Windows 8, your thoughts?

[TheQsanity]

Windows 8 is coming out in 2 days and there have been a lot of speculation. What are your thoughts on Windows 8?

• Will you be getting a copy?
• What do you think of the low price?
• What are your opinions on the new features?
• Will this new OS be a problem for PC users?
• What do you think of the new ribbon feature in place of the Windows Explorer address bar?
• Any features that you love and is the soul reason you are getting the new OS?
• Will you be getting a Windows 8 tablet or Smartphone?
• How will the new OS affect your gaming?
• Anything else that you think that should be addressed about Windows 8?

Post your thoughts, opinions, and reviews here!

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

Long live Windows 7!!!

[alaricljs]

8... blech.  I only just switched off XP ~1.5 yrs ago.

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

I seemed to have been noticing a pattern with Windows operating systems: they'll release a ****ty OS, then they'll release a decent one... and it repeats.

The primary example of this beginning with Windows ME (****) then Windows XP (good) then Windows Vista (****) and finally Windows 7 (good).

So, my prediction for Windows 8:

****!!!

[Grimey]

• Will you be getting a copy?

Nope, they have "okayed" the usage at the office, but most people don't care.

• What do you think of the low price?

Seems like a fair price given the adjustment they are asking users to take.  If the ecosystem takes off for the Windows Store, this could be a fairly decent source of revenue.

• What are your opinions on the new features?

I don't care much for hidden menus to be honest.  Outside of providing different ways of accessing the same information, I don't really see any features that get me excited.

• Will this new OS be a problem for PC users?

I suspect they will figure it out at some point.

• What do you think of the new ribbon feature in place of the Windows Explorer address bar?

IE is generally something to be avoided, but I am the wrong userbase.

• Any features that you love and is the soul reason you are getting the new OS?

Nope

• Will you be getting a Windows 8 tablet or Smartphone?

Nope

• How will the new OS affect your gaming?

Probably won't

• Anything else that you think that should be addressed about Windows 8?

I am personally interested in the adoption rates.  Windows releases tend to come with some unpolishedness out of the gate as a rule, but this time is somewhat different.  The whole model is changed with MS getting into the hardware business and creating a app store of their own. 

I writing .net code pays the bills, but I wouldn't say it is fun or exciting.  *nix based computing is far more satisfying for my own work, which can probably be derived from my answers above.  Windows 8 should be a fun show regardless of how it turns out, I am feeling a crash and burn or a moderate success as the two options.[/list]

[tjcaustin]

I probably will, the upgrade is reasonably priced and I want to get either a tablet or phone with win8 as well.

[Lanx]

ppl like me who have used windows since 3.1 know that every other windows os is the one to use, so just wait until windows 9. anyone who uses win 8 will just have flashbacks to windows 95/ windows 2k, windows me, windows vista, heck some of us even remember the days when we would take copies of windows nt from our high school lab and install it, just to get a stable os, (back then no one cared about piracy, heck our school teachers even encouraged sharing, but we did have a term for it back then, warez).

side note, i only upgraded to windows 7 from winxp cuz win7 supported ssd and trim for ssd, where as winxp almost didn't? (i forgot if there was a patch for ssd/trim or not for win xp, but all i remember is that win7 handled ssd's better)

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

ppl like me who have used windows since 3.1 know that every other windows os is the one to use, so just wait until windows 9.

That's essentially what I said...

Well, ALMOST...

I seemed to have been noticing a pattern with Windows operating systems: they'll release a ****ty OS, then they'll release a decent one... and it repeats.

The primary example of this beginning with Windows ME (****) then Windows XP (good) then Windows Vista (****) and finally Windows 7 (good).

So, my prediction for Windows 8:

****!!!

[Dabboo]

I have been on Windows 7 for about 9 months now after moving from my old XP machine which I was on for 4 years. Windows systems typically run in a tick tock cycle. meaning usually every second release of windows is good and the one in between has typically more flaws. Considering 98 was good, 2000 wasn't, XP was great, Vista started poorly and W7 was good we can expect that this trend will likely continue with W8.

- Will you be getting a copy?
It's not likely. It would need to be a vast improvment over W7 to entice me to buy it.

- What do you think of the low price?
I think this is a good strategy to use to fight OSX as their releases are typically at a lower price point and it may entice OSX users to transfer over if they're not putting too much money down.

- What are your opinions on the new features?
I think one of the main features, the Metro UI, has caused a bit of a stir. People have complained that W8 is too tablet/touch centred and isn't for desktop use however the Metro UI can be easily turned off and is replaced with a classic desktop much like Windows 7. I haven't been using W8 on a daily basis yet so I can't give a justified opinion but I'll have to see how it goes.

- Will this new OS be a problem for PC users?
I doubt it will be a problem. Like every new OS you've got to get accustomed to it and the people who don't understand how to use it probably are not the same people who will be updating to it.

- What do you think of the new ribbon feature in place of the Windows Explorer address bar?
It looks like a nice update to the current explorer, I can't say much else as I haven't used it too much.

