Proposal to Keep WinXP Support "Alive"

[knuttle]

On Thu, 20 Dec 2012 08:48:10 -0500, "knuttle"


Closest you can come is to start in TIFKAM (The Interface Formerly
Known As Metro) and have it switch to the desktop shortly after (just a
few seconds, depending on your system speed) and provide a start menu
by using a start menu replacement utility like Start8, Classic Shell,
etc.

I very rarely use the start menu as such. I have moved all of the icons
from the desktop and have my photographs as wall paper.

I have all of my active programs in the Quick launch toolbar, and other
programs are located in folders that are in the Quick launch toolbar.

The only time I go to the start menu is to shut down the computer.

I suspect that even if I have to go through the weird interface the
quick launch toolbar is history and there will be no way to clear the
desk top for your own photos.

Window X SP3, will change when I need to replace the computer, as
nothing practical will be available.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Would you tell us how to lock it so it defaults to the Desktop mode not
the "Modern/Metro interface"

Download and install Start8. That's one of its options.

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP

 

[Char Jackson]

I very rarely use the start menu as such.

The only time I go to the start menu is to shut down the computer.

Create a new shortcut, tell it to execute <path>\shutdown.exe /s, call
it Shutdown, and place it on your Quick Launch bar. Create a second
new shortcut, execute <path>\shutdown.exe /r, and call it Restart.

Now you won't have to go near your start menu at all.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Is this available on the Microsoft website?

No. It's a third-party program, and a very good one. It's only $4.99
US.

Get it at http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

On Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:08:12 -0500, "knuttle"

I very rarely use the start menu as such. I have moved all of the icons
from the desktop and have my photographs as wall paper.

I have all of my active programs in the Quick launch toolbar, and other
programs are located in folders that are in the Quick launch toolbar.

The only time I go to the start menu is to shut down the computer.

I suspect that even if I have to go through the weird interface the
quick launch toolbar is history and there will be no way to clear the
desk top for your own photos.

The desktop still exists, so you can change the wallpaper to your
photos (and even have them rotate automatically on a schedule). Also,
you can pin any program you want to the taskbar, which should be
similar enough to the Quick Launch toolbar to suit your needs. Start8
or Classic Shell are probably still the easiest way to make Windows 8
drop to the desktop automatically even if you don't want or need the
start menu replacement they provide.

--
Zaphod

"Yeah. Listen, I'm Zaphod Beeblebrox, my father was Zaphod Beeblebrox
the Second, my grandfather Zaphod Beeblebrox the Third..."

"What?"

"There was an accident with a contraceptive and a time machine. Now
concentrate!"

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

On Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:20:45 -0700, "Ken Blake, MVP"

No. It's a third-party program, and a very good one. It's only $4.99
US.

Get it at http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP

Classic Shell is a free alternative that also does this. It isn't as
polished as Start8, but it works well from what I've seen.

--
Zaphod

"So [Trillian], two heads is what does it for a girl?"
"...Anything else [Zaphod]'s got two of?"
- Arthur Dent

 

[robot chicken]

Is this available on the Microsoft website?

You bring up a great point. With so much information available now,
what we really need is some kind of search engine to help us locate
what we're looking for. Someone should create something like that.
They could give it a unique but made up name, like Google, and they
could place it at an obvious address like www.google.com. Oh wait,
someone already did that! Never mind.

 

[Greegor]

Why are so many people posting ways
to turn off cutesy parts of Win 8 and
band-aid the shortcomings to make it functional?

It's like a whole lot of making excuses!

 

[Paul]

Why are so many people posting ways
to turn off cutesy parts of Win 8 and
band-aid the shortcomings to make it functional?

It's like a whole lot of making excuses!

I don't have a touch screen. Why would I use the
touch screen part of the OS ? I use the part of
the OS that works best with my equipment (keyboard and mouse).

The supply of good touchscreen monitors is still limited.
They're late to market. And even if one was available,
I would not be buying it. I'm not spending $400 on hardware,
to use a $39.95 OS.

Paul

 

[Bert]

The supply of good touchscreen monitors is still limited.
They're late to market. And even if one was available,
I would not be buying it. I'm not spending $400 on hardware,
to use a $39.95 OS.

Even if touchscreens were cheap, I'd still not want to use one.

The screen on my iPad is a smeary mess after a few hours of using it.

