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Windows 8.1 nightmare..

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  • N newton saber

    Microsoft is/was confused. Someone in a suit saw the iPad selling millions of units and said, "Hey, hey, hey, it's a new world out there. It's a pad, pad, pad world. The new OS must be a pad. Besides, I've never used a desktop and all I ever do is read stories in the Financial Times and run Excel so if you can do that then it is everything. No need for desktop existence any more." Then they changed everything to be a pad. They changed the entire OS to be a pad OS, but the problem is there are still millions of people and millions of developers who actually use desktops. "No matter," says the suit with an idea. "We'll change all the UI so it looks like a pad. It's genius!" Meanwhile millions of us desktop users -- especially software developers -- eschew the pad (flat, lifeless, colorless, bloodless, contrastless) UI but now they are sticking it on our desktops. Even if you're running Windows 7 you get it via IE 10.x with the flat scroll bars and in Visual Studio 2012 and up. Terrible. It's a fail because users are trying to tell them, but Microsoft is like, "I can't hear you over the sound of the stamping feet" (users running away). :) And of course the suits are like, "What problem? I can read my news stories and my Excel spreadsheets perfectly."

    OriginalGriffO Offline
    OriginalGriffO Offline
    OriginalGriff
    wrote on last edited by
    #8

    Regrettably, listening to people outside the company (be they users, developers, or testers) has never been a Microsoft "thang". They do act in a very arrogant way, and have done since the DOS days... :sigh:

    The only instant messaging I do involves my middle finger. English doesn't borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them over and goes through their pockets for loose grammar.

    "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
    "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • R Rob Philpott

      Also, I'm concerned that Windows 7 may be the last installment of a proper Windows operating system. I think most people agree it was a good release. Just where Metro fits into the working day of a typical Windows user I have no idea. Windows 8 is looking more and more like a car crash and they need to return to delivering proper desktop functionality to those that want it. I don't need or want nobby Windows Apps on my work PC.

      Regards, Rob Philpott.

      J Offline
      J Offline
      Johnny J
      wrote on last edited by
      #9

      Rob Philpott wrote:

      I'm concerned that Windows 7 may be the last installment of a proper Windows operating system.

      Welcome in the club. You are member no. 1 865 274 918! :sigh:

      Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
      Anonymous
      -----
      Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience
      Greg King
      -----
      I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.
      Lily Tomlin, Actress

      1 Reply Last reply
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      • R Rob Philpott

        It worked ok for me, but I am wondering why I bothered. I heard about the return of the start button and got excited. What I didn't realise is that said button would merely do the same thing as pressing the start key. I was expecting a start menu like in Windows 7 when on the desktop. So in fact, rather than moving your mouse to the bottom left and clicking, you can just move it to onto a start button area on the bottom left. Everything else stays the same. The fact that it was a Windows Store update rather than a traditional Windows update narked me as well. I haven't updated my RT device, and reading the news today it's just as well.

        Regards, Rob Philpott.

        R Offline
        R Offline
        Rage
        wrote on last edited by
        #10

        Rob Philpott wrote:

        I heard about the return of the start button and got excited

        Why ? I cannot see what feature were in the start button that you do not have in Win8 :confused:

        ~RaGE();

        I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus Do not feed the troll ! - Common proverb

        D 1 Reply Last reply
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        • V vonb

          Well, yesterday I got excited since I saw Win 8.1 is available for free inside my Win 8.0 store. Download notice says that "you will be asked to accept the General Condigitions Aggreement" at some point during install. Ok, so far, so good. Started download, came OK. Them it immediatly started to "Applying changes". And then came the status "Gathering info...". And then, after a restart, to my surprise the old win 8.0 was back, saying I didn't aggree to General Conditions..." How can you aggree to something when you are never asked for it??:mad: After 3 times I got tired... (still takes some time to download). Have to retry it tonight to see if it works.. Did anybody here had the same kind of issue with Windows Upgrade??

          The signature is in building process.. Please wait...

          P Offline
          P Offline
          Paulo Augusto Kunzel
          wrote on last edited by
          #11

          Have you tried the best upgrade windows can have? It is called linux.... :laugh: :laugh:

          Common sense is not so common... Voltaire

          P 1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • V vonb

            Well, yesterday I got excited since I saw Win 8.1 is available for free inside my Win 8.0 store. Download notice says that "you will be asked to accept the General Condigitions Aggreement" at some point during install. Ok, so far, so good. Started download, came OK. Them it immediatly started to "Applying changes". And then came the status "Gathering info...". And then, after a restart, to my surprise the old win 8.0 was back, saying I didn't aggree to General Conditions..." How can you aggree to something when you are never asked for it??:mad: After 3 times I got tired... (still takes some time to download). Have to retry it tonight to see if it works.. Did anybody here had the same kind of issue with Windows Upgrade??

