WinKey+D and you're back to Windows 7. Or a single-click from the start-menu. Or in 8.1 you won't even have to do that.
Don't like the start-menu? Don't use it then - in seconds you've got your old menu back. Also Win8 noticeably uses less memory than 7; the shell upgrades are nice and frankly if you're stuck at "this isn't working as I want it to" then you should hand your geek-badge in because really....this isn't difficult. There's some nice things in Windows 8, but yes, some things have moved around too.
Honestly, the way I see it it's a way of standarising the UI across platforms while giving users a way of falling back to the old UI too. Yes, the start menu looks different but it still works the same way and based on stats, many people rarely used it anyway. Don't like metro? Don't use it. Want your old start-menu? There's a tonne of options to get it back via 3rd-party apps in seconds. The value of Win8 comes when you have multiple devices - with each one having a familiar UI if wanted. I've got a Win8 tablet which I barely use the desktop for and a desktop that I've uninstalled every metro app (almost) for, but my settings and the occasional app is nice to have synced over all devices. If I want to play Angry Birds on the desktop I can (and sometimes do) but as normal usage, I rare leave the desktop. 1 platform with 2 optional modes - it's not as bad as some people here want you to believe.
"Hmmm my favourite OS start menu has been modified in ways I don't entirely appreciate; better move all my apps and data to another OS entirely" - said no-one ever.
It's true it's a change, and that general tends to be where most of the complaints I've heard come from. Still though; WinKey+C will get you to the config panel anywhere and it's 2 clicks from there. Or in PowerShell Restart-Computer does the business too. Aside from that, is there any need to regularly reboot? Same with shutdown - hit the power-button or close the lid and you're done. Implicitly commanding the OS to shutdown is kind of a 90's thing to do to be honest - would you do it on an iPad for example? Unlikely.
2 options: if you're a heavy start-menu user for some reason, there's plenty of OSS packages to revive the old menu. Like really, in less than 60 seconds you can have it back. Second option; pin programs to the start bar or desktop. Neither one is a big deal and against this small downside (for some) you have smaller memory footprint & a faster OS on almost all metrics. I find it incredible that self-confessed geeks have such an issue with this very small speed-bump that actually benefits many others who use it.
...don't use any Metro apps. You're not forced to, apart from some initial app-pinning perhaps. Apart from that you can happily live in Windows 8, enjoy the extra speed and UI enhancements and never see metro again. Happy days!
Lenovo sales are up; Apple sales are down. Those two facts alone show the problem isn't Windows 8, but then again there's nothing like reinforcing a narrative many here wants to believe no matter what with creative stats anyway.
This is an anti-MS website that's why. The folks here just want to hear about how Microsoft screwed up - any other narrative isn't welcome.
Win8 really isn't that different from 7 with the bonus of being able to run Metro apps if you really want to. Granted, I don't like all the UI changes either but I do like the improvements - synced data & apps, faster kernel etc. It really is an improvement over all, but it is a change.
Some places are still offloading old inventory but the vast majority of high-street retailers for example are selling all Win8. This is another Slashdot attempt at convincing everyone Win8 is terrible and Microsoft are doomed - it's been the same tired narrative for as long as I can remember, the only variables are the version-numbers of [product]. Flame away, my crimes of going against the group-think will not go unpunished I'm sure.
Isn't a technology enthusiast site first & foremost?
If you want a site that's pro or balanced towards Microsoft, go and start Cee Colon Backslash Dot.
Interesting how you say "balanced to Microsoft" - is that an admission this place is just a PR machine against it? I'm really asking as sincerely as I can.
You've come to the wrong place if you wanted constructive criticism - Slashdot it only interested in positive reinforcement that Microsoft is doomed and anything it produces is in every way inferior to anything else on the market. You'll see no article that shines any positive light on MS here.
So please take your facts & reason and take them elsewhere:)
But in all seriousness, the Surface Pro is a great device - laptop & tablet in one. Yes there's some trade-offs but no other tablet let's you run legacy WinApps in quite such style, IMO.
Who needs proof to prop-up the years-old narrative here that Microsoft are only & can only be evil? What makes me chuckle are the responses to generic "Microsoft to force [evil_action] for [product_name]?" are so often "Well I for one won't be buying this then", as if they were ever going to....
Slashdot aren't interested in reality, just reinforcing their narrative of it. Granted not all but certainly there's never a post here on anything good+MSFT, which is a shame because this is supposed to be a tech site not a politics site.
