Disclaimer: Windows 8 might still turn out to be a good operating system, these thoughts are based on my initial impressions based on the developer preview. I’m not anti Microsoft, nor Anti Windows. I am what you might call a so-called power user of the Microsoft Desktop Operating Systems. I’m currently running Windows 7.
The deception:
It is clear to see Microsoft did not develop Win8 to provide their desktop users with the best possible experience. Instead Microsoft created Win8 to be primarily for tablet devices and desktop users will “have to adjust”. We have to ask ourselves why would they do this, and the answer is fairly simple, they want to sell tablets and they want to dominate that market place. Microsoft’s greatest “weapon” or influence is the Windows operating system. Windows 8 is more than an OS, it is a marketing tool for tablet devices tied to the pockets of Microsoft.
They try to deceive the public with their clever marketing videos demonstrating the “cool” features of Windows 8, but unless you actually own a tablet or a touch-centric device, Windows 8 will make you wish you had one. Indeed you might very well now own a laptop, and think to yourself “Well maybe next time around, I’ll get a tablet”. If you are a desktop user, you’re left wondering where did the operating system go!
The truth about touch:
Touch devices have their place. And they may be suitable for certain types of users and applications, but for those of us working in IT (Developers, Designers, CAD Designers, 3D modellers etc, hell even secretaries) when it comes to getting any work done, we require a keyboard and mouse, this is because touch is a slower and less accurate form of input. Touch also requires more labour over long periods of time. It could in the loooooooong term future be possible to interact with computers by just using your voice, but we are not there yet. To date for pure productivity nothing beats the keyboard and mouse.
Windows 7 was a desktop OS, Windows 8 is for tablets, Where is the new desktop OS?
There isn’t one. We’re expected to adopt to an OS designed for a touch device or …. To be fair Microsoft assure us that Windows 8 will run just fine on a desktop, but I have come across some features in the developer preview which makes me think otherwise.
To log into windows 8, you need to click and drag your mouse from the bottom of the screen upwards, emulating a finger action. JUST TO LOG IN! It doesn’t end there. Metro apps have no traditional close buttons, instead the apps are designed for mobile computing, and using it on a desktop feels awkward.
As a tablet OS Windows 8 is going to be great. But I’m not interested in the tablet aspect right now.
I had a Win7 desktop OS, and it seems logical that the next version of Windows I update to should be a desktop OS right? So why am I now being presented with a tablet OS? I have REAL WORK TO DO, like zounds of other IT professionals, we rely on Windows as a operating system that allows us to do our jobs. Why would I use an OS designed for a tablet?
Conclusion:
If Microsoft continue on this path, and if (at launch) Windows 8 doesn’t feel like a REAL desktop OS, I will most likely abandon using Windows as a client side OS. Instead I will install Linux (designed for desktop productivity), and most likely RDC into Windows 8 servers (Which I’m pretty sure won’t have the tablet features). I’ll be using Windows 8 server for productivity work via RDC from Linux.
Michael's Techbox 
i do real IT work and still at XP – 7 times better than Windows &.
Mus tnot be too real if still using XP. Version 7 is FAR superior to XP
Wrong, XP is superior to 7.
As long as the average consumer is uneducated (microsoft claimed something to the accord that several advanced user controls confused the average user and hence justified their removal) and easily entertained by “oooh, aero pretty” we’ll continue getting operating systems on the market.
We don’t need voice recognition (which would be far slower than mouse and keyboard [I, for one, can type faster than I can dictate]; we don’t need touch screen (use of broad motions over the fine motor skills of mouse and keyboard); we don’t need these “pseudo-future technologies” that mostly make people feel cool over having them (re, iPad and iPhone [the os is just horrible on these devices.])
I’d rather have technologies that are the LOGICAL DEVELOPMENT rather than the “cool and hip” thing to do. I’d rather consumers be FORCED to READ THE BLOODY MANUAL, than have a device that can’t do anything you couldn’t figure out in 5 min of playing with it. I’d rather there to be underlying complexity HIDDEN (but not removed) by a CRAFTY WELL THOUGHT OUT GUI… not removed all together.
We’re suppose to be heading into a new age of intellect, of technological development; but now it seems that anything that makes the consumer “think” makes it a bad product.
I disagree with you. I am not referring to all the eye-candy and toys, but the core of the OS. Windows 7 outperforms XP greatly in all ways.
How is XP superior to 7?
I remember my first impression of Windows 7 – I liked the glass, but I hated that stupid Mac-like taskbar. I got it back by going into Taskbar Properties, and voilà; a better version of XP. It looks nice and feels smoother without even upgrading parts, everything’s preinstalled, and it has bug fixes and a smoother interface. (I wish you could evaluate expressions like 2+2 from the search bar, though – something that they didn’t add in Windows 8). So if you want to be anti-change, at the very least, Windows 7 did not degrade from XP. If you insist it only added eye candy… it’s nice eye candy. And it’s free and it’s new. Who cares? 🙂
Actually Windows XP is a great computer repair tool…That’s all I use when doing repairs since it is considered light now. You’d never see me use vista or 7 to get rid of a virus.
I take it you have not been new desktop computer shopping lately. I have noticed over time there are more and more models with are touch screen based. Some models have the screen and whole computer built into the same cabinet.
If this is the way computers are headed, then why would you keep making operating systems the same way?
Actually those “all in one” desktop systems use a laptop type of motherboard so it really any much faster then a laptop. and does not even come close to a full desktop system.
Then use LCARSx32 for windows Xp or 7, it’s a better touch environment than 8 big time.
I enjoyed your post. I agree with all your points. Win 8 looks cool but just doesn’t make sense on the desktop. The touch enabled, over simplified and minimalistic metro UI is suited for mobile/pad/tablet not the desktop! It makes sense on these smaller form factors. But on a desktop you need/want fine grain control. I’ll be sticking with win7. Windows 8 sucks!!
The problem that Microsoft has now is Windows 8 has already been introduced into the system and people are now realizing how poorly this products adapts to the normal computer world . The marketing effort for windows 8 was soley for a bunch of 15-25 year old geeks. They will soon suffer in sales as the poeple who purshase computers are businesses and people with money. I called microsoft to downgrade to windows 7 and they sugested I purchase the Windows 7 program for $200.00.
Better Idea, sell my computer on Ebay and buy an Apply computer that is more user friendly they windows 8.
