Why you should avoid buying Windows 8

[Phenomic]

So here is Mint 13 on my 2nd machine running Windows 7 and 2000, everything is in Windows Classic Look.

Pretty snazzy. Can you give Mint a Vista/Win7 (or even Longhorn) look?

--JorgeA

Mint has stayed away from transparent windows and other Windows-like bling. But there are Theme editors so you can bake your own.

Same thing with gkrellm (right side of my desktop), a very useful app but its UI is very ugly, so I tweaked my own Theme with a text editor in less than 5 minutes. I’d be happy to upload it if anybody’s interested.

Ububtu is the most advanced distro but has the W8-like Mickey Mouse UI, however you can install Ubu 12.10 then add the MATE desktop with instructions in http://mate-desktop.org

Lots of choices

[Woomera]

people need to stop complaining cause they dont know how to use windows 8 new features and design. if you dont like to try new things then go back to XP !

Edited November 24, 2012 by Woomera

[jaclaz]

people need to stop complaining cause they dont know how to use windows 8 new features and design. if you dont like to try new things then go back to XP !

I thought that people were complaining because they know perfectly well how to use windows 8 new features and design BUT simply hate them.

jaclaz

[cruze1]

I think windows 8 is more or less for the young people and cell phones.It's is not anything I would want on my Desk top or laptop for what I use a computer for. What it all comes down to is a person's personal preference !

[vinifera]

win 8 = "modern" win 3.1

Edited November 25, 2012 by vinifera

[JorgeA]

I think windows 8 is more or less for the young people and cell phones.It's is not anything I would want on my Desk top or laptop for what I use a computer for. What it all comes down to is a person's personal preference !

+1 to everything you said!

If only Microsoft hadn't forgotten/neglected that concept of user choice, this thread might have developed in a totally different direction.

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

win 8 = "modern" win 3.1

Right on!!

Basically, the Metro side of Win8 features a program launcher (the Start Screen) with no taskbar showing open applications, just like the Win3.1 Program Manager.

I never warmed up to that idea in Windows 3.11, why would I like it in Windows 8?

--JorgeA

P.S. (and OT): Looking at your signature, in 2012 how could someone try out those Longhorn builds?

Edited November 26, 2012 by JorgeA

[Nuno Brito]

Basically, the Metro side of Win8 features a program launcher (the Start Screen) with no taskbar showing open applications, just like the Win3.1 Program Manager.

I never warmed up to that idea in Windows 3.11, why would I like it in Windows 8?

Lest we not forget Microsoft Windows Bob around the Win 3.1/95 era.

Impressive how you can replace "Bob" with "8" and they still match so well.

For more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Bob

[xpclient]

I believe everyone should just STOP upgrading their Windows because MS is too careless with their OS and they damage it in just as many ways as they improve it, ignore all feedback and then force it on you some day, whether you like it or not. Microsoft needs to be a more responsive-to-feedback and transparent company. With Sinofsky leaving, there's is little bit of hope but I am not sure Julie Green listens even a little bit to feedback either.

Edited November 26, 2012 by xpclient

[vinifera]

P.S. (and OT): Looking at your signature, in 2012 how could someone try out those Longhorn builds?

vmware 6.5 (not 6.05 but 6.5)

Edited November 26, 2012 by vinifera

[MagicAndre1981]

Impressive how you can replace "Bob" with "8" and they still match so well.

:lol:

:thumbup

[jaclaz]

Impressive how you can replace "Bob" with "8" and they still match so well.

For more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Bob

The funny thing is that when it came out, you were 14 or so , and most probably you would have considered it "cool" .

If anyone needs/wants (BTW WHY?) to see it in all it's aberration, a number of educative screenshots are available here:

http://toastytech.com/guis/bob.html

And yes, BOB is also "responsible" for Comic Sans MS:

and consequent slow suicides

and for some of the senseless characters of the animated help in later versions such as "rover", BTW - and this says a lot of things about the Patent Office - the thingy has been patented:

http://nbnl.globalwhelming.com/2009/01/05/14-microsofts-weird-animated-characters-patents-you-have-never-seen-before/

http://www.google.com/patents/US5682469

jaclaz

Edited November 26, 2012 by jaclaz

[Tripredacus]

I also had wanted something more out of Microsoft Bob. The strange thing about it is that it is designed to appear like a point and click adventure game. I knew it wasn't a game but I was always interested in the concept of it. I had no use for such a program as a kid as I didn't know anything about checkbooks or whatever else you could do in there. It probably made things more confusing for people than it needed to be. I'd expect that adults didn't like it because it looked too much like a game, and kids didn't like it because it looked like a game but wasn't.

The Packard Bell version may be slightly cooler since you get to see your 3D house... but hope it doesn't rain because there is no roof.

http://toastytech.com/guis/pbnav35.html

[CoffeeFiend]

Indeed. Saying that it's because people are unable or unwilling to adapt to changes is condescending and absurd. Loads of us adapted from 8 bit computers all the way to Win7 with zero problems, and that's including a lot of non-MS operating systems. But Win8 is just a huge step back in usability on a desktop and I will not have any of that. It seems to me like an OS only complete novices could possibly like. Highly inefficient, crippled, backwards and severely dumbed-down but it's probably easy to use by kids who've only ever used touch-phone like devices before and who don't need to do much besides checking facebook.

I think it's by far the worst version not only of Windows, but of all their operating systems since MS DOS 3.x at least. It even makes Vista seem like a nice upgrade. If MS continues in that direction they're going to find themselves in big trouble pretty quickly.

[vinifera]

use by kids who've only ever used touch-phone like devices before and who don't need to do much besides checking facebook.

exactly

the spoiled stupid brats with no brain