Michael Pandolfo wrote:
I haven't researched every feature...just enough to know I won't be "upgrading" to it.

Is this supposed to be a tablet-only OS? I don't own a tablet and viewed the interface and just found myself starting blankly at that Metro travesty.

Is this going to turn into Vista Part II? Or are you looking forward to this? If so, what about it appeals to you?

What specifically do you not like?

Guss W wrote:
For a standard PC user, how is it going to make my life better than Windows 7?

If all you use is a single PC, and have no real interest in phones, tablets, sharing data, or any of the current buzzwords it's probably not going to be a life altering experience.

Like Windows 7 before it Windows 8 works better than previous operating systems on lower hardware requirements (i.e. they've tuned it up over Windows 7), but this is not a life changer. You may notice little things like:
- Faster reboot.
- Near instant resume (I don't sleep my PC's so I don't use this).
- Much improved Task Manager
- Improved file explorer
- I'll say this flat out as someone who hasn't been using IE for ages.  IE 10 is good.


On top of that they've added (not a complete list):
- Storage Spaces (a simple, configurable way to pool multiple drives into single drives that can share capacity, offer redundancy, and be added to after the fact without requiring reformats and restores)
- HyperV integration (if your hardware supports) you can now run multiple virtual operating systems on top of Windows 8 (I use this hugely on my spare box and have no less than 18 operating systems running on a single machine.)
- Cloud connected: Basically you can integrate your login account with a Microsoft live account that allows you, among other things, to carry your desktop settings, browser settings, etc., to any internet connected desktop you log on to.  Share documents over pc's in actually meaningful ways (this makes more sense as you start working with multiple apps on multiple devices that can share, edit, and read files you've produced anywhere)...

That's without touching on "Metro", just touching on the upgrades to the desktop experience.

Calatelpe wrote:
From what I've seen, it looks like they wanted to mimic Apple's software, but what I saw looked like a horrible piece of shit. Of course, everything in the PC/Microsoft world is shit. I still use a desktop PC connected to my TV, and the hardware itself in this case is fine...it's really a software issue (some of which they've made into a hardware issue, because something's maybe a couple of years old but it won't be supported anymore.) I love my iPhone 4, I love my Macbook Pro. Apple is integrated (which is to say, they make both the hardware and the software), and in my experience is SIGNIFICANTLY less buggy than anything from the PC/Microsoft world. It just works and works well. I don't have to jump through a million hoops to get basic shit to work because of some lack of standardization. There are only a very few things about Microsoft software that I like better (Excel being a notable example.) Apple isn't perfect or anything (and despite the fanboy opinions out there, Steve Jobs wasn't a god...if anything he was a prick, if a highly intelligent prick), but my experiences with Apple products have been far more enjoyable and far less problematic than anything on the other side of the technological divide.

Typical rant.  I've used Windows since Windows 3.1 with no problems.
I'm now using Windows XP and Windows 7.  If you want to use Apple products I don't care.
The rest of the world is running on Windows.  The company I work for is running Windows server at our location and it runs 24 hours every day with no problems.  We are networked between over 200 locations that run 24 hours.

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
The new UI makes me want to blow my head off

Meh.  That's how people reacted to the "Start" button.

Jerry Nemeth wrote:
Typical rant.  I've used Windows since Windows 3.1 with no problems.
I'm now using Windows XP and Windows 7.  If you want to use Apple products I don't care.
The rest of the world is running on Windows.  The company I work for is running Windows server at our location and it runs 24 hours every day with no problems.  We are networked between over 200 locations that run 24 hours.

Typical rant. I don't care that you're using Windows. Enjoy the blue screens of death, constant freezing over nothing, and frequent incompatibility issues. Yes, you're a Microsoft fanboy...bully for you. Now please let me know how much you "don't care" about such software as Linux and its users.

Calatelpe wrote:

Typical rant. I don't care that you're using Windows. Enjoy the blue screens of death, constant freezing over nothing, and frequent incompatibility issues. Yes, you're a Microsoft fanboy...bully for you. Now please let me know how much you "don't care" about such software as Linux and its users.

