Goodbye windows 8 ?

[TechPJC]

Since November 2013, I've used Windows 8.1 Pro
which has been more stable and faster
than my Windows 7 Ultimate.

 

[gunslinger]

I'm sure I speak for many techies when I say I'll be doing the happy dance the day win 8 is replaced. Whats funny is that Windows 9 could be EXACTLY like Win7 with no changes other than the name and some people would still be like "OMG its the coolest and fastest OS EVER!" These people will always think newer is better by default and anything that disagrees with this is "standing in the way of progress"

 

[brandonkick]

Windows 8 is a great operating system. The Metro interface is one of the worst interface designs ever created.

While it is true that a lot of people don't realize you can simply install a free or very cheap solution to rid the system of the metro interface, that doesn't make it a fault of the operating system itself. M$ screwed up big time with the interface and my guess is that they wouldn't admit to the screw up and restore the start menu functionality with the option to go back to metro if you wanted to.

I can understand how those techs who service the general public have a hatred for windows 8. I'm sure it made life hell for a lot of you. But the operating system itself is rock solid.

I've been using it now for almost 2 years now and have had VERY little problems. In fact I think this has been the longest I've ever gone between reformats in almost ten years. It runs, looks and feels just as fast (and IMO a little faster) as windows 7. If it really is faster, IMO, it is a small amount. But at least it made progress there, unlike vista.

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Oh it's an ok system under the hood(Been using it since november of 2012 or so). But even with the 8.1 upgrade, sometimes I shake my head about the way they did things. Like the wifi network manager that windows 7 has. I was trying to do some setups with my wifi recently, and to make it forget the network, I had to go back to the old netsh command line in a dos prompt. Because they'd taken out the wifi profiles manager. Really?

In all honesty, if they'd have given the public Windows 7 with the secondary interface as an option, and let people ease into it as opposed to forcing them into the UI, people probably would be raving how great the OS was and they would have had a home run imo.

 

[BrentfromZulu]

Ok wasn't you the one that said you "couldn't take the article seriously" and that "Metro was the future of Windows"? That seems contradictory to this statement here.

I don't think I contradicted myself. What I dislike about the article is the fact that they are basically making Windows 8 out to be this terrible thing, when it's too early in my opinion to determine that. Microsoft is a proud company, and I figured they would ride out the Metro stuff for a while until tablets are mainstream. The desktop/laptop users got hurt by this the most, vendors didn't want to spend more money on touchscreen laptops and there aren't hardly any Desktop Monitors that are touchscreen.

The thing is, Windows RT will take some time to catch up to Android/IOS in the tablet game. The big problem is Windows RT vs Windows Phone. Android and IOS stuff is practically the same, but RT vs WP8 is different.

Personally, I think they should've stuck with Windows 7 for desktops / notebooks, and released their tablets as Windows Slates with the New Windows 8 OS, but call it something else like Windows Tablet edition or even RT. If it ain't broke, right?

I take back my "I can't take the article seriously," but replace it with "the journalist seems like he drinks the Apple Kool Aid, but his source seems legitimate (Paul Thurrott).

 

[coffee]

Its no surprise though. People hating change isn't anything new.

If your saying change is the only reason people do not like windows 8 then you are wrong.

Things change all the time. When change happens people adapt. However, Changing from what alot of people perceive as a good operating system like windows7 to something like windows8 has nothing to do with 'not wanting to change' its more a matter of choice.

coffee

 

[nlinecomputers]

I don't think I contradicted myself. What I dislike about the article is the fact that they are basically making Windows 8 out to be this terrible thing, when it's too early in my opinion to determine that. Microsoft is a proud company, and I figured they would ride out the Metro stuff for a while until tablets are mainstream. The desktop/laptop users got hurt by this the most, vendors didn't want to spend more money on touchscreen laptops and there aren't hardly any Desktop Monitors that are touchscreen.

The thing is, Windows RT will take some time to catch up to Android/IOS in the tablet game. The big problem is Windows RT vs Windows Phone. Android and IOS stuff is practically the same, but RT vs WP8 is different.

