Opinion: Is Windows 8 Worth $15 for New PC Owners?

[Zingam_Duo]

[citation][nom]cscott_it[/nom]I've been using Windows 8 at work since it's first release and I haven't seen any sort of issue with it. To me, there is little difference between the start menu and the metro landing page.I press the windows key, type in the title of the program I want to run (or enough of it), and press enter. Yes, you still have a desktop. Yes, you can still put icons on it.It's nice for me to have two layers. Things pinned to my desktop and things pinned to my start menu.It does really well with multiple monitors (which is a must for my profession)Why is it the people who consider themselves the most tech savvy are also the most resilient to change? Then again, maybe I don't have a hard time because I've always used keyboard shortcuts.Example: Windows Key + C pulls up the right hand pane/ribbon Windows Key + S is a snipping shortcut Windows Key + X like a control panel shortcut Windows Key + F opens up the Files Menu Windows Key + E opens up the App MenuTo each his own though. Outside of the new OS learning curves - I honestly, as a System Engineer & Administrator with 3 screens at work and a single monitor gamer/programmer at home, haven't lost any efficiency using it and can now be just as effective in Windows 7.[/citation]

Coz my fav keyboard has no Windows key!

 

[super d spamalot]

[citation][nom]cscott_it[/nom]I've been using Windows 8 at work since it's first release and I haven't seen any sort of issue with it. To me, there is little difference between the start menu and the metro landing page.I press the windows key, type in the title of the program I want to run (or enough of it), and press enter. Yes, you still have a desktop. Yes, you can still put icons on it.It's nice for me to have two layers. Things pinned to my desktop and things pinned to my start menu.It does really well with multiple monitors (which is a must for my profession)Why is it the people who consider themselves the most tech savvy are also the most resilient to change? Then again, maybe I don't have a hard time because I've always used keyboard shortcuts.Example: Windows Key + C pulls up the right hand pane/ribbon Windows Key + S is a snipping shortcut Windows Key + X like a control panel shortcut Windows Key + F opens up the Files Menu Windows Key + E opens up the App MenuTo each his own though. Outside of the new OS learning curves - I honestly, as a System Engineer & Administrator with 3 screens at work and a single monitor gamer/programmer at home, haven't lost any efficiency using it and can now be just as effective in Windows 7.[/citation]

This is the problem with Windows 8 hatred in general. Most, if not all of the people I know who have tried Windows 8 (A large portion of them in IT) and hated it didn't even know metro could be controlled by keyboard shortcuts. I personally found out that many of the people I know in IT who actually consider themselves power users didn't know about the keyboard shortcuts at all and have never used them. So, in short, what we have here are a lot of Fisher Price PC gurus who think they actually know something saying that something they don't know how to use is a failure.... Which I suppose is the norm for this website in general.

I don't think I've used the start menu in years because the various keyboard shortcuts and desktop/task bar icons just make it obsolete... So Windows 8 not having a start menu doesn't bother me in the least. I plan on using Windows 8 because of the many, many awesome improvements under the hood, not because of the UI.

 

[upgrade_1977]

Only if they put the start button back.

 

[Wamphryi]

Ok. For those who need their start button there is a feature in Win 8 that seems largely overlooked. Right click on the task bar. Click on Tool bars. Select the desktop tool bar. You will see an option appear on the task bar to the right called Desktop. Click on that and you will see a start menu in Win 7 / XP style appear that is very focused and dare I say useful.

 

[mactronix]

Been there done the homework installed it on 3 systems. 2 X Laptops 1 X Desktop PC. Family member guineas All wanted it gone after 2 weeks max.

 

[eddieroolz]

Its cheap, kind of like what Apple does with their own OS.

 

[ejb222]

I wish I was a moderater...any time someone posted some stupid comment like "W8 is going to be an epic failure" I would delete it. Of my person favorite "it's not made for desktops" You have to be kidding me! It IS made for desktops. It installs on a desktop. It runs on a desktop. It has drivers for desktop hardware. It works with desktop mice and keyboards and monitors. Funny...the OS on my phone doesn't do that...because the OS is NOT made for my desktop.
Anyone who seriously comes to this site to get any valid opinion better be observant. If they are they will catch on pretty quick that all the idoits ever post is childish nonsense like you see in these comments. But anyone who is worth taking seriously actually gives a viable review and usually LIKES W8.