            The signature is in building process.. Please wait...

            M Offline
            M Offline
            Marc A Brown
            wrote on last edited by
            #12

            Worked flawlessly for me on my Surface RT and my desktop (Win8 Pro). The Surface took quite a while but it worked great. Loving the new version even more than the original.

            1 Reply Last reply
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            • R Rage

              Rob Philpott wrote:

              I heard about the return of the start button and got excited

              Why ? I cannot see what feature were in the start button that you do not have in Win8 :confused:

              ~RaGE();

              I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus Do not feed the troll ! - Common proverb

              D Offline
              D Offline
              Dave Calkins
              wrote on last edited by
              #13

              Rage wrote:

              I cannot see what feature were in the start button that you do not have in Win8

              The ability to click the start button and type and have the search results show up in the start menu. With Win8, instead, you are forced to the full screen RT interface to do the search and also have to switch between categories (apps/settings). So its not nearly as smooth as it was in Win7 and the whole "forcing you to a full screen view" just to do a search can be annoying. More generally, the full screen nature of the start screen is an issue. Why force me to occupy my entire screen just to pick a program? Also, the start screen doesn't let you setup a multi-level folder hierarchy to organize things, its all one big flat list (with groups of course).

              R R D 3 Replies Last reply
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              • N newton saber

                Microsoft is/was confused. Someone in a suit saw the iPad selling millions of units and said, "Hey, hey, hey, it's a new world out there. It's a pad, pad, pad world. The new OS must be a pad. Besides, I've never used a desktop and all I ever do is read stories in the Financial Times and run Excel so if you can do that then it is everything. No need for desktop existence any more." Then they changed everything to be a pad. They changed the entire OS to be a pad OS, but the problem is there are still millions of people and millions of developers who actually use desktops. "No matter," says the suit with an idea. "We'll change all the UI so it looks like a pad. It's genius!" Meanwhile millions of us desktop users -- especially software developers -- eschew the pad (flat, lifeless, colorless, bloodless, contrastless) UI but now they are sticking it on our desktops. Even if you're running Windows 7 you get it via IE 10.x with the flat scroll bars and in Visual Studio 2012 and up. Terrible. It's a fail because users are trying to tell them, but Microsoft is like, "I can't hear you over the sound of the stamping feet" (users running away). :) And of course the suits are like, "What problem? I can read my news stories and my Excel spreadsheets perfectly."

                D Offline
                D Offline
                Dave Calkins
                wrote on last edited by
                #14

                newton.saber wrote:

                Then they changed everything to be a pad. They changed the entire OS to be a pad OS, but the problem is there are still millions of people and millions of developers who actually use desktops.

                Not really. I've been using Win8 for awhile now and the above is not true. Once you find your way to the desktop and pin your applications to the task bar, you can (mostly) use it just like Win7. You can almost entirely avoid the start screen, never use any of the apps, and be fine, and use it just like Win7. The new RT/metro UI doesn't really replace anything because it doesn't address desktop apps. It instead provides a completely separate layer which can largely be ignored anyway.

                D 1 Reply Last reply
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                • D Dave Calkins

                  newton.saber wrote:

                  Then they changed everything to be a pad. They changed the entire OS to be a pad OS, but the problem is there are still millions of people and millions of developers who actually use desktops.

                  Not really. I've been using Win8 for awhile now and the above is not true. Once you find your way to the desktop and pin your applications to the task bar, you can (mostly) use it just like Win7. You can almost entirely avoid the start screen, never use any of the apps, and be fine, and use it just like Win7. The new RT/metro UI doesn't really replace anything because it doesn't address desktop apps. It instead provides a completely separate layer which can largely be ignored anyway.

                  D Offline
                  D Offline
                  Dan Neely
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #15

                  Agreed. I've been using it on a laptop for the last year, and the only contact I make with the Metro bits is the control panel; and after almost 20 years of developer centric cruft accumulating on its dialogs it's well past the point where it should've been redesigned from scratch to present things from a user perspective. ex the "Adjust visual effects for crappiest appearance"[^] checkbox.

                  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

                  1 Reply Last reply
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                  • D Dave Calkins

                    Rage wrote:

                    I cannot see what feature were in the start button that you do not have in Win8

                    The ability to click the start button and type and have the search results show up in the start menu. With Win8, instead, you are forced to the full screen RT interface to do the search and also have to switch between categories (apps/settings). So its not nearly as smooth as it was in Win7 and the whole "forcing you to a full screen view" just to do a search can be annoying. More generally, the full screen nature of the start screen is an issue. Why force me to occupy my entire screen just to pick a program? Also, the start screen doesn't let you setup a multi-level folder hierarchy to organize things, its all one big flat list (with groups of course).

