Windows 8.1 - first (and second) impressions anyone?
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Who's on Win8.1 and what do you think about it?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
:thumbsup: I like the improvements - Reading List, Settings Sync, New Mail App, New UI/UX Changes, Better Skydrive Integration and Noticeable Performance Improvements. Not really Win8.1 feature but I really like the New Dev Tools of IE11. :thumbsdown: I don't like - the unnecessary apps from Bing Team (Food, Health, etc). the Mail App (and many other) still failed to show toast notifications randomly. And I had to install Graphics and Audio drives manually (It's because of RC, but still). And the most important feature / direction that Microsoft is doing is the seamless Sync. Win8.1, SkyDrive, VS-2013, TF Online syncs your settings/data between different machines. And when I reinstalled Win8.1 over Win8, I had almost nothing to backup. And now with Win8.1 and VS-2013 it is even less. :cool:
Remind Me This - Manage, Collaborate and Execute your Project in the Cloud
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Who's on Win8.1 and what do you think about it?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
as far as i know - it "kills" my start8 - so i wont upgrade soon :)
is this a signature ?
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The move to forcing you to sign into apps has been creeping in a bit and I totally understand their intention, but please don't force us to use a Live login. The start menu: yes, I heard and saw the band-aid approach. Kinda pointless, but there are plenty of start menu apps to fix this. The full screen (or half, 2/3 screen) is also a killer for me. I run a 27" monitor. Full screen? I think not. I live in hope there's a killer feature that someone will mention that will make it all good again.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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You can try Start Menu X[^]?! ;) Personally I have Start8[^], $7 goodness! :)
My programming get away... The Blog... DirectX for WinRT/C# since 2013! Taking over the world since 1371!
classicshell[^] Also brings back the start menu, along with other features. For free.
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Who's on Win8.1 and what do you think about it?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
I currently have no plans to use it. I don't like the direction MS is heading in. I don't like the impression I have (which may be wrong) that Windows is now catering mostly for touchscreen devices. I also don't like the rumors that windows 10 will be entirely cloud-based. I don't like the news about the NSA, so I am moving away from MS technologies.
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I'm on 8.1 and have some issues. First is that my browser seems to lock up, a lot. I can't restart the normal way so I have to do a hard reset. Second is every time my computer starts, I get a "Could not initialize BTStack" or something to that effect. Apparently this is an issue with the blue tooth stack. Third, start button, yeah its there, but it's like a tease. I want my start menu back. Fourth, I use my computer for things other than stuff that should be full screen, I hate working full screen. I have to jump through hoops to use my computer like a normal computer. The control panel is hard to get to. It forced me to use my MSN account for logging on otherwise it wouldn't let me download from the store (it changed to this in 8.1). I really can't stand it, and just don't have the time to downgrade to 7, luckily 8 is only on my portable dev machine that I only use in the field. 7 is on my main dev machine and I enjoy it 100 times better than 8. I can't stand the Metro UI, live tiles, etc on my computer. Tablet sure, computer no.
8.1 so far is not a full release and to complain about bugs is well stupid considering it's not a full release. The control panel - Start menu - Type control Panel - Start menu - All programs - Windows System - Explorer - This PC - Computer menu - Control panel icon If you can't find something in 8.1 - type it in the start menu.
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Chris Maunder wrote:
I live in hope there's a killer feature that someone will mention that will make it all good again
What, like the "shutdown" command.... :rolleyes:
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You can make the start menu transparent (in a way) - right click on start menu - click properties - go to navigation tab - enable show desktop background on start
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Using it for 3 months since it became available via MSDN, don't hold your breath for that killer feature Chris.
The features in 8.1 are double that of 8 if you can't find them you are not looking hard enough
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Oh, one other big one... Visual Studio 2013 RC is not compatible with Windows 8. How do you like that? Brand new development environment can't even run on the newest OS. Also see my comment further down about Windows 8 removing support for DVD playback.
8.1 is an upgrade to 8 it's the newest OS - your argument is flawed.
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Ron Beyer wrote:
I hate working full screen.
That there is a killer, like CM I use multiple large screens and full screen is bloody ridiculous, I think I'll continue to wait a while before I get a new machine. I certainly won't upgrade my dev box from 7.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH
You don't upgrade based on fear only.