- Any features that you love and is the soul reason you are getting the new OS?
None have jumped out at me as being good enough to make me want to update.

- Will you be getting a Windows 8 tablet or Smartphone?
No, Android is my platform for now.

- How will the new OS affect your gaming?
Considering I wont be moving to it, it will not affect me but the type of person who games a lot is not the type of person to update to a new OS without first reading further into it.

- Anything else that you think that should be addressed about Windows 8?
I'm not sure if this is in W8 but I want the ability to open .GIFs in the Windows Photo Viewer like XP would. for some reason they removed that feature in W7 and now any .GIFs I must open in a browser.

[tipo33]

I honestly haven't used windows since XP service pack 2,  when I switched to using linux full time.  The new release will not effect me in any way shape or form, apart from more quizzical looks when people ask me for technical assiatance, without understanding that I work in a very small niche within computers.

[sth]

• Will you be getting a copy?

i doubt it.

• What do you think of the low price?

still too expensive

• What are your opinions on the new features?

unfortunate

• Will this new OS be a problem for PC users?

every microsoft os is a problem for PC users

• What do you think of the new ribbon feature in place of the Windows Explorer address bar?

shi+awful. the ribbon was never a good idea and continuing to ram it down users' throats in an attempt to create a new paradigm just sucks.

• Any features that you love and is the soul reason you are getting the new OS?

son, have you even been paying attention?

• Will you be getting a Windows 8 tablet or Smartphone?

jesus no

• How will the new OS affect your gaming?

not at all? as in, i won't start.

• Anything else that you think that should be addressed about Windows 8?

microsoft still can't figure out how to render fonts.

[rowdy]

    Will you be getting a copy?

Nope, not until I have no choice.

    What do you think of the low price?

Surprising.

    What are your opinions on the new features?

Meh.

    Will this new OS be a problem for PC users?

Yes.

    What do you think of the new ribbon feature in place of the Windows Explorer address bar?

Bleah.

    Any features that you love and is the soul reason you are getting the new OS?

n/a

    Will you be getting a Windows 8 tablet or Smartphone?

Nope.

    How will the new OS affect your gaming?

As long as Minecraft runs ...

    Anything else that you think that should be addressed about Windows 8?

Not until I've seen it.

[Larken]

The only reason why I'd use Windows 8 is if I get a Surface tablet. I've been playing around with the release preview for a few days, so far I'm quite underwhelmed. The problem with reworking the interface and streamlining how information flows is a good idea, but I already have windows 7 set up the way I like, and MetroUI doesn't benefit me much.

Not to mention the amount of relearning you need to do - current windows users would be a little stumped when they first start up windows 8. Hell, I have problems using it and I learnt how to use mac os x within the first hour of buying my macbook (it's really just that intuitive at that time.). My reasons for sticking with windows is largely because of the control I have over my system and the settings I'm comfortable changing under the hood, and w8 seems to take that away.

[tjcaustin]

Sadly, the surface isn't the best example of what win8 can do, being a kinda gimpy version with it being dumbed down to use with ARM style processors.  The new Asus ones that use atom processors that were announced last night are a bit better, but it's probably going to be closer to this time next year before win8 tablets rock the house with the Haswell chip.  i5/7 processors with the current draw and heat dissipation of a tegra or snapdragon.

[thegunner100]

I'm interested in getting a Lumia 920 in the future, but that's about it for windows 8. I'll probably stick with 7  and maybe try out 8 on someone else's computer, or maybe even on my older computer.

[tjcaustin]

The 920 is going to be freaking awesome unless something stupid happens.  I want one a lot, but I'm on Verizon, sooooo I get to make do with a htc 8x

[totallymonkey]

Will you be getting a copy?
Yes, and already have a couple of copies

What do you think of the low price?
Good move, as this should help the upgrade process for most people

What are your opinions on the new features?
Sorta hit or miss, most of the time when I use it on my desktop/laptop I am in regular desktop mode, and that's fine.  On a tablet, however, the metro/touch interface is really nice, fluid and easy to use (once you spend 5 minutes learning how to interact with it)

Will this new OS be a problem for PC users?
Only if they refuse to take 5 minutes to learn the new interactions.  For desktop users, the learning curve is a bit more, but not very hard.

What do you think of the new ribbon feature in place of the Windows Explorer address bar?
Good, I like the ribbon.  It puts all of the most accessed operations right there.  **** menus, and the ribbon can be hidden if you don't want to use it.

Any features that you love and is the soul reason you are getting the new OS?
Faster bootup time, faster start from sleep, better power management, better file transferring, etc...  On a tablet, the reasons are mostly around the user experience.  It's very enjoyable.

Will you be getting a Windows 8 tablet or Smartphone?
Both (Probably Lumia 920, but maybe 8X), and I"m getting a Surface RT.

How will the new OS affect your gaming?
It won't.  Everything I do for gaming works on Win8.  I"m not much of a casual gamer though, so won't be playing much from the marketplace.

Anything else that you think that should be addressed about Windows 8?
Over time the experience will be refined and tuned, and once people get used to the new way of using Windows it wont be a problem.