I have to admit I have the preview version and I too feel it is designed for a touch screen and portable devices. If like the customiizable heiarchal design of the start menu system it is gone. Access is restricted and mouse and keyboard usability is terrible. I fill like someone is trying port the phone OS to the desktop.
I agree with your review. I hope it changes or offers the traditional user the option to dump the clunky interface for a mor traditional one. Trent I think your review is spot on.
As for the so called real IT guy…. you missed the speed boot. Are you tired of paddling yet?
“Wrong, XP is superior to 7.”
– Not in my world. In my world, it is the other way around.
XP: 2D GPU acceleration, tearing desktop (no Vsync on Desktop windows), leading to sometimes having several “ghost-windows”, when something hangs up,… also: Windows 7 handles system ram better (using the “free” Ram for something useful; Superfetch). Those two examples are already enough for me to never use Windows XP again. I do not only work with my computer, …I do “everything” with it (yes, even Porn). For my low-ram and not upgradable devices: I use Readyboost. And yes, it makes a f*cking big difference, when used under the right given circumstances.
“As long as the average consumer is uneducated (microsoft claimed something to the accord that several advanced user controls confused the average user and hence justified their removal) and easily entertained by “oooh, aero pretty” we’ll continue getting operating systems on the market.”
– Windows also targets the mass-market/mainstream, which you seem to forget here. And, for your information, if you haven’t been socializing enough lately; the mainstream does not want complicated stuff. It has to be easy, fast, and clean. I am not saying – I, me, myself – want that, but other ppl do. It is difficult to please every monkey yelling, you know?! On the enterprise side of things it’s different. But the enterprise won’t be switching to Windows 8 any time soon anyway. Most of them just upgraded to Windows 8.
“We don’t need voice recognition (which would be far slower than mouse and keyboard [I, for one, can type faster than I can dictate]; we don’t need touch screen (use of broad motions over the fine motor skills of mouse and keyboard); we don’t need these “pseudo-future technologies” that mostly make people feel cool over having them (re, iPad and iPhone [the os is just horrible on these devices.])”
– I disagree. Your brain seems to only focus on what YOU want for yourself. Sorry, but by asuming “WE” don’t need voice recognition, you are very wrong. What about ppl who don’t have a feature called “arms and hands” to use a keyboard and mouse? Have you ever thought about those humans? Oh, no, you obviously haven’t. How about this: I worked at a hospital for two years. I saw the doctors using voice recognition all the time. Why? While working and cutting flesh in to piece, they were actually using voice recognition to do their stuff on the computer, without even the need to touch the mouse and keyboard – soaked in blood and flesh. Also, my own mother has a disability with her hands. What do you think does she use to control the computer? Ah, yes……….voice recognition.
– And you do it again: “we don’t need touch screen.” Well, I do – depending on the device I am using and depending on how I am traveling and what I want to use. I very much enjoy using my iPad with on hand, on my couch, while giving my balls a sack-massage with the other, thank you. I also like the flat design, which I use when driving home from work and vice versa. It fits in my bag nice and can be held like a book. Playing games, reading stuff, browsing the web and looking at videos, photos and listening to music is a lot of fun, on my tablet, when sitting in the bus, on the way home.
“I’d rather have technologies that are the LOGICAL DEVELOPMENT rather than the “cool and hip” thing to do. I’d rather consumers be FORCED to READ THE BLOODY MANUAL, than have a device that can’t do anything you couldn’t figure out in 5 min of playing with it. I’d rather there to be underlying complexity HIDDEN (but not removed) by a CRAFTY WELL THOUGHT OUT GUI… not removed all together.”
– What is logical and what not? Isn’t everything depending on the point of view? For many it seems only logical for Microsoft to jump on the “touch-screen” bus and to drive that thing in to before forbidden and fresh, new areas. Since everything else is going in that direction, one could assume, that this move is the only logical thing to do – in terms of development.
– Also, I have seen better results with older gen. ppl using tablets and those “simplified” OS, then when using something as “complicated” like a full-blown Windows 7 desktop. It really depends on the comsumer. This is why I like Linux so much: You have the freedom of choice. Don’t like it? Change it.
“We’re suppose to be heading into a new age of intellect, of technological development; but now it seems that anything that makes the consumer “think” makes it a bad product.”
– Says who? I don’t know about you, but I want my computer to actually take off some work from me, because I have other, more important matters, that need to be taken care of. So, I actually want my computer to be as easy to use as it gets. This is the main reason why I bought the thing.
This is why choice and optional is good; in this case.
Sleek GUI, but with advanced technical options. Sleek GUI = for the mainstream consumer and hidden, technical options for the advanced user, which should be advanced enough, in order to actually find it (since they’re advanced users).
In Windows 8 case, my suggestion is this:
1) Make things optional and do not “force” users to use two things at the same time, if they don’t want to. Give the tablet/touch-screen users their tablet oriented Windows-OS and give the Desktop users the usual OS. In other words: Don’t assume everyone will like the “mix” of two different GUIS, working parallel to eachother. This only confuses the user more than before.
2) Make this choice optional, but recommend the default Desktop by auto-detecting the hardware/machine being used. If you do not like what it recommends, then give the option to change it. Make it easy understandable and give some info on what is what. Sort of like how you can actually select your wished Desktop on Linux. I have four Desktop choices installed on my Ubuntu Linux machine: Gnome 3, Gnome 2, KDE and XFCE. I use Gnome 2.x. My girlfriend uses Gnome 3. My Brother uses KDE. A friend of mine uses XFCE. Depending on the user wanting to use the machine, it can be changed to whatever the user wants – right from the login screen. Every single one of us still has access to everything we need and want – but from difference interfaces (speaking of my family here).
I imagine it like this:
1) Windows 8 boots up after a fresh install.
2) It detects the system in use.
3) It recommends a default Desktop, that can be changed if the user wants something else.
3a) A few of these options could be:
* Metro only.
* Metro and Aero (like it is now; in the dev. preview)
* Aero “normal” Desktop only.
4) Go on with the normal install and adjust, configure and adapt to whatever the user chose to use.
5) When done; make it easy for a user to switch to something else afterwards, like on (for example) Ubuntu Linux. Make it accessible and easy to use or find.
Done.
Argue about windows 7 and xp forever. They were both the best operating systems made for windows. half a dozen of one and 6 of the other.All depends on what the user is doing with it. One thing is certain, windows 8 sucks.
