Windows 8 totally new tablet touch screen look

[fseal]

Have had the preview installed since it came out. Was dubious at first (to say the least) but the more I play with it (every week or two) the more I seriously dislike it as a desktop interface. It's positively maddening sometimes.

Try launching media player on it (no not by double clicking a media file, by just launching the player).

There is no list of installed programs anywhere. The metro UI has a few well chosen preplaced items but 90% of the preinstalled programs are not there and there is no actual Start Menu that shows them (That I have been able to find). The search box is gone and that was a truly great thing on windows 7. If I wanted media player and couldn't find it, typing it into the search box would give me a shortcut to launch it (on 7). I finally had to use explorer to search for the media player app find it then create a shortcut to the desktop for it... yeah that was SO much easier than the old start menu.

(Ok, maybe there is an easier way? But if there is and I could't find it, that's the most damning testimony for the new UI of all)

And what is with that IQ test to shut the machine down? First you need to click on an "icon" and "log off", wait for it to log off, "raise the shade" and then click on another icon and select "shut down". The more I do it the more I realise someone needs to be put into solitary for a month for coming up with that

So yeah, on desktop... a resonding "No thank you". BUT I would love to have windows 8 on a nice tablet sometime soon. Or as those star trek pictures show, as some sort of in wall/built in flat screen AIW computer on the wall for casual computing updates as I'm zipping through the house. (hopefully with fully working sleep mode of course)

[Edit] If there is any sense at MS, I'll be made to look like an idiot for this rant when the beta is released next month (crosses flippers) [/edit]

 

[msdos622wasfun]

I guess I'm trying to see it from Microsoft's perspective. Does it make more sense for them and would it also be easier to manage if they converge the Windows platform into something unified and cohesive that works more universally across the range of machines, from PCs to tablets to phones? Because obviously, they want a big piece of the market in all those areas, and maybe just having one overall OS design will make it simpler and more seamless to go from one device to the other. I'm always willing to embrace something new when Windows tries to innovate, but I can only hope that they somehow find a way to accommodate the users who are going to resist this rather drastic overhaul.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Windows 8 is good, but Metro is bad.

There is no list of installed programs anywhere. The metro UI has a few well chosen preplaced items but 90% of the preinstalled programs are not there and there is no actual Start Menu that shows them (That I have been able to find). The search box is gone and that was a truly great thing on windows 7. If I wanted media player and couldn't find it, typing it into the search box would give me a shortcut to launch it (on 7). I finally had to use explorer to search for the media player app find it then create a shortcut to the desktop for it... yeah that was SO much easier than the old start menu.

(Ok, maybe there is an easier way? But if there is and I could't find it, that's the most damning testimony for the new UI of all)

I don't like Metro either.

When you are on the awful Metro Tile screen, you can just start typing to do a search.
There is a way to get a list of all of your installed programs (sorted alphabetically) but I can't remember what it is.

Notice the usual MS inability to provide any useful instructions on the OS features.
Why not have a message on the screen saying that?

For those have tried windows 8 does it run any better or about the same as win 7 and can you take off those tablet features and make it like a regular win desktop like win 7 if not.

I've performed the "Registry" hack, so I have a desktop and "Start Menu".
http://www.sevenforums.com/news/207...new-tablet-touch-screen-look.html#post1739892

Once you get Metro out of the way, Windows 8 performs well.
It seems as fast as W7 and it uses 2/3 of the RAM (on my PC).

 

[M1GU31]

eh win 8 was made for dummies that's why they simplified it with the one click and tablet look. Disappointed

 

[fseal]

...

When you are on the awful Metro Tile screen, you can just start typing to do a search.
There is a way to get a list of all of your installed programs (sorted alphabetically) but I can't remember what it is.

...

Really... that is probably the last thing I would have thought to try, just start blindly typing on a screen full of icons

I'll have to try that out.

I realise that there will be a learning curve and I generally LIKE new things, but when the UI is just so obtuse that an intelligent person can't even figure it out without buying a dummies book on it... something is wrong...

