Windows 8 Really?

[Kaitel]

There's probably a thread about this already, but I couldn't spot it so here's another, feel free to move it.
So... is it just me or does Windows 8 look like a nightmare? Firstly its designed primarily for touch screens... I don't like touch screens. Sure you can navigate the old way with a mouse I assume but that defeats the whole concept of it surely, all this slide and flick to expand business, sure that makes sense on limited space hand held devices but is it really more practical or such a great improvement over simple mouse clicks on a PC?
Secondly, I like my little program icons, gives me plenty of room to see my desktop art and I know where to find them instantly cause I put them there and they don't move without my say so, not like big gawdy sliding panels you have to sift through to find the one you're after.
Seems more like a cosmetic gimmick and compatibility with other devices more than improvement from a pure computing perspective.
Maybe it's just a fear of change and I may eat my words, but I have a feeling many users will prefer to stick to (or return to) straight forward Windows 7 for a long while in the future.

What do you guys think? Are you excited about getting it ASAP or not?
I'll be keeping Windows 7 as long as possible I think.

 

[Ash]

Looks shocking and a massive gamble. I, for one, am not looking forward to it.

 

[Frenchy]

The standard desktop is right along side the app based desktop. It wont be much different to 7 if you don't want it to be.

For people who go on their computers to check email, browse the net, write a few word documents etc the new design is much much better, click once on an app you want to launch and your straight in, just like with tablets etc. I think its a great improvement for general useability, however as i said the standard desktop is right along side, so if you dont like it you can use the normal desktop.

 

[Pete]

i've only had a quick go on a version in work before christmas and that version was indeed very targeted to touch screens, it was plain annoying to use with a mouse frankly, until you got to the desktop, which you get to from an icon. Maybe the final version will be better ? you couldn't use the mouse to grab and "swoosh" the icon pages which would have been more intuitive. i'm sure it's MS trying to link desktop OS and mobile, Apple have been very good at this (not that i own any apple kit).

I'm sure there'll be a "switch to XP" style like there has been since vista. business might be tempted to bypass it otherwise like they did with vista.

any news on it playing xbox games ?

 

[Milkybarkid]

Using a touch screen to me seems a recipe for RSI to follow in double quick time not to mention backache . I've got a Sony Ebook reader and even had to stop using my thumb to swipe the screen because it was causing aggravation. It doesn't seem natural to me to lean forward to a screen, give me a mouse and a keyboard. If it's all based on that with nothing for regular computers user I can see it diving. There's a lot of stuff I don't use with Win 7 so even more 'frills' will be wasted. I'm normally a bit of an upgrade freak with software but this is not getting me excited. I just want simplicity, boot up quick, open programs quick, repair itself if anything goes wrong etc.

 

[Frenchy]

I'm normally a bit of an upgrade freak with software but this is not getting me excited. I just want simplicity, boot up quick, open programs quick, repair itself if anything goes wrong etc.

Which is exactly what it delivers, its been developed for multi platforms to include touch screens because there are so many touch screens out there now, including some desktop pc's. However as I mentioned previously, there is the standard desktop running along side it so if you dont like the new UI it isn't forcing you to use it.

 

[Wozza63]

i dont get how you can use a touch screen monitor, it would mean leaning forward and stuff to type and you would need it at a different angle for typing as well to make it comfortable, i think it touch should be limited to handheld devices

 

[Kaitel]

Fair enough, but still doesn't sound appealing to me, I can live with the hassle of a double click thankyouverymuch Microsoft. I imagine it will be great improvement for the sale of touchscreens though

 

[Frenchy]

i dont get how you can use a touch screen monitor, it would mean leaning forward and stuff to type and you would need it at a different angle for typing as well to make it comfortable, i think it touch should be limited to handheld devices

Why? I agree that usign touch for most stuff, especially on a PC is tiring, the main reason apple say they wont be including it on things like macbooks or the iMacs, however the use of touch in my eyes doesnt have to be for everything. There are many situations which would benefit from being interactable both with mouse and keyboard as well as touch. I have seen a few really good touch extensions for things like max that allow you to rotate intuitivley around a 3d model.

