SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
This. I actually would have liked it better if they went full ham on their touch centric interface and introduced stuff like a full gesture system and a BumpTop knock-off.
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What is the general reaction to Windows 8?
- Thread starter viciouskillersquirrel
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HammerOfThor
Member
I do know about them, and they feel just like what they are, crappy applications trying to imitate something that shouldnt need to be imitated
Damon Bennet
Member
Windows is about customizability though. You can do with it, whatever you want. And that is great, it is still windows.
I believe that most of the "THANK GOD I NEVER HAVE TO SEE METRO AGAIN" rage is coming from some kind of hivemind, without people actually trying to get along with it. I can understand how many dont like it, but I believe that most of it is hyperbole or just being influenced by the masses.
just like people still hate vista, even if 7 and vista dont differ too much, after one or two service packs for vista. people just hate it, just because.
In my experience, metro is a nice addition, and especially the "share to everything" option in the charms bar is fantastic and works really well. It just takes time to learn, how this new paradigm works.
SteveWinwood
Member
And they also cost money for something that should come standard. That alone leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Also you're officially insane if you start blaming the hivemind so congrats Damon.
Also if it's about customization then let me have a startbar without installing other crap. Let me check a box in the control panel.
not psycho
Member
I was building a new PC at the end of January and decided I'd buy the Windows 8 Pro upgrade for it while it was still only $30. My first reaction to the new start menu was pretty negative, but after getting rid of all the aps and customizing it with OblyTile I now really like it:
Other than that, everything else has been great, it's really snappy and smooth.
That's not a start menu, that's a desktop screen. I'll never understand why a full screen of arrangeable icons is called a start menu instead of being called the replacement for the full screen of arrangeable icons that was already there.
The start menu is for stuff like non-full-screen launching with jump lists for the most used programs, non-full-screen search (which can use references), shut down, compact listing of recently opened programs and documents, nested list just in case you need it, etc.
The new desktop screen is nice, but in no way does it mean the start menu should be gone. Especially not when start menu functions are either gone completely or spread around in always-on pop ups that can't even be turned off in non-Metro programs.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
I love what they did with the desktop, but I hated everything about the bolted on Metro interface and it's extremely poor integration with desktop.
After a couple of months of use, I'm now back on Windows 7 and more happy overall.
After a couple of months of use, I'm now back on Windows 7 and more happy overall.
saltywalrus
Member
After using Windows 8, I have to agree with Tim Cook. It's a compromised product, like combining a refrigerator and toaster.
Also, I am astounded that it doesn't support 7 or 8 inch screens (iPad mini is hottest tablet right now), and it really sucks in portrait mode on tablets. IMO Windows 8 is a decent stop-gap measure, but they need to start releasing updates as quickly as Google and Apple if they want to compete. Android 1.0 was total garbage but Google kept releasing major updates every 6 months.
Also, I am astounded that it doesn't support 7 or 8 inch screens (iPad mini is hottest tablet right now), and it really sucks in portrait mode on tablets. IMO Windows 8 is a decent stop-gap measure, but they need to start releasing updates as quickly as Google and Apple if they want to compete. Android 1.0 was total garbage but Google kept releasing major updates every 6 months.
Damon Bennet
Member
you've been officialy insaned
But seriously, people are afraid of trying out windows 8, because of the lot of unreflected negative buzz. As I said, I dont say, that people cant dislike it. I just feel that the hivemind and the exaggerated negative opinion on vista levels (and 8 is nowhere near as bad as vista was, when it came out) are really hurting windows 8, even though it is quite a solid product.
when I see girls on facebook asking "is windows 8 able to use msn messenger" then there clearly is a problem with the way people understand windows 8.
And customisation does not mean everything is there in the vanilla version. its obvious that microsoft want to push the start screen and metro, but they dont put limits on you, if you want to install other stuff. its not like the absence of the start menu limits you on what you can do in windows 8.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
Vista at least had Aeroglass going for it.you've been officialy insaned
But seriously, people are afraid of trying out windows 8, because of the lot of unreflected negative buzz. As I said, I dont say, that people cant dislike it. I just feel that the hivemind and the exaggerated negative opinion on vista levels (and 8 is nowhere near as bad as vista was, when it came out) are really hurting windows 8, even though it is quite a solid product.
when I see girls on facebook asking "is windows 8 able to use msn messenger" then there clearly is a problem with the way people understand windows 8.
And customisation does not mean everything is there in the vanilla version. its obvious that microsoft want to push the start screen and metro, but they dont put limits on you, if you want to install other stuff. its not like the absence of the start menu limits you on what you can do in windows 8.
