Features - QOTW: How would you change Windows 8?

[shaithis]

Windows 9 will force modern ui even more.

It's inevitable. They are trying to move to a common system across the board.......once all windows phones are shipping with RT and the new XBox is out (also running RT), it will be full steam ahead to try and remove any remaining components of the old interface from Windows.

The future looks gloomy. Perhaps valve have better foresight than I first thought........

[mikerr]

Windows is going full screen, leaving "windows" behind

[NiPPonD3nZ0]

I read somewere that Windows should be renamed to Tiles... Maybe it will be in the future... If they stick to the ideia that "Store" is the future, it will die has a PC platform OS as soon has people can type FORMAT C:

[cjs150]

Windows is going full screen, leaving "windows" behind

+1, I hate it.

Lack of Start button

I hate ribbons (especially in Office)

A nice clock on the start page would be nice - the old windows gadgets which included a nice round "analog" clock would be perfect.

A simple way to have the movie/music libraries point to my files on NAS.

Not having to go to one side of the screen for one thing then all the way over to the other side for something else.

DVD playback as a minimum, Blu ray play back would be better.

MS apps that just do what is required rather than trying to sell us something

BBC iplayer app


Come to think of it... just scrap W8 for the desktop, W7 is fine

[Gunbuster]

Allow anyone to publish or sell 'modern' apps.
Allow login as: Traditional Desktop, Touch Desktop, Tablet, TV or Server 'UI Modes' each tailored to their specific tasks rather than a one size fits none approach.

[mikerr]

A simple way to have the movie/music libraries point to my files on NAS.

Just right click the libraries and add the nas folder...

DVD playback as a minimum, Blu ray play back would be better.

The plus pack is available for W8 Pro users for free until January.

[TheAnimus]

What amazes me are the amount of un-informed views on here, and it pisses me off, because as mentioned before it clouds the real issues.

It's akin to anyone who says "we should look at immigration levels as local services are often swamped by having such unchecked influx" been thrown in to the barrell of the racists, because the racists are busy shouting.

I like windows 8, I can happily use it on my desktop, but it has a lot of issues which frankly should have been fixed.

It is not however simply windows 7 with Metro slapped on top, heck the changes to the boot process alone should be reason enough for an upgrade:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/11...rity_analysis/

[cjs150]

Just right click the libraries and add the nas folder...


The plus pack is available for W8 Pro users for free until January.

Neither music nor movie apps will link to a NAS (strangely windows media player will) as a library you get a strange error message there is a work around but it is a fudge. The simple click to add function may work if, but only if, your w8 computer sets up a home group and other computers and NAS join afterwards. That is the official MS line.

please correct me if I am wrong but whilst the plus pack features DVD playback, it does not feature Blu ray playback. If you want blu ray playback you need to buy dedicated software It is free but only for W8 Pro users, so even more expense if on standard w8.

There are lots of bits of w8 I like - the boot process is so much better although I would like to get rid of the lock screen and go straight to log in (no doubt there is a way to do this) but for me and using it as an HTPC or on desktop PC it is a failure so far. Maybe I will grow to like it with time

[shaithis]

BluRay playback, no difference between retail and VLK, option to add "classic" start menu, Windows Backup put back in.

[HorneyJ]

This operating system has two UIs, one made for tablets and touch screen, it's very fluid and great with a touch screen, the other a desktop UI, works quite well but is different from what we're used to, both great systems, the performance is good and is a few tweaks from perfect, a service pack from top speed. Both UIs are working in tandem, but the issue is they're counter productive a UI limbo as such, if they were more intertwined and switching was fast and fluid it would work very slick and push people towards using the newer metro UI, or if they truly separated the UIs as many have suggested, desktop users could stick with what they know and tablets use what they want, I think that's pointless though, you may as well have 2 OS because if your running two UIs and ones not being used it's taking up space on your hard drive and knowing Microsoft, sapping performance, they need to bring them together, not have the running awkwardly onside, they should take inspiration from the multiple desktops in Ubuntu 10.04, that was a fluid multitasking system.

[cjs150]

shaithis: I have checked including on MS own W8 blog.

w8 does not include either Blu ray or DVD disc play back. If you down load the WMC add on pack it will add DVD disc playback but only to WMC not to either WMP or to the new Movie app (which is horrible in any case).

MS have therefore decided that W8 is unsuited to the HTPC market - that is their choice. It is also unsuitable to a desktop if you use DVD or Blu ray disc playback for any reason (so there goes the media creation market as well).

In one scenario the reason makes total sense. If you assume the desktop PC will be totally replaced by tablets or ultra portables then there is little reason to support optical drives. The problem is that is an assumption about what will happen over the next few years not what the reality is now, it still does not address the HTPC market at all but that can be served by Linux and XBMC in the future (I assume that is what MS wants)

[graw136]

Have MS ever heard the old engineering axiom "IF IT AINT BROKE DON'T FIX IT!"

Hahaha Yes!!!

[RichMc]

Have 2 seperate systems - one for tablet called windows 8 - and one for desktops called windows 7