I really don’t want to come across as a fanboy, really… the problem is that even when I hear the things that people don’t like about Windows 8, I find that for me they aren’t really a problem. Still, I want to acknowledge some of the things people are disliking about Windows 8. If you ask the internet, what is wrong with Windows 8, or really what is wrong with anything, you will probably get a lot of different responses, but today I am going to try to focus on what seem to be the top two complaints out there. [Read more…] about My Experience With Windows 8 – The Controversies
My Experience With Windows 8 – Bloat? What Bloat?
So, when it comes to Windows 8, you may be thinking, “With this new interface I guess we can expect another Vista right?” “More stuff in the operating system means it is all going to be slower?” It would certainly make sense if this was the case, but so far things are actually faster. Microsoft promised us a faster operating system, and back in September, starting with the Developer Preview they delivered. In benchmark tests with the first preview of it, it was already faster than Windows 7. [Read more…] about My Experience With Windows 8 – Bloat? What Bloat?
My Experience With Windows 8 – More on Metro
For some people, Metro is a familiar thing. It started in Windows Phone 7 (and Zune if I remember right), and then came to Xbox 360. With it, you can see up to date information from your apps on Live Tiles instead of shortcuts, and the apps themselves are full screen. The full screen Metro apps are most useful on Tablets or TV’s but can be used in a desktop setting if you want a more minimalistic interface.
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My Experience With Windows 8 – Metro, or Not
As I have used Windows 8 over the last nine months, I have noticed something. When I am at a traditional laptop, or when my convertible is laid out like a traditional laptop, I use the desktop a lot. In fact, the noticeable difference in how I use the laptop is minimal. I launch programs from the start page instead of the start menu, sure, but all my programs run fine. I would not have continued to use it for over 9 months if things that I was used to doing in Windows 7 weren’t working, and on the desktop side, everything that I like to do, from working to playing games has continued to work without issues or compatibility problems. Then when I put my computer into tablet mode, it is like a completely different world.
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My Experience With Windows 8 – The Metro Start Page
One big change in Windows 8 is that there are some differences with how we start programs. The start menu is still there, however, now it takes up the full screen and includes metro apps (more on them later). However, essentially it still works the same. If you hit the win key and type, then your program comes up and all you have to do is hit enter. If you are used to manually selecting your program, then once you are on the start page all you need to do is select the program you want to run. All of your apps don’t have to be on your start page. If you don’t run an app all the time you can un-pin it from your start page. It will still be accessible when you go to view all your programs, which you can do by choosing the search charm while you are on the start page, or by typing anything and then hitting backspace. You can even easily pin it to the start page again. So, it is up to you what shows up on the start page and how the start page is organized.
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My Experience With Windows 8 – Touch and the User Interface
One of the things I was very impressed by was when I went from 7-8 on the same hardware, finger input for even little things was much easier. I could click on small buttons with high accuracy, even in the Developer Preview. I went to tap on things and found myself usually not needing to try a second or third time when I was trying to hit a small target. In addition, there is a whole new UI. While on the desktop you will generally see most of the stuff you are used to. The task bar is at the bottom, running apps on the bottom right by the clock, and on the far right you can click to see the desktop. There have been enhancements that work with your keyboard and mouse using hot-corners, hot-keys, or by swiping your finger.
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