Those stats from the other day compared percentage of all machines at the time running Vista, and a % of all machines now running Windows 8, with the % now after 2 months of W8 users less than it was after the same time period of Vista being out. There are a lot more PCs now than there were then so it was a false equivalence. Windows 8 may or may not be the most popular Windows ever; it's very different on some levels (not on others) for one thing and people don't like change, but for sure it's not tanking as many on here would love everyone to believe.
I appreciate much of Slashdot don't want Windows 8 or Microsoft to survive any longer than necessary but has it really come to creative number massaging to convince the world of a narrative you're going to believe anyway? How are/. nerds any different from any PR/sales drones at this point?
Windows 7 is vulnerable to 100% of malware without AV software installed - there are plenty of anti-malware solutions that catch 100% that work with Windows 8. I'm not sure what your point is other than perhaps some subtle FUD spreading.
If some want to cry "Waah! That's not fair! Mobile is not PC."
How much of your computing time do you spend on your mobile? Did you even write that comment on it? Mobile phones are taking some focus off the desktop/laptop PCs for sure but you're only kidding yourself if you think it's a replacement.
I'll get this in before the hundreds of "omg don't want" posts. Windows 8 is significantly different from previous versions, not just for the interface which takes some initial getting used to (although many, predictably, end up warming to it - http://www.zdnet.com/dont-hate-windows-8-7000006297/).
Nope, this Windows is the first release that presumes/pre-empts that you, the user, will do your computing across multiple devices and that you don't want to have to worry about your data & user experience being tied to any one device.
Want to see it in action? Log into Win8 with an MS account on any machine - your apps, data, settings, everything will magically appear (assuming you've allowed it) even if the machine has never heard of you before (and again, assuming this isn't locked down). Load Office 2013 - again, your files & data appear as if you created them on that very machine, all completely seamlessly. All the apps & social integration stuff also follows you wherever you go - the idea being you wouldn't know you were on a new/different device - again all seamlessly streamed from whatever sources of social networking you have setup. That's huge; it effectively eliminates the concept of local file-systems for user data. Everything is transparently in the cloud and just works, as it should be. This is the first Windows to be built from day 0 on this basis.
Now, for people that don't like metro because they don't have touch? The answer is simple - don't use metro-style apps if you don't like them. Your old desktop works just as well (although it doesn't have the same level of cloud syncing) and all the apps you had on Win7 will work just the same way. If a killer game/app comes out in metro-style, guess what, you have the option to run that too. It would be like Mac OS users being able to natively load iOS apps if they wanted - the choice to be able to is good.
Not to mention the benefits for developers having a single & consistent API set to target every form-factor from multi-CPU gaming monster to WinRT/ARM tablet, and that's before we mention WP8 being as it is the same kernel. That's a benefit for users too; pick up any modern MS powered device from Xbox to tablet to desktop PC and the user will be in a familiar UI.
Also, keyboard shortcuts make up for any lack of touch. WinKey + X brings up the power-user menu; WinKey + C brings up the right-swipe bar; there's absolutely loads to help mouse/keyboard users feel at home, but there is a learning curve and from what I've seen from feedback, this is the most objectionable thing. People don't like change; bears have also been know to take dumps in the woods, life goes on.
Are you happy on Win7? Good for you; if you are on Win7 & have no other devices or intention of sharing data on anything but your trusty desktop, then frankly the benefits of Win8 are lesser.. There's a new & vastly improved task manager; Win8 is faster in almost all metrics, and there are some nice desktop GUI enhancements that you'd likely appreciate, however the face of IT is changing to one where it will be rare to have just the one computer, and Windows 8 has that front & center of the design.
One day your average IT worker will find the idea of saving personal data directly to a device actually most amusing I suspect, and the shift in thinking has already started.
There you go; that's my take on the best of Win8. I don't expect many here to appreciate it as I do but there's some real benefits in Win8, despite that being an unpopular opinion in the group-think echo chamber that Slashdot can be sometimes. Now lets return to the flaming.
Slashdot Mirror
WinKey+D and you're back to Windows 7. Or a single-click from the start-menu. Or in 8.1 you won't even have to do that.
Don't like the start-menu? Don't use it then - in seconds you've got your old menu back. Also Win8 noticeably uses less memory than 7; the shell upgrades are nice and frankly if you're stuck at "this isn't working as I want it to" then you should hand your geek-badge in because really....this isn't difficult. There's some nice things in Windows 8, but yes, some things have moved around too.