[IvanIvanovich]

I tried it, and tried it. I do not like it. My desktop is not a f*cking tablet.
I won't even pirate this version.

[thegunner100]

The 920 is going to be freaking awesome unless something stupid happens.  I want one a lot, but I'm on Verizon, sooooo I get to make do with a htc 8x

There's actually gonna be a special version of the 920 for Verizon, from what i've read.

[tjcaustin]

I've seen unconfirmed reports about the 820, but supposedly the 920 is locked to AT&T for the first 6 mos (that may be weeks, though)

[NKRO]

• Will you be getting a copy?
• What do you think of the low price?

Definitely—as the upgrade price is low, and discounted until 1/1/13, it almost seems stupid not to upgrade.

• What are your opinions on the new features?

There are a number of great new features on the desktop such as the revamped file transfers, native image mounting (vhd/iso), hyper-v built in, vastly improved task manager, boot times are much faster, performance is up, power savings are increased. There's a ton of other improvements "under the hood" as well, which add up to Windows 8 being the best OS Microsoft has built so far.

The downside is that it also happens to come with the "Modern UI" (previously Metro) which is simply terrible in my experience with it. The apps are nothing more than glorified phone apps, and are far too big to work well on the desktop. You have intrusive hot-corners for it on the desktop, and they killed the start menu. However, once you use a tool to disable the hot-corners (too bad they didn't provide an official way to customize them) and if you like, install one of the many start menu replacements (so far, Start8 has worked best for me) you don't ever have to see Metro again. I have no interest in having my desktop account linked to an online ID, and I've yet to see anything on the store that is remotely interesting. I just don't think the Metro style even allows for anything more complex than a "big phone app" rather than a "tablet app" like you would get on the iPad, and even a "tablet app" is still worthless on a desktop PC or even a laptop. The UI just seems to lead towards functionally basic apps that are horrible to navigate on the desktop, and not that much better on a tablet in my opinion.

• Will this new OS be a problem for PC users?

Absolutely. Most people won't know that you can effectively disable Metro entirely, and will be confused by the experience. Even on a tablet, the Metro UI is not intuitive at all in the way that iOS and even Android are.

• What do you think of the new ribbon feature in place of the Windows Explorer address bar?

I hate the ribbon - the mishmash of icon sizes and button styles result in a visually complex and confusing UI. It also wastes about 3x as much vertical space as a standard toolbar. I basically never use toolbar buttons though, and you can minimize the ribbon, which ends up being smaller than the toolbar it replaces, so I'm not that bothered by it.

• Will you be getting a Windows 8 tablet or Smartphone?

Absolutely not. I will be sticking to my iPad for tablet use, as it has a thriving marketplace and a suite of apps that I rely on, which aren't likely to see Metro alternatives soon, if ever. I generally dislike the widescreen format for tablets, as it forces them into horizontal use. 4:3 is much better suited to my habits. (primarily reading in portrait)

I don't really have a need for a smartphone, and while Windows Phone 8 seems somewhat interesting, an iPhone would probably still be my first choice. (especially for iCloud sync between it and my iPad)

• How will the new OS affect your gaming?

Well I ran into compatibility issues with GFWL titles refusing to launch, and The Walking Dead did not detect my Xbox 360 controller, so it's off to a great start. I'm sure these issues will be ironed out quickly though. Note: I was running the developer preview (final release build) not the old preview build.

• Anything else that you think that should be addressed about Windows 8?

I ran into some compatibility issues with a number of programs, but I'm not sure that they will actually be updated unfortunately. I was unable to get DVD playback working with madVR at all (it requires a hack to work in Windows 7) and a number of .iso images I had would give me errors when trying to mount them. (on Windows 7 I use Virtual Clone Drive which apparently has issues with Windows 8 )

Ran into some other minor compatibility issues such as tools like WizMouse not working any more. I'm sure there will be a few other applications/utilities that also don't work as expected in Windows 8, which is why I am going to purchase my upgrade at the discounted price, but probably won't be running it for at least another month or two.

microsoft still can't figure out how to render fonts.

Choosing to render fonts in a way that actually looks good on a computer display, rather than trying to emulate print is a choice they made, it's not something they "can't figure out".

OS X font rendering looks terrible on anything other than a "Retina display" which finally has enough DPI that fonts don't look fuzzy.

[sth]

microsoft still can't figure out how to render fonts.

Choosing to render fonts in a way that actually looks good on a computer display, rather than trying to emulate print is a choice they made, it's not something they "can't figure out".

OS X font rendering looks terrible on anything other than a "Retina display" which finally has enough DPI that fonts don't look fuzzy.

whatever dude you just have objectively bad taste. it's a legitimate lifestyle but it is plagued by attraction to ugly things and the willingness to defend them even though there is nothing worth defending. the ONLY people who say OS X' font rendering is fuzzy are people who are used to the skull****ing that is cleartype. more power to you though.

also... limited time for cheap upgrade price then what if you miss the window?

[DarkShot]

• Will you be getting a copy?

