DRE
Well-known member
When you use Photoshop on your Windows Bootcamp are you doing it through a virtualization program like VMWare or Parallels or are you actually booting directly into it from start up in a 'Refind' menu for instance.
Windows 7 vs Windows 8
- Thread starter DRE
- Start date
TrevC
Well-known member
Bootcamp, as in running the OS natively on the hardware.
Running windows on a mac doesn't require refind or any other EFI tweaks, those things can be more of a liability even. You can buy a new mac from the store, turn it off, put in a Windows CD (or proper USB) and boot straight from that installer holding down the C key or option key. You just need the bootcamp drivers disc.
A Mac is just a fairly standard intel-based computer with a strange EFI implementation
Running windows on a mac doesn't require refind or any other EFI tweaks, those things can be more of a liability even. You can buy a new mac from the store, turn it off, put in a Windows CD (or proper USB) and boot straight from that installer holding down the C key or option key. You just need the bootcamp drivers disc.
A Mac is just a fairly standard intel-based computer with a strange EFI implementation
DRE
Well-known member
I only learned that AFTER I installed Bootcamp and then proceeded to screw up my Windows installation by formatting another partition in Disc Utility in an attempt to install Linux on it. I failed, I had to reinstall Bootcamp but I never uninstalled Refind. I don't even know how to uninstall it.Bootcamp, as in running the OS natively on the hardware.
Running windows on a mac doesn't require refind or any other EFI tweaks, those things can be more of a liability even. You can buy a new mac from the store, turn it off, put in a Windows CD (or proper USB) and boot straight from that installer holding down the C key or option key. You just need the bootcamp drivers disc.
A Mac is just a fairly standard intel-based computer with a strange EFI implementation
TrevC
Well-known member
One thing I just thought of... if your Windows partition has anything unusual about how or where it was installed, there's always a chance that the stock bootloader won't see it, and ReFind will.
It should be fine, but hey.. I don't want you to lose your stuff.
Edit: Sorry, disregard that. I've got this Xenforo bug on the brain here. If anything went wrong you could simply reinstall ReFind!
It should be fine, but hey.. I don't want you to lose your stuff.
Edit: Sorry, disregard that. I've got this Xenforo bug on the brain here. If anything went wrong you could simply reinstall ReFind!
TheLaw
Well-known member
Windows 8 is either ingenious or it was the product of someone's niece or nephew who is no longer with the company. To Microsoft's credit and detriment, it is well before it's time. They were complaining that the touch hardware that many of their portable devices were supposed to be bundled with did not happen. But using it for a desktop, it's difficult for me to understand why Metro was made to be a requirement and not an option.
Here's the way I look at it. Apple does some things very well but there is so much form over substance. I want my artwork on my wall to be aesthetically pleasing. I don't care about functionality. But when it comes to computing, I don't care so much about how cool it looks for the most part, but how well it works. I found Windows based machines far more productive than Macs for a variety of reasons, part of it because of the trade off in the architecture. It's like Android vs. iOS. The former comes with many more user definable options but comes at a price of being more complex (although I think it's still quite simple.)
In Redmond, I could see some EVP saying "MUST LOOK COOL!" Well, that worked for Steve Jobs as he got lots of women to equate their home computer with a Shih Tzu. (Every girl frined of mine was buying those oh so cute iMacs or whatever they were called.) But that's far more mainstream now and the gimmick is not new enough to sell computers en masse on looks alone. Metro should have been on Touch PCs ONLY as it's not practically functional on the desktop. Getting rid of the Start button option was also stupid. There are no instructions on where to go and how to do things. It's a time investment to make to figure these things out not because they are smarter, but because they look cooler by removing some "clutter" from the desktop. Now instead of click and done, it's point, wait, click and done. It's inefficient - but it looks cooler.
Perhaps with the introduction of more touch computing devices (including hand gestures instead of a mouse), Windows 8 will become far more adopted. But like the product I was involved with before Skype that could and should have been Skype, it's release a bit premature. If they hang in there we'll see whether it's genius or utter foolishness. [/ end rant]
Here's the way I look at it. Apple does some things very well but there is so much form over substance. I want my artwork on my wall to be aesthetically pleasing. I don't care about functionality. But when it comes to computing, I don't care so much about how cool it looks for the most part, but how well it works. I found Windows based machines far more productive than Macs for a variety of reasons, part of it because of the trade off in the architecture. It's like Android vs. iOS. The former comes with many more user definable options but comes at a price of being more complex (although I think it's still quite simple.)
In Redmond, I could see some EVP saying "MUST LOOK COOL!" Well, that worked for Steve Jobs as he got lots of women to equate their home computer with a Shih Tzu. (Every girl frined of mine was buying those oh so cute iMacs or whatever they were called.) But that's far more mainstream now and the gimmick is not new enough to sell computers en masse on looks alone. Metro should have been on Touch PCs ONLY as it's not practically functional on the desktop. Getting rid of the Start button option was also stupid. There are no instructions on where to go and how to do things. It's a time investment to make to figure these things out not because they are smarter, but because they look cooler by removing some "clutter" from the desktop. Now instead of click and done, it's point, wait, click and done. It's inefficient - but it looks cooler.
Perhaps with the introduction of more touch computing devices (including hand gestures instead of a mouse), Windows 8 will become far more adopted. But like the product I was involved with before Skype that could and should have been Skype, it's release a bit premature. If they hang in there we'll see whether it's genius or utter foolishness. [/ end rant]
AdamD
Well-known member
In a lot of ways, it reminds me of how Windows 7 comes with the Tablet components installed/enabled by default, even on desktop machines
They don't seem to know what they're doing half the time.
I wouldn't be surprised if it was a weird attempt to get people to buy their new tablet/pc thing
They don't seem to know what they're doing half the time.
I wouldn't be surprised if it was a weird attempt to get people to buy their new tablet/pc thing
Arty
Well-known member
Its awesome
I have bought a laptop with touch screen and W8, barely use my mouse there. Its very convenient. Probably its the best thing that Microsoft have made in ages. You just need a touch screen computer to experience it, without touch screen Windows 8 doesn't make much sense.
I have bought a laptop with touch screen and W8, barely use my mouse there. Its very convenient. Probably its the best thing that Microsoft have made in ages. You just need a touch screen computer to experience it, without touch screen Windows 8 doesn't make much sense.
TrevC
Well-known member
Unfortunately that's a huge percentage of their market.
Yeah !Me too .May be it will get better with time.
SilverCircle
Well-known member
Yup, I'm. What exactly do you want to know?
TrevC
Well-known member
How long have you been running it for?
Has it been stable?
Any major snags?
Probably not long enough to tell... but, how does NTFS and the registry hold up over time?
Have you bypassed the startscreen/metro apps?
Is your overall impression that's it can be a serious OS for getting work done (when cash and clients are on the line)?
There's a distinct lack of info online regarding people using it for serious/heavy work.
Thanks
Taylor J
Well-known member
I've been using Windows 8 for almost a week now, and it's now time to post my experience with it.
So far I like it as an OS. People complain about the new start menu, but the thing is after switching over I have realized how little I visited the start menu in the first place. Even when going into the new start menu it is easy to find what I am looking for. If I don't have the program pinned to my start menu I can either right click to view all programs or just start typing in what I am looking for.
To answer some of TrevC's questions...
Yes it has been stable (already receiving updates too).
No major snags as of yet.
No need to bypass the startscreen or metro apps for me.
My overall impression is yes it can be taken as a serious operating system for getting work done on a strict timeline.
I use Cinema 4D to work on random animation projects (Minecraft related, which none have been teased or released yet), steam for gaming, and some html and css work.
The main thing that I love that they finally added to Windows is real support for a setup with multiple monitors, I use 2 monitors and I can now finally have a taskbar and separate desktop wallpaper on each monitor. No need for display fusion anymore!
The only snag I have run into though is that L.A. Noire keeps crashing (never tried playing it on 7). But I don't count that as a major snag, I'll contact Rockstar support soon to get the game working so I can play and record it for a Let's Play on my YouTube channel.
So far I like it as an OS. People complain about the new start menu, but the thing is after switching over I have realized how little I visited the start menu in the first place. Even when going into the new start menu it is easy to find what I am looking for. If I don't have the program pinned to my start menu I can either right click to view all programs or just start typing in what I am looking for.
To answer some of TrevC's questions...
Yes it has been stable (already receiving updates too).
No major snags as of yet.
No need to bypass the startscreen or metro apps for me.
My overall impression is yes it can be taken as a serious operating system for getting work done on a strict timeline.
I use Cinema 4D to work on random animation projects (Minecraft related, which none have been teased or released yet), steam for gaming, and some html and css work.
The main thing that I love that they finally added to Windows is real support for a setup with multiple monitors, I use 2 monitors and I can now finally have a taskbar and separate desktop wallpaper on each monitor. No need for display fusion anymore!
The only snag I have run into though is that L.A. Noire keeps crashing (never tried playing it on 7). But I don't count that as a major snag, I'll contact Rockstar support soon to get the game working so I can play and record it for a Let's Play on my YouTube channel.
Luke F
Well-known member
I've been using Windows 8 exclusively for the past few months for development/programming as well as light gaming. Love it so far, though I've found Start8 to be a necessessity - not for the Windows 7 style start menu, but the alternative mode that reduces the size of metro to a box in the bottom left, fixing the mental context switch of full-screen metro. Metro is far superior as a start menu t0 the old style one. No idea why microsoft didn't see its potential to be used in this way and instead forced the full screen version.
How long have you been running it for?
Has it been stable?
Any major snags?
Probably not long enough to tell... but, how does NTFS and the registry hold up over time?
Have you bypassed the startscreen/metro apps?
Is your overall impression that's it can be a serious OS for getting work done (when cash and clients are on the line)?
There's a distinct lack of info online regarding people using it for serious/heavy work.
Thanks
- If the modification date of windows.old is anything to go by, since 16/11/2012
- Some initial driver issues and kernel security-related BSODs, but eventually resolved these. All my issues were caused by the fact that I'm on a laptop and reliant on OEM drivers, plus that I upgraded rather than fresh installed. Fixed without reinstalling by simply waiting for updates and disabling a few dodgy internal (service) drivers. On the subject of stability, a number of things that were broken/dodgy on Windows 7 and previous windows versions (such as the Steelseries Xai mouse) have been fixed in 8. The new USB stack is excellent.
- Nothing of huge significance. The worst thing is not having a left windows key on my keyboard, and Autohotkey didn't work with Metro when I tried (hence can't use alt as a replacement) so some combos are kind of awkward. And then there's the fact that you can't workaround the security with drag+drop/explorer extensions from unelevated to elevated or vice-versa. UAC can't be fully disabled to fix this like in windows 7, though of course it can be disabled to the extent that there are no popups. Also you can't disable Aero any more, potentially annoying for gamers, however a number of Aero compatibility issues in windows 7 (eg Autocad R14) appear to have been resolved in 8.
- I use an SSD primarily, so if you're talking in terms of performance, can't really say.
- Have bypassed metro to desktop on login, but use metro as a mini start menu as explained above. Occasionally use metro apps such as calendar, but 99% of my time is on the desktop. They're nowhere near as bad as people say with a mouse and keyboard (I don't use my laptop's touchpad often).
- Absolutely, I wouldn't be using it otherwise
My productivity has increased slightly, mostly due to the nicer explorer files interface as well as forcing myself to use jump lists as opposed to pinning folder shortcuts to the start menu (faster once you get used to it). Everything seems slightly faster tooSimilar threads
- Question
