How many of you actually "like" windows 8 now?

[wonderfield]

I believe they refer to that as a 'neurosis'.

 

[Dogs]

I think it's funny when people try to micro-manage Windows like that.

 

[PornoSatan]

I think it's funny when people try to micro-manage Windows like that.

My XP system has been rock solid since 2008 without an AV, and it only requires a little more effort to look after than normal. And it would have been goin since 2005 if it wasn't for some upgrades. The result is an extremely responsive system that doesn't need to be reformatted every 6 months or a year. I think it's funny when people think ignorance and laziness is in style. Each individual should look after their machine to the best of their own ability, and that doesn't mean simply installing an AV updating it and thinking it's cruise control from there. There's a big difference between being meticulous with your own machine and admining 1000 machines, which obviously you can't devote individual attention to, but your home machine, definately.

This Windows 8 system will be the same.

 

[wonderfield]

Just seems like an awful lot of effort for what are truly negligible gains is all. In XP, that kind of thing was occasionally worthwhile, but that hasn't been the case for a while now. Windows isn't nearly as lean as it could be, but it's still 1% milk. Going down to skim doesn't really get you much of anything.

 

[B00nie]

My XP system has been rock solid since 2008 without an AV, and it only requires a little more effort to look after than normal. And it would have been goin since 2005 if it wasn't for some upgrades. The result is an extremely responsive system that doesn't need to be reformatted every 6 months or a year. I think it's funny when people think ignorance and laziness is in style. Each individual should look after their machine to the best of their own ability, and that doesn't mean simply installing an AV updating it and thinking it's cruise control from there. There's a big difference between being meticulous with your own machine and admining 1000 machines, which obviously you can't devote individual attention to, but your home machine, definately.

This Windows 8 system will be the same.

You're either extremely lucky not to catch any fly-by infection or malware from an install, obvilivious to the rootkits etc. you have due to no AV or you just don't use your XP much. I don't know which it is

 

[B00nie]

And you don't have to use it if you don't want to. Microsoft actually gives you a choice here.

It does? How do you disable it?

 

[Tsumi]

It does? How do you disable it?

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/gg442260.aspx

Amazing what a 5 second Google search can turn up.

 

[Zenshi]

Been resisting upgrading from XP 32bit for a long time. However, the OS is getting a bit old (less and less support) and with the recent incentive pricing, I upgraded to Win 8 Pro 64bit. Initially I was like huh? But now its actually quite enjoyable. I think I will be upgrading my entire family's rigs to Win 8 Pro.

 

[heatlesssun]

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/gg442260.aspx

Amazing what a 5 second Google search can turn up.

I still have no idea why anyone would want to disable this. It doesn't get in the way and it's the easiest way to arrange windows side-by-side in Windows. And it's actually touch friendly on a tablet. Just drag to desktop windows to either side, very useful on a Windows tablet.

 

[Dogs]

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/gg442260.aspx

Amazing what a 5 second Google search can turn up.

...Again, haters don't usually put in the time to make sure their criticisms are actually valid.

 

[Veilrap]

Aerosnap is how my wife convinced her entire office to upgrade from XP to 7 last year.... Why would anyone ever disable it?

 

[PornoSatan]

You're either extremely lucky not to catch any fly-by infection or malware from an install, obvilivious to the rootkits etc. you have due to no AV or you just don't use your XP much. I don't know which it is

Drive by infections don't work if the scripts can't even run. And I long ago uninstalled all the obvious programs you hear exploits about every 10 minutes like Adobe Reader, Java, Quicktime, etc. So even if active content is running, the exploit kits won't find anything exploitable, with the exception of perhaps a 0day Flash. I call it being responsible with my system. AV's have too much a mind of their own, use rootkit techniques themselves to protect against malware, and randomly take up a large amount of system resources in the form of disk access, cpu, or whatever, really not a fan of any of that. For what it's worth though, MSE doesn't seem bad, and I like the fact that it's by Microsoft. MS creating an AV on an OS they have the source code to seems to make perfect sense to me. On Windows 8 they renamed MSE to Windows Defender for some strange reason, and even though it does annoy me slightly sometimes, I still like it and use it. But yeah, I went years without using an AV on XP and was just real picky on what active content was allowed to run and had AutoRuns logs dating back years to compare to for local stuff. For rookits I basically just checked to see if any functions were being hooked with a little program called "RootRepeal". Was silky smooth the entire way.

