I've always been very mixed on Windows 8. Is it the worst? No. Did Microsoft make some really dumb decisions? You bet.
I first tried Windows 8 back when I first built my Haswell machine. I liked some things, but I also had issues. Here's my post from back then:
I went with Windows 8 for my new PC build, and it's not too bad. I knew what I would like about it, and I was pretty spot on. Frankly, the best parts to me are the improved task manager and file copy dialog. It sounds kind of mundane and silly, but I really like all the information on them. Although, I probably would've rather paid $10 to upgrade Windows 7 to those newer variants.
What don't I like about it?
- Lack of a Start Menu Option - Well, this is pretty obvious as most people that have gripes about Windows 8 complain about this. Honestly, since I can pay $3 and fix it, I'm not really that worried about it. I can still access the Metro Start UI by hitting CTRL+WIN, so that's fine.
- UAC Always On - This is my biggest problem with Windows 8. I've been using computers for a long time, and I don't think I need any hand-holding when it comes to operating one. Because of that, I really dislike UAC. In fact, turning it off is one of the first things that I do with Windows 7 installations. When I moved the slider down in Windows 8, I was surprised at the lack of a restart prompt, but I didn't think much of it... until I got an administrator rights required prompt! Now, to be fair, it is possible to disable UAC through the registry; however, based on what I've read on the Internet about this process, if you disable it, you cannot use the Microsoft Store built into Windows 8.
- No Non-Metro Default Apps - Honestly, for a lot of actions in Windows 7, I just used default apps. For example, when I wanted to look at a photo, I just opened it in Photo Viewer. The problem now is that Photo Viewer is a Metro app, which means you're stuck in an annoying full-screen view. Although, apparently, it's not hard to fix given Photo Viewer still exists in Windows 8.
- New Theme Settings Aren't Intelligent - I sort of struggled to think of a short title for this one, so let me explain. I tend to use very dark desktops. In Windows 7, I used Aero, and I would set the the Window Color to Gray with a low intensity. So, I pretty much had a black window. In Windows 8, the minimize and maximize buttons are built into the window frame, and they are black by default. If you make your window frame black, the buttons are not visible. You'd think they would ensure the buttons are visible based on the color used, and if not, they adjust it to a more visible color (i.e. white). This doesn't end up being a huge deal as I just use a darker gray now.
Honestly, out of all of these, #2 is the only one with the potential to be a true deal breaker for me. I've already set UAC to auto-accept all elevation requests, and that seems to abate the annoyance for now. I'm tempted to just turn it off since I doubt the
I ended up getting rid of Windows 8, because there just wasn't a benefit to it compared to Windows 7. I think the biggest issue is that most people
don't like change, but they're usually willing to adapt to it... if it has a benefit. The new Start menu has some benefits, but in most cases, I didn't really find it all that helpful for normal desktop use. I use two monitors, and I usually put the maximized stuff on my second monitor (e.g. web browsers, etc.). That leaves my icon-laden desktop fairly accessible, which ends up performing the same functionality as the start menu without completely obfuscating everything else.
So, at this point, I have two Windows 8.1 machines: a HTPC and a laptop. I specifically designed the HTPC around Windows 8.1, and honestly, it works really well. Unlike the HTPCs that are attached to a TV, this one is attached to a 23" touchscreen monitor (literally as it's a NUC mounted to the back), and it resides in my kitchen. Essentially, I use it as a giant tablet that gives me easy access to recipes while cooking/baking while allowing me to watch videos through PLEX, YouTube or Twitch. I use Windows 8's snap feature for that, which once you find the gesture (it's surprisingly hard to find good tutorials for these... or my search strings were just bad), is really easy to do.
My new laptop is also running Windows 8.1, and honestly... I seriously debated just buying an OEM copy of Windows 7 Home Premium to install on it. I don't mind Windows 8.1 on the laptop too much, but my problem is that I'm usually saddled with the vanilla version. That's a problem for me, because I use an Ethernet-based tuner at home, which means I can watch TV on any PC on my network. Well, to watch any protected streams, you
must have Windows Media Center, which is only available (for $15) on Windows 8 Pro. I believe the upgrade to Pro from vanilla is $100. Another negative aspect is that I can't even watch TV that was recorded on another PC without having Windows Media Center installed as I lack the codecs. So, I'd have to reencode everything first.
so nope,just being helpful.
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