Windows 8: Ready, set, preorder

nobilis said:

Is there an actual Classic Shell graphical user interface in the Pro package?

The Classic Shell program people will be heard mentioning is an open source addong from sorceforge.net in order to bring back the Start menu and Programs. The option also sees the Settings>Control Panel item as you would in 7 while in 8 you would find the CP displayed in a Windows Explorer window or by clicking the CP Home link after a right click on the desktop to bring up the Personalization screen.

There's no fanfare since 8 is coming over like a bombshell and everyone is simply taking cover! The way MS went about stripping things away including a rational desktop to slap a new touchscreen look with limited options is a major "Turn You Off" unlike the anticipation most had felt for 7! 8 has been nothing but a big letdowm for most!

Windows 7 on the other hand proved to be a major "Turn You on!" following the bad rep Vista received where people were looking for something new and better found with 7. MS went astray however taking off in some other Fruit company/Googlitis delusional envy wondering from what works into something else in order to push their new line of Surface Tablets and W8 Phones leaving the desktop editions with some derived but limited form of the RT gui and calling it a new version?

I think Windows 8 will go over well for the crowd it is intended to please. Ipads,tablets, poke and drag people that Apple and Mac have been catering to for a long time. Microsoft has been wanting a big bite out of the apple for a long time.

It's getting busy at Eight Forums but, not like it was with Win7.
This one is going to be slower to catch on.

That's an understatement! The anticipation for a new version "That Works" saw the 7 blossoming! The way MS tore up the Windows OS to slap the RT edition's gui on a desktop release is another story where many are simply tossing the towel at 8! These are the hard facts.

Someone over at 8F was remarking about MS not being able to use a mobile gui on the desktop trying to make it a univeral interface doesn't work across the various platforms. The Fruit company on the other hand has had too many years at manipulation and knows how to bridge the gaps.

What I can frown at is hearing how 8 is so much better then 7 from some while finding everything has been working on 7 but too often not on 8! What does that sum up in a nutshell? One OS will not work for everyone!

Don't know why you had trouble, read the posts at EF, haven't seen any similar issues.

If you just get past the start screen and stay in the desktop it's not bad. The occasional visit to the start screen isn't bad after you set it up how you like, same (for me) with all Windows versions.

I truly believe everyone should use the OS they like best.

It does actually supply good printer drivers, I don't have to DL the terrible HP drivers.

This has been gone over enough in EF.
I know you don't like Win8, that's ok with me, also don't feel I could persuade you so let's just leave it at that.
Run what you like, it's all good.

Presently just about everything I will ever need is already running on 7. And 7 is the version that has proven itself time and again to be the best suited for a variety of reasons.

While knowing the next to come to follow would automatically be a hard sell MS has more or less gone out on a limb with 8 in not the RT gui tossed on the desktop edition but the new version also sees a number of compatibility issues more and more are now starting to report. And one other thing to note as to what those problems were is when setting up a dual boot of 7 with 8. Here's the catch.

With the CP(Customer Preview) the entry for 8 was added into the 7 BCD but the need to boot from the 8 dvd made up to repair the mbr for 8 was to be expected. Both seem to load normally as any other dual boot would have been. XP/7, Vista/7, etc. But when using the PC Refresh option now seen with 8 without any option for repair installs notice like an Upgrade to Repair install a fresh copy of 8 automatically added 7 into the RP's(Release Preview) install's boot options resulting in numerous drive errors when booting into 7 from there!

Subsequently both versions crashed upon reaching the desktop after a short period of time where nothing worked since the desktop of each was frozen solid! The Disk Check tool was able to bail 7 out of that one. But when the slightly overdue clean install of 7 went on and the drive modes were changed from Native ide to AHCI 7 reactied instantly with the fast restart finishing the change. The RP on the other hand would no longer load up!

As for programs forget DX 9 since it is now too old and was never expected to go onto the new versions once DX10 and DX11 followed in Vista and 7. But 9c still would go on the two newer from XP and run a good number of old game titles without OpenGL issues as one software dilemna. Steam? Well those titles run here saw no problems and one 2001 game title Return to CastleWolfenstein still seems to be a surviver while other titles were now out.

Other complaints surround MS Office products and other desktop apps that simply won't run. Of course this has been a problem with each newer version to come along since Legacy days where new version means investment in new softwares if not newer versions of the same programs once available.

Why am I not surprised in the least?! In a way that might be seen as a little rotten for a statement while the majority of users have had the same feelings about the new version being a large "disappointment" rather then something to look forward to.

What the author there mistated was the part of "problem plagued" Vista? Two main problems one being seen only with the 64bit Windows V were evident. When going to install the 64bit Vista with more then 2gb of memory installed you ended up needing to remove all but 2gb due to an installation issue.

For the 32bit as well as 64bit the actual total amount of memory installed when going with 4gb or more wasn't being reported until SP1 was out. Besides being a larger then XP version and MS understating the actual minimum system specs required a fault of their own to tickle the OEMs a bit to get away with less and older hardwares the older version was generally more stable and secure then XP ever though of being.

For 8 however most of us already know the main reason why there would be a slump on sales while 7 was an instant success story from the get go! 7 was well thought out while MS has gone astray to pursue the Tablet and mobile markets. Should i say again that 8 is the desktop edition of the new Windows RT for Surface Tablet?!