Windows 8 (quick and dirty review)

Hello folks,

As some of you tech loving adventurers may know, Microsoft has decided to release a preview of their newest operating system (OLD news I'm sure). Now I do like the idea of Microsoft updating and upgrading their operating systems, and am anxious to what extent they might go. But as I see the preview, I'm not too happy. The simple fact that that there's not even a start menu has worried me. I'm all too use to just going to the bottom left hand corner and having all my most used applications and the control panel (very important) in a neat little gui. I feel that this OS should only be for any upcoming smartphones and tablets, as the OS was designed around these devices. Microsoft is really pushing for this OS to be very user friendly, and I respect that, but everyone who has at least used windows 7 will see this as like "WTF are you doing." Another thing that bugs me is that you practically have to have a hotmail or live account in order to use all the features of the HOME page. I like the ideas behind this OS, but for us true windows users this is just a kick in the teeth (at least for me anyways). Well let's see if Microsoft makes any good changes to this OS when it hits the shops.

I'd like to know what you guys think. Will this be Microsoft greatest yet, or just another flop.

There is a start menu.. It just has its own window. I dont see all the hype about this being way different! Its close to the same thing, just now you have a different look and feel to the start menu. Its time to change people. We cant live with the old look and feel forever. I dont think it will be a fail if everyone would just try it out and get on board. Cant live on the Windows XP mentality, not like it was around for over 10 years! I say it was smart on MS part to do this. If they didnt do this, then well they will be seen as never evolving.

Which = Loss in Customers.

I haven't read a whole lot about the whys of designing it like they did, but from my experience testing it out in a VM it seems they are trying to market and provide the OS to a less tech-savy demographic, who actually appreciate and want simplicity. I don't expect many power users to really be blown away by this release -- I for one don't like it so far.

3 words: "Angry Fruit Salad" I rate it somewhere between Meh! & Fail. YMMV.

I Agree with all of you. True this is new and interesting, but would much rather have the start screen be more of an option. This way you can setup windows for true power users and new users alike.

I feel like it's going to be another Vista and that Microsoft really didn't learn anything from that experience (Windows users did; I certainly did). The first release will only be half baked and then they'll spend whatever support life it has until Windows 9 or whatever trying to fix it.

To be fair, I didn't think Vista was so bad once it was stable, but it took way too much effort and hard drive space to get it there and then it turned obsolete. If Microsoft gets this right, it'll be another incentive to a get a tablet pc, if not, it will be The Great Migration of OS as people start getting Macs or Ubuntu or sticking with 7.

Vista was a great OS when I used it, however, like when Windows XP came out people decided it could run on old and out dated hardware. Some people had issues with Windows XP and complained heavily until they got a newer computer with faster processors, more ram, and faster hard drives and video cards. Those people from what I heard stopped bashing Windows XP, and loved it. I was one of the very first adopters of Windows XP due to my work role as a help desk technician at a local ISP. I had a nice beefy machine for back then an AMD 1.2Ghz Thunderbird, Geforce 3 GTS Video card with 64megs of RAM, and 2 gigs of RAM. XP ran like a champ. Vista ran like a champ once I added another 2gigs to a Intel Q6600 with a 8800GTS 640Meg Card and a 1Terabyte hard drive. I expect with Windows 8 and Metro the video card will be the most important factor in your Metro and Windows 8 experience.

Also with Windows Vista MS introduced a new method for drivers to communicate with hardware and vice versa. This is where the issue lied. Many manufactures were not upto speed that made low quality parts and hardware. Until Windows 7 came out these same companies struggled. Which is why Windows 7 to some is far better then Vista.

...when Windows XP came out people decided it could run on old and out dated hardware. Some people had issues with Windows XP and complained heavily until they got a newer computer with faster processors, more ram, and faster hard drives and video cards.

I barely noticed using XP, even when trying to configure drivers and so on. It's like a GhostOS to me. My dad's a technician (out of work at the moment) so we've always been on the "cutting edge" of the tech world and we've used/broken/fixed almost every Windows OS that you can put on a personal computer. It was on school computers and suchlike and you never installed anything fun on a school computer. I think we used Windows ME for a long time, or least on the computer that was "mine" at that age. I honestly don't remember anything about XP. It's very strange...

