Windows 8.1 ... Your views?

[kravitz]

Windows 8 (mostly 8.1) ... Your views?

Just creating a thread about Windows 8 and 8.1 supposed "Upgrade" and how "useful" it is to the consumer and enterprise level.

Your viewpoint about it.




Personally, as previously stated in another thread, I wasn't trying to hijack it, but the mere mention of 8.1 is a joke in a nutshell... Microsoft's debut is the "Start menu" is back... etc... etc.. and marketing as such, yet it's ONLY a Start button to "Metro," (now, called "modern" .... LOL , because M$ failed, again, to validate other Patents/Trademarks), seriously M$(?) and how it is more reliable and "quicker" than the Classic Start menu that every ADMIN and consumer has been using since Windows 1.0, which was actually taken from IBM's under marketed OS. Not forgetting to mention that every other OS has developed the Start Menu, since IBM's original creation of the applet... but whatever.

Sure the new start menu is nice for TABLETS, but for a Personal Computer and Workstation, NO. It's useless and crap. It IS more time consuming and very very very clumsy and messy. The Classic Start menu, and of course win+r, is the most useful applet Microsoft had introduced into the Operating System.

As a Professional and retired Enterprise Desktop Admin, I have to say I do like Windows 8, but the lack of the Classic Start menu is a pain in the ass, especially when having running applications that I want to view during the entire process of starting another application WITHOUT the desktop vanishing into another screen to execute another application is just horrible design for a Personal Computer and Workstation. However, Stardock, introduced a great alternative, and brought back the Classic Start menu (Start8), for us Professional Admins that know how to operate a computer and like the clean look and our favorite applications on the DESKTOP.

Not to mention Stardock has several applications that made Windows 8, 8.1, more useful. Fences, ModernMix and of course, Start8. Just to note.

Maybe this a bit incoherent, but anyway, it's a rant about how M$ obviously ignores their users. I'm sure I can think of other issues about the poor design of Windows 8, but as for pure performance... I'd rank it next to XP.

The "New Kids On The Block" may think Windows 8, 8.1 is a fascinating Operating System and how it's so much better than the Classic Shell (1.0, 3.1, 95, 98, 2000, XP, Vista, 7), are surely wrong and obviously not a Desktop/Network Admin, or have a LIMITED amount of experience using them. If M$ completely removed the Desktop... Windows 8, 8.1, would have been another Windows ME disaster.

</rant>

 

[fpsware]

I run an IT business, the majority of my customers who have moved to Windows 8 - mostly because friends said it was newer and better - have later asked me to "make it look like Windows 7", or "how do I bring back the start button?"

In almost all cases this has resulted in significant business for StarDock. I use it myself, after spending 15 minutes in "Metro / Modern" I was ready to poke my eyes out.

But that aside, this is a 8.1 thread so I'll talk about 8.1..... well, I've gone back to using 8.0 with Start8 I don't really have anything good to say about 8.1 so I'll discontinue my rant here.

 

[Liferose]

I mentioned a little bit of my own rant in that thread. In general I'd have to say I'm displeased with the OS.

I think Microsoft had the correct mindset, and this is a wonderful OS for a tablet. Yet they got too hung up in trying to unionize all of their products for probably competing with companies like Apple. You sometimes have to play devils advocate and think what's best for someone who could build a computer out of mud and sticks, and then think of someone who probably needs help turning it on. I did say that the Metro is slower regardless of how you look at it compared to the start menu. Even if you could do the same actions in the exact same time frame, the Metro will block out your screen.

I was appalled that they simply removed the start menu with such determination. Regardless though they're basically a monopoly to people who don't like Macs. I'm a Web Designer by trade, and develop profiles and recently getting into some programming languages, so I get a happy medium of both worlds. I'm the kind of person who's got at least 5-10 tabs in my text editor at all times, multiple WoWs, and enough space to torrent half of the universe. The most annoying part to me is having to find things. I see you mentioned Stardock. I own Fences and Start8 great programs by the way. I also recommend ModernMix (it lets you run Metro anything on the desktop) but any game worth playing to me runs on the desktop so I didn't feel like getting it.

Without going so far as having to get this thesis of mine published let me just finish by highlighting the major annoyances to me. As well as some plusses.