Honestly, the way I see it it's a way of standarising the UI across platforms while giving users a way of falling back to the old UI too. Yes, the start menu looks different but it still works the same way and based on stats, many people rarely used it anyway. Don't like metro? Don't use it. Want your old start-menu? There's a tonne of options to get it back via 3rd-party apps in seconds.
The value of Win8 comes when you have multiple devices - with each one having a familiar UI if wanted. I've got a Win8 tablet which I barely use the desktop for and a desktop that I've uninstalled every metro app (almost) for, but my settings and the occasional app is nice to have synced over all devices. If I want to play Angry Birds on the desktop I can (and sometimes do) but as normal usage, I rare leave the desktop. 1 platform with 2 optional modes - it's not as bad as some people here want you to believe.
"Hmmm my favourite OS start menu has been modified in ways I don't entirely appreciate; better move all my apps and data to another OS entirely" - said no-one ever.
It's true it's a change, and that general tends to be where most of the complaints I've heard come from. Still though; WinKey+C will get you to the config panel anywhere and it's 2 clicks from there. Or in PowerShell Restart-Computer does the business too. Aside from that, is there any need to regularly reboot? Same with shutdown - hit the power-button or close the lid and you're done. Implicitly commanding the OS to shutdown is kind of a 90's thing to do to be honest - would you do it on an iPad for example? Unlikely.
2 options: if you're a heavy start-menu user for some reason, there's plenty of OSS packages to revive the old menu. Like really, in less than 60 seconds you can have it back. Second option; pin programs to the start bar or desktop. Neither one is a big deal and against this small downside (for some) you have smaller memory footprint & a faster OS on almost all metrics. I find it incredible that self-confessed geeks have such an issue with this very small speed-bump that actually benefits many others who use it.
...don't use any Metro apps. You're not forced to, apart from some initial app-pinning perhaps. Apart from that you can happily live in Windows 8, enjoy the extra speed and UI enhancements and never see metro again. Happy days!
Please Slashdot, do your worst :)
Kudos for providing some actual useful info for an MS product on Slashdot. Unfortunately it's a rarity around these parts.
Lenovo sales are up; Apple sales are down. Those two facts alone show the problem isn't Windows 8, but then again there's nothing like reinforcing a narrative many here wants to believe no matter what with creative stats anyway.
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/04/if-you-make-pcs-and-youre-not-lenovo-you-might-be-in-trouble/
This is an anti-MS website that's why. The folks here just want to hear about how Microsoft screwed up - any other narrative isn't welcome.
Win8 really isn't that different from 7 with the bonus of being able to run Metro apps if you really want to. Granted, I don't like all the UI changes either but I do like the improvements - synced data & apps, faster kernel etc. It really is an improvement over all, but it is a change.
Some places are still offloading old inventory but the vast majority of high-street retailers for example are selling all Win8. This is another Slashdot attempt at convincing everyone Win8 is terrible and Microsoft are doomed - it's been the same tired narrative for as long as I can remember, the only variables are the version-numbers of [product]. Flame away, my crimes of going against the group-think will not go unpunished I'm sure.
Are you really suggesting there's no-one that has vested interest in seeing MSFT do badly?
Isn't a technology enthusiast site first & foremost?
If you want a site that's pro or balanced towards Microsoft, go and start Cee Colon Backslash Dot.
Interesting how you say "balanced to Microsoft" - is that an admission this place is just a PR machine against it? I'm really asking as sincerely as I can.
You've come to the wrong place if you wanted constructive criticism - Slashdot it only interested in positive reinforcement that Microsoft is doomed and anything it produces is in every way inferior to anything else on the market. You'll see no article that shines any positive light on MS here.
So please take your facts & reason and take them elsewhere :)
But in all seriousness, the Surface Pro is a great device - laptop & tablet in one. Yes there's some trade-offs but no other tablet let's you run legacy WinApps in quite such style, IMO.
Who needs proof to prop-up the years-old narrative here that Microsoft are only & can only be evil? What makes me chuckle are the responses to generic "Microsoft to force [evil_action] for [product_name]?" are so often "Well I for one won't be buying this then", as if they were ever going to....
Slashdot aren't interested in reality, just reinforcing their narrative of it. Granted not all but certainly there's never a post here on anything good+MSFT, which is a shame because this is supposed to be a tech site not a politics site.
Yes because not investing in the huge R&D effort to port Office to "Linux" (which one?) is the same as filtering an API usage based on device ID.
