5 Reasons To Run Windows 8 Instead Of Linux

It's been long understood that typically the big cost in software isn't in attainment but ownership. The average cost of a Windows client license that comes on a new PC just isn't that much money over the life of the device.

Yea, however you want to slice it, money isn't a good argument for Linux adoption. And I need to be able to access Excel from any of my PCs. Open Office won't cut it in my line of work.

That's just my haypenny's worth though. I'm sure some folks here enjoy tinkering with Linux. I just don't have the time.
 
And windows 8.1 is 1 extra click to get to the local account option. That's it, no unplugging your network cable or anything else. Have you ever even used win 8/8.1 or are you literally just regurgitating shit you read in other posts/threads...

No dpi, pcjunkie, hagrid and a couple others haven't used windows 8 and just keep spouting off stuff that isn't true. It gets old pointing out all the stuff they're wrong on. I'll keep using windows 8 and I'll be happy with it as it does everything I need in an os and then some. It is more customizable than windows 7, faster, and yes more is more productive than windows 7. Guess it is just easier to cry metro over and over then actually use it and learn a little something.
 
No dpi, pcjunkie, hagrid and a couple others haven't used windows 8 and just keep spouting off stuff that isn't true. It gets old pointing out all the stuff they're wrong on. I'll keep using windows 8 and I'll be happy with it as it does everything I need in an os and then some. It is more customizable than windows 7, faster, and yes more is more productive than windows 7. Guess it is just easier to cry metro over and over then actually use it and learn a little something.

The way I see it is that it's kind of hard to know something well if all you're doing is bitching and complaining about it rather than using it and learning about it. But I can't tell someone to like 8.x especially if 8.x doesn't work the way they want. I get that, some people just want the same old 20 year UI for any number of reasons, and there's nothing inherently wrong with that. But neither can you tell someone that's using 8.x just fine that they aren't using it just fine and that they'd be better off with 7 when they are doing everything in 8 and possibly more just as easily as they did in 7.
 
The article is garbage. Linux is great for embedded OSes and servers. Windows is great for consumer devices. Different OSes are good at different things. A computer and it's software is just a tool, and you need to use the right tool for the job.

The person who wrote the article might as well as went off on a rant that screwdrivers suck because they aren't good at driving nails.
 
The article is garbage. Linux is great for embedded OSes and servers.

But he wasn't addressing embedded devices and servers and made this point:

There is no denying that Linux, when well-hidden, has great value. I very quite enjoy all my Android devices as well as my Chromebook. I've been a very happy (well, except when they break down every two years) TiVo user for more than a decade.

But there's a difference between using Linux like a random Ford purchaser uses a carburetor (like an embedded part) and using Linux as Linux.

I think the article is troll bait but he did make it clear he was only talking about the desktop.
 
You mean exactly like apple has done for years now? Where is the outcry about that? I couldn't even turn on an ipad that was given to me without installing iTunes AND creating an apple account. No other option there....

And windows 8.1 is 1 extra click to get to the local account option. That's it, no unplugging your network cable or anything else. Have you ever even used win 8/8.1 or are you literally just regurgitating shit you read in other posts/threads...

The Apple argument is a red herring. Their desktop marketshare is a nonfactor for a reason. My criticism is of Microsoft for continually removing more choice with every new iteration of Windows to push a marketing agenda. Sure it makes sense for MS, but not for the majority of their windows userbase.

As for the local account option being "one extra click"? Bullshit. Only with the benefit of hindsight and having stumbled through it can you say its "one click". The point is the option has been intentionally obfuscated. That "well Apple does it" is wholly irrelevant.
 
No dpi, pcjunkie, hagrid and a couple others haven't used windows 8 and just keep spouting off stuff that isn't true. It gets old pointing out all the stuff they're wrong on. I'll keep using windows 8 and I'll be happy with it as it does everything I need in an os and then some. It is more customizable than windows 7, faster, and yes more is more productive than windows 7. Guess it is just easier to cry metro over and over then actually use it and learn a little something.

Give me one example of what's not 100% true, or troll elsewhere. Be specific.
 
This article shows what's wrong with click-bait metrics.

All 5 of his "observations" have some merit, but even the worst of the arrogant/obnoxious/unhelpful Linux community is just one part of it. There's a ton of zealotry out there, including in the PC camp too. The ugliness he sees in Linux users (since that's a big chunk of his points and comments afterwards) is basically a mirror.

