Windows 8 thoughts.......

In general; I just hate programs (including Android, iPhone, whatever) that wrongly predict what I want.

The buzz is that Windows 8 was a debacle on a scale with Vista. Microsoft 8.1 is their answer. Windows 9 (Q1 2015?) is the rest of their answer ... so they say.

I haven't looked into Windows 8.1. Supposedly it's much better, supposedly. The frustrations with Windows 8.0 were so painful that I have a mental block on looking too hard at it.

For me, the problem was the "swipe motions" that suddenly exit or minimize my screen, with no obvious way to return to what I was doing. Touch-screen isn't really practical for a desktop, yet they force it on us.

Also; they don't seem to believe in menus anymore. You "just start typing". Well, what if I don't know my program's name? Supposedly, this has changed. I'll look into this "classic menu" mentioned above.

If I could disable swiping motions, and get a classic all-program-menu (ie: Windows 7), then I'd be OK with it. It's got a lot of extras behind the scenes such as interoperability with mobile (and other stuff I don't care about at present).

Here's a quick shot of my Surface Pro 3 set up to open to the desk top at start up. In the image, I've right clicked on the Windows icon on the lower left so you can see the menu that opens giving quick access to functions. I have shortcut icons on the desktop as well as on the taskbar. So far, I've had no problems and with the OS set up like this, it feels very much like Windows 7 only faster.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/ofH2​cx

navydoc wrote in post #17019002
Here's a quick shot of my Surface Pro 3 set up to open to the desk top at start up. In the image, I've right clicked on the Windows icon on the lower left so you can see the menu that opens giving quick access to functions. I have shortcut icons on the desktop as well as on the taskbar. So far, I've had no problems and with the OS set up like this, it feels very much like Windows 7 only faster.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/ofH2​cx
Win 8.1 desktop by navydoc45, on Flickr

Awesome! I've been debating getting something with windows 7 but now after this thread, I think I'll probably just go with 8.1

Windows 8 and win8.1 will do everything that W7 can do it's just that some of the actions are a bit different. the learning curve is not too steep and anyone who can Google can find their answer in seconds. I think lots of the early complaining came from folks that are very restive to change or are unwilling to learn a new way of doing something.

gjl711 wrote in post #17019168
Windows 8 and win8.1 will do everything that W7 can do it's just that some of the actions are a bit different. the learning curve is not too steep and anyone who can Google can find their answer in seconds. I think lots of the early complaining came from folks that are very restive to change or are unwilling to learn a new way of doing something.

If the next Canon DSLR put the shutter button on the bottom of the camera, would you like it? Sure, you could get used to it, but its a stupid and pointless change that doesn't improve the user experience. Even Microsoft knows Win8 is a turd for actual PCs which is why Threshold is going to be much smarter about how and when to integrate two completely different environents.

I got a bit sidetracked but I'll go ahead and share this view anyway. This shows the Metro screen on my Surface Pro 3. Note that with the newest update, the power button and search feature has been added to the top right.

I haven't taken the time to customize the Metro screen much yet but will probably get around to it sometime. This is the screen I'd use if I used the Surface as a tablet as it is geared for touch screens.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/ohy8​aP

mike_d wrote in post #17019207
If the next Canon DSLR put the shutter button on the bottom of the camera, would you like it? Sure, you could get used to it, but its a stupid and pointless change that doesn't improve the user experience. Even Microsoft knows Win8 is a turd for actual PCs which is why Threshold is going to be much smarter about how and when to integrate two completely different environents.

THe analogy doesn't work as you assume that things were not changable. For W8 and W8.1 this is not the case. It was different but for those that wanted to make it work more like W7, you can change things to do so. W8.1 just made things easier and more palatable to the W7 crowd.

mike_d wrote in post #17019207
If the next Canon DSLR put the shutter button on the bottom of the camera, would you like it? Sure, you could get used to it, but its a stupid and pointless change that doesn't improve the user experience. Even Microsoft knows Win8 is a turd for actual PCs which is why Threshold is going to be much smarter about how and when to integrate two completely different environents.

The 5D II had the on off button on the backside (lower right), and with the 5D III Canon moved it to the mode dial on top of the camera. That's a whole lot closer analogy than the shutter button: Microsoft changed the start screen just like Canon changed the start button. Big deal. The change has had zero impact on my productivity (actually probably boosted it some).

gjl711 wrote in post #17019235
THe analogy doesn't work as you assume that things were not changable. For W8 and W8.1 this is not the case. It was different but for those that wanted to make it work more like W7, you can change things to do so. W8.1 just made things easier and more palatable to the W7 crowd.

