Computers Windows 8 - Page 12

Jenson71 · 10-29-2012, 07:41 AM

Well, who has made the switch? Is it worth the time and $40 for the upgrade? Will my life becoming better with it?

-King- · 12-30-2013, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I just got a new Windows laptop for the wife. I heard about the issues but thought it was just users complaining about change. But, no start button? No program files? WTF? Thats some arrogant engineering.

I guess I just don't get the start button issue.

When you go into metro, just type the name of the program you want to run.

And there are program files.

**DaFace** · 12-30-2013, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -King-

I guess I just don't get the start button issue.

When you go into metro, just type the name of the program you want to run.

And there are program files.

Before:
1. Click start menu.
2. Click program you want.
3. Success!

Now:
1. Click start menu
2. Peruse the disorganized collection of tiles all over the place
3. Give up looking and click into the box to search for what you're looking for
4. Type the name of the program you're looking for
5. Half-hearted success

It's not a matter of it being completely non-functional. It's a matter of it being considerably less efficient than the old system.

-King- · 12-30-2013, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Before:
1. Click start menu.
2. Click program you want.
3. Success!

Now:
1. Click start menu
2. Peruse the disorganized collection of tiles all over the place
3. Give up looking and click into the box to search for what you're looking for
4. Type the name of the program you're looking for
5. Half-hearted success

It's not a matter of it being completely non-functional. It's a matter of it being considerably less efficient than the old system.

Or you could skip steps 2 and 3 and be more efficient.

Lex Luthor · 12-30-2013, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -King-

Or you could skip steps 2 and 3 and be more efficient.

Great idea. Here's an even better one: Let's just get rid of the whole Windows GUI and go back to a command line interface.

If you don't understand why people miss the Start Menu, you never understood the Start Menu.

-King- · 12-30-2013, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brainiac

Great idea. Here's an even better one: Let's just get rid of the whole Windows GUI and go back to a command line interface.

If you don't understand why people miss the Start Menu, you never understood the Start Menu.

Ok, tell me how my idea is any less efficient than using a start menu.

-King- · 12-30-2013, 04:21 PM

1) Click metro button/press Windows button
2) Type in the first 1 or 2 letters of program you want
3) Click program

That's more efficient than looking through any start menu.

**007** · 12-31-2013, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -King-

1) Click metro button/press Windows button
2) Type in the first 1 or 2 letters of program you want
3) Click program

That's more efficient than looking through any start menu.

Because people don't want to type.

Lex Luthor · 12-31-2013, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -King-

1) Click metro button/press Windows button
2) Type in the first 1 or 2 letters of program you want
3) Click program

That's more efficient than looking through any start menu.

Your method requires you to click on a poor replacement for the old Start button in order to bring up a tiled list of programs where each tile takes up WAY too much screen space and the list is randomly organized. You are forced to either swipe the screen (potentially several times) in order to find what you want, or you are forced to invoke the search function, bring up the virtual keyboard, and begin typing the first couple of letters of the name of the program you want.

The Windows Start menu has all of your apps organized in alphabetical order, gives you the option to pin commonly used apps to a prominent position at the top, provides you with an easy way to find links to things such as the Control Panel, Printers, your documents, pictures, music, and a Help panel. Plus, it's a scrollable list that takes up less than a third of your screen real estate. The Metro interface was simply a lame attempt by Microsoft to make their interface mimic the interface used by the iPhone and iPad.

If you truly believe your method of finding an app is better and more efficient that the Start Menu that was introduced in Windows 95 and has been tweaked and improved in every iteration of Windows prior to Windows 8, then I'm not going to waste my time debating this issue with you. It's utterly hopeless and will just wind up frustrating me and everybody else who reads this thread.

The fact is that the vast majority of Windows users agree with me and disagree with you. That's why Microsoft is going to restore the actual Start menu in Windows 8.2. If you prefer to use your method, more power to you. Just don't continue to plead ignorance.

kaplin42 · 12-31-2013, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brainiac

I have really tried to embrace Windows 8 running on a tablet. I really have. The problem is that Windows 8 just plain sucks.

Windows 8 is by far my least favorite desktop/laptop OS. It's like the Windows 8 developers at Microsoft were determined to make it as difficult as possible to perform the functions that you easily perform in Windows 7. The only way to make it usable is to add a third-party start menu such as Start8 or Classic Shell. I personally use Classic Shell, but I think the two add-ons are pretty much identical. What they do is give you a way to get to the old Start Menu that has been around ever since Windows 95. It turns the monstrosity known as Windows 8 into an OS that is once again perfectly usable.

I hope Microsoft really does return the old Start Menu with Windows 8.2, as is rumored. The "start button" that they added with Windows 8.1 is a freaking joke. I suspect some arrogant asshole at Microsoft said "So, you're pissed that we took away the Start button? Fine, I'll give you a Start button. It will take you to the Metro GUI that you hate so much. So there!". The "Start Button" in Windows 8.1 is completely useless.

Windows 8 is also by far my least favorite tablet OS. The "touch" function works, but it's damn hard to hit what you're trying to touch on the first attempt. On an iPad you can easily pinch and zoom the screen so that you CAN actually touch a hyperlink on the first attempt. On my Windows 8 tablets sometimes I can pinch and zoom, and sometimes I can't.

