Windows 8 thread

[photon]

Finally got a chance to install Windows 8 on a spare drive on my computer. Very fast (like any new OS install should be), but highly annoying. Download Chrome, run it, it's full screen. Oh, don't want that, switch to desktop, oh, Chrome isn't running.. I can launch it there too, but it's a separate instance of Chrome.

...

So basically if I want to use the computer as I want to (lots of Windows open for workflow, ease of switching), I have to completely ignore the new interface (which does look pretty nice).

The new interface could be useful, but as is it's all Microsoft apps currently (hey a Calendar, but I don't want to put my Calendar here. Hey an email app, oh but I use Gmail. Hey a music app.. etc..). So it'll probably take a while till app developers make their apps look like they fit properly.

So basically I agree with Anduril, the dual nature of the OS is baffling (feels like they only got half way through retrofitting and decided to stop, or found out that it would be too hard to do it all), and will probably stop me from using it for a while at least, or will run in desktop mode 100% of the time.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by photon

So basically if I want to use the computer as I want to (lots of Windows open for workflow, ease of switching), I have to completely ignore the new interface (which does look pretty nice).
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the dual nature of the OS is baffling (feels like they only got half way through retrofitting and decided to stop, or found out that it would be too hard to do it all), and will probably stop me from using it for a while at least, or will run in desktop mode 100% of the time.

The first part of your post is precisely why they implemented the second half - if they completely abandoned the multi-window desktop oriented paradigm, you'd be severely impacted in terms of workflow, legacy apps, and personal preference.

It's not that it was too hard for them to do - it's that it would abandon compatibility with too many existing apps (and too many users!) if they jettisoned the old way of doing things immediately.

[photon]

But there are things that seem to revert to the old UI look arbitrarily even if you're getting at it through Metro, and it feels like there's a hard split between the desktop and Metro environments except where Metro has to go through to something.. I guess maybe more that Metro is running on top of the desktop environment.

I get why they had to leave desktop in there; they couldn't go single page full screen for all apps, then it's not even a computer it's a tablet.

It just feels like there was a better way to get both without the disjointedness.

But I haven't played with it a whole lot, it's just getting a new box provisioned is a serious amount of work for me so not sure I want to invest that time in trying to migrate to Windows 8 as a primary OS yet.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by photon

But there are things that seem to revert to the old UI look arbitrarily even if you're getting at it through Metro, and it feels like there's a hard split between the desktop and Metro environments except where Metro has to go through to something.. I guess maybe more that Metro is running on top of the desktop environment.

I get why they had to leave desktop in there; they couldn't go single page full screen for all apps, then it's not even a computer it's a tablet.

It just feels like there was a better way to get both without the disjointedness.

But I haven't played with it a whole lot, it's just getting a new box provisioned is a serious amount of work for me so not sure I want to invest that time in trying to migrate to Windows 8 as a primary OS yet.

Oh I think I know what you mean then. There are definitely some aspects that are really confusing - Windows Update being a great example. Am I supposed to use the Metro version? and if so, why is the legacy Control Panel version there?

A lot of this will be fixed in Windows 9

[photon]

Yeah there's a lot of Windows Vista smell.

[gottabekd]

Well, since it was only $40, I upgraded from Windows 7 on a whim.

The installer BSOD'd on me and left me without a working operating system. So, about the worst beginning you could imagine.

Luckily, I am technical, and had a working iPad that I could use to search for my problem. Apparently the AMD AHCI/RAID drivers for a lot of chipsets are having issues in Windows 8. So, I found an ISO that a friendly forum user slipstreamed in some working drivers. Installing from that worked fine.

So, once I did get it up and running, I had to ask myself what I was doing. I liked Windows 7, and nothing I heard about Windows 8 excited me all that much. And I still don't get it. I'm just a little lost, trying to figure out why the very successful Windows desktop needed to change in this way. Obviously, bridging the desktop and tablet to a common workflow would be a huge win for MS and their tablets. But, in order for that to happen, the desktop workflow has to change substantially. I feel out of my comfort zone on Windows 8. If nothing else, it will interesting to see how successful this is.

I came across this guide, which is incredibly helpful. Honestly, without the guide, I don't know how else I would learn how to do some very basic actions (like closing an App...)
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/window...iew-32555.html

[TorqueDog]

I've very interested to know specifically which AMD chipset (or if it's easy, which motherboard) you're using. I've heard plenty of issues with significantly older boards having problems running Windows 8, but not more recent ones.

[gottabekd]

My motherboard is a little older: ASUS M3A78.

Now, as I said the error was related to the AHCI/RAID drivers. If I recall, the mobo is currently running in RAID mode (as opposed to AHCI or default). Probably most home users don't have a RAID 1 set up in their PC. Ironic. It was supposed to prevent catastrophic failures.