StudioTan
Hold on, friend! I'd love to share with you some swell news about the Windows 8 Metro UI! Wait, where are you going?
It's a good thing the UI is perfectly usable then.
I've worked in IT, this does not say much. IT would be happy running Windows 2000 for the rest of forever.
I see it as a unified OS that works well on any form factor. Much handier than a toasterator.
The first update is rumored to be releasing in a few months and includes optimizations for smaller screens.
XMBC 12.0 runs fine for me on windows 8. Maybe it's your Graphics driver, I know I had a problem with XMBC a few months ago because of a messed up AMD driver. Everything came up blank on the screen, had to wait for a driver update to fix it.
HarryDemeanor
Member
I like it. It took me a bit to get used to the new start menu with the Consumer Preview. Once I learned where everything was and some keyboard shortcuts I was able to navigate quickly.
I think if you take the time to learn it then you might end up liking it.
I think if you take the time to learn it then you might end up liking it.
Twin Drive System
Member
Installed Win8 on my laptop a while back.
I went in thinking I was going it hate it. I DID hate it at first. The UI looked like something meant for a tablet. I looked like a bunch of bloat and finding things took longer than it should have.
After using it for a while, I kind of gotten used to it. Now, I feel indifferent about it. It feels like Win7 for the most part. I don't bother with the Metro UI much and I'm too lazy to look for a startmenu replacement.
Honestly, it's not as bad of a jump as XP>Vista was.
Would I recommend it? Probably not. Would I recommend against it? Probably not.
I went in thinking I was going it hate it. I DID hate it at first. The UI looked like something meant for a tablet. I looked like a bunch of bloat and finding things took longer than it should have.
After using it for a while, I kind of gotten used to it. Now, I feel indifferent about it. It feels like Win7 for the most part. I don't bother with the Metro UI much and I'm too lazy to look for a startmenu replacement.
Honestly, it's not as bad of a jump as XP>Vista was.
Would I recommend it? Probably not. Would I recommend against it? Probably not.
Alx
Member
That's how I see it too. A co-worker recently asked me about Windows 8, because she wanted to buy a new laptop and her husband was worried about it (having read "so many bad things on the internet"). I told her how I felt about it, was clear that many people were angry at the lack of start menu and such, that there was a small learning phase and that in the end she will probably spend most of her time in a desktop very similar to Win7 anyway.
She liked the look of metro a lot, though.
In the end I told her it wasn't a must-have, but there's no reason to worry much if you don't have a choice when it comes with your new PC.
Macho Madness
Member
It's not bad, but it feels and acts like it's a 1.0 version. Lots of things seemed to be changed around without much reason, and certain things just can't be changed at all. My advice would be to wait until they either fix it (that being allowing a pure desktop shell on top of the core OS) or 9 which will likely be a revert.
archnemesis
Member
Overall I'm pretty pleased with it, but the support for the new Metro interface is still very limited and by the default it's riddled with ads just like the XBox 360.
You can reach the shutdown menu by pressing Alt+F4 from the desktop or with Win+I from anywhere else.
This, and the removal of the start menu, isn't an issue for people who use keyboard shortcuts for most actions, but it's definitely confusing for the average user.
You can reach the shutdown menu by pressing Alt+F4 from the desktop or with Win+I from anywhere else.
Im using Windows8 and you are wrong. This is not for desktop user at all.
futnownarcade
Member
Two clicks after emulating a gesture and pulling up a hidden menu. I didn't like it and am much happier back on windows 7.
D
Deleted member 125677
Unconfirmed Member
My first reaction was "Super Hexagon don't work". Second was "Super Meat Boy is buggy as hell."
I'll wait until everything settles and most things are updated in a year time, I guess.
I'll wait until everything settles and most things are updated in a year time, I guess.
It's tolerable enough after installing StartIsBack, but it made me seriously consider switching operating systems for the first time. I've been a Windows user all my life until last year, but now Microsoft is going to need to do something radical to get me to switch back from OS X. The moment your UI involves mouse gestures, you blew it. My primary Windows machine is a desktop with a typical mouse, no touch surfaces at all, and Metro is clearly not designed with a mouse in mind.
That would be a matter of opinion. Clearly many are very troubled/unhappy with it, seeing as such modifications have become so popular with Win8 so soon after release.
Macho Madness
Member
This and requiring IE to be the default browser to use it in Metro is very fucking stupid.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I still think it's odd how the world rejects the big visual start screen that is Metro (even on mouse and keyboard).