Those stats from the other day compared percentage of all machines at the time running Vista, and a % of all machines now running Windows 8, with the % now after 2 months of W8 users less than it was after the same time period of Vista being out. There are a lot more PCs now than there were then so it was a false equivalence. Windows 8 may or may not be the most popular Windows ever; it's very different on some levels (not on others) for one thing and people don't like change, but for sure it's not tanking as many on here would love everyone to believe.
I appreciate much of Slashdot don't want Windows 8 or Microsoft to survive any longer than necessary but has it really come to creative number massaging to convince the world of a narrative you're going to believe anyway? How are /. nerds any different from any PR/sales drones at this point?
Windows 7 is vulnerable to 100% of malware without AV software installed - there are plenty of anti-malware solutions that catch 100% that work with Windows 8. I'm not sure what your point is other than perhaps some subtle FUD spreading.
Disabling secure boot allows this no problem.
As of now we know that Win8 is vulnerable to a huge chunk of malware designed for older versions of Windows.
Citation (badly) needed.
So you can do your day job on an Android tablet you say? Did I read that right?
My point is for real work, tablets, phones, etc, just don't cut it. They're a nice addition to have but no replacement or even close.
If some want to cry "Waah! That's not fair! Mobile is not PC."
How much of your computing time do you spend on your mobile? Did you even write that comment on it? Mobile phones are taking some focus off the desktop/laptop PCs for sure but you're only kidding yourself if you think it's a replacement.
Yes, Google can do no wrong. Any instances of where they seem to be the bad guys is because you haven't understood it right.
I'll get this in before the hundreds of "omg don't want" posts. Windows 8 is significantly different from previous versions, not just for the interface which takes some initial getting used to (although many, predictably, end up warming to it - http://www.zdnet.com/dont-hate-windows-8-7000006297/).
Nope, this Windows is the first release that presumes/pre-empts that you, the user, will do your computing across multiple devices and that you don't want to have to worry about your data & user experience being tied to any one device.
Want to see it in action? Log into Win8 with an MS account on any machine - your apps, data, settings, everything will magically appear (assuming you've allowed it) even if the machine has never heard of you before (and again, assuming this isn't locked down). Load Office 2013 - again, your files & data appear as if you created them on that very machine, all completely seamlessly. All the apps & social integration stuff also follows you wherever you go - the idea being you wouldn't know you were on a new/different device - again all seamlessly streamed from whatever sources of social networking you have setup. That's huge; it effectively eliminates the concept of local file-systems for user data. Everything is transparently in the cloud and just works, as it should be. This is the first Windows to be built from day 0 on this basis.
Now, for people that don't like metro because they don't have touch? The answer is simple - don't use metro-style apps if you don't like them. Your old desktop works just as well (although it doesn't have the same level of cloud syncing) and all the apps you had on Win7 will work just the same way. If a killer game/app comes out in metro-style, guess what, you have the option to run that too. It would be like Mac OS users being able to natively load iOS apps if they wanted - the choice to be able to is good.
Not to mention the benefits for developers having a single & consistent API set to target every form-factor from multi-CPU gaming monster to WinRT/ARM tablet, and that's before we mention WP8 being as it is the same kernel. That's a benefit for users too; pick up any modern MS powered device from Xbox to tablet to desktop PC and the user will be in a familiar UI.
Also, keyboard shortcuts make up for any lack of touch. WinKey + X brings up the power-user menu; WinKey + C brings up the right-swipe bar; there's absolutely loads to help mouse/keyboard users feel at home, but there is a learning curve and from what I've seen from feedback, this is the most objectionable thing. People don't like change; bears have also been know to take dumps in the woods, life goes on.
Are you happy on Win7? Good for you; if you are on Win7 & have no other devices or intention of sharing data on anything but your trusty desktop, then frankly the benefits of Win8 are lesser.. There's a new & vastly improved task manager; Win8 is faster in almost all metrics, and there are some nice desktop GUI enhancements that you'd likely appreciate, however the face of IT is changing to one where it will be rare to have just the one computer, and Windows 8 has that front & center of the design.
One day your average IT worker will find the idea of saving personal data directly to a device actually most amusing I suspect, and the shift in thinking has already started.
There you go; that's my take on the best of Win8. I don't expect many here to appreciate it as I do but there's some real benefits in Win8, despite that being an unpopular opinion in the group-think echo chamber that Slashdot can be sometimes. Now lets return to the flaming.