Windows 8 Anyone?

I hated it at first but I love it now. It's mainly for home users, not business. It will work great on a tablet, just take a good few hours to find your way around the metro interface.

Paul
 
From what I have seen so far windows 8 has been designed to compete with Apple. They are hoping that's it's compatibility with windows smartphones will increase the uptake of such devices (which in its current state most people loathe). If they can get the OS on the phone right they may be onto something tho personally I have no interest in this feature (or social networking or touch screen options).

Trying to reinvent the wheel is always fraught with danger & I think a better option would have been to improve on what they know already works (ie windows 7). From a marketing perspective I think your always better off giving people what they want not telling them what they want.
 
Well just finished put on the Windows 8 Standard on our demo machines to be side by side with the Windows7 demo machines.

It was pretty easy to install...just like windows 7. One thing I was scared of with the demo of WIndows 8 is that you had to setup and email account and I was hoping this was not the case with the finished Windows 8. You were able to skip that and be local but you cant download anything from the Windows store until you sign into windows 8.

As for not going forward or keeping up with windows 7...eventually you going to come across someone with a problem with windows 8.

My customers have been coming into the store giving me the question...hows windows 8...should I upgrade...maybe I should wait. cant wait for friday so I can close these customers because now they have the choice.
 
Personally, for home use I love Windows 8. I will reserve judgement for business use till later. Working at a big box store currently most of the customers I have shown it to thought it was easy to learn the basics.
 
I've installed the release preview build 8400 on an HP desktop that's about 5 to 6 years old that was running Vista. I wanted to have some hands on experience in case I was called on to support a customers computer. In reality Windows 9 will probably be out before I see a Win 8 machine in my area LOL.

Anyway...at first I did not like 8 at all!! After reading a book "Windows 8 Secrets" I started to be able to navigate around and within a few hours I felt comfortable with the OS.

While the HP was always a decent running machine I noticed that with Windows 8 it seemed much more responsive. Boot time improved...apps loaded faster...shutdown was quicker.

I've loaded many of the apps I used with Win 7, and all seem to be working well. I'm getting used to the start screen and overall the OS is growing on me.

Most of my customers are challenged when handling e-mails so I see that I will probably make some money helping them transition to Win 8 should the need arise..LOL.
 
That book is made by Paul Thurrott. Hes pretty good. I watch and listen to the podcast from Twit.tv's Windows Weekly. Hes pretty strait up on what he likes and what he doesnt about Windows.
 
I can use it on my ultrabook (Asus UX21) but I HAVE to use a mouse. Using the touchpad is nuts--things start zooming when you scroll and suddenly you minimize everything or the charms menu pop open.

PS. Win Key + X and ViStart are my saviours!
 
I can use it on my ultrabook (Asus UX21) but I HAVE to use a mouse. Using the touchpad is nuts--things start zooming when you scroll and suddenly you minimize everything or the charms menu pop open.

PS. Win Key + X and ViStart are my saviours!

All sorts of crazy touchpad behavior was happening to me until I installed the Win7 driver for my touchpad - running smooth since...
 
LOL there's a lot of it you can't use without a Live account it seems :\

EDIT: Speaking of, at least I finally figured out why my RTM still had the BETA fish background. The stinking pre-release in my VM sync'd it with my live account which sync'd it right back to my RTM install before I even hit the desktop. Funny though, it will NOT sync my current background no matter what I do, and even randomly reverted to the stinking BETA fish after a few reboots.
 
How the heck do you use the mail app without a Windows Live account?
I set mine up with my two Google Apps accounts (business/personal) with no trouble at all. It's lack of features - like a proper signature - pushed me right back to Thunderbird (which I had to install on top of itself just to get a tile to show).
 
I set mine up with my two Google Apps accounts (business/personal) with no trouble at all. It's lack of features - like a proper signature - pushed me right back to Thunderbird (which I had to install on top of itself just to get a tile to show).

Thanks Xander. I've not found a way to use the app without signing into Windows Live as it asks for you to sign in when the mail tile is clicked with no other visible options.
Bear in mind that I did not associate this install of Windows 8 with a Live, Hotmail or Outlook(dot com) account at all, instead choosing a local account.
It seems more and more, like Android and iOS where the end user is tied to their email (and data collection / marketing) system.
If you try to remove the mail tile it warns that doing so will also remove Mail, Calendar, Messaging and People.

Not that I'd be using any of these myself, I'm just trying to arm myself for the inevitable barrage of questions I'll be getting from end users.
 
If you try to remove the mail tile it warns that doing so will also remove Mail, Calendar, Messaging and People.

I don't recall seeing that warning... I removed Mail and People, but kept Calendar and Messaging (though I'm not certain why yet... I think my mom is still on MS IM haha but that's it, and I use google apps calendar...)
 
I suspect we are somewhere in the middle of watching Microsoft implode. They are in the process of making a massive execution error that will ultimately lead to massive layoffs and company-wide restructuring in the not too distant future.

This collapse process started several years ago when Microsoft ignored Apple's release of the iPhone. The collapse will likely culminate with this idiotic foray into the Windows 8 OS and the associated joke they call "hardware" (Nokia phones and the slate tablet). It seems to me that it's too little too late. There is going to be no game changer announcement for the market in coming days and weeks. Think about it. They have to move you & me from Android or iPhone to Nokia phones and the Slate tablet and Windows 8. You want to trade your Galaxy S3 or iPhone for a Nokia running Windows 8? Yeah. Right. The market will respond with a collective yawn. MS has a huge mountain to climb and they have nothing to gain traction with.

Unless MS brings something totally mind-blowing to the market this company is going to get whacked in half over the next 4 years. Mark my words.

I feel the same way.


I have not bought a single copy of windows 8. I am boycotting it.
 
I bought a full version of Win 8 from the Egg for $70. I didn't want to but figured I'll have to work on it sooner or later. I plan on dual booting my bench rig so I'll have to buy a larger SSD to replace my 64 GB model which is a bit too small for two OS. This will probably cost me $170 and I'm not happy!

For years people have been struggling with their PC's. Some finally get it, Some never do. Apple picked up on this and created simple to use, over-priced products since most people just need to surf and email. They control the hardware and software and cater to a market of folks who don't want to deal with techno babble just like AOL did.

So instead of MS creating two business models with appropriate hardware/software they are foolishly atempting to lump us all into the same category. The business users, tech savvy end users and the casual IBM PC user have just been sold out. For 18 years people were taught about the start button and the control panel. Now MS goes and phucks that all up! That's akin to Dodge or Chevy relocating the gas and brake pedals in our cars or using levers instead of a steering wheel.

As others had said, they royally screwed up. I'll bet we'll see the resurgence of the start button after MS admits the tepid response to 8.
 
I bought windows 8 and installed it on an spare drive for my htpc. Pretty lame.
Hulu and netflix metro apps don't work with the remote. Hulu desktop does. I was looking forward to using it as a htpc. Not so hopeful now. The metro layout is kind of a waste of space, the hulu app doesnt make sense. Not apparent how to close apps.
I am interested to see how the business community reacts. I am interested to see how my clients react. Using it remotely is not easy either.
 
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