So the final verdict: to windows 8 or not to windows 8, that is the question

fenris

W8 is the new vista, go win7 as it is a mature working product, if w8 gets sorted then change over if you have to, it is not as if MS are not agressively pushing W9 so there are always going to be "upgrade" offers.

marco_polo

VinLieger wrote: »

Im backing up everything i can to an external, all the hardware is gonna be new except my 1 year old graphics card so no issues with drivers, all i want to know is if windows 8 is as awful to use for games and such as everyone says and should i just get windows 7?

I'm still not in love Win 8 but its 100% functionally equivalent to Window 7. It definitely makes zero difference to any gaming activities. (Pretty much all I have left in the the Metro start page are the desktop shortcut and various gaming and browser shortcuts).

I am also using pokki which allows me to keep the Metro start menu, but still have a more traditional one on the desktop. Its not quite as good as start8, and the look and feel may not be to everyone's taste. But it is free and functional enough for my needs anyway.

zom

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

*puts on mod hat*

Please read the charter about off topic advocacy.

"to windows 8 or not to windows 8, that is the question" - I just recommend to move to linux as new/different interface is usually what stop people from moving to another platform. Will it be off topic too if I mentioned Apple's OSX ??

BenEadir

Win8 + Start8 = best of both worlds.

Ben

Capt'n Midnight

zom wrote: »

"to windows 8 or not to windows 8, that is the question" - I just recommend to move to linux as new/different interface is usually what stop people from moving to another platform. Will it be off topic too if I mentioned Apple's OSX ??

yes

seriously read the charter, not just this bit https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=47980

No Off-Topic Advocacy: When someone asks a question in relation to their current OS/browser/mailer/etc, either answer the question or don't post. If they want an alternative, they'll ask for it. Off-topic advocacy will be sent to the Recycle Bin and repeat offenders may be banned.

Zascar

I just installed the other day, i fully expected to hate it but I'm actually incredibly impressed. Microsoft seem to have really outdone themselves this time. Now I'm not really much of a fan of the metro thing, but some of the apps are not that bad.

A lot of people are recommending Start 8, but i found www.pokki.com - brings back the Start menu but adds way way more - even has its own little app store and works really well - give it a look.

So right now flicking between the desktop and metro is a bit annoying and getting to some settings etc will take a bit of getting used to, but I love the way they have added loads of extra small features like in File Explorer, I love the ribbon and the new shortcut options etc - about bloody time - but very well done.

Seems pretty fast, slick and stable, and this is on my old pc. I just ordered a Dell XPS so I assume it will absolutely fly on that.

Anyway very happy so far, would recommend people give it a go, I'm annoyed I waited so long to try it!!

200motels

I finally got rid of 8 and went back to 7 as I hated everything about it, I'll wait untill 9 and if that's as bad well we'll wait and see.

CptSternn

200motels wrote: »

I finally got rid of 8 and went back to 7 as I hated everything about it, I'll wait untill 9 and if that's as bad well we'll wait and see.

Ditto.

Tinie

I like windows 8, but never really seem to use the apps or anything on the start screen really. Just use the desktop "app" really.

Zascar

Yeah me too, I don't use the metro much. I find it slightly annoying that you have no choice but to use it for some things. I know mobile is everything these days but forcing desktop users to use it is a bit much imo. Not sure how that will go down inthe business/enterprise world really. Most big corporations will probably stick with Windows 7 for quite some time.
Still metro aside I like the added features of w8. Occasionally I use metro apps, the Travel one is beautiful and the news is nice if a little inefficient. I have not installed many others really. Any recommendations anyone?

Patsy fyre

Downloaded xbmc, Google earth, Spotify, Netflix and tune in radio recently. All work quite well.

Telchak

As soon as I learned keyboard shortcuts, I've found Windows 8 much more enjoyable to use than Windows 7. I love the UI, and much prefer having a full screen Start menu when searching. I think it makes quite a good launcher too.

There's really only a couple of Windows Store apps that I use, such as Messaging and Skype which I think benefit greatly from the new snap feature.

I had been using my computer as a Hackintosh for most of the last year, but Windows 8 made me want to come back to the light side (though games were a factor). The improved dual monitor support is fantastic, and is a million times better than last time I tried with the Developer Preview.

I've also been Stardock's Decor8 to personalize the UI a bit

Fysh

I've said it before, but if you want to use Win8 at the desktop, learn the keyboard shortcuts. It is without a doubt the difference between the UI being a tedious load of arse and the UI being manageable.

I am no fan of the Modern UI, because I've not had a chance to see it on a touch interface. I haven't really used any Metro Apps either. However, the rest of the OS runs at least as well as Win7 on the same hardware. I do still think that enterprise takeup will be predicated on making a non-touch traditional UI available, but I guess we'll see how that fares in about a year's time.

G-Money

I couldn't stand Windows 8 at the start but I like it now. It boots faster than Windows 7 and I like the new UI. I don't mind the Start screen so much, mainly because I pinned all my regularly used programs to the taskbar, which I have to admit, is about full now!

