Tango's Review of the NEW Windows 8.1 Spring Update

[vorticalbox]

I don't really agree with any points at all here.

The file uploader thing you've mentioned is because you're running your browser in 'App mode'. If you're using Chrome, click settings and click 'relaunch chrome in desktop mode' and it will launch exactly the same as it does in Windows 7.

I'm not sure what you're saying about Outlook either? Are you talking about the Online thing or the paid version? I've never used it either way so can't really comment - I've always used Windows Live Mail desktop from Windows Live Essentials which is still exactly the same layout at you'd expect from something in Windows 7.

I think the main point here that people who hate Windows 8 are missing is you really don't have to run anything in the Windows 8 App Mode.
Think of it as two different Operating Systems in one thing.

The Desktop performs exactly like Windows 7, only faster, more updated and there's quite a lot of features that are really quite useful.

I was trying to say that some things in windows 8.1 are rather confusing to use. They don't feel complete to me, as I said the file manager and also that photo viewer, on.Linus wan show he was showing it and it skipped to the next picture and both of them and me (and I'm sure a lot of others) thought the same thing "I've never seen it do that before"

 

[jamesriley94]

I was trying to say that some things in windows 8.1 are rather confusing to use. They don't feel complete to me, as I said the file manager and also that photo viewer, on.Linus wan show he was showing it and it skipped to the next picture and both of them and me (and I'm sure a lot of others) thought the same thing "I've never seen it do that before"

I still disagree with that lol.

The file manager thing:

Mine's identical to how it was on Windows 7.

As for Photo Viewer, are you talking about the Photo Viewer app? I have the same one from Windows 7 - 90% sure it comes preinstalled on 8 too? If you are talking about the app, it's pretty simple to just not use it.

'Photos' here is the app, 'Windows Photo Viewer' is the desktop version.

I haven't played with anything from any 3rd party apps at all - never seen the need to.

 

[vorticalbox]

I still disagree with that lol.

The file manager thing:

Mine's identical to how it was on Windows 7.

As for Photo Viewer, are you talking about the Photo Viewer app? I have the same one from Windows 7 - 90% sure it comes preinstalled on 8 too? If you are talking about the app, it's pretty simple to just not use it.

'Photos' here is the app, 'Windows Photo Viewer' is the desktop version.

I haven't played with anything from any 3rd party apps at all - never seen the need to.

I know how to use desktop versions right clicking a picture and open with or setting the default uses the windows 7 style over win8 but when I installed windows 8 I tried it just using the new GUI, using the full-screen apps.


little things like if you are using a full screen app and want to go back to a desktop app you need to move the mouse over to the left then move it down and then click desktop and then click the program you have running (this is changed in 8.1 update 1 that's coming allowing full screen apps to run in a window) for something its made it more effort to do tasks which feels like a step backwards.

microsoft are slowly getting there, like i said the new GUI is a massive change over the old (which has been used for 20 years), but it is nice to see the they are trying to drive the market forward and also listening to customer feed back.

 

[jamesriley94]

It's not really a complaint against Windows 8 then that you have to manually set files to open with the type of program you prefer. You'd naturally set the ones you prefer with any OS anyway. It's not like you're complaining that HTML 'files' are set to auto open with Internet Explolrer, or Music auto opens with WMP because most people would just change those immediately anyway.

As for the apps, even before 8.1 you could just drag the app down from the top of the page to close it. There's the simple solution of just not using the apps in the first place like you don't have to do.

You can't really complain about the Apps interface in Win8, when you're never forced to use it, and 7 doesn't have anything like that anyway. It's just an extra thing on top of the standard Windows 8 which you don't have to use if you don't want to.

 

[yassarikhan786]

A quick way to get back to the desktop from an App is to hit the Windows Key + D. Nice and simple!

 

[Dicehunter]

Ok so I gave 8 another chance today, It's still on my system, I haven't noticed any difference in games, None of my themes work, It's ugly and I just plain don't like it so I don't see the need to keep it on my system.

