I've always viewed Windows 8 as MS just trying to unify their offerings regardless of architecture and platform. I never really considered Win8 to be an OS for the desktop user. The interface clearly indicates that they don't have mouse-and-keyboard people in mind. Don't understand the fuss. All you have have to do is look at the feature set to know that Windows 8 isn't meant to replaces Windows 7 as a desktop/laptop solution. It hardly changes anything for standard users.
You don't need touchscreen to make Windows 8 metro work on a laptop. What you do need is good multi touch mouse drivers, with easy to use gestures. This is what Synaptics and other mousepad suppliers are working on. The issue lies with older computers that won't be able to take advantage of the gestures. Microsoft are taking a big gamble this time.
If multi touch trackpads which work well with Windows 8 out of the box aren't available or pre-installed on launch day, it will fail. Vista had driver issues in the beginning of its life and that stain never went away even though it was fine by the time SP1 arrived.
Agreed, it will certainly struggle. The gestures are built in to windows 8 apparently. Here is how it should work http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmy80fx5VhQ&feature=related
I've just been toying with Windows 8 Release Preview on my spare SSD. What a steaming pile of sh*t! #Metro! Because you have to catch a bus or train just to get to your Control Panel! FFFFUUUUUUUUUU Windows 8!!!!!!
http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/ie10-windows-8-even-microsoft-cant-make-it-work-195293 Worth a read, it should be better in the RTM but it could be a sign of things to come
Windows 95 was not that bad and I couldn't stand Windows 3.1, then again it was the first Windows I used and I had no other OS for comparison. :wanker:
umm I think I will be the judge of that. Windows 8's metro UI is not going to stop me from buying it. Instead of whining about the UI 24/7, people need to start paying attention to all the other tweaks and features Microsoft is adding to 8. I am pretty sure they will have something similar to apple's magic trackpad(and probably get sued for it) for Windows 8 and will solve the navigation problem some people are having with the new UI.
First of all 99% of the people complaining aren't complaining about navigation. They are complaining about the fact that everything is switched up and different for absolutely no benefit for them. Like, I wouldn't mind a radical shift in UI if the end result was being able to find stuff quicker - but Metro does nothing for me. At the end of the day, I'm going to have teach my muscle memory to do certain things for absolutely no gain in productivity - actually if anything it's a loss for a whole number of reasons. Second, I don't see how a multi-touchpad which btw plenty of laptops have already, is going to improve navigation on a desktop. Third, plenty of people have pointed out things they like about 8. Microsoft has done a lot under the hood to make it significantly better. But all that stuff is moot if the interface is bad. I mean, I've had the beta installed on my laptop since the first release - i'm used to it - but i still sit here and consciously recognize all the stupid ways it gets in my way.
I know what you mean! My only comparision at the time to Windows 3.1 was Amiga Workbench. Miss it. Way beyond it's time. Still use it via emulation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6kX3FqH8Ww&hd=1 Recommended Amiga forum (the author of WinUAE comes here): http://eab.abime.net/index.php Amiga Emulator: http://www.winuae.net/
http://www.wired.com/wiredenterpris..._medium=RelatedLinks&utm_campaign=Interesting They're allowing desktop program development with free version of Visual Studio 2011 once again.
Or even "Microshaft" *cough* Desktop users shafted with Windows 8. Well, some of us will be forced to switch over sadly, mainly us SSD users that want the features that come with Win 8.
I'm quite confident that no matter how the RTM turns out, whether something is done to metro or not, and after the deluge of negative opinions, that it wont be an issue for me... that workarounds will be there by the boatload that not only restore our preferences but possibly even improve upon them. Ultimately I believe that wont even be necessary, that MS will do a 'classic coke' thing with 8. Thats why I think all this doom and gloom about metro is nothing more than a storm in a teacup. Again, I say 8's biggest problem is 7. Microsoft are simply 'locked in' to a 3 year OS release cycle. They are not releasing 8 because it is better than 7, they are releasing 8 because that is how their business/product cycle is structured. And if not much as transpired in last 3 years that offers worthwhile improvements over the last OS, they resort to... gimmicks. Hence metro.
I agree with you, it's not the best UI for a hardcore PC user, but normal users always trump the hardcore in terms of numbers(Look at iOS and OSX. They are very simple and easy to use/navigate and maybe that's why their user base is increasing so rapidly) so I think it will do just fine for people who are into simplicity and everything being straight to the point. Though It would be great if they had an advanced UI option or something at initial installation for users who prefer to do more than just scrolling through bunch of live tiles. Microsoft is focusing pretty heavy on casual/regular userbase with this UI and somewhat ignoring the advanced users. Edit: I am not an advanced user. Just saying lol
also a few other features about win8 are odd fits like the online(share your stuff with other platforms like win8 phone/tablet) or local options for accounts and in order to download apps from the appstore you have to make a microsoft account. whatever happened to linking to a download on microsoft.com or is that too retro? :bang: with win8 they essentially turned the desktop experience into a smartphone experience. the main problem right now is that its the default option. they could add the option for the normal layout into their super long custom install option. i seriously hope thats what they do i would be glad to jump on win8 if that were the case. or swap on the fly and maybe require a restart to apply would be more preferable.
I don't see why they don't do something like shift-alt-windowskey to swap between interfaces. Or a button or something. Having to go into regedit to get away from Metro is dumb.
Unifying all products under similar UI is becoming important when people buy microsoft stuff they expect it to behave similar on different platforms hence metro and sharing between them devices. Iirc apple has been trying to do the same thing with ios and osx now
