free and maybe even an optional Windows Update for Windows 7. They need to really push this.
 
It's just a better way to re-arrange and access applications, IMO. You can divide them into various columns of similar apps. You can scroll right if you ever have more than one page worth of apps.

Putting icons on the desktop always felt like putting all your toys on the floor so you could play with them, but just looked messy to me. Win 8 is more like a smartphone homescreen. You can jump up to it quickly, and when you choose something it's hidden away.

All the pinning stuff works the same. RE: Pinning to start button vs. pinning to metro: If you think a small pop up in the bottom left corner is more usable than something that fills the screen while you choose, and can go away in an instant, I respect that... but I don't agree.

I don't.. My desktop is cluttered with all kinds of shit -- I would never find an app there. I pin to the task bar or the start menu in Windows 7 but if you pin to the desktop (can't you still do this in 8 anyway?) then you shouldn't be bothered by pinning to the metro start screen. While I don't do that, I only launch a new app a few times a week and leave them running so I don't give a shit

You guys could make folders on the desktop as well. I have an entire folder there dedicated to "Entertainment," which have shortcuts to the applications that run my music, movies, books, games, etc. I don't think it's that hard to make.
 
You know there's already a big rearrangeable visual space of icons where you can pin apps... It's called the "desktop." Seriously, does anyone not pin shortcuts of needed programs to the Desktop? I mean the actual Desktop, not the Task Bar.

The desktop is behind all your windows. There is no way to preserve your window state while you open a new program from the desktop. That's the same reason why gadgets died: you can't see your desktop most of the time.

Generally speaking, though, you're right. The new Metro start menu is (from the perspective of the desktop) more or less a desktop with gadgets, but one that you can access without messing up your windows.
 
"I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Windows 8 is the worst computing experience I’ve ever had."

This guy clearly has never used Windows 95.
 
I used to 10 years ago. I guess I decided it looked cluttered and crappy...

So, Win7 with 0 default icons on desktop looked crappy and cluttered, and Win8 Metro with 20 default applications/icons looks great?

Wtf?

And what did you use for the past 10 years if not desktop?
 
The desktop is behind all your windows. There is no way to preserve your window state while you open a new program from the desktop. That's the same reason why gadgets died: you can't see your desktop most of the time.

Generally speaking, though, you're right. The new Metro start menu is (from the perspective of the desktop) more or less a desktop with gadgets, but one that you can access without messing up your windows.

The Show Desktop button in the lower right hand corner minimizes every window at once, and if pressed again, returns all the windows to where they had originally been placed by the user.
 
It appears the viral meme of Apple Aesthetics has invaded even the once stodgy and traditional Microsoft.

You have either never used an Apple product or you don't now the first thing about design.

Windows 8 is as far removed from the Skeuomorphic designs that Apple has been doing as possible. In fact, it's almost as if Microsoft was taking a stand against Apple influencing the design world but falling flat on their faces doing it, since not only is there no consistency in their design, it doesn't improve user's workflow and it doesn't actually look nice enough to warrant the insane push they are giving it. It already looks dated and it isn't even out yet.
 
The desktop is behind all your windows. There is no way to preserve your window state while you open a new program from the desktop. That's the same reason why gadgets died: you can't see your desktop most of the time.

Generally speaking, though, you're right. The new Metro start menu is (from the perspective of the desktop) more or less a desktop with gadgets, but one that you can access without messing up your windows.

what are you talking about? Windows 7 had a show desktop transparent button that could show/restore desktop properly, and you could use alt-d as well.

WinRT 8 is another operating system in front of Desktop, just as if you were running this huge launcher app in Windows 7, which nobody ever wanted to do.
 
You have either never used an Apple product or you don't now the first thing about design.

Windows 8 is as far removed from the Skeuomorphic designs that Apple has been doing as possible. In fact, it's almost as if Microsoft was taking a stand against Apple influencing the design world but falling flat on their faces doing it, since not only is there no consistency in their design, it doesn't improve user's workflow and it doesn't actually look nice enough to warrant the insane push they are giving it. It already looks dated and it isn't even out yet.

As if OS X Lion's addition of iOS icons onto the desktop is such a brilliant idea. Metro-style UI has existed since the Zune HD (arguably even longer before) and has been great since then. It's only the marriage of mouse+kb and touch interfaces which no one has managed to find an ideal and unified solution for yet.
 
As if OS X Lion's addition of iOS icons onto the desktop is such a brilliant idea. Metro-style UI has existed since the Zune HD and has been great since then. It's only the marriage of mouse+kb and touch interfaces which no one has managed to find an ideal and unified solution for yet.

Yes, because people are trying to find solutions for problems that don't exist. It's almost as if Windows 8 was made with the Surface in mind, and not the other way around.

Lion adding Launchpad ... you literally never have to use it. Never ever. I forget it's there -- because I don't like it either, but at least Apple is not forcing it down anyone's throat (that's a first!)
The Start menu? Well...

And yes, Metro having been around since the Zune HD is probably the reason it looks so dated now.
 
what are you talking about? Windows 7 had a show desktop transparent button that could show/restore desktop properly, and you could use alt-d as well.
Show desktop doesn't work for that use case.

Open 5 windows.
Minimize 2.
Use show desktop.
Open a new program using a desktop shortcut.

Now you're hooped. Opening a window wiped the stored window states from the last time you used 'show desktop.' You have to restore all your windows manually.

The Show Desktop button in the lower right hand corner minimizes every window at once, and if pressed again, returns all the windows to where they had originally been placed by the user.
Not if you actually use a desktop shortcut.
 