And before someone starts screaming and shouting about it not being that different to 7 please remember not everyone likes the same stuff.

 

[SuB]

And before someone starts screaming and shouting about it not being that different to 7 please remember not everyone likes the same stuff.

This right here.. is 100% the point.

The visual cues and the interface, the design and ui language all of it, regardless of how 'similar' it is. just doesn't push my buttons because it looks like a child designed it and it feels pre-schooly. And that isn't going to change, no matter how many work-arounds, or options or whatever you can change to get to that point. The point is, it comes like that out the box, and windows 7 doesn't at this point.

Eventually once the shitty 2 tone high contrast UI becomes de-facto the options to fuck it off will disappear and we'll be forced to use this crap, same as the way iOS 7 has gone.

I still strongly believe it's a massive step backwards in interface design

 

[Kaapstad]

It is sometimes said that we have been using the same interface for the last 20 years but is there anything wrong with that.

Should someone invent square wheels or tables and chairs without legs just because we have not changed those in a very long time ?

 

[SieB]

It is sometimes said that we have been using the same interface for the last 20 years but is there anything wrong with that.

Should someone invent square wheels or tables and chairs without legs just because we have not changed those in a very long time ?

And at the same time should we keep using the same thing because it is what people are used to? At least they did something different, if we had it the way the mass majority of people wanted it we would all still be using Windows 2000.

I remember the same shit storm we have now when we went from XP to 7. Now it is the same thing all over again with 8.

Anyway, here is Windows 7 and windows 8.

Can someone point out the differences and the ugly UI, cause either I am blind or people are using a different Windows 8 to me?

 

[Dicehunter]

This right here.. is 100% the point.

The visual cues and the interface, the design and ui language all of it, regardless of how 'similar' it is. just doesn't push my buttons because it looks like a child designed it and it feels pre-schooly. And that isn't going to change, no matter how many work-arounds, or options or whatever you can change to get to that point. The point is, it comes like that out the box, and windows 7 doesn't at this point.

Eventually once the shitty 2 tone high contrast UI becomes de-facto the options to fuck it off will disappear and we'll be forced to use this crap, same as the way iOS 7 has gone.

I still strongly believe it's a massive step backwards in interface design

Finally someone who can look at something with open eyes.

And at the same time should we keep using the same thing because it is what people are used to? At least they did something different, if we had it the way the mass majority of people wanted it we would all still be using Windows 2000.

I remember the same shit storm we have now when we went from XP to 7. Now it is the same thing all over again with 8.

Anyway, here is Windows 7 and windows 8.

Can someone point out the differences and the ugly UI, cause either I am blind or people are using a different Windows 8 to me?

The top picture *W8* looks bland when compared to Windows 7.

Windows 8 looks like cardboard in comparison, Win 7 = Glass, Win 8 = cardboard look 2 tone high contrast UI made for people with either bad eye sight or poor taste i.e hipsters.

 

[SieB]

The top picture *W8* looks bland when compared to Windows 7.

Windows 8 looks like cardboard in comparison, Win 7 = Glass, Win 8 = cardboard look.

But that is a personal thing, I think the Windows 7 Aero glass effect looks cheap and tacky. But i'm not going to use that as a reason not to use it or make out it is a bad OS because of it.

 

[Dicehunter]

But that is a personal thing, I think the Windows 7 Aero glass effect looks cheap and tacky. But i'm not going to use that as a reason not to use it or make out it is a bad OS because of it.

And that's why it all comes down to 1 thing, Personal taste.

 

[Kaapstad]

And at the same time should we keep using the same thing because it is what people are used to? At least they did something different, if we had it the way the mass majority of people wanted it we would all still be using Windows 2000.

I remember the same shit storm we have now when we went from XP to 7. Now it is the same thing all over again with 8.

Anyway, here is Windows 7 and windows 8.

Can someone point out the differences and the ugly UI, cause either I am blind or people are using a different Windows 8 to me?

Sometimes things need changing but sometimes they don't.

I feel with Win 8 Microsoft have wasted a lot of time, effort and money trying to take the majority of people somewhere they don't want to go.

