Don't hesitate, Windows 8 is awesome

[JR2ALTA]

After striking out with Linux for the umpteenth time, I finally got a new laptop preloading with Windows 8. I am very pleased. Yes it's almost identical to 7, but I love how I can access everything by sliding the mouse from one corner to the other. Thoughts?

[Dreama]

Re: Don't hesitate, Windows 8 is awesome

only played with it a bit. i reckon once you are used to it you will love it. it took a little while for me to get used to a few featuers with Win7 over WinXP, now i hate going back to a WinXP pc.

i have seen a lot of customers moving to Win8 and Server2012 so it will be interesting in about 12 months to see what is out there. I actually think that Microsoft is on a resurgance

[Hansoon]

Re: Don't hesitate, Windows 8 is awesome

I love how I can access everything by sliding the mouse from one corner to the other.

Well, that would not be enough for me to make it "awesome" What's against good ol' clicking on an Icon with the mouse?

Hans

[rthonpm]

Re: Don't hesitate, Windows 8 is awesome

The real problem with Windows 8 is just that it tries to force a touch based interface onto a standard computer. On a touch device, it's a highly intuitive and easy form of navigation; with a keyboard and mouse, you can spend quite awhile trying to navigate around or access hidden things like the charm bar, etc.

What Microsoft really needs to bake into the OS is a hardware based optimisation. Install the OS and it doesn't see a touchscreen: default the OS to a more mouse friendly view and desktop boot (i.e. some of the swipe to access items are slightly visible as areas to click). Install it on a touch device and it's Start Menu and swiping all the way. After all, if Windows 7 can detect 90% of my hardware without me needing a single driver, why can;t Windows 8 be smart enough to do the same, as well as give me the best method of access for my hardware?

I've used it on a few machines now and it's not bad, just different.

[Kidaver]

Re: Don't hesitate, Windows 8 is awesome

I just picked up a laptop with 8 on it...and yeah it takes some time getting used to...I haven't found anything I hate about it but there isn't anything that pops out as awesome...there is some Xbox smartglass app on it that I've found to be pretty useless when it connect to my Xbox...

[Shadow]

Re: Don't hesitate, Windows 8 is awesome

I started out with Win 8 Pro on my desktop and found it very annoying with mouse & keyboard.
I did a search and came across Classic Shell, which put the start button back and created a very workable menu.
I have also put Win 8 on my laptop along with the Win 7 & Win XP.
now I am able to assist clients with testing printing/scanning issues more readily.
I can't say that I'm a big fan of Win 8, just going to have to take some updates and 3rd party programs to make it the way end users want it to be.

[TonerMunkeh]

[Kidaver]

Re: Don't hesitate, Windows 8 is awesome

Yeah my younger brother works for Gamestop and he said Gamestop will probably not even carry the Xbox One due to not being able to use pre owned games on it. That is the big thing about Gamestop is the pre owned games.....Microsoft is gonna lose bad in that market....plus the Xbox One isn't backwards compatible so you'd have to keep your Xbox 360 around if you wanna play those games....

[TonerMunkeh]

Re: Don't hesitate, Windows 8 is awesome

Wow. It's official, Microsoft suck.

[CompyTech]

Re: Don't hesitate, Windows 8 is awesome

^this

Then throw in $120 a year CoD title(with DLC included).

But back to subject.. I use Win8 on our work laptops, to me its peppier then Win7. Ultimately first I installed ClassicShell... I have all metro and charms disabled.

Here's a couple screen shots of my desktop for example...

[minimerlin]

Re: Don't hesitate, Windows 8 is awesome

My wife bought me a new laptop a few months ago...windows 8 installed, I loaded Classic Shell for the start menu. This evening I powered up to find that microsoft had upgraded the OS without asking or even informing me and I ended up with a clean laptop like back to new! No files, no photos, no bookmarks etc. Had to do a system restore to pre upgrade to get things back, now am worried that every time I shut down I will have to start over...I WISH MICROSOFT WOULD SORT THEMSELVES OUT!!

[Iowatech]

Re: Don't hesitate, Windows 8 is awesome

I don't know if you find this a reliable source, but I came across this earlier today that shows the Xbox One might not be entirely that terrifically awful:

http://kotaku.com/microsoft-is-removing-xbox-one-drm-514390310?utm_campaign=Socialflow_Kotaku_Facebook&utm_source=Kotaku_Facebook&utm_medium=Socialflow

Then again, the last games I actually felt like paying for were Descent 2, Command and Conquer (Red Alert update) and Myst Exile. So I'm probably the exact opposite of an authority of any kind on this.

[Jules Winfield]

Re: Don't hesitate, Windows 8 is awesome

The release preview came out recently for Windows 8.1 (or Blue or Next or whatever you want to call it) and it looks like they may have actually listened to criticism because the start button is back.

[Akitu]

Re: Don't hesitate, Windows 8 is awesome

Was playing around with Windows 8 and some Sharp machines while I was working down in the southern end of the province - we found that upon assigning a static IP address to the Win8 machine, it suddenly forgot where the system files were in the command prompt. Had to force it into administrator mode to get the command prompt to work again, and then we discovered SMB scanning wasn't working (only while static IP was assigned to computer).

Don't have a copy of it myself to play around, but there's obviously still a ton of kinks Micro$oft needs to work out, and not entirely sure if what we experienced couldn't just be a bad copy of Win8.

Similar problem in an office where a client upgraded their Windows Server 2008 with the 2012 server upgrade, both machines affected were 2700N models and we had some experimental firmware loaded on both machines to support SMB 3.0 (M$oft changed again!).

On the particular laptop coworker had (Lenovo Thinkbook) it worked quite well, however. Seemed to be a laptop designed with Win8 in mind, as by gliding a finger over the base of the laptop on either side of the built in mouse pad it would utilize the sliding feature of Win8 and open up some apps.

[User Name]

Re: Don't hesitate, Windows 8 is awesome

Just to clarify about the Xbox One, they changed their minds about their policy towards used games and needing to have an internet connection.

Your Feedback Matters ? Update on Xbox One

(I <3 Xbox)