Windows 8 is the first OS that made me downgrade

[Dot Matrix]

Of course that thing won't cause a neck strain after using it for any prolonged period of time...

No more than working with a laptop would.

[+virtorio MVC]

No more than working with a laptop would.

No. You can rest your arms on your desk or laptop surface. With that thing you'll need to hold your arms up causing strain in your neck and arms.

[.Neo]

No more than working with a laptop would.

Actually it does. A notebook has a vertical screen which means you don't have to lower your head as much. You're also able to rest your arms and hands properly on a horizontal surface. Putting the DELL more upright means it becomes less comfortable to touch, putting it flatter it becomes less comfortable to look at. It's a crappy desktop to use all around.

If you want to use multi-touch gestures on the desktop a solution like the Magic Trackpad is the only viable option at this point. Touching the screen of your desktop computer itself just isn't.

[BajiRav]

I think "that's it I am staying with Windows 7" is the new "that's it I am moving to canada"? I am yet to see a compelling argument about why Windows 7 is better than Windows 8 besides looks (which is subjective)

Do people really want touch on desktop screens though? Of course on a tablet / mobile device it's essential - but in terms of using my PC I find the keyboard and mouse a powerful and comfortable way of interacting. I don't feel the urge to reach across the desk and start wiping my fingers across the screen.. it'll make it messy and it'll be uncomfortable.

All touch screen features also work with multi-touch track pad in the exact same fashion. You obviously need hardware+drivers that support it. So I guess yes, multi-touch can also work on a desktop with or without a touch screen. It's there if you want it but you don't have to use.

[FloatingFatMan]

It's hard to take your post seriously when, despite a number of people making valid and informative points about why they're not keen on the product, you're willing to summarily dismiss them as "whiners". It's this level of arrogance[/b] from a number of members on here which really gets my back up.

So you know everything about the people you just dismissed as whiners? Do you think they're all more stupid than you? Less technical? Unable to use a computer properly? What exactly makes you the position of authority on who is worthy of being able to criticise the product.

For me, the only naysayers that I classify as whiners, are those that have a go at Windows 8 having clearly never actually used it.

I'm not really a naysayer, but I'm not a fan either. It's just something new to get used to, really.

[BajiRav]

No. You can rest your arms on your desk or laptop surface. With that thing you'll need to hold your arms up causing strain in your neck and arms.

Laptops on a desk are a serious ergonomic disaster. I'd know because I had to give up for few months because of a neck injury.

[+virtorio MVC]

Laptops on a desk are a serious ergonomic disaster. I'd know because I had to give up for few months because of a neck injury.

Yes, they (like anything) are if you're not positioned correctly.

What I'm saying is that is near impossible to position yourself correctly for that Dell Touchscreen thing above.

[Anibal P]

What's really sad is the most of you complaining are supposedly geeks or at least people who work on computers for a living, you should be the last person complaining about any changes in the OS, especially Mr I have used Windows for 20 years but don't know how to Alt+Tab, you all are acting like those overentitled customers we've all had that act as if the world revolves around them and not acting like a true geek, who would just get over it and drive on

[Wakers]

Sadly the IT community is like that.

My brother is a well paid IT professional and yet he still insists on turning UAC and Windows Updates off.

[Alwaysonacoffebreak]

Sadly the IT community is like that.

My brother is a well paid IT professional and yet he still insists on turning UAC and Windows Updates off.

Because you actually don't need them if you know what you're doing.

[vcfan]

lol @ all the people who think just because its not ugly then businesses wont use it. if you actually thought of what this brings to the table for businesses you wouldnt spew that crap.

why even make a thread like this? theres countless other threads you can give your opinion in. this to me screams like you're trying to belittle the OS to make yourself feel better because you are a mac/android user. its getting old.

if you dont like it,then use whatever else you like instead. people that like it want to chat about all the new features. i really hope this site looks into whats happening, because if this is a windows site, it really puts off real windows fans, and it has been take over by a android/mac fans who like to do nothing other than bash windows.

[Calum Veteran]

[. . .]

