The Official Windows 8 User Thread

[guskline]

Bought the window8 download upgrade for rig 3 below from MS for @$40. Bought the $5 Start8 software and I'm happy. All the B""chin in the World is not going to change MS's mind. Win8 is here to stay and the updates will most like be focused on Win 8 first.

Change is never easy.

Oh BTW this sucker sure starts and shuts down fast!

Seriously, I've had a preview copy for awhile on another machine and instaed of screaming, whailing and knashing my teeth, I took a deep breath and said " Hey I'm going to learn this OS" Guess what? Slowly but surely it grows on me.

 

[dighn]

just installed it yesterday. the metro part in its current state is useful to me only as a dashboard. the full screen apps and the very limited "multitasking" are clumsy to use compared to desktop apps if you've got a decently large monitor. its usefulness is limited even as a launcher because the taskbar on the desktop works just fine, and you don't need to switch between the two modes.

the desktop portion though is snappy! windows open and close pretty much instantaneously. so far it's been a pleasure to use.

 

[cboath]

I think you'll find most desktop users only use it as a dashboard and that few make use of the 'app' versions of programs.

The only people using app versions would be average users with touch screens I would think.

 

[Super56K]

The RDP app is pretty good. Not much else that's caught my interest so far.

 

[lkailburn]

I think you'll find most desktop users only use it as a dashboard and that few make use of the 'app' versions of programs.

The only people using app versions would be average users with touch screens I would think.

Yup, I just it minimally. A full screen "start menu" if you will. quick to search to now that I know you can just start typing in metro.
I still haven't had the chance to play with a surface, can't wait to see how it is on a tablet.

 

[The0ne]

Just now installed Windows 8 Pro, and Ubuntu on VM and man they run great. Win8, especially, works great even in a VM environment with only 2Gig RAM. It boots quicker than my Win7 OS and that's from being in a VM lol.

I have to say, I'm even more impressed now that I had more time to explore the OS. The Metro UI is sadly poorly integrated with the desktop. I found a few apps that would not start up but am not sure if that's because I'm running on a VM or not. The selection of Apps are alright if you're not the type that installs everything; meaning there are good selections.

Overall I'm impress enough, with the Classic Shell program, to upgrade my PC this coming weekend. enjoy.

 

[TrueBlueLS]

I've been wanting to play with Windows 8 for a little bit, but I'm trying to wait until after my semester at school before I move it to my main PC and laptop. I've got a Intel 40GB SSD that I could throw in an Athlon 64 3000+ to play around with. How much of a squeeze will I be on for hard drive space?

 

[dighn]

I think you'll find most desktop users only use it as a dashboard and that few make use of the 'app' versions of programs.

The only people using app versions would be average users with touch screens I would think.

it's really too bad because it is a good idea, but the execution is horrid. they should either went for better integration, or at least better separation (so desktop users don't have to deal with it at all). it's unbelievable how a company with so many smart people and resources produced this schizophrenic mess.

 

[Majic 7]

I have no problems with the start screen. Mainly because I never see it unless I want to check the weather app. If you put the PC to sleep when you are on the desktop you return to the desktop when you wake the PC. So far for me the desktop experience is nearly identical to W7, just a little more secure, hopefully. I keep getting the impression that people who haven't used W8 think that the start screen is something you have to deal with every time you use the computer. It's not.

 

[pmv]

I have no problems with the start screen. Mainly because I never see it unless I want to check the weather app. If you put the PC to sleep when you are on the desktop you return to the desktop when you wake the PC. So far for me the desktop experience is nearly identical to W7, just a little more secure, hopefully. I keep getting the impression that people who haven't used W8 think that the start screen is something you have to deal with every time you use the computer. It's not.

Presumably you are using one of the start menu third-party fixes? Because otherwise you _do_ have to deal with the start screen.

 

[cboath]

If by 'deal with the start screen' you mean, click the desktop tile after logging in and never have to go back to it, then yeah.

You can search with a win key, or off the charms bar, or off the hidden start menu. RUN is also in the hidden start menu. There's no actual need to go back to the start screen for anything if you don't want to.

I don't think it's a schizo mess either. I think all in one is fine, but I do think being able to toggle metro on/off would have been a wise choice. Go straight to desktop and enable default programs over the apps OR Go to Metro and enable the apps by default. The choice is more or less there, although you have to do it manually.

 

[Majic 7]

Presumably you are using one of the start menu third-party fixes? Because otherwise you _do_ have to deal with the start screen.

No, I don't use any third party fix at all. I asked once before in this thread whether anyone else had seen this but got no response. I did do a clean install because of problems with Steam and some minor glitches that I wasn't sure about. I had two IE 10 icons in my task bar, one 32 bit and one 64 bit. I had read that on the desktop IE 10 was 32 bit. Stuff like that, the in place upgrade was problematic for me. Hopefully no update messes with this behavior.

