Windows 8 gets Start button

[kingrob]

If you're a student, work from home, etc. you want a full sized keyboard and a big display....so you will need a desktop.

Imagine trying to type a 400 page task on a tablet touch screen.

 

[BeVonk!]

The Personal Computer in its various forms will not disappear in the short or medium term. There are too many jobs to be done daily that requires what a tablet cannot offer. One can use examples like designers etc who requires software an hardware that tablets cannot provide ... but even simple things like doing lots of typing is not a tablet friendly task. When I type documents - which I do a lot - I will not do so on a tablet, even when connected to a "proper" keyboard. A large high quality screen with proper keyboard and mouse still win the day for even such a simple computational function as document typing. It is just not practical to tabletise even many of the simple work tasks. The mouse is to me still far superior to any other input device, and especially so for those doing any sort of accurate/detailed work.

This is what MS is not getting ... and I cannot understand that they do not appreciate the strengths of their own business any more. People will not use tablets for as many things as MS claims now. Will not happen.

I am a huge tablet fan. I have many of many different flavours. But I will never trade my ultrabook for a tablet to do most of my work on. Not soon. Not with what I see MS doing with Windows 8.

Most medium and large organisations are also not going to jump into tablets. There are too many risks of so many kinds. It is already a mission to track laptops that move around. Then there is the software lock-downs (to allow legal and approved software only). Stuff will go missing and belly-up all the time. How/why is MS not getting this? The real world is not a nice Redmond lab.

Yes there are many employees that really don't need anything more than a tablet. But there will always be a heck of a lot that do need more. And no, putting a powerful PC in a tablet format with Windows Pro slapped on top is not the same as sitting behind an ergonomically sound desk setup using an ergonomically well designed computer setup with a great interaction tool like a simple mouse.

 

[killadoob]

You realize that windows 8 is not that radically different, it's just different. Fundamentally it is the exact same OS as windows 7.

That is what people are not getting, it's a new system that requires very little windows knowledge to use. The way people carry on you would swear windows 8 was not windows 7 with a new system but some other thing like linux where nobody can make use of it (come out and play rattie)

 

[kingrob]

I get what you are saying.

Instead of treating tablets like an extention of the desktop and notebook pc, Windows 8 gave the impression that their days are numbered and confused the hell out of their customers.

What Microsoft should have done, is to make Windows 7 even better, call it Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate & then tablet edition for the tablets.

I would really not mind having a Surface tablet, but it's not gonna replace my desktop pc anytime soon.

 

[biometrics]

You realize that windows 8 is not that radically different, it's just different. Fundamentally it is the exact same OS as windows 7.

That is what people are not getting, it's a new system that requires very little windows knowledge to use. The way people carry on you would swear windows 8 was not windows 7 with a new system but some other thing like linux where nobody can make use of it (come out and play rattie)

You're right and the rest of the world is wrong. Ok got it.

 

[kingrob]

The way people carry on you would swear windows 8 was not windows 7 with a new system but some other thing like linux where nobody can make use of it (come out and play rattie)

LOL...killa, you're looking for ***.

 

[Bryn]

I've never understood the Windows 8 hate. Sure, the Modern UI and lack of start button and menu is total crap, but it takes about 5 minutes to fix. I installed Start8 the first hour after installing Windows 8 and set Windows to boot to desktop. It cost $4 but there are free alternatives, and with them Windows 8 becomes an improved Windows 7, which we can all agree is an awesome OS (therefore 8 can also be awesome).

The people who actually remove Windows 8 to go back to 7 boggle my mind more than anyone else. Is taking a few minutes to permanently fix your OS a sign of weakness or something?

 

[rambo919]

You realize that windows 8 is not that radically different, it's just different. Fundamentally it is the exact same OS as windows 7.

It does not have to be. Win8 is different enough to be annoying as hell. No one cares about different, it could be something completely new for all I care as long as it does not annoy me to use it. Some people say the start menu sucked.... so what it could have been been a simply horrible thing to use but that did not matter.... because no one actually forced you to use it. If you really want to you can completely ignore and bypass the start menu, you can't ignore Metro.

 

[biometrics]

I've never understood the Windows 8 hate. Sure, the Modern UI and lack of start button and menu is total crap, but it takes about 5 minutes to fix. I installed Start8 the first hour after installing Windows 8 and set Windows to boot to desktop. It cost $4 but there are free alternatives, and with them Windows 8 becomes an improved Windows 7, which we can all agree is an awesome OS (therefore 8 can also be awesome).

The people who actually remove Windows 8 to go back to 7 boggle my mind more than anyone else. Is taking a few minutes to permanently fix your OS a sign of weakness or something?

Not interested in an OS that needs "fixing" ..

 

[rambo919]

I've never understood the Windows 8 hate. Sure, the Modern UI and lack of start button and menu is total crap, but it takes about 5 minutes to fix. I installed Start8 the first hour after installing Windows 8 and set Windows to boot to desktop. It cost $4 but there are free alternatives, and with them Windows 8 becomes an improved Windows 7, which we can all agree is an awesome OS (therefore 8 can also be awesome).

The people who actually remove Windows 8 to go back to 7 boggle my mind more than anyone else. Is taking a few minutes to permanently fix your OS a sign of weakness or something?

Let's put this shortly for you:
Those who loved Vista and think Win7 is ok will typically love Win8
Those who hated Vista and love Win7 will typically hate Win8

Also those in the second group will typically feel personally insulted by MS for making them use a dumbed down tablet interface on a supposedly advanced PC.

