Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

W7: Press the Start button - Type in what you're after - press enter - done

W8: Press the Start button - Type in what you're after - doesn't find it - move mouse to the right side - change from Apps to documents - now it finds it...

Works fine for me, and I've broken a bunch of services somehow.

Well, not somehow, I know what I did, it's just too dumb to discuss. 🙁

ratfink wrote:

searching the start menu? that would save me fractions of a second per fortnight, i need it!

Ha ha no, seaching the whole computer! Like a magic trick!

The big U-turn Microsoft made in bringing back the Start menu/button (which is not actually the real stuff anyway) proves that Microsoft made a mistake. Even if arguing Microsoft yielded to the "noises" people made, it must be a major issue for Microsoft to make a substantial change in it's operating system - it's lifeline. A change that symbolizes the predecessor. So what is Microsoft's explanation to current Windows 8 lovers if it tries to go back to it's previous lineage or at least the reverse steps it is taking while it initially boasted of the new GUI in the first place?

Microsoft's mistake wouldn't have been made if it had diverged the Windows 8 as Tablet Edition and Desktop Edition at the launch.

Another mistake by Microsoft is introducing Windows 8 too early while Windows 7 is going full force. There is no reason for a Windows 7 user to switch to Windows 8 now. At least, not until 2020 when Windows 7's official support ends. And by that time, hopefully Windows 9 will be more suited to desktop environment rather than the teenagers with their tablets or smartphones. Or at least, diversify the OS to suit a touch screen or a desktop.

For every Windows 8 lover there will be a Windows 8 hater - The main reasons - Metro UI and tablet/touch-oriented OS.

ratfink wrote:

searching the start menu? that would save me fractions of a second per fortnight, i need it!

Heh, don't knock it 'til you've tried it. You can launch your app in a quarter of a second without even needing to locate it visually, no mousing or clicking at all. In some ways I feel like it's ruined me -- I hate manually looking for shit now. 🤣

search is only useful whey you know at least part of the name of what you are looking for 😉

robertmo wrote:

search is only useful whey you know at least part of the name of what you are looking for 😉

If you don't know what you're looking for, then why are you looking for it? 🤣

badmofo wrote:

robertmo wrote:

search is only useful whey you know at least part of the name of what you are looking for 😉

If you don't know what you're looking for, then why are you looking for it? 🤣

Not knowing what is the start menu name for an item is not the same as not knowing what am I looking for.

GL1zdA wrote:

badmofo wrote:

Not knowing what is the start menu name for an item is not the same as not knowing what am I looking for.

It doesn't seach the start menu, there's an indexing service which indexes the relevant parts of your HDD, and the search function references that. So you don't need to know what something is called in the start menu, if you remember that the exe is called, then it'll still find it.

same here
Re: Windows XP is now "old". What are you doing?

A reasonably rational and balanced article on Tiles 8.1 (as opposed to the "Submit! Resistance is futile!" hogwash):

With Windows 8.1, can Microsoft get its mojo back?

This line is homeric 🤣 🤣 🤣 :

Ed Bott wrote:

... So far, the most successful app developers for Windows 8 are those making Start menu replacements. Ouch ...

BTW congratulations to all Tiles lovers. This is no small feat, considering.

Windows 8 surpasses Vista share

I love the Start Button.

There are people that hate the Start Button. This escapes my comprehension, however I respect choice and would never think on imposing and forcing the Start Button down the throats of people that want nothing of it.

It's very old and simple and is called freedom of choice: 'Click here to have your REAL Start Button' / 'Click here to remove the FAKE Start Button'.

But the wisdom of MS is infinite:

Confirmed: Windows 8.1 Doesn’t Allow Users to Disable the Start Button

One is forced to wonder: Is MS in a crusade to piss absolutely everybody off?

Windows 8.2 - now you have the option: show the Start button or hide the Start button...
Windows 8.3 - hey, we have fixed this damn Start button, the show/hide option is really working now!
Etc.

badmofo wrote:

GL1zdA wrote:

badmofo wrote:

Not knowing what is the start menu name for an item is not the same as not knowing what am I looking for.

It doesn't seach the start menu, there's an indexing service which indexes the relevant parts of your HDD, and the search function references that. So you don't need to know what something is called in the start menu, if you remember that the exe is called, then it'll still find it.

