MissingChico
enthusiast
Posts: 2228
Reg: 02-13-06
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03-01-12 06:14 PM - Post#146103
I know there are a few IT folks in here, and I'm sure many will soon be trying out the new consumer demo release of Windows 8. I for one find the changes unfriendly for any type of productivity based environment. Microsoft has literally removed the "Start" button and moved to a mobile phone user interface. Non-technical end users are going to literally hate this dramatically changed user interface. Many changes will have to occur before MS gets kudos for this Windows version.
Windows 8 Q and A
| I get my news from the Comedy Central and my comedy from Fox News. |
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nomoon
enthusiast
Posts: 982
Loc: Allen
Reg: 05-31-06
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03-01-12 06:40 PM - Post#146106
In response to MissingChico
I've spoken with someone who evaluated it hands-on and he absolutely hated it. The reviews that I've read online were similarly negative. The screenshots that I've seen seem to make your computer look like a giant cell phone screen. Maybe it would be quick for launching Facebook, but I agree that it doesn't look like it would be friendly for a productivity based environment. Are they planning to get rid of the mouse an keyboard next?
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MissingChico
enthusiast
Posts: 2228
Reg: 02-13-06
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03-01-12 06:42 PM - Post#146107
In response to nomoon
Kinect maybe? They've got the Xbox companion built into the "Metro Start Screen".
| I get my news from the Comedy Central and my comedy from Fox News. |
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readingu
enthusiast
Posts: 705
Reg: 02-08-04
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03-01-12 06:58 PM - Post#146108
In response to MissingChico
Another MS mouse trap. PC mag has screen shots. By the way, no body has to buy this so what's the big deal? XP still works for me. Screen shot
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MissingChico
enthusiast
Posts: 2228
Reg: 02-13-06
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03-01-12 07:01 PM - Post#146109
In response to readingu
XP will be at end of life soon and MS will no longer support it. If you manage corporate machines, you need MS to build ongoing security patches. That's just one reason that stands out.
| I get my news from the Comedy Central and my comedy from Fox News. |
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vrs
enthusiast
Posts: 2630
Loc: Allen, Texas
Reg: 04-20-00
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03-01-12 08:02 PM - Post#146110
In response to MissingChico
I still drag the trash bin to the lower right corner of my screen and if I could put Oscar the Grouch in it I would. Just so we all know how old I am.
That said, I figure if I could learn MS Office 2007 (and now 2010) I can make friends with the new Windows. (I did, however, manage to skip over Vista entirely.)
One of the discussion threads linked to here though did have a very disturbing (to me) note:
Why was multi-monitor functionality for this cut as well?
I use run big spreadsheets and MS Project and thin client scientific displays off my think pad ALL the time - just displayed on a 19" monitor in the "extend" mode. I won't be able to function without that real estate - hope it ain't so.
| Blessed be the cracked, for they let in the light. |
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nomoon
enthusiast
Posts: 982
Loc: Allen
Reg: 05-31-06
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03-01-12 10:42 PM - Post#146111
In response to vrs
Why was multi-monitor functionality for this cut as well?
I'm pretty sure that I saw a picture of a multimonitor demonstration. I can't imagine this feature being dropped. I work with a quadruple monitor display.
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MissingChico
enthusiast
Posts: 2228
Reg: 02-13-06
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03-02-12 09:27 AM - Post#146115
In response to nomoon
Why was multi-monitor functionality for this cut as well?
I'm pretty sure that I saw a picture of a multimonitor demonstration. I can't imagine this feature being dropped. I work with a quadruple monitor display.
I have dual DisplayPorts split into four HDMI ports and this configuration worked on Win 8, but I still hate the idea of a tablet UI on my PC. I'm reinstalling 7 now. Windows 7 has been by far the most stable of any MS OS I've used to date. I don't see it going away for a long time.
| I get my news from the Comedy Central and my comedy from Fox News. |
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EnjoyingLife
enthusiast
Posts: 368
Reg: 08-09-10
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03-02-12 10:34 AM - Post#146118
In response to MissingChico
So how long have you people tested this DEMO version? Not even 24 hours and you think that's enough time to say you "hate it"??? Come on now.
If you're an IT guy, you know things change and sometimes drastically. You also know it takes time to get used to the new functions. People using XP tried Windows 7 and HATED it at first now it's the most stable and user friendly OS MS has ever come up with.
