Windows 8 Refresh - ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Well, all these things that add start menus to Windows 8 aren't anything special about Windows 8. If people wanted, the exact same thing could be done with Windows 7, but nobody ever bothered because Windows 7 already had a start menu.

And Windows 8 really isn't bad for me, but it really bothers me a lot about how Microsoft did it and handled everything. From canceling Windows 7 SP2, to removing functionality and features from Windows 8 that we liked in 7, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. A big problem is that Microsoft, for the foreseeable future, has no real competition on PC's, so they have free reign to push and shove and do whatever they want. Windows 8 kind of felt a little like Microsoft was throwing their PC base under a bus for the tablet and phone market.

It gets on my nerves when people make excuses for Microsoft, like you can just buy a start menu if you want, or nobody cares about aero anyway.

 

Exactly. You put it more succinctly than I have. That's the entire point. If Windows 8 works for you, great. Move along. That doesn't mean it works for everyone. Because for many of us it doesn't. It's like buying a TV and saying you can use the controls on the side of the TV but can buy a separate remote control from these third party vendors if you really want to. Maybe not best analogy but same point.

What also bothers me in so many comments people are enamored by the fact that they can hit the start key on their keyboard and start typing and find anything they want... duh. That functionality has been there since Vista, yet people are just now saying it's so great about Windows 8... Ok, I'm done.

 

Yes we can control M$. if you don't like it do not buy Win8. If you do like it on your new PC use the downgrade option to Win 7.Tell M$ what to do with your wallet. In the end they are a public held company and have to answer for profits to their share holders. In the short term they can stall and lie but in the long term they will have to answer for it all if consumers stand up to them........................

 

I want you to take the time just as I will take the time to write this. Answer each one, and let me know how you would like going through this setup if "choice" is really what you want.
To be "fair" to everyone about choices, you will need to make these decisons before you even get to use your computer.
1. Do you want a pop up help assistant in the form of a clip, a pop up message, or a human-like CGI?
2. What language do you want?
3. What language for setup do you want?
4. What keyboard setup do you want.
5. What theme do you want for window borders: XP, Vista, 7, or 8?
6. What theme do you want to your start menu: XP, Vista, 7, or 8?
7. What theme do you want to your error messages: XP, Vista, 7, or 8?
8. Do you want the root OS for XP, Vista, 7, or 8? (compatability issues).
9. Do you want to change the background? Insert USB to choose picture. We know ours suck.
10. Which control panel: XP, Vista, 7, or 8?
11. What DPI setting: 50% 75%, 100%, 150%, 200%
12. What library system (user file) do you want: XP, Vista, 7, or 8?
13. Windows aero on or off?
14. Windows login screen: XP, Vista, 7, or 8?
15. Windows loading screen:XP, Vista, 7, or 8?

Let me know if you understand the point.

 

I wish I had more user interaction and experiences with it although I still shudder the day any of my corporate clients have w8 workstations. Sure this functionality has always been there and infact, in w8 its even more obstruse and annoying to use. Recently I thought I'd give a try for the w8 store and after typing in what I want, I /HAVE TO/ hit the button on store, market, or whatever they call it so it searches that. This is already in the metro app!

Not to mention, the taskbar is better for multi-mon setups ( I use 3 monitors on my work desktop but 0 on my m15x at home or dcenter ) yet if you try to use metro apps in side views or full screens with multiple monitors. You're limited in there, placement and only having 1 per monitor. And its all the same viewports. Honestly im very underwhelmed with w8 despite the major changes while I hated at first. I did eventually enjoy. I can't bring myself to browse over 200+ pages on the w8 thread but im still waiting for others opinions and tips/tricks I haven't found. Being a poweruser I have a shortcut for everyday still

 

Why can't all these things just be selected after installation?

 

^ gets the point.

 

While off topic, Aero Glass! While still off topic, without user addons or mods, right to desktop with just a secondary access to modern UI. Does windows 7 startup to a launch menu that blocks out the desktop?

As in my sig, I am looking for my alternative GUI before Windows 7 support dies out. If M$ realizes Win 8 is driving desktop users to look elsewhere they might start getting a mindset change.............

 

Windows 9 Retro Edition will be out by then, don't worry.

 

I do worry, All of us tech heads helped out with their beta's getting win 8 ready for prime time with our desktops and how did M$ reward us?............................

 

By kicking you in the ?

 

Well when I helped out with Vista, they gave me two keys for Vista Ultimate Edition plus 32 and 64-bit install disks.

 

If an extra click to get to the desktop after you power up your computer (and who even powers down their computers if they're looking for quick startups anyway) is what drives you to switch from Windows to OSX/Linux/*nix, then lcearly you must either have huge, fundamental other problems with Windows in general (7 or 8), or you're willing to cut off your nose to spite your face.