 

[Guest]

I'm sorry to say this everyone, but it seems that the power users are forgetting the very reason they are power users. We review to product in the eyes of our users as IT professionals. I have a very hard time with such a drastic change between 7 and 8. The whole GUI is a different feeling. Users feel lost after trying it on our more save everyday users. They hate it. That becomes the IT rating whether the IT pros like it or not. So, in the end, it's horrible MS. Like I said after 2 minutes of looking at it and configuring it-please give us 2 ways to install it upon the installation screen. Mobile or PC. End of story. End of negativity from all of us. Just clean up the installation procedure.

 

[bokuden]

I do software QA and we've been checking software on 8 for awhile now. Frankly, it's terrible and counter-intuitive to what MS has been doing for the last 15 years. There's no chance that 8 will *ever* grace one of my personal PCs. It'll be another Vista.

 

[belardo]

[citation][nom]cscott_it[/nom]Why is it the people who consider themselves the most tech savvy are also the most resilient to change? Then again, maybe I don't have a hard time because I've always used keyboard shortcuts.Example: Windows Key + C pulls up the right hand pane/ribbon Windows Key + S is a snipping shortcut Windows Key + X like a control panel shortcut Windows Key + F opens up the Files Menu Windows Key + E opens up the App MenuTo each his own though. Outside of the new OS learning curves -[/citation] I somehow get the feeling you work for Microsoft... whatever.
In the real world, I still amaze clients with the whole "CTRL C /V / X" thing... you somehow expect the AVG human being to remember Windows + # key to do anything?

Wait, I thought the whole point of this was to have a TOUCH interface? How is Windows+key a touch function? Wait! How is having a hidden spot in a corner - a Start Area to go to the Start Screen make any FU**ING sense?! Yes, its a HIDDEN button? What retarded brain-damaged dumb-ass came up with that idea? "Yeah, lets hide the start menu button, then we can say its gone. So this tiny sliver of an area is still the start button" - I'm sure that'll be fun to aim for every few minutes or seconds on a tablet.

The whole Win8 desktop interface sucks balls. I'd rather be forces to use Vista than use Windows8 on any computer... and *I HATE VISTA*. I'd go back to XP before I touch Windows8. I won't buy ANY Microsoft phone, any Microsoft tablet. And I do like the Nokia 800 phones... but I have no confidence in Microsoft and the support of their own products. (WinPhone 7.8? come on)

 

[belardo]

Microsoft SCREWED UP badly on this one.

They SHOULD offer people $100 to downgrade to Windows 8. By God, I hope Microsoft offers $0 to upgrade back to Windows7. I know, Microsoft will probably offer Win8 > Win7 upgrades for $50... they'll make a killing!

 

[belardo]

[citation][nom]ejb222[/nom]I wish I was a moderater...any time someone posted some stupid comment like "W8 is going to be an epic failure" I would delete it.But anyone who is worth taking seriously actually gives a viable review and usually LIKES W8.[/citation] Go open your own website "ilovewin8likeaperv.com" and you can delete all the posts you want. Thank god you are NOT a moderator, your a fascists. Just because people DON'T agree with you doesn't give you the ability to change peoples minds by deleting the facts or opinions from other sources. Thats for a "news" media.

I have a dedicated Win8 PC, running the latest version of the the crappy OS. Its crap. I don't care that you don't like that I hate it. By all means, you can love it... more power to you. Enjoy it.
It Apple sold their OS for us builders... I'd would SPEND $150 to buy a personal copy of OS-X before I would install a $1 copy of Windows8 to install on my own computer.

 

[oatmeal25]

If they gave us the option to boot to the desktop or metro there would be a lot less complaining.

I'm not getting Windows 8. no real interest in changing OSs at the moment. Win 7 is great.

I'm really surprised the put metro on Windows Server products. That seems a bit nuts to me.

 

[dormantreign]

Fifteen Dollar Downgrade...nah.

 

[molo9000]

[citation][nom]eddieroolz[/nom]Its cheap, kind of like what Apple does with their own OS.[/citation]

Apple gives those upgrades away for free for anyone buying a Mac from now till the release of 10.8.

 

[mrmike_49]

[citation][nom]joafu[/nom]I think $15 is a fair price for a Win8 OEM license.Oh, this is to downgrade from 7? Than no, it is not fair.[/citation]

M$ will figure it out: stop selling Win7, and charge them $25 to NOT automatically upgrade to Win8

 

[altriss]

It's just so impressing how people react before windows 8 been released... Maybe we'll like, maybe not, but maybe we could just wait and see?
I can't disagree with the fact that metro is more suitable for tactile devices, but with new interfaces such as LEAP, Desktops can really take advantage from this GUI.
So why not? anyway if someone doesn't like windows 8 he just has to format and install whatever he want. If someone is dumb enough to complain about windows 8 and pay to install 7 or XP, I won't sympathy. Today's not a big deal to remove an OS and install a new one.
So maybe haters gonna hate but let just Microsoft release its product and then see if you want or not try it, don't you think so?