 

[Ritorix]

For what it's worth though, MSE doesn't seem bad, and I like the fact that it's by Microsoft. MS creating an AV on an OS they have the source code to seems to make perfect sense to me. On Windows 8 they renamed MSE to Windows Defender for some strange reason, and even though it does annoy me slightly sometimes, I still like it and use it.

Yeah MSE has been the way to go for home PCs for a while now. Free and transparent. Viruses are still a problem for non-technical users, for people with shared computers, for...pretty much everyone except single-user computers ran by H readers.

They should fix the task manager by removing it all together and replacing it with Process Explorer.

You've been able to do this for several windows versions already! It's a registry setting and I think now its just straight-out option in PE.

 

[B00nie]

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/gg442260.aspx

Amazing what a 5 second Google search can turn up.

Amazing what difficulty it is to search for something you didn't know was there. Exactly as is the issue with key combos and missing menus in W8.

Thanks for telling, I'll disable this feature on the W7 I have to use regularly.

 

[Dogs]

Amazing what difficulty it is to search for something you didn't know was there. Exactly as is the issue with key combos and missing menus in W8.

Thanks for telling, I'll disable this feature on the W7 I have to use regularly.

I don't know about you, but when a competent user decides they don't like a feature, they look for a way to disable it. Thus, when you decided you didn't like Aero Snap, why wasn't the first thing you did going to google and typing in 'Disable Aero Snap'?

I just don't understand this 'helplessness' people have. They can't just go try something out and figure things out for themselves, and if they don't sit down to find things exactly how they individually want them, it must be Windows' problem and not them.

 

[Tsumi]

Amazing what difficulty it is to search for something you didn't know was there. Exactly as is the issue with key combos and missing menus in W8.

Thanks for telling, I'll disable this feature on the W7 I have to use regularly.

Amazing why you never even thought to search to see if it exists.

 

[Linden]

On Windows 8 they renamed MSE to Windows Defender for some strange reason

Sorry, you are a little behind the times. That change happened a couple years ago in Windows 7. Windows Defender is a integral part of the OSes, both 7 and 8: You can disable it but not remove it.

 

[Void]

Sorry, you are a little behind the times. That change happened a couple years ago in Windows 7. Windows Defender is a integral part of the OSes, both 7 and 8: You can disable it but not remove it.

Actually they changed MSE to Defender in Windows 8 and it all comes with the OS. With Windows 7 Defender came with the OS but MSE was a separate D/L, two separate programs. Now with Windows 8 it's all one program.

 

[Linden]

Yes, thanks for the correction.

 

[B00nie]

I don't know about you, but when a competent user decides they don't like a feature, they look for a way to disable it. Thus, when you decided you didn't like Aero Snap, why wasn't the first thing you did going to google and typing in 'Disable Aero Snap'?

I just don't understand this 'helplessness' people have. They can't just go try something out and figure things out for themselves, and if they don't sit down to find things exactly how they individually want them, it must be Windows' problem and not them.

Only an extremely anal user or one with loads of spare time in his/her hands starts to tweak any aspect of the operating system. I won't spend one minute trying to configure windows as it's counterproductive. I'm also spending a large portion of my time using different clients computers which obviously won't have these 'tweaks' done

Luckily I can do 90% of my work using OSX and run Windows virtually for cases where it can't be avoided.

 

[Dogs]

Only an extremely anal user or one with loads of spare time in his/her hands starts to tweak any aspect of the operating system.

I wouldn't call it tweaking. I'd call it making Windows suit your preferences. It's no different than turning off start bar grouping, or changing the desktop background

I won't spend one minute trying to configure windows as it's counterproductive.