PS: I do want to note, though, that I agree with most of the things posted in the article: If Windows 8 stays the way it is now (dev. preview), it will only bring more confusion to everyone wanting to use it. Some things should not be mixed or forced. If you actually set it up and make it optional for different tastes and user, it should be very, very nice, since Windows will then really be on every device you can imagine. I think, if Windows 8 stays the way it is right now; flop. If they tune stuff a bit, like I mentioned before; win.
I am fed up with Windows. I have used Windows products since the Dos days and I dislike the direction Microsoft is headed in. I switched to Linux earlier this year and I wonder why I did not do it sooner! I have ALL of my important windows applications running natively using WINE. I never have to worry about viruses, spyware or poor performance. My machine is stable, it runs day in and day out without ever needing a reboot. My computer runs faster than it ever did running Windows. It never slows down like Windows did… I had to reinstall my system every 6 months. Linux allows me to balance my work-flow and get my projects done!
10 years ago Linux was difficult for me to figure out… These days it is really easy to install and everything works right out of the box without the need to install drivers. No operating system is perfect. Windows has met and fallen short of my expectations. Linux continuously exceeds my expectations. I will admit that Linux is not for everyone, it requires a little work to get everything customised to your liking. Once you have your system setup to your specifications, you will have a workhorse that will keep running until the hardware actually fails. I guess that is why Linux powers most of the internet servers and super-computers.
Bottom line: As a Windows power user with 20+ years of computing experience, I cannot sing Linux enough praises. it has truly matured to a point where it is a wonderful alternative to Windows. If you do not like Windows 8, try LinuxMint, PinguyOS 11.04 or ZorinOS 5
Wow. I don’t like Windows 8 either, for me because of the “ribbon” and the “made for Tablets” aspect. However, I have to say you don’t really provide any examples of why Windows 8 sucks. Other than saying you don’t like moving the mouse diagonally you really don’t provide anything. I was looking for someone who had tried the o/s and didn’t like it to show more concrete reasons why it sucks, and I came across your “article”. I read it and it offered nothing other than “where’s my desktop o/s” and “I don’t like the tablet feel”.
Man, I have not downloaded the “developers edition” and have not had the opportunity to try it. You have, but offer nothing in the way of an argument. How about a coherent list of things you find problematic? Are you using the “Windows 7 Traditional” desktop? What’s NOT traditional about it? How is the Start Menu different from Windows 7? (Not talking about Metro here, but the desktop) Does it use traditional windows (not metro)? How does it handle multi-monitors? Can you make the system auto-boot into Windows 7 desktop without ever seeing Metro? IS the fill-screen app problem only in Metro or also a problem in Windows 7 desktop? Can you not control the size of the windows?
This o/s sounds like a real devolution to me, but I’m not hearing a lot of facts from the people who have tried it.
What Microsoft basically did to develop Windows 8 was to take the core of Windows 7, add support for ARM processors, update libraries and modules and finally add the Metro theme to a minimalistic version of Aero. And the result is, well, truly horrible. A bland theme like metro works only in mobile devices where clarity and cleanliness overshadow the need for a real, good UI. But following the same mantra for a predominantly PC OS like Windows may lead to it repeating the grand failure of Vista. I hate the touch-oriented controls. If the world is heading towards touch devices and tablet PC’s ,its fine, but imposing the same OS experience on PC users with non-touch display units is outrageous. Microsoft should realize its follies and rectify them before the launch, otherwise they are holding a looser in their hands.
You probably don’t play game according to your conclusion. It’s a pain in the ass to play any game in linux.
Emmmmm you are aware you can install Windows server on your PC do you? Servers are same as PC, just have hardware made more for CPU power and networking, so it can run same software. So don’t need to pain yourself to use remote desktop :p
Well, I’ve just tried the Developers’ Preview, and I am appalled, not for any of the reasons I see here, but because I see that the trend of Microsoft OSes to take more control away from the user with every release has taken a worrying turn for the worse. Gone is the Start Menu, because MS reckons nobody uses it anymore. Really? I hated Windows 7 for trying to force me to put everything into libraries. I don’t want libraries. I just want my stuff where I know how to get to it. Windows 8 practically succeeds in making you use libraries, like it or not.
There are all sorts of worrying “features” which all seem to result in the OS phoning home so Microsoft can “help” you. Don’t they mean “control”? Yes they do. That’s what it’s all about.Doing computing Microsoft’s way.
Anyway, it does as well look like a huge Phone 7 UI and I certainly don’t like that.
I see another Vista/ME coming.
Have you even bothered to really examine it? If you had, you would have found the regular desktop is restorable as you are used to seeing
More like a Microsoft BOB
i only can laugh to people still using win xp. i really feel sorry for them. in fact i feel sorry for people still using any of MS bullshit. i stopped i think 5 years ago’ MS is passed for me, and it will stay there.
Some people don’t want to use touch pads, personally I hate touch pads. I would rather a keyboard and mouse. Developers should think of this because it won’t exactly please everyone. Then again I am the kind of person who hates with a passion wireless technology and if I had a choice I’d stay plugged into my Router/modem. I don’t like how -everything- needs a touch pad. Why not instead of making new shit why not develop the things we already have?
Windows 8 looks like a Vista 2.0
ill pass , wait for windows 9
I’d say what Amr said, and ‘wait for Windows 9’, but when you look at the history of Windows OSs, they never really have ever gone backwards from a bad decision, they’ve just always tried to improve it. For instance, they didn’t really go back from Windows Vista, they just improved it until it was Windows 7. So if the future releases of Windows are going to be all like Windows 8 but just improved, then that’s of little benefit for me, since I’m one of those desktop power users who desperately needs a simple yet powerful window based UI (I do mainly programming/design work in Illustrator/Photoshop). You can pretty much bet that Windows 9 isn’t going to be just Windows 7 but made better, and with no Metro UI.
I was pretty disappointed when I saw the preview of Windows 8, but slowly I’ve been coming to accept the fact that Windows will no longer be designed for desktops. It just means for things like PC games, which require Windows, I’ll have to stick with Windows, but for things like productivity, I’ll have to start either using a different OS, or find great custom shells for each future version of Windows. SharpEnviro was pretty fun to use for Windows 7, but that project has ended sadly. I hear Photoshop/Illustrator/Dreamweaver run in Linux under WINE, so maybe it’s time to make the switch. At least on Ubuntu you’re not required to use one specific interface over another.
