Resistance towards Windows 8

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#948671 10-Dec-2013 13:32

I have not slept in 2 weeks since I got an 8.1 laptop but surprisingly It had nothing to do with windows. In trying to fix a sleep problem (insomnia) I have discovered windows 8 is 99% windows 7 underneath the cloak of weird colours. 100%.

Dude get off the computer, blue light from screens is a known sleep inhibitor

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#948672 10-Dec-2013 13:32

surfisup1000:
nathan:
networkn:
ScuL: Fantastic input so far guys it's really interesting to see the different perspectives.

Fresh from the press I just got in some news that Windows 8.2 will bring back the option to use the Windows 7 style start menu again with an option to switch between that and Metro. I guess this will please a lot of people that are currently in the opposition camp (including myself)

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2070705/report-windows-start-menu-to-return-in-windows-8-2.html

Pity it took so long for them to act on the feedback, but better than nothing.

my sense here is Microsoft is damned if they do and damned if they don't with regard to UI changes

MS are not calling this windows 9 and making everyone upgrade so I think this is a good thing. So, ups from me.

lol reminds me of vista

nzkiwiman

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#948803 10-Dec-2013 16:13

Just built a new PC with Windows 8.1
Haven't used it much since the main computer is still functioning

Have struck a couple of non working applications (GrabIt and MagicISO) so I need to find alternatives
Missing the start menu (I use search all the time to get to things) and I need to disable speedscreen (think that is what it is called)

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#948812 10-Dec-2013 16:19

nzkiwiman: Just built a new PC with Windows 8.1
Haven't used it much since the main computer is still functioning

Have struck a couple of non working applications (GrabIt and MagicISO) so I need to find alternatives
Missing the start menu (I use search all the time to get to things) and I need to disable speedscreen (think that is what it is called)

what problem are you having with MagicISO

they support that utility on Windows 8

chevrolux

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#948833 10-Dec-2013 16:44

Number 3.

I have the Samsung Ativ-8 which is a notebook/tablet convertible with touch screen etc.

I find it really good to use. Switching between Metro and Desktop is really no big issue on any computer due to the windows key. Metro can be customised to suit meaning it really is just as good as a start menu.
As long as you know swipe left to switch panels and swipe right for settings etc there is really nothing wrong at all. It is quite similar to Win 7 underneath it all in terms of control panel and things. You just need to know where to find them.

My brother has a standard laptop and the same swipe from left/right applies using the standard touch pad. It is just as functional as a touch screen.

My only small frustration so far has been OpenVPN doesn't seem to work. I think I read somewhere there is an issue with the Tunnel/TAP drivers on Win 8. No real biggie though as the Win 8 is for personal use. Would have just been handy to not have to take two laptops with me if I'm on call for remote assistance.

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#948844 10-Dec-2013 17:06

nathan:
nzkiwiman: Just built a new PC with Windows 8.1
Haven't used it much since the main computer is still functioning

Have struck a couple of non working applications (GrabIt and MagicISO) so I need to find alternatives
Missing the start menu (I use search all the time to get to things) and I need to disable speedscreen (think that is what it is called)

what problem are you having with MagicISO

they support that utility on Windows 8

umm how do i put this ...

it just won't work :D

there is an error message every step of the way and then once installed a fatal error message as the final nail.

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#948846 10-Dec-2013 17:07

nathan:

Right-click on the task bar > Toolbars > New Toolbar
Go into the disk containing the Windows installation (usually C) and then ProgramData > Windows (Enable the display of hidden files).
Select the Start Menu folder (without opening it).
Click on the Select a folder button.
The Start menu will be displayed in the Taskbar.

hmm ... another easter egglet? gotta try this tonight ...

nathan

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#948855 10-Dec-2013 17:20

joker97:
nathan:

Right-click on the task bar > Toolbars > New Toolbar
Go into the disk containing the Windows installation (usually C) and then ProgramData > Windows (Enable the display of hidden files).
Select the Start Menu folder (without opening it).
Click on the Select a folder button.
The Start menu will be displayed in the Taskbar.

hmm ... another easter egglet? gotta try this tonight ...

this has been there since at least Windows XP :)

nathan

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#948868 10-Dec-2013 18:02

ScuL:
nathan:

that's not news :) just an article that wants to get eyeballs looking at it to generate clicks and ad revenue

I'm curious to know whether anyone here commenting on the dislike of the Start Menu has tried workarounds like below, or just stay on a previous version of Windows and sit in the opposition camp?

The article is sourced from http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/further-changes-coming-windows-threshold based on a conversation with somebody within Microsoft it appears?

As for your question, I have used Win8 on other PC's and didn't like it one bit.
I'm also of the opinion that requiring add-ons in order to make an OS work properly defeats the purpose. Win7 is functioning perfectly fine (the best OS they have made imo) - hence no real reason to upgrade.

Re "News", I've learnt to question the motivations of writers. These days anyone can publish their opinion, comments, rumours, flatout made up rubbish and call themselves a reporter or a blogger these days

The primary motivation is to get linked to, eyeballs reading, retweets, and ad words revenue.