                    R Offline
                    R Offline
                    Rob Philpott
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #16

                    Perfectly expressed - my sentiments exactly.

                    Regards, Rob Philpott.

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • R Rob Philpott

                      It worked ok for me, but I am wondering why I bothered. I heard about the return of the start button and got excited. What I didn't realise is that said button would merely do the same thing as pressing the start key. I was expecting a start menu like in Windows 7 when on the desktop. So in fact, rather than moving your mouse to the bottom left and clicking, you can just move it to onto a start button area on the bottom left. Everything else stays the same. The fact that it was a Windows Store update rather than a traditional Windows update narked me as well. I haven't updated my RT device, and reading the news today it's just as well.

                      Regards, Rob Philpott.

                      M Offline
                      M Offline
                      Marius Bancila
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #17

                      See, that happens when you have good marketing. There is no "return of the start button." Their merely implemented a toggle button but they sell it as a start button.

                      1 Reply Last reply
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                      • D Dave Calkins

                        Rage wrote:

                        I cannot see what feature were in the start button that you do not have in Win8

                        The ability to click the start button and type and have the search results show up in the start menu. With Win8, instead, you are forced to the full screen RT interface to do the search and also have to switch between categories (apps/settings). So its not nearly as smooth as it was in Win7 and the whole "forcing you to a full screen view" just to do a search can be annoying. More generally, the full screen nature of the start screen is an issue. Why force me to occupy my entire screen just to pick a program? Also, the start screen doesn't let you setup a multi-level folder hierarchy to organize things, its all one big flat list (with groups of course).

                        R Offline
                        R Offline
                        Rage
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #18

                        Dave Calkins wrote:

                        to switch between categories (apps/settings)

                        This one I don't get. When I search, I get all results in a single list, as formerly in the start menu.

                        Dave Calkins wrote:

                        Why force me to occupy my entire screen just to pick a program?

                        That is a matter of taste. Why speaks again full screen ?

                        Dave Calkins wrote:

                        Also, the start screen doesn't let you setup a multi-level folder hierarchy to organize things

                        Indeed, you have the groups structure. And the search makes the "folderizing" obsolete, IMO. I think it is all a matter of taste, but not of functionality.

                        ~RaGE();

                        I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus Do not feed the troll ! - Common proverb

                        D 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • R Rage

                          Dave Calkins wrote:

                          to switch between categories (apps/settings)

                          This one I don't get. When I search, I get all results in a single list, as formerly in the start menu.

                          Dave Calkins wrote:

                          Why force me to occupy my entire screen just to pick a program?

                          That is a matter of taste. Why speaks again full screen ?

                          Dave Calkins wrote:

                          Also, the start screen doesn't let you setup a multi-level folder hierarchy to organize things

                          Indeed, you have the groups structure. And the search makes the "folderizing" obsolete, IMO. I think it is all a matter of taste, but not of functionality.

                          ~RaGE();

                          I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus Do not feed the troll ! - Common proverb

                          D Offline
                          D Offline
                          Dave Calkins
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #19

                          Having only groups and no folder hierarchy is definitely lost functionality not simply different taste. Same thing for forcing full screen. You lose the context of whatever it was you were doing on the rest of the screen as you're thrown into a full screen environment to do something that doesn't at all require full screen. Its a functionality thing because its completely changing your environment just to do 1 task which in no way would require that. And yes, the search when you type thing filters it by the category selected on the right. So unlike Win7 where you could just type a partial name of anything, now you have to now and select the category first. This is lost functionality imo.

                          D 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • D Dave Calkins

                            Having only groups and no folder hierarchy is definitely lost functionality not simply different taste. Same thing for forcing full screen. You lose the context of whatever it was you were doing on the rest of the screen as you're thrown into a full screen environment to do something that doesn't at all require full screen. Its a functionality thing because its completely changing your environment just to do 1 task which in no way would require that. And yes, the search when you type thing filters it by the category selected on the right. So unlike Win7 where you could just type a partial name of anything, now you have to now and select the category first. This is lost functionality imo.

                            D Offline
                            D Offline
                            Dan Neely
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #20

                            Dave Calkins wrote:

                            And yes, the search when you type thing filters it by the category selected on the right. So unlike Win7 where you could just type a partial name of anything, now you have to now and select the category first. This is lost functionality imo.