God, I hope Adobe doesn’t make the next Photoshop application Metro UI style. O_O *Shudder*
I guess if that starts to happen, I could just find a different job and stop using computers for work. 8S
This is exactly my idea too. I don’t know who they had in mind when they came up with this colorful pile of crap but it certainly wasn’t users. Teeny boppers and grandma’s, maybe, but certainly not productive people.
tried the consumer preview and i have GOT to agree. it sucks donkey balls! My prediction? On the desk/lap top, his will make Vista look positively awsome!!!! It’s made for a tablet. Period.
I’d love for Windows 8 to be a decent and innovative desktop OS but it wont be. It’s just the result of Windows Mobile being upscaled to tablet devices, hacked into Windows 7 and being called it’s successor.
Computers are becoming more and more restrictive with all the social media crap, smartphones and tablets. Windows OSes have always been restrictive in some way or another, but now the general public ignorantly wants everything to “work” with no care to how, and the tech industry follows suit, dumbing down everything in order to make the most profit. I remember when the Commodore 64 came out and in order to do anything with it you had to know some BASIC. Today no one knows anything about how computers really work.
Try typing a 30-page legal brief on a touch screen.
Or try having two windows open side by side. One with instructions on how to do something and the other having the application you are trying to use. How ya going to do that with everything full screen on metro?
yeah just imagine..now if they could only come up with an invention such as a keyboard
I used to really hate the new UI, but now that I’ve installed the Consumer Preview permanently, it’s not actually so bad. I still think the square corners on windows were a mistake, but Windows 8 is so much faster than Windows 7 that it’s worth it.
Got to agree, it sucks horrible. The whole interface is confusing. When using internet explorer (the app) most of the time you need to switch to the desktop mode as the app doesn’t support anything besides HTML5. Pressing back usually brings you somewhere else….BRRRRR.
Apps also bring the annoying thing that is already happening on my smartphone, developers want access to your files, contact lists and data etc……pffffff the horror!!!
It is supposed to be compatible with windows 7, the Catalyst drivers from AMD don’t even work proper for now…….it all sucks balls!!!
Some people say: you can change it so it looks and works like windows 7…..LOL I think people are better off upgrading to windows 7 then this crap. I am running windows 7 so for me there is no incentive to upgrade. So if M$ is going down the “mobile” “touch” “tablet” route I see no other option then Linux.
I am getting enraged so will stop here 🙂
Win 3.1 rocks
Ha. Yeah I remember those days. Boot to DOS and manually start Windows or add it into the autoexec..
not impress
with window 8– one it not build for a normal PC- it build for a touch
screen and i do not think people are going to run out and get a touch
screen just because MS made it for a touch screen- what i can see it a
other example of MS out of touch with people– window 8 not going to fly
-a other failed window like vista and ME — just how many people right now
have touch screen- not many- and i think it not going to change any time soon
and using a mouse on window 8 is a nightmare– plus no start button– no
window 8 for me that for sure i hate it—can not find install program—where the
music player- how do you install game and software– hard—it a
nightmare—glee MS what where you thinking
Man we have become a society of ADD victims. Touch screens are becoming common and it does not mean the end of a keyboard.
And if you victims would take at least .0000000000000000000000000001 seconds to read about Windows 8, then you will find out the dekstop can be changed to the Windows 7 style if you wish.
So what? Touch screens are still impractical for doing actual work all day on desktop systems and especially for large monitors – as are Metro apps that only run fullscreen. The metro side of Win8 works with a mouse and to a lesser extent with a keyboard, but it’s kind of clunky. I can tolerate it if I picture Metro as a fullscreen start menu and don’t use any Metro apps, but I still don’t like it very much. That said, I still hate it less than the way the Linux desktop is going these days.
I’ve used Windows, OSX, and all kinds of different Linux desktops so I’m hardly averse to learning a new system if I think it offers a benefit to the way I work, but Metro doesn’t, it just gets in the way.
you are so wrong on many point
some us have real productivity requirements on laptops and desktops–using real keyboards and mice. Touchy-feely interfaces, designed for tablets aren’t going to get the job done.
Thanks for just proving my point. He did not even get through reading the whole statement before responding.
Where is the control to switch the UI back to Win7 style?
Vista Start Menu is the convenient alternative to the plain Start menu you find in Windows XP and Windows Vista—( also work in window 8 )
http://www.vistastartmenu.com/
The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is available and has taken the Windows interface to a whole new level. Unfortunately, the preview did not come with a desktop feature that the world makes use of billions times a day, the “Start” menu. Luckily, we have a solution!
Start8 brings the “Start” menu back to Windows 8. This product is free and is available now! Enter your email address below to receive a download link.
http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/
It came as a huge surprise to everyone when Microsoft earlier this month released their new Windows 8 Consumer Edition that it came with no windows start menu and no start orb. Apparently a Microsoft direcetor wanted to take Windows in a different direction. Microsoft’s vision is that all desktop computing will one day be touchscreen, sadly most people who already own a desktop computer won’t be ready to migrate to a touch screen anytime soon. So the radical decision has been made to remove the windows start menu and replace it with what looks like the new Microsoft Xbox dash board, a decison that has annoyed many Windows users to say the least–Fortunately over the last few days I’ve been working hard to make a version of ViStart that would be more compatible with Windows 8. Now it’s here, a version of ViStart that restores the windows start menu and doesn’t overlap the existing items on the Windows taskbar. ViStart is the only software that actually restores a replica of the windows start menu on Windows 8. So now users can enjoy a fully functional start menu on Windows 8
http://lee-soft.com/news/windows-8-start-menu/
I HAVE THE FIRST ONE INSTALL AND IT WORK ON MY COPY OF WINDOW 8— BUT IN MY VIEW WINDOW 8 WITH OUT THE TOUCH SCREEN CALLED METRO -IS NOTING BUT A WARM OVER VER OF WINDOW 7—THE INSIDE GUT ARE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THEN 7—DISCOUNTING METRO THAT IS WHICH I HATE
That’s what I found as well, no easy way to switch. I had already installed VIStart and found it lacking compared to the real Win7 menu. Right clicking the orb is just like left clicking, no properties to change. There’s some pretty nice new features in Win8 but the app centric and Metro UI have no place on a desktop machine, can’t seem to get past it, I hate the Unity desktop on Linux as well.