Yea it is a great feature. Press Start key, type WOR, press enter and off you go. It finds everything else as well. TV shows, movies, video files, whatever. I could not believe that in W8 that have (apps, documents and settings) options on the right side. So by default you only get apps.

So pressing Start key, typing MOUS, doesn't return any search results...

I believe they are changing this with 8.1 as the screen is large and can display a lot more results compared to Windows 7.

Tom's Hardware - Bill Gates: Microsoft Bob to Make a Return (in Concept)

... Gates reassured Summit attendees that Microsoft Bob won't come back as an animated dog living in a virtual house, but instead as a disembodied voice from the cloud like Apple's Siri or Google Now. It will be wrapped in the Windows 8 tiled interface and understand everything that the user does, anticipate the user's needs and present relative information " anytime, anywhere, and on any device" ...

Well, I guess if he didn't draw the comparison himself, everyone else inevitably would have.

Heh, seems like there's no indication that this topic will die soon...

Just a question : Why is Windows 8 cheaper than Windows 7 even now? Or is it just in my country? I was at the computer shop last Monday and noted Windows 8 Professional is RM270+ (~82 USD) and Windows 7 Home Premium is RM360+. (~109 USD) (Asian activation, full retail packs.) Is it just an exercise to discourage Win7 sale or encourage more to move into Win8 territory?

I'm buying a customized gaming 11.6 incher (XMG) without OS installed, and was about to get Windows 7 to remain alongside a Linux flavour. I'll be installing a 32-bit Windows for compatibilities sake. Even ordered only the basic 4GB RAM because of the intention to install 32-bit OS.

Windows 8 has a 32bit version if you want to go with that. 16bit is disabled by default but can be enabled in control panel.

Thanks for the tip.

I prefer Windows 7, though, mainly for the UI, Aero and the (Real) Start Menu.

Has anyone used the latest Munt with Windows 8 32-bit? How is it working?

I was wondering why Windows 8 Pro is still much cheaper than Windows 7 Home Premium.

I can't shake the feeling that Microsoft does not want to give an impression that Windows 8 is not as popular as it wants people to think and doesn't want to see it as a failure. And hence, it's pushing hard Win8 as much as it can.

Also, all the notebooks and desktops at the shop I used to go, are displaying Windows 8 with the Start menu-like task bar add-on with the quick launch icons, like the previous versions of Windows. Even on touchscreen notebooks.

No more of the Metro interface to be seen. Looks like people prefer the former UI.

I was so satisfied with XP that I never even gave Vista a moment's look back in the day. Now, I know how critical people were of Vista so a question for the crowd:

Is the current discontent with W8 of a similar magnitude? more? less?

I was a late adopter of W7 too, moving to it barely 11 months ago - no regrets either, though I still think XP was, for it's time, better. When I picked up 7, W8 was on the verge of release but I had a bad feeling about 8 so decided better late than never with 7.

It wouldn't surprise me if W7 is priced higher than W8 simply because it's a better seller - people are willing to pay more since it delivers a better result for them and that 8 is lower priced simply in an attempt to make some kind of return in the hope's it will gain popularity and stick. Normally I'm not so quick to finger 'market forces' to explain pricing but in this case I suspect the reality of the products is driving the discrepancy.

M$'s stated objective of a 'unified cross-platform/device computing experience' may prove to have been be any unnecessary design constraint for them. It well may have tied their hands at critical junctures in the design design process - say, by sacrificing the main thrust of improving overall usability and performance for business and gaming in an effort to make it more tablet/smart phone/touchy/app-ish. We'll see...

I do prefer the 32-bit XP, but unfortunately it's life cycle ends coming April 2014. But I'll still be using XP in non-connected systems.

Fortunately Windows 7 has support till 2020, so I don't mind getting a new license for my new gaming notebook. That and Microsoft Security Essentials will hopefully help me to keep it online (while in Windows) for another 7 years.

Of course, since I'll be installing a Linux, going online will not be an issue when it comes to security. (Well, at least, it won't be as vulnerable as a Windows OS anyway when life-cycle issue comes into play.)

Hopefully the next Windows will be a much better thought-out product, and hopefully they have the rationale to provide different versions for Desktop and Tablets, if Microsoft still insists on wooing Tablet users.