Reasons NOT to buy Windows 8

[VengeanceUK]

Windows 8 blocks users from hiding Metro Start Screen after logon


With the announcement of Windows 8 reaching its RTM milestone, the final and polished version of the OS has been finding its way to various unauthorized channels of distribution. According to individuals who have managed to procure Microsoft's "latest and greatest" Windows, there have been a handful of changes since its public Release Preview.
It appears the most contentious tweak Microsoft has made since the Release Preview is disabling the ability of users to bypass the Metro Start Screen after boot. The default behavior of Windows 8 has always been to greet users with the Metro Start Screen after logon, but the Start Screen could be bypassed, allowing users to see their classic desktop instead. Early adopters report that this is no longer possible, according to ZDNet.


The method used to bypass the Metro Start Screen after boot has been to effectively create a "Show Desktop" shortcut and place it inside a program loading point like the "Startup" folder. It's unclear from this report exactly how Microsoft may be blocking this method, but it is conceivable that Microsoft has programmatically disabled the "Show Desktop" shell command from the typical executing from the Startup folder, task scheduler and registry loading points.
Hopes for a group object policy to control this startup behavior also appear to be dashed, according to ZDNet's sources. This is particularly troublesome for system admins who were hoping to easily mitigate user confusion by disabling the Start Screen via a simple GPO. And according to TechRepublic, there are quite a few businesses out there who will be disappointed.


TechRepublic released today its results from a survey which polled more than 3,000 of its readers whether or not their business would upgrade to Windows 8 and why.

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Amongst the top reasons cited for avoiding Windows 8 included the usual suspects: need for retraining, OS fragmentation and hardware concerns. Interestingly though, the missing Start Menu and "Desktop Abandonment" were also top issues. These of course are novel concerns specific to the direction Windows 8 is taking the dominant franchise.

As for why users should upgrade, those polled liked that Windows 8 brings a more consistent experience across different devices, Push Button Reset, the ability to run directly from a USB drive and offers much faster boot times.

Windows 8 is expected to hit shelves October 26, 2012.

Personally, for me, metro is awful without a touchscreen and will not be going onto my system anytime soon

 

[seumasbeathan]

The only thing I like about win 8 is the speed, when I was using it, it felt like it was on an ssd, it boots in about 10 seconds and then everything is there to use straight away

 

[hmmblah]

Not liking this at all for work. Looks like business users will be on Windows 7 for 12 years like Windows XP. I'd expect MS to change this later on in SP1 once they get the backlash from the business sector.

 

[VengeanceUK]

Not liking this at all for work. Looks like business users will be on Windows 7 for 12 years like Windows XP. I'd expect MS to change this later on in SP1 once they get the backlash from the business sector.

i was considering the upgrade, but with this news, i'm gonna wait and keep win 7, i REALLY dislike the metro interface, hopefully some savvy coder will create a fix to overwrite M$ shenanigans and undo the metro lock in

 

[JackyBoy]

personally I think this is BS. People just love to moan about change.

Why is it so bad? Why do you NEED a desktop? If you store everything on your desktop then there are other problems you need to deal with

If it's because you like having your favourite shortcut there, then surely the new interface has all your favourite ones there too.

I can understand a little more from the business point of view, but that's only because a lot of people are idiots and again, are scared of change.

If there is a big button that enables me to get to the internet, photoshop, modelling programs, games and file browser then I'll be super happy. Can't wait for Win8!

 

[hmmblah]

personally I think this is BS. People just love to moan about change.

Why is it so bad? Why do you NEED a desktop? If you store everything on your desktop then there are other problems you need to deal with

If it's because you like having your favourite shortcut there, then surely the new interface has all your favourite ones there too.

I can understand a little more from the business point of view, but that's only because a lot of people are idiots and again, are scared of change.

If there is a big button that enables me to get to the internet, photoshop, modelling programs, games and file browser then I'll be super happy. Can't wait for Win8!

Yeah some are afraid of change. Sure, you can put a shortcut in the metro interface for your specific program, but if it is not a "metro" app, it drops you to the desktop before the program launches. It's unnecessary and takes extra time. When you're a normal 40hr a week employee these seconds add up over a year and cost real money.

Most business are at the mercy of the software they use and lots of those places use specialized software. It might be from a third party or it could be homegrown software. Either way, upgrades are supposed to make things "faster & easier" especially if they want business adoption.

 

[JackyBoy]

Yeah some are afraid of change. Sure, you can put a shortcut in the metro interface for your specific program, but if it is not a "metro" app, it drops you to the desktop before the program launches. It's unnecessary and takes extra time. When you're a normal 40hr a week employee these seconds add up over a year and cost real money.

Most business are at the mercy of the software they use and lots of those places use specialized software. It might be from a third party or it could be homegrown software. Either way, upgrades are supposed to make things "faster & easier" especially if they want business adoption.