Since getting it going with the substituted drivers, I haven't experienced any other hardware/driver issues. Just software/usability ones! FYI, this forum page helped me with the problem: http://www.eightforums.com/bsod-cras...mdsbs-sys.html

[Rathji]

Won't Windows 8 let you just include drivers via USB on install?

[Hemi-Cuda]

this might actually get me to upgrade

http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/

[Rathji]

I like that Stardock seems like a nice simple product to use. Even though I have no problems hacking the registry to do it myself, I really think this should have been an option to easily toggle back and forth. Stardock also had some other similar hacks that I have used on occasion in the past.

I have been using Windows 8 on the Surface since about a week after Windows 8 launched, and I am just now thinking that I am comfortable doing everything that I would like to do. If I was to try to use it on a desktop that I was actually trying to get real work done on, I probably would have thrown it out the window by now.

[Hemi-Cuda]

i just spent the last hour or so testing that Stardock app on my Windows 8 VM, and it's fantastic. most hacks that bring back the start menu to Windows 8 are just that, crude hacks. but Start8 is seemless, it's like the start menu was always there and you can completely forget about the metro ui crap. you have the ability to boot directly to the desktop, disable the live corners, have the ability to change what options show up in the start menu just like in 7, and they even put all the metro apps into their own start menu folder if you still want to use them (there's also a short cut to the Windows 8 start screen)

this is what Windows 8 should have shipped with. you still have the new start screen available if you want it, but the desktop mode isn't crippled and it makes switching between the two environments much more fluid. i'm thinking that come the first service pack, Microsoft might finally buckle and do just that since sales of Windows 8 have been so slow and there has been zero enthusiasm for enterprise adoption

[Hemi-Cuda]

and now i run across an article about Microsoft canning the head of their Windows team, amid a very lukewarm reception to Windows 8

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2...ows-8/1702511/

could be that Microsoft will listen to their users and add a start button back in themselves. if they do that then an upgrade should be a no brainer, as aside from the touch UI stuff Windows 8 seems like a great OS. very fast boot times, small footprint (full OS install took up 10GB), Hyper-V bundled in, and some nice improvements for classic desktop apps (the new task manager is beautiful)

the big difference between Windows 8 and other flops like ME or Vista is that there is only one real issue causing the backlash, whereas the others were fundamentally flawed. i hope they fix it, because it'd be a shame to see all of the nice improvements in Win 8 to be completely overshadowed by the one colossally stupid business decision

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by gottabekd

My motherboard is a little older: ASUS M3A78.

Now, as I said the error was related to the AHCI/RAID drivers. If I recall, the mobo is currently running in RAID mode (as opposed to AHCI or default). Probably most home users don't have a RAID 1 set up in their PC. Ironic. It was supposed to prevent catastrophic failures.

Since getting it going with the substituted drivers, I haven't experienced any other hardware/driver issues. Just software/usability ones! FYI, this forum page helped me with the problem: http://www.eightforums.com/bsod-cras...mdsbs-sys.html

ASUS M3N78-VM mobo has issues with the installer failing randomly part way through as well - I had similar issues with Win7 as I recall (and in that case I think I worked around it by running the installer from XP and doing a side-by-side install)

Switching from AHCI to SATA emulation for the drives did not solve the problem for me.

I was installing Server 2012 though in this case though, and I found the installer ran long enough to do a Server Core install, and from there, you can use the powershell to install all the additional GUI bits and the desktop experience.

[smoothpops]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-575...es-by-mistake/

this actually has nothing to do with pirates, MS just made a mistake. But MS' mistake is some peoples gain. free win8 pro keys for the time being.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by smoothpops

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-575...es-by-mistake/

this actually has nothing to do with pirates, MS just made a mistake. But MS' mistake is some peoples gain. free win8 pro keys for the time being.

Until they blacklist the illegitimate keys and you can't download updates anymore.

[Wood]

Well I'm upgrading my laptop right now. I like what I've seen about the upgrade so I'm looking forward to it

[woob]

Any of you dual ecosystem (Windows + Apple) people have any good iOS app recommendations for remote control of Windows 8?

My grand vision is as follows: I'm building a Windows8 HTPC from a spare system I have. This will be hooked up to my TV via HDMI. I then want to be able to control it from my iPad while parking my butt on my couch. So I want a solid VNC type interaction, not a RDP solution. Ideally, having it recognize touch via the iPad would be sweet, but I know it's likely just going to be me controlling the mouse pointer.

Recommendations? Cross posting this to the Apple thread as well.

Edit: What would be sweet is if MS released a SmartGlass like app specifically for Windows8 control from other devices. But they would never do that.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by woob

Edit: What would be sweet is if MS released a SmartGlass like app specifically for Windows8 control from other devices. But they would never do that.

They will. It's pretty clear that the unification of the devices and SmartGlass command/control is going to be everywhere.

[woob]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

They will. It's pretty clear that the unification of the devices and SmartGlass command/control is going to be everywhere.

I hope you're right.