So what you're telling me, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that you essentially function as though you're computer illiterate? Any particular motivation for that?

 

[Flopper]

Love windows 8

 

[B00nie]

I wouldn't call it tweaking. I'd call it making Windows suit your preferences. It's no different than turning off start bar grouping, or changing the desktop background

I would call it tweaking at the point when you have to start to google up stuff to find it.

So what you're telling me, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that you essentially function as though you're computer illiterate? Any particular motivation for that?

You are wrong. I essentially function as though I'm using the computer to do my work instead of using it like a toy. Every new UI change, every new button press required is a monumental annoyance as it gets in the way of getting work done. Nobody wants to waste time relearning interfaces for nothing.

And, please, a little reading comprehension. I just mentioned that a large part of my Windows use happens on the customers computers which I have no option to start to tweak anyway. So my only practical option is to try to avoid the pitfalls and curse silently.

 

[devil22]

Well since you can launch the 60 apps that fit in the start screen in 2 clicks (plus use the task bar, desktop, etc.), instead of 10 apps in 2 clicks in Win 7, with the rest not in the task bar or on desktop requiring 4 or more, then you agree Windows 8 is better? After all, you said 'every new button press required is a monumental annoyance'. What about remembering where an app is? In Windows 8, all my apps are in one location, in Windows 7, I had less efficiency, while stringing apps all over the place - the desktop, the task bar, the pinned items in the start menu, top of the start menu, start menu folders, etc. Such a thing is a 'monumental annoyances' to me.

 

[Tsumi]

Only an extremely anal user or one with loads of spare time in his/her hands starts to tweak any aspect of the operating system. I won't spend one minute trying to configure windows as it's counterproductive. I'm also spending a large portion of my time using different clients computers which obviously won't have these 'tweaks' done

Luckily I can do 90% of my work using OSX and run Windows virtually for cases where it can't be avoided.

Arguing about an OS is extremely counterproductive.

You are wrong. I essentially function as though I'm using the computer to do my work instead of using it like a toy. Every new UI change, every new button press required is a monumental annoyance as it gets in the way of getting work done. Nobody wants to waste time relearning interfaces for nothing.

You use it for work, a lot of us gamers use it for fun (this is a gaming forum, right?), and we will spend time to make sure our OS is personalized for us.

Working on another person's computer... well you can't exactly complain about that. It's your job and you're supposed to deal with whatever headaches your customer brings in.

 

[dr.stevil]

Arguing about an OS is extremely counterproductive.

agreed.

Nobody is going to change any minds. If you like it, great. If not, stick with 7. It's a win-win

 

[heatlesssun]

Nobody is going to change any minds. If you like it, great. If not, stick with 7. It's a win-win

There are a number of Windows 8 opponents that don't seem to like the option of staying with 7.

 

[notarat]

I've been using Windows 8 on and off since the Alpha release, like many of you have. I like it no better or worse than 7.

It's got its pros and cons like any other version of Windows since 3.1.

I spent the $4.99 for the Star Dock Start 8 App and I'm pleased enough with it to keep it on one of my systems, but I will not yet load it on my gaming box...

 

[dr.stevil]

There are a number of Windows 8 opponents that don't seem to like the option of staying with 7.

I'm sure they're perfectly content with 7... just voicing their opinions.


like I said, nobody is going to change anyone's minds about it. Enjoy it if you do, hate it if you don't

 

[heatlesssun]

I'm sure they're perfectly content with 7... just voicing their opinions.

For some yes, but a lot of dislike of Windows 8 isn't directly about Windows 8 but where computing is going in general. If the desktop and laptop market was growing at healthy clip then Windows 8 wouldn't be what it is. We're going through a major shift in computing that's simply more focused on tablets, phones and touch. The desktop isn't going away but it is no longer the only game in town and more and more or going to other devices.