The interesting thing I found was, when I went back to Windows 7 recently to do something, when it came time to shutdown the machine, I found myself trying to bring up the charms menu initially

Capt'n Midnight

Fysh wrote: »

I've said it before, but if you want to use Win8 at the desktop, learn the keyboard shortcuts. It is without a doubt the difference between the UI being a tedious load of arse and the UI being manageable

This reminds me of the 486 vs Pentium being faster.



If you recompiled code to take advantage of the Pentium's pipelining then it ran faster ~25% faster. But that recompiled code also ran 10-15% faster on ye olde 486 too.

Just wondering if anyone who has moved to Windows 8 has tried using the shortcuts on Windows 7 and found it to be faster then using the mouse

Fysh

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

This reminds me of the 486 vs Pentium being faster.



If you recompiled code to take advantage of the Pentium's pipelining then it ran faster ~25% faster. But that recompiled code also ran 10-15% faster on ye olde 486 too.

Just wondering if anyone who has moved to Windows 8 has tried using the shortcuts on Windows 7 and found it to be faster then using the mouse

I gravitate towards using the keyboard anyway, but I was specifically referring to the new keyboard shortcuts introduced in Windows 8 - they help make the more unfamiliar aspects of the new UI less problematic, IME.

Squeaky the Squirrel

Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista

cookie1977

Squeaky the Squirrel wrote: »

Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista

Link dead for me.

Fysh

Squeaky the Squirrel wrote: »

Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista

The problem is that the majority metric they're using for this is preinstalled-Win8-on-new-computers, which assumes that new computer sales can be treated as a constant - but the substantial increase in availability of tablet devices that for many people do everything they'd want a PC to do means that desktop sales in particular are taking a bit of a battering and have been for a couple of years. (Consider for example the recent Goldman Sachs paper that claims Microsoft's share of the computing market has gone from 97% to about 20% over the last decade, thanks to the increased variety of devices that can be used in a way that meets some simple definition of "computing device" - see here for details).

It's also worth noting that Windows 8 is pushing a UI geared around the touch interface, but so far only one touch-oriented system has been available. It will be more interesting to see what the figures are like once we've hit, say, 3 months after the general release of Intel-based Win8 tablets.

Squeaky the Squirrel

cookie1977 wrote: »

Link dead for me.

Hmm, works for me, anywho...

http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/15rtbr/windows_8_proving_less_popular_than_vista/
http://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1128212-windows-8-falls-behind-even-the-maligned-vista/

cookie1977

Squeaky the Squirrel wrote: »

Hmm, works for me, anywho...

http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/15rtbr/windows_8_proving_less_popular_than_vista/
http://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1128212-windows-8-falls-behind-even-the-maligned-vista/

It was dead but is working now albeit slowly. Not sure if it's my end or not

Fysh

cookie1977 wrote: »

It was dead but is working now albeit slowly. Not sure if it's my end or not

I don't think it's dead, just very slow to load. Given the topic, I'm sure it's proving quite popular amongst those who dislike Win8.

Rezident

Definitely skipping W8. Looks designed for tablets not a desktop. W7 is fine.

citytillidie

Upgraded to W8 on a laptop 5 years old and have to say it works better than windows 7 for processing, faster booting up and getting more out of the battery aswell.

Davexirl

How are people finding Windows 8 on a desktop without a touchscreen?

I have been looking up a few things on the net since yesterday and they all seem to be negative, is it really that bad with a mouse?

I need a new desktop and not looking to spend too much, this one seems decent enough with good graphics card for the price.

http://www.dell.com/ie/p/inspiron-660s/pd?oc=d0066s07&model_id=inspiron-660s

Where sells decent desktops with windows 7???

Zascar

It's not that bad - I think the negative comments are a bit much... I was expecting it to be rubbish but I actually love it. As long as you install one of the Start Menu programs, I like http://www.pokki.com/ the best. Actually makes it better than the XP or Windows 7 start menu. Basically I tend not to use the Metro thing much, but the odd time it is nice for certain apps like News etc. Personally I don;t get being forced to use Tablet style apps on a desktop - but you can simply ignore it and use the desktop version instead.

Apart from that though I find the little tweaks they have brought to windows absolutely fantastic. They have made a lot of the settings etc better and more simplified and things just seem to 'work'. I love the 'Ribbon' on windows explorer - finally they have got it right.

Fysh

Davexirl wrote: »

How are people finding Windows 8 on a desktop without a touchscreen?

I have been looking up a few things on the net since yesterday and they all seem to be negative, is it really that bad with a mouse?

I need a new desktop and not looking to spend too much, this one seems decent enough with good graphics card for the price.

http://www.dell.com/ie/p/inspiron-660s/pd?oc=d0066s07&model_id=inspiron-660s

Where sells decent desktops with windows 7???

