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First, let's get something out of the way. Most of what's really new in Windows 8 relates to the Metro touch interface, which is Microsoft's biggest bet on this OS generation -- a bet that's risky but necessary given the company's lack of presence in the growing tablet market. This is also how the folks at Redmond have figured could give a needed boost to its smartphone business (“Windows everywhere”), which is well behind market leaders, iOS and Android.
This review is based on my experience with Windows 8 using a desktop, so I've been treating Windows 8 like most computer enthusiasts will: as a direct upgrade from Windows 7 on my custom-built machine, just like I did with Vista, XP, 2k, and other previous Windows releases.
As you've heard repeatedly in the past year, the new Windows Start screen replaces the Start menu, and that's a radical shift for the platform. A few months ago, we wrote an editorial about using the Start screen as a Start menu replacement. Feedback was overwhelming and evidently divided. I don't feel the Start screen is perfect on a desktop, nor is it a fully competent replacement, but once you settle on the idea and spend time configuring the screen to your liking, it's a viable solution for quickly accessing programs.
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Bought windows 8 pro, digital download only from Microsoft windows store.
installed.
logged.
happy.
'nuff said.
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DarkCobra said:
Just a final thought . . . what MS has essentially done here is merely rearrange the deck chairs and the cabins on the Titanic. However, it's STILL the same ship! They have essentially just shuffled everything around and are telling us all to go re-find them again in Metro. Why? This was not necessary.
Like so many, I've been with MS since the original DOS operating system, 3.1, 95, etc. I also became a Beta tester for them. I came to learn where everything was like so many others. It was not necessary to now re-hide everything and have us go find everything again in Metro. What was broke on this ship was not WHERE things were located or the look of the desktop! In fact, the desktop was the most configurable thing about the system. You could tweak it endlessly to whatever look you wanted. We had CHOICE! That's now gone and we've got this one size fits all thing.
In short, this Metro thing was unnecessary and millions are not going to appreciate "re-finding" everything all over again simply because MS wanted something that "looked" new. The start button and desktop were NOT what was broken! This hide and seek-again game called "Metro" was unnecessary. They could just as easily have made that interface an "option" for those wanting it in a tablet, but the PC's should have been left alone.
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Arris said:
I grabbed Win 8 at the weekend for £14.99 (deal for newly purchased Win7 laptop), and the whole dual personality desktop and Metro UI does add confusion as Julio says. It nicely picked up my photos, linked to Facebook, hotmail etc. I can see how it can have it's advantages. Kind of like the natural progression from desktop widgets (which I noted aren't supported in Win 8).
The first major downside I found was trying to add "Dishonored" game link to the start screen. Since it lists itself within "Steam" I couldn't find a way to do this. Can create a desktop link but didn't spend much time trying to figure out whether I could duplicate the desktop link as a start screen tile. It really just feels like a UI patch for tablets/touch devices rather than a new OS version. Going to have to have a good thorough read through the change log to see what the actual measurable improvements are other than the FisherPrice coloured tile start screen.
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1 person liked this |LNCPapa said:
Since it lists itself within "Steam" I couldn't find a way to do this. Can create a desktop link but didn't spend much time trying to figure out whether I could duplicate the desktop link as a start screen tile.See where the shortcut points, right click on that exe and Pin to Start Menu.
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Arris said:
Shortcut seemed to be in the format of a URL through Steam, but I'll search out the exe and try selecting with "pin to start menu". Never got that far with my quick play after it finished installing. Thanks LNCP.
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I am in the msdn so can get windows 8 Pro for free. I will check it out on a partision first, duel boot it with my windows 7, install aload of programs, I student, can't afford a hardware upgrade anytime soon, if windows 8 runs better than 7 on my ageing hardware then I will certainly switch, I will try install all the crap I have runing on 7 to get a better idea of how it runs under load (and not just as a clean install!)
my housemate installed it, and it was using up nearly 2 gigs of ram sat on the desktop before he had even installed anything.
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I don'want to live on that Windows anymore...
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Win 8 revived my interest in full screen browsing. Though I gather IE 10 has no mouse gestures, which I think is / would be silly. Using Chrome instead with some extensions. Win 8 has some good keyboard shortcuts to help with this.
Upgraded from Vista for somewhat snappier and safer system that would also have TRIM-support for my SSD. I'm using low-spec laptop with 1200 x 800 screen.
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