I will completely hold my hands up and say that I haven't used win8 yet so I didn't know that happened. If it does just drop you to desktop then launch the program that is a bit silly. But It would be interesting to test whether or not it actually does slow it down at all. as couldn't it just be launching the program and in the same time minimise the "not-metro" interface, so in fact doesn't use any extra time at all?

Or does it actually minimise THEN start launching?

 

[ChrisGlobe]

When you're a normal 40hr a week employee these seconds add up over a year and cost real money.

Outlook 2010 crashed on me 24 times today, I only work 37.4 hours a week, how much has that cost me I wonder?

Most people aren't going to notice a few seconds here and there; in fact most businesses are going to be using the core suite of Microsoft products, and perhaps a couple of their own - which will be opened at 9am and then closed at 5pm when they log off. I don't think it's as bad as you make out, but then we have WinXP and IE7 still!

 

[hmmblah]

Outlook 2010 crashed on me 24 times today, I only work 37.4 hours a week, how much has that cost me I wonder?

Most people aren't going to notice a few seconds here and there; in fact most businesses are going to be using the core suite of Microsoft products, and perhaps a couple of their own - which will be opened at 9am and then closed at 5pm when they log off. I don't think it's as bad as you make out, but then we have WinXP and IE7 still!

I'm talking a more specialized business. Fortune 500, Emergency Services, Government, Engineering houses etc. Most of those companies don't use off the shelf Microsoft products for their productivity software. They probably use the MS Office Suite, but that's a small part of their software. None of our records software is MS. I could list 20 different pieces of software we use day to day, and none of them will be a metro app.

Seriously, an extra menu doesn't sound like much for a home user, but it's a big deal in business. I can guarantee that if we switched to Windows 8 and had to deal with Metro, I would have 100 calls in the first week with complaints.

Most of my users have used a desktop OS since Windows 95. People hate when you force their hand. If Metro was an option, a few of them would probably ask to use it and like it. If you tell someone they have to do something, they immediately resist.

 

[VengeanceUK]

I'm talking a more specialized business. Fortune 500, Emergency Services, Government, Engineering houses etc. Most of those companies don't use off the shelf Microsoft products for their productivity software. They probably use the MS Office Suite, but that's a small part of their software. None of our records software is MS. I could list 20 different pieces of software we use day to day, and none of them will be a metro app.

Seriously, an extra menu doesn't sound like much for a home user, but it's a big deal in business. I can guarantee that if we switched to Windows 8 and had to deal with Metro, I would have 100 calls in the first week with complaints.

Most of my users have used a desktop OS since Windows 95. People hate when you force their hand. If Metro was an option, a few of them would probably ask to use it and like it. If you tell someone they have to do something, they immediately resist.

you mean stuff like sage payroll and their ilk of programs?

 

[Saltire35]

I'll be sticking with Windows 7 even if a Windows 8 upgrade was free. ^_^

 

[ChrisGlobe]

I would be surprised to see a Fortune 500 company roll out a massive update for an operating system before SP1 at least. In fact, once W8 is out, I'd expect companies to finally look in to switching to W7!

 

[dipzy]

I'll be sticking with Windows 7 even if a Windows 8 upgrade was free. ^_^

Same here, Windows 7 FTW!!

I normally don't mind changes, but this windows 8, is one i do mind.

Unless Microsoft bring out an option to bypass Metro or disable it all together (i doubt it), i'll be happy to use Windows 7 for many more years.

 

[nothingspecial]

Come on people, Win8 was always destined to be crap..

Windows 98 - Good
ME - Crap
XP - Good
Vista - Crap
7 - Good
8 - Crap!

...and so it goes on.

 

[Swinder]

A fix for removing Metro is already available.
The fix is pretty much straight forward, dump in the Windows 7 explorer.exe and use that but it doesn't come without a few cons.

Link; http://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/35189-Windows-7-explorer-for-Windows-8

 

[jamesriley94]

Come on people, Win8 was always destined to be crap..

Windows 98 - Good
ME - Crap
XP - Good
Vista - Crap
7 - Good
8 - Crap!

...and so it goes on.

That's it takes them 3 years (6 if you count the time taken to make the previous version) to actually make a new OS that works
They're basically free to make whatever they like. Most users cant just switch to Mac due to finances, and it's not like you can just install Mac OS onto a PC (legally anyway) so there isnt really an alternative. Please no one say linux is a viable alternative

 

[AverageNinja]

So in 2015 we finally have a good OS again?
I think I will get Windows 8, because the retail version (ultimate) will be free for me, and Windows 7 probably won't. I have a friend who works at microsoft, so I get windows 8 for free

 

[seumasbeathan]

I have a friend who works at microsoft, so I get windows 8 for free

How does that work? Would he be allowed to give out free copies?

 

[andrewmchugh]

How does that work? Would he be allowed to give out free copies?

I'm calling BS.

However I get it for free on the 26th August.

 

[Goldskis45]

Come on people, Win8 was always destined to be crap..

Windows 98 - Good
ME - Crap
XP - Good
Vista - Crap
7 - Good
8 - Crap!

...and so it goes on.

^This...
Spot on...