Tango's Review of the NEW Windows 8.1 Spring Update

[SieB]

If I could completely disable the start/metro screen *I know I don't have to use it but it's still there* and have all my custom themes work with windows 8 then I would use it but at the moment 99% of custom themes do not work with windows 8 and custom themes is one part about rigs I really enjoy

Custom themes is one of the things I miss from 7 as well but i'm not to fussed about it tbh.

You can disable the Metro screen though, well it's not completely disabled as you can still use it. But when you log into windows you go strait to the dektop, and unless you want to, you don't have to ever see the metro screen.

 

[Dicehunter]

I might give 8 another chance as I just found a custom theme that I really like, I'll report back later ^_^

*EDIT* ok never mind, Wasn't for W8, I'll stay with W7, No real reason to get W8 anyway and as I said before, This is the general consensus when people see W8

 

[QuietOne]

Is W8 USB install friendly? I have one on a USB stick but never installed it. I had so many problems with W7 install and had to revert to DVD but I really can't be arsed to find it and connect the drive up.

 

[Dicehunter]

Is W8 USB install friendly? I have one on a USB stick but never installed it. I had so many problems with W7 install and had to revert to DVD but I really can't be arsed to find it and connect the drive up.

Yeah I've installed Windows 8 via USB, Same procedure as Windows 7

 

[QuietOne]

My last experience with W7 USB was fun. wouldn't detect my HDD's lol

 

[Dicehunter]

Never had a problem installing any OS TBH.

 

[SeekaX]

My last experience with W7 USB was fun. wouldn't detect my HDD's lol

Never had any problems installing Win7 via USB stick.

 

[QuietOne]

Must be me then. Gonna try W8.1 shortly.

 

[Dicehunter]

Must be me then. Gonna try W8.1 shortly.

Be sure to pick up some holy water beforehand

 

[vorticalbox]

Must be me then. Gonna try W8.1 shortly.

my college gives me access to no end of software, windows xp, 7, 8 , 8.1 and the server versions too all for free.

thats why i'm on 8.1, honeslt though it takes a week max to get used to the features with "snap" and full screen apps.

sometimes it does feel like i'm using a tablet or phones with a KB/M but ass said you can disable the start screen all together.

it does feel faster and it does boot slightly quicker then windows 7

 

[QuietOne]

Be sure to pick up some holy water beforehand

So I can pour it into my rig if it don't work?

 

[JR23]

I'm still using Windows 8 on my not smudge-screen ultrabook and I mostly get on with it now that I have added a shut down button. My only problem with it are the full screen apps really I seem to get stuck in them and whatever I do takes me back to somewhere not useful and I find myself going to metro, then the desktop and then back to the right program.

Also why is the standard photo viewer such garbage. I open a picture and then I can only see that one picture. Moving left or right to other pictures in the folder doesn't work and it always goes full screen so I spend a year getting back to the folder to look at the next picture. All I wanna do is look at multiple pictures in succession but that's too much to ask. If it weren't for the fact I barely use my laptop and the added battery life is nice I would put Windows 7 on it.

JR

 

[vorticalbox]

I'm still using Windows 8 on my not smudge-screen ultrabook and I mostly get on with it now that I have added a shut down button. My only problem with it are the full screen apps really I seem to get stuck in them and whatever I do takes me back to somewhere not useful and I find myself going to metro, then the desktop and then back to the right program.

Also why is the standard photo viewer such garbage. I open a picture and then I can only see that one picture. Moving left or right to other pictures in the folder doesn't work and it always goes full screen so I spend a year getting back to the folder to look at the next picture. All I wanna do is look at multiple pictures in succession but that's too much to ask. If it weren't for the fact I barely use my laptop and the added battery life is nice I would put Windows 7 on it.

JR

most of the windows 8 apps suck, another one is the file manager when you fancy uploading a file to the internet...

 

[SieB]

This is the general consensus when people see W8

And this is the problem, it's what most people think when they see it.

They then go on to saying how crap it is and that it is designed as a touch screen GUI without even knowing what they are talking about. More and more people then say the same thing, all of which have never even used Windows 8 and then you end up with a load of people all talking crap about something they know nothing about.

Windows 8 is the same as windows 7 baring the Metro screen, people just listen to BS and have no understanding of how Windows 8 works.