 

[kingrob]

those in the second group will typically feel personally insulted by MS for making them use a dumbed down tablet interface on a supposedly advanced PC.

Especially users with a high specced desktop or notebook pc!

 

[Bryn]

Not interested in an OS that needs "fixing" ..

It's a once-off five minute fix. Windows 8 can be amazing value if you took advantage of Microsoft's upgrade offer the first few days the OS was available. There was no prior license requirement at all. I bought three copies for R125 each - two were for other people who paid me for them. I recently upgraded to a SSD, and all it took to activate my upgrade license was a phone call to the automated activation service.

R125 for Windows 8 Pro and R35 to fix it is a great deal, and largely contributes to why I like my Windows 8 so much.

Let's put this shortly for you:
Those who loved Vista and think Win7 is ok will typically love Win8
Those who hated Vista and love Win7 will typically hate Win8

Also those in the second group will typically feel personally insulted by MS for making them use a dumbed down tablet interface on a supposedly advanced PC.

I thought Vista was okay, because my hardware could run it just fine, and I thought Windows 7 was better.

 

[plugger123]

Wow.. Windows 8 is `n pure piece of crap ... The thing that kills it is the whole-in-the-head metro interface...

I want to get on with the business of life and work... I absolutely hated doing things that took twice as long on Windows 8 as in Windows 7.

 

[killadoob]

LOL...killa, you're looking for ***.

Naaa i doubt it, linux has a start button so i am sure people are loving it something crazy plus the tongue i hope lead people to believe i was taking the piss, although bio seems to have issues

Can i ask when you guys click desktop, did you really use the start button that much? lol i swear if i didn't know i was running windows 8 i would swear i was still on windows 7.

Pinning isn't for everyone though but people need to chill microsoft have realized the button is making people crazy mad so the ball of pure business power will be back, until then pin pin pin and pin some more.

 

[biometrics]

It's a once-off five minute fix.

[-]Windows 8 can be amazing value if you took advantage of Microsoft's upgrade offer the first few days the OS was available. There was no prior license requirement at all. I bought three copies for R125 each - two were for other people who paid me for them. I recently upgraded to a SSD, and all it took to activate my upgrade license was a phone call to the automated activation service.

R125 for Windows 8 Pro and R35 to fix it is a great deal, and largely contributes to why I like my Windows 8 so much.[/-]

Can I be clearer: I don't want it.

 

[siraman]

I thought Vista was okay, because my hardware could run it just fine, and I thought Windows 7 was better.

Oooh, the hate for something new(read:change).

So, XP=love,Vista=hate,7=love,8=hate,8.1=.......LOVE!!!?

See a pattern?

Anyway that's my 30% comprehension......the official pass rate.

Otherwise loving the comments/posts over a simple "start button" when earlier post alluded you can just pin,pin,pin.

Damn, the desktop is still there along with with more powerful features.

 

[killadoob]

Let's put this shortly for you:
Those who loved Vista and think Win7 is ok will typically love Win8
Those who hated Vista and love Win7 will typically hate Win8

Also those in the second group will typically feel personally insulted by MS for making them use a dumbed down tablet interface on a supposedly advanced PC.

Dude can i ask how on earth you got to that? it is so flippin true hahaha, vista was not much different to windows 7 apart from the speed aspect yet people hated it but loved windows 7 when it was so similar haha, now they hate windows 8 which is also so similar yet slightly different haha.

It isn't dumbed down though, it is windows 7 without a start button . Really other than that it is actually faster than windows or feel more snappy to me. What did the start menu do that made windows 7 so much more powerful than windows 8? It isn't a tablet OS it suppose to be a touch screen OS. Hopefully one day all laptops will come standard with touch

 

[purpleonlineadmin]

Love how "desktops are dying in support of tablets" *sarcasm. I code using a desktop, can never ever put myself through the nightmare of using a touch screen to even use Photoshop. For Illustrator a touch interface is a huge bonus, actual lines of code, even with an attachment keyboard I just couldn't torture myself like that!

I like the current version of Windows 8, with the Blue update seems it will have more features to ease use. Core OS is awesome though!

 

[LazyLion]

Why couldn't they make two versions?

One with Metro for Touch Screens and one without Metro for normal desktops.

This is Microsoft we are talking about, they have run multiple operating systems many time before.
Instead of only giving 50% of the users what they want, why not give 100% what they want.
They keep telling us that metro is just sitting on top of the old Win7 os, so then why not just give us a Win7 desktop that looks like Win8 and has the same new features.

 

[kingrob]

Why couldn't they make two versions?

One with Metro for Touch Screens and one without Metro for normal desktops.

This is Microsoft we are talking about, they have run multiple operating systems many time before.
Instead of only giving 50% of the users what they want, why not give 100% what they want.
They keep telling us that metro is just sitting on top of the old Win7 os, so then why not just give us a Win7 desktop that looks like Win8 and has the same new features.

I think Steve Ballmer wanted Steven Sinofsky to screw up, cos Sinofsky was becoming extremely powerful at Microsoft. So much so, that he was called the Shipping man by fellow employees. Basically he got products out the door & looked much stronger than Ballmer as a future leader of Microsoft.

Ol' Steve did the same thing with Microsoft Kin, where James Allard departed after the failure of the project.

I guess he could have told Sinofsky that there should be a desktop and tablet version, but he basically let Sinofsky run with it & could just stand back when the sales figures showed it sold even worse than Windows Vista.

And if they modified Windows 7 a bit, but a few extra features in, but essentially kept the Windows 7 look & feel, it would have been another hit.