Article rating: D+
 
Give me one example of what's not 100% true, or troll elsewhere. Be specific.

I have no idea what he's crying about but I have tested and used Windows 8. That's part of what I do for my job. I've also set up that abomination for several friends and families. A relative called last night and want me to recommend a new laptop for them. They wanted Windows 7 on it because they saw the new laptop I set up for their daughter and didn't like Windows 8. They were disappointed when I told them it will most likely come with Windows 8. When I speak about the distaste for the OS I'm talking about pretty much everyone I know vs someone coming in here and claiming everyone they set it up for loves it. I know that's pure bullshit. They will use it and might even get used to it, but would rather not. That being said Windows 8.1 does improve things, but not enough, until we get a Metro off switch and start menu back. Lets hope Windows 9 fixes that.
 
If Windows 8 had simply been built with the usual backwards compatibility and user choice, everything would have been fine.

/derail
 
5 Reasons :rolleyes: ...
5 for 5 opinions...
Cool story bro.
 
No dpi, pcjunkie, hagrid and a couple others haven't used windows 8 and just keep spouting off stuff that isn't true. It gets old pointing out all the stuff they're wrong on. I'll keep using windows 8 and I'll be happy with it as it does everything I need in an os and then some. It is more customizable than windows 7, faster, and yes more is more productive than windows 7. Guess it is just easier to cry metro over and over then actually use it and learn a little something.

I do use windows 8, just not on my main machine.

Wrong on what? That the apps suck and I don't use them, need them? The fisher price blocks don't work for me when I can just click an icon on my desktop? The bugs in 8? A few % faster then 7, OMG Its a must have for that! :rolleyes:

Mtero sucks ass, the rest of 8 works good. Thanks
 
I do use windows 8, just not on my main machine.

Wrong on what? That the apps suck and I don't use them, need them? The fisher price blocks don't work for me when I can just click an icon on my desktop? The bugs in 8? A few % faster then 7, OMG Its a must have for that! :rolleyes:

Mtero sucks ass, the rest of 8 works good. Thanks

Some of the apps don't suck and I use them on a desktop. The Fisher Price? That was said about XP's UI. I click and open stuff from my desktop all of the time, well using the task bar, I hide all of my desktop icons, they are pretty useless to me. A few percent faster? That's all going to depend on the hardware. 7 doesn't even run on my newest and also slowest and cheap PC in the Dell Venue 8 Pro, so 8 would be significantly faster on those device.

So again, it goes both ways. Some have their experiences with 8, don't like it and no one can make then like it. Others like me have devices that won't even run 7 and actually use modern apps which so many avoid and curse around here that there's little awareness as to the things they are good for even on a desktop. Sure, they aren't geared for productivity but PCs have been used for more things than productivity since the beginning. Indeed if the computing market were only about productivity, I doubt as many people would be buying tablets these days.
 
If Windows 8 had simply been built with the usual backwards compatibility and user choice, everything would have been fine.

/derail

My old programs work just have. I have zero issue with backwards compatiblity
 
My old programs work just have. I have zero issue with backwards compatiblity

He's not really talking about choice as a concept or backwards compatibility but only one option not in the box, a Metro off switch. I've find it amazing how Linux is praised for all of its options and configurability but 10 seconds to install a free utility to change the UI in Windows doesn't seem to count as choice.
 
Some of the apps don't suck and I use them on a desktop. The Fisher Price? That was said about XP's UI. I click and open stuff from my desktop all of the time, well using the task bar, I hide all of my desktop icons, they are pretty useless to me. A few percent faster? That's all going to depend on the hardware. 7 doesn't even run on my newest and also slowest and cheap PC in the Dell Venue 8 Pro, so 8 would be significantly faster on those device.

So again, it goes both ways. Some have their experiences with 8, don't like it and no one can make then like it. Others like me have devices that won't even run 7 and actually use modern apps which so many avoid and curse around here that there's little awareness as to the things they are good for even on a desktop. Sure, they aren't geared for productivity but PCs have been used for more things than productivity since the beginning. Indeed if the computing market were only about productivity, I doubt as many people would be buying tablets these days.

