Forced to upgrade Desktop to Windows 8.1?

There's desktop-based syncing software including Skydrive itself if one strictly wants to use a local account. Nevertheless, I've been signing in since yesterday on my Windows 8.1 systems just out of curiosity. Otherwise, I've felt no 'need' to.

If all this was Google/Gmail-centric I'd have signed in from day one, since this is where my main online workings is centralised.
 
I've just made the jump myself on Friday.

I upgraded my gaming PC from Win7 x64 to W8.1 x64 solely for gaming purposes.

BF4 was the catalyst, but so far, I am not hating it as much as I thought, and may actually like it, it so extent.

It's a bit fiddly at first, but once you learn who to use it, it kind of good.

I'm sticking sticking with Win7 on my other machines for every day stuff, but for a gaming system, Win 8.1 is not so bad.

As the next gen games launch, I'm sure the Win 8.1 platform will start to stretch it's legs and show it's worth.

The one thing I'm not so keen on is the cloud integration in Win 8.1. Linking my account password to my email was not cool!
 
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Had a weird experience last weekend talking tech stuff with someone and going through Windows 8 and they were like how brilliant it was they could start typing to find stuff and they just couldn't understand the concept that I never start typing to find stuff on the startmenu (screen) its not suprising theres so much friction over it - was like they couldn't even conceptualise that a different approach existed. (Not doing a very good job of explaining this :S).

They did eventually understand that its not even the startscreen functionality whether good or bad that I object to but the fact that for a moment it completely takes over the screen and away from what I'm doing.
 
Mana said:
That is why I understand where the OP is coming from. I do not understand why so many people instantly say learn how to use windows 8, you do not need the start button etc.

Windows 8 is faster but the user interface for someone who has never seen it before is terribly confusing. I am sure I could pick it up in a day of using it non stop but from a business point of view it is a pain in the a$$ and certainly not worth the trouble.
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Yes. Although I am IT/tech savvy enough my dislike of W8 is entirely based around the Metro UI. I have read that MS have seen the errors of their ways and are meant to have implemented a more traditional interface for 8.1, but then I am reading other reports saying they kind of have, but not entirely, still holding out trying to force people on to their new format.

I also work with technical seismic/accoustic applications in my employment. The thought of having to deal with those in a W8 Metro environment would be as the saying goes, "Murder Polis!"

groen said:
There is not much difference between directx 11 and 11.x

The only reason blocks 8.1 is being pushed by m$ is because they want people to use their app store in the full screen interface so that they can make money from their app store like apple and google are with theirs. There is literally no other reason why they would push such a terrible ui on their desktop users.
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Interesting, as DX performance is essentially the make or break.....although I do think that W8 runs a bit snappier, especially with SSD drives etc?

KIA said:
Yes. Install Start8 or StartIsBack & enjoy. :)
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Cool.

If I can use the those apps with the same ease right from the off with W8.1, then that is the way I will probably go.

Nevakonaza said:
I hated windows 8 until i tried "Startisback"..its much better than "Start8" imo and its cheaper,I bought both to try as they were so cheap.

What i did was disable all running live tiles,The choose to login directly to the desktop so this skips the metro crap.."Startisback" does not run as a process like Start8.

Now i have windows 7 again,But with all the added goodness of Windows 8.

I like how windows 8 was only using around 600mb of ram idle,on windows 7 it would be around 1.3 ish + Gb.
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This is a very helpful post!

paradigm said:
Inherently its exactly the same as Windows 8 (which is great if you bother to get to learn it)
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Mandarin Chinese is a great langauge if people would only bother to learn it......only people don't want to and there is no reason why they should really need to, as we can all communicate just fine using English.
 
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Rroff said:
Had a weird experience last weekend talking tech stuff with someone and going through Windows 8 and they were like how brilliant it was they could start typing to find stuff and they just couldn't understand the concept that I never start typing to find stuff on the startmenu (screen) its not suprising theres so much friction over it - was like they couldn't even conceptualise that a different approach existed. (Not doing a very good job of explaining this :S).

They did eventually understand that its not even the startscreen functionality whether good or bad that I object to but the fact that for a moment it completely takes over the screen and away from what I'm doing.
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Wat
 
Elevon said:
I have to disagree since UI in operating systems do change over time just like Linux distros change ,its also Microsoft right to change things as they see fit,if you don't like the changes then don't buy their product in question its that simple.

Also very naive if you think things like operating systems will stay the same,remember Dos, remember Win3.11 to Win95 etc...
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Have you ever heard the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" saying?

Basically I don't mind they brought a new way of using a GUI onto the scene, but the fact they force it on us? Not smart.

Still I've made my point in enough of these Windows 8 threads, I don't need to repeat myself in this one too.
 
linktoinsanity said:
Have you ever heard the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" saying?

