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| Review: Windows 8 RTM |
| By Thom Holwerda, submitted by Bob Stein on 2012-09-26 20:16:43 |
| ActiveWin.com has just posted their 45-page, 40-screenshot review of Microsoft Windows 8. The review covers many different aspects of the OS including performance, security, application compatibility, and more. "Is Windows 8 a hit or miss? It's a hit, it is clearly Microsoft's most bold development in years, it probably beats out the transition from Program Manager (Windows 3X) to Windows 95, the move from Windows 9x to the NT Kernel. The Windows 8 platform represents so many things: truly touch centric, support for modern processor architectures, fast and fluid as Microsoft puts it and also represents where the majority of the world is heading when it comes to computing, entirely mobile." |
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| RE[4]: Touch on a desktop machine just doesn't work |
| By ze_jerkface on 2012-09-27 06:58:41 |
|
No I'm perfectly sane and that's the problem. I live in an insane world where critical thinkers are in short supply. I will have called Windows 8 in the first 30 seconds that I used it. You on the other hand have fallen for Sinofsky's bullshit just like Ballmer. Congrats on that. Telemetry....lol, you really fell for that post didn't you? Here is your telemetry http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v... And this is how far your boss will get at becoming Steve Jobs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0... |
 - Score: 0 |
| RE[2]: Hmmm |
| By Neolander on 2012-09-27 07:56:52 |
|
> "Sounds like Windows is not so much better at in-place upgrades than Linux, after all. Good thing that old releases are supported for a longer time by Microsoft." Or he is running untested drivers on an unreleased operating system on two computers from two notoriously crappy computer manufacturers - sure, what could possibly go wrong with such a stella combination! Do you think that people who complain about Xorg or NetworkManager breaking after an update because of some explicitly unsupported proprietary driver for equally crappy hardware would care about such technicalities ? :) If hardware breaks for some people, it's a problem. Sadly, many people happen to buy crappy hardware because it's cheap and they don't know enough about tech to be aware of what that they are doing. So... > Wait a month AFTER it is actually released and heck, the person wrote the article September 5, almost two months before it actually being released! I mean, come on - if you want to critique and criticise Windows then by all means do so but how about waiting till it is actually released. Windows 8 has been declared RTM and distributed to OEMs more than one month ago. So what this guy tested is a final release, that will be installed on every store's PCs worldwide pretty soon. If at this stage, there are still issues with widely used features and hardware such as ACPI suspend or Synaptics touchpads, that is quite a big issue that should not be handwaved with a "meh, they will fix it in SP1 a few months after launch anyway". > Side note, software vendors are already releasing updates for Windows 8 compatibility issues; Adobe over the last couple of weeks have released updates for their Creative Suite 6 that address possible Windows 8 compatibility woes. The issues are being addressed so lets put on a Cat Stevens record, pour a cup of tea and chill out for a moment. Sure, sure. Still, there are some things that cannot be fixed with updates, such as an input peripheral breakage that prevents people from installing these updates altogether. |
| - Score: 1 |
| RE: Comment by Gusar |
| By lucas_maximus on 2012-09-27 07:59:49 |
| Classic IS STILL FUCKING THERE! |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE[2]: Touch on a desktop machine just doesn't work |
| By saso on 2012-09-27 08:17:33 |
|
> 27" is not something a majority of users even have. And you determined this... how? All of Dell's new all-in-one desktop machines are either 20'' or bigger (I tried it on their flagship product in this category, the XPS One 27''). All new monitors we buy are 24'' at a minimum. Your statement is simply at variation with reality. > So of course the touch experience will be a little awkward. Then why the hell even put it there? > On a tablet, or on a laptop, it really isn't half bad. I was talking about touch screens on desktops. You're arguing against something I didn't say. > Especially on a laptop with updated touch pad drivers to allow for Windows 8 gestures. Going forward, all Windows 8 devices will come with optimized touch pads, touch screens, touch accessories, or a combination of all three. Windows sets the new standard, and subsequently hardware will be released to match it. A great majority of all Windows 8 sales are brand new device sales, so I can't envision this being a problem for anyone other than a select type of user. This Dell machine is a brand new just-released-to-market product that was designed with Windows 8 in mind. Your argument simply doesn't hold water. > Also your last bit about the actionbar is incorrect. You can swipe in from the bottom and it calls both top and bottom action bars. I tried multiple times on two different machines. It worked on neither. Since the Windows 8 release on them was marked RTM I assumed this wasn't a bug. |
| - Score: 1 |
| RE[5]: A mixed bag |
| By quackalist on 2012-09-27 08:25:01 |
| Hmm, speaking statistical rounding error to statistical rounding error you really suck at rhetoric, thanks anyway for your invaluable opinion. |
| - Score: 0 |
| RE[3]: Hmmm |
| By kaiwai on 2012-09-27 08:37:59 |
|