A lot of functions have been randomly split between "PC Settings" and the Control Panel. Managing users or network settings requires bouncing between two different UIs to complete the job. Its so obvious that Win8 was designed for 4-10" keyboard-less touch screen devices, ie phones and tablets, with the desktop thrown in as "legacy".

mike_d wrote in post #17019245
A lot of functions have been randomly split between "PC Settings" and the Control Panel. Managing users or network settings requires bouncing between two different UIs to complete the job. Its so obvious that Win8 was designed for 4-10" keyboard-less touch screen devices, ie phones and tablets, with the desktop thrown in as "legacy".

That's true and that was probably a big mistake on MS' part. Some things are not a convenient as before but they are still accessible and there. I guess my point is that just because things are differnent doesn't make it crap. The amount of bashing seemed so over the top especially when nearly all the complaints had an easy solution.

navydoc wrote in post #17019233
I got a bit sidetracked but I'll go ahead and share this view anyway. This shows the Metro screen on my Surface Pro 3. Note that with the newest update, the power button and search feature has been added to the top right.

I haven't taken the time to customize the Metro screen much yet but will probably get around to it sometime. This is the screen I'd use if I used the Surface as a tablet as it is geared for touch screens.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/ohy8​aP
Win 8.1 metro by navydoc45, on Flickr

For what it's worth all the various shortcuts to search are kind of redundant when just like Vista or 7 all you have to do is hit the windows key and start typing in what you want to search for.

mike_d wrote in post #17019245
A lot of functions have been randomly split between "PC Settings" and the Control Panel. Managing users or network settings requires bouncing between two different UIs to complete the job. Its so obvious that Win8 was designed for 4-10" keyboard-less touch screen devices, ie phones and tablets, with the desktop thrown in as "legacy".

This really isn't accurate. If there's something that can't be manipulated from the classic control panel in 8 (which is a right click away) then I haven't found it. Better yet, that classic control panel is basically the same as in 7.

navydoc wrote in post #17019002
Here's a quick shot of my Surface Pro 3 set up to open to the desk top at start up. In the image, I've right clicked on the Windows icon on the lower left so you can see the menu that opens giving quick access to functions. I have shortcut icons on the desktop as well as on the taskbar. So far, I've had no problems and with the OS set up like this, it feels very much like Windows 7 only faster.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/ofH2​cx
Win 8.1 desktop by navydoc45, on Flickr

Hey Gene.

Been curious about these Surface Pros...I'm wondering, have you used yours for photo download from the camera and editing?
Does it run LR or similar? If so, what is your experience there?

I am currently an iPad user and have found it a bit awkward to download my photos after a shoot, from camera to the iPad directly. It's doable though (I use the wifi on the 6D and the Canon app).

Just curious about your experience.

kjonnnn wrote in post #17018957
I've had windows 8.1 about 2 months now. Dont get what the issue is with it. No problems. You dont need to swipe not sure why that was said. You can use the desktop or Metro. I prefer the Metro. I make tiles for my most used programs and put on Metro. Much cleaner than the desktop, but the desktop is there if u need it.

Not "need to". It's that an inadvertent (mouse) swipe does *something* to the screen I'm working on with no obvious way to get it back.

Puckman wrote in post #17019463
Hey Gene.

Been curious about these Surface Pros...I'm wondering, have you used yours for photo download from the camera and editing?
Does it run LR or similar? If so, what is your experience there?

I am currently an iPad user and have found it a bit awkward to download my photos after a shoot, from camera to the iPad directly. It's doable though (I use the wifi on the 6D and the Canon app).

Just curious about your experience.

I'll jump in because I have a Surface Pro as well (first gen I got on the cheap). It does indeed run PS and LR as well as any other similarly spec'd laptop does. The new Pro, with the taller screen, I'm sure is quite nice. I've shot tethered via USB with Lightroom on mine before.

NBEast wrote in post #17019479
Not "need to". It's that an inadvertent (mouse) swipe does *something* to the screen I'm working on with no obvious way to get it back.

It's fairly simple. The right side menu that pops up if you leave the mouse over there is the "charms" bar which has some quick access to various settings and features. It won't jump to anything unless you click. The left side is sort of the alt-tab for the various "metro" screens. A swipe itself with a mouse won't change anything, however a touchpad might as it uses a swipe in from the edge type gesture. You can always push the cursor to the upper left corner to pull this up as well. Keep swiping from the left to switch or push the cursor to the upper left to bring up the full list.

Edge gestures and hot corners aren't exactly new or unique to Windows with touchpads.

Colorblinded wrote in post #17019451
This really isn't accurate. If there's something that can't be manipulated from the classic control panel in 8 (which is a right click away) then I haven't found it. Better yet, that classic control panel is basically the same as in 7.

Then you don't spend much time configuring PCs. They even removed some wifi stuff from the UI completely, requiring netsh commands instead. How's that for user friendly?