 

[Dicehunter]

And this is the problem, it's what most people think when they see it.

They then go on to saying how crap it is and that it is designed as a touch screen GUI without even knowing what they are talking about. More and more people then say the same thing, all of which have never even used Windows 8 and then you end up with a load of people all talking crap about something they know nothing about.

Windows 8 is the same as windows 7 baring the Metro screen, people just listen to BS and have no understanding of how Windows 8 works.

But that's the thing, You shouldn't have to spend so much time to figure out how it works, Windows 7 is easy, When I first tried Windows 8 it was just frustrating.

Why do you think so many people in the enthusiast community don't use it ? It's not from hear say and gossip, It's from trying it and not liking it.

Yes I agree with time you can zip around it and it performs better than 7 but most people who get a new OS/PC just want to switch on, Go and not have a learning curve and that's the majority of PC owners.

I'll give it another try tomorrow when I get some more free time to see if it grows on me.

 

[vorticalbox]

But that's the thing, You shouldn't have to spend days figuring out how it works, Windows 7 is easy, When I first tried Windows 8 it was just frustrating.
Yes I agree with time you can zip around it and it performs better than 7 but the majority of people who get a new OS/PC just want to switch on, Go and not have a learning curve.

problem is we have been using the same GUI (looks prettier but still the same) for 20 years.

it took about 8 years before everyone got custom to it, Microsoft knew they were gonna get this kick back just like before, give it a few years and we will wonder how we didn't live without it.

 

[Dicehunter]

problem is we have been using the same GUI (looks prettier but still the same) for 20 years.

it took about 8 years before everyone got custom to it, Microsoft knew they were gonna get this kick back just like before, give it a few years and we will wonder how we didn't live without it.

Well W8 will of been out for around 2 years come this autumn and it still isn't liked by the majority of people and MS have W9 planned for a mid 2015 release so it will be interesting to see how this plays out

 

[yassarikhan786]

If you install start8 or a similar application (classic shell comes to mind) your experience will be very similar to windows 7. Once you bypass the default Win 8 UI, the difference between the two OS' is pretty much non-existent.

80% of the people at my workplace use Windows 8 and there are very rarely any complaints about Windows 8 since everyone is using start8/classic shell.

 

[SuB]

I'm sorry but if you truly thing the GUI from 8 is the same as 7 you're blind. The design principles around the new GUI's are like night and day.

A lot of this is leaking over into software available for windows 7 as well so maybe it's harder for you to spot.

Windows 7 is still very similar to previous versions at it's core, the explorer shell and menu system works the same way as before, pulldown menus and mouse-orientated menus are great.

8.. isn't.

You only have to look at the interface for things like Outlook to see the difference, if you don't see it you're blind and/or ignorant. as someone else posted above a screengrab of the file uploader. From a desktop software standpoint, that looks like fucking garbage. That's the kind of layout you would DRAFT before finalising a gui, not push out as your new spangly ui.

The ENTIRE application design ecosystem has been rebuilt around chunky fuck-off buttons and 2 colour high contrast interface design. It's shit. I've said it before about what Apple did with iOS7, it might run a bit quicker, and be 'simpler' to use but it looks utter gash, it's not pleasing to the eye at all, it's over-contrasted and over-simplified to try and fit in with the Windows 8 2 colour look and I honestly feel they suffer for it. I say this as an iOS 7 developer, because it's an absolute piece of shit to work with.

It doesn't matter how you theme your OS for windows 8, and even in some windows 7 apps now that have the cross-over UI from their windows 8 counterparts for ease-of-porting backwards, it sucks for desktop users and it looks balls.

It isn't the same AT ALL.

 

[jamesriley94]

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.

Then there's the App/Metro tiles thing which I'll admit is terrible, but you never have to use that if you don't want to. The people here that seem to be having a go at Windows 8 seem to only think it consists of the App mode which just shows how little you've actually used it before slating it here.

I'd actually happily take the challenge and post screenshots of any normal task that you'd want your PC to do (and can normally do on Windows 7) that you think you can't do properly on Windows 8, and show you that you actually can just as easily as on 7.

I think more of Windows 8 as an updated Windows 7 with an added app mode to improve support on tablets, but on desktops you never have to use it if you don't want to.