I'm happy you have an OS an ecosystem that work for you.  I imagine if I used Apple products across the board I might be happy with them.

I live and work in a Windows world.  My experience with the iPhone/iPad (and it's evil sibling iTunes) is one of frequent app crashes (no blue screens, just apps that drop back to the desktop in the middle of me doing something and forget all I've done).  iTunes is evil, evil shit (on PC, at least)..

All, I (and I think many users) want is portability that converges with the stuff we do at work/home.  Tablets are awesome, until you realize you're buying into another ecosystem that may or may not be compatible with the work you do elsewhere. 

Windows in your pocket that shares with windows on your desktop or windows in your Xbox...  This is a very compelling model.

I fully imagine the transition is going to be rife with bugs (Windows version 1 always is), but so far I've been working with and very much liking the results...

Calatelpe wrote:
Typical rant. I don't care that you're using Windows. Enjoy the blue screens of death, constant freezing over nothing, and frequent incompatibility issues. Yes, you're a Microsoft fanboy...bully for you. Now please let me know how much you "don't care" about such software as Linux and its users.

Typical false statements!  I don't experience those things!  Linux users are not posting false statements here!  I am a Microsoft user!!

Calatelpe wrote:
Typical rant. I don't care that you're using Windows. Enjoy the blue screens of death, constant freezing over nothing, and frequent incompatibility issues. Yes, you're a Microsoft fanboy...bully for you. Now please let me know how much you "don't care" about such software as Linux and its users.

Windows 7 has been the most stable incarnation of Windows to date. I say that after experiencing three blue screens in all my years of running Windows XP. Once because of a RAM fault, once because I installed some shady software and once because a hard drive was starting to die. Yes, I kept my Windows updated. I also purchased hardware and software that I knew would be compatible (a little thing called research.)

People that have all of these "issues" with Windows tend to go out of their way to MAKE the issues happen.

As for Windows 8, it's a step toward what's to come.

Calatelpe wrote:

Typical rant. I don't care that you're using Windows. Enjoy the blue screens of death, constant freezing over nothing, and frequent incompatibility issues. Yes, you're a Microsoft fanboy...bully for you. Now please let me know how much you "don't care" about such software as Linux and its users.

I use OSX , Windows 7 and 8 as well as Ubuntu and Linux Mint 12 KDE.   On my dual boot ancient T60, W8 runs very well.   Faster then W7 and no freezes.   In fact its been my Macbook which has frozen and runs hot.   Every OS has it strengths and weaknesses.   Rather the make this MSFT vs. Apple you've found you prefer OSX.   On a fresh install of Snow Leopard two years back my printers and router stopped working and even downloading the Lexmark drivers from their site didn't help.

Mountain Lion problems and this from  Macworld:  http://www.macworld.com/article/1168016 … _lion.html   As for not caring about software.   The Opensource and Windows world both have more software options then OSX.   Few systems are incompatible as well.   W8 will work on most computers that will run Vista and W7 .  I'm hardy a MSFT fanboy but this constant cheering for OSX gets old.   A computer is just a machine.   OSX and W7 and 8 and Linux distros all work well.   No need to put any OS or brand down.

GoldRoseMedia wrote:
Definitely do not want. I am planning to buy a new PC with Windows 7 pre-installed while it is still available, and then keep it until Windows 8 goes away.

Windows 8 is not going away.  It'll evolve over time, but it's not going anywhere.

There are a lot of people who say the desktop (a surface where multiple apps run in windows) is going away.  I don't think that's accurate either, as there are too many valid situations where you need multiple apps open together and the ability to drag and drop data from one to another. 

Windows 8 is the first real attempt to merge the two paradigms in a way that works together.  Eventually, when someone's come up with a smart enough touch interface to accommodate multiple windows (beyond snapping two apps side by side) together, the whole metro/desktop concept will go away.

A L L A N A H wrote:
Isn't compatible with minecraft: shit doesn't give with this face...

