what the hell is windows 8 ?

Start screen with big buttons instead of a start menu with small ones.

Yeah, cos my Windows 7 ‘buttons’ show web info, scrolling pictures, open a full screen web page and are configurable too..

Talking of configuring them. Logical in’t it?! My weather button shows Switzerland. I can add new weather places but I can’t remove Switzerland! Stupid annoying crap. 😡

There is a lot of cool stuff in there beside the new start screen. I have to wonder how people expect to see progress though if they refuse to learn new things. I’ve been using 8 since it was avaialble as a developers preview and it took some learning but I’m very happy with it now.

The updates to explorer are great, being able to open an admin command prompt in a folder and copying a path to a file in a single click should have been there years ago.

Yeah, worked in IT for 30 years but “refuse to learn new things”.
Yeah, that’s me 🙄

I’m sure it works great on a touchscreen but I find it a complete PITA with a keyboard.

My dad wants a new laptop, but I’ve advised him to steer clear of windows 8, and gt one with windows 7.

Seems stupid to me to throw away all the advances in WIMP interfaces over the last 30 years and go backwards to a full screen interface. Its useful for some types of device (namely phones/small screens), but not for actual real laptops . By all means have it as an option within the OS, just dont force people to use it.

It wont be long before MS release windows 8.5 (or something similar) which gives you the option to have your interface back to the ‘classic’ look. The bloke responsible for windows 8 has already left the company, so not long to wait until an about face occurs.

I don’t mind learning new things if they have an advantage over the old, the changes in windows 8 don’t, it’s just difference for the sake of it, trying to follow the fashion of tablets and smart phones.

If they had created the metro interface as some kind of advanced configurable start menu, that would have worked for me, but the way they have separated metro and the desktop is a fail. IMO they will have to provide some convergence between the two interfaces in sp1, or commercial uptake will be minimal.

Seems stupid to me to throw away all the advances in WIMP interfaces over the last 30 years

They haven’t. Normal apps still open on a normal desktop.

I like it, it boots up fast and everything that’s open shows up by hovering or going top left.

The updates to explorer are great, being able to open an admin command prompt in a folder and copying a path to a file in a single click should have been there years ago.

STILL no tabbed explorer though? I cannot believe they still haven’t done that.

w7 boots fast too, and everything that’s open is immediately visible at the bottom (assuming you keep the taskbar in its default position)

Not me. Taskbars belong at the top of the screen.