Extended support from Microsoft goes to 2020 on Enterprise and Professional versions of Win7 so it looks like that’s where I’ll be for the foreseeable future. Support for consumer versions ends in 2015 so don’t be surprised or hope Win9 is better.
Robert
there is a registry change one can do to get start button back in window 8– some get it to work some do not- when i tried i could not find the file i was suppose to change
but to worth a shot
If you want to change the Windows 8 start menu back to the Windows 7 version, here’s what you need to do:
Launch the registry editor (win+r > regedit >enter)
Drill down to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
Double-click on RPEnabled
Change the value from 1 to (zero)
Tap enter or click OK
http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-pick/how-to-get-a-windows-7-start-menu-in-windows-8-20110914/
ther are other site say the same thing—just look under registy hack to get start button back on window 8
BUT AS I SEE IT WINDOW 8 GOING TO BE A OTHER WINDOW ME OR WINDOW VISTA—ONCE PEOPLE FIND OUT IT NOTING BUT WINDOW 7 PLUS METRO – THAT ONE REASON IT COME OUT SO FAST–
I agree with you. I think Windows 8 is nothing more than Windows 7 plus Windows 7 phone. It’s like MS doesn’t give 2 beans why people rejected Windows 7 phone so strongly. They’ve said this will get people familiar with Metro and drive up their phone sales, essentially.
http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-windows-8-launch-will-boost-windows-phone-sales
I don’t think they really care how people feel about it on the desktop, since it’s going to come with almost every new PC and you will pay for it with bloatware or a premium price regardless. I don’t think it’s any evolution of the desktop OS, since it just seems like the bundled Win7 phone and Windows 7 OS. At least you can switch to regular windows after you pay your homage to Metro on the way in, but I wonder how much hidden costs this extra and unnecessary detour will add.
Touch screen sucks donkey balls and if you think it’s a good idea for a desktop PC, you’re a drooling imbecile. Mouse and keyboard became dominant for a reason, and that reason isn’t going to go away because some morons think it’d be a good idea. F off
Right on.
The marketing engines of the various IT industry super powers are pretty strong, but nothing can override something as basic and common sense as this. ^
I worked as a premier partner for Microsoft doing Windows 8 pre-BETA applications (contoso), and I can tell you guys from first hand experience that Windows 8 will have very little or nothing to offer to me as an extreme desktopper.
Microsoft, being a publicly traded company is simply desperate to find new ways to *wow* the touch and tablet community and to make money, that is all. It is really pathetic and I simply don’t agree with where it is going.
This discussion leads into another topic – the examination of the surpassed threshold of what our needs are versus what is unnecessary – Windows 8 is the epitome of the latter and I will be sticking with Windows 7 for awhile 🙂
However windows server 8 is also metro…
XP is good but 7 is better and if you use 7 for a little while, you won’t go back to XP. But 8 is for touch pads and screens, so if you don’t have touch, you won’t want 8
They designed it for the cloud and profit, stupid people will buy it anyway and that’s the sad truth. Wait for Windows 9 or 10 after this whole tablet and cloud business dies out. Or just wait until computing as a whole forces MS hand to design something worthwhile that or start embracing Linux.
Cloud and tablet will not go away. Best to get that out of your head and start learning Linux if you want something for desktop usage. I bet they come up with different versions of WIndows. Like most stated above, it will recognize the hardware and give you the option of the layout you want.
I honestly believe this may be the end of Microsoft if they push Metro.
I hate what they did to the dashboard on Xbox 360 and if they force similar stuff on us in the next version of Windows then Windows 7 will have been the last Microsoft OS I’ll buy.
HOLY SHIT THIS SUCKS. I just tried it. Im typing from it now. And after 10 minutes Im still in total disbelief. WHAT THE HELL DID THEY DO? OMG. You cant foing try Ubuntuind any installed programs. there is no start/programs popup. Its basically like being on a cell phone. No joke. Did they really think this was a good idea? Cause seriously Im going try Ubuntu or Ill just go back to Windows 7 till I can figure out what Ill be sticking with. Microsoft aint shit man. They are copy cats. They see Apple is killing there biz so they try to copy there game plans and want to turn all there products into applish products. I don’t want a got dam apple product. In fact I don’t even want a Windows product anymore. These people have screwed up one too many times. Im outta here. Im reinstalling 7 and going look for something NOT Microsoft. This Windows 8 is Shit. Its crap. The OP is correct. Its like using a cell or cheap tablet. Not even close to a computer. It henders my capabilities big time. OMG I cant even begin to think why they did this. What a stupid move.
I think the first 4 word of your review says it all 🙂 I also had the same thought.
I am in TOTAL agreement with you. I live in then shots Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN metropolitan area & I was @ Best Buy looking at screen shots of Windows 8 & the only people th@ would use an OS like th@ are business professionals or tablet users. To call Windows 8 a consumer OS is a total joke! WTF was Microsoft thinking when they released Windows 8?! I’ve seen screen shots of Windows 8 on QVC & I’ll stick with Windows 7, thank you very much!
Im downloading Ubuntu as I type. Screw MS. Throughout the install of Win8 all I could see was that they want my location and to offer my personal info to them for ” support” Yea whatever. Lets not get into the fact that the OS is no where near friendly. You cant see any installed software aka no pop up of installed programs from start menu. Everything you do is almost exactly like what you would do on a cell phone. WTF are they thinking? That a cell phone OS is superior? These people have gone nuts. Seriously. You know how many people will hate this? This wont just hurt Microsoft, it will hurt all the computer companies cause no one will buy this trash. When they get there new computer, in just 30 minutes they will make that decision to get a refund. Then people will have very little decision to go to Apple products. Is that what the real purpose is here? Well My Ubuntu is done downloading. Time to try something different. Bye Bye Microsoft…
I can’t imagine rolling out Windows 8 in a large corporation, you would have to shut down all operations for weeks to train employees, then on top of that the costs of endless lost productivity of would be staggering.
Unfortunately I have to agree with you. I’m still waiting with baited breath that the professional version somehow applies to corporates.
WTF!
The computer world is NOT ready for this mandatory butt scraping. I’ve been running slackware, ubuntu, etc for years now, and right now I’m on 7, as it’s for my gaming, but… point is.
