Windows: It’s over, tech site declares

[Darklight]

Per Darklight:

I'm not the brightest bulb on the tree, but I do make a living doing
application development.

With the half-dozen or so Windows 8 tablets I tried at Best Buy and
Micro Age, I could not bring up a desktop interface that was the same as
my Windows 7/Classic or Windows XP interfaces - and I asked a couple of
the sales staff too.

Main things that were missing: the "Start" button and the "Programs"
menu.

Not to beat it to death, but if I go back there and press the Windows
Key, should I see "Start" and "Programs"?

I can't talk about a tablet as I don't and won't use one. I speak only
from a desktop point of view. With the classic windows menu you have to
click the start button then click programs to get to applications.

in the metro interface the equivalent to programs is the app icon
in the bottom right hand corner of the metro interface

If you have a desktop press the windows key and tell me what happens?
ans: the start menu appears. In windows 8 you press the windows key the
metro interface appears.

The metro interface is nothing more than a full screen start menu that
you can customize.

 

[Roy Smith]

Per Darklight:

I'm not the brightest bulb on the tree, but I do make a living doing
application development.

With the half-dozen or so Windows 8 tablets I tried at Best Buy and
Micro Age, I could not bring up a desktop interface that was the same as
my Windows 7/Classic or Windows XP interfaces - and I asked a couple of
the sales staff too.

Main things that were missing: the "Start" button and the "Programs"
menu.

Not to beat it to death, but if I go back there and press the Windows
Key, should I see "Start" and "Programs"?

Yes, that is what one has come to expect when using previous editions of
Windows but that has all changed now. You can restore the previous
behavior of the windows desktop through third party software such as
Start8 or Classic Shell.


--

Roy Smith
Windows 8 64-Bit
Thunderbird 17.0.5
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 11:07:34 AM

 

[Roy Smith]

I can't talk about a tablet as I don't and won't use one. I speak only
from a desktop point of view. With the classic windows menu you have to
click the start button then click programs to get to applications.

in the metro interface the equivalent to programs is the app icon
in the bottom right hand corner of the metro interface

If you have a desktop press the windows key and tell me what happens?
ans: the start menu appears. In windows 8 you press the windows key the
metro interface appears.

The metro interface is nothing more than a full screen start menu that
you can customize.

I agree with what you say, but perhaps the most confusing thing about
Windows 8 is that it isn't obviously apparent on how to view all your
installed programs. Though through playing around one does eventually
learn that when you right-click on the Metro UI/Windows 8 start menu you
then open the context menu where you can view all the app installed on
the PC.


--

Roy Smith
Windows 8 64-Bit
Thunderbird 17.0.5
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 11:18:59 AM

 

[Larry__Weiss]

... perhaps the most confusing thing about Windows 8 is that it isn't
obviously apparent on how to view all your installed programs. Though through playing around one
does eventually learn that when you right-click on the Metro UI/Windows 8 start menu you then open
the context menu where you can view all the app installed on the PC.

What happens if you type
installed programs
while on the "Metro" Start Screen?

 

[Roy Smith]

What happens if you type
installed programs
while on the "Metro" Start Screen?

Well on my system it doesn't show all the installed apps. Here is what
does show...

Apps Tab:
http://my.jetscreenshot.com/1443/20130430-b5qo-51kb

Settings Tab:
http://my.jetscreenshot.com/1443/20130430-vrtn-62kb

Files Tab:
http://my.jetscreenshot.com/1443/20130430-oegd-69kb

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Roy Smith:

I agree with what you say, but perhaps the most confusing thing about
Windows 8 is that it isn't obviously apparent on how to view all your
installed programs. Though through playing around one does eventually
learn that when you right-click on the Metro UI/Windows 8 start menu you
then open the context menu where you can view all the app installed on
the PC.

Seems to me like that is big deal in the context of innocent prospective
buyers poking around in a computer store. They look, they try...
nothing comes of it... and they write off Windows 8.

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Roy Smith:

Yes, that is what one has come to expect when using previous editions of
Windows but that has all changed now. You can restore the previous
behavior of the windows desktop through third party software such as
Start8 or Classic Shell.

I guess I'm mildly obsessed by this, but I keep asking myself why on
earth Microsoft persists in moving the furniture around with every new
release.

This is in the context of corporate customers with tens of thousands of
employees: each one of which loses manhours learning to find out where
the furniture has been moved to.

I know the MS people are industrial-strength smart... . so they must
have considered this with each new release and gone ahead anyway.

But, for the life of me, I cannot figure out why.

 

[Larry__Weiss]

Per Roy Smith:

I guess I'm mildly obsessed by this, but I keep asking myself why on
earth Microsoft persists in moving the furniture around with every new
release.

This is in the context of corporate customers with tens of thousands of
employees: each one of which loses manhours learning to find out where
the furniture has been moved to.

I know the MS people are industrial-strength smart... . so they must
have considered this with each new release and gone ahead anyway.

