How long did it take you to like Windows 8?

M

mw8t

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 9, 2012
Messages
184
About a week for me.

Horrified at first, then I learnt how good it was.
 
I have used daily for 14 months at work (my own choice since I am the admin) and I am just neutral although that is quite an improvement over my initial reaction.
 
I liked it immediately there are still stuff that bugs me but overall it's fine. Until I used server 2012 now I hare it all and want the whole thing to burn
 
I still don't like using Windows 8. The metro interface is horrible to use on a desktop. It's a great operating system underneath it though.
 
It took me about a week to get used to 8.1. After doing so, there has been no looking back.
 
I just installed and used it for the first time, about a month ago. At first I was like holy shit, couldn't find things. Why the apps has the "secret" down arrow. Never understood that still.

But now I'm used to and its not that bad. Performance wise its an improvement over 7. I really like the new taskmanager/performance now, very cool.

But hell, now as soon as 10 is out, gonna upgrade anyways right away.
 
I've been using Windows 8.1 since it launched. I'll let you know once I start to like it.
 
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Its still garbage. Even with a better UI its still a stripped down Windows 7 with unwanted touch/modern UI features.
 
Meh, it's an OS. As long as it gives me access to my programs and otherwise stays out of my way, I don't really care about it.

In that respect, it's no worse than 7 really.

Now ask me how much I like introducing it to new users and supporting it.
 
Brian_B said:
The instant I installed Classic Shell.
Click to expand...

+2

it got way better after I installed a start menu replacement. It's really a fast, stable OS under that abomination of an start screen.
 
Starting liking it (even the new GUI features) as soon as I read Ed Bott's "Metro Hater's Guide to Windows 8". . .

The key realization is that the Start Screen is no more or less intrusive than the original Start Menu. You click it, your choices come up, you click what you want, and you're back to the desktop with the launched application. The same number of clicks in either case. The only difference is that you can't see your desktop beside the Start Menu when looking at the full screen Start Screen. But, why would you need to?

Once you customize the Start Screen and uninstall all the fullscreen/metro applications, Windows 8.1 is actually quite nice.
 
Hurin said:
Starting liking it (even the new GUI features) as soon as I read Ed Bott's "Metro Hater's Guide to Windows 8". . .

The key realization is that the Start Screen is no more or less intrusive than the original Start Menu. You click it, your choices come up, you click what you want, and you're back to the desktop with the launched application. The same number of clicks in either case. The only difference is that you can't see your desktop beside the Start Menu when looking at the full screen Start Screen. But, why would you need to?

Once you customize the Start Screen and uninstall all the fullscreen/metro applications, Windows 8.1 is actually quite nice.
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i think this last line is what i'm missing. I still don't like windows 8, not because it's bad, but because it doesn't do anything for me other than start faster (which is super nice). the whole metro interface and fullscreen apps are a pain in the ass. maybe I should just get rid of them instead of trying to use them when they are clearly inferior to freestanding programs (mainly talking about Skype here, haven't used much else.)
 
Been using it for over a year now and I'm still not sure if I like it. I'm making this post from a win 7 machine.
 
I liked Win8 from Day One, though I did find it a bit quirky. It was not some world-ending nightmare scenario where I suddenly turned stupid and couldn't figure out an OS.

"Oh, there is no Start Menu. I will tailor the Start Screen to my needs, and put my frequently-used apps there. This will get me back to normal efficiency starting applications, and only takes a few minutes."

"Oh, there's no shut down icon, I will use alt-F4, which has worked since the dawn of time, and gee, it still works now. Problem solved."

"Oh, some things now open in the new style. I am still able to adjust to new ideas and new thinking, because I am not a luddite."

Of course Win8 had issues, like the lack of wifi SSID controls and whatnot. Win8.1 really helped, and the Update 1 resolved what few minor nitpicks I may have had. Win10 kinda scares me cuz they seem to be throwing a ton of stuff at it all at once. It's gonna be feature creep^2.
 
I didn't like Metro. I installed Classic Shell. I never saw Metro again.

At that point it was basically just a better W7.
 
Yakk said:
+1

Have it on one rig and using classic shell makes it usable. Still some bizarre tile stuff, but it's much better.
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This also. If I don't see metro, I am a fan of the OS. :)
 
ekuest said:
maybe I should just get rid of them instead of trying to use them
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Yes! They aren't intended for desktop use. That's trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Just uninstall. 95% of them can be removed. The rest can be unpinned.

I only keep the weather app pinned to my start menu because the smart tile is nice.

There's really no need for "classic shell" or anything else. You can customize Windows 8.1 down to being just like Windows 7 in just about every way that matters. And I have grown to like the Start Screen. Just as efficient and in some ways better than the Start Menu.
 
Ask my 14th reincarnation, if you believe in reincarnation (because I don't).

There are fails like Vista, and there are mega fails like Windows 8. It's a product so bad that the guy in charge of it, responsible for brushing aside feedback and forcing this mess through despite all internal resistance, had to unexpectedly decide to "spend more time with his family", and have the team under him dispersed to metaphorically salt the development earth around that disaster.
 
I have to deal with Windows 8 (and Server 2012) on a daily basis.

I *still* detest the interface.
 
From day one. Use it at home and at work. I am still an puzzled by people bitching about tiles. I rarely ever see them.
 