Personally, I think they should've stuck with Windows 7 for desktops / notebooks, and released their tablets as Windows Slates with the New Windows 8 OS, but call it something else like Windows Tablet edition or even RT. If it ain't broke, right?

I take back my "I can't take the article seriously," but replace it with "the journalist seems like he drinks the Apple Kool Aid, but his source seems legitimate (Paul Thurrott).

Tablets ARE mainstream. Just not Windows Tablets. And Tablets will never replace desktops for all things. The problem Microsoft is having is they have no real tablet device and Apple does. iPads are the norm in tablets with everything else Android, Kindle, Windows Surface, etc far behind it.

In 2003 in order to get on the Internet you HAD to buy a PC. Now lots of things can give your internet access and the desktop is shrinking back to being an Office tool like a typewriter was. Oddly it has gone full circle as it started that way. Microsoft mistake is in thinking that they can change that or merge unrelated devices under one UI. They have played to the Lowest Common Denominator instead of designing an OS that could reconfigure itself depending on what hardware it was installed on and what configuration it is in. Had they made a dynamic OS instead of a static one they might have a winner instead of the flop that Windows 8 is.

 

[phaZed]

iPads are the norm in tablets with everything else Android, Kindle, Windows Surface, etc far behind it.

I would offer that that is debatable and incorrect. Android is leading in the tablet space and Apple is experiencing a year over year decline in market share across the board (iPads, Computers and phones).

Macbooks lost over Chromebooks in the US!

http://www.news.com.au/technology/g...et-sales-in-2013/story-fn6vigfp-1226790497024

http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2573415

Just google "ipad vs android global market share 2013"

 

[nlinecomputers]

Apple is declining but they are still in the lead. My point is that desktop is dead in the consumer market as the only reason to buy one is to replace an existing pc and then ONLY if you make use of it in a creative work related use. I've known several people that have replaced PCs with iPads.

 

[Krynn72]

If your saying change is the only reason people do not like windows 8 then you are wrong.

Things change all the time. When change happens people adapt. However, Changing from what alot of people perceive as a good operating system like windows7 to something like windows8 has nothing to do with 'not wanting to change' its more a matter of choice.

coffee

I just meant that in regard to that "initial aversion" thing I was talking about. People like the old (7 years and counting) start menu, and 8 brought in a radical change, which people will see is nothing like what they are used to using and like well enough. If used as a start menu, I really do think the windows 8 interface is better for most people. But right out of the gate it got nothing but hate, and few people spent enough time with it to see the benefits. There are some people of course who it will not work for, but I'm a pretty heavy user and I like it better and think most of my customers would too. Everyone goes into it hearing how bad windows 8 is though, and it sets them off on the wrong foot when trying to get used to it, and rarely does someone overcome their preconceptions

Now the metro apps themselves... Can die in a fire and I won't shed a tear.

 

[gunslinger]

You do understand you are comparing ALL android devices and the thousand or so companies making them to one company right? These types of stats mean nothing because of that. Android is leading the market because of that and the fact that every new customer coming into the smart phone market is pushed hard to android. They practically pay you to take them.

 

[Rosco]

Good, Windows 8 will become Windows ME

this is also what happened to vista. 7 was what vista should have been.

 

[phaZed]

You do understand you are comparing ALL android devices and the thousand or so companies making them to one company right? These types of stats mean nothing because of that.

Yes, I do. Hence the reason I stated "Android is leading in the tablet space and Apple is experiencing a year over year decline", in response to nlinecomputers, "iPads are the norm in tablets with everything else Android".

I think we should all be reasonably able to agree this has never been a "manufacturer" war, but rather, an OS war. If you believe that more people using Google's Android system isn't noteworthy, well, that's up to you. I could really care less if individual manufacturers like Samsung or Motorola ships less or more units than Apple or vice versa.

Android is leading the market because of that and the fact that every new customer coming into the smart phone market is pushed hard to android. They practically pay you to take them.