When you take a step back and think about that, the juicer the article, the better the headline the more link love and eyeballs you will get

Yes you absolutely need a reason to upgrade from Windows 7 to something else. My favourite reasons are below.

Rather than requiring a 3rd party addons to make the OS functions maybe you can add a new Toolbar (right click, task bar, toolbars, new toolbar, point to the hidden folder that is located at C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs)

Here's why I run Windows 8.1 over Windows 7

Less memory and disk foot print, faster bootup

Multi-Mon improvements, splitting taskbar across multiple monitors
High-DPI and per-display DPI Scaling Support

Client Hyper-V virtualisation Improvements including "enhanced session mode” which enables a high fidelity graphics experience Variable, Continuous size Modern app Snap View, depending on screen size and resolution, you can even share the screen with three, or four Modern apps on each monitor.

Start Screen all apps view
have desktop background appear behind Start Screen
Boot to Desktop

DirectX 11.2

BYOD Enhancements:
Workplace Join
Work Folders
Open MDM - native OMA-DM support built for Mobile Device Management products
built in VPN clients
auto-triggered VPN
Wi-Fi Direct Printing
Native Miracast Wireless Display
NFC Tap-to-pair Printing
Mobile broadband and Broadband tethering builtin
Remote business data removal

native fingerprint based biometric support
Pervasive Device Encryption built in to all versions now
Windows Defender does network behaviour monitoring now
Device Lockdown with Assigned Access you can "kiosk mode" your PC/tablet

surfisup1000

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#948893 10-Dec-2013 19:02

nathan:
Here's why I run Windows 8.1 over Windows 7

Phew, a long list of win8 loves there .

To address your points...

mem/disk - irrelevant I have 16gb ram, and a 256gb ssd OS drive.
Faster bootup-- my 1 second sleep wake up is plenty fast enough.
splitting taskbar across multiple monitors - i prefer it on the left.
High-DPI and per-display DPI Scaling Support - future requirement
Client Hyper-V virtualisation Improvements - grandmas not gonna want that.
Start Screen all apps view - this is the whole problem with windows 8.
have desktop background appear behind Start Screen - so a win8 workaround to a win8 flaw is a feature now?
Boot to Desktop -- seriously? how is this better than win7?
DirectX 11.2 - under the hood.
Workplace Join - not required.
Work Folders - i alrady have work folders in win7.
Open MDM - what?
built in VPN clients - hmm, maybe useful.
auto-triggered VPN - over my head.
Wi-Fi Direct Printing - i already print to a wifi printer in win 7, this is good how?
Native Miracast Wireless Display -- what the heck?
NFC Tap-to-pair Printing - uhhh, my desktop is a little heavy for this.
Mobile broadband and Broadband tethering builtin - desktop is a little heavy to carry around.
Remote business data removal - n/a.
native fingerprint based biometric support - my desktop has a fingerprint reader?
Pervasive Device Encryption built in to all versions now - and this is good why?
Windows Defender does network behaviour monitoring now - i expect defender to keep evolving.
Device Lockdown with Assigned Access you can "kiosk mode" your PC/tablet - this is good for my home desktop? How?

Of all these points, only the high dpi thing might be of interest -- sometime in the future when the high dpi displays cost less than 6k.

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#948908 10-Dec-2013 19:17

I've never used Windows 8 nor Windows 7. From what I've heard, W8 isn't much good, so 1).

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

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#949055 10-Dec-2013 23:41

stevenz: I have to use Server 2012 R2 which also uses the touchscreen interface. On a server OS. Totally nonsensical.

I RDP'd into a server the other day from a touch device. Suddenly, I found the touch interface on the server to be a good thing which made sense.

When you're on Win Server or Win 8/8x, remember the Win+X key combo - it gives you quick/easy access to a few admin tasks.

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#949063 11-Dec-2013 00:32

But i thought touch is enabled on the remote device and whether the server supports touch doesn't matter ... Right?

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#949197 11-Dec-2013 10:25

Number 3. Use it on a non-touch notebook and non-touch HTPC.

I really like the start screen (I haven't been a fan of the start menu since windows 95 days, and always ignored it). The start screen works great for the HTPC with arrow keys to launch, especially since the 8.1 upgrade letting you sort the tiles into groups and hiding away all but the most-used applications. Also a fan of windows keys + start typing to launch anything you like. It also seems pretty snappy. Plus the $50 early upgrade price was great, especially for a couple of older computers that were stuck on vista.

On the downside, there was a bit of a learning curve (especially the drag down to close metro apps and hiding the shutdown command away), but have adapted and now use the keyboard shortcuts far more than I used to. And I basically use no metro/modern apps at all. Driver support for older hardware also seems to be a bit of an issue.

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#949321 11-Dec-2013 12:36

One feature that I am taking a look at from a developer point of view is 'GeoBoundries' - basically when your device is within a specific area, one can receive notifications. Over a decade ago was looking into some (then) new research being done around geo-tagging - which was basically leaving messages an notes in a specific area (say in a shopping mall) and when you went back, or your friends where there, they saw the messages (required a wearable display).

This really comes back to devices with sensors in them and I think one thing that windows 8.1 supports is devices with sensors (aka surface pro for example).

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