I barely use apps on my phone much less my desktop. I just don't want metro period on my desktop. People can love it and hate it and tolerate it, I personally hate it and don't want it.
Windows 7 wont run or they didn't make drivers for it? I know they are making it so windows 7 wont run on stuff from what I read. More shoving down the throat stuff.
I like 7, because it does what I need and when I reload, its pretty much ready to rock for me.
I like 8's new features and windows 2012 server, but metro needs an on/off switch.(for me)
 
Excel (as with the rest of Office) is available online.

and emacs > visual studio
 
I barely use apps on my phone much less my desktop. I just don't want metro period on my desktop. People can love it and hate it and tolerate it, I personally hate it and don't want it.
Windows 7 wont run or they didn't make drivers for it? I know they are making it so windows 7 wont run on stuff from what I read. More shoving down the throat stuff.
I like 7, because it does what I need and when I reload, its pretty much ready to rock for me.
I like 8's new features and windows 2012 server, but metro needs an on/off switch.(for me)

As the modern UI becomes better integrated into the desktop argument against having a growing library of modern apps even on the desktop no sense and even now no one has to use them. But millions of desktop users Twitter, Facebook, Netflix, Hulu, play causal games, read digital content, etc. on their PCs. I thought this was about choice? Sounds like the only choice some want is for PC users to be stuck with a 20 year old UI and conventional clamshell laptops and desktops. Choice is more than about one option, a Metro off switch.

As for 7 and Bay Trail compatibility, there's pretty tight integration between the OS and these Atom devices, support even had to be added into Android for Bay Trail. And what would be gained about putting 7 on an Atom tablet at this point? Those devices aren't new and they didn't do so well, I still have one, the HP Slate 500 and compared to 8.1 on a Dell Venue 8 Pro there's ZERO point in running 7 on it. Not only would 7 not add anything on that device, it would it would lose most of ability to be used as a touch capable tablet.
 
Excel (as with the rest of Office) is available online.

and emacs > visual studio

Office online is a very limited subset of full x64 desktop Office. Emacs is a text editor not an IDE. And Emacs, like virtually all significant desktop software runs on Windows natively.
 
Excel (as with the rest of Office) is available online.

and emacs > visual studio

I guess emacs has greatly changed in the last 10 years then.

I used to program all my college projects in visual studio and then just copy and paste into some text editor in Linux (either emacs or nano) and then just make one quick check that they still worked in Linux. I just found visual studio much better for programming than anything I had to use in the Linux side of our pcs in the labs way back then.
 
As the modern UI becomes better integrated into the desktop argument against having a growing library of modern apps even on the desktop no sense and even now no one has to use them. But millions of desktop users Twitter, Facebook, Netflix, Hulu, play causal games, read digital content, etc. on their PCs. I thought this was about choice? Sounds like the only choice some want is for PC users to be stuck with a 20 year old UI and conventional clamshell laptops and desktops. Choice is more than about one option, a Metro off switch.

As for 7 and Bay Trail compatibility, there's pretty tight integration between the OS and these Atom devices, support even had to be added into Android for Bay Trail. And what would be gained about putting 7 on an Atom tablet at this point? Those devices aren't new and they didn't do so well, I still have one, the HP Slate 500 and compared to 8.1 on a Dell Venue 8 Pro there's ZERO point in running 7 on it. Not only would 7 not add anything on that device, it would it would lose most of ability to be used as a touch capable tablet.

I would like choice, the chance to turn it off for my desktop.

You keep talking about integration, but that's with a tablet, not a desktop. They are forcing it on desktop users, since they don't want to go the route Apple did.

That 20 year old UI works pretty good. I pick what I want and click on it, it runs. Not difficult and pretty easy. For people who want the big tiles, they are more then welcome to use it, I don't need it or want it.
 
Excel (as with the rest of Office) is available online.

and emacs > visual studio
The office web apps are only a limited scope not nearly powerful enough esp for excel and access.Word is the only app that probably be fine to replace regular word as not many people use advanced functions, which is common for excel, it's like saying google docs is good enough to replace excel.
 
I would like choice, the chance to turn it off for my desktop.

You keep talking about integration, but that's with a tablet, not a desktop. They are forcing it on desktop users, since they don't want to go the route Apple did.

The changes that were made in 8.1, the rumored changes of a pinning modern apps to the taskbar, right click popup context menus and a close button are clearly changes specifically meant to better integrate the modern UI into the desktop, though there could be some advantages to these changes with touch. And the rumored changes in 9, a mini-Start replicating features of the Start Menu and windowed modern apps, that's all about better desktop integration. Fisher Priceness aside, with a non full screen app launcher and windowed modern apps, the bulk of usability issues people have complained about with 8.x will revolve almost entirely around things being full screen go away.