But, for the life of me, I cannot figure out why.

I'm reminded of "Kremlinology".

 

[Mellowed]

Per Roy Smith:

Seems to me like that is big deal in the context of innocent prospective
buyers poking around in a computer store. They look, they try...
nothing comes of it... and they write off Windows 8.

Or, somebody, like me, buys a Win7 laptop and 'upgrades' to Win8 for the
$15 upgrade price, trys it for 5 months then re-installs the original
Win 7 saying that Win8 just isn't worth it. At least I gave it a 'go'.

 

[...winston]

"Roy Smith" wrote in message I agree with what you say, but perhaps the most confusing thing about
Windows 8 is that it isn't obviously apparent on how to view all your
installed programs.
On the Modern UI just start typing Programs and Features...by the 2nd letter you'll have a clickable link/shortcut to 'Programs and
Features'. If desired you can rt click the item and pin it to the Modern UI/Start Menu or the Task Bar.

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per ...winston:

On the Modern UI just...

Devil's Advocate Position: In a functional/work-oriented/corporate
environment "Just" doesn't really cut it when thousands of employees get
dinged with a few man hours each to learn all the "Just..." tricks.

OTOH, if the new system had an option to make it simply act the same as
the old system that time/money/annoyance could be circumvented.

OTOOH, I'm guessing that corporate ID could create an image that has the
"Classic" shell all ready installed and functional... so employees could
have the experience of not having to learn as much to do exactly the
same things they've been doing all along.

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Larry__Weiss:

I'm reminded of "Kremlinology".

I don't buy it. I think they have a reason - however perverse...

 

[Larry__Weiss]

Per Larry__Weiss:


I don't buy it. I think they have a reason - however perverse...

And how would that be different from the decisions made in the Kremlin?

 

[Paul]

Well on my system it doesn't show all the installed apps. Here is what
does show...

Apps Tab:
http://my.jetscreenshot.com/1443/20130430-b5qo-51kb

Settings Tab:
http://my.jetscreenshot.com/1443/20130430-vrtn-62kb

Files Tab:
http://my.jetscreenshot.com/1443/20130430-oegd-69kb

Try entering a single asterisk character "*" in the
Metro screen, as a search term. When I then click on
the Apps button, all the Apps show. If I click the
Files button, the display at the top indicates
roughly 151,000 files matched my search term. So
the "*" appears to work as a wildcard. That doesn't
work for everything though, so test it and see which
of the sub-screens that helps with.

Paul

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Larry__Weiss:

And how would that be different from the decisions made in the Kremlin?

Ok... I'll take it... -)

 

[Roy Smith]

Try entering a single asterisk character "*" in the
Metro screen, as a search term. When I then click on
the Apps button, all the Apps show. If I click the
Files button, the display at the top indicates
roughly 151,000 files matched my search term. So
the "*" appears to work as a wildcard. That doesn't
work for everything though, so test it and see which
of the sub-screens that helps with.

Well it does show everything...

http://my.jetscreenshot.com/1443/20130430-ptzg-120kb

but this is all a moot point as I figured that would happen. It's just
the person I was replying to asked for a specific search term and as I
had guessed, it would not have provided the expected result.


--

Roy Smith
Windows 8 64-Bit
Thunderbird 17.0.5
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 4:53:36 PM

 

[Larry__Weiss]

Well it does show everything...

http://my.jetscreenshot.com/1443/20130430-ptzg-120kb

but this is all a moot point as I figured that would happen. It's just the person I was replying
to asked for a specific search term and as I had guessed, it would not have provided the expected
result.

I hope to get access to a Windows 8 box soon. It looks like fun.

 

[...winston]

On a functional/work oriented corporate network...why would thousand of employees have a need to see what programs are installed.

A functional IT department for those 'thousand employees' would have provided appropriate mechanisms (carefully planned and
communicated) prior to deployment for any employee to properly use the o/s and any necessary shortcuts on the Modern UI or Task Bar
(desktop mode) rather than expect every employee to operate on a leap of faith.

The only leap of faith necessary if that does occur is is for corporate management to replace the person in charge of IT.


--
....winston
msft mvp consumer apps


"(PeteCresswell)" wrote in message
Per ...winston:

On the Modern UI just...

Devil's Advocate Position: In a functional/work-oriented/corporate
environment "Just" doesn't really cut it when thousands of employees get
dinged with a few man hours each to learn all the "Just..." tricks.

OTOH, if the new system had an option to make it simply act the same as
the old system that time/money/annoyance could be circumvented.

OTOOH, I'm guessing that corporate ID could create an image that has the
"Classic" shell all ready installed and functional... so employees could
have the experience of not having to learn as much to do exactly the
same things they've been doing all along.

 

[stones]

I hope to get access to a Windows 8 box soon. It looks like fun.

Masochist.

 

[Larry__Weiss]

Masochist.

LOL!