So the point is, remember you're using a DEMO version only and give it some time. I also believe there will be an option to use the classic version only rather than starting up in Metro. There are too many corporate users who have ZERO need for all that social media crap.
Give it some time and remember, this is a DEMO version only. MS will be making additional changes based on the feedback from the dev and customer demo releases.
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MissingChico
enthusiast
Posts: 2228
Reg: 02-13-06
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03-02-12 11:08 AM - Post#146123
In response to EnjoyingLife
So how long have you people tested this DEMO version? Not even 24 hours and you think that's enough time to say you "hate it"??? Come on now.
If you're an IT guy, you know things change and sometimes drastically. You also know it takes time to get used to the new functions. People using XP tried Windows 7 and HATED it at first now it's the most stable and user friendly OS MS has ever come up with.
So the point is, remember you're using a DEMO version only and give it some time. I also believe there will be an option to use the classic version only rather than starting up in Metro. There are too many corporate users who have ZERO need for all that social media crap.
Give it some time and remember, this is a DEMO version only. MS will be making additional changes based on the feedback from the dev and customer demo releases.
The changes from Win7 to Win8 are enormous. On the corporate desktop, there is zero need for a big smart phone desktop on a PC. In my opinion, unless MS softens the OS to the point that it drops a traditional PC UI on a PC, but then can drop a tablet UI on a tablet, this product is doomed in the corporate environment. No large corporation is going to accept the need to re-certify its IT groups for such a broad, unneeded UI change, not to mention retraining 100's of thousands of users. It's just too much of a jump. This is on a grander scale than Win 3.1 to Win2k. It will never happen in my environment until the upgrade path is far less extreme.
| I get my news from the Comedy Central and my comedy from Fox News. |
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vrs
enthusiast
Posts: 2630
Loc: Allen, Texas
Reg: 04-20-00
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03-02-12 11:55 AM - Post#146128
In response to MissingChico
The changes from Win7 to Win8 are enormous. On the corporate desktop, there is zero need for a big smart phone desktop on a PC. In my opinion, unless MS softens the OS to the point that it drops a traditional PC UI on a PC, but then can drop a tablet UI on a tablet, this product is doomed in the corporate environment. No large corporation is going to accept the need to re-certify its IT groups for such a broad, unneeded UI change, not to mention retraining 100's of thousands of users. It's just too much of a jump. This is on a grander scale than Win 3.1 to Win2k. It will never happen in my environment until the upgrade path is far less extreme.
Occasionally a product vision is correct in the long term but arrives in the market ahead of its time. Maybe that is going on here but maybe not.
I look around the corporate world I live in and I see more and more senior executives ditching their PC's in favor of iPads - particularly when they travel. Our CEO uses his almost exclusively (yes, and when he needs to reboot he turns it upside down and shakes the sand - LOL)
I travel all the time with a blackberry (soon to be an iPhone), a kindle, and a thinkpad. Three separate operating systems. One very interesting thing I have noticed is that when I hand my blackberry to someone to look at something they try to use their fingers on the screen to zoom in or to scroll down. So the iPad/iPhone style manipulations are becoming as natural to people as a right click.
The technology lines are getting blurrier every single day between smart phones and tablet PC's and full workstations. Why not have one O/S all the time everywhere - easier for the users in the long run and easier for IT also.
As I said, perhaps Windows 8 is ahead of it's time - but I think it is the correct concept.
| Blessed be the cracked, for they let in the light. |
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Joel
enthusiast
Posts: 329
Reg: 10-11-06
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03-02-12 01:19 PM - Post#146136
In response to vrs
Metro is easily disabled so that Windows 8 boots straight to the desktop. The START button is easy to add back.
If you don't like the change, you can make Windows 8 look like Windows 7.
Microsoft's one OS (desktop, tablet, phone) is a great idea and I hope it sticks.
| Instead of trying to convince the other side they are wrong, why don't we come together to fix the things we all agree are wrong. We waste too much time and energy arguing when we should be united. |
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MissingChico
enthusiast
Posts: 2228
Reg: 02-13-06
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03-02-12 02:16 PM - Post#146145
In response to Joel
Metro is easily disabled so that Windows 8 boots straight to the desktop. The START button is easy to add back.