 

[Majic 7]

One other thing. I did disable the setting that makes you log in on waking from sleep. That setting does wake to the start screen.

Here is a link confirming what I see. https://www.pcworld.com/article/251120/windows_8_shows_desktop_will_go_the_way_of_the_dodo.html Second paragraph.

 

[lkailburn]

Has this been covered already? When installing an update through the app store, is there a way to view the update details? Like what's being fixed in the updated app?

-Luke

 

[Sheep]

Searched the thread and didn't see anything about this. Is anyone using Win8 Media Center with an Xbox 360 as an extender? If so, have you run into any issues? I spent 5-6 hours tweaking different settings with no success to get my 360 to be able to wake up my HTPC which I use as a DVR. It seems to work fine when the PC is awake, but I really don't want to leave my HTPC on 24/7.

Everything worked fine on my Win7 setup with the exact same hardware so I went back to that for now given that 90% of my HTPC use is as a DVR.

 

[HeXen]

this article makes me wonder...Fired Synofsky.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2012/11/13/microsoft-sinofsky-fired-windows-8/1702511/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-TechTopStories+%28Tech+-+Top+Stories%29

 

[nerp]

Sucks for me, I can't use keyboard shortcuts because I love my ancient IBM Model M13 keyboard and I'm not switching!

Do what I do and get a Unicomp mechanical buckling spring keyboard and keep them both plugged in. I use my Model M to write and my Unicomp for everything else.

 

[Majic 7]

Here is a tutorial on how to boot directly to the desktop. http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/7449-desktop-boot-directly-windows-8-a.html?filter[1]=General Tips. Simple and it works. No hacks or third party utilities, just built in Microsoft capabilities. On the second page of the thread there is another option. This one has typing.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Seriously, I've had a preview copy for awhile on another machine and instaed of screaming, whailing and knashing my teeth, I took a deep breath and said " Hey I'm going to learn this OS" Guess what? Slowly but surely it grows on me.

Yeah I really like the way they have it laid out now. Very clean and smooth design. It's kind of cool finding a few new cool things everyday and understanding where and why it is. I've said before I don't know why everyone was bashing this OS but I have nothing but praise for it after spending a few days with it, even though I don't have touchscreen.

 

[Majic 7]

I spend 95% of my time on the desktop, hence my posts about how to stay there. But I do like some of the Start screen and use it. Got a weather app and the news tile is really good and I am sure there will be more in the future. The mail app is just awful and the facebook stuff has no appeal to me whatsoever. Don't care for the browser since I can't use LastPass with it. What I do use is just a Win key away so I'm satisfied.

 

[lkailburn]

In the store app when there are app updates, is there a way to see update details? Like what's being resolved in the update or even update sizes?

 

[Rhonda the Sly]

In the store app when there are app updates, is there a way to see update details? Like what's being resolved in the update or even update sizes?

When in the update view, deselect all but one app and then a details button will appear in the app bar.

 

[ImDonly1]

Installed Win 8 Pro on my main desktop since I got it for free.
Not really much different from Win 7, except for some new features (task manager) and no Aero theme.

I installed Start8 and it auto-logins to the desktop, never really have to use the Metro start menu. With Start8 it is just like Windows 7. I think people are complaining a little to much, there isn't much new stuff to learn on Win 8.

One annoying thing (small), when you right click the recycle bin, "empty recycle bin" is no longer the 2nd option in the list. I keep pressing the 2nd item in the list, which is now pin to start menu, and it keeps pinning recycle bins to my metro start menu.

 

[dighn]

Installed Win 8 Pro on my main desktop since I got it for free.
Not really much different from Win 7, except for some new features (task manager) and no Aero theme.

I installed Start8 and it auto-logins to the desktop, never really have to use the Metro start menu. With Start8 it is just like Windows 7. I think people are complaining a little to much, there isn't much new stuff to learn on Win 8.

One annoying thing (small), when you right click the recycle bin, "empty recycle bin" is no longer the 2nd option in the list. I keep pressing the 2nd item in the list, which is now pin to start menu, and it keeps pinning recycle bins to my metro start menu.

I don't want to install third party software just so I can get Windows 7 behavior. Selecting Desktop from the metro interface is just one more thing I have to do when logging into my machine; not a fan of using Metro as a launcher either. Overall Win 8 is good, but complaints of Metro being forced on us at the expense of useful features are justified imo.

 

[Majic 7]

I don't want to install third party software just so I can get Windows 7 behavior. Selecting Desktop from the metro interface is just one more thing I have to do when logging into my machine; not a fan of using Metro as a launcher either. Overall Win 8 is good, but complaints of Metro being forced on us at the expense of useful features are justified imo.

If you don't want to log in to Metro about 5 posts back I posted a link to a tutorial that eliminates that.