Still up for debate. If I had a touch enabled PC, I certainly would. I really do like Windows 8, however as 7 serves its purpose on my main machine, I might not.

• What do you think of the low price?

Great! I'll most certainly purchase a license instead of using the OS through undesirable methods now that it won't cost have the value of a brand new computer.

• What are your opinions on the new features?

I like a lot of what they've done. The revamped UI is fantastic, and most certainly geared to touch far more than 7 was. They've reworked the backend for a handful of things such as the bootloader, multi-monitor support, a hybrid-hibernation for fast boot, and numerous improvements overall. However, while it's very geared to touch...

• Will this new OS be a problem for PC users?

...It isn't overly desirable to use with a laptop touchpad or mouse. I've been using the RTM dev preview on my laptop and love how speedy it is, but it's frustrating to use without a touchscreen. Touchpad alone is painful and having a mouse improves the fact, but it's certainly meant for a combination keyboard and touch input.
However, everything does have keyboard shortcuts, many of them similar to the same ones that have been with Windows for a while, so if you're a person who uses said shortcuts, it shouldn't pose to be too difficult an issue to overcome.

• What do you think of the new ribbon feature in place of the Windows Explorer address bar?

I don't mind it. It does take up a lot of room, but I can see how it would be valuable to 70% of PC users who just aren't powerusers like us or even slightly tech inclined. Likewise, great for a touch environment.

• Any features that you love and is the soul reason you are getting the new OS?

Faster copying speeds, better multi-monitor support, integrated messaging and notification system, and the slew of new hardware coming out.

• Will you be getting a Windows 8 tablet or Smartphone?

I plan on getting a Windows 8 tablet with a keyboard dock to replace my laptop. The ASUS Transformer Book is looking unbelievably promising. If I can get an 11.6" device with the dock, Core i3 and say 64gigs onboard for less than a grand I'll be sold even on that.

• How will the new OS affect your gaming?

It won't. Unlike RT, you can install software from any source, just like many PC gamers have been doing since forever. If you seriously think this is an issue, it just means software won't be in the Microsoft store.
Boo hoo.
It won't affect anything else in that regard.

• Anything else that you think that should be addressed about Windows 8?

There's a lot of negative speculation about Win8, saying the that the Odd versions are good and the Even ones are not so.
I think that's wrong. Windows 8 is fantastic. People need to use it for themselves to draw their own personal conclusions on the OS before bashing it.
The issue with Vista was MS' neglect to release a new version after 7 years. They rewrote the OS, so of course software and drivers broke. They didn't for 7, and now 8, so most if not all software running on 7 will perform as good as if not better on a Windows 8 machine.
The only downfall I see with it is a temporary one, and that is the learning curve for the new IU. The start menu is insignificant in the sense of hindering you, but the Metro context controls do take a bit of getting used to. Apart from that, it's honestly impressive. I'm quite pleased to see Microsoft take the path they have, and am excited for this OS.

[NKRO]

whatever dude you just have objectively bad taste. it's a legitimate lifestyle but it is plagued by attraction to ugly things and the willingness to defend them even though there is nothing worth defending. the ONLY people who say OS X' font rendering is fuzzy are people who are used to the skull****ing that is cleartype. more power to you though.

Objectively bad taste? It depends on whether you want fonts that are actually rendered with a screen intent, or a print intent. For people that are not graphic designers, sharp font rendering is preferable to OS X's bold, fuzzy print-style font rendering.

Once you get to retina resolutions, the opposite is true. You have enough resolution where the Mac style of font rendering no longer looks fuzzy, but well anti-aliased instead. That being said, Windows' font rendering still looks noticeably sharper, even on Retina displays.

also... limited time for cheap upgrade price then what if you miss the window?

Then it costs more like a traditional Windows upgrade did. Not sure on the pricing, but they announced it if that is a concern for you.

[tjcaustin]

Trolls be trollin' 

(No hate, just...)

[Lorem-Ipsum]

Will you be getting a copy?
    I may get one free from my University... not that I'll use it.
What do you think of the low price?
    Is the price different? About time.
What are your opinions on the new features?
    It's not a feature! It's a bug!
Will this new OS be a problem for PC users?
    Yes.
What do you think of the new ribbon feature in place of the Windows Explorer address bar?
    Not paid that much attention. You mean the design I hate about office is coming to IE?
Any features that you love and is the soul reason you are getting the new OS?
    None whatsoever
Will you be getting a Windows 8 tablet or Smartphone?
   No way, probably another android.
How will the new OS affect your gaming?
   It won't, I will continue to game on consoles.
Anything else that you think that should be addressed about Windows 8?
   Have they upgraded bluescreen? It's my favourite windows program. I think they should add the paperclip to it.

[NKRO]

What do you think of the low price?
    Is the price different? About time.

It's $40 for an upgrade now. Personally I think they should ditch upgrade versions, and only sell "Windows 8" at that price, the same way that Apple only has one version of OS X, and it costs $20 whether it's an upgrade or not.

How will the new OS affect your gaming?
   It won't, I will continue to game on consoles.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Anything else that you think that should be addressed about Windows 8?
   Have they upgraded bluescreen? It's my favourite windows program. I think they should add the paperclip to it.

