Where we stand — and are going — with Windows 8

[pbug56]

To answer Ted;

1. Classic Shell. Microsloth has promised to block its use soon.
2. I don't want the toddler / Mutro interface anywhere near my hard earned and or built PC's. It's tablet and phone junk and I don't ever want to see it on a PC I own.
3. The so called desktop on Mutro is crippled and with major features hidden in odd spots. There is and was no need to hide things.
4. I like the Start ORB, and I like arranging icons on my desktop where I want them. And the items I use the most I put in the Quick Launch bar, which despite MS hiding it in Win 7 still works very nicely.
5. I don't like PINS. I like to see the difference between an already open App and one that I MIGHT choose to use.
6. Having to remember Win this, and Win that, gets real tiring after a while. I'm content with Win R and Win E and Win L. But as my users taught me more then 20 years ago, most computer users can and will only memorize a few keystrokes - if any. Keystrokes have to out and about in plain site. I watched a year long project die because the person who did a project ahead of me didn't understand that.
7. Try to remember the very old saying; If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[Medico]

I guess you are a good candidate to stick with Win 7. There is nothing wrong with that. Win 7 is a mighty fine OS. You can choose not to update. Those that choose to update realize ahead of time that there are changes that might take a day or two to get used to. That is the choice we all have. By the way the same method to use the QL bar in Win 7 works very nicely in Win 8 RP as well. In a couple of hours you can modify the Desktop UI so you will not be able to tell you are on Win 8 RP rather than Win 7. You spent the time customizing Win 7 the way you want it, you can do the same with Win 8.

It is MS's prerogative to take their OS in a different route. They did so when Win 95 was released. The outcry at that time was just as loud as it is now.

Some say why didn't MS develop 2 new OS's, one for conventional PC's using the Desktop UI and one for tablets/phones using the Metro UI. Financially this just does not make sense. Developing a new OS takes years of work and a huge outlay of capital with no guaranty of making money. Can you imagine trying to develop 2 OS's concurrently. Instead MS has decided to develop an OS that can be used by a variety of devices with just input/output changes on a device by device basis. The basic core files are the same. This seems to make perfect sense to me.

Like I said up front you do not have to choose to upgrade. Win 7 indeed "ain't broke" and MS is not fixing it. They are developing a new multi=platform OS for the future. Win 7 will continue to be viable for many years. Heck, Win XP continues to be viable.

Your customers have a choice as well. If they choose Win 8, then they may look to you to provide support. Most PC techs. I know are looking forward to this as a new source of income stream.

[acbeaton]

I gave up on Win8 CP mainly because IE10 would not work. I came to terms with the Start menu eventually, having been highly critical at first sight. However, I am a sucker for new technology and had learned from CP that Win 8 is substantially Win 7 with wings and all my peripherals and software worked well, so when RP was made available I upgraded from CP and am using Win8 x64 RP on my desktop PC as my operational system. IE10 now works, although I have decided to stick with Google Chrome, which I use with my Win7 system. Very happy with RP, using mouse and keyboard mostly, as I hate my beautiful 22" touch-screen monitor being covered with greasy fingerprints! I have the Start menu organised to suit me and it works well. Also I turn off my computer now and save electricity because Win8 starts so quickly. That alone is a major attraction.
I have a smartphone to do all the app stuff and am not much interested in that side on my desktop PC. Also announcement of Win8 on a tablet sounds of possible future interest and gives Microsoft's planning some credibility.
Furthermore, I have just found this article in 'Blogging Windows', which has made my day. Read it. http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/.

[Medico]

I had not heard the reference to Win 8 RP is Win 7 with wings. I never had the problem with IE 10 as I set it to always open the desktop version. The Metro version lot allowing add-ons was a bummer.

I also spend most of my time on the desktop. I have no reason to go to the Metro UI. My PC is turned off each night as I do maintenance chores when the PC is booted.

We have discussed the web site you linked in several threads. It is very enlightening and makes Win 8 Pro a real possibility.

[acbeaton]

Yes, Ted, I think the Win 8 Pro offer could be a winner. I just hope it includes backup to a networked HDD because Win 8 won't allow me to use my NAS drive for this purpose and I have had to add an external HDD to my desktop PC. I had a Samsung 1TB SATA internal drive lying around, which was so cheap I couldn't not buy it, if you know what I mean, and then found I could not spare one of my motherboard SATA connections to fit it. A couple of weeks ago I found that I could buy, for just over £30, a StarTech USB SATA and IDE Docking Station, which painlessly did the business. (Hope this may help others with the same problem).

Re the Metro GUI, I used ViStart with Win 8 CP to bring back the Start button, but with Win 8 RP I use the new Metro Start and much prefer it... so one up to Microsoft! If half the energy expended on trashing it was spent on understanding it I believe most critics would come round to appreciating it.

I generally switch my computers off at night, Ted, but now switch them off during the day too, when I take a break. 45 seconds to lock screen, enter my pin and wham!! the Start screen is there. The other day I swapped my laptop HDD for an SSD and, using Win 7 Ultimate, it starts so fast I now shut it down during the day too.. or at least close the lid because it resumes instantly.

Happy days! One of the bugbears of using computers has been addressed.