Replies

Windows 8 has been what kept us from upgrading. I am hoping it is back to being enough like Windows 7 that the change won’t be terrible.

My encounters with 8 were horrible. Microsoft seems to want everyone to actually type the name of any program you need that’s not in a square on your screen. I tried to help a neighbor with it, and after 45 minutes, apologized for not fixing her problem. If it was any version prior, it would have been a piece of cake.

Microsoft shot itself in the foot with 8/8.1. It’s utterly crazy to make the desktop harder to use than a phone (no one uses—Windows Mobile). Why do I have to type, “Solitaire” only to find it did or did not find it? How do I know what Microsoft called the “Device Manager” in this new version (as Microsoft always renames basic things differently between versions)? Start typing in the search bar and see if you can get lucky.

Absolutely stupid to the greatest degree, possible.

Sorry about the rant.

On another thread a poster referred to the changes as “BFD”...

My response...

The problem is that we still have Boomers who cannot comprehend ‘copy-paste’ functions... who’s CHILDREN have spent HUNDREDS OF HOURS on the freaking phone walking them through a basic email setup and NOW who have to learn something NEW.

BFD??

YES!

In my family, this is a really, REALLY BFD!

My mother’s been without a computer for 8 months because she can’t understand Windows 8 tiles. NOBODY can explain it to her.

For her, computers are over. She’s DONE. FOREVER. This ended emails, FB, videos of her great granddaughter, Google, YouTube videos... all of it. She just can’t.

This leap was too big for a lot of older people. I’ve got two others who’ve been left behind and one who never caught up after Windows 98.

The other thing that people MAY not be able to comprehend is that, for many people, the computer is just a basic tool.

We don’t want to spend hours mastering a new computer skill. We’ve got other things that we’d like to focus our time on.

I know how to drive a car. Don’t phase out basic driving techniques and insist that I only learn how to drive with my tongue. Sure. I might be able to master it, but I’ve got limited time left on this planet and I DO NOT want to spend it on this crap.

Just let me Google, FB, FR, Amazon, etc. Let me be able to make a file and sort my bookmarks as usual. Let me email.

Easy peasy...

Now I can go learn how to grow tomatoes instead of learning a new OS.

” I am hoping it is back to being enough like Windows 7 that the change won’t be terrible.”

Fundamentally, Windows 10 is really just Windows 8.10. They’ve partially restored the start menu, but have moved half the system controls and all of the Metro-type “apps” (dumbed down cell phone programs like the “Edge” browser) into “windows” instead of tiles. The thing is an absolute nightmare to maintain with the controls split that way. For example, account configuration is split between the control panel and “Metro” windows.

Oh, and it is impossible to control automatic updates/upgrades for consumer versions as Microsoft has explicitly announced that consumer are their official Guinea pigs for updates.

Stick with Windows 7.

How do I know what Microsoft called the “Device Manager” in this new version (as Microsoft always renames basic things differently between versions)?

IF you'd actually typed to search for Device Manager, you would've found... it's still named Device Manager.

Seriously, FReepers, if you haven't used Windows 8 because you don't like the UI, just say you haven't used it. There's absolutely no reason to lie about experiences with the OS. Your recollection of events, fabricated or otherwise, lend doubt to your experience, because Windows 8 is, by and large, exactly like Windows 7 excepting the very obvious change to the Start Menu.

You can still put icons on the desktop. You can still go to Control Panel and find 99% of the configuration tools needed for your system. You can still open event viewer, resource manager, performance monitor, and reliability monitor through Control Panel. Microsoft has been very good about keeping the back office support identical to previous versions to ensure newer versions of the OS can be supported by experienced users.

I swear every time dayglored posts a new article about Windows 10, at least 50% of the thread is dedicated to Microsoft bashers intent on griping about Windows 8 and even some about Windows 7. Get over it, guys and gals. At some point in the future, your version of Windows is going to be obsolete and, frankly, unsafe. If you don't want to buy into Microsoft's changes, either buy a Mac or learn Linux. Either way, Microsoft is not going to change their R&D cycles to accommodate people who aren't willing to make some basic changes to their habits in the name of new technology.

That being said, this new update cycle is a breath of fresh air. This tells me that Microsoft is changing their UI development cycle from static to dynamic. They're settling on the 10 kernel and tweaking as they go. This is exactly how Apple and Google function. Nadella is doing well as the head of the world's biggest OS developer.