 

[CaedenV]

[citation][nom]maqsabre[/nom]so listening from you all guys it sounds like this iteration of windows is gonna be an epic failure just like windows vista,we don't want glittering eye candy, just show and no go[/citation]
But that is just the exact frustration I am having. Win8 is not just glitz and glitter, there are SEVERAL changes, that are great changes, and huge improvements. The install size is much smaller, the resources used are much smaller, the 'power user' features such as task manager, the new file manager (that allows the pausing of file transfers, and reduces confusion for duplicates when organizing) are just a few.
Sure, metro is not great, but it is not bad either, and in the RP version I actually found that I used it quite a lot even, where I mostly avoided it in the first 2 revisions. Yes, it is a 1st gen interface, and it needs some growing up. But I like the general direction of it, and (for the most part) it works great (especially for a beta). I'll probably wait for win9 before upgrading, simply because I like to have all my computers on the same OS, and it is too expensive to upgrade with every revision. But I still like the direction they are headed, I like the way they are using cloud integration (previously though it was going to be more intrusive than useful), and I like that it is an interface that can span a varieity of devices from consoles, to phones, to laptops/tablets, to desktops, to servers. They obviously made compromises, but in general it has been a good change, and I think people will catch on pretty quickly as these devices are released in the wild.

 

[trovio]

Any so-called Tech Saavy persom who used Windows 8 and finds it difficult should stop wasting time on tech blogs. You might not be very bright. After using Windows 8 for 2 weeks and using Windows 7 some days ago, i felt W7 was ancient times. I don't know how long i would have been able to carry on with those static icons and start button. Finding my calculator for example in my accessories alone after clicking the start button takes forever on the old Windows. Good riddence and thanks to Metro. The hot corners are nicer to use. Multitasking is even better. I dont have to look for the minize button any more and some how even close the page accidentally. With hot corners. i switch very fast. Takes me one click to get to control panel etc.
Microsoft got W8 spot on. Another upgrade of Windows 7 style wasn't going to cut it for me. Metro just made it better.

 

[alextheblue]

[citation][nom]LORD_ORION[/nom]So... the real cost is Windows 7 pro (already built into the price) + $15 to get Windows 8?[/citation]This is an upgrade from Win7 Home Premium, actually.

 

[QEFX]

When you only get a Win8 on new machines, I'd pay $15 for a Win7 option.

Heck, I'd pay $30 for a multiboot Win7, Win8, Linux system. Not that MS would ever allow it.

 

[alextheblue]

[citation][nom]dasper[/nom]Does a power user really navigate through their start menu?[/citation]No. But most people here aren't power users, and are lost without that reassuring start button. They love drilling down through menus and whatnot. Also they love desktop PC yet they hate keyboards with a fierce passion, so keyboard shortcuts is a big no-no. They hate leprechauns so it's only natural to hate Charms, lucky or otherwise. Search is just stupid, why would you even want to find anything anyway? Plus that would require the keyboard, which we've already discussed. Finally that just leaves Metro... which sucks because it just does. The Start Menu is better anyway because it uses lots of small text despite your large desktop-PC-sized display, and also it has all the drilling-down you can shake a stick at.

Personally I'm lost without a C:\ prompt and a blinking cursor. GUIs are a fad and they will fail, I mean look at the iPhone or Windows, they're practically gone from the market already. RobCo has a new OS that will blow them out of the market. It's got clicky clacky sounds and text everything!

 

[A Bad Day]

Allow a Windows Classic UI, and I'll be more than happy to pay for $15.

Wait, you killed all of the codes that would've allowed 3rd party mods? F*** off.

 

[Guest]

I think it is worth more than $150. I'm using windows 8 on desktop everyday. it is fast. the most important part is you can access the app store.

 

[killerclick]

[citation][nom]altriss[/nom]It's just so impressing how people react before windows 8 been released... Maybe we'll like, maybe not, but maybe we could just wait and see?[/citation]

Most people here have tried Windows 8. You know it's downloadable and can be installed at least on a virtual machine in like 15 minutes?