Windows 8 - love it or hate it?

[Marc Vaughan]

I just posted in 'I want a new laptop' thread about windows 8 and it started me thinking ... are there people out there who like that OS and is it just that I haven't used it enough to adapt to it?

(its got to the stage now when I use my Mac for most things and only use Win8 when I NEED to debug something on windows, frankly the opposite situation to a few years ago)

[jeff061]

Once I found Windows-s gets me to a search prompt, which is all I ever used the start menu for, I was fine with it. Wouldn't say I love it, but I don't have the animosity towards it that others have.

[ISiddiqui]

Love it. I mean it doesn't take long to figure it all out and I find it to be pretty intuitive (albeit I do most of my stuff on the 'Desktop', but I can easily find what I need on the Start screen).

[ISiddiqui]

Once I found Windows-s gets me to a search prompt, which is all I ever used the start menu for, I was fine with it. Wouldn't say I love it, but I don't have the animosity towards it that others have.

Though you don't even really need Windows-s... Windows button and then start typing - search automatically comes up.

[Fidatelo]

I love it. I have a Surface Pro 2 and it is bees knees.

Counterpoint: my wife hates it. About once a week she threatens to throw the SP2 through a window.

So I guess to each their own?

[cartman]

Don't get the hate either. I haven't had any issues running old apps. It seems like people are hard-wired to the good/bad releases of Windows, and since Windows 7 was 'good', the only option for Windows 8 is 'bad'. I get that some folks might not like the Metro interface, but once you make one click you are back to the old familiar desktop.

[jeff061]

Though you don't even really need Windows-s... Windows button and then start typing - search automatically comes up.

Last time I tried that it brought me to metro interface. Maybe they'vessince changed it? Either way, no big deal.

[DaddyTorgo]

It's fine. Unoffensive.

Now a touch-screen laptop - that's some freaky shit I haven't yet wrapped my mind around.

[flere-imsaho]

Still haven't used it. I have a Mac at home and while my work laptop will surely get upgraded at some ti... hahahahahahahaha....

[Lathum]

hate it. If I wanted a tablet I would have bought one.

[Edward64]

I prefer Windows 7 but know its me.

My wife has it on her desktop and I can't get the hang of it yet. Its because I don't use it a lot.

Thinking I just need to make the change and (re)learn where to find things.

[Desnudo]

Seems pointless - they layered on an interface that actually makes it harder to locate and perform basic windows tasks. I have a touchscreen ultra book.

[Matthean]

I still don't know how to do certain things in it, but it is alright. I still prefer Windows 7.

[DanGarion]

It's a steaming pile of shit.

[General Mike]

It's ok. I was perfectly happy with Windows 7 and the only reason I'm on 8 is because I bought a new laptop.

[mckerney]

I'm happy with it with Start 8 installed.

[Izulde]

I don't care one way or the other. XP is still my favorite Windows operating system ever.

[gstelmack]

Eh, one click to get to desktop, and then I get to enjoy the other performance benefits. Love it, but not enough to force it on the wife's and kids' machines yet.

[Coffee Warlord]

I'm on 7, with no reason to move to 8. There's not a single 'feature' of 8 that I have any use for, and most reviews state that 8.1 is negligible at best for gaming performance over 7.

[Radii]

I think the initial release was pretty poor and I think the decision to include all of these horrible, horrible apps that no one likes on the default main screen hurt them pretty badly as that gets lumped in with the "CHANGE IS SCARY" complaints (not only is change scary but it appears like they're trying to force me to change to use some awful crap). But I think its in a fine, usable state now and I'm pleased with it.

[Apathetic Lurker]

I bought a gaming pc with Win 8.1....Turned it on, got confused, unplugged and went back to my Win7 beast even though it is barely functioning and is wheezing its last breaths....

[vex]

I've had no troubles(compatibility or otherwise) with 8. Took some getting use to, but I actually like it now.

[Ryan S]

With Start 8 it is basically Windows 7 with better performance and a few new features. I would advise anyone to buy whichever OS is cheaper.

I have been using Windows 8 daily for almost 18 months, and I have not seen the metro screen for months, so it is easy to avoid.

I don't think I could go back to Windows 7 on my home PC. I think I would miss the sub 10 second boot up.

[Marc Vaughan]

Eh, one click to get to desktop, and then I get to enjoy the other performance benefits. Love it, but not enough to force it on the wife's and kids' machines yet.

Just to check something - the people who say this sort of thing; do you ever need to get to the 'innards' of the computer to do things - ie. configuration changes, drivers, command line tools ... anything above the basic stuff (ie. internet, email, games etc.).

[cartman]

Just to check something - the people who say this sort of thing; do you ever need to get to the 'innards' of the computer to do things - ie. configuration changes, drivers, command line tools ... anything above the basic stuff (ie. internet, email, games etc.).

Yep. Control Panel, regedit, Computer Management and all of that stuff are still there in the same places they have always been.

[ISiddiqui]

Yeah, those aren't all the difficult either. Either right click on the bottom left hand corner or pull up the Control Panel from the right hand side menu.

[Marc Vaughan]

Yep. Control Panel, regedit, Computer Management and all of that stuff are still there in the same places they have always been.

All seemed to have changed substantially for me whenever I try and configure something I feel like I'm 'breaking the law' or something as it all seems horribly hidden away trying to get down to looking for the raw driver information or IP addresses etc.

Some of this might be because I'm working remotely these days though so do this sort of thing more rarely than I once did ...

