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Microsoft reinvents the wheel with Windows 8
Marketwatch ^ | 06/03/2012 | John C. Dvorak

Posted on 06/03/2012 7:30:21 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

BERKELEY, Calif. (MarketWatch) — I am writing this review on a computer that runs Windows Vista. It’s not that bad.

Generally speaking, I like Microsoft Corp. MSFT -2.54% and what it has done. Over the years, I’ve even supported the idea that Microsoft’s Bob interface was mismarketed and actually was unique and interesting.

That said, Windows 8 looks to me to be an unmitigated disaster that could decidedly hurt the company and its future.

This opinion is based on using the new release candidate beta that is pretty much what will finally ship after some bug fixes.

It’s not that the product out-and-out stinks. It is refreshingly slick-looking and modern, albeit without any charm whatsoever.

The real problem is that it is both unusable and annoying. It makes your teeth itch as you keep asking, “Why are they doing this!?”

First of all, the system-software product is mostly divorced from all the thought and trends developed by Windows over the years, as if to say that they were wrong the whole time, so let’s try something altogether new.

No business will tolerate this software, let me assure you. As a productivity tool, it is unusable.

Most applications cannot even be scaled down and so take up the whole screen. To even get out of these “apps,” you have to ram the cursor down into the lower left corner and click. That puts you back onto the vapid “Metro” start screen, where you can begin another miserable adventure.

Do you work on a huge 27-inch or bigger monitor? You know, so you have room to organize your programs and files? Well, imagine everything running full screen on that. It’s a joke.

(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...


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KEYWORDS: microsoft; windows8
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To: taildragger

If Linux would ever come out with a user friendly, usable interface, they might get users to switch. I don’t want to have to learn a whole new OS just to surf the web and do basic computer production.

But, there dozens of ‘distros’ [whatever they are].

The few times I tried various Linux based programs, they were ok, but lacking. Some didn’t recognize the new widescreen monitors, some didn’t recognize the pctv card, etc.

Linux is still too much of hobbyiest thingy. If they ever get serious, they might become a challenge to Mac and Windows.


41 posted on 06/03/2012 8:22:27 AM PDT by TomGuy
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To: catfish1957

>>Uh oh....Vista II in the making<<

Sounds more like ME II...


42 posted on 06/03/2012 8:24:41 AM PDT by freedumb2003 ('RETRO' Abortions = performed on 84th trimester individuals who think killing babies is a "right.")
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To: Blue Highway; lightman; SF_Redux

Yes, I remember that fiasco. I loved XP Pro for many years and grudgingly gave it up on my business/home machines 2yrs ago, only to find Win-7 Pro a real delight and rock-solid. MS is making a fatal, unrecoverable error this time. (I’m hardly in the “guru” category with those on this thread, but having started on DOS2 in 1982, I’m more in the *advanced user* group and can see the sinkhole in MS’ road ahead if they continue with this junk.)


43 posted on 06/03/2012 8:24:41 AM PDT by Carriage Hill (All liberals & most demoncraps think that life is just a sponge bath, with a happy ending.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Win8, Unity, Gnome 3.

What in the world are these "developers" thinking? That everyone only uses small mobile devices for all computing activities?

These are all very poor interfaces for large monitors natively, though at least Cinnamon running over Gnome 3 transfers a painful experience into a pleasant enough one.

44 posted on 06/03/2012 8:25:37 AM PDT by snowsislander (Please, America, no more dog-eating Kenyan cokeheads in the Oval Office.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Microsoft had a great run but it’s crap like this that makes me thing that they’re nearing the end. The world is changing and fast, and they’re going to get left behind IMHO.


45 posted on 06/03/2012 8:26:58 AM PDT by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
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To: Blue Highway; SeekAndFind

46 posted on 06/03/2012 8:27:05 AM PDT by freedumb2003 ('RETRO' Abortions = performed on 84th trimester individuals who think killing babies is a "right.")
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To: SeekAndFind

Sounds like I’ll just be hitting the ‘B’ button on my KVM switch more often to make use of my far-more-impressive Linux Kubuntu desktop.


47 posted on 06/03/2012 8:29:29 AM PDT by The Duke
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To: SeekAndFind

As an end user its really annoying having to learn another OS especially if its inferior to the previous one.
Why not MS keep a sound, fundamental OS like XP and instead of overhauling it just add newer versions with more creative apps and functions. Maybe I’m just getting older and more resistant to the pace of rapid changes in this modern era. Yet still if something works well and good why flux it up with change for the purpose of changes sake to accomodate the less than almighty dollar.


