HardOCP News
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Windows 8 App To Bring Back Start Menu
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Dark Shade
[H]ard|Gawd
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It took years to migrate from XP to 7, far longer than it should have. Businesses are not going to migrate to 8 so easily. But, like Google, they have the money to do mass experiments, fail miserably, and still maintain a majority of the marketshare.
TheGeekFreek
Supreme [H]ardness
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Sissies...
Just learn the new Interface.. it takes about a day to get used to it.
Just learn the new Interface.. it takes about a day to get used to it.
Admiral Equinox
Gawd
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A third party app to enable Start Menu like feature isn't going to fix the massive amount of other problems with Windows 8. For starters, Windows 8 actually has to sell.
As a desktop operating system Windows 8 is actively worse than Gnome 2.x, Gnome 3.x, and Canonical Unity. The average consumer response to the Windows 8 Dev Test was the first time I've ever had average computer users say they'd like a Gnome desktop at all... and the few people that I've.. ahem... "shared"... the Consumer Preview with have had even worse reactions.
As a tablet operating system Windows 8 is roughly equivalent to UI's refocused to tablet design goals such as Gnome 3.x and Canonical Unity. However those UI's are literal years behind the Android, Kindle, and IOS User-interfaces... and KDE is running circles around them all.
Now, will the consumer backlash against Windows 8 be significant enough for Apple or /Linux vendors to gain serious ground in the consumer market?
Time will answer that question.
sfsuphysics
[H]F Junkie
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I haven't been paying much attention to windows 8, but did I read that right, it now has apps?
yep. And its in the same exact style of Apple. All Metro apps have to be approved by MS
PaperclipGod
Limp Gawd
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I bought a lenovo touchpad recently and loaded up the Win 8 Public preview/beta/RC/whatever theyre calling it.
It's alright... but the gestures need a lot of work. They aren't very intuitive. I'm not really a fan of all the widgets, either. It feels cluttered, and if I end up with lots and lots on the desktop, its not going to be pretty. It sort of feels like a tarted up version of the old "Active Desktop".
I think the most damning aspect is how much it just feels like an iOS ripoff. It doesn't bring anything new to the table, and the stuff it attempts to clone isn't as fluid and flawless as the original Apple implementation.
It's alright... but the gestures need a lot of work. They aren't very intuitive. I'm not really a fan of all the widgets, either. It feels cluttered, and if I end up with lots and lots on the desktop, its not going to be pretty. It sort of feels like a tarted up version of the old "Active Desktop".
I think the most damning aspect is how much it just feels like an iOS ripoff. It doesn't bring anything new to the table, and the stuff it attempts to clone isn't as fluid and flawless as the original Apple implementation.
Spoken like a true...er..person who has never worked in a business user environment where time is money and getting staff to "spend a day" x10000+ costs a bloody fortune. Not to mention the user hassle, resistance, uproar etc. etc.
MS should be working to minimise that kind of transition. It's too late to change it all about. Spending a day to learn Windows 8...dear oh dear. It should take 10 minutes tops.
Windows 8 - Basically Windows 7 with a really annoying integrated dog show assault course added to the UI for no apparent reason.
Metro - Designed by hipsters that have never had to use a PC for real work and feel that anything can be achieved (including the company accounts) in 140 characters or less.
you can now download the app. http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/
TechLarry
RIP [H] Brother - June 1, 2022
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Don't...Want...To....
Why should we adjust? WE are the customer. Microsoft should be doing what WE tell them to do.
People like those on this board probably represent 1% of the people that use PCs. Most don't care what OS they have as long as they can get to Facebook and YouTube.
I find that I have to click or type out more than usual to get around. Like when I open IE it opens as a full screen program. So I have to tell it to go to the desktop, everytime..
And don't respond with, "just use firefox" because that is not a valid arguement.
I just wish when you started up for the first time it asks if you want to have the OS geared towards a touch screen or a mouse interface and adjust accordingly.
I use start button + typing all the time but it seems like I have to do more work in 8 than I should.
DeathPrincess
Fully [H]
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It seems like they are only pushing this "new" interface to push metro applications to the fore, to boost their phone/tablet platform... Probably like did with Microsoft PC games/GFWL to focus more attention on their unpopular console.
It doesn't really serve any usability purpose or improve anything, just puts phone applications on a higher importance than proper applications.
chinesepiratefood
2[H]4U
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Gnome and KDE are of no significance to Microsoft. As far as tablets goes, Metro is miles ahead of Android and IOS.
[+Duracell-]
Limp Gawd
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It's a catch-22. If Microsoft doesn't innovate, then people will say that Windows is growing stale. If Microsoft decides that it's time to change and starts changing their software to follow modern trends, people will say that change is bad and demand to go back to the old ways.
