Who else has tried windows 8? It was officially released last friday but the preview has been available for quite a while. If you have windows 7 you can upgrade for only $40, and its free if you bought your computer since July.

I installed it last night and I really like it. The start screen is sexy, the built-in media programs are really good and I also like how it hooks into facebook. It's going to take some getting used to, but I think once I learn the keyboard shortcuts it will be easier to use than windows 7.

I've heard that it is crap.

It is made for tablets, not desktops.

It's made to kind of merge the two together. You can use it exactly how you use windows 7, except now the start menu is a full screen thing with cool (and optional) features.

Windows 8 components are coded diffidently.
From an IT support perspective - **** you world.

But as Emilia said, it was developed for tablets, and the PC adaption isn't crash hot.
Stick with 7 unless you like fixing problems long term.

If they would of just put a damn disable metro setting, they would sell thousands more. A desktop doesn't need big buttons to click on, we have mouses. They are made for precise clicking, a finger isn't.

I will not be using windows 8 till some system for using normal desktop is added or hacked. We'll see what SP1 holds.

This was featured on Lifehacker to mod the Win 8 start menu.
http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/best-windows-8-start-screen-modifiers-start-menu-apps/
They do look quite nice.

Also, side note, I hate that everything is being called an app now.

You can pretty much use the standard windows desktop for everything other than control panel and launching programs (and you still have the taskbar icons / desktop icons). 95% of my computer usage hasn't changed.

The main problem with windows 8 is that the average person will find the changes annoying (mainly because the start menu has been around for 17 years). It won't be a problem for power users as they tend to pick things up quickly and will learn all the keyboard shortcuts etc. I agree that it would absolutely suck from an IT support perspective. If I was a business I would avoid windows 8 completely.

I personally think that if you consider yourself good with computers and force yourself to stick to Win8 for a few weeks you won't want to go back to Win7 by the end of it.

Emilia wrote: I hate that everything is being called an app now.

The issue is, nearly everything now runs as an App...
I don't like it, I feel its not how my PC should be running specific things.

On the note of the layout / buttons.
I shouldn't have to download mods for my OS, just to change icon size. All my previous Windows installs have allowed me to alter icon size etc within 2-3 clicks of a button...

I'm sticking with 7...

Yep I think i'll stick with 7 and not Vista... oh wait 8 right i'm not getting Windows 8!!!

Torchwood wrote:Yep I think i'll stick with 7 and not Vista... oh wait 8 right i'm not getting Windows 8!!!

I understand the confusion here.
What you have to get is that Microsoft have a habit of failing every second OS now ^.^

I've been running 8 for a week or two now and I don't mind it.

Hated it when playing with it in a vm but once I decided to just install it as my main os you get used to it pretty quick.

Dont use the metro apps though and I haven't modded in a start menu as there's really no point. It was always kinda bloated and useless anyway, especially compared to something more organised like on linux systems with everything laid out into categories and not just fifty million random folders with random names and 10 million random shortcuts to un-needed crap to sort through.

Right clicking the start button gives you access to most system tools you need and search in metro works great for finding seldom used programs quickly.
My main programs are pinned to the taskbar or desktop shortcuts as they have always been anyway.

It's about time Microsoft decided to try something different.
Sure it's not quite right yet but at least they are finally trying and kudos for that.
(note: I have always been rather anti m$ and a linux fanboy but 7 was the first good os since 2000 and I'm really looking forward to seeing how 9 evolves)

Tl:Dr just try it and don't be so scared of change lol

< Networking student and I absolutely despise it still

Relatable.

I'd be more worried about the stupid **** you need to remember for them Cisco tests then "ohnoes the 20 year old start menu that no one liked until now has gone" lol

Random question, who here on the windows 8 hate bandwagon is actually using windows 8 as their main os and not just regurgitating some other knobs opinion?

Once you get over the learning curve I've only seen a couple of stubborn pRicks that refuse to change and still say they hate it. Then they just install start8 or something and pretty much have 7 back but faster

Edit: man I've changed my tune in the last few weeks lol, can't believe im sticking up for microshaft. Bring on the steam linux beta already!

I haven't tried the full install, but I partly agree with most that nobody likes it just because it's different. That said, I did find that whatever beta I was using was too tablet-like for effective use on a desktop, and too desktop-like for effective use on a tablet, so instead of creating an OS that could be used on both, they made one usable on neither. To be fair, I didn't use it for very long though.

But still, it's like the Gnome 3 release - everyone hated it and complained like hell, but tbh I didn't think it made anything worse at all. In fact I think it's really conductive to how I work (at least until I broke it). Can anyone remember a single Windows release that people actually liked at first?

Haha yeah, I still remember all the hate over bringing in the start menu let alone removing it haha
8 isn't perfect by any means but it's progress at least.

Gnome on the other hand was damn near perfect.
Still haven't convinced myself into becoming accustomed to unity though lol

self_slaughter wrote:Random question, who here on the windows 8 hate bandwagon is actually using windows 8 as their main os and not just regurgitating some other knobs opinion?

Yeah I was on the hate bandwagon from the previews and other info I read, until I actually used it. Now I like it more than Windows 7 (although I still don't see much use for the metro apps).

Tried Beta but switched back to 7, don't hate as such but don't think its suited for pc!

I'll retry it after a service pack or two(I managed a week as main install before back to 7), but as it stands, I'd rather worry about my Cisco courses than a **** OS that's yet to be beneficial to any environment I'd want to work in.

Come on Cisco just need you to remember stupid ****.
Just study up the night before the test and try to remember the stupidest most pointless details and you'll be right

All the actual networking, subnetting etc is a piece of piss

programming routers n **** ain't rocket science lol

self_slaughter wrote:Come on Cisco just need you to remember stupid ****.
Just study up the night before the test and try to remember the stupidest most pointless details and you'll be right

All the actual networking, subnetting etc is a piece of piss

programming routers n **** ain't rocket science lol

I'm aware its easy, I just need them to get work anyhow.

Mickle wrote:

I'm aware its easy, I just need them to get work anyhow.

Nah you need experience to get work, certs n **** don't count for squat without it

I made that mistake, too many certs but no real experience meant I was over qualified for entry level jobs and under experienced for higher level ones.

Take any job in the industry u can get now and work on your certs as u go.

Back on topic 8 would probably be a great os for networking due to having hyper-v and native ISO/VHD mounting etc.
The amount of times I had to rebuild my servers from scratch due to virtual box and virtual pc etc killing my vms was ridiculous.

I know I need experience too, hence the whole, I have to move for work stuff.

Just as it stands, a cert or two additional helps me get that **** job I'll sit through for experience briefly in life.

Mickle wrote:I know I need experience too, hence the whole, I have to move for work stuff.

Just as it stands, a cert or two additional helps me get that **** job I'll sit through for experience briefly in life.

Yeah good luck, I got a cert or two too many and it **** me from getting an entry level job because they thought I was over qualified and wouldn't stay there long enough to bother.

Ended up just going back to driving a forklift lol.

moral of the story: Don't procrastinate and go i don't need to look for a job becuase I'm studying....
Apply for **** left right and centre now and hopefully you'll find something by the time you're ready.
Even if you're not, take it anyway!