haha, precisely. Windows 8 := Windows for Kids. Or rather, Windows for "Kids Only." Well, maybe not, but still...

I do prefer simplicity in desktop environments, but not the iOS-type--I like simplicity as long as it does not hinder functionality or flexibility.

Someone when posting about Gnome 2 support on Arch Linux, summed up my opinion on PC UIs quite well: "All I want is the simple, minimal interface that I had with G2 [Gnome 2], with the cute little foot in the top left corner, my customised menus and the basic window effects; that's it. I don't want Duplo-sized icons, I don't want fancy effects and I don't want the 0.0001 seconds of speed difference or extra security and reliability, because I'd rather my PC burst into flames from some G2 bug than I ever use G3 to do my computing."

Well I'm not that much of an extremist, but his criticism of G3 I'm right on with. Duplo-sized icons, mainly. Tablets? Sure. Desktops? Just no.

Frankly, I don't mind. GUI's are changing and evolving. You can either stick with your old computers, OS's, and GUI's or move on to the modern stuff.

I choose to move on to the modern stuff. I was against it at first, but once I gave it a chance, I realized that it really wasn't as bad as I thought it was.

I don't like everything about modern GUI's, but there's not enough I don't like to prevent me from using them.

I hate Windows 8's UI, but I loved Unity and OS X.

Windows 8 is still beta, I'll still give it the benefit of a doubt, but it's going to be hard to top Windows 7's UI. I think it was perfected.

I'm hoping they give you the option to turn off metro. But if they don't, I can live with it.

you can turn it off by doing some registry edit. i had windows 8 installed on my one computer and look up online and there all ready few how too on doing a registry edit. Then it starts up like windows 7. I think it was pretty cool aol did it first back in 1996. I know there little different in them.

That was the developer preview. The registry edit doesn't work on the consumer preview and we don't know yet if it will when it's released.

You'd be better off just not using 8 if you're going to not use metro. Seems tome there's not much new and exciting for desktop/laptop kids.

I used to hardcore hate newer UIs... I kept XP in classic mode, I kept Vista in classic mode... (Then again using Vista was a problem in and of itself).

I eventually caved and started leaving their default interfaces on, then 7 came out and I thought pinning things and jump lists were mindblowingly useful.

Now making computer images is a part of my job, like it or not I'll have to make a Windows 8 image eventually, probably this time next year at the latest.

I've been staying rather neutral with 8 so far, I don't find Metro overly appealing to typical keyboard/mouse scenarios; but if you are spending exorbitant amounts of time staring at it then you aren't using your computer to do what its meat for, running applications.

x86 based tablets running windows 8 certainly seems like they would be fun toys, Windows on ARM sounds like a stopgap measure to try to steal some tablet market share here and now, then convert people back over to x86.


Please excuse me if this reads as senseless ramblings, I'm only half thinking right now.

I was exactly the same way. Although I kind of just skipped over Vista. When I first installed 7 on my desktop, I tried to make it as classic as possible. I realized that was a mistake. I was missing out on some cool things like pinning.

I still have classic explorer installed, but mostly because A) not having the shared folder icon overlay pisses me off and B) the new overwrite file dialog box is annoying. Plus it does other useful things like automatically expanding the more details pane on the file copy dialog.

At one point I used the classic start menu on 7, but that didn't last long as I quickly grew to prefer the new start menu

Please download and use Windows 8 before posting. Kthx.

I used it and loved everything except Metro. It runs a LOT faster than the standard Windows 7 install, even on the same exact hardware. I even got better FPS in all of my games. Faster file access too.

Maybe I can just find a way to move the old explorer and start menu from 7 into it.. XD

I hope in windows 8 they put the option not to have metro in the setup. That so people who don't like it or don't need it can unchecked it in setup.

That's not going to happen.

First of all, there's no options to configure in setup (apart from where to install to). There haven't been since Vista came out. I don't see them changing that any time soon. You configure stuff like that post-install in Programs and Features -> Turn Windows features on or off. So maybe there could be an option there, but not likely.

They're really pushing this metro thing. If they provide any option to disable it, it will probably be either a registry hack or group policy setting.

But I wouldn't hold out much hope for having any officially supported way to disable metro beyond changing your shell.

Classic Shell still works on the latest preview. Unsure if MS will circumvent that tho at some point before RTM. Here's an interesting if rather long winded thread over at MSFN that discusses metro and classic:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/156866- ... ons-bones/

Hope there will be a registry hack or something. Microsoft should think about stuff like that. Not everyone going to like the metro. So after installing it there should be a box you can unchecked metro. But there ain't going to be one since they are pushing it.

Anyone remember the opinions people had when XP came out?

...

Just me.

I don't remember the opinions with xp. I didn't get xp until a year after it was out. I suck with windows 98 and 2000 at the time.

The unwashed masses have never met a version of Windows they liked. That is, until the next version comes out. Then the previous version becomes the greatest thing since sliced bread.

The opinion on Windows XP was that is was horrendously ugly, but much better than ME and 98. Everyone who knew anything about computers at all would turn the classic theme on, remember?

It also didn't help it that it was the successor to Windows 2000, which is still my favourite Windows version.

That said, 8 is going to fail, 9 is going to be amazing. It's going to be like Vista and 7 all over again.

Even with the classic theme on XP was hated by the wannabe kids on here (those who preached hatred of windows, yet continued to still use it because of their incomptetance).

I remember those days. I used to be one of those kids. But I grew up. I actually like Windows 8.

I have to admit to being one of those kids, but I also have to admit that I had a 400MHz Pentium 2.

And that I used Windows 2000 most of the time.


That said I still like 2000 better because it doesn't feel dumped down like XP.. similarly to how I like 7 better than 8 for the same reason.

I like windows 2000 to. I remember when my friend got a computer with windows 2000 on it and after windows xp came out. He wanted to upgrade to xp. I just told him the windows xp was a fancy version of 2000. With few perks with it. I got windows vista right after it came out and upgraded from xp to vista. My computer slowed right down after upgrading. So after a week with vista running on my computer i just reinstalled windows xp back on it. I do like widows 7 too. I wish i could find windows xp 64bit version. Well someday.

Xp 64 is essentially useless. Driver support is...well there is no driver support.