I think what Microsoft should have done with Win 8 is to have made it look and work like Win 7 by default, and the important bit would have been to have given users the option to turn on the new features found in Win 8.

The above would not have forced people to use something they don't want to but would have given Microsoft a lot of feedback on whether the new interface was any good or not. Lets face it if the new Win 8 setup is as good as Microsoft think it is, then people would choose to turn it on.

 

[SuB]

Lets face it if the new Win 8 setup is as good as Microsoft think it is, then people would choose to turn it on.

Precisely, if all you want to do is turn this off, which most of you have said you do, and prefer to do, because you like the old way...

Explain to me how that makes 8 'better' ? it's 'okay' because you can make it 'like' 7 ?

 

[SieB]

And that's why it all comes down to 1 thing, Personal taste.

Yes, but when people make it out to be a bad OS when it isn't is a different thing.

If people are referring to the ugly UI s being the fact Windows 8 doesn't have Areo then it is not Windows 8 being ugly it is peoples opinion of it like my opinion is that Aero looks ugly.

What it doesn't change is the fact that both Windows 8 and 7 look and work in the same way other than Areo.

Explain to me how that makes 8 'better' ? it's 'okay' because you can make it 'like' 7 ?

Explain to me what makes it worse?
No one said Windows 8 is better but people seem intent on making out it is worse when it isn't

It already is like 7, it is 7 with more things added to it. You can either choose to use them or not to use them.

 

[Dicehunter]

Yes, but when people make it out to be a bad OS when it isn't is a different thing.

If people are referring to the ugly UI s being the fact Windows 8 doesn't have Areo then it is not Windows 8 being ugly it is peoples opinion of it like my opinion is that Aero looks ugly.

What it doesn't change is the fact that both Windows 8 and 7 look and work in the same way other than Areo.

Apart from a few annoyances yes but after giving 8 a chance I just found it too irritating and not worth the tiny performance increase.

 

[SuB]

What it doesn't change is the fact that both Windows 8 and 7 look and work in the same way other than Areo.

No, they don't, it's more than just Aero. I'm not gonna keep repeating myself because you don't see it.

 

[SieB]

No, they don't, it's more than just Aero. I'm not gonna keep repeating myself because you don't see it.

No I don't see, post specific examples.
I use windows 8 the same way I use Windows 7. My Windows 8 looks just like Windows 7. If you can show me what exactly it is that makes Windows 8 so bad and I can't post back showing you with a screenshot how it isn't, then fair enough.

 

[jamesriley94]

No I don't see, post specific examples.
I use windows 8 the same way I use Windows 7. My Windows 8 looks just like Windows 7. If you can show me what exactly it is that makes Windows 8 so bad and I can't post back showing you with a screenshot how it isn't, then fair enough.

Heh, this exactly.

Windows 8 is a faster Windows 7 with a few more features and an added interface for tablets which desktop users can very easily avoid.

Either myself and Sieb are missing something that the rest of you have been unable to specifically point out yet, or you lot haven't used it enough to formulate a proper opinion and are merely going off what the reviews unjustly criticise when they probably haven't used it enough either.

 

[SeekaX]

Heh, this exactly.

Windows 8 is a faster Windows 7 with a few more features and an added interface for tablets which desktop users can very easily avoid.

Either myself and Sieb are missing something that the rest of you have been unable to specifically point out yet, or you lot haven't used it enough to formulate a proper opinion and are merely going off what the reviews unjustly criticise when they probably haven't used it enough either.

No I don't see, post specific examples.
I use windows 8 the same way I use Windows 7. My Windows 8 looks just like Windows 7. If you can show me what exactly it is that makes Windows 8 so bad and I can't post back showing you with a screenshot how it isn't, then fair enough.

Compatibility. I have seen loads of complaints of people who can't run games properly because they are too old even though they run just fine on win7.
Why would i uninstall Win7, install Win8 and go through the trouble of setting everything up so it is like Win7. Surely not for a small performance gain.