Windows 8

[Chino]

Anyone else check out what windows has been up to? It looks like they are combining the new elements of tablets and the classic computer. I think it may be a pretty smart move. Only having one operating system that can work on all devices seems like a good idea to me.

https://money.cnn.com/2011/09/13/technology/microsoft_build_windows_8/index.htm?iid=HP_LN

[sonatafanica]

first impression: that's kinda lame

[zxlkho]

No thanks. Windows 7 kicks all kinds of ass.

[AcidLameLTE]

That looks awful.

[Liberation]

I'm still on XP and really fine with it, though maybe I am a dinosaur. I've just never really seen a reason to switch, XP suits me fine and I also don't like the idea that the newer systems use much more memory and processor power.

[AcidLameLTE]

Oh, okay:

"For example, one press of a Windows button switches back and forth between the Metro experience and the desktop experience. Windows 8, in a sense, has two interfaces."

That's not too bad then.

[emindead]

Considering how fast this thing works, I'm pretty excited. It's going to be strange changing our customs of having Windows AND touching the screen.

[Pols Voice]

What. The. Fuck. I despise tablets and "smart" phones and all that kind of bullshit, and now they're foisting that stuff on my home computer? Assholes.

[Gadough]

Why do you despise them? What's there to hate?

[XJDenton]

It makes sense from a business standpoint. Not sure I like the interface but I applaud them for trying something different.

[TL]

I really hope you can completely disable the tablet style bit. Otherwise for me it will just be a thing I never use eating my system's memory. Vista and 7 are great (yes, Vista really is. I've been running it for over 4 years and it has always worked very well), and I'll keep using those as long as possible, but eventually I'll probably be forced into upgrading.

[Chino]

I love tablet and smart phone set ups. I always configured my computers like then anyway. I hate folders (with the exception of organizing saved documents and media) and menus. My desktop would have dozens of icons and shortcuts all over it.

[Fiery Winds]

I really hope you can completely disable the tablet style bit. Otherwise for me it will just be a thing I never use eating my system's memory. Vista and 7 are great (yes, Vista really is. I've been running it for over 4 years and it has always worked very well), and I'll keep using those as long as possible, but eventually I'll probably be forced into upgrading.

I'm sure if you want to bypass the Metro UI, you'll be able to.  One of the new features they're touting is that applications which aren't in use and off-screen are suspended, which improves performance and battery life on laptops and tablets. 

[cramx3]

I think Microsoft is making the smart move by making an OS that can run on ARM processors so it can become mobile, but I don't expect much out of Windows 8.  Windows 9 will probably be kick ass.  Every other windows is good, the in between sucks.  They have the trend of having a good idea, but it doesn't pan out the first time, but they go back and fix it and out comes a good OS.  I think Windows 7 will be around for a long time (like XP). 

[rumborak]

I don't know how much sense it makes to marry those two very different paradigms together. I already shudder at the thought that they fucked up the file manager even more than in Windows 7.

rumborak

[MasterShakezula]

I stuck with XP when Vista had its 15 minutes, and took a couple of years to even get to 7.

I like 7 about the same as XP, and will stick with it unless 8 is equal-to-or-better, or until 7 becomes noticeably outdated.

[AcidLameLTE]

I probably won't upgrade any time soon. The only reason I was able to get Windows 7 in the first place was because I got it free through my university.

[BlobVanDam]

What. The. Fuck. I despise tablets and "smart" phones and all that kind of bullshit, and now they're foisting that stuff on my home computer? Assholes.

This. I'm yet to even move on to Windows 7 yet because they've already gone in the wrong direction, but this seems to be taking it to a new level.

[rumborak]

They're also, once again, completely revamping their development framework for this Metro app stuff. They just change too much, too fast.

rumborak

[ZirconBlue]

I love tablet and smart phone set ups. I always configured my computers like then anyway. I hate folders (with the exception of organizing saved documents and media) and menus. My desktop would have dozens of icons and shortcuts all over it.

Sounds like you should be using Windows 3.1.   

