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Windows 8

Giggly

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...is confuuuuuuusing! I played with it on my mom's new computer and I hardly knew where anything was. Anyone like this?
 

/DG/

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Ugh. Don't get me started on that abomination.

There's a somewhat well-known thought that you're supposed to skip every other Windows operating system. :alttongue:

98 -> Me -> XP -> Vista -> 7 -> 8
 

KDude

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It's fine. Although I'm using a tablet. Maybe it's more geared towards that. I think it's the best of the tablet OS options so far. Everything else is icon based. Same goes for their phones.

Some of the complaints I've heard boil down to.... "People don't like change".
 

The Ü™

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I don't have Windows 8 yet, but I've played around with it at the computer store. It's not too bad.
 

/DG/

silentigata ano (profile)
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Some of the complaints I've heard boil down to.... "People don't like change".

This isn't it at all. I won't deny that it's a great OS for a tablet, but it fails as a desktop OS as it just makes everything more inconvenient to those without a touch screen.
 

Habba

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I think it looks different, but pretty much works the same. I've been using it at work for about half a year now. Only real problems so far have been the drivers, since it always takes some time until manufacturers make manage to create drivers for new OS. I think dual displays now work bit better tho...
 

tinker683

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I wouldn't mind if the colors weren't quite so flat aesthetically but otherwise I like it. Eventually I'm going to get a tablet and then it'll be just right.

Otherwise, I wouldn't mind if they gave you an option for desktops for it to load up straight into desktop as the start menu feels kind of unnesseary given that most apps run in desktop mode anymore

But that's me
 

The Ü™

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But if they're phasing out the mouse format in favor of touch screen, then how will I play games?
 

Habba

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But if they're phasing out the mouse format in favor of touch screen, then how will I play games?

Mouse won't be going anywhere at least for a while.

Touch input is a great substitute for mouse in many games, but still can't do all the things mouse (+ keyboard) can.

For mouse to phase out, it really requires certain genres (FPS, RTS) to re-defined themselves in a succesful way. We haven't seen that yet.
 

Triforce

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Im quite a fan of win 8

At work you can perhaps on occation use that over other devices made to limit mouse arm etc.

So that means increased efficiency on a ton of fronts if touchscreen becomes cheap..

My only lack on it is the windows button. You se.. a gamer will remove this button to avoid pushing it during gaming. Some games ofc. have made a disable windows button function but you can still press it so i think many still opts to remove it.

To get out i now use alt+tab.
 

_eric_

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I upgraded from Windows 7 (I use a wireless keyboard with a touch pad, though it isn't all that new so it basically has the same functionality as a mouse.) and I really have no problems with it at all. Never had any trouble finding where things are either, without even going through any tutorial stuff. I don't see what's so difficult about it. The time it takes me to get to where I need to go is no longer than it was in Windows 7.
 

netzealot

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"If it ain't broke dont fix it."

Every other Windows OS halfway sets a new standard for program language feature availability and halfway fixes something that isn't broke. They find out what falls into which half, keep the first half and clean it up, that's why the one after it is a success.

In other words, Microsoft has convinced consumers to pay to be a part of their beta testing system. Pick up a copy of Windows 7 pro from eBay and save yourself the trouble.
 

KDude

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that's why the one after it is a success.

Not really. Every other one maybe. Windows ME and Vista were quickly shelved.

In other words, Microsoft has convinced consumers to pay to be a part of their beta testing system..

Hardly at the beta stage. They had touch technology even before Apple made the first iphone announcement. They've been seeding the same things in the market with Windows phones. All they're doing now is consolidating all their products.

I don't necessarily recommend it now though. You could use Windows 7 if you want, but ultimately, things will move as planned.
 

netzealot

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Not really. Every other one maybe. Windows ME and Vista were quickly shelved.

I think we mean the same thing.

Hardly at the beta stage. They had touch technology even before Apple made the first iphone announcement. They've been seeding the same things in the market with Windows phones. All they're doing now is consolidating all their products.

I don't necessarily recommend it now though. You could use Windows 7 if you want, but ultimately, things will move as planned.

I am not talking about the GUI or the features... rather things like business efficiency, kernel robustness, platform scalability.