                            That's no longer the case in Win8.1. You will however probably want to uncheck the box that says to combine local system searches with Bing searches.

                            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

                            D 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • V vonb

                              Well, yesterday I got excited since I saw Win 8.1 is available for free inside my Win 8.0 store. Download notice says that "you will be asked to accept the General Condigitions Aggreement" at some point during install. Ok, so far, so good. Started download, came OK. Them it immediatly started to "Applying changes". And then came the status "Gathering info...". And then, after a restart, to my surprise the old win 8.0 was back, saying I didn't aggree to General Conditions..." How can you aggree to something when you are never asked for it??:mad: After 3 times I got tired... (still takes some time to download). Have to retry it tonight to see if it works.. Did anybody here had the same kind of issue with Windows Upgrade??

                              The signature is in building process.. Please wait...

                              D Offline
                              D Offline
                              Dr Walt Fair PE
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #21

                              No issues here. I always wait until others have helped debug new operating systems before I do any optional upgrades. Besides, I've gotten used to Win8 and didn't see anything interesting to upgrade for.

                              CQ de W5ALT

                              Walt Fair, Jr., P. E. Comport Computing Specializing in Technical Engineering Software

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • D Dan Neely

                                Dave Calkins wrote:

                                And yes, the search when you type thing filters it by the category selected on the right. So unlike Win7 where you could just type a partial name of anything, now you have to now and select the category first. This is lost functionality imo.

                                That's no longer the case in Win8.1. You will however probably want to uncheck the box that says to combine local system searches with Bing searches.

                                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

                                D Offline
                                D Offline
                                Dave Calkins
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #22

                                Interesting; I just recently installed Win 8.1 but hadn't noticed that change.

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • D Dave Calkins

                                  Rage wrote:

                                  I cannot see what feature were in the start button that you do not have in Win8

                                  The ability to click the start button and type and have the search results show up in the start menu. With Win8, instead, you are forced to the full screen RT interface to do the search and also have to switch between categories (apps/settings). So its not nearly as smooth as it was in Win7 and the whole "forcing you to a full screen view" just to do a search can be annoying. More generally, the full screen nature of the start screen is an issue. Why force me to occupy my entire screen just to pick a program? Also, the start screen doesn't let you setup a multi-level folder hierarchy to organize things, its all one big flat list (with groups of course).

                                  D Offline
                                  D Offline
                                  Dave Calkins
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #23

                                  Also note that there's a company with an addon for Win8 which re-adds the Win7 start button (not the 8.1 start button but the real 7 start button). They have another addon which lets you run windows store apps in desktop windows. So if you want, you can get the full start button back in Win8 and if you like the apps, you can run them in desktop windows and essentially not need to use the start screen at all then.

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                                  • P Paulo Augusto Kunzel

                                    Have you tried the best upgrade windows can have? It is called linux.... :laugh: :laugh:

                                    Common sense is not so common... Voltaire

                                    P Offline
                                    P Offline
                                    Pablo Aliskevicius
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #24

                                    I've heard people complain about Ubuntu Unity just as loud as they complain about W8... In the end, you get used to anything. JM2B,

                                    Pablo. "Accident: An inevitable occurrence due to the action of immutable natural laws." (Ambrose Bierce, circa 1899).

                                    P 1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • P Pablo Aliskevicius

                                      I've heard people complain about Ubuntu Unity just as loud as they complain about W8... In the end, you get used to anything. JM2B,

                                      Pablo. "Accident: An inevitable occurrence due to the action of immutable natural laws." (Ambrose Bierce, circa 1899).

                                      P Offline
                                      P Offline
                                      Paulo Augusto Kunzel
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #25

                                      Jokes apart, Yes, there truly are problems on any operating system. I believe the most important is if it delivers what promises and if it is worth the cost(or the lack of it). :cool:

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • V vonb

                                        Well, yesterday I got excited since I saw Win 8.1 is available for free inside my Win 8.0 store. Download notice says that "you will be asked to accept the General Condigitions Aggreement" at some point during install. Ok, so far, so good. Started download, came OK. Them it immediatly started to "Applying changes". And then came the status "Gathering info...". And then, after a restart, to my surprise the old win 8.0 was back, saying I didn't aggree to General Conditions..." How can you aggree to something when you are never asked for it??:mad: After 3 times I got tired... (still takes some time to download). Have to retry it tonight to see if it works.. Did anybody here had the same kind of issue with Windows Upgrade??

                                        The signature is in building process.. Please wait...

                                        L Offline
                                        L Offline
                                        Lost User
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #26

                                        I usually never use an MS product before the first service pack. This time it looks like I will wait for the service pack of the service pack.

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