Windows 8's uptake falls behind Vista's pace

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Duxxy3 said:
The only thing that could save windows 8 would be to make the metro UI optional for desktops and laptops.

I know of 4 people right off the top of my head whom i would suggest upgrading at that point.
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Even though for the staggering cost of about two minutes of their time they could have that metro UI be effectively disabled through a simple 3rd party tool?

I don't know, am I just being stupid here? At this point metro *IS* optional for anyone who knows how to download a program.
 
Sir Fragula said:
Even though for the staggering cost of about two minutes of their time they could have that metro UI be effectively disabled through a simple 3rd party tool?

I don't know, am I just being stupid here? At this point metro *IS* optional for anyone who knows how to download a program.
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Why am I downloading a program to make a new OS as functional as an older OS?
 
Deadbeat said:
Why am I downloading a program to make a new OS as functional as an older OS?
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I don't know. But considering how minimal an effort it takes to rectify what many people regard as the sole downside to an otherwise snappy, responsive and more secure OS... why are people looking at it like it's not the best option?
 
Windows 7 is really good, same with Windows 8. But people that believe that Win XP is as good as Win7/8 is batshit insane :/
 
I saw a couple new Windows 8 commercials and both of them had the person using giant touch screen monitors, no mouse. Yeah MS, cause alot of people are gonna run out to buy those.
 
if you set metro and appstore aside honestly I don't think the rest is compelling enough for people to pay for a upgrade over win7, there are improvements but it's not life changing or important ones that you couldn't do before. it's like 99% same experience. The people saying that about start button, I think It's a way of saying I'm not interested in what windows 8 has to offer, I don't think it's really because of a start button now.

again, I don't see why someone who bought a PC with Win8 on it wants to go through the trouble of downgrading to 7 like it was with xp/vista because of that when it's really same thing with same compatibility, if not a bit better in some aspects. if you really hate modern UI it can be easily effectively ignored like it was never there.
 
Mooreberg said:
They took a step backwards on the desktop experience so they could ultimately gain little to no traction in mobile OS market share. iOS and Android device activation were monstrous over the holiday. Better luck (and hopefully a better focus) on W9, I suppose.
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I just don't see how it took a step back. the desktop is exactly the same. it's just start is now expanded. you can still have your programs on desktop and hardly have to go to metro. I barely have used metro so far but it looks nice and has a lot nice functions.
 
Sir Fragula said:
Even though for the staggering cost of about two minutes of their time they could have that metro UI be effectively disabled through a simple 3rd party tool?

I don't know, am I just being stupid here? At this point metro *IS* optional for anyone who knows how to download a program.
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Yep. Doesn't excuse the start screen though. And there's a real lack of return on upgrading to 8. For most people the question is, do you want faster boot times more than you want $15 + whatever you spend on a start menu replacement? ($3.00) Add in the (tiny) inconvenience of the upgrade process and it pretty much looks like a wash.
 
I just don't need it -- Windows 7 works perfectly fine.

I am getting a new PC next year, so I'll gladly take Windows 8.
 
Cheech said:
Win 8 is a complete abortion, and I don't have the inclination to fight with that gross UI at home. I just need shit to work. Thanks, Apple!
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Windows 8 is an incredible desktop experience if you've the faintest notion of using the keyboard to control things rather than using a mouse.

Windows Key - > first letter of the application you want to open - > enter

you've just launched a program

Day to day use for someone with a keyboard, I'm finding Windows 8 is the fastest UI to use in Windows history.

People want the Start Menu back not because it's better, but because it's what they are used to. That's fine, as valid a reason as any, but the claims that the new option is worse are very much mistaken.
 
I just now discovered the awesomeness of remote desktop, and my W7 home premium doesnt have it. So Ill have to upgrade sooner than I thought..
 
See but Vista looked like shit and had compatibility issues and ran slower than XP, and Windows 8 looks awesome and runs everything Windows 7 did and runs better than Windows 7. So I don't really give a shit what it's uptake is.
 
Cheech said:
Thank god for Apple.

When Vista dropped, I bought an iMac when I needed a new box for home.

Thanks to Win 8, an iPad mini is going to be my home pc for the next couple years.

One of these times, I'm not going back to MS, and I get the feeling this may be it. They've bumblefucked their last OS in my house.

I had to reformat my work PC to put 7 back on it, which also made me less than happy.
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My condolences ahead of time.
 
the windows 8 hate is so played out. i have a non touchscreen laptop that came with 8 and i hated it like the rest of the internet. but i have definitely come to like some of the nuances, even though i use and boot it into desktop mode with start menu app. It totally is unnecessary to upgrade to 8 from 7 with a non touch device, but I am seeing it's uses and appreciate some of the functionality ms had in mind. if the app store gets some support windows 8 will definitely not fall into the vista category. i almost want to buy a touch mouse or perhaps get a win8 tablet in the future once it's more fleshed out. but for now win 8 is pretty much win 7 with the metro option.
 