Windows 8 concedes to the fact that the desktop is in relative decline and that has a lot to do with why many don't like it.

like I said, nobody is going to change anyone's minds about it. Enjoy it if you do, hate it if you don't

In time some will change their minds I think as touch and tablets become normal in the PC world.

 

[griffinhart]

I installed "Start8" on my tablet to see what it was like, and I liked enough where I installed a copy of Windows 8 on my desktop.

I have been running Win 8 for the past few weeks now on my desktop as I can avoid the new UI on the desktop.

It has been mostly ok, though I have had to revert back to my Win7 install.

Joystick support for Planetside 2 is broken in Windows 8. The game fails to even launch with a joystick plugged in.

Shadowcopy mysteriously broke without any new installations or changes. Now my desktop refuses to backup to my WHS box.

IE10 has been very quirky for me as well.

Windows 8 doesn't play well with my companies VPN set up. I can't connect without installing a 3rd party AV/Firewall app, which I am not interested in doing.

I don't like the way Win8 shades windows that aren't active. I find it difficult to quickly determine what window is what when they are semi stacked behind my active window as the unified shading of the app and inactive window border is the same. They all blend in too easily.

I really, really, hate not having my desktop gadgets. I haven't been able to get used to not being able to glance at the second screen while I am gaming or watching a movie to easily see the time, or status of other machines on my network.

I have also found an annoying quirk with Outlook 2013 and Windows 8. I have my Task bar extended to my second display, and each taskbar only displays what is open on that display. I tend to keep outlook 2013 open and on the second screen but when I click the Outlook App pinned to my task bar, it will open multiple instances of outlook rather than just bring the existing instance into focus. I do like having individual task bars on both displays, but functional behavior like this is a little odd to me. I also wish you could move what you have pinned to the task bar to other taskbars on other screens.

Many of these things aren't the fault of Win8. The Joystick thing and the VPN thing are the fault of SOE and Juniper. But, The usability problems, the inability to reliably back up to my WHS box and the rest just make using Windows 8 more of a chore. I don't have to work around the limitations, quirks, or incompatibilities of the OS when I am running Win7.

I'll revisit Win8 in 6 months again and see if my problems have been fixed, but until then, Win7 is back to being my desktop OS.

I've had Win8 as my Tablet (asus ep 121) OS for a while now, and am perfectly content with it there, with "Start8" installed. It gives me the best of both worlds.

I will never run Win8 without Start8 on my desktop, even if my problems get fixed soon.

 

[ManofGod]

I installed "Start8" on my tablet to see what it was like, and I liked enough where I installed a copy of Windows 8 on my desktop.

I have been running Win 8 for the past few weeks now on my desktop as I can avoid the new UI on the desktop.

It has been mostly ok, though I have had to revert back to my Win7 install.

Joystick support for Planetside 2 is broken in Windows 8. The game fails to even launch with a joystick plugged in.

Shadowcopy mysteriously broke without any new installations or changes. Now my desktop refuses to backup to my WHS box.

IE10 has been very quirky for me as well.

Windows 8 doesn't play well with my companies VPN set up. I can't connect without installing a 3rd party AV/Firewall app, which I am not interested in doing.

I don't like the way Win8 shades windows that aren't active. I find it difficult to quickly determine what window is what when they are semi stacked behind my active window as the unified shading of the app and inactive window border is the same. They all blend in too easily.

I really, really, hate not having my desktop gadgets. I haven't been able to get used to not being able to glance at the second screen while I am gaming or watching a movie to easily see the time, or status of other machines on my network.

I have also found an annoying quirk with Outlook 2013 and Windows 8. I have my Task bar extended to my second display, and each taskbar only displays what is open on that display. I tend to keep outlook 2013 open and on the second screen but when I click the Outlook App pinned to my task bar, it will open multiple instances of outlook rather than just bring the existing instance into focus. I do like having individual task bars on both displays, but functional behavior like this is a little odd to me. I also wish you could move what you have pinned to the task bar to other taskbars on other screens.