Ya, and if Apple doesn't change something quickly they may find themselves pushed out of the market just like they have been twice before in the 80's and 90's. The market decides for itself, people aren't being pushed to Android.. they like the options available to them whether that be the price or form factor/brand, or even the OS. We can all agree that there are a lot of options in the Android space and not very many in the Apple space.

Look no further than Apple for "practically paying you to take them" - The iPhone 5s 16GB has a final manufacturing cost of $199 per this site and is selling the iPhone 5s 16GB through retail channels for $199. What about the iPhone 5c? Apple is selling that for $99 and it has a $173 manufacturing price tag per this site, so you may want to rethink that argument as Apple is also literally selling it for nothing, and might I add, losing market share to Android devices at the same time.

 

[nlinecomputers]

You do understand you are comparing ALL android devices and the thousand or so companies making them to one company right? These types of stats mean nothing because of that. Android is leading the market because of that and the fact that every new customer coming into the smart phone market is pushed hard to android. They practically pay you to take them.

Smart phones are not tablets. iPad is a tablet not a smart phone. I seen more Android phones in use but not more Android tablets in use. That is changing.

 

[BillMoney]

Smart phones are not tablets. iPad is a tablet not a smart phone. I seen more Android phones in use but not more Android tablets in use. That is changing.

I see so many people coming in w/ crappy android tablets that they spent $300 on a few years ago asking for power cords, batteries or to replace screens. I am also seeing tons of people coming in asking for polaroid or some off brand piece of junk android tablet. Some people are buying piece of junk android tablets online too thinking they got a great deal for $200 when they could have gotten a Nexus 7 for $30 more. Android is all about the hardware that is powering it unfortunately their is so much garbage hardware out their it is giving android a bad name.

 

[gunslinger]

I don't think Apple is worried...lol Considering they made enough last year to buy the top 4-5 tech companies in the world. When most people want a tablet they say "I want an iPad" unless they have some geek from technibble steering them toward android. Per that site? lol no one knows what their final cost is because they don't let that info get out. If they ever did it would be the biggest news ever. What you are seeing is an estimate based on a them taking an iPhone apart and estimating what Apple pays for each part (even though they have no idea). I'm sure Apple gets a pretty sweet deal on parts. I'm also sure they have less than half of that estimate in their phones. If they didn't please explain their profits from the device. As a side note, would you like to compare Apples profits in 2013 to that of Microsoft, Google or anyone else?


Ah well Think what you like. Back to Win8 I did a fresh install of 8.1 today and it still sucks balls.

 

[angry_geek]

These threads crack me up. I just knew, eventually, it would devolve into this. Someone pass the popcorn.

 

[gunslinger]

These threads crack me up. I just knew, eventually, it would devolve into this. Someone pass the popcorn.

Hey, I'm trying to pull myself back on track. I even did a fresh install of Win 8 this afternoon, thinking maybe I was too harsh on it. I was not. From the "metro" interface that you have to use a 3rd party app to get rid of to the way they hide damn near every useful feature, to making it almost impossible to get out of certain apps. Its sucks from top to bottom. It simply reaffirmed that I made the right choice in keeping Win 7 for my personal system and nuking and installing Win 7 on pretty much every Win 8 machine that comes into the shop.

 

[Krynn72]

From the "metro" interface that you have to use a 3rd party app to get rid of to the way they hide damn near every useful feature, to making it almost impossible to get out of certain apps. Its sucks from top to bottom.

I don't know why I'm bothering, but what features are hidden? What apps are almost impossible to get out of?

You also do realize that the only interactions that you "have to use" of metro is the start screen, right? And in that aspect, its very, very easy to use.

 

[scandalist]

I dont mind Windows 8. Ctrl-X gives me access to basically every admin tool I would ever use and problems are only a refresh or a reset away from a solution. plus, 50/50 snap windows and insanely fast search results for all your files and settings and I don't even have an ssd.

8 isn't bad but if your going to be using it on a laptop you MUST ingrain the keyboard shortcuts. Otherwise there will be dissonance because its truly made for a finger, not a mouse.