Windows 9 is out next April.

I say bring back ME...

Do as I have.

 

Uninstall all the unused Metro apps

Install classic shell to get start menu back

Disable the "charms" bars

Default to desktop

 

Jobs a good un.

 

Best of both worlds then as I get to use the desktop all the time but still able to use metro apps should I wish (got a couple of games installed).

 

Phil

I have no problems with Windows - I bit the bullet paid the price & bought a Mac, the upgrade to Mountian Lion that was released a couple of weeks after I bought the machine was free, & the upgrade to Mavericks was free to everyone & Apple announced that future OS upgrades will be free like the iPads / ifones. I dont have to add all the ScareWare that you seem th have to have on a windows machine.

My bug is using the mouse pad and suddenly something pops up or it swaps windows.

Yet try to do it on purpose I can't. Haven't done 8.1 yet.

 

Same as this ^^^  does my head in

Mine does that. It simulated the swiping from the sides of the screen.

 

Turned it off in the settings.

 

Phil

It's no doubt an 'age' thing.

I'm 'pre-techno' as you now know.

My father has Windows 8 now and he's getting on fine with it.

 

But then he is a stupid old sod.  :think:   (Sorry Dad, I didn't mean it, love you to bits really.  )

I was put off initially by all the negative reports on the web (Mainly junior scribblers with a vested interest).

 

As a regular home user, for the last month,  I'm more than happy with it.

 

I can see where MS are coming from. You've just got to persist with it, then you "Get it".

 

The metro interface is a first attempt at combining the virtues of an android phone interface with the Windows GUI. OK, at first glance, it appears that its directed towards the casual, less cerebral user. That may be the case, because that's where the mass market is. It can't have been far from MS intentions, with this system, to ensure that the non or low users of today will find it easier to become  the casual of tomorrow and the cerebral users of the day after tomorrow. But IMHO, as it stands, it does have under-appreciated virtues which the existing  regular user can benefit from.

 

It gives the user the "Once-touch-to-app"  advantages of Android, with the support of a well developed OS - let's face it, the Android and phone OS's , are deliberately under-engineered for "Liteness" and can on occasion leave you hanging in an app, with no error messages and no idea how to rectify the problem, apart from the small red switch.

 

What's more the Metro interface is user configurable, so you can install the tiles icons you want to access the application programs you need and be able to access them in one action (Swipe, click, or tap) to get what you want, fast. How efficient is that ?

 

I can see that if you're heavily into MS Office applications, involving text inputs, then having a Metro interface, the  benefits will be diminished compared to a user who is a quick "In and out merchant" accessing E-mail, weather reports and the odd web-page and the touch-screen interface will become a complete pain in these circumstances, as it will, in the absence of a virtual keyboard (Which will be slower) necessitate taking your hands away from the keyboard. However, as I pointed out in my earlier post, this can be alleviated by the use of a keyboard with a built in touchpad. Hands stay anchored to the keypad and my right index finger can traverse side to side across a 2 inch touchpad faster than someone touching the screen with their finger or using a mouse.

 

Ok, that may be a bit of a subversion of the original MS concept. But it works for me.

 

I also think the Metro UI incalculates a flexible form of thinking in the user, whereas the old Windows directory structure (Which is essentially DOS viewed through a GUI)  encourages "Stove-piped thinking", some say anal.

 

I think, on this occasion, Microsoft have undersold W8, possibly by focusing too much on the use of the Metro UI in the "Surface"- compare and contrast the launch that XP got.

 

 

Nick

Edited 4 March, 201412 yr by Clunkclick

As what has already been said above.. much of the issue people have with win8 is that its different to all versions since '95.

 

I feel sorry for MS.. given they've had to go through a similar transition for the office products when they switched to the ribbon interface.

 

For me i have nothing bad to say about it really and actually prefer it to win7.

Why oh Why did microsoft not include at classic veiw desktop option, they did on a previous version of windows (can't remember which one)

 

Classic shell does the job well, something as simple as that included for the folks without touch would have saved them a lot of grief.

 

I know several people who paid to have Windows 7 loaded onto new computers, I was close to doing the same when I found out about Classic shell.

Why oh Why did microsoft not include at classic veiw desktop option, they did on a previous version of windows (can't remember which one)

 

Classic shell does the job well, something as simple as that included for the folks without touch would have saved them a lot of grief.

 

I know several people who paid to have Windows 7 loaded onto new computers, I was close to doing the same when I found out about Classic shell.

I know how you felt as I went through the same. Was close to getting Win 7 loaded until I found classic shell. Surely MS could have produced something like Classic Shell and not lost countless potential sales.

 

The main reason I hear for people not installing Win 8 is due to the "Metro"  system - by pushing it so much they are actually reducing their own sales!.

My new laptop came with Windows 8. I HATE IT. Infact I go as far to say it's made the laptop unusable.

 

Yes for touch screen, app related stuff I'm sure its great. Maybe I'm just an old f*rt, I prefered the older system.

 

I will probably downgrade (or in my view upgrade) to Windows 7.

My new laptop came with Windows 8. I HATE IT. Infact I go as far to say it's made the laptop unusable.

 

Yes for touch screen, app related stuff I'm sure its great. Maybe I'm just an old f*rt, I prefered the older system.

 

I will probably downgrade (or in my view upgrade) to Windows 7.

Read my posts above - install Classic Shell and it will behave like Win 7 but with all the improvements "under the hood" remaining.

 

Make sure the charms are off (which can be done from within Classic Shell) and its back to the good old MS way of working

Windows 9 is out next April.

I say bring back ME...

NEXT April? Oh god!

The only reason I'm not changing laptops now is because of Windows 8, I love Windoes 7, it's the best OS made to date imho and have looked at viedos of Windows 8 and absolutely hate everything about it (and I'm 18) I don't get why anyone would make something for touchscreen and think it's ever going to work for PC. Also has anyone noticed that it's starting to ruin laptops themselves? These new swively, touchscreen, convertable type laptops are becoming more popular. I say bring back something like Winows 7 and bring back proper laptops.

I can see what microsoft were trying to do but its not quite worked. On a tablet, great but for a normal machine its not quite there. 

 

There are many simple tasks that now take more steps that before. Also the search is just dire and not intelligent

I find a lot of simple tasks take a lot less clicks under Windows 8, the new start menu means getting access to programs in one click instead of several (as you don't need to go to start->programs->program folder etc.) once you remove all the Modern tiles and the menu that replaces the start button gives handy one click access to control panel, computer management, add/remove programs etc. plus I like that the OS is quicker and more responsive than Win7, it runs well on low performance hardware and absolutely flies on quick hardware (boot from cold in under two seconds)  I find the search is the first working version they've had, it never seemed to work properly on Windows 7 which I found irritating but on Windows 8 it's quick and pulls back the correct results.

 

I don't like the touch screen interface on it even on touch screen PC's as it just wastes too much space, it feels designed for a phone although rather oddly the Windows Phone interface is almost completely different.  My main annoyance with Win8 is that there isn't an option to change application defaults to the desktop application rather than the touch version and remove all the Modern tiles from the start menu.

 

John

8.1 is pretty good, no need for any addons, no need to use the metro ui(boots straight to desktop if you set to).

 

Most of the anti comments are now moot, some just like a good whine though. 

Mine does that. It simulated the swiping from the sides of the screen.

 

Turned it off in the settings.

 

Phil

 

Where in settings do you turn it off?

Just bought a convertable laptop with windows 8, immediately upgraded it to 8.1 and like the way it works.