Many of these things aren't the fault of Win8. The Joystick thing and the VPN thing are the fault of SOE and Juniper. But, The usability problems, the inability to reliably back up to my WHS box and the rest just make using Windows 8 more of a chore. I don't have to work around the limitations, quirks, or incompatibilities of the OS when I am running Win7.

I'll revisit Win8 in 6 months again and see if my problems have been fixed, but until then, Win7 is back to being my desktop OS.

I've had Win8 as my Tablet (asus ep 121) OS for a while now, and am perfectly content with it there, with "Start8" installed. It gives me the best of both worlds.

I will never run Win8 without Start8 on my desktop, even if my problems get fixed soon.

(Edit: never mind, I did not realize you could set up the taskbars showing only the apps running on that screen until just now.)

The VPN issue sounds like a firewall setting problem to me as well. I have added my desktop gadgets back into windows 8 on my work machine and home desktop without a problem. (Let me know if you would like to know how, I could PM you the link.) The joystick problem and WHS not backing up would definitely be a deal breaker since you need those.

I am not really sure why you would want to use Start 8 on your tablet since Metro is a tablet optimized screen. (Personal preference I am guessing.)

 

[Dogs]

Well since you can launch the 60 apps that fit in the start screen in 2 clicks (plus use the task bar, desktop, etc.), instead of 10 apps in 2 clicks in Win 7, with the rest not in the task bar or on desktop requiring 4 or more, then you agree Windows 8 is better? After all, you said 'every new button press required is a monumental annoyance'. What about remembering where an app is? In Windows 8, all my apps are in one location, in Windows 7, I had less efficiency, while stringing apps all over the place - the desktop, the task bar, the pinned items in the start menu, top of the start menu, start menu folders, etc. Such a thing is a 'monumental annoyances' to me.

Or even better, just utilize the Windows key and search. For one thing, it's invariant across Windows 7 and 8, and it also is faster than using a mouse.

Windows 8 doesn't play well with my companies VPN set up. I can't connect without installing a 3rd party AV/Firewall app, which I am not interested in doing.

I'm curious...I should look into known issues with Juniper VPN more. We use Juniper VPN at my work and I haven't had any trouble using the VPN on Windows 8. I'd be interested to see what variables might be different and where the 'not playing well' may come from .

I really, really, hate not having my desktop gadgets. I haven't been able to get used to not being able to glance at the second screen while I am gaming or watching a movie to easily see the time, or status of other machines on my network.

It's a sad thing indeed, however the gadget platform doesn't enforce security very well, and some gadgets have managed to be a huge security risk. This is the reason, from my understanding, for Microsoft deprecating gadgets during the move to Windows 8.

I do like having individual task bars on both displays, but functional behavior like this is a little odd to me. I also wish you could move what you have pinned to the task bar to other taskbars on other screens.

You may be able to find compromise by changing the task bar setting to have the same task bar on both screens. It does get a bit cluttered, since all apps from both screens appear on both task bars, but it should resolve your Outlook quirks and it will also keep your pinned apps on both taskbars. Just a possible choice.

 

[Hagrid]

Well since you can launch the 60 apps that fit in the start screen in 2 clicks (plus use the task bar, desktop, etc.), instead of 10 apps in 2 clicks in Win 7, with the rest not in the task bar or on desktop requiring 4 or more, then you agree Windows 8 is better? After all, you said 'every new button press required is a monumental annoyance'. What about remembering where an app is? In Windows 8, all my apps are in one location, in Windows 7, I had less efficiency, while stringing apps all over the place - the desktop, the task bar, the pinned items in the start menu, top of the start menu, start menu folders, etc. Such a thing is a 'monumental annoyances' to me.

I find it easy to use the 1 click icons on the desktop in win 7.
Which you can do on 8 I assume, so not much difference.
And you can fit more then 10 on a desktop.

 

[griffinhart]

(Edit: never mind, I did not realize you could set up the taskbars showing only the apps running on that screen until just now.)