I mean, on Wii, I had a grid of icons too, and a pointer that works similar to a mouse. It worked great. Never once did I think, "you know what I'd rather use to launch a channel than this full screen grid of pictures? A little icon in the bottom left corner that I can click on and have a tiny text list of channels".
The preference for the start button and classic start menu is utterly baffling to me.
I mean, on Wii, I had a grid of icons too, and a pointer that works similar to a mouse. It worked great. Never once did I think, "you know what I'd rather use to launch a channel than this full screen grid of pictures? A little icon in the bottom left corner that I can click on and have a tiny text list of channels".
The preference for the start button and classic start menu is utterly baffling to me.
People simply adopted it, at some point you become dependant
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Obviously there is a certain amount of addiction to current paradigms. And it makes me sad. Win 8 might not be the perfect solution (not at all), but I really get the sense in the backlash that people don't like any kind of change and that's going to make OS iteration very conservative going forward.
I'm old enough that I remember upgrading my PC from Win 3.1 to 95. The Start button was an arbitrary design decision then. Now so many people act like it's an innate UI feature.
Alx
Member
Yeah you could think that MS is paying the price for keeping the same design in its OS for too long, despite all the criticism that the Start menu got in 1995 ("why should I click START to SHUTDOWN my system, MS is so stupid !"), people got used to it so much that they don't want to live without it any more.
I don't think the start screen is really a paradigm shift though, it's been a natural evolution of windows features. People used to make shortcuts on their dashboard, then pinned shortcuts to their taskbar, pinning tiles is just a more coherent and pretty way to do it (and live tiles can add useful info).
Just like using search function instead of navigating a menu tree has been available for some time, and is becoming a more natural way to find what you need.
Dad recently got a new PC with Windows 8. I don't like the tile features at all. Apple integrated 'tablet features' much better with OSX. These icons are are sort of like apps on iOS, but they aren't the main feature on OSX. The desktop is the same, but when you press a button on the keyboard they pop up.
Brilliant design that brings the nice features of iOS to the desktop, without taking it over completely and ruining it.
Another big problem is that Games For Windows isn't supported on Windows 8, which means a lot of games are broken. For example GTA4 is broken on Windows 8.
Brilliant design that brings the nice features of iOS to the desktop, without taking it over completely and ruining it.
Another big problem is that Games For Windows isn't supported on Windows 8, which means a lot of games are broken. For example GTA4 is broken on Windows 8.
I'm a tech savvy guy and even I asked those questions at first.
Pop-O-Matic
Banned
Metro is our generation's Bob.
My girlffriend's dad has a Win8 laptop and she told me that using it was infuriating, because understanding how Metro, the stuff in the corner and the non-start menu works is a pain in the ass. Now try to explain that to someone who is less computer literate like her dad and it becomes a nightmare.
Nexus Zero
Member
I've been running it for a week now and I have a split opinion of it. On one hand metro is an absolute travesty, it has no place on a desktop PC. Totally inappropriate. You can tell instantly that this was something pushed through by some UX unification team with a mandate, basically the gray goo effect of UX design.
Now I have Start8 I couldn't be happier with it. Easily the quickest Windows I've ever used. The desktop UI was obviously an afterthought, with plenty of legacy Vista/7 stylings and effects that look out of place with the skin and metro. I'd never take it over Mac OS X but at least it does the job quickly and efficiently.
Now I have Start8 I couldn't be happier with it. Easily the quickest Windows I've ever used. The desktop UI was obviously an afterthought, with plenty of legacy Vista/7 stylings and effects that look out of place with the skin and metro. I'd never take it over Mac OS X but at least it does the job quickly and efficiently.
Alx
Member
I can understand people finding it a pain in the ass to use, but how can it be hard to understand ? Anybody who doesn't "get" how it works is probably unable to use a modern phone.
It's this kind of feedback that I find baffling. It's like people don't want to understand it, just because they already decided it was confusing.
balladofwindfishes
Member
this is not at all true. Phone GUIs are specifically designed for a touch interface on a small screen. Certain visual cues and feedback are given on a phone, based on the assumption you are touching it and looking down at it.
With Metro, you have a touch interface designed for medium/large sized screens... but not using a touchscreen 99% of the time. It's designed to not know if there's a keyboard, a touch screen, a mouse, etc, and because of that it's confusing. It's not a GUI designed with the user in mind, it's designed with some weird philosophy that all devices need the same GUI, which is laughable.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
Among IT guys the consensus is good back end, terrible front end for non touch screens.
A lot of people (myself included) use Classic Shell to fix the frontend problems.
A lot of people (myself included) use Classic Shell to fix the frontend problems.
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