> Do you think that people who complain about Xorg or NetworkManager breaking after an update because of some explicitly unsupported proprietary driver for equally crappy hardware would care about such technicalities ? :) The problem is the fault of Linux failing to provide a stable driver API/ABI - if Linux provided said stable interface then the responsibility could be then placed back on the shoulders of hardware vendors to maintain their drivers. The reality is that every distribution of Linux isn't compatible with the next, you can't simply just grab a driver compiled against one kernel version of a particular distribution and then have it work without any problems on another - that is the fault of the OS vendor. Compare that to Windows which has a stable API and ABI thus barring any stupid decisions made by the programmers at said third party hardware vendor then things should work without too many problems. > If hardware breaks for some people, it's a problem. Sadly, many people happen to buy crappy hardware because it's cheap and they don't know enough about tech to be aware of what that they are doing. So... You don't have to be technically inclined to realise "you get what you paid for" - heck, my sister bought an el-cheapo NZ$600 Acer laptop and she knew what she was getting but as she said to me it was a throw away laptop and that should be move onto something better later on. Lets not assume that every person out there is clueless because a fair chunk of people, even if it is by gut instinct alone, that you pay for what you get and that the extra money isn't necessarily for the brand but also the fact that these companies support you for the long haul. > Windows 8 has been declared RTM and distributed to OEMs more than one month ago. So what this guy tested is a final release, that will be installed on every store's PCs worldwide pretty soon. If at this stage, there are still issues with widely used features and hardware such as ACPI suspend or Synaptics touchpads, that is quite a big issue that should not be handwaved with a "meh, they will fix it in SP1 a few months after launch anyway". Which mean nothing given that OEM will have newer drivers from their suppliers than what is actually available on the internet. Synaptic for example is already shipping Windows 8 compliant drivers through Lenovo (IIRC 16.2.x) which aren't available on the Synaptic website itself. Regarding ACPI, again, that requires a power management driver which requires the OEM to provide an updated driver - again, if it is anything like the Lenovo situation then the driver will be release either on the day or a week or two after Windows 8 has actually hit the market. Windows 8 has been RTM'ed but it is not general availability, it isn't shipping and very few hardware vendors have Windows 8 test drivers available - again, come back once Windows 8 has actually shipped to the general public then draw your own conclusions base on reality and not someones half baked review based on September 5 drivers that were tested only on Windows 7. > Sure, sure. Still, there are some things that cannot be fixed with updates, such as an input peripheral breakage that prevents people from installing these updates altogether. Then you should wait till the driver has been released - goodness gracious me, what is so f--king hard about looking up the hardware vendors website and checking whether they have a Windows 8 compatible driver first before deciding to install? install first ask questions later? Edited 2012-09-27 08:47 UTC |
| - Score: 3 |
| RE[3]: Touch on a desktop machine just doesn't work |
| By saso on 2012-09-27 09:17:49 |
|
> Your statement is simply at variation with reality. Minor correction here, I meant to say something in the sense of "Your statement is irrelevant". That is to say that while strictly speaking, yes, the majority of computer users may not have a 27'' screen (simply because the majority of computers sold are laptops), it is irrelevant to the point I was making (desktop machines with touch screens). On desktops screens in the ~23-30'' range are really quite common and the Metro UI simply doesn't scale to it (either with or without touch; points 3 and 4 of my original post pertain to non-touch screens just as much as touch-enabled ones). |
| - Score: 0 |
| RE: A mixed bag |
| By digitallysane on 2012-09-27 09:27:08 |
| What does "power-user" mean to you? |
| - Score: 1 |
| RE[5]: Touch on a desktop machine just doesn't work |
| By Nelson on 2012-09-27 09:37:44 |
|
Your comments are uusually of a noun, a verb, and Steven Sinofsky. You have an obsession. The real tragedy is your fall from grace, because you used of be thoughtful. You've gotten to the point where you're either a brilliant troll, or seriously off of your rocker. |
| - Score: 4 |
| RE[3]: Touch on a desktop machine just doesn't work |
| By Nelson on 2012-09-27 09:51:12 |
|
> And you determined this... how? All of Dell's new all-in-one desktop machines are either 20'' or bigger (I tried it on their flagship product in this category, the XPS One 27''). All new monitors we buy are 24'' at a minimum. Your statement is simply at variation with reality. I think you realized what a stupid reply this was. The majority of screen sizes are 20 inches and below. > Then why the hell even put it there? At those sizes, touch augments, not replaces, the interaction experience. You didn't touch your All In One for everything prior, did you? > I was talking about touch screens on desktops. You're arguing against something I didn't say. It would make sense of you didn't mince my point and nitpick. I was saying that in contrast, touch is designed to be the only input method has a falling off point you're rapidly approaching. It also coincides with your exotic choice of hardware. You're outside the norm expecting norm results. > This Dell machine is a brand new just-released-to-market product that was designed with Windows 8 in mind. Your argument simply doesn't hold water. Really? Which model? Dells W8 AIO lineup isn't out yet. I know because I'm looking for one. The Windows 7 class hardware multitouch digitizer isn't up to snuff with new W8 requirements which is why charms bars can be hit or miss, why its usually only three or five point multi touch, and why responsiveness falls off toward the center. > I tried multiple times on two different machines. It worked on neither. Since the Windows 8 release on them was marked RTM I assumed this wasn't a bug. Windows Store doesn't even have a bottom app bar, it has a green top one. And in IE a bottom swipe brings up the top app bar. Same with other apps. In fact this is baked into the SDK if you check the MSDN documents. |
| - Score: 3 |
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