 

[JerometheGiraff]

Why they didn't release Windows 7.5 as a upgrade that wouldn't cost much (Less then $50) would have made sense. I'm not upgrading to Windows8. I think Microsoft is becoming extremely greedy.

 

[Infinite]

If it didn't remove my Linux bootloader, and it was easier to use, I might begin to like it. :sarc:

 

[AlexRD]

I like the lock screen.
I think the lock screen should be the start screen, all i would need then is a tab to open apps, and the other one to open games, and another search tab.

 

[M1GU31]

you got to watch this you will know why when you watch it

 

[flirno]

I Hear its performance is great but that look is really ugly imo. :huh:

I have seen and used every version of Windows (yes I'm that old lol) and yes they all looked different. If they didn't change the look no one will buy. LOL

Remember this is still beta and many part are left out from the final version.
I'm sure we will lots more information in the coming months before the release.
As far as I have heard it may be released in 2012 but no one is saying that in concrete. Actually I don't think we need another version for desktops because I feel Win7 has been the most outstanding Windows ever developed. For now I'm sticking with 7.

Sometimes no one will buy anyway due to reviews or first impressions -- Win ME or Vista for example. I completely skipped those iterations and based on what has been published about Win 8 it looks like I will be skipping it too.

That plus I (this includes my mother's 2 computesr and 3 of mine) switched over to Win 7 (I had been on XP Pro and XP x64 Pro for quite a while) only a year ago and I am not about to shell out for another OS this soon OEM prices or not.

By the time I am looking to upgrade OS again I expect Win 9 to have been out for a while.

First version of windows I used is 3.0 (briefly then 3.1 and 3.11 for a long while). Although this was more as an alternative to the command line interface (made heavy use of the DOS shell from 2.1 all the way up to the last version of 6.xx).

I did 'play' with Windows 286 and 386 but they were not good for much of anything at the time and competing environments like GEM seemed more functional.

 

[Coke Robot]

Have had the preview installed since it came out. Was dubious at first (to say the least) but the more I play with it (every week or two) the more I seriously dislike it as a desktop interface. It's positively maddening sometimes.

Try launching media player on it (no not by double clicking a media file, by just launching the player).

There is no list of installed programs anywhere. The metro UI has a few well chosen preplaced items but 90% of the preinstalled programs are not there and there is no actual Start Menu that shows them (That I have been able to find). The search box is gone and that was a truly great thing on windows 7. If I wanted media player and couldn't find it, typing it into the search box would give me a shortcut to launch it (on 7). I finally had to use explorer to search for the media player app find it then create a shortcut to the desktop for it... yeah that was SO much easier than the old start menu.

(Ok, maybe there is an easier way? But if there is and I could't find it, that's the most damning testimony for the new UI of all)

And what is with that IQ test to shut the machine down? First you need to click on an "icon" and "log off", wait for it to log off, "raise the shade" and then click on another icon and select "shut down". The more I do it the more I realise someone needs to be put into solitary for a month for coming up with that

So yeah, on desktop... a resonding "No thank you". BUT I would love to have windows 8 on a nice tablet sometime soon. Or as those star trek pictures show, as some sort of in wall/built in flat screen AIW computer on the wall for casual computing updates as I'm zipping through the house. (hopefully with fully working sleep mode of course)

[Edit] If there is any sense at MS, I'll be made to look like an idiot for this rant when the beta is released next month (crosses flippers) [/edit]

First, to help out, though there is no search box present, you literally can just type Windows Media Player and it will find it right away, and I think you can pin it to Start Screen. I think the reason why Microsoft took it out was because the Search bar is so ubiquitous and search in general is that it doesn't need to be there, that might need to change though...for obvious reasons...

To shutdown, it's different too. I was doing the same thing for a few days until I realized you click on Settings from the Charms bar when you hover over the Start button, then from there, you click on the power icon and you have you power choices there.

I've been using Windows 8 as my main OS since it came out, and I've my tweaking that it can allow and I say, for a desktop OS, it's refreshing and more useful. I can find all sorts of programs faster and visually. On my monitor, Start Screen can show up to 50 small tiles, right now I have 44, all in one screen view. In Windows 7, with a giant start menu, I can only view 38 links before I have to scroll down. That, my friends, is progress.