[Lorem-Ipsum]

What do you think of the low price?
    Is the price different? About time.

It's $40 for an upgrade now. Personally I think they should ditch upgrade versions, and only sell "Windows 8" at that price, the same way that Apple only has one version of OS X, and it costs $20 whether it's an upgrade or not.

How will the new OS affect your gaming?
   It won't, I will continue to game on consoles.

I'm sorry to hear that.

I run Linux and rarely play games at all so a console fits my needs fine.

Anything else that you think that should be addressed about Windows 8?
   Have they upgraded bluescreen? It's my favourite windows program. I think they should add the paperclip to it.

Show Image

Woot woot!!

[jeroplane]

Sadly I am stuck on Windows Vista, as I bought this computer stock from Dell during that period. I want to build a brand new computer early next year, but I'll most likely be installing Windows 7 on that unless W8 really impresses me. OS's don't really bother me too much, though. I'm okay with adapting to new ones. Currently I also use a MacBook Pro on the go with OSX, so I'm used to switching between OS's.

[vun]

From what I've seen it doesn't offer enough for anything without a touchscreen to bother upgrading from Win7. Although I might give Windows phones a more serious look when I need to get a new phone soon-ish. And then just get another Android phone anyways.

[Seltox]

I won't be getting it.  It's just not worth the price (even if it is super cheap for the upgrade).  I'd get nothing out of it I don't already get from Win7, and i'm slowly migrating almost all of my PC usage over to linux anyway.

I'm actually a bit concerned about the fact that the only way to get an 'app' onto the metro interface is through the Windows store, which Microsoft has a monopoly on (and no 'adult' content is allowed on there, including most popular video games).  Sure, it's absolutely 0 problem at the moment while we have the desktop interface and people are still developing for it, but what about in 10 years when the desktop interface is viewed as old and obsolete, that there's no real point developing on it because everyone just develops for metro now (in the same way we can still write applications that run in the DOS environment, but who would?).  I don't like the idea of Microsoft being able to control what gets through and what doesn't - the reason I stuck use my desktop computer is the fact that I have complete control over it, not someone else.  I don't want Microsoft to have that level of control.

So, like I said.. No problem now, but a potential issue in the future if things go the way Microsoft would likely want it to be.

[Anynoupy]

• Will you be getting a copy?

Definitely not.

• What do you think of the low price?

Good point !

• What are your opinions on the new features?

Didn't pay much attention. But I hate that "Metro" UI.

• Will this new OS be a problem for PC users?

Probably, as it is quite a big evolution on the UI side, although you can go "back to normal", at least almost. And I'm not really fond of that Marketplace policy, although it might help not-enthusiast people not to get malwares by downloading stupid stuff, and getting checked (I hope and believe) stuff from the Market.

• What do you think of the new ribbon feature in place of the Windows Explorer address bar?

Hm, I don't really get what we are talking about there. I'll just say yes ...

• Any features that you love and is the soul reason you are getting the new OS?

None ?

• Will you be getting a Windows 8 tablet or Smartphone?

Probably not, but curiosity will tell for the smartphone side.

• How will the new OS affect your gaming?

It won't. If any game doesn't run thanks to Wine, I'll boot on 7 and make it run. Otherwise I'll stick with OSX/Linux, which allow me to game pretty well.

• Anything else that you think that should be addressed about Windows 8?

Nope.

[SmallFry]

I like Windows 8, but we (my boss, an intern, and I) are trying to figure out how to deploy Symantic (crappy enterprise anti-virus) on Windows 8 before we start deploying it all.

[fohat.digs]

I had been happily using Windows XP for years, and would have kept on until the bitter end, but when I started seeing what Windows 8 was all about, last spring, I knew that I had to make a move.

I migrated to Windows 7 in June, and the experience has been 90% positive. There are still some features that I miss, but overall, it has treated me very well. This will be my home for the foreseeable future.

The idea of online stores and programs and data storage scares me to death. I think that it is great that I can archive important information somewhere far away, and to be able to download software without even having to stand up and walk across the room, but simply being offline for a few minutes or hours or days makes me know that I need all my gear and data, virtual and hard alike, within arm's length and not dependent on anything but an electrical wall plug.

I also got my first smartphone last summer, a Samsung Galaxy Android, and it has been a painful learning curve. There are things about it that I really like, but the smartphone experience is something altogether different.

Desktop computing is where it's at for me, laptops are OK, for what they are, but I want a powerful behemoth for my "real" workstation. My Model F-122 is just a part of all that mass of computing beauty and pleasure.

Everything else is just toys, thin gestures at shallow simulated computing.

[tanilolli]

Will you be getting a copy?
I already have a copy of Windows 8 Pro through my college with MSDNA.

What do you think of the low price?
I think it's a great price point and it's very competitive with Apple's strategy. It's a great way to get more users to upgrade to the new OS.

What are your opinions on the new features?
I'm not really liking the new formerly called Metro interface because it messes with my workflow. I loved being able to drag files out of the start menu into Photoshop, Premiere, VLC, and Winamp just to name a few.