The industry is not ready to embrace a tablet / desktop. FFS, my 27′ monitor will be impossible to use this on.
The time has come to keep my WINGOAT offline for gaming, and use Linux for all net based requirements.
Clearly MACROSHAFT has lost it. The train should be arriving at the station off the tracks and in several pieces. WHAT A JOKE! 🙂
I have to say, what I like least is the lack of option to make the PC a PC based interface instead of a tablet interface. I know they are selling PCs with touch screen interfaces, but have you ever sat at a desk with an all-in-one PC and tried to use the touchscreen all day while it’s sitting upright on a desk? It’s ridiculous. Not only would it be quite tedious if you switch between using a keyboard to type a document and using your hands to touch the screen, your arms will fall off by the end of the day by holding them up for so long.
Say for example you want to turn off your computer. In Win7, it’s “click click” done. Windows 8 requires either CTRL+ALT+DEL click click, or Windows+I click click, or Windows button then move to right side click click click. So I had to add shortcuts to the desktop. When you’re trying to manipulate 30 computers in the same room, it will get VERY tedious. So how much more annoying is it with a touch screen PC? Tablets work fine with their own power buttons to do those tasks, but when you’ve got a tower that is removed from the workspace for the sake of keeping naughty children from stuffing bits of paper and pencil lead into the fans, getting to the power button to shut it off is again, very tedious.
In the “metro” start screen – if you open Internet Explorer, it resides in memory separate from the IE loaded from the desktop, and there is no way to close it, except Alt+F4, like all of the other “apps.”
When Win8 loads, you have to click the desktop “app” button to get to the desktop. Why?
Copied from Vista I’m certain, is the audio icon that remains a big fat X when you don’t have speakers or headphones plugged in. Again, why? It just makes me think that the audio is not working at all. My PC at home has a loose audio port, so if it gets jiggled, Win7 thinks that my speakers are unplugged and turns the audio off. It would work fine it if just let my audio alone.
While I’m sure that MS is very proud of their Office 2007 Suite with ribbon style menus, they took away the hotkey functionality of the paint program. I use it a lot to take screen shots of various things and it was very easy and simple to manipulate within the XP style paint software. Now it’s just annoying, so I copied mspaint from my XP machine. I like it.
The network connectivity. Windows Vista and later editions take away the simplicity of knowing whether my ethernet or wifi is connected. It was either yes or no. Now, it tells me that there might be a problem because it gets a DHCP address but can’t find the internet, even if my browser finds Yahoo just fine. And I can understand the need for a firewall, it’s quite necessary in a public environment. With in my LAN, it really isn’t. My Juniper firewall does fine. So if I turn the firewall off in Windows, you would expect as in XP that the firewall would not block anything, inbound or outbound. However, Win7 seems to think that when I turn my firewall off, I want to disable my ability to function on the network at any level; that’s what it does.
Yes, Win7 is more stable than XP and less annoying than Vista. Win8 is faster and less memory heavy than the previous models, but they seem to have taken features that worked and made them fall short of previous versions and expectations.
Now, take Server 2008, for example. The back up tool is fine… if you already knew that you need a spare volume and you only want to backup the entire OS drive. If you didn’t know that, you’re stuck repartitioning your RAID with a spare volume the same size as your OS volume and reloading the OS because you can’t back it up to a network drive or a USB drive. The NT back up software was much more user friendly in that arena and much more easily configurable. Again, they took something that worked for the most part and made it not work. How does that happen?
If they wanted to open up the door for third party application developers to do basic tasks, it seems they have. I just want my simple functions to return and be usable and not give me a headache.
I forgot to mention Windows Movie Maker.. In the XP version you have a good interface with lots of handy tools at your disposal. There is a good timeline view to show your video, audio, and other effects in layers, like ALL professional video editing software. Movie Maker Live was a blatant disregard for anything usable. How most of it passed any sort of “ok” from the project manager, I have no idea.
Next on the list is Start Menu itself. XP could show you all of your programs at once in differnet columns, making it really easy to find what you want. Vista ruined that by only making a small space in the corner of the screen where you’d have to click the “all programs” button and then scroll up or down to find something.
Next is the power control options. XP wasn’t concerned with shutting off your machine when you turn your back. Default settings allowed the machine to stay on. You could then choose to make it go to sleep or hibernate after a given amount of time. Win7 has a 15 minute default sleep timer and a 1080 minute default hibernate timer hidden in the advanced power options – again, not as nearly efficient to find at the XP version. Because until you figure out why your computer keeps going to sleep, you have to waste time waking it up, which consumes more power than leaving it on for the 10 minutes you’d be away from it. If you’re trying to remote desktop from home over the weekend and your computer has gone into hibernation; it’s just tough luck, eh?
Finally was the Vista invention of the User Account Control settings. Directly from Microsoft; they said that it was SUPPOSED to be annoying. On purpose. Say what? Why would I want to tell my computer 5 times that I was to uninstall a program? Vista whined with a flag in the notification area when you turned it off. At least Win7 doesn’t care much if you disable it. The UAC may have a place for usefulness somewhere, but not for professionals.
All in all, XP was one of the most functional and had the highest productivity interfaces they’ve made. Switching between applications and finding applications you want was easy. There was little to no hinderance in the way of making use of the PC, except for the occasional BSOD. Now they’ve tried to go so clean that it hinders progress. By default, Vista, 7, and 8 all show little or no icons on the desktop, and so you spend a lot of time finding applications you use regularly to place them on the desktop or the start menu.
So for those of you that are “sorry” for the rest of us that prefer XP, don’t be. We feel sorry for you. Windows ME was bad, but from it came XP. Vista is also a major flop and Win7 and 8 haven’t gotten much better. I agree with a previous reader. I’ll wait until Windows 9; just don’t let us down.
Another annoyance. The Win7 domain login screen. You can’t just pick the domain or local machine from a drop down box, you have to type it in manually. Thanks again, Vista.
And let us not forget the all annoying network authentication. I’m sure a lot of features and disabilities built into Win7 and 8 are for security, but frankly it really limits a person’s ability to actually manage these systems. We have linux file servers attached to our network and Windows 7 makes it really hard to map those drives. XP was easy. It didn’t care what domain anything was connected to, it just took your current username and password and logged in with it. Win7 makes you type the domain or computer name for the machine you are trying to connect with. Sometimes it will let you connect, sometimes it won’t. While XP does without failure, unless there’s an actual problem.