[DaddyTorgo]

What is this "Start 8" thing? Is it a separate patch/program I have to download/enable?

I like the sound of it, since 99.99% of the time I just click-thru to the desktop and do what I want to do from there anyways.

[RainMaker]

I hate it with every fiber of my being. If I want a tablet I will use a tablet.

[cartman]

It seems like there are many people that don't realize you aren't locked into the Metro interface.

[Radii]

What is this "Start 8" thing? Is it a separate patch/program I have to download/enable?

Yeah, its a $5 3rd party program to give you the old desktop feel. Can trial it for a month for free I believe. I've been told with 8.1 a lot less people feel the need to use start type programs but I already had it myself so I haven't bothered to try.

Start8 Start menu for Windows 8. Bring the Windows 8 Start menu back. (http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/)

There are other alternatives to Start8 that do similar things, that's the one I use though.

[DaddyTorgo]

It seems like there are many people that don't realize you aren't locked into the Metro interface.

I realized it, but just haven't taken the time to correct it, since you can get past it so quickly. I mean literally, it's clicking "Desktop" the one time you see the Metro screen.

[cartman]

I realized it, but just haven't taken the time to correct it, since you can get past it so quickly. I mean literally, it's clicking "Desktop" the one time you see the Metro screen.

Yep. But some people seem to be saying that they are only using the Metro interface. At least that's how I interpret all of the tablet sentiments.

[Ryan S]

Yeah, its a $5 3rd party program to give you the old desktop feel. Can trial it for a month for free I believe. I've been told with 8.1 a lot less people feel the need to use start type programs but I already had it myself so I haven't bothered to try.

If you decide to buy Start8 there is a 10% discount coupon which will save you about 50 cents. When I bought it, there was a 20% coupon at the end of the trial period, but that was back in 2012.

S8-MNPS-XJLA-AHHY

Start8 (or any of the free start menu apps) is a better option than the standard 8.1 menu, which is a weird hybrid of the old start menu and the metro icons.

[EagleFan]

It sucks, especially since 8.1 update. If I leave it unattended for a couple minutes it completely locks up, except for still allowing me to move the mouse cursor around. I tried everything that I was told may fix it but nothing works. I just shutdown if I am leaving the room for a few minutes. Because of this I haven't used the laptop much anymore.

Looks like this has been a relatively common issue based upon the number of threads that I found on it.

[Scoobz0202]

DT, you can also check out Classic Shell for free to see if that suits ya. It's what i use.

http://www.classicshell.net/

[Drake]

With Start 8 it is basically Windows 7 with better performance and a few new features. I would advise anyone to buy whichever OS is cheaper.

I have been using Windows 8 daily for almost 18 months, and I have not seen the metro screen for months, so it is easy to avoid.

I don't think I could go back to Windows 7 on my home PC. I think I would miss the sub 10 second boot up.

This has been my experience (though I've only been using it for about 3 months). I dig the performance boost...and I actually feel like I've got more control over my PC now than I did with Windows 7. I use the Metro bit for the things I used to have RSS feeds for (checking box scores, latest news stories, weather forecasts), but otherwise jump straight to desktop.

Running vanilla 8.1, all of the same sorts of tools I needed access to from the start menu in 7 are a right-click away.

I'm running 8.1 Enterprise edition, though, so that might make a difference from the home version.

I don't have a touchscreen (and don't want one on my laptop -- if I want a touchscreen, I'll use my phone or my iPad), but I don't have any issues finding the things I need quickly with a mouse and keyboard.

[bryce]

I hate it with every fiber of my being. If I want a tablet I will use a tablet.

My thoughts exactly...

[Dutch]

I use Windows 8 in desktop mode almost exclusively because I am not a fan of the tablet experience...even on my tablet! I definitely see the desire for that to exist with a multitude of platforms in which MS wants their OS to be available on.

[PilotMan]

Honestly, the only reason to not use 8 is if you already have 7.

I've been using 8 and while it takes some getting used to, it's not nearly as bad as people say. I almost never use Metro, but I do use it. I don't use the apps at all.

Aside from that it's pretty much 7. Not worth the trouble to mess with it.

[DanGarion]

It seems like there are many people that don't realize you aren't locked into the Metro interface.

With or without the Metro interface the normal "desktop" and the way it works is annoying. I shouldn't have to install some 3rd party software to make something work as it should have out of the box. Microsoft has admitted as much especially since their next major update to the OS will make it perform like Windows 7.

I have seen no significant improvements to performance with the use of Windows 8. So I'm not sure where any of you are getting that from.

[Solecismic]

I was fine with it until 8.1, which seems quite unstable in the Metro mode. But it was fun creating the big icons for FOF7.

The big problem is that you really should go with the more expensive version just for the codecs. Every time I want to do something with media, it's a nightmare.

[EagleFan]

More fun. Can't use my laptop today as it is in an eternal update fail loop. Windows 8 blows.

[EagleFan]

On the bright side, rage posting from my phone seemed to be the final key for the laptop to stop the cycle after 2 and a half hours.

[Groundhog]

There's things I don't like about it, mainly the fact I can't quickly/easily access programs like I would in my start menu. Also the default pdf/image viewer programs are awful and I have to alt-tab to get out/back in to them.

Minor quibbles though, really. Yeah, I'm being forced to use a tablet GUI on a PC, but after a few months I'm used to it, and I think it runs pretty well to be honest. I had no issues with Windows 7 either, though. Having to use iOS for work reasons recently, I definitely prefer the current generations of the Microsoft OS.