Will this new OS be a problem for PC users?
Yes, many users will be confused as to how to quit metro apps, return to the start menu, and bring up items in other hot corners. I feel like many users are going to be angered when they accidentally click on a corner or try to drag something and have something else happen.

What do you think of the new ribbon feature in place of the Windows Explorer address bar?
I can't say I like it. While it offers many new features, it hampers the experience I was used to. For instance, with winamp, I could easily click "Play all with Winamp" from within a folder. Now it hides these options that used to be easy to access.

Any features that you love and is the soul reason you are getting the new OS?
It's really well designed. Windows 8 feels really refined and elegant compared to previous versions.

Will you be getting a Windows 8 tablet or Smartphone?
Yes, but maybe not the surface. I'd like to wait and see what the competition brings to the market first.

How will the new OS affect your gaming?
Not at all. I've tested all my games with it and they seem to perform identically with my GPU compared to my Windows 7 install.

Anything else that you think that should be addressed about Windows 8?
I still think they should allow the standard start menu to be used. This would be ideal for business users with inept employees that will most likely be calling support asking what happened to it. Then again, most businesses will most likely stick to Windows 7.

[Malphas]

I seemed to have been noticing a pattern with Windows operating systems: they'll release a ****ty OS, then they'll release a decent one... and it repeats.

The primary example of this beginning with Windows ME (****) then Windows XP (good) then Windows Vista (****) and finally Windows 7 (good).

So, my prediction for Windows 8:

****!!!

Did you actually notice that or are you just parroting the same crap that's being said everywhere despite being retroactively shoehorned nonsense?

e.g like this guy.

ppl like me who have used windows since 3.1 know that every other windows os is the one to use, so just wait until windows 9.

For instance the last three iterations are commonly referred to as XP = good, Vista = bad, 7 = good, which is pure BS. XP had all the same issues that Vista did upon it's release, it bumped performance requirements, had buggy drivers, incompatible software/hardware issues, etc. However because it was so long and two major service packs before the replacement, everyone had forgotten about that by the time Vista rolled round, and were used to running an old operating system on massively overpowered hardware.

People also fail to realise that a fully patched Vista is basically the same as Windows 7, Vista's issues were almost entirely due to it being a major overhaul and an associated increased demand in performance (the "Vista Capable" marketing didn't help any, with Microsoft bowing to the likes of Dell and allowing underpowered hardware to be certified capable). Run an up to date version of Vista on modern hardware and you'll find it's only superficially different from Windows 7.

Windows 8 again isn't all that different from 7. Vista, 7, and 8 are all pretty incremental updates, with the GUI being the most obvious and contentious feature. Personally I don't think it's that big a deal, having went from DOS to pre-95 Windows to post 95 Windows, I - and most people - have seen UI shifts before, it's really the kids that grew up on 9x and XP that are throwing their toys out of the pram over having to launch applications in a slightly different way from before. Actually, in my case, I launch applications in exactly the same way as on 7 - Windows key + type first few letters of the application I want to launch + press enter. It's significantly faster than taking my hand away from the keyboard to use a mouse, and you'd think on a forum dedicated to keyboards there'd be more users with that mindset.

[NKRO]

I like Windows 8, but we (my boss, an intern, and I) are trying to figure out how to deploy Symantic (crappy enterprise anti-virus) on Windows 8 before we start deploying it all.

Is there a reason you don't want to use Microsoft Security Essentials? (you paid for it with your Windows license)

[Findecanor]

Chromium ate my post ... but here I go again:

I like some things about the Metro interface. A lot of thought has gone into it. However, I don't like the way that it has been integrated with the desktop world.
I would definitely have designed some things differently. For instance, I would have put a task switcher into the Metro interface that would be accessed at the same border as the task bar on the desktop and then let the same gesture be used to unhide either. I think that they should have made it so that Metro apps (and/or Metro tiles) could have been used as desktop widgets, or live on the screen border.

Under the hood, the Metro / RT system is modern in some ways, but antiquated in others... For instance, developers should have been forced to make scalable apps for different resolutions and sizes instead of only having to support a set number of pixel-spans. We no longer live in a world where almost every monitor is 14" and it makes sense to say "640x480 resolution". Different devices have different screen sizes and screen resolutions (DPI !!) and they are not related.

I predict that Microsoft is going to lose a lot on Windows 8.
People will absolutely hate that the Start Menu is gone. Much worse though, is that people are going to confuse Windows tables with WindowsRT tablets and be very angry when they find that they can not run desktop apps on the tablet that they just bought.

People don't actually like Windows or Microsoft very much. The Windows brand has a bad reputation, that of spyware and of other problems with the computer.  Why did Microsoft not choose to leverage the "Metro" brand?
Instead of calling the phones "Windows phones", they should have called them "Metro phones". Instead of having "Windows tablets" and "Windows tablets", they should have "Windows tablets" and "Metro tablets".