In my opinion the iPad is still by far the best tablet available. I'm no Apple fanboy, as I don't have any machine that runs Mac OS X. I do have 2 desktops and 2 laptops running Windows 7, two Windows 8 tablets, an Pad, an iPhone, and a Samsung tablet running the Android OS. I also have a laptop running Linux Mint KDE, and a desktop running Ubuntu Linux 12.04. I think I've had a pretty good exposure to a lot of different operating systems.

The iPad interface is simply a lot more intuitive than the Windows 8 interface, and it's not even close. The Android OS is a hell of a lot more intuitive than the Windows 8 interface as well.

Now, if you absolutely must have Microsoft Office on your tablet, then you have no choice: you really do need a Windows 8 tablet. You also really need a mouse. I've resorted to carrying around a mouse whenever I carry my Windows 8 tablet into a meeting, because it's just so damn hard to navigate Windows 8 without it. But when I don't need Microsoft Office, I leave the ****ing Windows 8 tablet at my desk and carry an iPad into the meeting instead. An iPad is much better at taking meeting notes, reading email, checking your online calendar, and surfing the Internet. The ONLY time I'll every carry a Windows 8 tablet into a meeting is if I need to edit an Excel spreadsheet in the meeting.

Sadly, however, Windows 8 is here to stay, and we all might as well learn to love it.

It's funny, because I have been using 8 for about a year, and 8.1 since release on a desktop, Surface RT and a Surface Pro 2. And I see none of the issues that you vaguely complain about. The only issue, and this is a hardware design is that the SP2 is meant for a stylus, and not so much for your finger, if you use a stylus, clicking links and what not is really easy.

8 runs fast and smooth for me, even on my desktop, the metro doesn't bother me, especially after 8.1. I cleared off all the apps that I don't like, put up a few that I do, and then normally I just type in what I want and then hit enter like I did in Windows 7 on the start menu.

I will give Apple that their app store is light years ahead of M$'s, but as far as real tablets go, the SP2 is pretty fricking awesome, and destroys the iPad in every way that I can think of that actually matters.

kaplin42 · 12-31-2013, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Before:
1. Click start menu.
2. Click program you want.
3. Success!

Now:
1. Click start menu
2. Peruse the disorganized collection of tiles all over the place
3. Give up looking and click into the box to search for what you're looking for
4. Type the name of the program you're looking for
5. Half-hearted success

It's not a matter of it being completely non-functional. It's a matter of it being considerably less efficient than the old system.

Be at Metro
Type program name Word
Push Enter
????
Profit

**Donger** · 12-31-2013, 02:02 PM

Okay, I've ****ing had it with this POS...

Just got a voicemail in .wav format. Clicked on it to play and some program played it, but...

HOW THE **** DO YOU CLOSE WHATEVER PROGRAM THIS IS!!!?

kaplin42 · 12-31-2013, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Okay, I've ****ing had it with this POS...

Just got a voicemail in .wav format. Clicked on it to play and some program played it, but...

HOW THE **** DO YOU CLOSE WHATEVER PROGRAM THIS IS!!!?

The point is, your not supposed to. It works like iOS, you move on to the next program and leave the old one running. If an app is not the focus, then it doesn't take up any processing cycles, it just sits in the background waiting for you to use it again.

If you really want to close it though, then try CTRL+Shift+ESC and end the task/process.

**Donger** · 12-31-2013, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaplin42

The point is, your not supposed to. It works like iOS, you move on to the next program and leave the old one running. If an app is not the focus, then it doesn't take up any processing cycles, it just sits in the background waiting for you to use it again.

If you really want to close it though, then try CTRL+Shift+ESC and end the task/process.

I can't even figure out how to get back to the ****ing desktop...

kaplin42 · 12-31-2013, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

I can't even figure out how to get back to the ****ing desktop...

Some Ways:

1. Push Windows key to go back to Metro, select Desktop icon if you haven't unpinned it.

2. Windows Key + M

3. Alt + Tab to cycle through open windows and desktop

**Donger** · 12-31-2013, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaplin42

Some Ways:

1. Push Windows key to go back to Metro, select Desktop icon if you haven't unpinned it.

2. Windows Key + M

3. Alt + Tab to cycle through open windows and desktop

Wow, thanks. This is really stupid.

10-29-2012, 07:41 AM
Jenson71 fides quaerens intellectum Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: United States Casino cash: $8330900	Windows 8 Well, who has made the switch? Is it worth the time and $40 for the upgrade? Will my life becoming better with it?
Posts: 15,986

12-30-2013, 04:21 PM	#171
-King- ▓▓▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▓▓ Join Date: Jan 2009 Casino cash: $2575743	1) Click metro button/press Windows button 2) Type in the first 1 or 2 letters of program you want 3) Click program That's more efficient than looking through any start menu. __________________ 🏁
Posts: 63,865

12-31-2013, 02:02 PM	#176
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10439900 VARSITY	Okay, I've **ing had it with this POS... Just got a voicemail in .wav format. Clicked on it to play and some program played it, but... HOW THE ** DO YOU CLOSE WHATEVER PROGRAM THIS IS!!!? __________________ I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?
Posts: 180,512