That 20 year old UI works pretty good. I pick what I want and click on it, it runs. Not difficult and pretty easy.

And millions of people everyday do exactly the same thing on a 8.x device with a mouse, touch and even a pen. Also not difficult and pretty easy with any of those input methods though there is some things to learn when using it with a mouse.

For people who want the big tiles, they are more then welcome to use it, I don't need it or want it.

Tiles in 8.1 can be set to 3 or 4 sizes depending on app support for the largest tile, which is great for displaying nice chunks on data. I see no reason why the idea could be expanded to allow for tiles that work like the Start Menu with small icons and labels to the side. But yeah, this isn't 20 years ago, when a powerful desktop PC wasn't a 100th as powerful as a Bay Trail tablet. Not everything has to be condensed to a small icon because the machine didn't allow for much else. Indeed a lot of the things that people see as efficient were designed because the hardware didn't allow for anything else. Which is efficient from a machine standpoint, but there are other ways that can work just as well or better across more devices.
 
Some of the apps don't suck and I use them on a desktop. The Fisher Price? That was said about XP's UI. I click and open stuff from my desktop all of the time, well using the task bar, I hide all of my desktop icons, they are pretty useless to me. A few percent faster? That's all going to depend on the hardware. 7 doesn't even run on my newest and also slowest and cheap PC in the Dell Venue 8 Pro, so 8 would be significantly faster on those device.

So again, it goes both ways. Some have their experiences with 8, don't like it and no one can make then like it. Others like me have devices that won't even run 7 and actually use modern apps which so many avoid and curse around here that there's little awareness as to the things they are good for even on a desktop. Sure, they aren't geared for productivity but PCs have been used for more things than productivity since the beginning. Indeed if the computing market were only about productivity, I doubt as many people would be buying tablets these days.

You realize that by using a new dell tablet to defend windows 8 you're proving that its designed for tablets right? MS didn't want to go the Apple route and yet they can't design a competent system that works for either productivity or media consumption. Heck, if they had just called it MS Metro instead of Windows I could tolerate the OS.
 
You realize that by using a new dell tablet to defend windows 8 you're proving that its designed for tablets right? MS didn't want to go the Apple route and yet they can't design a competent system that works for either productivity or media consumption. Heck, if they had just called it MS Metro instead of Windows I could tolerate the OS.

Yes, there are elements in Windows 8 to make it work better or tablets than 7. But I also use Windows 8 on a non-touch dual screen desktop and its productive capabilities with desktop apps isn't different than 7. Office, Visual Studio, AutoCAD, Photoshop all work the same. And while iOS has many more tablet oriented apps the tablet apps that are there on 8 are essentially the same. Web browsing on an 8 tablet works the same, just with Flash support. Angry Birds is the same, Netflix, Hulu, Twitter and so on.

So the debate about the UI can go on but most people spend their time running apps and programs on their devices, not on a Home Screen, Start Screen or Start Menu.
 
... And I need to be able to access Excel from any of my PCs. Open Office won't cut it in my line of work...
I run Linux Mint 16 on my laptop and I've got MS Office working through Wine with no problems. It was easy to setup using PlayOnLinux, a front end to Wine. The only thing that doesn't work is Outlook, but I use Thunderbird anyway.
Just saying that it doesn't really take any longer to install MS Office on Linux as opposed to installing Office on Windows. Both seem to take about the same amount of time. When I click the icon for Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, etc, they work just like they do in windows.
 
Ubuntu is my workstation and personal laptop OS but my gaming PC is running 8.1. Truth is, I'd gladly move to Linux altogether but it is nowhere near ready for prime time.

Broader adoption won't hurt it unless it replaces Windows in my opinion. When all the noobs are on the same ship, you suffer.
 
Broader adoption will only come with a huge reduction in the number of Distros out there. Way too fragmented, plus you get the "you installed the wrong distro noob!"

Needs some big money and marketing behind it too. Money talks. Plus whoever does this needs to distance themselves and the product as far away from other linux users as possible.

Would be a huge mountain to climb. I think the best way would be a closed system like Apple. High-end gear with a locked set of hardware for the linux OS to run on. Not so much reliance on the aggressive mountain dew set for support then.
 
With the release of windows 8, it was the final push to get me to try linux.

I installed ubuntu on one of my new computers and only took all day to get it working. Installed elementary OS on my sons computer last night, but after installing the drivers for the 6570 amd card it wouldnt boot, even in safe mode. Fresh install of ubuntu and everything was working. launched steam, team fortress, dota2...

