TS Community: Share your thoughts on Windows 8, win a copy

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Our Diablo III/Max Payne 3 giveaway has concluded with mattfrompa (another Matt from PA -- not me, I swear) being randomly picked as the winner. 136 members were entered into the drawing, including those who participated in Dawn1113's thread before the event began on May 31. We won't mention any names, but a few of you were excluded from the drawing because you didn't post in Dawn1113's thread despite asking to enter. Just a heads up for future giveaways, including this one...

With the recent arrival of Windows 8's Release Preview, we're interested in hearing your thoughts on the OS. Longstanding forum member SNGX started a thread for the Consumer Preview in February and it's grown quiet in recent weeks. We're hoping you'll resuscitate it by posting your feedback, be it positive or negative. In exchange, one poster will be randomly selected to receive a free copy of Windows 8 when preorders go live, which could be soon if Windows 7's release pattern is any indication.

How to enter

• Participate in SNGX's Windows 8 discussion thread
• We'll randomly draw a winner from the participants
• The winner will be announced on Thursday, June 28

Other stuff

• You're welcome to participate no matter where you live
• We'll preorder your copy of Windows 8 Pro as soon as possible
• Only registered members can participate (sign up here for free)
• The winner will have three days to reply via email before we pick another

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/48992-ts-community-share-your-thoughts-on-windows-8-win-a-copy.html

 

[cliffordcooley]

I've seen nothing to influence my desires in trying Windows 8. I'm wishing everyone good luck but I'm not interested, not even for a free copy.

 

[Guest]

I would post in SNGX's thread, but then I'd run the chance of having a copy of Windows 8 thrust upon me, and I really don't want that.

 

[slayer357]

I am work in IT and as a developer. I am somewhat upset with Windows 8, because its useful for the common user. For us power users out their it takes a lot from us. The loss of the start menu is probably the most depressing factor, because I hate stuff on the desktop. As far as everyday users its perfect and simple, and allows my job as IT support easier in some cases. It seems as if Windows 8 was made for ID-10-T users, lol. I don't understand why they didn't make a Windows Tablet version like Apple did with iOS and merge features across both platforms.

 

[Guest]

I'll take the money!

 

[Guest]

World's most unsuccessful giveaway ever ? I don't want it, but if you have any 7 Ultimate upgrade keys... for that I'll become a member and try to win ;-)

 

[dem harrison]

Looked good for the common user. Would give it a try if on a home unit. Not up to speed for a power user.

 

[m4a4]

For us power users out their it takes a lot from us.

As a power user, I disagree. If anything some things are easier, but some things take a little longer. And with the under the hood tweaks, most things will be quicker than with Windows 7.

Otherwise, I love how pessimistic people are that they totally ignore the fact that you can add a start button and get all the familiarity with the power and speed of Windows 8... Oh well. Less people for me to go against xP

 

[Ranger1st]

nothing is easier when more keystrokes are required to get to it or more crap is on your desktop cluttering up YOUR space.

If I win, can I get a crips envelope with a white powdery substance inside and a label on the outside saying " enjoy the anthrax "...

ooop, now there are 20 sirens going off and homeland security..

 

[Guest]

Does being a so called "windows power user" mean that you're a "leet registry hack0r"?

 

[yRaz]

I don't think it'll be as bad as everyone says it will be. What I'm most interested in seeing is the integration between windows phone 8 and windows 8. I like the metro UI but I really don't see the purpose of it not defaulting to the desktop or having a start button. As far as tablets are concerned I think it will be a great OS. It's MS trying to combine tablets and desktops that worries me. Touch interfaces are going to become increasingly more common, which is where it will shine. However, many of the readers on techspot are not interested in that aspect of it. W8 should be able to determine if it is being run on a desktop or tablet and adjust itself accordingly.

I'm not sure how I feel about the lack of a start button. Having only watched demos of it and not actually using it I can't form an unbiased opinion of it. When in the metro UI I've heard people can just start typing and it will start searching for related programs. I'm constantly hitting the start button just to use the search feature. So, will that save me a step? I'm not really sure. I think that I will need about 10-15 hours of using the OS before I can really decide if it's a help or a burden.

Windows 8 wont be the vista 2 everyone is talking about. Vista was a resource hog that was unstable with countless driver problems. It wasn't until I did a complete upgrade where all my hardware was vista-era hardware that my problems went away. That's all well and good but I shouldn't have to drop $1200 on a new system just for it to work right. Seeing as how so much of the windows 8 kernel is based on windows 7's, I don't think we will have any of those compatibility errors. I'm impressed with MS adding ARM support to W8. Being able to run a full desktop environment on a tablet is quite impressive. As long as it manages resources better than android then it will be worth considering. I'm curious about none ARM software running on ARM hardware. Will there be an "app store" for ARM only software? What kind of support can we expect from the ARM side of things?

@everyone who posted who doesn't want windows 8, why even bother posting?

 

[gwailo247]

I believe the contest was "share YOUR thoughts on Windows 8" not share the opinion of the internet...

I've seen nothing to influence my desires in trying Windows 8. I'm wishing everyone good luck but I'm not interested, not even for a free copy.

Not having even tried it why are you posting here? At least try it and form an informed opinion.

 

[Guest]

The last two posters didn't read the article - you don't post in this thread to enter, you post in the thread linked to in the article.