I'm saving for a new lappyitytop, and I'm happy enough with windows 7 to still be able to play sims 1 collection and minecraft.

d

You can run Windows 7 in Hyper V on Windows 8.

Tog wrote:

Windows 8 is not going away.  It'll evolve over time, but it's not going anywhere.

There are a lot of people who say the desktop (a surface where multiple apps run in windows) is going away.  I don't think that's accurate either, as there are too many valid situations where you need multiple apps open together and the ability to drag and drop data from one to another. 

Windows 8 is the first real attempt to merge the two paradigms in a way that works together.  Eventually, when someone's come up with a smart enough touch interface to accommodate multiple windows (beyond snapping two apps side by side) together, the whole metro/desktop concept will go away.

Windows 8 will go away in the same manner that Vista went away. I stayed with XP for years until some time after Windows 7 came out. I do not doubt that Microsoft will keep trying to push this new paradigm, but their history shows that they won't get it right the first time.

And some people (including me) hate, hate, hate touch interfaces. My fingers are too big and oily to ever be comfortable using a touch screen, no matter how elegantly it is designed. I will always want a keyboard and pointing device, even if I have to pay extra to get them.

T Brown wrote:
Not looking forward to 8 at all..I will stick with 7 for as long as I can.

I think Microsoft made a big mistake in thinking that the desktop is a suitable place for the new UI, I can see the merits on a phone or a tablet, but the desktop is a whole other paradigm, its where real work gets done.

Exactly. The best, short explanation I have ever heard was this:

Smart phones and tablets are for consuming content.
Desktops and workstations are for creating content.

- Phil H - wrote:

This is not a MAC VS Windows discussion thread, so lets not take there.

If you wish to blow fanfares of trumpets for all things Mac, please start a separate thread in which to do so.

Thank you. It was annoying reading the back n forth shit. Answering the o.p. question. I've never used it at all. It looks good on a tablet and phone, but on a desk or laptop, it looks terrible. Maybe if you have a touch desk and laptop device it works, but I can't see it using a mouse. Seems like a step backwards imo.

D M E C K E R T wrote:
i'm running the beta or whatevs on my laptop currently (basically just used for fucking around on the internets...my srs bsns computer is a 27" imac).

as a mac user...it just seems like any other recent version of windows...only the start button, instead of bringing up a pop-up menu, brings up a screen full of boxes with different options. it's like thumbnail view instead of list view. *shrug*

Basically.

The new UI that's going to ruin desktop computing as we know it really has next to no impact to doing anything on the desktop.

Michael Broughton wrote:
*shrug* i only switched from xp to 7 about a month ago, so i'm sure it'll be quite a few years before i give a damn about 8, if ever.

I have one machine with XP, one with seven and ill be getting a windows 8 machine. Why? Because I can. And I'm a nerd like that.

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
The new UI makes me want to blow my head off

Tog wrote:
Meh.  That's how people reacted to the "Start" button.

You're both correct.

I'm not a fan of Metro and though I don't completely mind a learning curve if it's going to improve my experience, I was curious if it was worth it. If not for me...who are they targeting because it seems a fairly large learning curve for the average user.

I don't do anything outrageous on my pc. Standard stuff plus Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Premier Pro (occasionally). I don't integrate with a tablet. Don't have a touchscreen monitor, etc.

I think I'll skip this one. I hated Vista like everybody else and went right back to XP Pro after trying it. But I'm very happy with Windows 7 and have never had any "Windows" problems.

It does make me wonder if all future iterations of the OS will have Metro or is this just an experiment that will die depending on the backlash from the consumer.

Thanks for everyone who provided details on the OS. This was certainly not meant to be an "MS is just trying to be like Apple" thread.

T Brown wrote:
for me the biggest fail not just for Windows 8 but from a lot.of programs is that it forces all this social interaction overhead onto the user when for the most par it has no real use. Even now cadd programs are doing it, I'm sorry but when I am working on a project I'm not socializing.

geez it seems like everyone jumps on the same bandwagon without stopping to think if its even a good idea.

What I want and need is a stable and reasonably thought out ui and os that doesn't undergo a major overhaul every release.