I came to the conclusion that those who thinks that Windows 8 is innovative... never in their life used another launcher on windows, for example like rocket dock or xwidget or xlaunchpad, they just like it because is offered first party but they never cared to search it third party. Paradigm? ha! I like them to use my full blown 7 experience with my launchers and no desktop icons, far better pleasuring for me but because they don't know it they will think "it has no standard", and yet, for me... it's fast.

Actually, I used RocketDock for quite a while at one point, so you should start thinking more logically :)

[S.U.]

I also didn't like it at all. I am on release-preview as of now. As per me it will be an epic fail.

[Buttus]

same here, i tried 8 for quite a while, never got used to the tiles/metro interface...

i still don't understand why they don't make a win8 for tablets with the tiles, and a win8 for desktop versions where they just improve win7, not create a new desktop

[Som]

And yet Android has every feature you loathe about Windows 8 (but also lacks the backward-compatibility that has you hanging on to Windows 7 for dear life) so why Android as opposed to Windows 8, huh?

well firstly android is highly customizable so that you could make it look like windows 7 :p, (infact you can do that right now) but seriously i like android on my phone, that's where it works and i'm sure i'd like windows 8 on on tablet (if i was to get one) , but not on my desktop... but as i've said i just don't like it and you free to like it as much as you want but equally i'm free to dislike it as much as i want and not be attacked cause i'm not embracing the future ... or whatever...

[briangw]

PowerShell was launched clear back with Windows XP Service Pack 2/Server 2003 as a generalist scripting language and has *always* been compatible with/available for desktop Windows - Windows 8 is actually the first desktop flavor to include it. The only reason it hasn't taken hold on the desktop is user resistance. Server admins use WPS for remote administration (which is, in fact, the focus behind most of the *canned scripts* available for WPS today) - a lot of the WPS scripts highlighted for use in Windows 8, in fact, came directly from the Server side of Windows due to server-side features migrating to the desktop (such as Hyper-V). WPS is a straight-up alternative to Visual Basic Script (which predates WPS in that role) and is, in fact, meant to replace it in that role. So in that sense WPS is far from a new feature - just a massively underused one.

Actually, Windows 7 includes PS 2.0, so I believe it was the first.

But let me rephrase. On the server side, it's moving towards dominance. Take Exchange 2010 for example: PS the the back-end running the commands, in fact, there are some commands in Exchange that you can't run via GUI and must use PS. I know that Desktops are slow to adopt it. I'm no where near the scripter I should be; but I was mainly pointing out to the previous person that he/she isn't too far from the truth with the MS/DOS days if you look at the surge of command-line abilities.

[aludanyi]

Windows 8 is just a start (and tablets has nothing to do with that), it is the first step toward replacing the outdated desktop/windows concept with a new modern UI. Don't get me wrong, the desktop/windows idea was a great thing back in 1980, when neither the hardware nor the software wasn't sophisticated enough for something better. Now this is 2012, the hardware are amazing and software could be much more powerful..., so why stick with an invention which was (great) for another time?

Natural user interfaces are the future, and multitouch is just a little part of that paradigm. It will take some time to get used to it, but you can't and you shouldn't resist this change... it is like hating the car because you are used to a horse-drawn carriage and now you have to learn new stuff... Anyway I see that most people don't even realize the real under the hub improvements in Windows 8, like for example the first step to leave Win32 API behind (this is another start) with a modern WinRT API.

Improved security and programming models which will made possible an easy way to utilize the real power of the underlying hardware are also something we shouldn't ignore (multicore, asynchronous, etc...). Not to mention the new idea of "don't interrupt the user" with million stupid things like updates, notifications etc. (which was not a problem when there was only 2 things a week, but now when there is 20 things a day is stupid, annoying and ineffective).

Another start is the accelerated journey toward the hyper-connected, service oriented, super opportunities generator known as the CLOUD... but I am afraid that most people hate learning and they hate when additional effort is required in order to move toward a better place... that is why they just wants the same thing they already have just in a different color and with a little more shine... they can't see the woods for the trees...