• No Transparency by design. As a Web DESIGNER having a bleak desktop is a horrible omen. Fixed by 3rd party tweaks.
• Obviously no start menu. Start8 fixes it.
• Charms bar is annoying and I want it gone. Can probably get rid of it with a tweak w/e.
• I reset my PC a lot to just be clean (and have a SSD just for OS). Everything on earth opens in metro apps by default.
• Insisting you get a microsoft account to use basically any of the services. Major issue for me, I completely stripped these off.
• No easy way to get to a diagnostics page on boot, or any kind of safe mode.
• Windows 7 Legacy Backup, basically the only way to backup anything in Win8 is being removed I believe.
• Even if you use the Metro it SUCKS with a mouse. You have to arrow over like you're blind or manually move scroll bars.
• Multitasking is crap. Have to use effort to drag stuff away with a mouse. Suppose this could be fixed 3rd party.
• What on earth is with this Windows Media Center junk?
• Internet Explorer

Pluses

• It was cheap when I got it.
• The refresh feature is nice I suppose. But it asks for the CD which is makes it useless at times.
• I can reboot my PC in 10 seconds, less if I turn off my Mobo delay for bios buttons.
• I like the new task manager. Couple added displays, but I suppose it's just a design thing.
• Monitor support I suppose. But AMD drivers will ruin that for anyone.

 

[Blackbook]

I installed 8.1 last night - already done a heap of reg-edits to remove half the stuff that shits me.... Then saw that HB doesn't work with it, so will be going back to 8 tonight .

 

[fpsware]

I recently purchased a new laptop with a gorgeous large touch screen. As I have completely disabled Metro / Modern on my PC I thought by using the touch screen on the laptop I would be using Metro more often. It took me less than an hour before it was was running the desktop.

As someone who has a plethora of applications running I need to be able to multitask quickly and efficient, there is absolutely no way this will happen in Metro.

 

[thedon19]

I think the actual base OS itself is great. Faster, lighter and better than Win 7.

The "Metro" UI is the killer. I dont hate it, I actually run a HTPC with Win8 and the Metro UI is fantastic for it - as are the netflix and hulu apps. However as a normal desktop, particularly for work the UI kills it.
If MS allowed you to choose to have it or not, then it would be probably the best OS going around. Alas.

 

[GIVEMEANAME]

HB works with 8.1 for me perfectly fine, bgbuddy, lazy raider and questing - its done me a shaman over the weekend to 60 without any issues;

i love 8.1 - still not using the "apps" as well their shit and full screen - but as an os - 8.1 is a step in the right direction - especially with the booting to desktop now and other quirks it has;


Side note: http://www.thebuddyforum.com/honorb...asking-support-providing-8-1-crash-error.html

Dont use beta version of HB, or am i missing something ?

 

[everblue]

Lol @ people hating on Windows 8 for the metro UI.

BRB haven't seen the metro UI since I've installed Classic Shell. I'm sure i'll use it once I get a Windows Phone 8 for that integration.

8.1 just makes it the best OS to date. my rMBP has Windows 8 because OSX is so pathetic for engineers (yes i'm sure it's great for the unemployed art majors and those that are too retarded to understand the basics of computer maintenance)

 

[Hat 1]

We be all fine if Microsoft would scrap the code and start over again to fix the problems but they will not do that as they would be sued...

Company's like Nvidia and Intel that have made drivers and who ever has made a program could sue them as these things would not work at all

The memory problems would be fixed if they were to scrap the current code plus then there is the money they spent on making the os itself instead of using old code from other os that had the problem in the first place if they were to remove that code no program would work

Each version of windows gets a bit better with memory but still no good like other os systems out there that can stay up for a long time unlike windows u would be lucky to get a week and even then that is not

What it balls down to is it may look different but when you look at the code it is all second hand code

Not worth replacing unless they are not providing updates

 

[theclash150]

(yes i'm sure it's great for the unemployed art majors and those that are too retarded to understand the basics of computer maintenance)

I got a kick out of that one. In all seriousness though, Windows 8/8.1 with your favorite Linux distro running in a VM has all the REAL bases covered (sorry art majors). Just get Start8 or Classic Shell and it's good to go.