Well, I think part of the reason that there are two "styles" is that W8 was intended to be a panacea of sorts for OSes, one that worked both for desktops and mobile devices...

In theory, you can operate almost entirely in the "desktop" styled part of the OS or almost entirely in the "mobile" styled part of the OS...desktop users get their desktop (with the more conventional style that W7 has) and mobile users get their mobile stuff (with the tiles, metro look)...

Of course, in practice most desktop users are going to have to use the metro start screen for something beyond selecting desktop at startup....and I think that's where most of the problem is....if desktop people really could completely avoid all the metro stuff, I don't think we'd have too many criticism of W8....

Of course they can with 3rd party software but that's not the ideal way to make an OS...

I personally like the start screen as I find it more efficient....that said, the inconsistent style is a little bothersome, if still tolerable...most importantly, if W8 really achieved its "panacea" goal, I wouldn't have to use the start screen unless I wanted to....

Just my two cents:

I set up my coworkers Win8 laptop.  At first, my reaction was "what the heck have they done?"  Having used computers all my life, I couldn't make heads or tails of Win8...at first.  Once I realized that the Start menu is now a full-blown screen, and I can get my desktop with the touch of a button, once I realized I could remove apps, rearrange them, well...Win8 is kind of cool.

I can see both sides of the experience.  For me, it took a day or two to settle into Win8.  Epic fail?  A little extreme.  It's Win7 with a facelift, as far as I'm concerned.  Will I pay to get it? No, but I didn't pay for Win7; I bought a new PC.

Just my two cents.

Exactly ....

An OS shouldn't be such a 'Jack-of-all-trades-and-a-master-of-none' and require people to seek third party solutions to their [Microsoft's] arrogance/ineptitude/whichever.

Again... Stardock is quite pleased all the same... whilst people at MS are likely riding that 'express elevator to hell....going down...' ...

hell would be a couple floors up for these folks ... 

and anyone putting their fingers on my monitor will join them 

Actually you did pay for Windows. It was added on to your purchase price of that new computer. You just didn't realize it. 

 

Until W8.1 (Blue) comes in and *poof* they've put back the start button (and maybe more). That will leave SD holding the bag, and that really bothers me... MS dropped the ball, SD saw an opportunity and put the time in to dev the fix, and then MS fixes their OS. Grrrr.

Dr it might depend on how MS handles W8.1, as a Service Pack update or a paid for OS update.  Which would be a first for MS, right?

As hopefully amusing trivia I think MS charged for its "upgrade" from Windows 3.0 to Windows 3.1.  Could be wrong, had to go deep into the cobwebs for that one.  Anyway I suppose anything is possible.

And now I realize you may very well have been joking ... well anyway, what the heck.

Yes...I think you're right...and I think the same applied to 3.11 too ...

Ah I'd forgotten about 3.11.  They really kind of triple-dipped the chip there didn't they?

My first Windows OS was 3.11 so I guess I got in on the right end of the 'costing' ...

Always nice when that happens.

I think 'Teddy' has long since departed

 

Now, that is a SCREEN. Sadly 40000 Euro is a bit above my price range.



I would not consider a move from XP to Windows 8 to be an advantage.

 

Most Vista users have moved to Win 7 quite quickly.... and those who waited longer have little reason to again spend money on an operating system, no matter how much it costs.
 

If the internet is any indication, most of the people who switched are not happy.

 
If you are running XP you have to ask yourself one simple question: Do I like Modern UI? If yes.... 8 is interesting for you. If no, there is no reason to get Windows 8 over Windows 7. Why should you bother yourself with a new, ugly UI if you dont have to?

 

If from your POV Windows 8 has killer features you absolutly need, thats fine for you and you should buy it. I am however pretty certain that a majority of potential buyers does not share your viewpoint.

 

While it is a nice addition to write a PDF file directly in Windows, it hardly anything important.

 

I am not saying that Windows 8 does not have some gimmicks over Windows 7..... I just question them being worth even 30 dollars... let alone full price.... and most importantly... I question that they are justification enough to annoy someone with the new GUI.

 

Sure you can learn it.... but why.... Why.......

 

WHY

SHOULD

 

I?

Because MS GUI Dev Team took drugs? I have no intention to pay for their mistakes.

 

 

The removal of Aero and certain effects was made to allow Windows 8 to operate on low end hardware, like most mobile devices use.

 

The drawback of this move? Win 8 looks like a cheap toy...... that is acceptable on a mobile device.... but on my home desktop I rather put all that mighty calculation power to some good use.

 

Aero does look good, and with 7 they mostly fixed the hardware demand issues. Yes, Win 8 can look rather dull on mobile devices.... that is all fine and well. But to have such a look on powerful desktop PC... it is like ordering a 600 HP Porsche..... in dull gray.

 

As for keeping people from testing..... thats wrong.

 

We are keeping them from buying... because your "Testing" cost real money. And by buying it you - wrongly - signal to MS that you are indeed happy with it. Now if MS would offer a free test version...... but they dont.... and so the only way to make your disapproval known is not to buy it. Bad mouth propaganda..... does work this way in any other business.

 

 

 

 

The funny thing is that a touch screen is the entire point of Windows 8.

 

Far more secure..... I doubt it..... Vista was sooo more secure than XP.... and Win 7 was far more secure than Vista.....

 
Oddly though, I still get the same ammount of help cries from other people asking me to clean their PC from the latest malware. And yes, they are mostly running Windows 7. On the other hand, my last virus infection is 6 years ago..... on XP under an administrator account, something that is - rightfully - frowned upon in informed circles.