Jobiensis said:
Now that Sinnofsky is gone, the major shrinkage should be to get rid of Ballmer.
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Would be nice, he's not really a visionary like Bill was nor is he design centric like Jobs is. He's just...a guy, and unfortunately MS needs someone like Bill or Jobs now more than ever.

injurai said:
I do hold Apple in high regards even if i don't like their ecosystem.

also love your avatar, who is it?
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Phlo Finister
 
Suairyu said:
Day to day use for someone with a keyboard, I'm finding Windows 8 is the fastest UI to use in Windows history.

People want the Start Menu back not because it's better, but because it's what they are used to. That's fine, as valid a reason as any, but the claims that the new option is worse are very much mistaken.
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I agree with this. Once I learned all the cool stuff you could do with the windows key, it made the experience better. I still want the start menu back though.

My parents can hardly use any windows OS, let alone learn a new OS.
 
The only time I even see the metro ui is after a reboot. I stay on the desktop and it's pretty much the same shit.

For the person looking for another way to shutdown, go to lower right corner...click settings on the charm bar...shutdown...
 
Bornstellar said:
It's almost always faster.
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At start up and shut down. Other things 7 is faster at, other things 8. And in any case, its such a small difference that its negligable, as I said. (If you have an ssd they are much closer in any event at start and shut down)

The idea of charms and of many of the metro annoyances when using kbm is pure idiocy. They either ran out of time, or thought 'fuck it'. Just one annoyance, press network on desktop. And you lose 1/5 of your screen estate, and you have to go right to the top of the page, and there are no options. It wasnt designed for what its used for... It was designed for touch, metro for touch is fine. Desktop for kbm is great. Keep them seperate. Hey hey ho ho stupid mangled messes of 'beating apple at their own game' has got to go!

Convergence aint happening biatches. Design the ui for the main input used. The end. Game over? Continue? No coins!
 
Not surprised, the small improvements in bootup and file copying aren't worth needing to deal with metro, and I wouldn't upgrade to an OS just to get rid of everything it introduced and tweak in a start menu when Windows 7 is so great.
 
One thing I hate is how some metro apps don't respond to the back button on the mouse. That shit shouldn't even be an option NOT to respond. It's 2012 and in a few days 2013. If you don't have a mouse with back button or similar capabilities...well sucks for you. But MS needs to take that out of the hands of developers and make it a universal OS thing for Metro apps.
 
Plenty of overreactions here. I'm looking at you, Cheech. Come on, son. An iPad mini to replace your home PC? You must be trolling hard now. I understand that opinions are a thing, but you're just overreacting at this point.

Apple's been playing it safe with OS X, and there's little difference between Snow Leopard, Lion, and Mountain Lion. Microsoft's at least made an attempt to move ahead with Windows 8. Windows 7 and Windows 8 have been better than Lion and Mountain Lion, I think.
 
I mean, how hard would it have been to make 'metro' come up only when a touch device is detected? Why not have the same 'engine' but give people the option to switch between the two? Why force them together like they did? Mouse and finger are fundamentally different. FUNDAMENTALLLLY! And mouse is better. Sure, Start Trek used touch. But they also wore skin tight clothes. I dont want to live in a world where everyone wears skin tight clothes. No sir.
 
markot said:
I mean, how hard would it have been to make 'metro' come up only when a touch device is detected? Why not have the same 'engine' but give people the option to switch between the two? Why force them together like they did? Mouse and finger are fundamentally different. FUNDAMENTALLLLY! And mouse is better. Sure, Start Trek used touch. But they also wore skin tight clothes. I dont want to live in a world where everyone wears skin tight clothes. No sir.
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Wanna see my bulge?
 
Quick said:
Plenty of overreactions here. I'm looking at you, Cheech. Come on, son. An iPad mini to replace your home PC? You must be trolling hard now. I understand that opinions are a thing, but you're just overreacting at this point.

Apple's been playing it safe with OS X, and there's little difference between Snow Leopard, Lion, and Mountain Lion. Microsoft's at least made an attempt to move ahead with Windows 8. Windows 7 and Windows 8 have been better than Lion and Mountain Lion, I think.
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But it pays to play it safe. Safe and Smart.

Safe and Smart is making an os that runs on anything but caters entirely to the main input method. Instead of mangling one ui into a 'one size fits all' shit.

