Windows 8.1 What do you think?

I've got Windows 8.1 Preview on my home desktop. I should have done my homework first but I thought it was just going to be an update like a Service Pack but the ISO does pretty much a fresh install so I had to reinstall all my programs and drivers etc. I also had an issue with using Start8 where you have to install their latest beta in order for it to work. Other than that...I haven't really found anything different. I stick to the desktop and there's nothing really there that you'll visibly notice any changes.

My opinion on Windows 8 itself is I've always been fine with Windows 8 as long as I have Start8 installed. Once that's there it just becomes a faster, slimmer Windows 7 to me :P
 
How would windows 8 major change to the user interface affect a business' training obligations? Would a business be obliged to retrain all its staff?

How much would this cost?
 
Been using windows 8 for a while, and loved it from day one. Nice to see people are bitching less about change, and getting to know it a little better.

Was pleasantly surprised when setting up a new wifi access point the other day. Plugged it into power (no network cable attached), searched for the network on my windows 8 machine... it pops up saying "you haven't configured this access point yet, want to do it now?". I click yes, enter an SSID, a password and a few other things right there in the windows 8 slide out network panel. Boom, access point set up. Didn't even need to log into the access point's web interface.

Windows 8 is making a bunch of tasks child's play. Really impressed.
 
bekdik said:
How would windows 8 major change to the user interface affect a business' training obligations? Would a business be obliged to retrain all its staff?

How much would this cost?
Click to expand...

To put that into perspective... my dad needed about 2 minutes to explain where to find stuff. No problems since. I don't think it's much of a learning curve and word of mouth from colleagues who've had it first should be more than sufficient.
In an organisation, i'd do an incremental roll out. Stage 1: Roll out to volunteers keen for the new OS. Stage 2, everyone else in batches so that they can ask the people that have been using it for a few weeks.
 
Will be interesting to see if this is enough to pull Microsoft out of the doldrums.
My gut feeling is that it will not be enough to save this particular version of Windows. :(
And if PC sales don't pick up soon, then this is dead in the water.
 
Running it on my Dell XPS 10 RT tab, looking great so far, feels much more responsive although this might just be in my head.

Just waiting for MS to make the Enterprise SKU upgrade available later this month then both my laptop and desktop are going to 8.1
 
Garyvdh said:
Will be interesting to see if this is enough to pull Microsoft out of the doldrums.
My gut feeling is that it will not be enough to save this particular version of Windows. :(
And if PC sales don't pick up soon, then this is dead in the water.
Click to expand...

What makes you think windows 8 is dead in the water?
 
crysis said:
Dead in the water, gary? Try by a windows laptop in a years time without windows 8 on it.
Click to expand...

For home users yes, but the big companies with Enterprise licences will not be moving to Windows 8 in a hurry.

And even home users are still downgrading their licences to Windows 7.
 
I don't use metro apps prefer the desktop apps so I'll only install 8.1 once the release version comes out.
I see no reason why I should install a preview OS update just so for some aesthetic GUI changes to the metro interface.
 
nfbs said:
I don't use metro apps prefer the desktop apps so I'll only install 8.1 once the release version comes out.
I see no reason why I should install a preview OS update just so for some aesthetic GUI changes to the metro interface.
Click to expand...
You don't really have to see/use Modern (apps). With some basic (native) customization you can get Win8.1 it to work 99% like Win7, as a desktop OS.

With boot to desktop and persistent background (image/slideshow) the only difference is that now Start is full screen instead of a small menu. For me other benefits of Win8.1 far outweigh the minor adaptation to the new Start layout ...

Start8.1.jpg
 
Roman4604 said:
You don't really have to see/use Modern (apps). With some basic (native) customization you can get Win8.1 it to work 99% like Win7, as a desktop OS.

With boot to desktop and persistent background (image/slideshow) the only difference is that now Start is full screen instead of a small menu. For me other benefits of Win8.1 far outweigh the minor adaptation to the new Start layout ...

View attachment 58173
Click to expand...

Very nice, but...um...that fishtank wallpaper just makes the Start menu looks too "busy". :eek:
 
Roman4604 said:
You don't really have to see/use Modern (apps). With some basic (native) customization you can get Win8.1 it to work 99% like Win7, as a desktop OS.

With boot to desktop and persistent background (image/slideshow) the only difference is that now Start is full screen instead of a small menu. For me other benefits of Win8.1 far outweigh the minor adaptation to the new Start layout ...

View attachment 58173
Click to expand...

FUGLY!!!!!!!!!!! :sick: THIS IS THE FUTURE, ACCORDING TO MSUCK :(
 
I'm rather going to wait for the proper release of 8.1 but I am excited as I'm on of the Win 8 fans.

DarkSpectre said:
FUGLY!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS THE FUTURE, ACCORDING TO MSUCK
Click to expand...

The fish wallpaper is a little scary but other than that I think it looks pretty cool. My start menu is sort of clean and empty.

Desktop.jpg

Must admit I'm quite attached to the little background wallpapers.
 
KalMaverick said:
The fish wallpaper is a little scary
Click to expand...
The content is unimportant (a large undersea slideshow), what is, is that this is isn't a Start background, its the actual desktop's background. When you hit the (new) Start icon, your windows fade out and the tiles materialize, giving the impression that you haven't really left the desktop.
 
I've gotten about 20+- laptops in the last 2 months of people requesting a downgrade to Windows 7 from Windows 8. I personally bought Windows 8 and reverted back to Windows 7, might give it a try again in the future.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X