Everybody is talking about Window 8 as an operating system when it is really just a GUI. THE best version of windows was 95a – then 95b came out to support USB devices. For practical usability 98SE was perfect – then XP married NT4,0 and whoa. Stability – stability. The GUI on 8 reminds me of Microsoft Bob made for win95. I run XP and win7 is a nice bit of fluff but just a bit too overpowering for everyday use. Strip services off 7 and run in a Classic mode and your running XP but with a system using 10GB of space instead of the lower end ox XP at 1/2 Gig. Linux is not viable as nothing works in Linux – except for what has been made for the install. Tarballs and recompiles and that stuff – you can do it – but anything designed for Microsoft Windows (any version) you click on it and it installs. Microsoft is just trying to make money. I have heard for support that XP will be discontinued – but now it around 2014. Do not bet that will not also be extended as Desktop users have licenses that Microsoft lies to collect money on. Good article but remember 8 is just a GUI for the system – replace the shell with whatever you like if the OS works out to be OK.
I’m ready to “adjust” to Windows 8 … by sticking with Windows 7. Why didn’t they just call it Windows Vista 2? Balmer should be making minimum wage, flipping burgers.
Windows 8 will suck, windows xp sucks, windows 7 is by far better than any windows or any other is on the market. Dumb asses…
windows 3.1 sucked. windows 95 was a major improvement. windows 98-eh…..windows me sucked. windows xp…very nice, and then comes windows vista…sucked. then we get windows 7…nice, then comes windows 8…yuk….anyone else see a pattern here?
I admit that my experience with Win 8 is minimal at best. I need a new laptop and must choose whether to jump to Win 8 or stay with Win 7. From what I’ve gathered, Win 8 makes the things I do more difficult for the sake of making certain things that aren’t even hard currently easier to do.
The sad thing is I completely understand where Microsoft is coming from. There’s a lot of logic in using a consistent user interface philosophy on traditional computers, tablets, phones, and the xbox so I’m open to giving Win 8 a chance. I for one never understood why in the 90s Microsoft had two OS lines (NT and Win 9X) because it seemed so inefficient having two things built so differently when they were largely used for the same purpose. I could see the importance of having different programs on each, but the core raw OS should have been identical under the hood. From what I understand, this didn’t happen until XP merged the two lines together.
Unfortunately our current computing environments are so different that compromises were clearly made and Win 8 seems like some sort of bipolar entry into the Windows world. Maybe I’m an oddball, but I often use multiple windows simultaneously and from what I understand Windows 8 doesn’t really support that. A perfect example is Windows Explorer: on a regular basis since my first days using a Win 95-inspired Windows UI I have used two instances of Windows Explorer to move and manage files.
From what I can tell it looks like Win 7 is my best match and maybe Win 9 will be the correction that Win 7 was to Vista.
Windows 7 is really a great piece of software and it is very responsive too. –
<a href="Go look at our own web blog as well
http://www.homeimprovementstuffs.com/how-halogen-ovens-work/
Windows XP is the best product ever made by Microsoft. Sales still are #1, secong best is Windows 7, and Windows 8 is a disaster. I hate it. This is starting to look corny, all this unnecesary changes made after Windows XP…..to the point that now Windows 8 is tacky and a dissappointment. A step backwards, and posibly not just a step backwards, but a fall
I put Windows 8 9200 build on my Acer W500 to try it out and I’ve been disappointed to say the least. I don’t really see the point of the start screen. I’d much prefer the menu. Also, the screen is a far bit brighter than it was in windows 7 despite the brightness being turned down all the way. Hence battery life is inferior. Also, windows 8 does stuff and takes up major processing power for no apparent reason. It doesn’t really boot any faster when it all comes down.
Windows 8 needs to be pulled from the PC market and copies of Win 7 sent out with an apology letter. It’s slow, VERY difficult to find programs and files and Outlook runs at a snails pace. Absolutely pathetic for PC use!
Yeah. My kids play time on the computer is not often. My husband dual root our Win 7 Lenovo with Win 8 because our kids love mine craft and game sites that I approve of but couldn’t play them on 8. My husband says its because Lenovo, the company wont release new driver updates. We can’t afford to go and buy computer after computer so the kids and I use Win 7 and he use Win 8. He bought me a Nexus 7 tablet and it was adorable but PBS kids didn’t work on it and a load of other stuff so he sold it..
Win 98 2nd ed was their first dominating OS (everyone had gui…even Atari)…….then xp made it easier………I skipped the rest except for a few 64 bit laptops running 7…..I needed os for a laptop so I tried 8 at a low intro cost….worse mistake of my life. metro should be an upgrade option to 7 or 8 should have thee ability to choose the view you want to use. With their expertise….it should have been a no brainer…unfortunately they have no brains.
I have to agree that Windows 8 is not as good as 7 and not nearly as good as XP. I had used XP professional since 2003 and had installed a LOT of programs which nearly always worked just like they were supposed to. Sadly, my motherboard died in my XP pro and I had to “upgrade” to 8. I have been using it for about a month now and my biggest complaint is not the start screen or the apps or any of the other tablet based things. My problem is that no programs seem to ever work well in 8. I have had problems installing, using and even uninstalling even the simplest of programs. I have run the compatibility wizard and it has yet to resolve a single issue. The farthest it goes back is XP service pack 3 and I was running all my stuff on service pack 2. I have not tried the virtual machine thing yet. I will try that or else try to install Windows XP pro onto the new computer. It is hard to fathom why Microsoft can’t do better than this. I have never figured out why they change not just the things which can be improved but they also seem to relocate or change everything else as well. My message to Microsoft: If there is an improvement to be made by all means make it but leave what works very close to perfectly alone. My message to everyone else: Stick with XP or 7 if you can because 8 truly sucks.
Oh ….I forgot to mention this before. If you select “none” as a screensaver you had better still un-check the “on resume, display logon screen” (checked by default) and jack up the wait _____ minutes setting. It took me about a week to figure out why I was having to log back in after every 2 minute bathroom break. Come to find out the wait time was set at 2 minutes and the foolish thing was making me log in each time even with “none” selected as a screensaver. How stupid is that ? I was so frustrated with this that I almost got out my sledgehammer to fix the problem once and for all !!! For me, Windows 8 is still sucking hard.