Basically I don't mind they brought a new way of using a GUI onto the scene, but the fact they force it on us? Not smart.

Still I've made my point in enough of these Windows 8 threads, I don't need to repeat myself in this one too.
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Quite!

Providing new functionality (Such as cross platform integration, Cloudy stuff, Etc, Etc ) is great!

It is the deliberate removal/sabotaging of EXISTING functionality that is the issue here!

(I feel much the same about how Game developers went to all the effort to provide really good joystick support during the late 90's (Quake 2 was particularly good) only to then remove it on later games (With the exception of Valve and one or two others) "Forcing" players to use keyboard/mouse only! Why?? (I have my theories BTW ;) ))
 
linktoinsanity said:
Have you ever heard the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" saying?

Basically I don't mind they brought a new way of using a GUI onto the scene, but the fact they force it on us? Not smart.

Still I've made my point in enough of these Windows 8 threads, I don't need to repeat myself in this one too.
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You can repeat yourself,it is a forum and we all have different view points, but fact remains things change happens ,again nobody is forced,was I forced to use WinME?... Nope I skipped it after trying it on a friends PC.


I think some of you are in for a shock with Win9,10,11,I expect further changes,just as well we all have a choice on what OS to use and install ;) ,but then again nothing really phases me with operating systems.

As to the phrase "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" saying?..I could say there would be no progress if all companies took that approach ,I don't need to remind you of all the added features and benefits a new OS brings but some people forget that.
 
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FoxEye said:
Apparently it will be supported until 2020, both for consumers and for enterprise.

I'll be skipping win8 in all its incarnations ;)
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Good luck,by then most of us will be on Win10 or 11,changes happen its stops for no OS or person.
 
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I'll upgrade when there's a compelling reason to. I currently see no benefit to myself of running Windows 8 over 7 on my main machine.

If Microsoft give me reason to with Windows 9, i'll bappily switch.
 
Elevon said:
You can repeat yourself,it is a forum and we all have different view points, but fact remains things change happens ,again nobody is forced,was I forced to use WinME?... Nope I skipped it after trying it on a friends PC.


I think some of you are in for a shock with Win9,10,11,I expect further changes,just as well we all have a choice on what OS to use and install ;) ,but then again nothing really phases me with operating systems.

As to the phrase "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" saying?..I could say there would be no progress if all companies took that approach ,I don't need to remind you of all the added features and benefits a new OS brings but some people forget that.
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You might have a point if there was half a dozen different operating systems that gave the same functionality in regards to software, etc. but there isn't and we don't - if someone wants to play <insert game x> the chances are without windows and in some cases specific versions of windows they can't likewise a fair amount of software that in every day use and in some cases required for work, etc. thats windows specific.

The OS is supposed to be about enabling people not forcing them to specific useage patterns - cutting out a method of use (leaving it in or as an option wouldn't stiffle progress) that has factual backing for and a long history of being one of the most efficent ways to use the OS for a significant proportion of users is just stupid and bad whatever bs you want to wrap it up in.

I'm not against OS innovation or even UI innovation but theres right and wrong ways to go about it.
 
Metro is just a new start menu with access to the new style touchscreen friendly apps, although they work well with a mouse too.

I used to dislike it all too, but I'd actually prefer it is all programs had the app feel to them, after a while they just seem to flow much nicer.
 
Rroff said:
You might have a point if there was half a dozen different operating systems that gave the same functionality in regards to software, etc. but there isn't and we don't - if someone wants to play <insert game x> the chances are without windows and in some cases specific versions of windows they can't likewise a fair amount of software that in every day use and in some cases required for work, etc. thats windows specific.

The OS is supposed to be about enabling people not forcing them to specific useage patterns - cutting out a method of use (leaving it in or as an option wouldn't stiffle progress) that has factual backing for and a long history of being one of the most efficent ways to use the OS for a significant proportion of users is just stupid and bad whatever bs you want to wrap it up in.

I'm not against OS innovation or even UI innovation but theres right and wrong ways to go about it.
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You used a lot of words to say "I don't like it, so it's wrong".

MatTheCat said:
Because it is basically corporate spying and Microsoft isn't allowing its paying customers to opt out, or at least is making it very difficult for them to do so.
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What a highly paranoid thing to say. So you think it's corporate spying for them to change the way the OS works?

Tell me more about how you were forced in to buying Windows 8.

godinman said:
Metro is just a new start menu with access to the new style touchscreen friendly apps, although they work well with a mouse too.

I used to dislike it all too, but I'd actually prefer it is all programs had the app feel to them, after a while they just seem to flow much nicer.
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I think this is the number one reason, some people just can't get over the fact that it's changed and that's stopping them from seeing any further.

All this nonsense people keep spouting about functionality being taken away is just bizarre, outside of shadowcopy, what functionality has been taken away?
 
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