Yes, because people are trying to find solutions for problems that don't exist. It's almost as if Windows 8 was made with the Surface in mind, and not the other way around.

Lion adding Launchpad ... you literally never have to use it. Never ever. I forget it's there -- because I don't like it either, but at least Apple is not forcing it down anyone's throat (that's a first!)
The Start menu? Well...

And yes, Metro having been around since the Zune HD is probably the reason it looks so dated now.

It doesn't look dated at all. How in the world does it look dated? If anything, people are only horrified at how different it is, that's the opposite of dated.
 
It doesn't look dated at all. How in the world does it look dated? If anything, people are only horrified at how different it is, that's the opposite of dated.

Why it looks dated? The same reason why perfectly good clothes look out of style. Plus it is marred by sloppy typography and questionable use of whitespace.
Also, the fact that Windows' font rendering is as ugly as it is really takes a lot out of its text heavy style.

I don't wanna use the "trust me, I'm a designer" line, but this is very much my professional opinion about metro.... or Windows 8 Style UI if you want to call it that.
 
Why it looks dated? The same reason why perfectly good clothes look out of style. Plus it is marred by sloppy typography and questionable use of whitespace.
Also, the fact that Windows' font rendering is as ugly as it is really takes a lot out of its text heavy style.

I don't wanna use the "trust me, I'm a designer" line, but this is very much my professional opinion about metro.... or Windows 8 Style UI if you want to call it that.

Then that's merely an opinion and has nothing to do with its age.
 
Then that's merely an opinion and has nothing to do with its age.

Its "merely" the opinion of a professional working in the field that you happen not to agree with.

I like Windows 8. I am using it on most of my production machines. It's lightweight and fast. But it still looks anf handles like ass.
 
Show desktop doesn't work for that use case.

Open 5 windows.
Minimize 2.
Use show desktop.
Open a new program using a desktop shortcut.

Now you're hooped. Opening a window wiped the stored window states from the last time you used 'show desktop.' You have to restore all your windows manually.


Not if you actually use a desktop shortcut.

If that and being unable to switch between screens are the problems, Metro seems like a very complicated solution for it, especially when Metro takes up the entire screen when summoned and Metro Apps are either fullscreen or 1/3 of it.
 
Installed windows 8 professional on my new pc yesterday and I think its great! The metro screen is so easily bypassed it doesn't really matter if you dislike it, add on the fact that really its just a fleshed out start menu that is both faster and has more features and it makes the metro screen quite good.

it just takes 10 mins to learn all the new stuff but after that it's a breeze. anyone that says otherwise has trouble adjusting to change even if it's as simple as pressing Ctrl + D :/
 
Why worry about restoring application Window state when you can't even resize with Metro apps? Oh yea you can't even open 5 active metro app windows at the same time so your argument...I'm not even sure what the argument was.
 
I'm just pointing out your earlier comment about it being dated because it has existed since Zune HD was not justified in your reasoning at all.

It's not dated because it's old, it's dated because it was made with the style-sensibilities that have been cool back then, which are simply not that great anymore. So, no, what I am saying makes perfect sense to me.
 
So much stupid bitchin' over nothing. Just like all the bitchin' when mice were first introduced to windows. All the keyboard jockeys labeled it a disaster, less efficient etc. I'm so glad MS didn't listen to the idiots and make an incremental change to 7 with a faster boot and minor ui changes because like it or not in the near future you're not going to be able to find a new computer that doesn't integrate touch in some way be it touch enabled mice, touchpads, touchscreen monitors, tablets or Kinect like device accessories. The problem with people are they are too shortsighted imagining the world as it is instead of imagining of what it can and will be. MS can't ignore that future by releasing another touch unfriendly OS further delaying the future.

MS needs an OS that has apps that are easy to maintain leaving behind all the vestiges of the registry and poorly performing apps that can cripple a systems performance. Users shouldn't have to worry about managing apps by having to close them and constantly monitoring how much memory and cpu an app is using. Users shouldn't have to worry about rogue malware apps bringing your system to a crawl. Users should be able to logon to any computer and get to a familiar environment loaded from the cloud. Metro and other changes MS made to windows is for all of those reasons but again you guys are too shortsighted to see it. "I want my start menu back!" Use win7 then you freakin' whiners. The world will move on without you.

I'm using win8 on my desktop machine running visual studio, Adobe's suite of apps, custom windows business apps, and some cool Metro apps also with a keyboard and mouse and I'm loving it and can't wait to grab a tablet for which the experience will be even better.

Again MS, don't listen to the idiots. You're doing the right things for the future of your company and the future of the tech industry. Btw, isn't this the same forum that declared Kinect would be an utter failure before its was released. Just saying...

Agreed, win 8 and touch post pcera devices and OSs are the future. The whether or not a few upset old men shaking thier fist at the clouds are mad makes no difference.

You all are being bred out by technology and a younger generation of consumer and user who wants touch who wants change and you all need to realize we are now in the post pc era.

Done are the days of traditional desktops OSs. they aren't coming back with windows 9 they die with windows 7.
 
Really, outside of the whole Windows Store push, my big problem with Metro is it taking up the entire screen. If I could relegate it to the third that the Start Menu would've taken up, I could probably accept it as the replacement to the Start Menu.

As far as the idea of a Post-PC world, I may like Android, but it could never replace my PC.
 
Look, just because Metro looks vaugely like the Program Manager doesn't suddenly make me think that going back to that is a good idea, ok?

Well it's probably a better idea than the DOS-era all-full-screen paradigm that we're returning to thanks to mobile devices
 
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