So how is windows 8 so bad that people wouldnt use it even though from what I read it would have...

What boost are you speaking of?

New directx? I thought I read its getting it but that won't be used for a while.

I haven't read anything about it not sure what it would be. Got a link?

Tried it. Boot up time was a bit quicker, but performance was exactly the same otherwise. Any time saved starting will be wiped out when you actually try to use the interface. Most tasks that only took one or two clicks now take several plus a lot of time hunting and doing text searches. Not worth it by a long shot.

The main reason it's faster is that they got rid of everything that made the graphics attractive. You can do that with Win 7 too, if you can stand to look at it.

For my HTPC, the "performance boost," if any, won't be enough for me to upgrade from Windows 7.

On my HTPC, I have an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality. It took me a few weeks of trial and error to tweak it enough to pass the WAF test. It's the only box we have in our house capable of tuning in most of our channels now, at least the channels we actually watch regularly. And it's dedicated solely to HTPC use - no gaming, no Internet browsing, no etc. It is rock solid in the reliability department - I commonly leave it up for two weeks at a time, only rebooting it occasionally, and I can't recall a recording that was missed.

No reason for me to mess with what works, especially since it should "just work" for longer than this machine will probably be running (it's a repurposed 2007-era Core 2 Quad system).

Verdict is not out.

Imo so far... Not a "crappy product", not not really an improvement either.

I've been using Win 8 for months, running all the preview versions and will buy the RTM. IMO there are 2 ways to approach it :-

 

1. Look at it as a better Win 7, and try to ignore the new UI and Metro, This is surprisingly easy to do since you can just work in the Desktop environment and the only time you need to see Metro is the new Start Screen.

2. Embrace the new Metro apps and use them. There are quite a few nice ones.

 

The core OS itself has enough improvements to make it worth it to me - its faster, uses less memory, boots faster, File History, the new file copy dialogs, the new task manager, better support for newer tech like USB3, UEFI, better multi monitor support, syncing user preferences, using a live.com account etc. I don't like the new UI, treating everything as a tablet, but these changes are enough for me to upgrade.

I plan to do a budget build using windows 8. I'm long overdue for a basic office PC upgrade. I'm in the market for the cheapest license of windows I can get my hands on. I'm hoping there will be a way to boot directly into the desktop and bypass the metro interface.

Not if Microsoft can help it!

 

http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-will-force-you-to-boot-to-metro-with-windows-8-and-you-will-like-it

Not possible. With the removal of the Start button, everything is much more difficult than with Win 7. With the start menu you could easily see every app installed on your system. With the charms bar, you get a screen full of what MS thinks are your most important apps like Bing and other crap no one ever uses (which is also impossible to read from 10' away BTW) and have to do a text search for the rest (damn difficult to do with an IR media center remote), assuming you remember the exact name of what you're looking for. So you read the whole screen looking for your app and discover it isn't there. Then you have to type the name of the app in a search box. Same goes for settings. Are you kidding me? That's incredibly inefficient and frustrating. I don't care how wonderful task manager is, if I can't do simple day-to-day tasks without pulling my hair out, I want no part of it. I consider it a huge downgrade, and practically impossible to use as an HTPC.

 

I'm not sure I understand this. With the old start menu, you got a tiny menu with a few recently used entries, and a menu with 'All Programs'. You could navigate the menu or type the name. I don't think it was usable on an HTPC because its meant for the pc.

 

With new Start Screen, you have much bigger tiles, which you can organize to put the most frequently used apps first and organize into groups if you want. The search is still there. IMO its much better for HTPC since everything is bigger. Settings are still there in the normal control panel if you want. But there's a Metro version of some of the settings you can access as well.

That's just it. 'All Programs' gives you a complete list in an easy to read format, not a 60" screen full of text (in my case) in nonsense groups and incomplete at that. The old start menu was easy to navigate on an HTPC because all you need is a cursor (mouse), no keyboard. I realize both have search, but I should never have to use search. Now I'm required to search for many things I used to be able to pick from a list. Lists have worked great for all of human history, yet MS has decided to just throw them out and instead use screens full of crap.

