[megaman821]

I don't understand this sentiment. If you don't like Metro, launch the desktop and forget it even exists. For rarely launched apps, hit the Win key and start typing the name and for frequently used apps, pin to your taskbar. Steam still works exactly the same on Windows 8.

[commandar]

>If you don't like Metro, launch the desktop and forget it even exists.

Been using W8 on my desktop at work for about a month now. If only it were that easy.

The big problem is that W8 is insanely inconsistent. Trying to change system settings can result in having to navigate a byzantine maze guiding you through new Metro interfaces with old-school control panel applets interspersed throughout.

The Control Panel still exists, but there's also a Metro PC settings interface, and trying to search will give you some mix of the two. It's just a nightmare to navigate.

It's more that the entire user experience sucks than it has anything to do with any single application.

[ch0wn]

I got the same impression so far. Take the Metro Windows Update for example. It failed for for me repeatedly without giving any reason until I found the same functionality within the "classic" Control Center where I had to allow the system to reboot in order to install the updates. This is simply a horrible experience in every way.

[cooldeal]

>It failed for for me repeatedly without giving any reason until I found the same functionality within the "classic" Control Center where I had to allow the system to reboot in order to install the updates

Wasn't this on the Beta product? Why is everyone talking as if it's on the RTM version?

[GauntletWizard]

Because when was the last time a Microsoft RTM version fixed any beta bugs?

[yuhong]

I would not go that far.

[jlgreco]

The point is that people are concerned about shortcomings in the beta because they do not have confidence in Microsoft to fix those problems. Whether that lack of confidence is justified or not is another matter.

[ch0wn]

This is just one example of a general flawed concept and certainly beyond the scope of a "bug" that could be fixed within a week or two.

I don't think we'll see a unified experience until Windows 9.

[EvanAnderson]

I haven't looked at the release previews yet but I can only imagine. The antique-looking Windows 3.1 font control panel persisted into Windows 2000, so I can't believe that we'll be rid of the trappings of more recent versions of Windows anytime soon.

[ArcticCelt]

I also installed the preview to see how it works and after many frustrating experiences I now found the perfect way to use Windows 8 on my laptop.

When it boots I immediately launch a remote session to my windows 7 desktop.

[summerdown2]

Am I the only one who likes having a gorgeous desktop wallpaper, with icons arranged in clusters according to usability? Or to have overlapping windows?

Everything I've heard about Metro suggests limited customisation of the desktop and apps that insist on being full-screen or some guaranteed fraction. All of this feels like evolution in reverse to me.

I've never used Windows 8, but the stories coming out make me never want to.

http://kotaku.com/5929067/gabe-newell-wants-to-support-linux...

[correctifier]

It is unfortunate that this kind of information has been spread so widely about Windows 8, but it's just not true.

The desktop is still there, icons are still there, overlapping windows are still there, the only thing gone is the start menu, replaced with the metro launch screen that can launch both desktop and metro apps.

There are still some issues with the two different environments, especially the difference in look and feel, but it still works well.

[commandar]

>It is unfortunate that this kind of information has been spread so widely about Windows 8, but it's just not true.

Well, it is and it isn't. Native Metro apps do more or less behave the way he's describing. The thing is, almost no native Metro apps exist right now, so you'll spend the vast majority of your time in traditional desktop mode anyway.

[Zr40]

Nothing is forcing you to use Metro. In fact, only apps that have an UI designed specifically for Metro will use the Metro environment. Everything else will run in windows outside of Metro, just like they do in Windows 7.

Only the new start screen (which replaces the start menu) will expose you to Metro. But in my experience with the Release Preview, this start screen is pleasant to use and still allows for keyboard search like in Windows 7 as well as keyboard navigation.

You can still use your desktop in precisely the same way you're doing right now. Nothing has changed there.

[learc83]

>Nothing is forcing you to use Metro. In fact, only apps that have an UI designed specifically for Metro will use the Metro environment.

What happens when the majority of apps you want to use are Metro apps?

[drivebyacct2]

That's not the case. Like, it's not like they're removing desktop apps and reinstating them as Metro apps. If you decide to exclusively use Metro apps, then I guess that's your problem. Otherwise, I don't really understand what point you're trying to make.

I seriously, seriously question in half of the people attempting to spread shit about Windows 8 here have ever seriously used it for more than 3 minutes in a VM.

[learc83]

Only Metro apps work on Windows RT. Developers want the largest audience possible, so it makes sense that most of them will eventually want to target Windows RT, which is clearly what Microsoft is going for.

It's going to get harder and harder to avoid metro apps.

[zanny]

Nobody is forcing anyone to use Windows 8 either. And a significant portion of people are taking the opportunity not to.

[CamperBob2]

For rarely launched apps, hit the Win key and start typing the name

There should be an app for that. It could be called... oh, I don't know, how about COMMAND.COM?

[archangel_one]

Not many application executables in Windows are in your PATH, so cmd is not going to find them. Even for the ones that are, you have to type the name of the .exe which is not necessarily obvious; eg. Visual Studio -> devenv.exe.

[CamperBob2]

It was a joke, son

[drivebyacct2]

What are you talking about? This is how every person I've ever observed ever uses the Start Menu in Windows Vista or 7.

[huggyface]

I'm not sure of his reasoning, but he is not saying that Windows 8 is a catastrophe for users directly.

I think Windows 8 is a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space. I think we'll lose some of the top-tier PC/OEMs, who will exit the market. I think margins will be destroyed for a bunch of people.

Sounds more like all it is a problem for all of the many players in the Windows space. Now of course Microsoft can do what they want with their ball (subject to DOJ purview), but so can everyone else, including companies like Valve who have been a major influence in keeping the PC relevant for an entire market.

If Steam and 2,500 games were available on Linux, that would make a huge case for that platform in the home.

[zanny]

They won't be able to just jump 2,500 DirectX and DirectSound titles off the Windows API onto Wine. Maybe if they spend a few million dollars working on bringing Wine up to date with DX11, and then they have to deal with all the development houses not switching off Visual Studio and DX12 in the coming years, because they won't want to make the jump off the M$ platform.

[CrazedGeek]

There's already a pretty good amount of Steam games that have native Linux versions[1], at least one developer has already announced a port of an existing game to Linux through Steam[2], and the company that handles a lot of Mac "ports" (via a Wine-like layer) has a Linux version of said layer pretty much ready to go[3].

It's not gonna be a wasteland by any measure.

[1] http://steamlinux.flibitijibibo.com/index.php?title=Native_G...

[2] http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/25/serious-sam-3-bfe-runs-scr...

[3] TransGaming makes Cider: http://transgaming.com/cider and Cedega/GameTree Linux: http://gametreelinux.com/

[learc83]

What would cause OEMs to leave the market, other than mass migration by users because of a bad user experience?

[fooey]

Win8 is targeting touch, which means it's targeting tablets. It's nearly impossible for a Win8 tablet to compete when it has licensing overhead that Apple and Android devices don't have.