What essential tweaks / hacks do you apply to windows8?

_Jimlad_ said:
Also companies and organisations would have to retrain Dorris the 65 year old receptionist to integrate windows8 into the office.
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Actually I do not think that is true. You have someone who is not that great with computers and they have to click start, programs, office, excel so that is 4 mouse clicks if they get it right.

Windows 8, login click the pretty Excel icon job done, I do not think much retraining is required from a company point of view, what I would like though is a method from MS so as a company we can deploy the Modern UI with a pre-laid out style with the Apps we want on there, and considering most people use IE and Office then it is ideal.

Kimbie
 
_Jimlad_ said:
its the choice being taken away, not sure how old you are, but some of the older folk like me who have had the start button since day one proberly find it harder than the generation that just had XP and then Seven.

if a 3rd party app can do it "just like that" then how easy would it be for MS to add a "classic" view. Also companies and organisations would have to retrain Dorris the 65 year old receptionist to integrate windows8 into the office.
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Doris would manage fine, you don't like the new interface - we get it. However people will pick up the new GUI fine, it's easier to use even with a mouse than the old one but many simply aren't giving it a chance.

Took me a few hours to get use to but now I like it, I'm not sure I'd say I prefer it over a start menu but neither do I think it's worse or feel the need to tweak anything.

I fine it amusing that people who are into tech don't like new innovations, agree or not the tile-style interface is most likely going to become more common as we move other devices to touch interfaces.
 
na some off you just want it to be better than it is and you believe it...

windows8 is built for the new order, which is tablets, the fact everything scrolls the wrong way should be big enough of a clue.

it's not so much about learning new stuff its having choice taken away a "classic" mode would not have hurt anyone
 
^^^^ I felt the same way when MS first introduced the ribbon bar for Office. At home I do not need the functionality of that suite and so I use LbreOffice with a more conventional toolbar that I feel meets my needs and familiarity.

With Windows 8 I bought four copies of it for all of our PC's and I'm sort of happy with what it cost for what it brings. For me though it has meant that I use the Classic Shell utility to bring back the desktop that I seem familiar with. When I used the Metro interface there seemed little continuity with the way that the newer apps and older (lots) of applications would flip from one interface to another. Maybe I should have tried it for longer..?

I can sort of understand why MS would want to unify a common interface across various platforms but I do not see that working too well on a desktop machine with a mouse and keyboard for me.
My wife also asked me to install the classic shell utility for her on her laptop (after "upgrading" it to W8 for her) and I have installed it via Teamviewer for my Father in Law and brother due to them not liking the W8 Metro interface.

I have turned off Indexing, Search and Windows Media network sharing.
 
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yeah im surprised how many people have just accepted a tablet/phone interface on a pc/laptop and then played it off with "move with the times"
 
_Jimlad_ said:
yeah im surprised how many people have just accepted a tablet/phone interface on a pc/laptop and then played it off with "move with the times"
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They haven't apart from a minority, Windows 8 is reported to be flopping worse than Vista.

The sad thing is if they'd simply added a choice screen during the install it would be their best OS ever, despite the improvements over Windows 7 being negligible.
 
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_Jimlad_ said:
yeah im surprised how many people have just accepted a tablet/phone interface on a pc/laptop and then played it off with "move with the times"
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It works fine on a mouse, it's nicer on a tablet but it's not non-functioning on a keyboard/mouse combo. Also in many ways it's an improvement on the start menu.

Good god did I just write that! I hated the damn thing a couple of months ago! :(
 
mmj_uk said:
They haven't apart from a minority, Windows 8 is reported to be flopping worse than Vista.
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Apples and oranges. There's little "point" if you ask me in upgrading from Windows 7 to 8, where as some people were actually hoping Vista would be good and most of the hate came from the realisation post-purchase that it was a little iffy until service packs came out.

People know what they're getting with Windows 8 and realise just how good Windows 7 is so many are sticking with it. I went to Windows 8 for a couple of the new features (not the new GUI) but have grown to like it.
 
Put it on my laptop just after release. Actually quite liked it with trackpad gestures.

However I've just got hold of an Acer Iconia W500. It was ok with W7 but a bit slow and clunky and certainly no match for an iPad or Nexus. Now with W8 on its the device I reach for first. It's fantastic.

Back OT, I haven't really felt the need for any tweaks. It works very well in my opinion.

MacBook Air beating boot times on my i3 powered, SATA3, 11in Acer laptop is great.
 
theheyes said:
According to junk linkbait reports maybe, the reality is it's selling at roughly the same rate as Windows 7.
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That doesn't surprise me. The first license cost me £15 the second cost £25. Upgrades admittedly but still good value in my opinion.
 
_Jimlad_ said:
I made the switch to windows8 on my laptop, i'm using start8 to get a start button and disable all the charms and so on. I also disable mouse gestures as that is a nightmare with a trackerpad.

i still hate the metro thing and bypass all off it using start8, however i have to admit its pretty slick as an OS. just wandering what others do to get the most out of it?

The reason i ask is im *considering* sticking it on my main machine
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Pin Steam as posted on AVF.

Looks nice doesn't it? :D

Screenshot5_zpscff11537.png
 
Stock for me. Really is nice to use when you get the hang of it. Just installed it on my Dad's laptop, as he was looking to buy a new one. He finds it much more snappy and better than when it was brand new.
 
mmj_uk said:
They haven't apart from a minority, Windows 8 is reported to be flopping worse than Vista.
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As much as you might want that to be true it's just plain twaddle. W8 has so far been recorded as selling at roughly the same velocity as W7, the best selling OS of all time.

In fact since release W8 has already outsold the entire Mac OSX installed base world wide :)
 
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