I do like that the kernel is less bloated. I do like the improved multiple-monitor support. I do like the use of async under the hood in the "Windows Runtime" - I predict that it will catch on elsewhere. (I have used this model extensively when programming web applications, before I heard that Microsoft had started using it)

I don't think there is any chance that I will install Windows 8 on any PC that I own, or to buy any "Windows device".
I don't want a feature-limited tablet. I want a fully-fledged PC in a tablet form factor, with battery life like a tablet, something that can replace my netbook in all respects and be more portable. I am more interested in seeing how hackers are doing in installing flavours of Linux onto various tablets that might have been running Android, WindowsRT, iOS (or whatever! it does not matter!!) originally. I have dreamed of having such a device since the mid '90s. Even though Microsoft does not seem like they will deliver it themselves, their presense in the tablet market may drive manufacturers towards constructing more capable hardware that is more like what I have in mind.

[tjcaustin]

I don't think there is any chance that I will install Windows 8 on any PC that I own, or to buy any "Windows device".
I don't want a feature-limited tablet. I want a fully-fledged PC in a tablet form factor, with battery life like a tablet, something that can replace my netbook in all respects and be more portable. I am more interested in seeing how hackers are doing in installing flavours of Linux onto various tablets that might have been running Android, WindowsRT, iOS (or whatever! it does not matter!!) originally. I have dreamed of having such a device since the mid '90s, but Microsoft is not going in the right direction for me.

From what I've been able to determine, this is as much a hardware issue as anything else.  Now there is an incoming tablet from Asus that runs an Atom processor and full win8, instead of RT, but it has issues with battery life and the inability to do much graphically.

With that said, once the haswell architecture is ready, you'll see i3/5/7 processors with internal graphic processing that rivals mid-tier PCs and the current draw and cooling needs of ARM processors.  Fortunately, this is *maybe* a full 12 months from hitting retail shelves which means you'll be able to have your proverbial cake and eat it, too. 

Personally, I think your feelings on how Microsoft and Windows are viewed are a bit dated.  Also, naming their portable devices something other than windows could have caused a larger size of market confusion than what will be had now with the two different OS tablets.

[TheProfosist]

Win8 has a buch of upgrades if you have been following its development especailly if you have a newish system that supports the stuff. Ill be upgrading my computers ASAP!

[SmallFry]

I like Windows 8, but we (my boss, an intern, and I) are trying to figure out how to deploy Symantic (crappy enterprise anti-virus) on Windows 8 before we start deploying it all.

Is there a reason you don't want to use Microsoft Security Essentials? (you paid for it with your Windows license)

Not known to me, we run a VM for all of our virus stuff. I would assume because things can get past MSE. I personally haven't tried too hard (being a student and all) to get a virus at school, but I've never seen one come through even on the computers of which my peers go to the shadiest of sites.

[DarkShot]

I don't want a feature-limited tablet. I want a fully-fledged PC in a tablet form factor, with battery life like a tablet, something that can replace my netbook in all respects and be more portable. I am more interested in seeing how hackers are doing in installing flavours of Linux onto various tablets that might have been running Android, WindowsRT, iOS (or whatever! it does not matter!!) originally. I have dreamed of having such a device since the mid '90s. Even though Microsoft does not seem like they will deliver it themselves, their presense in the tablet market may drive manufacturers towards constructing more capable hardware that is more like what I have in mind.

That is in essence, what you get with a lot of the soon to come Windows 8 tablets. Microsoft is making a device to set the standard and expect OEMs to meet and most certainly exceed it. Intel ULV chips have been getting more and more efficient. Battery tech is forever improving. It isn't a hard thing to believe.

I agree with you in that many consumers will be confused with the difference between a Windows RT device and Windows 8 device, but don't make the mistake yourself, the latter can act as a complete replacement if your primary machine is a notebook given that it's a quality machine.

Take for instance the most promising Windows 8 tablet 'hybrid' I've seen from ASUS, the Transformer Book. This machine is a full fledged Ultrabook in every sense:
-Core i3/i5/i7
-4gigs of RAM
-128gig SSD
-13.3" 1080p display
-Micro HDMI
-MicroSD

The dock itself, adds on more tasty goods:
-500gig HD
-Extended battery
-Standard SD slot
-Mini-Display Port
-LAN
-2x USB 3.0 ports
-Backlit keyboard

This is only the start. There are a lot of promising devices coming that are probably in the planning stages right now, but this OS is forcing OEMs to raise the bar on overall quality of Windows devices as well. You will verywell be able to take a single portable device, say a 10" Windows 8 tablet, dock it, and have a completely separate workstation running off the tablet itself.

It's only a matter of time before such a thing happens. Lenovo already had the idea with the Thinkpad. It'll happen with everyday tablets.

Microsoft has managed to bridge the software gap of having a usable portable device that can also be your primary work horse, if anything this will encourage OEMs to do what you and I have yearned for, for a long time.

[Internetlad]

Since, after reading other's posts, it appears as though i'm one of the only people here who seems to have even used the Release Candidate and full release version before grabbing a pitchfork (the shop I work at has a Technet subscription, and we got in licenses a couple days ago.) I'll give you my opinion.

