Windows 8- Your first impression

[ben946210]

Tell me what you think of it. Do you like it? Do you hate it? Or could you care less because you've got a Mac!

Personally, I hate the new Metro UI and how they have change little features that were in almost every previous version. I really don't like how Microsoft can clearly force there huge (junky) changes on us because it is the mainstream OS in the country. I think Windows 8 is for tablets, and only tablets. After many months of complaints before it's official release, you'd think they would have made a few changes.

 

[JimJoe]

When my Vista computer fails, I'm going linux. Windows 8 is designed for touch screens. Too much money.

 

[Pedroc1999]

Too complicated! a good 4-6 clicks to shut down pc from IDLE!!! No matta if your running a program then it would take like 10clicks

 

[pebbly]

Too complicated! a good 4-6 clicks to shut down pc from IDLE!!! No matta if your running a program then it would take like 10clicks

swipe to the right, click on settings,click on power,select shutdown = 3 clicks

 

[maxie]

I do have Windows 8 never use it though , I did try it but found it of no benefit at all so went back to Windows 7.

 

[LittleJay]

I didn't like it at first, but since the upgrade version of Windows 8 Pro has some features I like that aren't available on my copy of Windows 7 Home Edition, I decided to keep 8 and have tweaked it so it looks and runs just like 7.

 

[Dinesh]

What I really like is the start-up and shutdown time!

 

[Pedroc1999]

I will get win8 but it will take sometime. I need it to support linux first along wih other things

 

[Forz19]

Windows 8 is designed for touch screens. That i can't think of purchasing!

 

[Pedroc1999]

I have android and not windows phone. Bit if i didi have windows phone i would have problaby upgraded by now to be honest

 

[bassfisher6522]

The biggest benefit of using windows 8 is it's lighting fast even with using older hardware. But the really sad part of this debate is that slowly but surely everything is going to the touch environment whether we like it or not. MS is just staying ahead of the curve.

I tested 8 heavily with a dual boot up of 8 and 7, both beta and RTM versions of 8. Once you get used to it....that's the key right there...you have to get use to it...then you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much you end up really liking it. As for me...I have a copy of 8 pro ready to go when I upgrade some outdated hardware. My current hardware setup just doesn't play nice with the windows 8 generic drivers to really enjoy 8 at the moment.

 

[Joan Archer]

I like it but then I got it on a new Laptop. It's not a touch screen one but that doesn't matter, I'd never used a laptop with touchpad before and got on with it OK but things were a lot quicker and easier when I plugged a mouse in.

I'm still playing and finding things but I like how quick it is to open some of my programs which I have pinned to the Start Screen.

I've not missed the Start button and have no problems getting to what I want to find out.

It's an entirely new OS so of course there are bound to be things people don't like about it but give it time and like everything new people will grow to like it.

 

[Junebug]

I like it. In fact, I'll be upgrading my 7 Ultimate PC in a little bit, later on today. Just gotta get my files backed up, and install. I hope the $99.99 I spent at Target earlier is worth it. If it's anything like the Beta versions, I should be good. I used all of them, and I liked them.

 

[ben946210]

What I really like is the start-up and shutdown time!

I know! That is pretty nice even on a slow 5400RPM drive

 

[Junebug]

Here I go!

 

[King Arthur]

Tried Windows 8 back in its CP and RP days. Left with the impression that it has potential to be great on tablets and smartphones; Metro is designed specifically for small-screen touch interfaces where everything need to be big with low information density to make up for the smaller screen and lack of precision that a finger brings along.

In general though? Lack of the start menu, cripplingly unintuitive interface, bad visual design (clear borders serve a legitimate purpose, none of this border-less and flat Metro philosophy!), and a closed system with Metro only allowing software installations through Windows Store (aka: Apple's iOS + App Store).

Overall: Potentially good, but as it stands I won't get Windows 8 even if Microsoft paid me to. My desktop isn't a tablet and any pros Windows 8 brings to the table doesn't merit the myriad of cons that it also brings along.

 

[ben946210]

Tried Windows 8 back in its CP and RP days. Left with the impression that it has potential to be great on tablets and smartphones; Metro is designed specifically for small-screen touch interfaces where everything need to be big with low information density to make up for the smaller screen and lack of precision that a finger brings along.

In general though? Lack of the start menu, cripplingly unintuitive interface, bad visual design (clear borders serve a legitimate purpose, none of this border-less and flat Metro philosophy!), and a closed system with Metro only allowing software installations through Windows Store (aka: Apple's iOS + App Store).

Overall: Potentially good, but as it stands I won't get Windows 8 even if Microsoft paid me to. My desktop isn't a tablet and any pros Windows 8 brings to the table doesn't merit the myriad of cons that it also brings along.

Wow, its like you read my mind! I like the tiny features they added in, hate the metro, hate the options taken away, hate the new store. Pretty much hate everything about except the taskmanager and little things like that. I don't know what they're thinking putting a tablet designed OS on every computer. I think you should at least be able to disable the Metro.

 

[HoneycombAG]

What's with all this HATE for Windows 8? It doesn't have to be a touch screen to use the new interface. I'm still using a plain ol' mouse just fine!

There IS a bit of a problem with running stuff as Administrator though. Or running programs at startup even when that setup program has specified for it to do so.

 

[King Arthur]

What's with all this HATE for Windows 8? It doesn't have to be a touch screen to use the new interface. I'm still using a plain ol' mouse just fine!

I will give credit where credit is due; as I've said I can see Metro being potentially great on touch interfaces and devices with smaller displays given its design philosophy of "bigger, low information density".

However, the problems with the interface's intuitiveness are also numerous and legitimate. Something that was already brought up was the needless complication of shutting Windows 8 down; I myself also had to actually Google how to shut Windows 8 down because none of the obvious avenues gave me the option, it was instead nested way down under Settings as I later found out. To contrast, why can't I just have a big "Shut Down" button somewhere directly on the Start Screen itself? The Start Menu has a Shut Down button on it, after all.

Another case was with the login screen I get upon boot up of Windows 8. During my very first stint with Windows 8, I was left with what was apparently a background picture with nowhere to type in my username or password or select my user account upon boot up. It was only after I'd accidentally dragged the background picture up that I realized I need to drag the background picture up completely before I'd get any input boxes for me to type in my user account details. I didn't get any visual cues to drag the background, mind you, let alone drag up.

I like to think I'm at least knowledgable with computers as I've used Windows since Windows 3.11, dabbled in Linux, and try to keep myself up-to-date on the workings of both software and hardware. When a person experienced with using computers subsequently has serious problems figuring out basic and fundamental stuff like this, there clearly is a problem with Metro's intuitiveness. If I am supposed to scroll or drag something whichever way I should be given clear cues to do so (Scroll bars? Flashing arrows?), and I definitely shouldn't need to use Google just so I can shut down Windows 8, for crying out loud!

I'm also not going into how the lack of any clear borders in Microsoft's new Metro philosophy makes everything look very disorganized and messy because that's another Pandora's Box unto itself.

 

[Phone Man]

History Repeats

Found this on a 2009 post on this site.

But my experience on 7: I like it, but it's pretty ugly with its transparency and aero glass. It's worse than vista in this aspect. In general, I think I prefer OS X, but since I have programs which require windows, it's a welcome upgrade and aside from aesthetic issues, runs near perfect.

Jim