There shouldn't be a Metro version of SOME settings and SOME programs. There should be Metro versions of ALL settings and programs. But there aren't, so it's a total mess, resulting in a lot of dead ends and frustration. Metro is half done, non-inintuitive and hides important details. Just compare the Metro version of any given Control Panel setting with the original Control Panel version. You'll find most are so dumbed down and missing so much information as to be completely useless. It's as if they started with the control panel version, threw 5 or 6 darts, and kept the settings they hit and deleted the rest.

Anyway, I've removed 8 from my system and hope to never see it again. If it works for you, great. But I think it's the worst OS I've ever seen, and I've seen them all.
Edited by mdavej - 8/7/12 at 7:29am

Pulling up the oh-so-dreaded Search option and clicking on 'Apps' will give you a list of all installed programs, just like you're asking for. Don't like using the Charm bar? Use the old-fashioned 'Windows Key + F' and you'll get to the same location even quicker.

Seriously, it's faster and with fewer clicks to access All Programs in Windows 8 then it was in all previous versions of Windows.

I completely understand some people's issue with the 'Metro' interface and lamenting the removal of the old Start Menu (I personally find it a bit jarring to go in and out of Metro from the desktop), but a little research and experimentation can go a long way.

From the Urban Dictionary
h8er (n)
(alt. h"eight"er)

def:
1. A person who dislikes Windows 8 simply because it's cool to dislike anything Microsoft
2. A person who used Windows 8 for 30 seconds and then had to find the nearest forum to complain
3. Anyone who just can't adapt to any change; new UI; new technology; etc.
4. Anyone who says "The Macintosh has had that since 1984"

syn:
1. Apple Fanboi
2. Apple "Genius"
3. Luddite

ant:
1. Steve Ballmer

Personally, I am taking a wait-and-see attitude towards Windows 8. I do know I am excited for Windows 8 tablets and the possibilities of Storage Spaces for a server but I am going to wait and see if it's something I would upgrade to for desktop or HTPC usage. Windows 7 is working for me right now so there'd have to be a compelling reason to upgrade, no matter if Windows 8 was the best thing ever or not -- just like any other major upgrade I'd consider.

Very entertaining post Stardog, but misses the mark entirely.

1. I've used Microsoft almost exclusively since the 80's
2. I used 8 for a few days until I could no longer stand the frustration it was causing me
3. I adapt to new technology just fine. I had no problem with my Droid or iPhone because they were simple to use, beautiful to look at, thoughtfully designed and work very well. Win 8 is none of those things.
4. Mac probably has had that since 1984. But I wouldn't know because I haven't really used one much since then.

Just because someone thinks Win 8 is horrible doesn't automatically make them an Apple fanboi. Win 8 is awful all on its own.

Actually, it was spot on because it was meant for entertainment purposes only .

Maybe I'm wrong, but I sure couldn't get a full list from Apps via the Charms bar. I got one screen full of something, but it wasn't complete by any stretch. Unfortunately my HTPC remote doesn't have Windows+F, so that's not an option.

I also recall the list of control panel settings being very small, requiring a text search. I know I keep harping on having to search for everything, but it's really crazy to have to resort to that.

I shouldn't have to "research" to do simple tasks. In a good OS, it should be intuitive. Win 8 isn't intuitive at all. And faster with fewer clicks? It takes something like 8 clicks just to turn the damn thing off. I had to google it, and the procedure was a whole freakin' paragraph. That's inexcusable.

No matter how much you guys defend this POS, nobody is going to buy it and it will fail miserably.

Why do I hate it so much? Because, they took years of proven design and threw it out the window, and are now shoving this garbage down our throats. They've not only ruined windows, but also ruined Office and who knows how many other products.

Anyway, I'm done with this thread. Just thinking about Win 8 makes my blood boil.

This is the appropriate answer to your query
[URL=http://This is the appropriate answer to your query http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HejR6dHCBrM&feature=youtu.be]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HejR6dHCBrM&feature=youtu.be[/URL]