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Author Topic: Windows 8.1  (Read 36135 times)

loonylion

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Re: Windows 8.1
« Reply #30 on: July 07, 2014, 11:43:22 AM »

biggest thing is probably XP couldn't really do 64 bit. (sure there was a 64bit version of XP, but the driver and software compatibility of it was crap, and Microsoft never really supported it.) Proper 64bit support came with Windows 2003.

While there are things I still dislike about Windows 7, such as the network and sharing center, the amount of disk space it takes up compared to 2003, how resource heavy it is compared to 2003, and the fact they STILL haven't fixed their stupid memory management scheme (seriously, why is it swapping when I have 32GB of ram and 25GB+ is unused?), I have accepted that I can't use 2003 (or XP) anymore, because it's been phased out, and Windows 7 is the next best thing.

I have no intention of downgrading to 8 or 8.1, I want a functional computer not a glorified smartphone. Windows 9 I reserve judgement on, but if it follows the path set by Windows 8 I will be missing that out too. Hopefully reactos will be usable by then.
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broadstairs

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Re: Windows 8.1
« Reply #31 on: July 07, 2014, 12:04:56 PM »

Things change and things move on, does Linux never have updates then?

I can think of loads of things that I can do in W7 and W8 which I could not do in XP, just because you can't doesn't mean others don't  use or want the new features.

All manufacturers have an upgrade cycle,  be it software, cars, tv's. If they didn't they'd go out of business.

If you don't like Windows don't use it, if it's what your wife wants then accept it and get on with it.

Yes of course Linux has updates all systems do but Windows 8 in my view is trying to be too radical, forcing Metro on users rather than making it available for those who wish to try it. I suspect most of the things you need W7 or W8 could be done in XP but the software has not been made available for it. Any computer is just an adding machine which basically does what it is told to do - its only ones and nones after all.

I dont dislike Windows per se I just dont see why all this new stuff has to be forced on users, people dont always want to learn new stuff all the time, if it works dont fix it, just make new stuff an option dont force it on users. My argument about W8 in particular is that even with  Classic Shell (which is very good) some Metro stuff will appear and in my view it is unnecessary to do that, especially for some one who does not need or want to learn all that stuff.

Most folks here know and understand computers to a greater or lesser extent and will in most cases sort it all out for themselves but for a significant proportion of Joe Public they will get lost in much of W8 and that creates resentment and disaffection with it. By all means change things but it should always be for the better and not leave folks behind who are more used to the old ways of say W7, make a transition path for them to ease the process and dont take huge jumps when it is really unnecessary. I know backwards compatibility costs money but in the long run some is worth it.

Stuart
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Ronski

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Re: Windows 8.1
« Reply #32 on: July 07, 2014, 01:20:59 PM »

One of the very reasons I avoid Linux is because it always seems so complicated to me, want to make a system change then you need to enter some weird and wonderful command line text, or at least whenever I've dipped my toe in the water it's the way it seems. Things may be changing though, but that's because it's becoming more like Windows.

Just how steep was your Linux learning curve?

Yes I absolutely agree that W8 should have a desktop mode, with Apps available,  and it is heading that way.
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broadstairs

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Re: Windows 8.1
« Reply #33 on: July 07, 2014, 02:37:21 PM »

I've been using Linux on and off since the very early Red Hat days, once the Linux desktops started to appear you have ways of doing most things via a GUI although for die-hards the command line is still well and truly alive. I use a mixture of both, but often need the manual for commandline nowadays. As I've worked in computing since 1966 for nearly 40 years until I took early retirement I guess you could say I have had 40 years of learning at least and I guess another 12 years of retirement also learning so far. In IT it never stops....  ;) ;)

I think 'Evolution not Revolution' should be everyone's mantra!

Stuart
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NewtronStar

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Re: Windows 8.1
« Reply #34 on: July 09, 2014, 07:16:49 PM »

As I've worked in computing since 1966 for nearly 40 years

I think 'Evolution not Revolution' should be everyone's mantra!

Stuart


Think i'll call you ILLIAC IV from now on instead of Broadstairs  :D
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HPsauce

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Re: Windows 8.1
« Reply #35 on: July 09, 2014, 07:26:34 PM »

I think 'Evolution not Revolution' should be everyone's mantra!
And that, I think, was Microsoft's fundamental error with Windows 8 (not really corrected with 8.1).  >:D
They cut off everything that was familiar when there really was no need. Indeed various pre-release versions were much more flexible and only at the last minute was it really locked down into the new "idiom".