I have recently joined the growing list of computer users who think that Windows 8 is the worst idea that Microsoft has ever brought to market. I can get around the fact that 8 is primarily geared toward tablet and touch screen users. I can live with the fact that Microsoft chose not to include a traditional start menu. There appears to be no easy way to see all the programs installed on this machine on a single screen. I had programs that I did not even know about until I explored the program folders. Yes, that is correct. There are 2 program folders and also a program data folder as well. No, I have no explanation as to why all these could not be in a single folder and would very much like to hear one.
My biggest problem is that programs very rarely work like they are supposed to. I have had problems installing, using and even uninstalling even the simplest of programs.
I had been using Windows XP Professional for nearly a decade with very few problems. Sadly, the motherboard in that machine died and I found myself with little choice but to “upgrade” to a new Windows 8 64 bit machine. I have had this machine for about a month now and have had problems in nearly every possible way. Sometimes it refuses to boot. Sometimes it refuses to restart. When I play a music file the volume drops by a very noticeable amount after the first few seconds of every song. When I first started using this new machine it would lock the screen and force me to logon after 2 minutes of being idle. I tweaked and searched and poked around with the power settings and the security settings for days until I was just about ready to try fixing it with a hammer. And then I finally found the solution to this problem in the most unlikely place you could imagine. It seems that even though I had set the screensaver to “none” the fact that I did not change the “wait ____ minutes” setting and un-check the “on resume, show logon screen” box this idiotic device was causing me to have to logon again and again. Even with the screensaver set to “none”? How stupid is that ? Come on Microsoft !!!!
I have not tried creating an XP virtual machine on the new machine yet and have my droughts about that function working very well. If that doesn’t work I will either try to get a new motherboard for my trusty XP machine or try to install XP in place of 8 on my new machine.
Advice to Microsoft: If there is a significant improvement that can be made then by all means make it but leave the nearly perfect stuff alone. If it is not broke don’t fix it !!!
Advice to everyone else: Stick with Windows XP or Windows 7 as long as you can because after a month of using it, Windows 8 still sucks !!!
windows 8 sucks.. bottom line.. gates is a butt head for allowing his people to release.
I have HP 2000 notebook with winsuk8 and it will never wear out because I cant use the bastard.
your comment about lockup and reboot is what I have experienced for 2 months.
can win 7 be loaded on this pos?
Great article and I agree with virtually all of it. However, as much as Windows 8 “sucks” it really does not suck “as a desktop”- because after installing Stardock Start8 and telling it to boot to desktop, the metro side can be conveniently and totally ignored, leaving you with a pretty damn fast OS.
You think windows 8 is bad?
Wait until you have to deal with 8.1!
They will force you to sign up for an M$- Account!!!
Haven’t really bothered with 8.1 yet, because I’m using classic shell on 8.0, and 8.1 still doesn’t bring back the start menu.
That is not true. The Microsoft account is for having what they call “cloud connectivity.” This includes things such as Skydrive.
After much frustration Dad who is good at computers spent a weekend making it so instead of getting Windows 8 he has Umbutu, Windows 7 and XP Offline for games. If you want to go online go to Linux.
Interesting thing is even though Windows 7 is totally disabled and I mean Dad got deep into the computer removing all the important network connections and data files to make sure it’s totally offline it still actually got hacked! We heard funny noises and the mouse acted all fucked up.
Did you know the reason why MS is pushing for Windows 8 is because of the new PRISM technology that allows back door spying? Read what Edwards Snowdon has warned about what the major companies are doing though we knew something was up with government spying since 2010 before Snowden was even thought of.
One time Dad actually caught Microsoft hacking and we pulled the plug and THAT MOMENT the Microsoft main server was down the entire afternoon. You couldn’t even get updates. We have an older computer and when it happens it causes the mouse to get *funky* for a bit.
Newer computers tend to not have that problem so most people will not notice.
The story is a lot longer then that but this is the short version of our troubles.
Microsoft needs to make it’s own *Sandboxie* that comes either with a built in SB16 emulator or the ability to put in our own sound board to emulate older software in a virtual mode until they get the kinks out.
That way many old business applications and games can still work. I want to play a lot of old games that require a real 98 computer but there are no 32 bit computers anywhere. It’s equal to looking for a model A car.
Well,
Windows 8.1 is much easier to use than Windows 7.
Most Old age people who do not want to learn the modern style of computing,but want to update their OS or want to buy newer PCs like to make things complicated unnecessary.So,they just say that windows 7 is better.
However,actually,Windows 8.1 is a bold new move by Microsoft and I am sure that the majority of young people of age group of 13-29 have migrated to WIndows 8.1 Pro from old generations of windows. Windows 8 Pro has fabulous apps and is much easier and intuitive to use than Windows 7. I have no problem with disappearance of start menu.I can still pin my desktop apps on the start screen. I just want Microsoft to put Power and settings options available as a live tile on start screen as well as accesable from the task bar on Desktop. I have no problem shifting to WIndows 8.1.I just love the Metro UI language of WIndows 8.The bing Smart search in Windows 8 is just Awesome.
As long as more games don’t appear on Windows store,Android and iOS tablet owners would mostly not dare to change from Android or iOS to WIndows.I hope that more games are made available on Windows store soon.
I own a touch screen and cannot stand windows 8. I contently have to reboot the tables to turn off background apps because there is no way to turn them off. I tried task manager to turn them off but with one swipe they are still up and gets frustrating watching my battery drain from these constant apps. give me my x back to turn off hat I don’t want please lol. windows 8 was poorly thought through and the designer should be fired for shitty work
You shut them off by touching the top center of the screen. Then a hand grabbing/fist icon will appear. Drag it to the bottom of the screen and the application will shut down.
Have you ever thought about including a little bit more than just your articles?
I mean, what you say is fundamental and all.
But think about if you added some great images or video clips to give
your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but
with images and clips, this blog could definitely be one of the best in its niche.
Awesome blog!
Dude, I’m using Windows 95 and Internet Explorer 5.5.
Why did Microsoft create a version of windows that allows such trash as redirecting browsers with virus, malware and popups, leaving the door open for a flood of continuous problems ? Of course there is always an offer to sell you a way to fix it. If there is a fix ? Why did Microsoft leave it out?
If you think Windows 8 sucks, wait until you try that bloated bull shit Winblows 10! Dear fucking god that garbage fucking seriously SUCKS!!