When I got startisback, which came about 3 months after launch or so. The lower ram usage, faster boot, and faster installs made me switch. Also not having to deal with 4 years of extra updates and crap.
 
Used it for as long as I had to. Never had trouble with it, but never got comfortable either. Using win10 on my desktop and a chrome OS laptop.
 
Lol I'm shocked.. Isn't this a site for tech people? Install Start8, disable the edge of screen pop out menus and you're left with an ultra refined Windows 7 that's better in almost every way imaginable. I don't understand all you people that don't like Windows 8.. Metro aside what do you dislike about it?
 
Once I figured where the "All Programs" menu was buried and once I configured it to my liking. It's essentially just like a full-screen Start menu for me at the moment.
It also motivated me to move all of my games over to the Steam UI instead of using the clunky Games menu that barely worked and took a lot of hacking to look cool.
Right now, I'm happy with Windows 8. It doesn't mean I'm not excited for 10, but I do like 8.
 
TDSlam720 said:
Lol I'm shocked.. Isn't this a site for tech people? Install Start8, disable the edge of screen pop out menus and you're left with an ultra refined Windows 7 that's better in almost every way imaginable. I don't understand all you people that don't like Windows 8.. Metro aside what do you dislike about it?
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It breaks some games. I wanted to like Win10 until an update messed up punkbuster, now I can't use it anymore.
 
I bought startisback a day after I bought my laptop with Windows 8 and have been very happy with it.
 
TDSlam720 said:
Lol I'm shocked.. Isn't this a site for tech people? Install Start8, disable the edge of screen pop out menus and you're left with an ultra refined Windows 7
Click to expand...
Ironic.

No, Windows 8 with a 3rd party start menu is not "ultra refined Windows 7". Windows 8 has a mish-mash of classic and Metro-ized tools (including some which run on the desktop), and has no options to restore the (convenient) amount of detail available in the UI going all the way back to Windows 95. Windows 8 isn't a refinement. It's a poor attempt to ape a tablet OS and turn a desktop computer UI into a simplistic gadget. It's takes the productivity of Windows 7 and regresses it.

Some people like Windows 8, but productivity workers and IT generally hate it. I find it to be completely frustrating to use and I've tried several times. It's just a mess and Sinofsky paid for it with his own job. The slapdash hacks MS has done in the point release and updates have not improved it; instead it's become even more of a mess.
 
TDSlam720 said:
Lol I'm shocked.. Isn't this a site for tech people? Install Start8, disable the edge of screen pop out menus and you're left with an ultra refined Windows 7 that's better in almost every way imaginable. I don't understand all you people that don't like Windows 8.. Metro aside what do you dislike about it?
Click to expand...

The psuedo start menu sucks. I shouldn't have to install 3rd party applications to fix it. Previous versions of Windows were easier to use. Its that simple.
 
TDSlam720 said:
Lol I'm shocked.. Isn't this a site for tech people? Install Start8, disable the edge of screen pop out menus and you're left with an ultra refined Windows 7 that's better in almost every way imaginable. I don't understand all you people that don't like Windows 8.. Metro aside what do you dislike about it?
Click to expand...

It has hibernate by default instead of shutdown, an almost universally detested gui, an app store nobody uses, and they stripped out media center and turned it into payware dlc. Those things don't add up to an 'ultra-refined Windows 7.' There is no statistically significant improvement in memory management or program performance in general.

7 is still the best desktop OS. If Microsoft thinks the desktop is done, fine, make 7 a subscription product and stop trying to shove modern apps down our throat.
 
Windows is not my main OS, but I use it in VM and on a remote machine and it works fine. My one annoyance to this day with it is exiting a metro app. I mean alt+tab works and I can try and get my mouse in the right spot, but other than that everything works the same. I actually like the search in 8.1.
 
I don't "like" it, but the migration from 7 to 8.1 was pretty much seamless for me. I like how fast and consistent it is. I am still quite annoyed by the Start menu. I have found that it is actually faster to just type in what I'm looking for after pressing the Windows key instead of fucking around trying to find something in the useless interface, or wasting time organizing everything. Other than that it is still Windows, so no big deal. I do miss Aero, though. The flat interface gets on my nerves sometimes...

I have never touched a Metro app since moving to 8.1 five months ago, and have no plans to ever soil my hands in that way.
 
pxc said:
Ironic.

No, Windows 8 with a 3rd party start menu is not "ultra refined Windows 7". Windows 8 has a mish-mash of classic and Metro-ized tools (including some which run on the desktop), and has no options to restore the (convenient) amount of detail available in the UI going all the way back to Windows 95. Windows 8 isn't a refinement. It's a poor attempt to ape a tablet OS and turn a desktop computer UI into a simplistic gadget. It's takes the productivity of Windows 7 and regresses it.

Some people like Windows 8, but productivity workers and IT generally hate it. I find it to be completely frustrating to use and I've tried several times. It's just a mess and Sinofsky paid for it with his own job. The slapdash hacks MS has done in the point release and updates have not improved it; instead it's become even more of a mess.
Click to expand...

Like I said, take 5 minutes to avoid Metro once, and you're all set. I haven't seen anything Metro related since the day I installed it. Once you get past metro what exactly does 8 take away from 7 in functionality. All I've noticed is a smoother experience ( Just Works ), and I don't feel the need to reformat every year like I did with 7.
 
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