Funny, looking back as a mainly Windows 7 user, I found that to be a reasonable transition from XP even though I really disliked Vista.
Now that I have many years of use of W7, and have largely migrated into its "native" mode, whenever I have to use Vista it's no longer strange, apart from how unbelievably slow it is!  :o
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broadstairs

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Re: Windows 8.1
« Reply #36 on: July 09, 2014, 08:24:45 PM »

Think i'll call you ILLIAC IV from now on instead of Broadstairs  :D

Actually IBM 1401 might be more appropriate as that was one of the earliest I worked on, the new baby at the time was the IBM System/360 Model 30  ;) ;)

Stuart
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NewtronStar

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Re: Windows 8.1
« Reply #37 on: July 09, 2014, 08:46:50 PM »


Now that I have many years of use of W7, and have largely migrated into its "native" mode, whenever I have to use Vista it's no longer strange, apart from how unbelievably slow it is!  :o

Down Boy  :)  the reason why Vista was unbelievably slow was down to the Aero Glass Interface and most users had a below average GPU card and had no more than 2GB of ram when Vista was released the only option was to turn off Aero.

So with a good CPU with 4GB of ram and good GPU Vista OS service pack2 runs as fast as Win7  8)
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NewtronStar

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Re: Windows 8.1
« Reply #38 on: July 09, 2014, 09:07:25 PM »


Actually IBM 1401 might be more appropriate as that was one of the earliest I worked on, the new baby at the time was the IBM System/360 Model 30  ;) ;)

Stuart

Stuart oh dear think I came across one of those in my exam papers in 1986 say no more  :-[
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burakkucat

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Re: Windows 8.1
« Reply #39 on: July 09, 2014, 09:09:47 PM »

Some people can read 80-column punched cards in their sleep, others can read 5-hole punched paper tape!  ;)
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NewtronStar

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Re: Windows 8.1
« Reply #40 on: July 09, 2014, 09:42:53 PM »

Some people can read 80-column punched cards in their sleep, others can read 5-hole punched paper tape!  ;)

It's kind of funny when you think about it most home computer these days have a card reader it's just smaller & digital (SD Ram Cards)
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broadstairs

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Re: Windows 8.1
« Reply #41 on: July 09, 2014, 09:55:38 PM »

Paper tape had one advantage, when you dropped it all you had to do was wind it up again but a deck of 2000 cards well......

As to the S/360 30 it had a maximum of 64k bytes of RAM and that was a step up from 8k on the 1401  ;) Try running Windows on that  ::)

Stuart
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loonylion

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Re: Windows 8.1
« Reply #42 on: July 09, 2014, 10:40:36 PM »

I have a working IBM PC convertable. 3mhz 8088 cpu with 512kB of ram on actual pcbs with connectors lol
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phi2008

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Re: Windows 8.1
« Reply #43 on: January 03, 2015, 11:52:19 PM »

One of the very reasons I avoid Linux is because it always seems so complicated to me, want to make a system change then you need to enter some weird and wonderful command line text, or at least whenever I've dipped my toe in the water it's the way it seems. Things may be changing though, but that's because it's becoming more like Windows.

Just how steep was your Linux learning curve?

Yes I absolutely agree that W8 should have a desktop mode, with Apps available,  and it is heading that way.

I've just arrived at Windows 8.1 as my main desktop, Windows hasn't been my main desktop for many years. Back in the 90s I ran SuSE Linux, then spent some years on Windows, before switching to OS X(both official hardware and Hackintosh)  which is still the best desktop *nix in my opinion. I was going to switch to Ubuntu(or more likely Mint) but I've found simple things like handling dual displays with my AMD R9 280 simply either don't work or eventually crash badly under the main Linux distros like Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint(actually Mint came very close to working but eventually went into self-destruct mode).

It must be about 17-18 years since I first started using Linux as my desktop and back then I thought it was going to improve and take over the desktop world in short order - I'm more than a little disappointed with my recent experience of the major distros given the massive amount of time that has passed. In fact I find Linux on the desktop embarrassing.

I have to say that using Windows 8.1 has been a pleasure, everything just works. Unlike my Hackintosh I don't have to worry that the next OS update is going to crash my machine, and unlike Linux Windows keeps things simple and promotes a sense of tranquility.

I dislike Windows for being proprietary, and I dislike it for not being *nix, but I love it(so far) for being hassle free.  :)
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broadstairs

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Re: Windows 8.1
« Reply #44 on: January 04, 2015, 09:01:22 AM »

Well I'm sorry to say that in my experience W 8.1 is a pain in the proverbial. The number of times my wife shouts "help what on earth is this doing now" is far far to many, she is a user and not interested in trying to resolve funnies when they happen so I get to do all that. The only reason I've not put Linux on it yet is because of the graphics it has so I have to wait for the Linux drivers to catch up. This to my mind is the main issue with Linux that hardware providers are not interested in developing drivers for Linux or if they do it is a 'back of a fag packet' development. On my wife's previous laptop which did have Linux she virtually never had a problem with the OS or desktop, the reason it went was a hardware issue. I just wish W 8.1 cold get close to that reliability.

Stuart
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