Windows 8

[Dark Acre Jack]

This is all well and good, but it does it make games run faster and look better!?

[jeffbax]

Originally Posted by Darkmatter

Win8 is going to completely FUCK OVER every mom and pop who have spent all these years straining just to remember how to use their email and surf the web. If they end up with a new computer with 8 their brains are going to melt...

These are also the people that are buying iPads in droves, and they don't seem to have a problem adapting.

Microsoft's gamble is having the hybrid UI's live side by side. I think this is going to be seen as a mistake, but we'll see.

[J Arcane]

Originally Posted by muddi900

I think all touchscreen interfaces seem to be set in the past. 20 years ago your computer probably only ran one app at a time and all apps were 'fullscreen', just on a Command Line.

The Mail app on your 27" monitor on windows 8 may seen cool or viewing IMDB 2048 pixels wide on your iPad definitely looks pretty, but it is a waste of resources.

Bingo. Single-screen interfaces are great when you're on a 720p tablet witha 10" or less screen, but beyond that it quickly becomes like going back in time to the days of GEM and SCREEN or some shit.

The windowed interface was invented for a reason. We're basically suffering the consequences now of the fucking Maximize button, which to my mind remains the worst fucking invention to the GUI ever developed.

[MachEnergy]

Originally Posted by civil_dead

Another thing I absolutely fucking hate: If I'm in the fucking "regular" part of W8, then I can't even do something as fucking simple as open up a new explorer window without additional steps. I'm sure there's a shortcut for that.

It's the same as Windows 7. Win+E on your keyboard. Or right click the Explorer manila folder icon in the taskbar and choose "File Explorer" for a new window.

I may be missing something, but I'm assuming by your use a "regular" in both posts, you are talking about the traditional desktop view. Practically nothing in that system has changed...

[MachEnergy]

Originally Posted by Darkmatter

Using touchscreen monitors at home just seems odd. They aren't for gaming, and most home computer things are designed for the kb/mouse. Not only that, doesn't the monitor constantly shake, move around and risk getting knocked over every time you use it? Also isn't the screen constantly dirty from the oil in your fingerprints?

1. You can say they aren't for gaming, but I was enjoying a touch interface for Plants vs Zombies WAY before it came out for mobile devices. As with any touch device, it depends on the game.
2. No, the monitor sits still quite fine. Does your monitor tip over when you adjust the brightness or volume? I don't know how forceful you think a touch screen needs to be pressed, but it's inconsequential.
3. Sure, you can see fingerprints on it, but only in a brightly lit room. I compute in low lighting environments, and I've never even noticed a single blemish until the lights are cranked up.

[Zero]

Originally Posted by jeffbax

These are also the people that are buying iPads in droves, and they don't seem to have a problem adapting.

Microsoft's gamble is having the hybrid UI's live side by side. I think this is going to be seen as a mistake, but we'll see.

Yeah, but iOS is intentionally designed to (figuratively) be baby's first OS. Windows 8 sounds like they couldn't figure out what audience they wanted.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2

[MachEnergy]

Originally Posted by Zero

Windows 8 sounds like they couldn't figure out what audience they wanted.

This. The metro interface would be nice as a system that existed as an option and not a half-assed shoe horn.

[Sl1pstream]

I've installed it on both my laptop and my mom's computer (I bought the Dutch version instead of the English one and I couldn't keep my files so I had to buy another copy, I gave my first one to my mom).

I'm still getting used to it but she seems to love it. I don't think she really leaves the Metro interface, but I haven't heard her complain about things so far. She only really uses it for pictures, facebook and light casual gaming and she seems to like it.

I need more than a few hours with it but so far Metro doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. I seem to get more fps while playing games at the same setting so I'm happy so far.

[Handmade.Mercury]

I found that looking up and learning all of the keyboard shortcuts for W8 made it about 60% easier to use than when I first installed it. It certainly seems like Microsoft were assuming people would make liberal use of keyboard shortcuts, whereas in reality a lot of people only really used a select few and used the mouse for everything else.

Still think a lot of it is very cumbersome and kind of all over the place, though.

[muddi900]

Originally Posted by jeffbax

These are also the people that are buying iPads in droves, and they don't seem to have a problem adapting.

That is a lie that is very easy to buy into. I bought into it and bought my mother an iPad last year. It was quite enlightening. The iOS UX is filled with obfuscations that computer-literate and experts take for granted. Same with Android.

The only difference these supposedly intuitive operating systems have made is that the 'computer-guy' in any tribe now needs details of 3 different platforms.

[Mot Wakorb]

Originally Posted by muddi900

That is a lie that is very easy to buy into. I bought into it and bought my mother an iPad last year. It was quite enlightening. The iOS UX is filled with obfuscations that computer-literate and experts take for granted. Same with Android.

The only difference these supposedly intuitive operating systems have made is that the 'computer-guy' in any tribe now needs details of 3 different platforms.