The VPN issue sounds like a firewall setting problem to me as well. I have added my desktop gadgets back into windows 8 on my work machine and home desktop without a problem. (Let me know if you would like to know how, I could PM you the link.) The joystick problem and WHS not backing up would definitely be a deal breaker since you need those.

Yeah, I don't blame Windows for this at all. Juniper hasn't added Windows Defender to it's AV software list yet. It will get fixed, but until then, it's a problem.

I am not really sure why you would want to use Start 8 on your tablet since Metro is a tablet optimized screen. (Personal preference I am guessing.)

I still use, primarily, Windows Desktop apps on my tablet. The first thing I do is run Outlook 2013 and I haven't found any useful Metro Apps yet. Limited versions of software that I already own and have installed doesn't really meet my computing requirements.

When I am getting work done on the tablet, It's with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and I only use the Metro UI, when I am just casually surfing or watching a movie on it.

 

[griffinhart]

I'm curious...I should look into known issues with Juniper VPN more. We use Juniper VPN at my work and I haven't had any trouble using the VPN on Windows 8. I'd be interested to see what variables might be different and where the 'not playing well' may come from .

With our current security levels, a generic Windows 8 install fails both the AV check and the Firewall check.

It's a sad thing indeed, however the gadget platform doesn't enforce security very well, and some gadgets have managed to be a huge security risk. This is the reason, from my understanding, for Microsoft deprecating gadgets during the move to Windows 8.

I did see the reasoning behind it, though the conspiracy theorist in me is suspicous. I always thought that they were HTML apps just like Live Tiles are. I have a feeling that security may have been a part of the reason, but when you can get a lot of the useful system info, news blurbs, mail info on desktop gadgets, it does kind of kill the marketing hype of live tiles.

You may be able to find compromise by changing the task bar setting to have the same task bar on both screens. It does get a bit cluttered, since all apps from both screens appear on both task bars, but it should resolve your Outlook quirks and it will also keep your pinned apps on both taskbars. Just a possible choice.

If I am going to lose any screen realestate to a task bar, It needs to have it's own function rather than simply mirror what I already have on my primary screen.

As far as pinning apps goes, I like keeping what is pinned to my taskbar to the essential applications only. Though, the ability to pin less important, though frequently used apps to the taskbar on the screen I typically use them in would have been an awesome thing.

I haven't totally given up on Windows 8 on the desktop. Start8 made it a real potential option for me. But, It's got all the problems of new OS right now. There are just enough quirks and compatibility issues with my software that It hampers my ability to do what I can do on Win7 today.

In past, I would live with some minor quirks if the stuff I did on a daily basis wasn't too badly affected. But, having to use a second PC to connect to work, no Joystick for a game I am playing a ton of, a few usability quirks, and the inability to back up my system suddenly is just a bit more than I am willing to deal with today.

 

[Tsumi]

I did see the reasoning behind it, though the conspiracy theorist in me is suspicous. I always thought that they were HTML apps just like Live Tiles are. I have a feeling that security may have been a part of the reason, but when you can get a lot of the useful system info, news blurbs, mail info on desktop gadgets, it does kind of kill the marketing hype of live tiles.

Both reasons probably factored into it.

Live Tiles run in the Metro sandbox, so they're extremely limited in what they can do on your computer, hence more secure.

 

[Linden]

What I'm really enjoying is, with Start8 installed, I switch effortlessly between Windows 8 and Windows 7-type layouts and functions. I'm able to take advantage of 8's features when they seem superior, but use 7's advantages if I please. With this configuration, the ONLY Win7 feature I miss that I can think of right now is Aero Glass.

side bar:

(this is a gaming forum, right?)

Uhh, it happens to be a computer enthusiast site - a darn good one - that includes gaming.

 

[heatlesssun]

I'm able to take advantage of 8's features when they seem superior, but use 7's advantages if I please.

So what would you consider that's 7 like with Start8 that's superior to native Windows 8?

 

[YeuEmMaiMai]

I installed CP and used it from relese until October. Since I am back on trusty win 7 ultimate, I guess that answers the question