If you have upgraded to Windows 8, what do you think? I switched from Windows 7 yesterday, and have mixed feelings. While there are noticeable performance improvements over Windows 7, the new start screen and Charm Bar (yes that really is the official name) are not designed for desktop users using a mouse and keyboard. The Good Windows 8 does start up faster on my computer. It's only about a 6-8 second improvement, but considering that takes me from boot to login in under 20 seconds, I will benefit (and shutdown more regularly). Memory consumption is much lower. Windows 7 would consume between 2 and 3.5 gigabytes of ram at any given time. With this upgrade it looks like memory consumption by the OS has been slashed in half. On a side note, the Task Manager has seen a complete redesign and is far better. The ribbon has made it's way to Explorer (think office UI). While I was one of the ribbon's detractors when it was first rolled out with Office 2007, I've grown to like it. I think, with a little time to become accustomed to the change, users will like the new Explorer UI. The Bad The complete removal of the start menu, and it's replacement with the start screen is a set back for desktop users. The start screen and charm bar are clearly optimized for touch screens rather than mice. Microsoft would have been much better off keeping the start menu as an option for desktop users. I think a lot of users will pin more to their task bar and learn to use keyboard shortcuts to avoid the start screen altogether. No improvement with multi monitor support. This will only effect a small subset of users, but there are enough of us that some consideration would have been appreciated. The Ugly Microsoft is desperate to get people using Bing. Virtually all of the "apps" on the start screen link to bing or xbox by default. Another round of class action lawsuits seems inevitable. I wish Microsoft would show a little self control, but that's just wishful thinking. All they need to do now is add advertisements on the start screen and desktop to give windows that classy feel.
Their just trying to get you to buy new PCs from their empire. If you look, almost all the pcs that come preloaded with windows 8 have a touchscreen... I can upgrade 1 computer in our house to Windows 8 and not have any problems but that's only because it's an AIO and not much people had one at the time It was bought. 1/1500 guys will upgrade and not have any problems because they have a touchscreen while others will either need to buy a new computer or deal with the fact there is no "desktop mode" or some shit.
There are very few desktops with touchscreens for sale. Touch screen monitors for desktop computers are expensive and typically smaller, and with lower resolutions then their non-touch counterparts. Microsoft is trying to secure their position in the growing tablet and, laptop/netbook market. The start screen is optimized with that in mind. The problem is that they removed features from the OS that reduce usability for desktop users. It's not a coincidence that the start screen looks a lot like Microsoft's OS's on smart phones and other devices. They are trying to align Windows so that they can leverage their overwhelming market share with PC's to get back in the game where where all the growth is. Of course that means competing with the likes of Apple and Google/Samsung on a more or less level playing field. I'm not putting my money on Microsoft. Having said all that, have you actually used Windows 8? I'd like to hear from people that have been using Windows 8 for a while.
I'm on windows 8 too, I see graphical improvements, and memory useage improvement: Looks better, uses less RAM, good enough ?
There were very few desktops with touchscreens for sale. Now, stores are flooded with 'all in one' pcs with Windows 8 aka imacs ripoffs and now you're pretty much forced to buy a computer with a touchscreen (yes, even the new laptops have them) - unless you're building your own computer. Touchscreen monitors are significantly more than non touchscreen monitors that have similar specifications, have slower response times, and are probably gonna get more RMA'ing with where you bought it from. And yes, I have Windows 8 RC as a second partition and it works fine for me but I put it on what it was intended to be used on. That being an HP touchsmart iq-526 from a few years ago (it's a touchscreen pc!). The gestures n shit for terminating applications, getting to the desktop, etc. work fine, and browsing the internet by touchscreen works great with the exception of having to use the keyboard for typing. I haven't installed much on it nor have I tried the built-in apps like skydrive, maps, finance etc. All I put on it was Minecraft and the Newegg app.
Desktops are PC's, PC's are not all desktops. Companies like Dell, are offering touchscreen monitors as an option on desktops. It looks like they are cutting their margins on them pretty thin too. Not to worry though, the 200% and 500% markups on memory and harddrive upgrades will balance that out. Touch screens are indeed good for browsing or basic data entry (why fast food restaurants have been using them for years). I don't see them adding a ton to the user's experience on the desktop though.
It's not just a monitor stores are selling. It's an 'all in one' computer (aio), meaning the all that component shit resting in your computer case, is now built-into the monitor which makes it a computer and an imac ripoff
I'm personal not a big fan of windows 8, the problem was that they tried to use roughly the same operating system for mobile devices and desktops. I like my mobile device to behave like my mobile device and my laptop to behave like a laptop if i just wanted to use one operating system i would just get some type of tablet. I also hate bing Because It's Not Google (see what i did there) but also notch refused to submit Minecraft to windows app process thing TWICE. So all we have to do is wait for windows 9 which will be good. Microsoft works like good, bad, good, bad, good, bad, etc. sense 7 was good and 8 is bad then 9 will be good. Touch screens seem like a bad idea because some monitors im afraid to breath on thinking they'll break
>imac ripoffs >apple ripped off now imagine me laughing really loud so that even my neighbours could hear it.
I don't see the start screen as a issue, I use Windows 8, and I spend the majority of my time on the desktop, all the applications I use are on my desktop or pinned to the task bar, so I rarely need to go to the start screen, and my PC seems to go straight to desktop on start-up. Personally, I love the performance upgrades and can put up with the start screen.
You can also download programs to avoid the use of start screen (when sometimes, like me, you missclick in game and go on the start screen, it is annoying, so I removed it). A good one is: Classic Shell
You can use Rainmeter also. I have used it for years. Highly recommended. I use Classic Shell and Fences 1.5.
Rainmeter looks cool, I'm gonna try it! If you want something to pin apps in a cool bar, you can use RocketDock too, it's really customizable!
I used it but disliked because it does not work the same way than the old menu, doesn't fits windows 8!
After over a month with Windows 8, I'm still happy with it. I largely ignore the Start screen and Metro UI (with the exception of the email app, because the notifications are nice). My PC starts up in less than 7 seconds and is nice and snappy. I honestly don't get the hype about not being able to get work done. Only using a "traditional" desktop, my experience has not been any worse than with Windows 7. I am interested in trying the OS with a touch screen as it does look like an intuitive way to interact with the system.
I don't think it is as bad as people say. Sure, it does has it's flaws, and some parts make absolutely no sense, but it is not at all a bad OS.
I have installed Windows 8 onto my PC, along with an SSD for the boot drive. Boot time, SSD support (previous OS - Vista didn't), and cheap price were enough to win me over. It now takes less than 15 seconds for me to get to Desktop (about twelve seconds is just the BIOS/POST) from pushing the power button and it shuts down in literally one second (if you can actually find the shutdown button...). Previously it took more than five minutes to boot with Vista (partly attributed to old hard drive). Yes, the Metro layout is pretty terribad (clearly designed for tablets), but the positives in this case, I think, outweigh the negatives (also, you can actually uninstall Internet Explorer) but I wouldn't insist that users of previous versions upgrade. Also I accidentally broke all Metro apps.