It's kind of like this pen light I bought a while back. In theory it was a good idea and in itself it works well, but I don't carry it as often as I had planned although I do need it regularly. Now, I'm buying a single AA flashlight to put on my keychain instead which I am certain will be useful. Likewise, it seems like every other OS is a beta test of a new theory of how an OS should be shaped. The version which follows cuts the fat from the theory and delivers it in a way that has proven to be practical, much like my smaller keychain flashlight.

I was an engineer at Microsoft and they tend to do things in 2 stages... the first stage of any project tends to be very loose because the understanding is that it's an still an experiment, the 2nd stage reincarnates the first with very strict practical guidelines that reduce inefficient redundancies and unnecessasaries, slimming down overly specific features which werent useful and beefing up general features which were lacking in presence.

I have somewhat adopted the same style myself (hence the keychain metaphor) and it works. I just wouldn't want to be the guy stuck with the pen flashlight. That's not to say it's a bad idea, it just isn't as generally useful. If you're one of the people who find the Windows 8 specific features like touchscreen GUI useful then I suspect it will be an especially good product for you.
 

KDude

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I think we mean the same thing.



I am not talking about the GUI or the features... rather things like business efficiency, kernel robustness, platform scalability.

.

I can't really speak a lot about Win 8 specifically. I'm using RT more. If this is just a testbed, it's good step imo. Kernel wise, the obvious thing is the shift to ARM, and away from older x86 apps. Power consumption is better than Win 8. I can't say much about business efficiency. The version of Office, for example, is the only oldschool Windows style application as x86. It's no less efficient than the other Office. The only touch version of an Office app at the moment is OneNote. If it's a sign of what the other apps will be like, they'll b ok. Scalability is irrelevant in these arm based devices, so I won't address. They're just meant to be simple client based machines. No one expects scalability from an ipad either (otoh, this is still more pc-like than an ipad).
 
G

garbage

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What's "Windows RT" all about? I hear that it's crippled. From Wikipedia:
The requirement to obtain most software on Windows RT through the Windows Store
Kinda nonspecific; I'd like to know more.

I love my Dell Duo but would love to replace it with something more fancypants.
 

Habba

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What's "Windows RT" all about? I hear that it's crippled.

Windows RT is a version of windows that's build on ARM-processor (all the smartphones and tablets use ARM) series, contrary to x86 and x64 processors that have been de facto on desktop and laptop computers for years.

What it means is that Windows RT can only run programs that have been build to work on Windows RT. So NONE of the programs you had on your desktop/laptop previously is going to work on Windows RT. However, quite a few developers have already been busy creating RT versions of their software, and they are being distributed through Windows Store. There are still other ways to obtain software (hacking the windows you can install from illegal downloads, company administrators can install apps to multiple devices at once, you can install beta software for developmental purposes, etc), but normally it's not needed.
 

KDude

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What's "Windows RT" all about? I hear that it's crippled. From Wikipedia:

Kinda nonspecific; I'd like to know more.

I love my Dell Duo but would love to replace it with something more fancypants.

It's Windows on the ARM processor and geared toward tablet devices. It's the equivalent of Apple's iOS and the app store. Saying it's crippled is saying the iPad is crippled for not being a MacBook running OS X. No one ever says that though. Everyone knows to have different expectations for the iPad. For some reason, some reviewers don't hold the same standard for Windows RT. I don't know how they got their jobs, because you have to be stupid to think an ARM based computer is going to run Intel applications.

Anyways, what it has in common with Windows is the interface. It's the same experience as Windows 8. As far as apps, it has more in common with the iPad or Android tablets. You download stuff from a store, like you do with phones. Where it's better than the iPad is having a free, fully functional version of MS Office, and a kind of tablet hybrid thing going for it. The keyboard gives it more functionality.

edit: For the most part, it's for people who use their machines for basic tasks (internet, email, office, etc). The apps you'd find in the app store extend that a bit, but personally, I just download the games or use it as an ebook reader. These days, I'm not doing a lot with computers, so it suits me. Same with ipads. It's gotten to the point where typical computers are overkill for many people.
 
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