This is the same shit that the Ribbon interface, Unity, Facebook, Windows 95, tablet PCs, and QR codes went through when it first came out. Hell, people still argue about whether a GUI is better than CLI sometimes.
Change needs to happen. I actually enjoy the Metro changes. It hasn't restricted anything I do, and in some aspects, it's easier to do a few things.
Anyways, Microsoft's not obligated to listen to us, and neither is any other business. We tell them what we think with our wallets. If you don't believe that Windows 8 is a compelling enough product to switch to, then don't buy Windows 8.
I am anxious to see what people think about the "new" W8.
I've used it a couple of days and honestly, there's just nothing new there but the UI.
It may be a little snappier than W7, as a matter of fact.
Now the "metro" thing is just worthless in my opinion, but somebody obviously thought it was justified or "cool". Just what it's supposed to do baffles me....(other than get in the way).....
I'm glad to see this "start" app come forward.
I've used it a couple of days and honestly, there's just nothing new there but the UI.
It may be a little snappier than W7, as a matter of fact.
Now the "metro" thing is just worthless in my opinion, but somebody obviously thought it was justified or "cool". Just what it's supposed to do baffles me....(other than get in the way).....
I'm glad to see this "start" app come forward.
temujin987
[H]ard|Gawd
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i'm all for innovation, but why change things just for the sake of chaning them? i love the features of office 2010, but i sure didn't need the ribbons. i work with keyboard shortcuts anyway as much as possible, but still it's a load of shit even after three years of working with it. i haven't been able to try the metro interface so i can't tell, but to make a transition easier they could just make it optional. of course that means it will take forever to be adopted.
look at sap. their interfaces look like from the last century. it's horrible. but you can't change it or there will be loads of complaints by people who have gotten used to it in over a decade. there should be *some* continuity in a user interface. it annoys the hell outta everyone if they have to re-learn it with every release.
SixFootDuo
Supreme [H]ardness
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Sissies? How about let's just call it like it really is and tell you that you're just another MS lackey beta-testing their new "cross-over" O/S aka Windows 8.
If you didn't know, Windows 8 is part of their Windows Phone and Tablet Initiative designed to marry the 3 markets. They think it will work, but it won't. I can assure Mr. Gates that Steve Jobs is rolling, laughing and dancing in his grave. MS will end up driving even more Microsoft customers to the Apple Camp.
No one wants the stupid ugly MS phone and no one wants a freaking $1000 dollar Windows tablet. Those wars ( markets ) have already been fought and won and decided.
I think the phone situation is even so bad right now that Nokia is having third and fourth thoughts. Numbers were just released and I think they said MS is selling 1 or 2 phones for every 100,000 mobile phone devices sold. Yeah, it's freaking horrible.
the iPad 3 is getting launched tomorrow. They are also about to destroy Amazon with a 7" or 8" device that's slightly more expensive until Amazon of course drops a bomb on Apple this Xmas and starts selling a 9" or 10" Kindle Fire for $299 or $350. You honestly think Apple and Amazon are going to invite Microsoft to the party? Yeah riiiiiiiight.
If anyone is a sissy it's Microsoft.
When you remove the start button. You know there are going to be serious serious issues. When people have to release videos on how to shut down Windows 8, again, serious serious issues. I spent the other day reading all the complaints. Hundreds and hundreds of pages. There is no where near the excitement there was when Windows 7 public preview was released. In fact, it's a complete 360.
If you didn't know, Windows 8 is part of their Windows Phone and Tablet Initiative designed to marry the 3 markets. They think it will work, but it won't. I can assure Mr. Gates that Steve Jobs is rolling, laughing and dancing in his grave. MS will end up driving even more Microsoft customers to the Apple Camp.
No one wants the stupid ugly MS phone and no one wants a freaking $1000 dollar Windows tablet. Those wars ( markets ) have already been fought and won and decided.
I think the phone situation is even so bad right now that Nokia is having third and fourth thoughts. Numbers were just released and I think they said MS is selling 1 or 2 phones for every 100,000 mobile phone devices sold. Yeah, it's freaking horrible.
the iPad 3 is getting launched tomorrow. They are also about to destroy Amazon with a 7" or 8" device that's slightly more expensive until Amazon of course drops a bomb on Apple this Xmas and starts selling a 9" or 10" Kindle Fire for $299 or $350. You honestly think Apple and Amazon are going to invite Microsoft to the party? Yeah riiiiiiiight.
If anyone is a sissy it's Microsoft.
When you remove the start button. You know there are going to be serious serious issues. When people have to release videos on how to shut down Windows 8, again, serious serious issues. I spent the other day reading all the complaints. Hundreds and hundreds of pages. There is no where near the excitement there was when Windows 7 public preview was released. In fact, it's a complete 360.
