Windows 8. Odd operating system

[Greenman]

Just built my daughter a new computer and installed windows 8, what an odd operating system. It took me half an hour to figure out how to turn it off, why would the off button be in settings? It never occurred to me to look there.
It flat out refuses to join my home (wired) network, I may have to buy another printer, and trade files with a floppy. The entire interface seems like something designed by a government comity, it's disjointed, and far more complex than necessary, simple tasks should be simple.
I'm baffled as to why they would do something like this, I get that things evolve, but I have to say that the transition from windows to linux was far easier than the transition from win 7 to win 8. This is a poorly designed interface, I foresee a booming business for win7 bootleggers.

Edit: Update in post #31.

 

[Sheep221]

Downgrading to Win 7 is the only solution

 

[Gintaras]

Just built my daughter a new computer and installed windows 8, what an odd operating system. It took me half an hour to figure out how to turn it off, why would the off button be in settings? It never occurred to me to look there.
It flat out refuses to join my home (wired) network, I may have to buy another printer, and trade files with a floppy. The entire interface seems like something designed by a government comity, it's disjointed, and far more complex than necessary, simple tasks should be simple.
I'm baffled as to why they would do something like this, I get that things evolve, but I have to say that the transition from windows to linux was far easier than the transition from win 7 to win 8. This is a poorly designed interface, I foresee a booming business for win7 bootleggers.

Download and install Classic Shell and you will get familiar Windows, you won't see that Metro screen anymore and will have Start button and regular display....

 

[Greenman]

Download and install Classic Shell and you will get familiar Windows, you won't see that Metro screen anymore and will have Start button and regular display....

Did that already.

 

[mbreslin]

Windows 8 is Microsoft's attempt to force desktop and laptop users to use a tablet/phone interface. Dumb.

 

[Greenman]

Windows 8 is Microsoft's attempt to force desktop and laptop users to use a tablet/phone interface. Dumb.

You know, it does look like a phone.

What an unbelievably stupid idea.

 

[sandorski]

Like I said in the other similar thread, it's only slightly different than Win7. I barely use the Metro interface, just click on the Desktop tile or mouse to the bottom left corner and LMB click and other than no Start button it's exactly the same as Win 7.

Take 20 minutes to watch a couple Win 8 Tips/Tricks vids on Youtube and you'll practically be an expert.

 

[Berryracer]

Like I said in the other similar thread, it's only slightly different than Win7. I barely use the Metro interface, just click on the Desktop tile or mouse to the bottom left corner and LMB click and other than no Start button it's exactly the same as Win 7.

Take 20 minutes to watch a couple Win 8 Tips/Tricks vids on Youtube and you'll practically be an expert.

noone needs to do that when Windows 7 does everything one needs without relying on 3rd party apps to make the OS function like a real OS

 

[sandorski]

noone needs to do that when Windows 7 does everything one needs without relying on 3rd party apps to make the OS function like a real OS

It functions like a real OS out of the box.

 

[Zxian]

noone needs to do that when Windows 7 does everything one needs without relying on 3rd party apps to make the OS function like a real OS

It is a real OS. You're just used to how you do things in Win7. You apparently have forgotten the rage that came about when XP was released. This is the exact same thing 11 years later.

 

[RU482]

Buh buh buh....it was designed to be intuitive.

 

[biostud]

Merge windows rt and phone, and let metro be an option in win 8.

 

[Greenman]

It is a real OS. You're just used to how you do things in Win7. You apparently have forgotten the rage that came about when XP was released. This is the exact same thing 11 years later.

So after 11 years MS still hasn't figured out how to make an intuitive interface? I'm supposed to be reassured by this?

As I already said, going from windows to Linux was easy. The interface is predictable, it's intuitive, windows 8 isn't. I understand that we can work around the interface, but isn't that a bit stupid? If Toyota decided to start putting motorcycle handle bars in their cars, would we all be so willing to accept the "new" idea? Maybe put the blinker switch on the radio, we could figure that out as well, and probably fix it, but that doesn't mean we should have to.
MS screwed up, it's really that simple, and because I could no longer buy win7, I'm stuck with an interface that requires "work around's". I'll use the system, I'll figure out how to make it work well enough, and I'll always remember how poor it is, and who produced it.
It's now just another reason to avoid anything that says Microsoft on it.

 

[Mem]

noone needs to do that when Windows 7 does everything one needs without relying on 3rd party apps to make the OS function like a real OS

Going by your point of view you could argue XP/Vista does it all as well so no need for Win7,I have not even touch Linux Distro's yet that could also replace Win7 as well,can't have it both ways .


For the record Win8 is solid OS IMHO ,just needs some minor tweaking in UI which will come down the road.

 

[Sheep221]

I feel the lack of innovation in IT for almost 2 years, so alot of rich companies are trying to fix stuff that isn't broke, releasing windows 8, discontinuing windows live and so on, are all things that were not needed to come.
On other hand you could buy a Windows 7, it is still sold via retail channels and on MS site, so you should buy a PC without operating and had windows 7 installed on it additionally.

 

[Zxian]

As I already said, going from windows to Linux was easy. The interface is predictable, it's intuitive, windows 8 isn't. I understand that we can work around the interface, but isn't that a bit stupid?