Btw, the most productive and intelligent UI (for many tasks) is still the shell (command line), the problem is that it cannot be efficiently and successfully used without learning it first, but when you do learn it... no soul can beat you. ;)

[Skin]

I don't understand the hate. Everything you wanted to do before is still pretty much there, Yeah, not everything is streamlined, but click for click, the most commonly used things are at your fingertips and if you don't whine about shadows and junk like that, it looks and runs fine. Do I like the disjointed 'classic' vs. new stuff, no. It is jarring and bleck, but I can see why they did it, and how the hope to force users to move to the future they envision. Heck, apple did it.

[neufuse Veteran]

It's also fairly common that businesses don't move to a new OS until the first service pack. They certainly NEVER jump to one just released; that would be dumber than dumb.

The only businesses that'll be going to Windows 8, are those that will be developing for it.

if the only ones going to are developing for it, then MS has a serious problem on their hands... because not every company is on the exact same upgrade cycle... some are this year, some are next year... if none of them want to upgrade, there is going to be major sales problems... or if they all start requesting downgrade rights, then there is something wrong with the design...

to say everyone will wait windows 8 out because its a consumer OS and windows 9 will be the fix is dumb for others too, because windows 9 will be based on windows 8 like windows 7 was based on vista... there wont be major changes in windows 9 unless this OS is a complete flop like Microsoft BOB was

[Noir Angel]

The desktop portion of Windows 8 works just the same as Windows 7. So, what are you saying?

No it doesn't. There's no start menu, the themes have been changed, and there are changes to explorer.

[FloatingFatMan]

if the only ones going to are developing for it, then MS has a serious problem on their hands... because not every company is on the exact same upgrade cycle... some are this year, some are next year... if none of them want to upgrade, there is going to be major sales problems... or if they all start requesting downgrade rights, then there is something wrong with the design...

to say everyone will wait windows 8 out because its a consumer OS and windows 9 will be the fix is dumb for others too, because windows 9 will be based on windows 8 like windows 7 was based on vista... there wont be major changes in windows 9 unless this OS is a complete flop like Microsoft BOB was

I'm pretty sure Windows 8 is just a test. MS have seen how people like consumer orientated OS's like iOS and Android, and want a slice of that pie, so have focussed W8 at that market, though still adding stuff for businesses. I fully believe that they're willing to take a big hit for the chance of a payoff. It's why they've made their own tablet, too.

[.Neo]

No it doesn't. There's no start menu, the themes have been changed, and there are changes to explorer.

The themes don't actually change the way your desktop works.

[Ryster]

if the only ones going to are developing for it, then MS has a serious problem on their hands... because not every company is on the exact same upgrade cycle... some are this year, some are next year... if none of them want to upgrade, there is going to be major sales problems... or if they all start requesting downgrade rights, then there is something wrong with the design...

to say everyone will wait windows 8 out because its a consumer OS and windows 9 will be the fix is dumb for others too, because windows 9 will be based on windows 8 like windows 7 was based on vista... there wont be major changes in windows 9 unless this OS is a complete flop like Microsoft BOB was

Don't forget that once Windows 8 is released, any company buying a windows license will be buying a Windows 8 license, whether they install Windows 8 or Windows 7. Even if companies choose to install 7, it wont affect sales of 8 licenses :)

[FloatingFatMan]

Don't forget that once Windows 8 is released, any company buying a windows license will be buying a Windows 8 license, whether they install Windows 8 or Windows 7. Even if companies choose to install 7, it wont affect sales of 8 licenses :)

Pretty sure MS are not discontinuing the sales of Windows 7...

[neufuse Veteran]

Don't forget that once Windows 8 is released, any company buying a windows license will be buying a Windows 8 license, whether they install Windows 8 or Windows 7. Even if companies choose to install 7, it wont affect sales of 8 licenses :)

yeah, which skews the sales numbers, which makes win8 looks like a success in business when it might not be

Pretty sure MS are not discontinuing the sales of Windows 7...

OEM systems will come with windows 8, with downgrade rights to windows 7, but its still a "windows 8 license sale"