Updating your hardware before you upgrade your OS is essential but if get this shiny new computer or you build a tower from the ground up like my dad can and then the OS wastes all those good resources before you can really use the computer, then it's a bust. That's my big issue with Vista right now. I started off with SP1 on a Dell with BIOS issues in 2007 and then got SP2 on an Acer a year later. Four years and a million Windows Updates later, now it's letting me get something done, but now my memory and disk space is practically nil and I'm looking at people running Linux and sighing with envy. People always fall in love with an OS after it's had a few years of fixes and support. I imagine that by now you can get XP to run like a dream. Those really good dreams where you can fly or win the lottery or something.

I expect with Windows 8 and Metro the video card will be the most important factor in your Metro and Windows 8 experience.

This is true, but honestly I think the Metro UI is really ugly. It's obviously for tablet/tablet PCs but if you have a desktop/laptop it's just blocky and primary colored and apparently useless. Or complicated to work with for no good reason other than it looked good to a programmer that doesn't know how to match their socks in the morning. No offense to programmers that understand how bright colors actually work on a screen larger than an iPad's.

Also with Windows Vista MS introduced a new method for drivers to communicate with hardware and vice versa. This is where the issue lied.

I've only had driver issues in Vista in either service pack when it was older firmware or software pre-dating the advent of XP, so that was something that I enjoyed working with. However, every version of Windows has had compatibility issues with hardware and software it shouldn't be a surprise to the industry than they need to keep up with this stuff. I don't think it helped that Vista got pushed out of the door so fast and you end up downloading something like 2/3rds of the program in Windows Updates and third-party apps. That's

I've heard that Windows 7 is what Vista was meant to be and that it doesn't really innovative too much. I haven't had the chance to try either that or Windows 8 Beta but I'm trying to get VirtualBox to work right so I can. So my opinion is subject to change.

Yeah you can only really criticize something after you've tried it. I have tried windows 8 beta (as a vm of course) and so far i hate the darn thing. I also use linux and do appreciate overall performance, however i have grown up within a windows environment so i can navigate much quicker on it. The Metro UI sucks plain in simple (for desktop anyways). Unfortunately some of my clients have windows 8 beta as a primary OS. and have received nothing but complaints. So until they get rid of their start screen and move back to the start menu, then i might think about getting it. til then, I'll use win 7.

I am currently using Windows 7 now and I am still thinking if I am going to upgrade it to Windows 8.. I'm not quite sure if it is a good thing to upgrade my OS to Windows 8. I need your advice. What do you think?

I am currently using Windows 7 now and I am still thinking if I am going to upgrade it to Windows 8.. I'm not quite sure if it is a good thing to upgrade my OS to Windows 8. I need your advice. What do you think?

You are the only one that can truly decide that. Some people love Windows 8, Some really hate it.

If you do decide to upgrade, remember there is no uninstall back to your Windows 7. So You need to make a complete backup of the hard drive that can be restored if you do hate Windows 8.

I'm in the hated it camp so I won't be upgrading it, A friend is in the Loved it camp. I doubt there is any middle ground where it doesn't matter.

What I decided was it really will need new hardware with a touchscreen display to shine. Since I'm not dumping my HDTV that I use for a display, No Windows 8 for me.

Roger

A large part of my job is working with people who have low tech literacy. Knowing the mistakes they tend to make I cannot imagine them navigating Windows 8. They'll be able to open things, but god knows what is going to happen when they want to save things, and make it that awkward to turn off a computer and more of them will be turning off the computer by cutting power.

I am a 53 year old semi-retired IT Service Tech, due to the smartphone & tablet craze! I use Vista 64 bit, 4 gigs ram, duo-core cpu.
I am bitter about the move away from desktop pc's as it is hurting my income. I won't be using windows 8 until I use a smartphone.

A large part of my job is working with people who have low tech literacy. Knowing the mistakes they tend to make I cannot imagine them navigating Windows 8. They'll be able to open things, but god knows what is going to happen when they want to save things, and make it that awkward to turn off a computer and more of them will be turning off the computer by cutting power.

HAHAHA Yeah I think low tech savvy users will be utterly defenseless. Pretty sure Microsoft will need to include a how to DVD. LMAO

To be honest, I do not know much about the new Windows 8 at the moment aside from the new UI and faster boot time. From what I see that is what the majority of consumers are focusing on as the key differences. However, speaking from a developer and technicians standpoint, I will be upgrading ASAP so I can familiarize myself with all the new Win 8 changes so I can troubleshoot/develop efficiently. Sure, I will probably have a Win7/8 dual boot for the time being while I am still learning, but I do intend to switch to Win 8 full time.