Mac user: Why I love Windows 8

[News Feed]

I've been a Mac user for about 11 years. And since I made the switch, I never thought the day would come when I'd say this:

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[faethor]

Decent article. Though I'd say it's probably more iPad-esque than MacOS-Xesque.

 

[the_leander]

Decent article. Though I'd say it's probably more iPad-esque than MacOS-Xesque.

I put this on a mates computer a few weeks back, he absolutely loves it, raves about it being so much better than Win7 ever was.

Gotta say, given the man in question, it's high praise.

 

[Glaucus]

Ya, but Mac users are strange to begin with. The real question is, what do Win7 users think of Win8?

 

[ilwrath]

Ya, but Mac users are strange to begin with. The real question is, what do Win7 users think of Win8?

After using the Win8 Consumer Preview for a few weeks, I still score it an "Incomplete." Because it is. Metro is too limited, and the classic desktop is left in an odd supporting role it's poorly equipped to deal with. The two incomplete models grafted together don't make a cohesive whole. Given some more time and evolution, I suspect it will show that Microsoft was onto a good idea with the essence of Metro. But, Windows 8, as it stands in the current Consumer Preview, just demos a Metro front-end tacked onto a deliberately crippled traditional desktop OS. Honestly, I can't believe they'd consider selling it to the general public in this condition.

And the OP's CNN article reads exactly like an astroturf piece written directly by Microsoft PR. Though, interestingly, it mentions the classic desktop having a start menu, which at least in the most recent Consumer Preview, I can vouch it certainly does not have. So, that begs the question.... What, exactly, was the reviewer using?

Re-reading the article....

It's incredibly functional, too. A beta version Windows 8 is available as a free consumer preview, and I've been using it for the last few weeks.

Uhh....

The classic Windows is still there in Windows 8. Microsoft hid it behind the Metro interface. That means you get the same old taskbar, Start menu and desktop full of icons for your favorite apps. It's a great way to ease the transition.

There are no desktop icons by default, and no start menu in the Consumer Preview... How exactly could a legitimate reviewer who has been using the OS not notice this?

 

[faethor]

Start menu should die. Nothing worse than clicking Start to Shutdown.

 

[ilwrath]

Start menu should die. Nothing worse than clicking Start to Shutdown.

Except, now to shut down, you have to call up the right side menu and hit "Settings" > "Power". I only wish I was kidding.

Though killing the start menu may not be a bad thing for most users. There are a few of us who keep the start menu in good shape, but for most users, they let it get to be such a mess that they can't find anything in it, anyway. This is doubly-true for the Vista/7 start menu that you have to manually expand and scroll in. (Dumbest usability feature, ever!) A LOT of users have given up on the start menu and just throw all icons on the desktop, already making a big cluttered and unorganized mess, thus preparing them for Windows 8, I guess.

 

[Glaucus]

Start menu should die. Nothing worse than clicking Start to Shutdown.

Even shutdown procedures have a definitive "Start" to them.

You can eliminate the dumbest usability feature by disabling personalized menus, which is always the first thing I do.