Windows 8

[Kwacky]

So my new laptop comes with this. I presume it's geared up for touch screen devices because it's crap on a laptop.

Any recommendations on how to improve it? So far it's taken about 4 hours to upload, install, reject, install, reject, install, reject and finally install the 100+ updates.

The tiles are crap. I don't want any of those apart from the one I'm using to make it look like Windows 7.

Where's the bloody start button gone?

[Monty]

http://www.classicshell.net" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kwacky]

That looks spot on. Are you using it?

[C00kiemonster]

You can upgrade it to windows 8.1 which has a proper shell built in too which is better. There is an option but I can't remember where.

They have changed windows update and you have to go to the very wanky 'windows store' to get the free upgrade. It took my laptop a week to successfully download it after countless failed attempts

[Kwacky]

I'll have a play with it over the weekend.

The laptop is pretty impressive though. Blurays look stunning on it.

[Monty]

That looks spot on. Are you using it?

I unsed it for about 12 months and then got a Mac. I did try for about 3 months without classic shell to get used to the tiles but it was just too disjointed and messy.

I'm done with Windows, nothing really that wrong with it but they are moving in a one OS fits all, desktop, tablet, phone etc and not doing it that well.

I want a separate desktop, tablet and phone that all just work together and Apple are doing that the best at the moment.

Plus I'm sick to death of third party software and drivers problems. A good third of all the devices I have especially Bluetooth stuff either doesn't work at all or works very poorly on my PCs. Not had a single issue with any device on my Mac and never had to search for a driver, all just plug in and go.

Bought an xbox 360 controller last month, plugged it into my Macbook, downloaded an App and instantly my Mac is playing Dirt 3 as if it's an xbox.

[Kwacky]

By coincidence, Windows 3.0 was released on this day in 1990

[C00kiemonster]

That looks spot on. Are you using it?

I unsed it for about 12 months and then got a Mac. I did try for about 3 months without classic shell to get used to the tiles but it was just too disjointed and messy.

I'm done with Windows, nothing really that wrong with it but they are moving in a one OS fits all, desktop, tablet, phone etc and not doing it that well.

I want a separate desktop, tablet and phone that all just work together and Apple are doing that the best at the moment.

Plus I'm sick to death of third party software and drivers problems. A good third of all the devices I have especially Bluetooth stuff either doesn't work at all or works very poorly on my PCs. Not had a single issue with any device on my Mac and never had to search for a driver, all just plug in and go.

Bought an xbox 360 controller last month, plugged it into my Macbook, downloaded an App and instantly my Mac is playing Dirt 3 as if it's an xbox.

I do agree. I've installed ubuntu as well on mine to try, but I'm fed up of windows now. Shocking.

[R34PER]

By coincidence, Windows 3.0 was released on this day in 1990

Probably be better off getting a copy of 3.0 and putting that on instead

[C00kiemonster]

I've still got the disks somewhere

[Frankie]

ha ha I have this on a laptop I got at the start of the year,,, pain in the arse, however I now have come to terms with it, you can set up the front screen as it were to show what you use mainly.

However all I do is click, as I dont have a touch screen either, the desktop icon, which takes me back to something that looks like windows i am used to.

Ha ha your OP, did make me laugh, I must admit i do get the hump every so often even now with it.

[Deegee]

I'm no fan of Windows full stop, 20yrs of working with it and the best they ever did IMHO was 98 Professional, having used Apple devices at home for a few years now I'm seriously thinking that when the our lappie goes west a Mac is the way forward, as said above it just works. It comes to something when Apple's best advert comes from Microsoft.

[D6Nutz]

Windows 8 was a bit of a shock to the PC community as it was the biggest change to the UI that MS has done for a long time.

I've been using 8.1 for a couple of months now and in all honesty the differences between 7 and 8.1 are really minimal.

My first bit of advise is really to learn how to get 8.1 setup to suit how you want to use it. If you like the start button then get the 8.1 upgrade, check >> http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/wind ... 8-tutorial" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; << for details (i've not read it)

Once you've got 8.1 running there are a couple of must do's..

1 - go into the start screen and get rid of everything, it's all useless and annoying.. Right click on a tile and click the unpin from start, it's a bit tedious but is well worth the effot.

2 - click the down arrow on the start screen to show all your programs, then right click on the ones you use all the time and pin then to the start screen

3 - Drag the icons on the start screen round into a sequence that make sense, look out for the vertical bar that appears, drag an icon onto that and it will create a new group of icons. TIP, right click on an empty area and choose name groups and you can give the groups nice names

Now you should have a usable screen that stops you having to have masses of icons on your desktop, and should also save you having to go through many menu groups to find what you want.

Now you need to learn a couple of tricks to make life easier.

1 - Windows 7 had a nice search box on the start bar, it's still there in 8(.1) you just can't see it. Tap the Windows key or click the start button and just start typing, trust me it will work, the search box appears from nowhere.

2 - If you upgrade to Windows 8.1 there is a super secret menu that MS really should tell people about. Right click on the start button and you have immediate access to a lot of useful functions.


I know this is a long post full of lots of crap, but when you learn how to use Windows 8 it's really quite good. Organising the start screen saves me huge numbers of clicks on a daily basis.

[Monty]

Must admit I did like how from the tiles you can just start typing and it opens the search for the app/program. A lot of the criticism for Window 8 really comes from people being forced to do things differently than they have for the last 20 years, but for me it just doesn't feel right without a touch screen. I actually found myself trying to press buttons on the screen and that's where it falls down as a desktop OS. Maybe if I could have been arsed to learn the keyboard short cuts I would have got on with it better.

[bb41]

Windows 8 was a bit of a shock to the PC community as it was the biggest change to the UI that MS has done for a long time.

I've been using 8.1 for a couple of months now and in all honesty the differences between 7 and 8.1 are really minimal.

My first bit of advise is really to learn how to get 8.1 setup to suit how you want to use it. If you like the start button then get the 8.1 upgrade, check >> http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/wind ... 8-tutorial" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; << for details (i've not read it)

Once you've got 8.1 running there are a couple of must do's..

1 - go into the start screen and get rid of everything, it's all useless and annoying.. Right click on a tile and click the unpin from start, it's a bit tedious but is well worth the effot.

2 - click the down arrow on the start screen to show all your programs, then right click on the ones you use all the time and pin then to the start screen

3 - Drag the icons on the start screen round into a sequence that make sense, look out for the vertical bar that appears, drag an icon onto that and it will create a new group of icons. TIP, right click on an empty area and choose name groups and you can give the groups nice names

Now you should have a usable screen that stops you having to have masses of icons on your desktop, and should also save you having to go through many menu groups to find what you want.

Now you need to learn a couple of tricks to make life easier.

1 - Windows 7 had a nice search box on the start bar, it's still there in 8(.1) you just can't see it. Tap the Windows key or click the start button and just start typing, trust me it will work, the search box appears from nowhere.

2 - If you upgrade to Windows 8.1 there is a super secret menu that MS really should tell people about. Right click on the start button and you have immediate access to a lot of useful functions.


I know this is a long post full of lots of crap, but when you learn how to use Windows 8 it's really quite good. Organising the start screen saves me huge numbers of clicks on a daily basis.

Thanks Ive just spent a wet saturday morning doing all the above and what a difference it's made using my lap top . I use an iMac most of the time but have a laptop when I want to sit on the sofa. I now have something that is far easier to use .
Ta muchly