MS will just pull a window 7 and push out another product quickly that is just windows 8 with the normal desktop to fix the problem..
though Vista was not that bad of an OS, just people freaked out cause their 10 year old hardware didn't work anymore and then we get windows 7
bbqrooster
Limp Gawd
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I know what you are talking about. You probably think that all rectangular tablet is a ripoff of Apple too.
wiseoracle
2[H]4U
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Well it's probably a good thing that MS is allowing people to try out Windows 8.
If they listen, and perhaps someone has a better idea, MS could implement that.
I'm not that optimistic that this will be ready by Fall.
I just think that MS should do incremental yearly updates, like OSX does with their OS. I would rather pay 25 dollars for something that does improve my experience, verses paying $150-200 for something I may hate.
If they listen, and perhaps someone has a better idea, MS could implement that.
I'm not that optimistic that this will be ready by Fall.
I just think that MS should do incremental yearly updates, like OSX does with their OS. I would rather pay 25 dollars for something that does improve my experience, verses paying $150-200 for something I may hate.
DeathPrincess
Fully [H]
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Because they want to push windows phone and windows tablets, like with the xbox (technically windows 8's metro is a console port!
). They are using the biggest platform they have to do it. They force people to use a crappy phone/tablet UI and get people used to it, so they will be "familiar" with these other devices. You know that as far as Microsoft executive management is concerned, Gates is just as missing as Jobs is for Apple, right? Steve Ballmer has been Microsoft CEO for over 12 years now.
Yossarian22
[H]ard|Gawd
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I agree, but wouldn't be a complete 180 degrees? Because if you are at a starting point and travel 360 degrees about, aren't you back exactly where you started?
[+Duracell-]
Limp Gawd
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I don't know where you've been, but 2 of the 5-star rated phones on the AT&T online market are Windows Phone 7-based with 80+ reviews...the other two are a Blackberry and an LG with 1 review.
The third top seller on T-Mobile is the Nokia Lumia 710, a WP7-based phone.
Ashbringer
Supreme [H]ardness
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That's right sissies. You should all stop being old and get with the times. Touch screens and dumb down interfaces are in. Start button and taskbar is so out.
So it's headed in the same direction? hehe
wonderfield
Supreme [H]ardness
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In what specific ways would you say that Metro is miles ahead of Android/iOS?
RealityCrunch
[H]ard|Gawd
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The new Start Menu mod + Bypass Metro Start Screen and Show Desktop on Startup will be nice. This way one can still launch Metro when they need to or want to access Metro apps, but can remain on the desktop for the rest of the time.
Say what? First of all, Metro UI is *nothing* like iOS. I'm a 3-year iPhone user and a Windows 8 Consumer Preview user since last weekend and I see no similarities between the two. Clicking icons to launch programs have been around since the invention of the Mouse.
The only reason why one might say it copies iOS is because it's now touted to be a touchscreen-friendly operating system. At the end of the day, it's still just clicking an icon to launch a program.
MavericK
Zero Cool
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It doesn't really seem like they are designing Windows 8 with businesses in mind...
The start menu needs to die a quick and painless death. If you want a start menu stick to windows 7 and when you're ready to get rid of the mullet and billy ray cd along with your 2 decade old application menu you can upgrade to windows 8.
Let's keep the progress in the right direction and force people to break old bad habits.
That's open for debate. For almost two years now we have people here and elsewhere complaining about the rise of tablets and how it's invading the workplace. Some say iPads shouldn't be allowed in business environment because it's not remote-controllable by sysadmins. Android tablets are terrible because you would need to make sure something runs on every flavor of Android. Now you have Windows putting their feet in the game. You have the tried and true underlying operating system we know that can run maybe 90% of business applications and throw in the touchscreen-friendly interface. It has a potential of creating a higher demand for tablets in business environments, especially for travelers and commuters who want to carry something smaller than a laptop.
There's no reason why the business cannot adopt Windows 8. I've said it before and I'll say it again. All Metro UI is is a Start Menu replacement. Virtually nothing else have changed from a user standpoint. I find myself on my Desktop nearly 99% of the time, only looking at Metro UI when I need to launch a program, just like the old Start Menu.
wonderfield
Supreme [H]ardness
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The problem, however, is that you have a touch-friendly interface for the applications that you won't be using for business and the old, touch-unfriendly interface (the traditional Explorer interface) for the applications you will. Realistically, you gain very little over what Microsoft has offered in the past, which was an OS that could be used acceptably on tablets, but wasn't well-tuned for that particular usage.
I imagine that if you want a device where you can sort of have the "best" of both worlds, you could choose a Windows 8 tablet, but you don't get the best of both worlds so much as you get two worlds: one that works satisfactorily for tablets and one that doesn't.
Picture this scenario - something I'd like to try for our office's conference room:
Windows 8 from a projector. Kinect for virtual touchscreen. I'm thinking this would be a great presentation operating system.
Negative Decibel
2[H]4U
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you are right; however, it should be an option; not a feature.