Imho 80 % of the computer security problems sits in front of the monitor.

 

As for your crashes, I think that the above line does apply 100 %.

 

The last windows system that had a tendency to crash was Windows XP without SP1. Vista was slow but stable.... 7 is fast and stable..... so if Windows 8 is fast and stable is not much of an accomplishment.

 



The OS is Windows 7 with minor improvements. And a shitty GUI.

 

Windows 7 did not do all you need? No, the system itself is not broken, but the majority of people think that the GUI is.

 

The reality is, that for the 95 % majority of computer users.... the GUI IS the operating system.

 

From a technical standpoint.... Linux is a far superior system compared to Windows. It is even free, so why has it a puny market share in the 1 % range? Quite simple:

 

The GUI.

 

For a very long time, Linux was a terminal based system with a rudimentary graphical user interface. It recieved a Windows like GUI later, but whenever something - even minor - went wrong you were pages deep in the console. And the average computer user (which is the most important buyer/user group) does not like a console very much.

 

• Free
• No Viruses
• No crashes

 

• and still nobody uses it.

 

The GUI is the most important part of an operating system for the enduser.... and if you mess it up, you are in big trouble.

 

Windows 8 IS Metro.... you say that you dont use it much..... so why buy Windows 8 and waste a lot of money?

 

 

 

QUOTED

FOR

TRUTH!

 



 

To be told the truth, does hurt, doesnt it?

 



 

What he said.

 



 

Yes, you can do everything on Windows 8 you could do on Windows 7? And why should I upgrade again?

 

...

 

Dont found a reason? Well... guess what....

 

 

If such a large majority of people is "whining", then maybe... just maybe they are right.... and you are wrong.

 

 

 

 

Nobody will argue against the fact that Windows did substantially become more resistant with every new version. Unfortunately, so far it did not change the frequency of which I have to give free support to the neighbourhood. Malware developers simple adapt, as they would adapt to any system. With sufficient knowledge, you can make Linux beg for mercy within 20 minutes.... but for now the linux people enjoy the - false - belief that they are invulnerable. It is merely a bit more difficult to harm that system.

 
And it is merely a bit more difficult to launch an successful attack against 7 than it is on XP.

 

Now, that does not mean that you should cease security patching.

 

But you should not expect miracles from it imho.

 

The other under the hood improvements may be good ones.... and important to you. I can respect your position, but my position is - as you have undoubtedly guessed  - that said improvements do not justify price of buying and cost of learning the new GUI.

 

If you have a different opinion, that is perfectly fine, discussion is the point of a forum after all.

 

 

 



It says, that Windows 8 was designed with mobile devices in mind. Remember the netbook boom and the prolonging of XPs life? Microsoft had no choice as running Vista on a netbook was like having a 50 HP car with a 3 ton trailer behind for driving.



I can absolutly respect that.



Indeed. But for MS, this truth means that the inclination of people to buy a new OS is on an all time low...... the old systems are still "good enough computing".



There is only one "epic" "innovation" in Windows 8..... the phone interface...... and it appears that the large majority of users does not like it. I am afraid you are in the minority.

We are not buying it, and now we warn other people about MS most recent failure, so they dont waste money on it. Something, that is in the interest of all mankind.... to be warned of products unworthy of their money.

There are rumours.... that instead of fixing the problem... Microsoft has the intention to drop the desktop alltogether. So Modern UI/Metro will be all that is left.

We will see if they dare to do that.

The problem is that the average end user does usually not buy a lone OS upgrade. Instead they buy a full blown system with a preinstalled OS. So he wont notice those advantages under most circumstances. In any case, imho for 40 $ it might have been interesting, but now for full price...... I cannot imagine that the old hardware runs that much faster.

Better memory management is very nice, but will the - average - end user really profit much from it? People keep using their old computers because they find their performance acceptable. In reality the average user (without gamers)  does word processing, web browsing, music listening and video watching.

 

All stuff an aged CPU with 2 GB of RAM can handle with a bored yawn. All stuff you can do on cheap mobile device.

Nothing of that stuff will profit in any meaningful way from switching to a 4 Ghz Oktacore with 64 GB of RAM being operated by Windows 8.

And this is the main reason for the declining PC market.... Win 8 with is at least controversial user interface naturally does not help matters.

 

 

Hilarious picture!

 

 

 

 

This is what happens when you have a Monopoly..... it significantly reduces the pressure the market can put onto the company.

 

If Windows 8 would have to be sold without being preinstalled on nearly every new PC or on a competive market, sales would be far worse. If people would have free choice of OS, I am betting that Windows 8 would sell to 3 % market share at best.

 

 

Also, a quick note of how Microsoft calculates sales:

 

1. Microsoft creates new Windows version
2. Microsoft sells 50000 licences to retailer A for 50000 PC from retailer A.
3. Retailer A pays Microsoft for 50000 licenses.
4. Microsoft states, that 50000 units have been sold.
5. Retailer A sells 1000 PC with new Windows.
6. Retailer A has 49000 windows licenses remaining that are not sold so far.
7. Microsoft still claims that 50000 computers have been sold with windows..... although in reality only 1000 have.

 

 

 

A beta version you paid for... like some people paid for Vista, which was a Beta version of Windows 7.

 

First rule of buying something from Mircrosoft. Dont buy until at least the first service pack has been released. Or, dont buy unless the "new" Windows version IS the servicepack.

 

ARESIV ....you need to get back here more frequently...that way the the responses won't be so 'EPIC'...

Oh look....another association with Win 8 and the word 'epic'....