FIRST OFF: It's not that bad. Think of the (not) Metro interface as the New Start menu and once you learn your way around the niche stuff (reorganized control panel as in every OS, other tweaks) it's pretty much the same damn OS as 7 was.

I do miss Aero. I don't agree that it was "Cheesy" I thought the glassy look was nice and it seems like with windows 8 they're scrambling to gain back people who jumped onto the Apple bandwagon and got idevices. M$ seems to think it was because people like the "clean look" and "clean lines" and "how clean it is" when, in fact, they're just sippin' the kool-aid.


Will you be getting a copy?

Personally? Doubt it. I've got windows 7 and it works fine for my needs. If I was somehow disallowed my copy of windows 7, I'd probably go for 8.

What do you think of the low price?

If this is particularly referring to the upgrade price, I don't care much for in-place upgrades, and as said above, I have 7 and it works fine for me.

What are your opinions on the new features?

Personally, I think they're optimized for tablets, as everybody else does. As long as I can tap the winkey and search for whatever I want to run from there it's all learning new menu layouts. They're not THAT bad.

Will this new OS be a problem for PC users?

Only neophytes and those who are too resistant to change to even give new products a chance.

What do you think of the new ribbon feature in place of the Windows Explorer address bar?

I use shortcut commands and right click, If I had to search for a few seconds to click an icon, I probably wouldn't notice a difference.

Any features that you love and is the soul sole reason you are getting the new OS?

Honestly, I'd consider getting a surface tablet. I think those will be very nice.

Will you be getting a Windows 8 tablet or Smartphone?

Waiting for the Lumia 900 series to hit Verizon (They borrowed Gabe Newell's clock, I think.) and surface looks promising, but no, not immediately.

How will the new OS affect your gaming?

Haven't tried gaming on it. Ran the Heaven3D benchmark on a windows 8 machine (not mine) and it ran just fine so I doubt at all even if I switched to it. So long as it runs steam, we're golden.

Anything else that you think that should be addressed about Windows 8?

Only that people are bastardizing it before they even use it.

[DarkShot]

Only that people are bastardizing it before they even use it.

Bingo.

[TheProfosist]

If any of you are saying Win 8 is bad just because of what used to be called metro, I think its very shallow thinking on your part.

[SmallFry]

Agreed. I have been using the Metro UI at school a little in the IT office and it is cool!

[1391401]

Depending on how it's received it could be a game changer in the mobile world - especially in corporate mobile

Vista was a disappointment on non-bleeding-edge hardware.  If you ran it on a good dual/quad core CPU it was a good OS and brought a LOT of solid security features (in the back end not just that annoying popup).  W7 was phenomenal on all hardware and was definitely a nice incremental and what Vista should have been.  I will buy 8 but I'm not rushing to the store just yet. 

[Ian S]

Talking about 'desktop' PC.

I still use XP.  I like the clear small outline drawn icons.  I use the quick launch area on the task bar and have about 50 icons / programs in there.  I run the PC from the mouse, I never use keyboard short cuts.  I'm utter crap and remembering names and will never be able to type them into some search field to open what I want.  I think in pictures and know where what is, not what it's called.  I recognise the pictures and click on them, I good at that, it's quick and easy and works well for me.  I really hate the win 7 wide transparent pasty barely visible Icons.  They don't work for me at all.  I'm not an idiot, in fact mostly very far indeed to the other end of the scale but I do have a visual disability and can't easily see text, so in that way, and with names, I am partially an idiot.

I feel I'm being marginalised out of being able to use a PC as they seem to be reducing the intuitiveness and the icon and mouse method less available.

Many people who have posted in this thread, and others on this subject, have viewed this new OS from only their own point of view and seem unable to comprehend that the needs ads particular skills and disabilities of others are not the same as theirs.

I'm not some kind of "enter the array of demeaning comments about people who don't like change" but I am someone who likes to find the best tool for the job and keep using that and not change and change again for the sake of change that is not improvement.

They should offer a GUI that meets people needs, not deny people what they are familiar with.  Changing it because they think swirly transparent crap will make them more money.

I used Win 7 last week to set up a home theatre PC for a pal and I hated it.  It was a massive relief and pleasure to get back to something that is easy to use.  That's not just about familiarity but the simple ergonomics.  Not that the XP GUI couldn't be better for my use.

Also also found that they deleted Outlook express so I'd have to somehow get some new way to get POP3 emails.  What I have works.  I learned, I know how to use it.  I don't want to and object to having to p1ss away a chunk of my life learning some new way to do the same thing just because it suits some corporations financial plan.

I had a couple questions but I've forgotten what they were.  Every time I start on this MS Win OS subject I get annoyed quite quickly.  It gives me much stress and always has.

Change for the sake of change and having something new to sell instead of perfecting what was already there.

[WhiteFireDragon]

I played around with W8. Seems like a step backwards from win7, just like how vista was a step backwards from XP.

[TheProfosist]

I played around with W8. Seems like a step backwards from win7, just like how vista was a step backwards from XP.

I think both your comments are wrong in every which way.