Microsoft Windows 8
 

Any early adopters out there, or are you waiting for Win8 SP1?

http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d...s8_610x369.jpg

Cant say I like the look of the interface. Seems like they could at least have made it look more professional. We wont be rushing out to get a hold of it yet although assuming it works well on tablet type devices we might have a use for it in our schools. Hopefully it will start a price war with Apple and bring IPAD type devices down across the board.

- Peter.

Don't know how well it works, but it sure looks cheesy.

It's basically an uglier version of Windows 3.1's interface. Fortunately, there are ways to disable the Metro(sexual) start screen and go directly to desktop on non-mobile devices.

Side note as to the Surface: some commentators have noted the dearth of apps, with one in particular (David Pogue) calling them out for not having an app for facebook.

Really? I've used the fb app for both iPad and Android, and it flat out sucks; it's one of few apps that I've deleted from both devices. Even using Opera mini/mobile the mobile front end for fb works much better and consumes far fewer resources.

As far as the OS itself goes, Win 8 is pretty solid. It does change the course of things, being tile-based, but it doesn't render the system unusable or anything. It's not like Vista, which wasn't quite ready to be removed from the oven. It's more like Windows 7, which was a solid product even in late betas. Personally I'm not worried about SP1 for Win8, but I do want a touch-screen before I change over to it.

I like my mouse-and-keyboard interface on real computers. Touch screens get nasty and greasy fairly quickly. Not to mention that looking AT a screen is easier than looking down. Yeah, you could have the touch screen vertical, but then you have nowhere to rest your arms.

On the plus side, looks like sideloading of bespoke Metrosexual apps is relatively easy on all versions of 8. It's sad that it's locked down at all -- we can thank Steve Jobs and hope he's rotting in Hell for starting THAT trend.

I agree about "touch screens" for desktops being a consumer flop, one that HP fell victim to. On the other hand, touch pads on laptops, tablets and replacements for mice, seem to be the trend. I'm constantly amazed by what users can do with gestures on the touch pads.

Consumer, they may actually work. But try sitting at a desk for 8 hr and using a touch screen as your only pointing device.

They've got a whole bunch of keyboard shortcuts built as well. Coworkers here at the office have it installed on one of the testing machines.

I would not imagine someone using a tablet as a primary work computer. That just seems batty. I can see it as something for meetings, not taking, presentations, etc but it will not replace the keyboard and mouse in the business environment. I would go crazy trying to program.

I might buy a full blown Surface tablet next year when they come out, provided the price is reasonable.

Windows 8 has some pretty slick things built into it now. Finally, the multiple-monitor crowd gets task bars on each screen, natively. Nice UI changes in the desktop environment, better file transfer information, task manager stuff.

BUY A MAC. :D

Don't really have an opinion on Windows 8 (other than no interest in switching to it), but the fact that Microsoft is using the same user interface on Windows Server 2012 has really turned me off Microsoft. I certified on Windows server products for many years but I won't be on 2012, and I'll be recommending 2008 R2 and Linux for server-side solutions.

Why Microsoft thinks IT people want that sort of interface on the server side mystifies me.

Fortunately you can still do a server core installation, which does away with the GUI completely -- but I wish W2K12 offered a middleground option.

I would be curious to see if MS did make some more enterprise friendly interface/option for Windows 9. I just don't see many businesses making any jump to Windows 8. Most of them just jumped to Windows 7 not more than a year or so ago.

Windows 7? That'd sure be nice. 90% of our stuff is still stuck on XP, and until the government says otherwise, there's nothing I can do about it. :mad:

:( Some of the equipment here is still running XP. I know a few people that are still using XP with the "classic" style start menu from Windows 98 era.

XP? Pbbbbbbbt. My bank is still on Win2k. The NYC MTA uses Windows NT in their ticket machines.

(I'm typing this on an XP machine, actually.)