I really like the appearance of windows 8 metro interface but in no way can i see an improvement in workflow. All of the metro apps ive seen are useless, water down apps with no depth, customization, etc.

With Windows 8 at every turn i find frustration instead of improvement.

1.) Oh you want to scroll down on a web page to read the rest of the article? HOW ABOUT I PUT A CHARM BAR IN YOUR WAY.
2.) Oh you are trying to move the mouse cursor from right to left to click on something? HOW ABOUT I TAKE YOU TO THE PREVIOUS APPLICATION
3.) You want to view the next or previous photo on your sdcard? HOW ABOUT YOU PRESS CTRL - ESC -> CLICK DESKTOP -> CLICK FOLDER -> CLICK ON NEXT PICTURE INSTEAD ( this was fixed for me by uninstalling the metro photo app )

I just cant figure out what they were thinking, everything is hidden from plain view, and nothing is intuitive -- if it frustrates an MCITP, it sure the hell is going to frustrate the average consumer.
 
When you take the Windows 8 out of Windows 8, it seems people are pretty happy.
When you take the GNU out of Linux, it seems people are pretty happy.
 
With the release of windows 8, it was the final push to get me to try linux.

I installed ubuntu on one of my new computers and only took all day to get it working. Installed elementary OS on my sons computer last night, but after installing the drivers for the 6570 amd card it wouldnt boot, even in safe mode. Fresh install of ubuntu and everything was working. launched steam, team fortress, dota2...

I really like the appearance of windows 8 metro interface but in no way can i see an improvement in workflow. All of the metro apps ive seen are useless, water down apps with no depth, customization, etc.

With Windows 8 at every turn i find frustration instead of improvement.

1.) Oh you want to scroll down on a web page to read the rest of the article? HOW ABOUT I PUT A CHARM BAR IN YOUR WAY.
2.) Oh you are trying to move the mouse cursor from right to left to click on something? HOW ABOUT I TAKE YOU TO THE PREVIOUS APPLICATION
3.) You want to view the next or previous photo on your sdcard? HOW ABOUT YOU PRESS CTRL - ESC -> CLICK DESKTOP -> CLICK FOLDER -> CLICK ON NEXT PICTURE INSTEAD ( this was fixed for me by uninstalling the metro photo app )

I just cant figure out what they were thinking, everything is hidden from plain view, and nothing is intuitive -- if it frustrates an MCITP, it sure the hell is going to frustrate the average consumer.

You should write an article about why Linux is better, for the lols, of course.
 
It's been long understood that typically the big cost in software isn't in attainment but ownership. The average cost of a Windows client license that comes on a new PC just isn't that much money over the life of the device.
Home consumer front it completely different. Home consumers plunk down money at purchase and generally stop. So The OS price is baked into a laptop. If two laptops are functionally the same for a user and one is $350 and another is $450 which will they pick aside from their friends scaring them off the $350 laptop?

Then what people become familiar with at home they often like to take back to the workplace such as Androids/iPhones displacing blackberries.
 
I already have five computers running Windows 7 Pro.

Why waste the Money, and time, changing to Windows 8, or 8.1, only to find out that Microsoft will force me to keep all my personal data on the "Cloud", or a "Skydrive", where it will all be "Hacked", and Stolen, eventually?
Except they are not forcing you to do anything of the sort...
 
I run both, at home and at work. People doubting one OS or the other, or writing articles favoring one or the other is about as reputable as people claiming their one source for news is the only news outlet that is ethical.

I like windows 7, I even like windows 8.1 and I also like running Mint Linux and for servers I've run quite a bit but mostly tend to sit on CentOS for Linux but for Windows, I prefer 12 over even 08R2. While I won't say that one OS is better than the other, I'll certainly not go after one or the other either. Whatever OS gets done what you want to get done at the price you are willing to pay is the one you should go with.

As for the comments about number of distributions hailed as taking over, you should really look at true numbers. It's no longer about the distribution that takes market share, it's that the underlying infrastructure of just being Linux is making inroads. It's still lost market share no matter how you dress it up and a free OS in up and coming countries has an effect regardless. Perhaps not to gaming folks or hardcore users, but the numbers are always changing up and down. As someone who has been in computers since 89, the amount of devices, machines, systems running on a Linux core is way above what I would have ever figured from when I did my first Slackware install in the 90s.
 
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