[Riceball]

This is probably the best place to put this; maybe a rename is in order.

https://www.microsoft.com/surface/en/us/default.aspx

Has anyone been following Microsoft today? They've announced a line of (well, two) tablets that will be based on Windows 8. Details are very sketchy at the moment, mostly because they haven't really announced anything other than, well, they are doing stuff. One feature I like is the keyboard/cover double-up, which when combined with the built-in kickstand and accessibility to Microsoft software like Word and Excel means they aren't just flashy media consumption devices.

They are both on the high end side in terms of specs, particularly the presumably more expensive model which will basically be a netbook. Must say, I'm tentatively excited - although given Microsofts recent 50% hit rate I will be waiting for more info. Ofcourse, the complicating factor is that I was about to buy a Transformer Pad largely for due to the stuff that Microsoft has promised with their tabs...but I don't know how long I will be waiting if I wait

[JayOctavarium]

Meh


I see nothing that excites me with Windows 8... I do think the idea is great... but not for me (yet).

I'll join those of you waiting for Windows 9

[BlobVanDam]

Meh


I see nothing that excites me with Windows 8... I do think the idea is great... but not for me (yet).

I'll join those of you waiting for Windows 9

I only just finally upgraded to Windows 7 a couple of weeks ago!
And I'm clinging on to it for dear life until I'm convinced they're making a good OS, and not just jumping on the bandwagon and copying everyone else with the latest fad.

[rumborak]

My desire for new OSs is pretty much nil at this point. In essence I've configured every Windows release to look like 98SE. Transparent menu bars and transitioning effects do very little for me.

rumborak

[BlobVanDam]

My desire for new OSs is pretty much nil at this point. In essence I've configured every Windows release to look like 98SE. Transparent menu bars and transitioning effects do very little for me.

rumborak

I tried my best to tolerate the Vista/7 look, but I switched back in less than an hour. It's not as functional, and looks like it was designed by a first week graphics student.
I use the Windows classic theme. It's not pretty, but it's clean, and it's the most functional UI Microsoft have made. With each new release of Windows, I find it just takes me longer and longer to un-bastardize it to get it to how it was in the first place. All of the fancy crap they add just slows down workflow, and obscures information to the user, creating more unnecessary work. Each new version adds one or two neat minor features, and a whole bunch of crap I have to dig through hidden options to disable (such as background defrag which can die in a fire).

[XJDenton]

BlobVanDam: keeping windows the same since 1995.

Honestly, 90% of the stuff windows added since XP has been stuff I've liked. Then again, I've become almost a full time linux user for work related stuff nowadays as well.

On the subject of the Windows 8 Surface tablets, I like the fact it has a physical keyboard option and the tech looks quite funky. Really price is going to be the main factor. If they can provide something that provides a better desktop experience than an iPad at a comparable or lower price then this could be a really excellent bit of kit.

[kirksnosehair]

My desire for new OSs is pretty much nil at this point. In essence I've configured every Windows release to look like 98SE. Transparent menu bars and transitioning effects do very little for me.

rumborak

I tried my best to tolerate the Vista/7 look, but I switched back in less than an hour.

I'm going to go way out on a limb here and say that "trying your best" and "switched back in less than an hour" are kind of incongruous 

[BlobVanDam]

My desire for new OSs is pretty much nil at this point. In essence I've configured every Windows release to look like 98SE. Transparent menu bars and transitioning effects do very little for me.

rumborak

I tried my best to tolerate the Vista/7 look, but I switched back in less than an hour.

I'm going to go way out on a limb here and say that "trying your best" and "switched back in less than an hour" are kind of incongruous 

It's more like an hour here and there multiple times on multiple machines, and not just a one time thing. I was referring to my most recent attempt when I finally installed it on my main machine though.
I honestly can't even tolerate it much longer than that. It's a literal eyesore. When you spend all day at a computer (as you'd know all about in your job), there's only so long you can handle such a poor design that it makes your eyes hurt to the point where you can't look at the screen.
I tried my best to tweak the colours etc, but it was a lost cause for me. I could not get it looking legible with the font using that cheap looking outer glow over the messy, cluttered Aero look. Interface design has never been Microsoft's strength.

[cramx3]

I like the Aero theme. I think its pleasent to my eyes.

The biggest gripe I've read about windows 8 is the lack of a start menu. To me, that's iconic of windows. I can't imagine life without it.