Metro should have stuck to tablets. Desktop for desktops and laptops. There is a fundamental difference between the two inputs. And you dont try to force a compromised ui onto both, when you could just as easily cater to each distinct environment. Its like trying to build a japanese garden in antarctica and an olive grove in siberia. Things work in certain environments, and not in others. Its just common sense.

Hell, if anything microsoft was playing safe in trying to leverage their desktop dominance onto tablets. It was the lazy way to compete with ios and android. Rather than building 2 uis for 2 different environments, they tried to force metro onto desktop and force horrible desktop elements onto their tablets. They played it safe by building on their bread and butter. Except it didnt work, because as said, different strokes for different inputs.
 
Been on 8 for about a week now.

Outside of a couple VERY specific features, it's just a side-grade. Windows 7 was equally fast before this format & reload thanks to the SSD drive. The new Task Manager is great, but is only something really tech-minded people spend any time in so it's not something the masses will appreciate.

Metro...I'm not ecstatic about. It's a less efficient start menu if you're using a mouse. Not particularly good, but not bad either. idk. My mom likes the big tiles (I installed it for her and set it up fully with all her apps on the usual menu bar and left her to her own devices to sort through the rest) and she's gotten used to them. Of course for her, bigger text is better text and Metro provides that. Plus she likes finding and installing new shit she'll never use. If I had just raw installed Windows 8 and turned it over to her I don't know what she'd be feeling about Windows 8 right now. But after completely setting it up AND transferring all her files and folders over AND hand-holding her through the basics...she's okay with it for now. But she rarely does more than browse the web and look at photos she's taken.

If I had to do it over again, I'd still install Windows 8 because I like the challenge, as small as it might be. Driver issues notwithstanding, it's been as fine as Windows 7 (more or less). Still working through some driver issues right now though, so bleh.
 
I had to go back to Windows 7, not even going to lie my main reason was because smaa injectors for DX11 titles don't work under Windows 8. That and I couldn't care less about Metro or it's apps, I downloaded all of 3 of them and deleted them fairly quickly.
 
I'd just like to say I had zero problems with Vista. I wouldn't have upgraded to 7 if my laptop hadn't been stolen and I had to get a new one that came with 7. Windows must have fixed all that shit by the time I got my laptop. I thought it was great. I really didn't see much different between it and 7. Not interested in 8. Although I'd be kind of interested if you could install it on a random tablet (like an EEE Pad or something), just for the Windows games that you can't get on droid devices. But Win 8 on a PC seems really dumb right now.
 
Windows 8's problem is that its improvements are fairly non-notable for most users and it's paired with a new UI which is horribly, horribly undercooked. As it is, I can't see a way of salvaging it without swinging changes or an immense marketing push.
 
Too soon. Obviously Microsoft bottom line demands new OS releases. But windows 7 is still solid with no noticeable shortcomings. Windows 8 would have more visibility if they coupled it with a solid tablet but..... Yeah.

What Microsoft really needs to do is create new avenues for income that aren't office, windows, and enterprise. Xbox is the only other good thing they have and that was a money loser for a long time
 
Angelus Errare said:
I had to go back to Windows 7, not even going to lie my main reason was because smaa injectors for DX11 titles don't work under Windows 8. That and I couldn't care less about Metro or it's apps, I downloaded all of 3 of them and deleted them fairly quickly.
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SweetFX is working for me. Which were you using?
 
The main problem with Win 8 is that its improvements are directed to the touchscreen users, when the huge, huge majority of the other users had to give concessions in the usual way they use their computer because of them. A mess, and I'm really glad it's failing miserably.
 
Future said:
Too soon. Obviously Microsoft bottom line demands new OS releases. But windows 7 is still solid with no noticeable shortcomings. Windows 8 would have more visibility if they coupled it with a solid tablet but..... Yeah.

What Microsoft really needs to do is create new avenues for income that aren't office, windows, and enterprise. Xbox is the only other good thing they have and that was a money loser for a long time
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A large part of metro, and forcing that onto desktop, was to get the xbox music/videos and app store out there to compete with the other 2. There is a reason you start on the 'start metro thingy' and its because most users wont go straight to desktop, they us the program that says 'music' for music, which just happens to also be their music store, same with movies, games... etc...

Its a very shallow attempt to try and gain market share for their xbox line of products by making that the default 'screen' for users.

Shepard said:
The main problem with Win 8 is that its improvements are directed to the touchscreen users, when the huge, huge majority of the other users had to give concessions in the usual way they use their computer because of them. A mess, and I'm really glad it's failing miserably.
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This too is a huge problem. No improvments to windows media player, media center, most desktop programs were ignored other than maybe, if they were lucky, having ribbons put on them. I dont think its even possible to access xbox music or movies from the windows media player.
 
