Windows 8 (plan B) Return of the Desktop & StartBar

Dodgeboard

Dodgeboard

Well-known member
As a Windows 8 user, I found this interesting.

http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-win...-the-start-button-boot-to-desktop-7000014075/

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2034727/windows-blue-may-bring-back-boot-to-desktop-start-button.html

Windows 8.1 (Windows Blue) will most likely bring back the start bar and the desktop, as an option. Still, I could not find any information whether original Windows 8 users will be entitled to a free upgrade.

Personally, I use a Windows start-bar 3rd-party add-on to accomplish this. But I would welcome an official option....as Metro SUCKS!
 
Dodgeboard said:
As a Windows 8 user, I found this interesting.

http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-win...-the-start-button-boot-to-desktop-7000014075/

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2034727/windows-blue-may-bring-back-boot-to-desktop-start-button.html

Windows 8.1 (Windows Blue) will most likely bring back the start bar and the desktop, as an option. Still, I could not find any information whether original Windows 8 users will be entitled to a free upgrade.

Personally, I use a Windows start-bar 3rd-party add-on to accomplish this. But I would welcome an official option....as Metro SUCKS!
Click to expand...

I agree, metro does suck some ass and then some. The time i had setting up a pre-installed win8 machine had me tearing my hair out so it would be good to know start bar minus the metro bloat would be very welcomed.
 
Shelley said:
I agree, metro does suck some ass and then some. The time i had setting up a pre-installed win8 machine had me tearing my hair out so it would be good to know start bar minus the metro bloat would be very welcomed.
Click to expand...
I was trying to support someone who was using Windows 8 to delete preferred wireless networks. Mind you, I've had never used windows 8 in my life, it was over the phone and all I had was a little clickable demo I found on another website. What a ******* pain, lol.
 
Sador said:
I was trying to support someone who was using Windows 8 to delete preferred wireless networks. Mind you, I've had never used windows 8 in my life, it was over the phone and all I had was a little clickable demo I found on another website. What a ******* pain, lol.
Click to expand...

My brother just sat there laughing in the background as he was listening to me curse at win 8. Dreadful experience I had with it. I think for people such as myself Microsoft have 1 chance of making a good impression and that is something they failed to accomplish. I welcome the changes they are making but due to the bad experience I had with win8 i don't think it would matter what they do I'll be sticking with win7 and most probably bypassing win8.
 
To be honest, I never normally like to go anywhere near Windows 8 bashing threads; I don't personally mind it. However, I feel compelled to point out what happened the last time everyone hated a Microsoft OS: They went back to the drawing board and created Windows 7, the best operating system Microsoft have ever created. If they can keep their fingers on the pulse of what people actually want for Blue, they might have a winner on their hands.
 
Sador said:
So they finally caved, huh?
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You've always been able to go directly to the Start screen by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard (functionality that hasn't changed since Windows 95) or by clicking in the lower left corner.Them adding a physical taskbar button (which is still just a rumor and not confirmed) won't change any actual system behavior.
 
First, Microsoft should of called Windows 8 (NT6.2), Windows 7 Tablet Edition like they did with Windows XP. Second, Microsoft should not charge for Windows 8.1, but instead offer it in a form of a SP1 (Service Patch 1). Third if the official name of Windows 8.1 is Windows Blue, they are shooting themselves in the foot to offer a new naming convention. Forth, Microsoft is loosing business by releasing a new OS within 6 months of the other new OS. This is making the Microsoft corporation is looking very unstable to the market at the moment.
 
Quillz said:
You've always been able to go directly to the Start screen by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard (functionality that hasn't changed since Windows 95) or by clicking in the lower left corner.Them adding a physical taskbar button (which is still just a rumor and not confirmed) won't change any actual system behavior.
Click to expand...
That's not the point. The start screen is *not* the same as the start menu. First, it's a mess, without nested menus and totally lacking a clean, hierarchical structure. Second, it's behavior is context-breaking and that's a big deal, because it affects workflow in a bad way. Why does the start menu have to be a full-screen app? This does not make *any* sense on a desktop or notebook computer with a reasonable high resolution screen.

On a traditional desktop computer, the start screen (+ most other Metro UI elements) break almost every golden "don't do" rule of UI development. That's the only masterpiece in Windows 8 :)
 
Windows Blue (Windows 8.1) should be free to those who purchased Windows 8

If Windows 8.1 is basically only adding all the things they took out of Window 8 in the first place, which I had to install software to replace and make up for... I'll not pay dime for it. I may very well pirate it.
 
Adam Howard said:
Windows Blue (Windows 8.1) should be free to those who purchased Windows 8

If Windows 8.1 is basically only adding all the things they took out of Window 8 in the first place, which I had to install software to replace and make up for... I'll not pay dime for it. I may very well pirate it.
Click to expand...

Seriously. Are they expecting people who purchased win8 to purchase win 8.1?
 
Shelley said:
Seriously. Are they expecting people who purchased win8 to purchase win 8.1?
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It feels like Microsoft loves punishing their customers.

Windows 8's sale ended in early 2013 and they plan on releasing Windows Blue by the end of 2013. It's been less than a year and already they're pushing out a new OS. And it's basically going to re-add everything they took out.

Add in the fact that I'm tired of having to call Microsoft to validate and prove that I'm a customer or add in the fact that I had to install, sometimes purchase other products to replace the things Microsoft took out.....

.... And I honestly can't say I'm going to take this one lying down. I honestly feel Windows Blue is "deserved" and "earned" to those of us who purchased Windows 8.
 
I personally don't think anything is missing in Windows 8 - the start screen is a huge improvement over the traditional start menu, but only for use as a start menu, wouldn't touch the metro UI apps with a bargepole. Start8 and DisplayFusion can make metro into a start menu sized box, but it's not without pretty major visual glitches and not worth the effort imo.

Once you start using metro as a central place for low-to-mid priority application shortcuts (the same thing a lot of people use the desktop or old start menu for; with high priority apps pinned to the taskbar), you don't mind booting straight to it any more, in fact it seems logical.
 
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