[Nekov]

I've gotten so used to the new look and feel of Windows 7 that when I see a Windows XP everything looks odd and I feel lost. (Seriously)

Regarding Windows 8, I was reading a couple of reviews this morning and all of them agreed that it looks very good for devices that have a touch screen however when it comes to using it with a mouse it's not user friendly at all.

[kirksnosehair]

My desire for new OSs is pretty much nil at this point. In essence I've configured every Windows release to look like 98SE. Transparent menu bars and transitioning effects do very little for me.

rumborak

I tried my best to tolerate the Vista/7 look, but I switched back in less than an hour.

I'm going to go way out on a limb here and say that "trying your best" and "switched back in less than an hour" are kind of incongruous 

It's more like an hour here and there multiple times on multiple machines, and not just a one time thing. I was referring to my most recent attempt when I finally installed it on my main machine though.
I honestly can't even tolerate it much longer than that. It's a literal eyesore. When you spend all day at a computer (as you'd know all about in your job), there's only so long you can handle such a poor design that it makes your eyes hurt to the point where you can't look at the screen.
I tried my best to tweak the colours etc, but it was a lost cause for me. I could not get it looking legible with the font using that cheap looking outer glow over the messy, cluttered Aero look. Interface design has never been Microsoft's strength.

Don't you think you might be engaging in a tiny bit of hyperbole here?

I mean, for all practical purposes, the interface in Windows 7 is really not all that different from XP. 

• X at top right side of any window closes said window
• Start button at bottom left of main screen leads to start menu where programs can be found
• Windows explorer shows you files on your computer
• drag and drop: same functionality
• System tray:  same functionality
• Task Bar: same functionality
• Task manager: same functionality
• Control Panel: same functionality

So, they made a few things semi-transparent and that is really enough to generate all of this angst?
My guess is, like most human beings, you don't like change.  AMIRITE?  It's OK, it's human nature.  But really.....it's a good, solid, reliable operating system, much, much, much, much more secure and hardened against malicious attacks than XP could have ever dreamed of being.  And it's got 64bit support, which allows you to address way more memory.  Not to mention a gigantic list of other vast improvements.
Hey, if you don't like it, I guess you don't like it.  You've got two more years before they stop delivering critical security updates via Windows Update for Windows XP, so if you want to live in 1999 for an extra decade and a half, go for it!     (just busting your balls, dude)
Seriously, though, if you just stick with it for a while you'll see that it's actually superior to XP in many ways.
I wouldn't lie to you. 

[kirksnosehair]

By the way, just to be clear, I think XP was very solid.  I just think Windows 7 is massively superior.

[BlobVanDam]

You've completely misread my post, because I am using Windows 7, I just said I hate the standard Vista/7 look, and switched back to the Windows "classic" theme, not to XP itself. I love Windows 7 itself, after some tweaking. Sure, there are a couple of minor things I prefer in XP, but overall, I think it's quite nice and I'm completely used to it now. I wouldn't want to switch back to XP after using 7.

I just built a new computer with 16gb of RAM, so you betcha I'm not gonna limit myself to a 32bit OS, especially as it was the biggest reason for the upgrade.

edit: And I have no problem with change, I'm just very fussy with computers.

[kirksnosehair]

Oh, the look, the look.....crap, I thought you just hated change.   

OK, yeah, is there actually a "classic" theme in Windows 7?   

Edit:  heh, just found it. 

Wow, you really like that? 

[LCArenas]

This is probably the best place to put this; maybe a rename is in order.

https://www.microsoft.com/surface/en/us/default.aspx

Looks promising to be honest, but I don't trust Windows 8 that much. Tablets might be usable with it but the Desktop PCs might not be as enjoyable. And let's be honest. Android-based manufacturers and Apple are dominating the tablet/mobile market these days while Windows is still selling more in terms of laptops and PCs. Why bet more on your touchscreen devices when your strong point is the non-touchscreen functioning ones? Yes they have a Desktop windows 8, but I think it will be confusing, even more without the start button.

Just my two cents on this. And I almost couldn't watch the video more because OH THAT DREADFUL YOUTUBE FANBOYISM. Dear shit I forgot it exists. Just when I thought this day was going good.