It's the internet, about 50% of what people do here when they're not pr0nhunting is moan hyperbolically about minor issues. I find 8 grand on the desktop, I don't even bother with a Start Menu replacement - now I've got the keyboard shortcuts for getting around the UI without using the mouse for stupid stuff like getting at the Charms bar it's really just a slightly different interface on a tweaked version of Win7.

fenris

I hope that I am just being a bit thick and missing the intentional irony, but in all fairness, how can you keep defending the very obvious shortcomings of W8 UI while recommending that what people really need to do is forget about that pesky mouse and just go back to 1989 and just use the keyboard shortcuts instead?

W8 has more problems than just a bad GUI and a bunnny boiler like love of throwing you towards MS Store/mail/cloud services, you can almost hear the desperate cries of "try it you will learn to love it".
Stability and performance means stability and performance not "lets hide the error messages and hope that they don't notice"

The basic premise of a forced upgrade is that it should at least maintain the same functionality as the previous version and then add something of benefit. W8 fails on both counts and is more like a rapid prototype of a marketing guys slidepack than a properly developed annd tested product.

Fysh

fenris wrote: »

I hope that I am just being a bit thick and missing the intentional irony, but in all fairness, how can you keep defending the very obvious shortcomings of W8 UI while recommending that what people really need to do is forget about that pesky mouse and just go back to 1989 and just use the keyboard shortcuts instead?

W8 has more problems than just a bad GUI and a bunnny boiler like love of throwing you towards MS Store/mail/cloud services, you can almost hear the desperate cries of "try it you will learn to love it".
Stability and performance means stability and performance not "lets hide the error messages and hope that they don't notice"

The basic premise of a forced upgrade is that it should at least maintain the same functionality as the previous version and then add something of benefit. W8 fails on both counts and is more like a rapid prototype of a marketing guys slidepack than a properly developed annd tested product.

*shrug*

I'm not saying everyone has to love it, I'm saying that I have always found Windows a more usable OS when I know the keyboard shortcuts, and Windows 8 is no different - I don't particularly like the tablet-like aspects of the new UI, but with a half-dozen new keyboard shortcuts added to the ones I already know it turns out I can make my peace with it surprisingly easy and just get on with doing what I want to do. For me, Ctrl+C > Ctrl+V is and probably always will be faster than "right-click, select 'copy', move mouse, right-click, select 'Paste'", and since we're talking about learning half a dozen new keyboard combos that may well substantially change people's perception of the OS (which is mostly an iterative refinement of a very popular iteration of Windows to begin with) I figure it's worth highlighting this fact.

I don't use Apps for anything at the moment - maybe that'll change, but I doubt it. I use the desktop interface most of the time, I spent about half an hour when I first installed it completely reorganising the metro menu to have shortcuts to stuff I want to use, organised in a meaningful fashion, and that's about it. Beyond that, I'm mostly using a system that behaves more or the less the same as Windows 7 for what I'm doing (video or image editing in Adobe elements suites, drawing comics in Manga studio, various other bits of SW that don't seem to know or care that they're running on Win8 instead of Win7). I thought it was going to be unbearable when I was running the Consumer Preview, and couldn't get on with that without installing a Start Menu replicator. But once I found the extra keyboard shortcuts, I realised it actually wasn't that big a deal.

Part of my job is providing Windows-based support and infrastructure so whether or not I find Win8 particularly compelling compared to Windows 7 is irrelevant - professionally, I need to be able to support it anyway and that's part of the reason I'm making myself use it. There are some things I'm genuinely looking forward to playing around with (Windows To Go, proper x86 tablets with Win8 installed) but in the meantime I can mostly get on with it well enough that I figure it's helpful to admit that I thought it was going to be a total disaster and actually at worst it's an infrequent mild inconvenience.

In terms of stability and performance, I've only had one crash in Win8 and that was a result of me having broken a Win7 install on another partition on the same disk and accidentally changing the Win8 partition during the repair process. It's faster booting to the desktop than Win7 on the same hardware (an aging Precision 390 workstation) for me, though thus far I've not had the chance to compare it on newer hardware, and the biggest issue thus far is the usual new OS problem (ie a bunch of software packages don't support it yet, including my workplace's VPN solution and one of our two AV packages).

The new UI is a bit weird and an unideal fit to non-touch devices, but anyone claiming it's the new Vista genuinely does not know what they're talking about. In terms of actual issues, I'd argue Windows 8 is doing better than the last 3 releases of Windows - because Windows 7 saw the resurgence of the ping of death shortly after it was released (though it was patched pretty quickly), Vista had any number of real problems with the SP0 release (including the infamous "copy & paste takes 87 million hours" problem), and XP was an unusable mess that was basically Win2k's genetically-defective inbred cousin until SP1 landed a year after launch. There haven't been any major system performance or security problems affecting 8 that I'm aware of, so if the UI's the biggest problem then it's the easiest thing to resolve - not least because there are a bunch of options for people already out there if they just want it to behave like Win7 with a minimum of fuss (ClassicShell did the trick for me, but there are plenty of alternatives).

cookie1977

I too love windows 8. I didn't install a start button or anything. I just find I can get things done quicker in less steps. I'm not using a touch screen but I still find it very very usable.