If you don't like the change, you can make Windows 8 look like Windows 7.
Microsoft's one OS (desktop, tablet, phone) is a great idea and I hope it sticks.
Joel, please try that with this recent consumer release, the reg key is not even there. I've read MS locked it down to force developers to look beyond the start button. I've pulled up regedit myself and the key needed to disable Metro is missing. Much talk about it online. I'll admit, I did install on top of a Win 7 OS, but ended up with a second Windows directory so I don't think I could have gotten any old Win 7 registry remnants.
| I get my news from the Comedy Central and my comedy from Fox News. |
Edited by MissingChico on 03-02-12 02:18 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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Maurice
Community Expert
Posts: 3973
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 12-03-01
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03-02-12 03:26 PM - Post#146157
In response to MissingChico
There's an expectation that 8 will go over as good as Vista and ME did, seems to be a pattern with MS. Wait for Windows 9 to see progress, 8 will be new ideas incorporated into 7 as a test bed to make more money. I understand the idea of merging tablet, PC and phones but Windows phone isn't catching on like they want or expected, so no need for the Metro interface.
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Joel
enthusiast
Posts: 329
Reg: 10-11-06
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03-02-12 07:40 PM - Post#146170
In response to MissingChico
Metro is easily disabled so that Windows 8 boots straight to the desktop. The START button is easy to add back.
If you don't like the change, you can make Windows 8 look like Windows 7.
Microsoft's one OS (desktop, tablet, phone) is a great idea and I hope it sticks.
Joel, please try that with this recent consumer release, the reg key is not even there. I've read MS locked it down to force developers to look beyond the start button. I've pulled up regedit myself and the key needed to disable Metro is missing. Much talk about it online. I'll admit, I did install on top of a Win 7 OS, but ended up with a second Windows directory so I don't think I could have gotten any old Win 7 registry remnants.
I am running the current release (with a START button). My friend is running the current version on his girlfriend's laptop and has it booting straight to the desktop, with a START button. He didn't want to have to explain all of the changes to her. I think he had to rename a DLL file to make it happen.
I am on day 3 of the latest release and I have everything figured out. The only thing that bugged me was not being able to close the apps, but grabbing them from the top and dragging them to the bottom does close them, and ALT+F4 works too.
| Instead of trying to convince the other side they are wrong, why don't we come together to fix the things we all agree are wrong. We waste too much time and energy arguing when we should be united. |
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MissingChico
enthusiast
Posts: 2228
Reg: 02-13-06
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03-03-12 11:08 AM - Post#146179
In response to Joel
If you care to share, I might just drop 8 on one of my test machines again.
| I get my news from the Comedy Central and my comedy from Fox News. |
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Joel
enthusiast
Posts: 329
Reg: 10-11-06
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03-03-12 01:30 PM - Post#146183
In response to MissingChico
If you care to share, I might just drop 8 on one of my test machines again.
http://lee-soft.com/vistart/
Works on W8 just fine.
| Instead of trying to convince the other side they are wrong, why don't we come together to fix the things we all agree are wrong. We waste too much time and energy arguing when we should be united. |
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Joel
enthusiast
Posts: 329
Reg: 10-11-06
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03-08-12 08:59 AM - Post#146388
In response to Joel
More about getting START button on Windows 8.
http://windows8beta.com/2012/03/enable-start- orb-and-start-menu-on-win dows-8-consumer-preview
| Instead of trying to convince the other side they are wrong, why don't we come together to fix the things we all agree are wrong. We waste too much time and energy arguing when we should be united. |
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MissingChico
enthusiast
Posts: 2228
Reg: 02-13-06
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03-08-12 09:25 AM - Post#146389
In response to Joel
I appreciate the post Joel, however that process looks a bit cloogey if you ask me. Microsoft will eventually put it back in the default build. I hear nothing but complaints from the corporate folks testing this for possible deployment in large environments.
| I get my news from the Comedy Central and my comedy from Fox News. |
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EnjoyingLife
enthusiast
Posts: 368
Reg: 08-09-10
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03-08-12 12:42 PM - Post#146396
In response to MissingChico
Maybe they'll come up with a Home version that defaults to the metro home screen and Professional version that looks more like traditional Windows. After all, what you have now is just a demo version.
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