 

[Coke Robot]

...

When you are on the awful Metro Tile screen, you can just start typing to do a search.
There is a way to get a list of all of your installed programs (sorted alphabetically) but I can't remember what it is.

...

Really... that is probably the last thing I would have thought to try, just start blindly typing on a screen full of icons

I'll have to try that out.

I realise that there will be a learning curve and I generally LIKE new things, but when the UI is just so obtuse that an intelligent person can't even figure it out without buying a dummies book on it... something is wrong...

HAHA! Maybe we have gotten to the point where we have to do some exploring on how to use Windows that when we don't need to do so anymore, it's difficult to use!

 

[Coke Robot]

Hmm, I don't think the Start Screen of Windows 8 should really be regarded as touch only. Honestly, the tiles are somewhat larger than the icons on the Desktop but they're in opaque tiles. I see the Start Screen as more of a backstage view of the Desktop. Or just simply a very visual start menu.

But look at it this way, do you really think the start menu had much of a future? You could make it wider and try to fit another column of programs list, but then again, that's what the Start Screen is trying to accomplish. It's a new interface, of course, it's also another way to uninstall programs without having to wade thorough a bunch of drivers and C++ and the likes in the Programs and Features list. And it's also very cool compared to the start menu!

When the Consumer Preview gets released soon, the Start Screen will have more improvements than the Developer Preview. Like, being able to pin every and any folder or program shortcut to it. That, I am looking forward to.

I also don't think it impedes multi tasking any, it seems just like if it were the start menu, but a whole screens worth.

 

[Coke Robot]

I Hear its performance is great but that look is really ugly imo. :huh:

I have seen and used every version of Windows (yes I'm that old lol) and yes they all looked different. If they didn't change the look no one will buy. LOL

Remember this is still beta and many part are left out from the final version.
I'm sure we will lots more information in the coming months before the release.
As far as I have heard it may be released in 2012 but no one is saying that in concrete. Actually I don't think we need another version for desktops because I feel Win7 has been the most outstanding Windows ever developed. For now I'm sticking with 7.

Sometimes no one will buy anyway due to reviews or first impressions -- Win ME or Vista for example. I completely skipped those iterations and based on what has been published about Win 8 it looks like I will be skipping it too.

That plus I (this includes my mother's 2 computesr and 3 of mine) switched over to Win 7 (I had been on XP Pro and XP x64 Pro for quite a while) only a year ago and I am not about to shell out for another OS this soon OEM prices or not.

By the time I am looking to upgrade OS again I expect Win 9 to have been out for a while.

First version of windows I used is 3.0 (briefly then 3.1 and 3.11 for a long while). Although this was more as an alternative to the command line interface (made heavy use of the DOS shell from 2.1 all the way up to the last version of 6.xx).

I did 'play' with Windows 286 and 386 but they were not good for much of anything at the time and competing environments like GEM seemed more functional.

Green is ugly, that's why we thank hackers to allow us to change it whatever color we choose.

I think it's funny how people are so against shelling out money to Microsoft for their software, but are totally fine shelling hundreds of dollars for apple products and media bought on itunes, that if deleted, has to be repurchased.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Progress?

HAHA! Maybe we have gotten to the point where we have to do some exploring on how to use Windows that when we don't need to do so anymore, it's difficult to use!

Exactly.
"Everything you know is wrong."

Hiding the Power button is progress?

To shutdown, it's different too. I was doing the same thing for a few days until I realized you click on Settings from the Charms bar when you hover over the Start button, then from there, you click on the power icon and you have you power choices there.

Having to constantly swap screens to get anything done is progress?

On my monitor, Start Screen can show up to 50 small tiles, right now I have 44, all in one screen view. In Windows 7, with a giant start menu, I can only view 38 links before I have to scroll down. That, my friends, is progress.

Why not categorize your "Start Menu"?
It's not hard.