A touchscreen might be useful if it's sitting in your lap, or maybe if
it's wall mounted and you're standing in front if it, but if I'm sitting
at a desk and the monitor is also on my desk, that's a human factors
nightmare; I can already feel my shoulder cramping up.

 

[BillW50]

Even if touchscreens were cheap, I'd still not want to use one.

The screen on my iPad is a smeary mess after a few hours of using it.

I don't know much about iPads, but do they come with Corning Gorilla
Glass? My two Windows slate tablets do and I don't think they scratch or
leave prints very easily. Plus you can use your fingers or the stylist.
The stylist on Corning Gorilla Glass leaves nothing behind.

A touchscreen might be useful if it's sitting in your lap, or maybe if
it's wall mounted and you're standing in front if it, but if I'm sitting
at a desk and the monitor is also on my desk, that's a human factors
nightmare; I can already feel my shoulder cramping up.

I use docking stations with my Windows touch screen tablets most of the
time. Thus there is never a need to touch the screen if you don't want
too. But if you want to, you can if you want. And when it is undocked in
your lap or wall mounted, I usually do. ;-)

 

[BillW50]

I don't have a touch screen. Why would I use the
touch screen part of the OS ? I use the part of
the OS that works best with my equipment (keyboard and mouse).

I have Windows 8 installed on non-touch screens and touch screens. The
Metro side it doesn't matter much to me if I use the touch screen or the
keyboard and the mouse. On the classic desktop side, touch screens isn't
fun at all. I think I can get everything done on a touch screen, I just
won't be near as fast.

The supply of good touchscreen monitors is still limited.
They're late to market. And even if one was available,
I would not be buying it. I'm not spending $400 on hardware,
to use a $39.95 OS.

Paul

I had zero interest with Windows on a touch screen until Windows 8. And
one of the best things even with the classic Desktop, scrolling is so
much better on the touchpad than with a keyboard and mouse.

 

[knuttle]

You bring up a great point. With so much information available now,
what we really need is some kind of search engine to help us locate
what we're looking for. Someone should create something like that.
They could give it a unique but made up name, like Google, and they
could place it at an obvious address likewww.google.com. Oh wait,
someone already did that! Never mind.

You missed the sarcasm that you have to buy or search for a third party
piece of software to make Windows 8 a usable system.

 

[Char Jackson]

Why are so many people posting ways
to turn off cutesy parts of Win 8 and
band-aid the shortcomings to make it functional?

Someone asked, someone answered. That's how newsgroups are supposed to
work.

It's like a whole lot of making excuses!

No, it's just a few people who are afraid of change, asking how to
make a new OS look more like an old OS.

 

[BillW50]

one of the best things even with the classic Desktop, scrolling is so
much better on the touchpad than with a keyboard and mouse.

I mean the touch screen. ;-)

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

On Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:20:45 -0700, "Ken Blake, MVP"


Classic Shell is a free alternative that also does this. It isn't as
polished as Start8, but it works well from what I've seen.

Classic Shell is also very good. But I prefer Start8, and since it so
inexpensive, it's what I prefer to recommend.

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Why are so many people posting ways
to turn off cutesy parts of Win 8 and
band-aid the shortcomings to make it functional?

It's like a whole lot of making excuses!

I'm not interested in making excuses, for Microsoft or for anyone
else. But I am interested in recommending ways to help people make
effective use, of Windows 8 or anything else.

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP

 

[BillW50]

I thought I heard that Apple sold at least 2 completely different versions
of their OS - one OS designed for desktops, and one OS designed for their
tablets. If that's correct, wouldn't it make sense for MS to also follow
their lead?

Correct about Apple, but Microsoft has done this before with Windows CE.
And Windows CE was never a big hit. So Microsoft is taking another path
and merging the two. Maybe Microsoft has heard the many complains
between the Mac and the iPad. That is they are totally incompatible with
each other. So making them compatible with each other seems to be the
next logical step.

 

[Char Jackson]

And - what it's going to cost to replace all the current software
with new stuff that does less. At least that has been my experience
with OS upgrades.

If your experience with OS upgrades is anything like mine, it won't
cost anything. There are plenty of things I don't particularly care
for with any OS, Windows or not, but backwards compatibility isn't an
area where I can throw stones. MS has consistently done an amazing job
in that respect.

 

[Char Jackson]

You missed the sarcasm that you have to buy or search for a third party
piece of software to make Windows 8 a usable system.

Except that you don't, of course, have to do that to make it usable.

To me, sarcasm is more effective when it has a basis in fact.