I just attributed this to being in my 40's. And the fact that I don't like most people enough, let alone strangers, that I would want to socialize. I don't even like it when I'm surfing the net.

If I'm shopping at NewEgg, thank you but, no, I do not want to share my experience with my friends on Facebook. And, no, I don't want to automatically log in to FB when I'm checking sports scores or reading an article on ESPN.com.

I want to be LESS accessible...not more lol.

Looknsee Photography wrote:
This might be a slight tangent, but I've notice that some of my applications run on the 32-bit Windows 7 computer but won't run on the 64-bit version.  (I should also admit that I haven't worked too hard on resolving that because I use both computers at the same time).

I have this problem often...mainly with my plugins that are "supposed" to work in both the 32 and 64 bit versions of Lightroom and Photoshop. If I want to use them I have to open the 32 bit version because they don't show as available in the 64 bit.

And in LR, I can't even figure out how to access a plugin.

I realize those things are user-error and I also haven't worked too hard to rectify the issue because I may use a Nik plugin like Sharpener Pro or Alien Skin Exposure 4 about once every solstice.

Michael Pandolfo wrote:

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
The new UI makes me want to blow my head off

You're both correct.

I'm not a fan of Metro and though I don't completely mind a learning curve if it's going to improve my experience, I was curious if it was worth it. If not for me...who are they targeting because it seems a fairly large learning curve for the average user.

I don't do anything outrageous on my pc. Standard stuff plus Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Premier Pro (occasionally). I don't integrate with a tablet. Don't have a touchscreen monitor, etc.

I think I'll skip this one. I hated Vista like everybody else and went right back to XP Pro after trying it. But I'm very happy with Windows 7 and have never had any "Windows" problems.

It does make me wonder if all future iterations of the OS will have Metro or is this just an experiment that will die depending on the backlash from the consumer.

Thanks for everyone who provided details on the OS. This was certainly not meant to be an "MS is just trying to be like Apple" thread.

Actually MS is trying to be like Apple.  LOL.  Which is also why Metro won't be going away (although I'm sure it will be going through a ton of changes).  PC usage (and more importantly, buying) is on the decline. 

A lot of posters in here who explain that they're still using age old PC's from the XP era are part of the reason why.  The other part is the move towards disposable mobile platforms (phones, tablets, and anything else that will connect to the internet that isn't a PC).

Microsoft has two things in it's armory, it's got huge inroads in the business world (although there's even shifting there), and it has a massive, massive collection of legacy software that most of the world still wants to use. 

Apple was able to start from scratch and build up a mobile marketplace of however many zillions of apps because it got there first.  Google, didn't have a legacy of previous software, so it might as well start from scratch, too.

No windows device is going to do well if it doesn't play nicely with the world of Windows PC software that people use all the time.  So Windows HAS to find a way of making the old world play well with the new.  Putting old apps on tablets doesn't quite work (they tried.  It tanked).  Windows (pre-8) are not touch oriented designs. 

The first step has to be getting the same underlying OS to play well with both sides of the coin.  That's what Windows 8 and Windows RT are about.  Different tasks running under the same kernel.

The eventual goal is being able to pick up where you left off on whatever you were working on/doing/playing wherever you happen to be. 

I think all of the big players have this goal, but MS has an advantage here in that MS's legacy world is the stuff most people are using.  They have to push that forward into a mobile world or drop off the map.

The computer world would be in a BIG mess of hurt if MS drops off the map (as much as we like to hate them).

Michael Pandolfo wrote:
I haven't researched every feature...just enough to know I won't be "upgrading" to it.

Is this supposed to be a tablet-only OS? I don't own a tablet and viewed the interface and just found myself starting blankly at that Metro travesty.

Is this going to turn into Vista Part II? Or are you looking forward to this? If so, what about it appeals to you?

It isn't tablet only and it is several years past Vista.  Those who stay with XP either have no option to upgrade, their PC won't support 7 or they're just old school as far as I'm concerned.  I'm not pro Microsoft anything but it's pretty obvious Windows 7 is stable and better than XP.