 

Just one of the straws. The loss of gadgets almost tipped me away (especially the way they did it lieing about what was already well known) but the loss of areo glass finally did. I want a convenient but also good looking desktop and I like eye candy.

M$ is pushing thier own agenda, despite it's desktop user base or should I say inspite of...................

 

I couldn't possible imagine leaving windows because the title bars are just a little less transparent. That's insane.

And of course Microsoft doesn't answer to you. You are not their interest. They do not care what you think. They have shareholders, and that's who they answer to. This is a simple concept.

 

Im moving to a Mac soon because of the loss of the paper clip "help assistant"... What a great feature, must be Microsoft pushing THEIR agenda...

I swear I should start a book... "the crap forum member say".

 

They will care when money from myself and others is spent elsewhere and they have to explain market share loss to the shareholders. They will care as outside OS's and browsers are used for production and consumption and need to explain this to shareholders. As developers start pouring time and money away from M$ compatible software they will need to explain this as well. A public company needs to address their consumers first in order to answer to their shareholders. The higher up the hill you are as a company the further you have to fall and the snowball rolling down the hill is starting to get bigger.................

Edit; also transparency broke the camels back, it took an accumulation of multiple things to send me away.............

 

Yes, this will be the year of Linux. Or so I've been hearing for over a decade.

 

Or people can not buy Windows 8 and stick with 7 that they already have, "downgrade" their new computer's OS to 7, buy a Mac, run OSX on non-apple hardware, or yes, run Linux.

 

This has to be one of the most naive statements I have seen here in a while, given the context this is given in: Of course they answer to their shareholders, but what is the shareholders' interest? Shareholders don't give a rat's behind for Windows 8, or Metro, or Windows 7, for that matter. They are looking at the bottom line. As far as that bottom line is concerned, Windows 8 has provided no help at all, and all indications are that it has done the opposite. As this becomes clearer in the months to come, shareholders will react. So will Microsoft, by the way.

Yes. The above discussion was naive from another point of view as well. The world is not divided in people that are firmly entrenched in the Windows ecosystem, and others. There is a large number of people on the fence, who have only a limited commitment to Windows, and for whom switching to another OS is an option that incurs little to no cost. Heck, I have seen a good number of my colleagues switch to OS X in the last couple of months, and this had nothing to do with Windows 8. It is no secret that OS X (and, to a lesser degree, Linux) market share is showing extraordinary growth in the last few years. Windows 8 will do nothing but accelerate this growth for a number of reasons. This is why, details aside, and from a high-level strategic view, Windows 8 was such a colossal mistake: In the situation I described, Microsoft could really not afford to alienate any part of their user base in any way whatsoever, yet that is exactly what they decided they would do. They will pay a steep price for this decision.

 

Mac OS X sales have done well for this economy however they are far from replacing Windows.
If I am not mistaken while Apple has a predicted 13% market share, the percentage of used OS is somewhere around 7%, while XP and 7 take the majority of the pie. (84% combined).

Not everyone is as limited or knowledgeable about computers as people here. Windows 8 is obviously taking a hit however many customers will likely just go back to Windows 7 or deal with windows 8. You must understand the #1 reason for OSX's minimal growth (2%-3% over 10 years is not impressive in my opinion), since 2000's has been price. People just simply don't want to spend $1,000+ on a base model Mac.

 

Your math is seriously off. Mac market share was at about 4.7% in 2009, and now, about 4 years later, they're estimated at above 8%. And no, that's not 3% growth, it's close to 100% growth. Of course, it all depends on what numbers you want to look at specifically, and you could debate endlessly which numbers we should be looking at. But no matter what numbers you are looking at, OS X (and iOS) have seen double-digit growth over the last couple of years. Correspondingly Windows market share has dropped. Sure, it didn't decline as much as far as negative growth rates are concerned, but it did decline, noticeably. Windows 8 will only accelerate this trend, which is a development that is certainly unwelcome, to Microsoft, and its shareholders.

P.S.: I do agree with your opinion on HP, by the way...

 

Mac's market share in the market was 10% in 2009, today it is somewhere around 12%-13%.
OSX (Operating system) market share was around 4%-5%, it is currently now 7%~. That's a jump in 3% in market share.

Yes windows has declined with Linux-distro's, and mostly OSX. That has been a trend for a while now as other OS's are starting to become viable options..
We will see what Windows 8 does, right now it isn't doing too well.

 

Agree, but let's not forget Android's Linux lineage. Quite a stunning success in an area where MS has failed miserably (seemingly, so far) despite trying hard. Who knows what the future will bring. Will be interesting to see how MS+W8 fares and what Google will make out of it's linux-android over time.

Android (operating system) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

4 to 7% market share means 75% percent growth...

 

edited my paragraph.