 

[Coke Robot]

HAHA! Maybe we have gotten to the point where we have to do some exploring on how to use Windows that when we don't need to do so anymore, it's difficult to use!

Exactly.
"Everything you know is wrong."

Hiding the Power button is progress?

To shutdown, it's different too. I was doing the same thing for a few days until I realized you click on Settings from the Charms bar when you hover over the Start button, then from there, you click on the power icon and you have you power choices there.

Having to constantly swap screens to get anything done is progress?

On my monitor, Start Screen can show up to 50 small tiles, right now I have 44, all in one screen view. In Windows 7, with a giant start menu, I can only view 38 links before I have to scroll down. That, my friends, is progress.

Why not categorize your "Start Menu"?
It's not hard.

The power button isn't hidden or in different screens, you just need to open the Settings bar, it's like with Windows 7, you hover over the start button, proceed up four charms, and click Settings, and click the power icon.

I do organize my start menu. Every Windows 7 install I've done, I've always organized the start menu only to find out all the effort was in vain. Not many people access the All Programs list because they don't really notice it, they just search for it.

Even then, with a start menu organized, it only displays 38 small details sized icons and text. A Start Screen shows more.

 

[lehnerus2000]

OK for tablets and smart phones

I'm sure the "Metro Tile" screen will be OK for tablets and smart phones.

On a desktop, the "Metro Tile" screen is just an additional layer, between the user and his/her work (forced on them by MS).

Example:
Start Menu - Start > Power Button
Metro Tiles - Start > Settings > Power Button

Of course you can install(!) a Power button on your "Metro Tile" screen.

The "Start Menu" problems are the result of crap installers and companies that think they must place their logos in every possible location on your PC.
Those companies will do the same thing to the "Metro Tile" screen.
It will soon be populated with dozens of ads (running non-stop) wasting your screen space and CPU/GPU power.

The power button isn't hidden or in different screens, you just need to open the Settings bar, it's like with Windows 7, you hover over the start button, proceed up four charms, and click Settings, and click the power icon.

Hidden means not obvious.
Your own comment shows that it's hidden.

To shutdown, it's different too. I was doing the same thing for a few days until I realized you click on Settings from the Charms bar when you hover over the Start button, then from there, you click on the power icon and you have you power choices there.

Remember the buzz word "intuitive"?

Not many people access the All Programs list because they don't really notice it, they just search for it.

Some people use:

• "All Programs".
• "Pinned" items ("Start Menu" and/or Taskbar).
• "Start Menu Search" box.
• Desktop icons.

Most people just dump icons on their desktops (hence the excuse for "Metro Tiles").

One of my friends used Vista for 4 years and never used the "Start Menu Search" box.
He must have had 60+ icons on his desktop (it was chaotic and awful to look at).
It always took him several seconds of searching to find any given program.
His new W7 laptop is set up the same way. :shock:

Even then, with a start menu organized, it only displays 38 small details sized icons and text. A Start Screen shows more.

A desktop full of icons shows more.
Even with the customised settings I use, I could have 104 icons (13x8).
I suspect that would increase to 150+ using the default settings.

Of course it would be appalling to look at.

 

[knightlyscribe]

I have an HP tablet PC that I really love..except for its W7 interface.. I've tried several of the shell programs, but they're not encompassing enough for me. Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[fseal]

Speaking of hiding, the latest leak of the beta seems to show that there is no longer a start button at all. You have to jam your mouse into a corner to even get the start screen to show :/ (Not sure how that works with a finger on a touch screen too well either).

Mac users have been avoiding that feature for some time now (disabled in OSX by default and those that turn it on seem to be overwhelmingly sorry they did and shut it off), maybe MS should look at UI features which even mac users hate before implementing them in windows

I frequently run into activating peek when I don't want to because I was moving the mouse off of something I was looking at...

 

[lehnerus2000]

Me too

I frequently run into activating peek when I don't want to because I was moving the mouse off of something I was looking at...

I often activate the "Show desktop" or thumbnail previews, when I move the cursor away from text boxes (on web pages).