Also suppose you walk into computer room and want to briefly check your emails, nothing wrong with tapping the screen, tapping the outlook icon and viewing your latest email is there? Obviously this can be done with a mouse but I tell you what an interface like this would deffinately get my gran up to speed on computers. She uses her computer now but finds it extremely difficult to aim the mouse properly, finds it confusing with the multitude of menus and icons, having a simple interface with a few major icons which she uses when she needs them is a brilliant idea.

 

[Music Guy123]

I have the developer preview and tbh, it is like windows but is just irritating. It is still a bit bloated and slow on my machine but my machine isn't that powerful. The thing is you get a very powerful software that a portable thing suffers with. Then a big powerful computer has an os that doesn't really keep up with the machine as well. Doesn't really work in my opinion.

 

[Frenchy]

I have the developer preview and tbh, it is like windows but is just irritating. It is still a bit bloated and slow on my machine but my machine isn't that powerful. The thing is you get a very powerful software that a portable thing suffers with. Then a big powerful computer has an os that doesn't really keep up with the machine as well. Doesn't really work in my opinion.

Its a developer preview, essentially for devs to look at and decide how they can work with it, not anywhere near a final release stage yet. If you saw (dont knwo if you did) both xp and windows 7 betas they were terrible, and both (xp especially) is a great OS.

 

[UndeadJack]

Its a developer preview, essentially for devs to look at and decide how they can work with it, not anywhere near a final release stage yet. If you saw (dont knwo if you did) both xp and windows 7 betas they were terrible, and both (xp especially) is a great OS.

XP was awful before the service packs though. I'm not exactly wowed by the dp but im not horrified

 

[Music Guy123]

I didn't see the preview for the other OSes, I only realised what an os was when I got my first laptop just under 2 years ago. I didn't have a clue about computers! Now look where I am though, not bad eh?

It did occur to me that the developer preview would be bloated and that there would be a lot of refining done. However, I think I would still stick with win 7, depends what win9 looks like though! I doubt win 8 will be out until 2013 at the earliest.

 

[Wozza63]

I didn't see the preview for the other OSes, I only realised what an os was when I got my first laptop just under 2 years ago. I didn't have a clue about computers! Now look where I am though, not bad eh?

It did occur to me that the developer preview would be bloated and that there would be a lot of refining done. However, I think I would still stick with win 7, depends what win9 looks like though! I doubt win 8 will be out until 2013 at the earliest.

windows 8 will be out this summer/autumn and of course it would be bloated, its probably not even in beta mode yet

 

[Music Guy123]

windows 8 will be out this summer/autumn and of course it would be bloated, its probably not even in beta mode yet

You really think it is going to be out this early?

 

[Wozza63]

yes almost definitely i think windows 7 was 2008, and its usually a 3-4 year cycle, im glad that once its released, they will phase out vista completely

 

[UndeadJack]

yes almost definitely i think windows 7 was 2008, and its usually a 3-4 year cycle, im glad that once its released, they will phase out vista completely

The beta started Mid 2008-ish and ended August 2009.
Windows Vista support doesn't expire for a while?

I'm guessing that the beta will be out in the next few weeks - month(s) as they need a decent stretch as it is beta (unless they are doing a lot of private beta-ing)

 

[NMEBowen]

they have been running it on everything at ces this year so im guessing some form of beta has been put out for that, i just want a final release to see some bulldozer benchmarks see if its worth me actually getting a 8 core.

 

[UndeadJack]

Maybe it has RTM'd already :3 /sarcasm

 

[Wozza63]

yh sadly ill probably have to buy it sooner or later, but tbh, its not giving me any problems and wont for a long while, so why do i need to

if you want the 8 core just get it