 

Apparently some tech shops are offering services to "downgrade" to Windows 7.

http://www.cultofmac.com/211604/peo...eyll-pay-125-to-downgrade-to-windows-7-image/

 

not sure if trolling.

 

That is a problem too, while most here understand how to downgrade and even use the M$ free methodology the casual user doesn't or the proccess is too involved to be worth it. Without a SP2 this could get pretty involved with updates as well.

 

Take a look in the mirror and say that again, champ.

It's already a hassle. The first run of Windows update from a clean install of 7 is well over 200 MB, and it takes forever even on an SSD. Tack on the .NET framework, which is about the most unoptimized piece of software on the planet, and you've essentially wasted an afternoon. I think MS could re-establish a lot of good will if they were to bundle a new SP for Win 7.

 

Took me approximately 2 hours to install enough updates for my T420 to say it there were no more available updates.
Sounds like there may have been connection issues on your side.

 

Don't complain, trust that Microsoft knows what is better for us! They have a plan, and we would be foolish to interfere with it!

 

And they have ... a plan.

<iframe width='560' height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5lAxIYqeB-w" frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

IS this the same as recimg /createimage C:\CustomRefreshImages through a cmd admid prompt? and what is a bcd? i tried to run the cmd but received this error, 0x80042301 any ideas? thanks from mexico

 

Yeah but that's not going to happen I'm afraid. The new enterprise hotfix rollup is yet another indication of that.

A hidden Patch Tuesday gem: A Windows 7 hotfix rollup | ZDNet
An enterprise hotfix rollup is available for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

 

It's not the process of downloading, it's the installation itself that takes forever.

 

i think that the real problem (and why i agree so much with HTWingNut) is because this new Start Screen is NOTHING like the Start Menu, and renders commonly used functions to obscurity.
if it was like the traditional Start Menu, and had links to all the pertinent areas of the system, such as Control Panel, (My) Computer, (My) Documents, and the installed programs (instead of listing all of those Apps, which i will never end up using), then it might be a decent starting off place. as it stands, to see the full list of installed programs, you either need to know what they are called and Search for them, or right-click the Start Menu and choose to see them all. it seems to me that the Start Screen is just a place for Micro$oft to advertize its new Apps, and wean people from traditional programs...might be great for cell phone users, but Desktop users (do they still exist?) will likely not care...
what's worse, if you DO find an App you use frequently, you cannot even link it to your Desktop as a shortcut, or Pin it to the Taskbar! how droll! it is an OS divided into Desktop with functionality, and Start Screen with Apps. and if you get sick of it all and just want to shut down, you USED to be able to do it in two clicks: Start > Shut down. NOW, you must move your mouse to the bottom-right, then back up and to the left, BUT NOT TOO FAR TO THE LEFT, OR YOU WILL HAVE TO START OVER! then click the Settings icon (which you don't KNOW is the Settings icon til you hover over it), and then move your mouse to the Power button and click it, then move your mouse to the Shut down option, and click it. how many motions was that now...? you used to be able to just hit the power button and power down, but now it default to sleep, and where that setting is to change it, i'll never know/care. i'm sticking with WinXP, myself, and maybe Win7 dual-boot for awhile. i'm hoping that M$ will figure out that Win8 is the Vista of its era (though some fools liked Vista too!).

also, since Win8 is actually Windows 6.2 (check Explorer.exe's version number), it really is just an interface change, which threw everybody off. here's an idea Micro$oft: why not just let the End-User determine which interface they want to use, by including the Win7 (and possibly Windows XP/Classic) interfaces, and just see which one gets used...

 

Unpin the apps you don't use and pin the "links to the pertinent areas of the system" you do want. Right-click on any directory on the desktop and "pin to start" is one of the options.

Win+I, click power, click shut down. When using a keyboard and mouse, shutting down is a lot faster with a keyboard shortcut than it is with a hot-corner.

 

I have a lot of trouble even bringing up the right slide bar with the touchscreen. It takes me multiple attempts. It just isn't intuitive or simple. I still haven't found the "sweet spot" for bringing it up. I guess I'm fortunate for having a keyboard/mouse because if I had only it as a tablet, it'd be more frustration than anything. I can't do much of anything as a touchscreen. It's way too cumbersome and inconsistent.

 

Might be a particularity of your laptop? My Thinkpad Tablet has no problems with said sidebar, it pops when it should.

 

Never once had that problem with the Vaio Duo 11.

Not diminishing the annoyance you're dealing with, but blaming a touchscreen problem on touchscreens in general or Windows 8 in general is like saying that Windows 7 laptops shouldn't have touchpad-centric controls because some laptops have godawful touchpads. And I've heard far fewer complaints about bad touchscreens in the Win 8 era than bad touchpads in the Win 7 era (where they almost seemed to be the rule and not the exception).

 

i used the refresh and it just restored back to the system settings, not sure what happened to you