48 posted on 06/03/2012 8:34:52 AM PDT by tflabo (Truth or tyranny)
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To: SeekAndFind
Over the years, I’ve even supported the idea that Microsoft’s Bob interface was mismarketed and actually was unique and interesting.

Yep, us oldtime Mac users well recall Dvorak down on his knees Bobbing for Microsoft, over the years.

If he says Windows 8 sucks, it must really suck. Because if there's one thing Dvorak knows ...

49 posted on 06/03/2012 8:35:48 AM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: Blue Highway
I'll stick with Windows 7,I tweaked it a bit,this is my Desktop.


50 posted on 06/03/2012 8:36:45 AM PDT by mdittmar
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To: DaxtonBrown
I’ve been migrating to Linux for a number of years, this might be the final incentive. I’ve got a real estate program that only runs in IE is the only hangup.

VirtualBox from Oracle lets you run a Windows system under Linux for those pesky programs that aren't available in the OSF world. It's pretty sweet but you do need a clean copy of XP (or whatever other OS you want to run).

I, for one, welcome our new Oracle of Information... /.

51 posted on 06/03/2012 8:37:18 AM PDT by Mycroft Holmes (<= Mash name for HTML Xampp PHP C JavaScript primer. Programming for everyone.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

HP’s got simple scanner models:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/search-SimpleOfferSearch?PageSize=15&search=&SearchTerm=scanner


52 posted on 06/03/2012 8:37:36 AM PDT by Carriage Hill (All liberals & most demoncraps think that life is just a sponge bath, with a happy ending.)
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To: freedumb2003
haha, reminds me of the screens in the movie Idiocracy.

That movie is becoming more prophetic after every passing year since it's been released.

53 posted on 06/03/2012 8:38:10 AM PDT by Blue Highway
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To: mdittmar

WOW! How’d you do that, m?


54 posted on 06/03/2012 8:40:57 AM PDT by Carriage Hill (All liberals & most demoncraps think that life is just a sponge bath, with a happy ending.)
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To: freedumb2003
That needs the full Santayana quote:

Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Windows 8 looks like an example of "absolute change" with no direction for possible improvement.
55 posted on 06/03/2012 8:42:20 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (You only have three billion heartbeats in a lifetime.How many does the government claim as its own?)
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To: Blue Highway

The reviewer seems to have missed the major part of windows 8... It is designed for touch screen systems, so working with a mouse you dont derive the full advantage of the new UI. I ran the recent releases and it took a few mins of getting used to but once you figure out the context menu available to every app and how to get to the traditional desktop it was fine.

It brings the ease of use of tablets to the PC for those who want it, and those who don’t can just go into their traditional desktop.


56 posted on 06/03/2012 8:44:51 AM PDT by battousai (Conservatives are racist? YES, I hate stupid white liberals.)
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To: The Duke
LINUX/UBUNTU might be impressive and has its millions of fans, and Microsoft its millions of haters... but then, we hit a reality like this ....


57 posted on 06/03/2012 8:45:18 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (bOTRT)
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To: carriage_hill

Lots of free software out there,didn’t like the start menu on the left side,fixed it,etc,etc:)


58 posted on 06/03/2012 8:46:32 AM PDT by mdittmar
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To: mdittmar

Is that Stardock or a variation of it?


59 posted on 06/03/2012 8:51:07 AM PDT by Carriage Hill (All liberals & most demoncraps think that life is just a sponge bath, with a happy ending.)
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To: mdittmar
Glad you found something that works. I go out of my way to make mine more like XP as I do not like the Aero themes or other bloatware M$ tries to set as a default setting. I have and use classic user interfaces for everything and turn off large icons for Windows Explorer views, as I just need "Details". Here's my desktop, and this is as fancy as mine gets as usually I just have a stark black background without a picture. I always turn everything to smallest icons and the only gripe is it seems since XP M$ tries to reduce the screen resolution you can set. I used to use 1600x1200 on a 15" monitor and now with the 24" + monitors you can't even get close to that unless you are running an after market video card. On my Presario laptop the best resolution I can get is 1366x768...


60 posted on 06/03/2012 8:53:16 AM PDT by Blue Highway
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