Which interface? Gnome? XFCE? Unity? Unity was pretty horrendous the first time it was rolled out.

People have complained every time Microsoft adds something new to (or removes something from) the Windows UI. People bitched at Win95. People bitched at XP. People bitched at Vista (not just for the OEM-caused performance issues). People are now bitching about 8.

Interface is a matter of preference. I've found the transition from 7 to 8 on my netbook quite painless. I still haven't managed to feel comfortable with a desktop linux environment.

 

[bbhaag]

So after 11 years MS still hasn't figured out how to make an intuitive interface? I'm supposed to be reassured by this?

As I already said, going from windows to Linux was easy. The interface is predictable, it's intuitive, windows 8 isn't. I understand that we can work around the interface, but isn't that a bit stupid? If Toyota decided to start putting motorcycle handle bars in their cars, would we all be so willing to accept the "new" idea? Maybe put the blinker switch on the radio, we could figure that out as well, and probably fix it, but that doesn't mean we should have to.
MS screwed up, it's really that simple, and because I could no longer buy win7, I'm stuck with an interface that requires "work around's". I'll use the system, I'll figure out how to make it work well enough, and I'll always remember how poor it is, and who produced it.
It's now just another reason to avoid anything that says Microsoft on it.

Get the fuck outta here...lol. No you won't.
When your girl needs to write a paper what program is she gonna use? What OS is she going to load that program from?
Lion? Ubuntu? Maybe Fedora??

 

[Drsignguy]

Well, besides walking to school uphill both ways in the snow like we used to do, he can go back to pencil and paper and a cheap calculator.

 

[Stone Rain]

My biggest objection to Metro (though those stupid tiles are very Fisher-Price) is the full-screen apps. Productivity goes out the window in Metro.

Do MS developers never run two apps in the same screen, any time? Oh....wait...MS engineers use Macs.

 

[Gunbuster]

One of the main complaints I see about win 8 "hard/cant figure out how to shutdown"

I'm guilty of it too but isn't it funny how we have been trained to distrust the hardware power button? Search in software for half an hour or hit the glowing button that turns the laptop on... Durrrrr

 

[colonelciller]

Get the fuck outta here...lol. No you won't.
When your girl needs to write a paper what program is she gonna use? What OS is she going to load that program from?
Lion? Ubuntu? Maybe Fedora??

Why not use a GNU/linux distro?

I run across the comment that "most users just surf the web and occasionally"... etc. Sounds to me like "most users" would be perfectly satisfied by a GNU/linux distro, not to mention the fact that it will be:

• cheaper (free)
• free again (as in less spying)
• more familiar UI than Proprietary Windows 8
• and then there's the free office productivity suites that will more than satisfy the needs of nearly all users

hmm... why should we pay money for Proprietary Windows 8 that spys on its users when they could have free and free GNU/linux with a free and free office suite that does everything that they need?


hmm...
hmm...
:whiste:

 

[colonelciller]

It took me half an hour to figure out how to turn it off, why would the off button be in settings? It never occurred to me to look there...

I'm baffled as to why they would do something like this...

It's only baffling if we ascribe noble motivations to Microsoft. Their actions with the power button are perfectly consistent with the actions of an OS designer who specifically wants to discourage you to shut off your computer's power. Also note how difficult it is to deactivate "hibernation"... quoted (in blue) from this thread --> http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2308170

--------
"I installed Windows 8 Pro to try it on my laptop since ASUS has all the necessary drivers for Windows 8....
1) Had to revert to registry hacking to disable Hibernation as the old command line in DOS doesn't work on Windows 8 (powercfg -h off)

Instead, I had to navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Power

In the right pane of the Power key, double click/tap on HibernateEnabled
To disable Hibernation, simply change the value to 0, to enable it, set it to 1"
--------

the change from an easy to switch off setting in windows 7 to the above would be baffling until one considers the possibility that microsoft is particularly motivated in making it exceedingly cumbersome to disable hibernation (and probably downright impossible for the vast majority of users).:ninja:

 

[Ketchup]

It is a real OS. You're just used to how you do things in Win7. You apparently have forgotten the rage that came about when XP was released. This is the exact same thing 11 years later.

I would like to disagree with that statement. With Windows XP, everything looked different, yet was still in the same place as it was in ME/98/95 (desktop, menu labeled start).

With 8, almost nothing is where you would expect it to be. You can use the search feature to find installed/built-in applications, but even that involves moving the mouse to a spot that doesn't let you know there is anything there in the first place.

I think Microsoft is actually trying to commit suicide. Or maybe they just want us to do so.

Edit: They have been in a position for far to long which states that they can do anything they want, and we have to like it because their OS comes on the computer (I am talking normal consumer level, of course). It's time for that to change, and they may actually be pushing that into reality more than they realize.

 

[Jaskalas]

Microsoft needed a whole two things to diffuse the situation.

1. Optional boot to Desktop
2. Optional Classic Start Menu

None of the hate would have ever occurred - but they don't seem to care. Very odd.

 

[Raincity]

It would have been nice if MS did include an optional classic desktop but there is over a dozen third party apps to fix the issue. I find it easier to install one app to correct the desktop to my preference than install over a dozen apps in Win 7 that Win 8 now features.