Windows 8 Windows 8.1 Thoughts?

[Ian]

Anyone here trying the Windows 8.1 preview? Here's a link to it in case you're interested but don't have it already:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/preview-download

I've got it downloaded and may give it a whirl at the weekend (in a VM).

 

[EvanDavis]

I shall also try it in a VM first

 

[floppybootstomp]

I've read a little about it and I've still decided to pass on this one, let's just put it in the same camp as ME & Vista.

That Start button that's been added, all it does is get you to the same place as hovering the mouse just below the task bar and clicking on that. No different really, they've just 'unhidden' it.

I've said it before, I'm open to change but I don't want a tablet or mobile phone OS on my desktop. Touch screen? It was all I could ever do to keep my kid's sweaty greasy fingerprints off of any monitor screen, I hardly want to encourage a smeary screen.

And besides, I honestly like Windows 7 a great deal, it works well for the most part and I feel comfortable using it.

Microsoft seem to have scored a few own goals recently - Win 8 /8.1; Xbox One DRM proposals and IE10.

Let's just hope for better things to come but I'm not holding my breath.

And in case you're wondering, no, I'm not averse to change, I welcome it if it's for the better, but I tried Win 8 and quite frankly it was not very good at all (<< hey, note the restraint )

 

[crazylegs]

Nope I won't be trying it at all, its been designed with touchscreens in mind and I don't have a touchscreen, only on me phone..

 

[muckshifter]

Microsoft, they be just a hap'ney short of a farthing these days.

I won't be trying Win8 anytime, even if it came with a free 26" touch screen monitor.

 

[Taffycat]

My Win 7 came with the option to "upgrade" to Win 8 for free, when I bought my new rig last year. Have to say that I've never felt the least bit tempted to take-up the offer.

Tbh, I've never really understood the appeal of having a touchscreen (other than on a hand-held device.) It's far more comfortable to use a mouse, than reaching across the desk to swipe at the screen.

I'm also with Flopps regarding the sticky fingers. Fingermarked desktop screens are a no-no... recently, a young guy was showing us his new phone. The first thing I noticed, was how smeared and icky the screen looked.

 

[nivrip]

No probs with Win7 so can't see any point in changing.

 

[Anon_F]

do bill or paul need the extra money $$$?

 

[Abarbarian]

Must confess I have hardly given it a thought. Is it a service pack for Windows 8 ?

 

[floppybootstomp]

Is it a service pack for Windows 8 ?

By any other name - yes, I reckon so.

Strictly speaking it's a service pack for Vista, sort of.

A brief history:

Goodbye XP, hello Vista...
Vista is stable but excrutiatingly slow and with unpopular features such as UAC, making Vista not very well liked.
Microsoft develop service pack for Vista but instead of releasing it ad hoc as is normal practice, run it by Redmond's marketing department.
Marketing department advise tweaking the GUI a little more and launching the revamped Vista as a new operating system
Microsoft PR folk spend $8 million and after three weeks, 22 business lunches and a weekend in Hawaii christen 'new' OS 'Windows 7'.
On hearing the news Steve Ballmer experiences overwhelming urge of pleasure so intense that he has to be sedated and hospitalised for three days.
The revamped Vista is launched as new operating system Windows 7 and the public take to it like ducks to water and overwhelmingly across the board proclaim it's goodness.
Microsoft collectively silenced as they are stunned with the knowledge they actually got something right.
Two years later Microsoft employee notices people using iPads, tablets and mobile phones, sees Android OS and has an idea......