Microsoft offers a first look at Windows 8.1 in YouTube video

[Railman]

You don't have to be the best to succeed in business. Good marketing and price are often more important than quality. It does seem that MS have failed on the price and marketing with the Surface RT and Windows 8. They have also failed with the quality of the desktop GUI. Many of the under the hood improvements have gone unnoticed by the majority.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Many of the under the hood improvements have gone unnoticed by the majority.

People often purchase an automobile for its looks and never even pop the hood. There has been numerous improvements that go unnoticed to the buyer, but if the automobile doesn't look or feel right to them, they will consider other options and possibly even keep what they have. This under the hood improvement, would suggest the buyer should ignore how the OS looks and feels. As an auto mechanic; I can understand the importance of under-the-hood improvements, but at the same time I cannot ignore the visual-interface aspects either. You would be wise not to tell a consumer, they should ignore how an automobile looks and feels with the hopes of making a sale based on whats under the hood.

 

[Nobina]

As an auto mechanic; I can understand the importance of under-the-hood improvements, but at the same time I cannot ignore the visual-interface aspects either.

Removing the start button doesn't belong in the visual-interface aspect. It's a much bigger deal. It's like getting a car without a steering wheel, but joystick inside. A huge part of it is missing.

 

[Railman]

Or a bit like the quirky cars the French used to build. For example Renaults with a horizonal gear change handle.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Or a bit like the quirky cars the French used to build. For example Renaults with a horizonal gear change handle.

Sounds abit like what we know as a manual column-shilft. Instead of a manual shift lever in the floor, it in the steering column.

However in the world of software, we should not be limited to only one option. I don't know how many more failures, Microsoft must go through before they learn this. Many of their failures has been due to forced unnecessary changes, that could have been presented as options.

 

[Railman]

Software does have the advantage that the GUI can be flexible if needed. The add on program market demonstrates this ability. Shame that MS seem intent on locking down their programs. I miss the old options on W98 brought in W7.

 

[Railman]

Sorry the last sentence did not make sense. It should have been "I miss the options in W98 which were taken out in W7".

 

[Guest]

I bought a copy of Windows 8 when it was first offered and placed it on an extra desktop I have to experiment with. I found out that I did not like it as well as 7 for desktop computing. However, I did find a place for it. I installed it on the PC I have connected to my home theater system for streaming content from the web along with TV content and Blu-Ray. I found that the large tiles were much easier to see, at maximum resolution, from across the living room rather than the traditional Start menu. I like it there, and there it will stay, but for my desktop computing, I still prefer the traditional desktop layout of Windows 7. I do not need a "Start" screen on my desktop as everything I use most often is pinned to the taskbar, and for everything else I simply use keyboard shortcuts.

 

[TheBigFatClown]

They don't want to give the user what he wants because they are too big to listen. Ofcourse, without consumers there would be no Microsoft. Consumers decide, but most of them are dumb.

Very good point. Bobbleheads who were born without a brain assume that just because Microsoft is selling something that they have no choice but to buy it.They don't see the alternatives to purchasing Windows 8 that are right in front of them. The first and most obvious choice is to simply remain on Windows 7 until Microsoft produces something worth buying. But people don't stop to think. That's why many have already purchased Windows 8 in spite of the fact that they didn't really want it. Consumers ultimately determine whether Windows 8 is a success or not. Collectively, we the people, we have the power to make or break Microsoft. Too bad most people's brains aren't large enough to understand that.

 

[tipstir]

The word of the day is you can tweak Windows 7 to run quick! Also Windows 8 has the same issue as Windows 7 does. After time goes by it will become sluggish. There are ways to make the sluggish go away but not a perm solution but temporary one because the way the file and system structure is.

WiFi on Windows 8 is better, but you can do the same with Windows 7 as well.
Windows 8 has tile base icons and Windows 7 doesn't have that feature.

Windows 7 bootup is slower if you disable the bootGUI in MSConfig you can have a speedy Windows 7 Bootup and also reduce lost of system and memory in the process will be returned.
The rest is mostly cleaning the system file system needs looking after.. It's the only way to keep both OS running 100%.

I run both Windows 8 Pro 32-bit and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit and Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit.

Tablet
Netbook
Laptop
Desktop

 

[Guest]

Here is what you are missing I've spent weeks working with Windows 8 server with a lot of frustration. I didn't want to build a new server farm with an outdated os, so I struggled forward and found that there are some nice things in the new operating system however I had difficulty finding how to get arround in the os, many times I had to use google just to navigate the os. How is this helpful? This is what Engineers don't understand, a product has to be user friendly too not just better or else it's useless, get off your high horse and realize you aren't as smart as you think you are. I've worked with many "engineers" most of them think this way, and are actually more of a hindrance than a help. I've been a network admin for over 13 years, and you are telling me that by making me search for commands that have been moved around, which have slowed my productivity down because what used to take me one click now takes 5 or 6 click is somehow better? Give people choice, slowly make changes not just throw a ui in a hat then shake it out and say "this is better, get used to it" this helps no one.

 

[GhostRyder]

Windows 8 was a little hard to get used to at first and I agree with what you said about navigating the OS due to the removal of some old shortcuts and stuff. But what a lot of people don't notice/forget about it is that hitting start and starting to type will pretty much find anything you need at lightning speed. I have almost 0 trouble going around windows 8 now and I personally love it!

 

[Thomas Salley]

I'm sorry, I can't deal with how the Start Screen looks.
You guys are gonna have to go on with out me.

Please let us. We'd welcome it. Sadly, you keep tugging at our heels, giving us your ever persistent negativity. We get it. You don't like Windows 8, and nothing is going to ever sway you. For the rest of us who actually appreciate Windows 8 and the direction that Microsoft is moving, you're a real stick-in-the-mud. I, for one, wholly support the Modern UI for its simplicity, elegance, and artistic expression. Do I have some gripes? Of course. But simply because the OS doesn't fit my own/your own personal definition of what an operating system should be, doesn't mean that it isn't good.

As a software engineer, it's irritating when people want only what they think they want and are unwilling to learn something new even though it may be better for them in the end. I suspect the lion's share of Windows 8 naysayers fall into such a category.

I bought a laptop with Windows 8 for my wife because of the touch screen with Windows 8. Worked beautifully for 7 days. Then began droping off the internet, everytime she walked away from using it. Cannot get it to stay on line. We have three other laptop computers running Vista and XP that stay on all the time. I don't know what it means to have Windows 8 running "stable". Perhaps you can give me a hint of where to go with the on/off internet logon. -thanks.