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I'm itching to get on but can't because of the Intel compo - I need to make sure my stuff works on a reasonably virginal tablet. ON a side not, I am absolutely hating Win 8 on the tablet - it seems to be almost the worst mashup of desktop and tabletised gui - neither one thing nor another. And as for requiring a restart after installing updates - come on MS this is 2013!
MVVM # - I did it My Way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')
Windows One is the only concept that will allow you to move programs between your laptop screen to your tablet screen like it was multiple monitors on the same machine, you will be able to this across every platform, desktop, cell phone. 8.1 is the baby to every future ability
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I'm on 8.1 and have some issues. First is that my browser seems to lock up, a lot. I can't restart the normal way so I have to do a hard reset. Second is every time my computer starts, I get a "Could not initialize BTStack" or something to that effect. Apparently this is an issue with the blue tooth stack. Third, start button, yeah its there, but it's like a tease. I want my start menu back. Fourth, I use my computer for things other than stuff that should be full screen, I hate working full screen. I have to jump through hoops to use my computer like a normal computer. The control panel is hard to get to. It forced me to use my MSN account for logging on otherwise it wouldn't let me download from the store (it changed to this in 8.1). I really can't stand it, and just don't have the time to downgrade to 7, luckily 8 is only on my portable dev machine that I only use in the field. 7 is on my main dev machine and I enjoy it 100 times better than 8. I can't stand the Metro UI, live tiles, etc on my computer. Tablet sure, computer no.
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I've used the demo version of StartX, and it works, but why should I have to pay a 3rd party developer to add something back in that Microsoft took out? If that was the only fall-back of Win8 I could live with paying a couple bucks to a hungry developer, but with so many other "issues" I can't bring myself to whip out the wallet when I don't like a lot of other things. BTW, DVD support has also been removed in Win8 without a 3rd party codec. Too many issues to whip the wallet out for all of them, turns a $250 OS into a $350 one by the time I buy all the things that I "upgraded" from in Win7.
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I currently have no plans to use it. I don't like the direction MS is heading in. I don't like the impression I have (which may be wrong) that Windows is now catering mostly for touchscreen devices. I also don't like the rumors that windows 10 will be entirely cloud-based. I don't like the news about the NSA, so I am moving away from MS technologies.
wut? Windows 8 is tablet and desktop. I use windows 8 and have yet to go into the Metro stuff, as simply you don't have to if you don't want to. The only time I use Metro is when I press the start screen, which makes no difference to me as I just end up typing what I want same as I did in Win7. Rumours are just that, rumours. And about the NSA, if you really think that, you need to move away from MS, Google, and other major corporations. No more internet ( or mobile communications for that matter ) for you.
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I currently have no plans to use it. I don't like the direction MS is heading in. I don't like the impression I have (which may be wrong) that Windows is now catering mostly for touchscreen devices. I also don't like the rumors that windows 10 will be entirely cloud-based. I don't like the news about the NSA, so I am moving away from MS technologies.
I, personally, have started wearing a tin-foil hat.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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Chris Maunder wrote:
I live in hope there's a killer feature that someone will mention that will make it all good again
What, like the "shutdown" command.... :rolleyes:
Dave Find Me On: Web|Facebook|Twitter|LinkedIn
Folding Stats: Team CodeProject
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http://i.imgur.com/4aQb30l.png[^]
-= Reelix =-
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You can make the start menu transparent (in a way) - right click on start menu - click properties - go to navigation tab - enable show desktop background on start
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Who's on Win8.1 and what do you think about it?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
Not impressed. Main problem being the fuzzy text rendering on most apps not running in 'Metro mode'. Heard it's because they ditched ClearType as tablets can't use it when rotating view. How's that for user support? :(
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Who's on Win8.1 and what do you think about it?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
Has MS promised that the version of 8.1 they're letting us download from MSDN actually will be able to get normal updates once it's available to the masses? I've seen enough people get burned by "pre-release means you have to reinstall the OS" in the past that I'm generally unwilling to touch it prior to the mass release. That said, just using 8.0 from desktop only with a few bits of stupid bolted on the side (charms and to a lesser extend the start screen) isn't bad; and the ability to use different DPI scalings on different monitors is something I will need in a year or two when I can get a decent 4k monitor for <$2k so my intent is to put 8.1 on my new desktop to avoid doing a major OS upgrade in a year.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt
