Windows 8.1

[HowIChrgeLazer]

Microsoft have broken a number of mouse APIs used by 99% of games, capped the mouse usb polling rate at 200hz and capped the software cursor position update rate to ~60hz

My mouse movements seem to be 1:1 and running at the polling frequency I set in the logitech software I installed. I also used this fix and tested mouse movement:
http://donewmouseaccel.blogspot.com/2010/04/markc-mouse-acceleration-fix-builder.html

One of the first things I did after the re-install. A lot more accurate in Counter-Strike again.

 

[x3sphere]

Upgraded to 8.1 this weekend, was on 7 before. I don't get all the fuss, honestly. It seems more snappy and when you get into desktop mode it's the same as 7 with a slightly tweaked UI -- which by the way, is nicer to look at. The Aero UI in 7 feels dated and I always found the transparency effects to be distracting.

Not having the traditional Start menu doesn't bother me. I've always just hit the Windows key and started typing in the name of my desired app to launch. I can do the same in 8.1, and the search is faster.

Still, there's probably not a real reason to upgrade from 7 if you're happy. My 7 install was having some issues and I was getting tired of Aero so that's really the only reason I made the jump.

 

[MattW]

I bit the bullet and upgraded to Windows 8. That went fine.

Then did the update to 8.1

First reboot after the upgrade, and BSOD!

Turns out it doesn't play well with ESET during the upgrade, and I needed to delete epfwwfp.sys (which is the firewall driver). It would then boot up properly. Removed ESET, so need to try re-installing it when I get chance.

 

[AdamD]

Been using windows 8 on my oldish dual core laptop for sometime now, "upgraded" to 8.1 and I regret it already
First thing I noticed is they force, or seem to force you to use a Microsoft login just to get into windows? I couldn't see any option to skip that bit, it was sign up or login, no other option, which was really off putting.
First thing I did was remove the MS linked login and went back to the local account, it reminds me too much of games like Diablo 3 forcing users to be online to play an offline game. No thanks.
I'm probably going back to Windows 7 on the laptop, just so much easier.

 

[Luxus]

8.1 seems to be a rushed update that tries to improve the metro ui but breaks other things. Not updating to 8.1 as long issues are not resolved. 8.0 is perfectly fine.

 

[MagnusB]

I was considering upgrading to 8, but I tried it at my brothers house, which made me rethink the entire process. I also read this: http://www.howtogeek.com/145984/

Allot of the points raised there is points that will hamper my workflow. I tried using the unified search in Win 8 the same way I use it in Win 7, does not work (I would still prefer something like GNOME DO or Quicksilver in Windows, those things are super efficient). Things like just connecting to a Wireless network takes up the entire right hand of your screen and hides the task bar is annoying to me, as I was trying to debug the wireless connection. I couldn't even force a scan for networks (not easily anyway), so it meant I had to wait a few minutes extra everytime I tried something to be sure the system had scanned for networks.

The entire Windows store seems useless to me. If I still need to manually manage 3rd party software (like VLC), why even bother? Anyone who has used a linux distribution would know how software distribution should be. Even the Ubuntu store is much better.

Generally, I don't really like it, and will stay with Windows 7 as long as I can. Microsoft will probably continue to add in patches here and there on Win 8, but I think they made a lot of poor usability choices and tried to do too many things and none of them good. I doubt they ever will get that OS to be appealing to me, I want my desktop to be my desktop and not a widget container. If it works for you, good for you, but to me, there are really no good reason to upgrade to Win 8, performance is barely increased (before you hamper on boot time, if you are booting win 7 in 12 seconds, you can shave off about 4 seconds for each boot, which means 15 reboots before you have saved 1 minute, which means you save less than a minute per 2 week if you shut down your computer every night).

 

[Shelley]

Please notice the URL of the stats image. Are you telling me apple insider would promote MS with stats?


No manufacturer that I know off forces users into buying a OS. If a manufacturer does that you could switch brands its not MS or windows 8 fault that manufacturers only support windows 8.

Dell for example gives laptops in MS DOS, Linux or Windows. You have a choice and need to ask for it.

At the end of the day Windows 8 sold 110 million copies in a market that they said is saturated and end of PC is here.. MS should be appreciated for what it has achieved here no other company is even remotely close.

Perhaps there's a little misunderstanding here. I'm not questioning the stats you posted or the 110 million copies sold. What I do question is how many users had no choice when they purchased systems that "only" had windows 8 installed, that is what I question and class as being forced to use this OS. I know when myself and my brother went into our local retailers there was not one machine available that sold any system with win 7 pre-installed. To me that is being forced to use win8.

With regards to the 100+ million copies, sure they sold alot but how many people from the 100million are satisfied with it? Judging by the outrage on twitter and inet quite a lot.

 

[Rho Delta]

I don't get why people get so frustrated over the concept of Windows 8 in general - even before 8.1 fixed some of the most common "issues" with it.

Yes. It has a touch interface. But that doesn't mean you can't use your keyboard and mouse with it.

If anything, the Start Screen is more useful than the Start Menu ever was. Certainly not less useful.

When I was using Windows 8, my workflow was thus:

1) Boot up - which was insanely fast with my UEFI BIOS and SSD drives
2) Login as normal
3) Start Screen loads
4) Click Desktop

I'm now effectively in Windows 7 mode. How often do you truly need the Start Menu? Personally I prefer my commonly used icons on my desktop or taskbar. So that's where they are. I can go through many computer sessions and not even touch the start screen (apart from initially booting to it, but I believe that's a configurable option in 8.1). If I did need to launch an app from the Start Screen I would simply bring it up and type what I want. It instantly finds the app I want and I click. That behavior is really no different to the Start Menu.

And that's the point. So many people are running away straight back to Windows 7. Why? Windows 8 works. The user experience in Windows 8 is really not dissimilar from Windows 7.

I'm not saying that necessarily means Microsoft got it right. They probably didn't. If they got it right, then Windows 8 would be a no brainer. But, sadly, as a bog standard OS with a keyboard and mouse at worst it is no better or worse than Windows 7. And that's the true failing here. It needed to be as much of an improvement as it was to move from Windows Vista (or XP) to Windows 7. And that's exactly why as an IT professional we aren't even touching Windows 8.x until either it's absolutely necessary to, or we may skip it altogether. But not because it's a bad OS. Not because of the change of UI. Simply we have no reason to.

My issues with it are as follows:
It is loaded with a ton of packaged apps I don't want and its harder to figure out how to get rid of them.
It is like a 5 step process to restart my machine or just sleep or shut down.
It is a pain to open multiple system windows for exploring folders
A lot of the stuff made for sliding is pointless on my non touch screen machine.


8.1 is an improvement, but they still need to change a lot of things if they want it to be super friendly for non touch devices IMO.

 

[yavuz]

My issues with it are as follows:
It is loaded with a ton of packaged apps I don't want and its harder to figure out how to get rid of them.
It is like a 5 step process to restart my machine or just sleep or shut down.
It is a pain to open multiple system windows for exploring folders
A lot of the stuff made for sliding is pointless on my non touch screen machine.


8.1 is an improvement, but they still need to change a lot of things if they want it to be super friendly for non touch devices IMO.

Actually, uninstalling an apps in Win8 is the easiest process ever! First time I had to uninstall an app, I went to the uninstall manager and got angry when I couldn't find it. Turned out you have to just right click and app in the tile menu and the bottom menu opens where you can click on "uninstall" and you're finished...

To shut off my device, I go directly to the swipe menu on the right, settings and power down, this is no brainer as well.

I'm not sure what you you've meant with "multiple systems" but viewing apps simultaneously in one screen is easy. Opening multiple folders... That wasn't an issue for me as well.

The last part I agree. I had to install Win8 (the first time) for a friend who has a regular laptop until that point I've never used Win8 before, the invisible panel and some other stuff bothered me a lot. It still does when I use a non-touch device.

But ultimately when you get a device shipped with Win8 and you have no alternative (or won’t go to the length getting anything else) give it a day or two getting familiar with the operating system, which worked in my experience.

 

[Fred Sherman]

I use a touch enabled monitor for my desktop. The point of having touchscreen enabled desktop OS is to have a integrated eco system for phone, tablet and desktop. Its now exclusive to windows.

Really? I'm pretty sure I've had it on my iMac, Airbook, iPad, and iPhone for quite a while now.

 

[Digital Doctor]

Microsoft have broken a number of mouse APIs used by 99% of games, capped the mouse usb polling rate at 200hz and capped the software cursor position update rate to ~60hz

While 8 was a step forward for gaming, 8.1 is a massive leap back

http://www.neowin.net/news/report-windows-81-causing-heavy-mouse-lag-in-some-pc-games

 

[Ernest L. Defoe]

I use a touch enabled monitor for my desktop. The point of having touchscreen enabled desktop OS is to have a integrated eco system for phone, tablet and desktop. Its now exclusive to windows.

How is this exclusive to Windows? Apple has been doing it for years on their systems.

 

[Rho Delta]

View attachment 59655
http://www.neowin.net/news/report-windows-81-causing-heavy-mouse-lag-in-some-pc-games

Well, ****.

 

[smartpixels]

How is this exclusive to Windows? Apple has been doing it for years on their systems.

It's not a ecosystem because of just the OS because of the rest of the things that all windows devices shares

MS Office
USB
Flash
Metro UI
Apps
Skydrive
Bing services in OS
Xbox one and the entertainment suite

No other company has all these together. There are competitors separately bu they cannot be as immersive as windows as eventually they have to rely on some third party.

Obviously you know what others lack.

PS: Surface tablets allows you to run all the MS software's and Abode Master Collection

 

[Ernest L. Defoe]

All I know is MS has ruined me on Windows with 8 then 8.1. I went out and bought a MacBook Pro after spending 3 days on 8.1. I can't stand it and I am not going back. Now of course I will install a version of Windows on here just to be able to do a couple of things but it will be Windows 7.

 

[smartpixels]

All I know is MS has ruined me on Windows with 8 then 8.1. I went out and bought a MacBook Pro after spending 3 days on 8.1. I can't stand it and I am not going back. Now of course I will install a version of Windows on here just to be able to do a couple of things but it will be Windows 7.

I dont care what you use neither does MS. I was just making my reply clearer about what I meant by ecosystem as you had replied.

 

[AdamD]

I installed 8.1 on the laptop I have, no real improvement, but it sure did seem slower compared to 8, not sure why
Removed it and went back to XP, which works aok, minus windows update not working right off the bat, heh.

 

[Fred Sherman]

It's not a ecosystem because of just the OS because of the rest of the things that all windows devices shares

MS Office
USB
Flash
Metro UI
Apps
Skydrive
Bing services in OS
Xbox one and the entertainment suite

No other company has all these together. There are competitors separately bu they cannot be as immersive as windows as eventually they have to rely on some third party.

Obviously you know what others lack.

PS: Surface tablets allows you to run all the MS software's and Abode Master Collection

I have MS Office for Mac and it runs better than on Windows
Flash? Flash is dead. HTML5 buried it.
Apps? I can run the same App on my iMac, Airbook, iPad, iPod and iPhone and share the date between them
Skydrive? iCloud has been seamlessly integrated into iOS, Mac OS and iTunes.

 

[Shelley]

View attachment 59655
http://www.neowin.net/news/report-windows-81-causing-heavy-mouse-lag-in-some-pc-games

Never piss on your gamers, they can be an angry bunch #microsoft #microsofthasbeefwithgamers #tiling #startmenu #steamingpileofcrap #win8

 

[tafreehm]

My dad asked me to install Windows 8 on his desktop, I told him it would be confusing for you since it got no start button. But I think he can handle it now. Although, I heard 8.1 is very buggy.