Yeah, as everyone said. Win 7 was just too perfect. Win 8 should never have been released without any significant changes other than Metro. Hell, MS should have just released a separate OS for tablet and wait on the next big thing for Win 8.
 
I bought a pre-built laptop, and so had no real choice in the matter. I'm not a big fan of windows 8 compared to 7, but I can live with it. I really hate the concept of having two OS' running at the same time with no options for the user to disable metro without 3rd party programs. I hate having to download programs specifically to avoid metro, even for things as simple as viewing pictures.

After a week I got used to it and stopped caring much. My laptop boots up (very quickly I might add), I click desktop, and I stay while there forgetting metro exists.
 
tino said:
What's the uptake for RT? Straight horizontal line?
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MS refuse to release numbers on Surface. Which is funny since they only sell them in their online or retail stores it would take a manager 10 mins to pull the report out of their internal systems. They manage to report on Xbox sales every month and that's all retail.

PR isn't in the habit of reporting on bad sales so silence is telling. If they had bumper numbers it would be getting shouted from the rooftops.
 
Duxxy3 said:
I don't think windows 8 is dead. They just have to eat some crow and admit to the reality of what people want from a desktop/laptop os.
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They cant. Their 'vision' is convergence. 8 is just a step in that direction. 9 will be even worse if they keep at it for the desktop user.

The only real sales surface has is the shit they gave all their employees. Its sad that their main buyer is themselves...
 
Row said:
I bought a pre-built laptop, and so had no real choice in the matter. I'm not a big fan of windows 8 compared to 7, but I can live with it. I really hate the concept of having two OS' running at the same time with no options for the user to disable metro without 3rd party programs. I hate having to download programs specifically to avoid metro, even for things as simple as viewing pictures.

After a week I got used to it and stopped caring much. My laptop boots up (very quickly I might add), I click desktop, and I stay while there forgetting metro exists.
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just change the default image viewer?
 
markot said:
Metro shouldnt be a default anything for a desktop or laptop.

I mean they finally have pdf support in from the get go. And its a pos metro app...
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jesus, you are really persistent with your metro hate. but at least you try to argue. most "anti" posts are just so horrbly undercooked that I feel people just spout random hate because it is a thing. it was the same with vista, which is still hated on, even if it has become a good OS, after the underwhelming launch period.
 
markot said:
Metro shouldnt be a default anything for a desktop or laptop.

I mean they finally have pdf support in from the get go. And its a pos metro app...
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Reader works fine on my laptop as a basic PDF viewer. What issues did you have with it?
 
So the graph in the OP shows how many copies of windows 8 are running on PCs. Would the situation look different if tablets were included? Especially considering that the OS was mainly targeting tablets.
 
I just played with Surface Pro yesterday and I didn't like the OS. It doesn't seem as user-friendly as Android and iOS. Too Window-ish (I guess that's the idea) for my taste.
 
I just dont think metro works on things that dont 'touch'!

Just like I dont think the 'desktop ui' or whatever works on tablets. But they are both unavoidable.

And I liked Vista and hated xp! I have windows 8 on my desktop and my tablet, because they were cheap >.< and I like desktop in desktop, but I hate it when metro pops up cause it doesnt 'fit' just like how desktop elements keep poping up on my tablet.

I mean, even when I go to xbox.com to try and fix my account location in the metro browser on my tablet, it sends me to the desktop browser for 'full functionality' of the site.... thats just bad design >_<; And I mean that they even have microsoft sites that cant run fully on metro, and they make metro... to me it sums it up... half assed.

Im glad sinofsky is gone if he was behind it, but I feel like it was a decision made by balmer, to try and leverage their desktop dominance into tablets, but they didnt take the time, or didnt realise, that touch and mouse are too different to work side by side.

I dont hate microsoft, I buy new offices even though I dont need to, I bought vista the day it came out. I just think honestly that 8 was a bad idea. And ive been playing around with it since their developer preview, but its hasnt 'grown' on me because its like chalk and cheese. 2 good uis merged together without stopping to realise that each caters to a different audience and machinery. And in the end, both suffer for it.
 
teh_J0kerer said:
So the graph in the OP shows how many copies of windows 8 are running on PCs. Would the situation look different if tablets were included? Especially considering that the OS was mainly targeting tablets.
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If you follow the W8 tablet thread, 90% of the announced W8 tablets are delaied. There are only 2 W8 tablets shipping right now (not counting the Surface RT).
 
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