With Android's fragmentation (yes, I know it's a unified OS, but each manufacturer has their own spin and changed apps), you almost need to know more than just 3 platforms.

[Darkmatter]

Originally Posted by jeffbax

These are also the people that are buying iPads in droves, and they don't seem to have a problem adapting.

Microsoft's gamble is having the hybrid UI's live side by side. I think this is going to be seen as a mistake, but we'll see.

Eh? I don't know a single person over 40 that has one. I'm sure their more popular is some places over others and with some things once x number of people are seen with an item, then everyone has to get one.

The UI for the iPad is less complex then that for the PC isn't it? (I also don't have an iPad) Also almost all of them will be using the kb/mouse and not a touch interface like with the iPad.

I think MS did this for 2 specific reasons.

1. Cash grab. They want people to think of Windows when they think of and OS for touchscreen. They know how popular tablets are becoming and they don't like they don't have the kind of market share that they do with the PC. My guess is, they know this OS will piss off a lot of PC people but they figure with their cash reserves and % of the market, they can afford to piss on their Windows customers for the time being. They know most of them won't actually stop being MS customers because most people don't even consider there to be another choice. (I'm not referring to gamers and such.)

2. They know that as tech continues to develop, more and more people are going to either switch to a tablet type computer, or at least have one as their "on the go" device. In 10-15 years, tops, walking around with some sort of tablet will be standard practise just how cell phones are now. People will be using them for work, gaming, surfing, paying for stuff and calling people to talk to and/or video chat with. You'll probably be able to just swipe your screen over a scanner to buy groceries and to get on the bus (hover bus? pls'n'thx), as well as to book an appointment with your Doctor, without ever actually having to call his office. Going out without your "device" will be the same as leaving without your debit card these days. That's billions of devices, and they want all of them to be running Windows 15. Cha-CHING!

BTW, I do think that there will still be desktop PC's for a long time to come simply because some people who will be sitting in 1 place will still want to sit at a desk to work or play a game that requires a keyboard and mouse or some sort. Despite our hunger for small portable devices we still continue to fall in love with bigger and better (and more) desktop displays, and 30" monitors just don't scream out "PORTABLE" when your walking around. At least you can be sure that the actual PC case "tower" will probably be down to the size of those small micro-boxes for bare-bones systems.

[muddi900]

Originally Posted by Mot Wakorb

With Android's fragmentation (yes, I know it's a unified OS, but each manufacturer has their own spin and changed apps), you almost need to know more than just 3 platforms.

Since everybody already has a Samsung phone, fragmentation doesn't.

[Orca]

http://vimeo.com/52265547 - a friend's Win8 app.

[muddi900]

Ha! Came into this thread to post a review of the Note 2 which illustrates my point about multi-window support better, but I guess you friend has the better idea. That's a really cool app. I hope it gets popular and your friend gets hired by MS, Google or Apple so they can finally make their tech toys useful.

[MagGnome]

Originally Posted by J Arcane

Bingo. Single-screen interfaces are great when you're on a 720p tablet witha 10" or less screen, but beyond that it quickly becomes like going back in time to the days of GEM and SCREEN or some shit.

The windowed interface was invented for a reason. We're basically suffering the consequences now of the fucking Maximize button, which to my mind remains the worst fucking invention to the GUI ever developed.

I know a lot of people who maximize every single application that they run on their PC's. It drives me bonkers. Games? Sure, with some exceptions. Pretty much everything else? No.

[Khrymsyn]

Originally Posted by MagGnome

I know a lot of people who maximize every single application that they run on their PC's. It drives me bonkers. Games? Sure, with some exceptions. Pretty much everything else? No.

Heh, I'm one of those people. I'm easily distracted enough as it is... to actually have windows COMPETING for my attention, forget it.

That being said, at home I typically only have a few screens open at a time anyway (usually a couple of browser windows, steam, and a game) at the most.

At work where I'd actually use windowed uhh... windows... my screens aren't big enough, nor high resolution enough for most of the apps I use.

[Krispy]

Originally Posted by Orca

http://vimeo.com/52265547 - a friend's Win8 app.

That is quite cool.

[Handmade.Mercury]

Originally Posted by MagGnome

I know a lot of people who maximize every single application that they run on their PC's. It drives me bonkers. Games? Sure, with some exceptions. Pretty much everything else? No.

Originally Posted by Khrymsyn

Heh, I'm one of those people. I'm easily distracted enough as it is... to actually have windows COMPETING for my attention, forget it.

That being said, at home I typically only have a few screens open at a time anyway (usually a couple of browser windows, steam, and a game) at the most.

At work where I'd actually use windowed uhh... windows... my screens aren't big enough, nor high resolution enough for most of the apps I use.

I have dual monitors and my browser still gets an entire monitor to itself, with hardly anything else on the other monitor, except Skype, sometimes a media player, sometimes another browser window, etc.

[The Iron Weasel]

I had some issues with Metro and Desktop for a while, then I downloaded "Start8" and it made metro a popup second screen of sorts. I like it much more now.