Windows 8 flops

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#817935 15-May-2013 10:34

I have Widows 8 on my Laptop which is a work machine, I use a mixture of Metro and other applications without any hassles and seamlessly. Windows 8 and RT ( Surface) are very good OS's.

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networkn

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#817937 15-May-2013 10:36

surfisup1000:
tdgeek:
If they could give a FULL choice, Windows 8 would be a boon, as it satisfies everyone.

Except microsoft .They want people to buy apps. It is their next generation revenue stream.

But, if you disable metro, then , you're not going to buy desktop apps.

I guess.

I would agree this seems to be a reasonable assumption and whilst I have no issue with it, and encourage it, I think the way their apps interact with the normal desktop discourages people away from it rather than toward it.

Dairyxox

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#819992 15-May-2013 12:38

Okay well its been a while now & I've had a chance to use a decent array of Windows 8 products. like..

Entry level non-touch laptops
High end touch laptops
All in one touch PC's
Desktop PC's
Surface RT
My own core2 era computer

After letting the dust settle, and looking back at these experiences in hindsight, my opinion is windows 8 is a bit of a miss. The guts of it seem really good, but how its used is quite a shock.

I respect what Microsoft was trying to do, in bringing touch & some mobility (smaller screens) to their operating system. Its never easy for en established player to innovate and try to bring the industry to a new paradigm.

I see windows 8 as a bit of Dr Jackal/Mr Hyde split personality, with its two interfaces, windows desktop & modern ui?(is that what its called now its no-longer metro?). Its also a kind of mish-mash of different experiences based on the different devices running it.

I think they are going to have to do major revisions to the touch interface in subsequent OS releases. We'll probably look back at windows 8 and laugh at how basic and odd the touch controls & interface are. For example in Apples iOS and Googles Android (OS' for the most successful touch devices) you can do everything with the touch controls. With windows 8 you get a small subset of tasks that a possible via touch. The built in ModernUI/Metro apps are quite limited in their functionality. DPI scaling for some legacy apps doesn't work and possibly never will. Yes desktop can be used for touch, but its still not correctly tuned for touch with some elements not big enough to touch reliably etc.

Also consumers are beginning to hear things from friends/family/co-workers who have tried windows 8. Its been difficult to gauge industry and consumer acceptance online. Theres a lot of people on both sides of the fence claiming its good or bad, but now the dust settles, and regular folk on the street are saying they've heard to avoid windows 8, you know things are going wrong.

I'm someone who generally liked vista (except the limitations of the old repair install), and stuck up for it. I saw it as a quantum leap over xp, despite the bloat, but the overall opinion is now that vista was a dog. Even adobe is neglecting vista, with Reader XI being only on 7 & xp "officially".

Another interesting point, I tried to play cut the rope on a high end Acer S7 full HD IPS touch enabled laptop. It took me 10 attempts to pass the first level, the touch just didn't seem to be responsive enough. The game relies on timing being right, and I couldn't get the timing right consistently using touch. Not great for a $2,300.00 device. I've played this on the iPad and it is perfectly intuitive/responsive.

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#820069 15-May-2013 13:59

Now that I have had win 8 on a non touch laptop for a while I would say that I dont find the metro front screen too useful - but popping classic shell onto it means I have mainly worked with the regular desktop.

Ignoring the metro part win 8 installed easily - runs quickly enough and has never hung up.
I was playing with a 4 yo injet printer the other day - I just plugged in the usb cable and was looking at something else and was surprised to find it just installed all the drivers without asking and just worked - nice.

The 'charms' are dumb - you dont intuitively know they are there and likewise - closing an app requires you to grab the top of the screen and drag to the bottom - who thought that up! - an X button is easier.

So maybe its stable and fast enough - bring on 8.1 - with a few tweaks it could be quite good.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

nathan

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#820075 15-May-2013 14:07

robjg63: Now that I have had win 8 on a non touch laptop for a while I would say that I dont find the metro front screen too useful - but popping classic shell onto it means I have mainly worked with the regular desktop.

Ignoring the metro part win 8 installed easily - runs quickly enough and has never hung up.
I was playing with a 4 yo injet printer the other day - I just plugged in the usb cable and was looking at something else and was surprised to find it just installed all the drivers without asking and just worked - nice.

The 'charms' are dumb - you dont intuitively know they are there and likewise - closing an app requires you to grab the top of the screen and drag to the bottom - who thought that up! - an X button is easier.

So maybe its stable and fast enough - bring on 8.1 - with a few tweaks it could be quite good.

X button would be ugly

leave the app running and let Windows 8 manage it

close the app by alt-f4 on keyboard like always

or use mouse/touch to close it down, by swiping down

personally i think that swipe down gesture is quite natural, to "throw" the app away

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#820086 15-May-2013 14:22

nathan:
robjg63: Now that I have had win 8 on a non touch laptop for a while I would say that I dont find the metro front screen too useful - but popping classic shell onto it means I have mainly worked with the regular desktop.

Ignoring the metro part win 8 installed easily - runs quickly enough and has never hung up.
I was playing with a 4 yo injet printer the other day - I just plugged in the usb cable and was looking at something else and was surprised to find it just installed all the drivers without asking and just worked - nice.

The 'charms' are dumb - you dont intuitively know they are there and likewise - closing an app requires you to grab the top of the screen and drag to the bottom - who thought that up! - an X button is easier.

So maybe its stable and fast enough - bring on 8.1 - with a few tweaks it could be quite good.