 

[Guest]

Microsoft:

Windows 8 - ?
Windows 7 - OK
Windows Vista - Not OK
Windows XP - OK
Windows ME - Not OK
Windows 2000 - OK
Windows 98 - Not OK (ok the second edition improved it, but it was still a crash fest)
Windows 95 - OK
Windows 3.1.....

See the pattern...? now if I were a betting man...

 

[Guest]

Windows 8 will be as big a flop as Windows ME.

 

[Mantrhax]

why changing the UI ? ill be far away from windows 8

 

[Guest]

I tried the 32 and 64 bit preview editions and I'm NOT impressed. It was like the execs at Microsoft said, let's take our flagship OS and rip out all the things that users have wanted over the years and force them to learn a new user interface AND MAKE THEM PAY MORE CASH FOR IT! Windows 8 will be an epic fail and I'm not interested in a free copy. I don't want to take 3 steps back by installing it on any of my systems.

 

[jjbeard926]

I agree with the first few comments, I have seen nothing even slightly enticing in Windows 8. I will give them credit for designing a decent mobile interface, but even as an interface for mobile devices it seems ugly and poorly designed. But usability should be better on tablets and phones than previous Windows Mobile versions.

I think this might finally be the OS that kills the Windows dominance in the market. If they push it hard enough and kill off Windows 7 with the release of 8, they will see the use of Windows decrease. As much as people have tried to say that they hear the death knell of the PC for years now, the vast majority of PC's in use today are still traditional desktops and laptops. Mobile devices are the wave of the future, but there will always be a place for at least a laptop PC and my house will probably always have at least 2 desktops. For those of us on desktop PC's this OS looks horribly ill conceived. On top of being ugly, one of the main reasons Windows retains the top spot in market share is that it is familiar. People know what to expect, they know how to use the Start button and the menus at the top of each window. Removing the familiar format in this OS and switching to a "widget" format will get some people thinking "gee that's different and kind of fun". But for most business users it's a deal breaker.

I won't buy Windows 8, I don't even want to try out a free copy. But like someone else said, if you have a Windows 7 Pro upgrade key, I'd love to upgrade my last XP machine to 7. 7 is a great OS.

 

[9Nails]

On the desktop, I'll stick with Windows 7. Microsoft made a nice OS in Windows 8, but it's not for every computing device.

 

[cliffordcooley]

I believe the contest was "share YOUR thoughts on Windows 8" not share the opinion of the internet...

Not having even tried it why are you posting here? At least try it and form an informed opinion.

My apologies, the title was to share thoughts and that is what I did. My thoughts are, I don't want to try Windows 8 based on what I have read. There is such a thing as knowing you will not like Windows 8 without having to try it.

The article ask for thoughts, whether negative or positive. I'm sorry you don't agree with my answer but that doesn't invalidate my opinion from being an acceptable response.

 

[MrBungle]

I'll take the free copy, it will be like an electronic version of clear pepsi in a few years...

 

[Guest]

Keep it!

 

[Guest]

Thanks TechSpot for another give away.

As far as Windows 8 goes, I think the GUI changes are not good for the desktop experience. Basically Microsoft decided to take a phone GUI and apply it to all platforms. I believe this is a very bad idea and don't see people using this unless they have touch based platforms. Microsoft has trained everyone for years on the desktop and instead to just taking what works and adding to it, they bascially throw it out and you have to start from the begining.

Since I have to learn something new in either case, I'm trying out another system that has always been free, Ubuntu 12.04 LTS.

 

[TomSEA]

I admit, I'm pretty anal about how my UI looks and I absolutely detest the ribbon layout. It drives me crazy when I'm forced to use it in one of the MS Office products, and I sure as hell don't want to see it as part of my operating system.

And I also hate a cluttered desktop. I have one icon on mine - just one. This gaudy mess they've put on the desktop for Windows 8 just makes me want to puke.

Lastly, it's clear that they're gearing Windows 8 for maximum functionality with portable devices. And I don't use those - no smart phone, no netbook, I don't even have a laptop. Strictly a desktop user, so that functionality is lost on my computing needs.

Great that TechSpot is doing these give-away's, but I'll pass on this one.

 

[gwailo247]

My apologies, the title was to share thoughts and that is what I did. My thoughts are, I don't want to try Windows 8 based on what I have read. There is such a thing as knowing you will not like Windows 8 without having to try it.

The article ask for thoughts, whether negative or positive. I'm sorry you don't agree with my answer but that doesn't invalidate my opinion from being an acceptable response.

I suppose you are right, but I think the point of this discussion was for people who actually have used the software to share what they feel is good or bad about it. Your opinion, while "yours" is not based on your experiences with the product, but that of other people.

By this point the "Windows 8 is like Me cause good MS OS's skip a generation" imbeciles have already appeared in the thread, and it all turns to ****. And unfortunately when people open this thread, they read your opinion, and so feel the need to also share their own "I haven't tried it but it sucks" thoughts also based on other people's experiences.

Look at half the posts here...they proudly announce that they haven't tried it because it sucks...a free OS, that costs you nothing but maybe two hours of your time to install. But honestly people who keep adding that they haven't tried it, really add nothing new to the discussion that hasn't been said before the first leaked copy started spreading.

My apologies to you for singling you out, I just think that particular post kinda set a tone for the rest of the conversation that would not result it in being the most informational for people like myself who are really curious about real life experiences of users.