X button would be ugly

leave the app running and let Windows 8 manage it

close the app by alt-f4 on keyboard like always

or use mouse/touch to close it down, by swiping down

personally i think that swipe down gesture is quite natural, to "throw" the app away

I can't disagree more strongly. Not ONE person I know of that uses windows 8 knew that pull down app meant close it. It's NOT intuitive. x has been universal since 3.11. I have used apps which put an X in Metro Apps and it doesn't change the look significantly. It's frustrating that MS has touted the use of features for 10+ years like the x and start menu and start button, to have a sudden turn around and say it's old and ugly and slow. The idea that to close an app requires the KEYBOARD when MS is pushing TOUCH so much, is beyond odd. Long Holding the title bar of the app (or where the titlebar would be) which resulted in a popup option to close or just hide app, is intuitive.

I don't want Windows managing my apps. I want them closed (If I specify to ensure content in them isn't visible to the next walk in user.

nathan

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#820092 15-May-2013 14:26

Great discussion & feedback

How do people figure out how to close an app on an iPad?

why even close an app down ;) ?

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#820096 15-May-2013 14:30

nathan: Great discussion & feedback

How do people figure out how to close an app on an iPad?

why even close an app down ;) ?

See my reply to that subsequent. I don't own an iPad either, mostly because I don't like Apple telling me how I can operate my devices. I find myself constantly frustrated by the confines of Apple design in my user experience. I find it MUCH harder to WORK on an Apple device, and since I see MS trying to emulate Apple, the frustration is carried over. Tablets are toys, the exception to a small degree is the MS Tablet.

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#820107 15-May-2013 14:34

I think a lot hinges on what apple plans for ios. That fact is that windows would have become what it now is, if the iphone and ipad hadn't been invented IMHO.

At least the next update, windows 8.1 will be a free update.

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#820168 15-May-2013 16:01

Does anyone know if the "leaks" that are running around various places can do an in-place seamless upgrade the way the full product will or if the leak is a full wipe and replace product.

nathan

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#820170 15-May-2013 16:04

ISO image, its a reinstall

don't run dodgy code that you cant trust for something that is not final or officially released

public preview download for free from Windows Store, June 27

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#820396 16-May-2013 05:52

Using 8 for 5 months. Fully satisfied with OS. I don't use metro apps at all and the lack of start button doesn't bother at all.

8.1 will be awailable soon - I don't expect any revolutional changes. I expect it to be more like service pack.

MikeB4

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#820408 16-May-2013 07:08

networkn:
nathan:
robjg63: Now that I have had win 8 on a non touch laptop for a while I would say that I dont find the metro front screen too useful - but popping classic shell onto it means I have mainly worked with the regular desktop.

Ignoring the metro part win 8 installed easily - runs quickly enough and has never hung up.
I was playing with a 4 yo injet printer the other day - I just plugged in the usb cable and was looking at something else and was surprised to find it just installed all the drivers without asking and just worked - nice.

The 'charms' are dumb - you dont intuitively know they are there and likewise - closing an app requires you to grab the top of the screen and drag to the bottom - who thought that up! - an X button is easier.

So maybe its stable and fast enough - bring on 8.1 - with a few tweaks it could be quite good.

X button would be ugly

leave the app running and let Windows 8 manage it

close the app by alt-f4 on keyboard like always

or use mouse/touch to close it down, by swiping down

personally i think that swipe down gesture is quite natural, to "throw" the app away

I can't disagree more strongly. Not ONE person I know of that uses windows 8 knew that pull down app meant close it. It's NOT intuitive. x has been universal since 3.11. I have used apps which put an X in Metro Apps and it doesn't change the look significantly. It's frustrating that MS has touted the use of features for 10+ years like the x and start menu and start button, to have a sudden turn around and say it's old and ugly and slow. The idea that to close an app requires the KEYBOARD when MS is pushing TOUCH so much, is beyond odd. Long Holding the title bar of the app (or where the titlebar would be) which resulted in a popup option to close or just hide app, is intuitive.

I don't want Windows managing my apps. I want them closed (If I specify to ensure content in them isn't visible to the next walk in user.

interesting, I knew the pull down to close from immediately after install.

Hammerer

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#820426 16-May-2013 08:11

KiwiNZ:
networkn:

I can't disagree more strongly. Not ONE person I know of that uses windows 8 knew that pull down app meant close it. It's NOT intuitive. ...
I don't want Windows managing my apps. I want them closed (If I specify to ensure content in them isn't visible to the next walk in user.

interesting, I knew the pull down to close from immediately after install.

Likewise for me, though I had difficulties working out some other gestures.

John2010

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#820475 16-May-2013 09:46

mandrazhoid: Using 8 for 5 months. Fully satisfied with OS. I don't use metro apps at all and the lack of start button doesn't bother at all.

8.1 will be awailable soon - I don't expect any revolutional changes. I expect it to be more like service pack.

I'm the same.

I just hope MS don't stuff it all up by providing too many training wheels (i.e. reversions to the past) for those who seem to need them moving from their trikes (i.e. Win7) to big boys bikes (i.e. Win8).

Frankly I am dismayed at the apparent inability of some claiming to be IT people to get to grips with IE 8 - some of their comments as to things they claim are hard or awkward to do indicate a low level of ability (or maybe stuck in the past). Maybe I'm biased, while I am not an IT person myself my involvement in IT has been with highly professional software engineering teams building mission critical systems for industry (all overseas contractors, can't be done in NZ).

Perhaps that colours my expectations; but I wonder when I see computer numptys get to grips with Win8 in a few minutes.

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