Windows 8.1

[Scrat]

This is the first service pack for ages that has not been available via Windows Update. You have to use the Store...

 

[Scrat]

ROFL The "Start Button" is just a button that brings up the tiled menu you get by pressing the Windows key. I will stick with Start Menu X and Pokki, thank you, Microsoft!

 

[Black Hole]

Yeah it's crap isn't it. I was expecting 8.1 to be the Windows everyone can use to do real stuff, not just for piddling with on a tablet.

 

[Scrat]

Yeah it's crap isn't it. I was expecting 8.1 to be the Windows everyone can use to do real stuff, not just for piddling with on a tablet.

The desktop is still there, and those two free menus are superior to that Microsoft supplies.

There is also a gotcha. 8.1 switches you back to the microsoft live login, and it wasn't clear at first how to change back to local login. (So you can seamlessly login to other servers with the same account.) Also, there is still only one credential per local server, as far as I can see. You can't login both as yourname and as admin. Unless I am missing something.

 

[Black Hole]

A friend has been battling with Win8, she's more knowledgeable than me but has failed to prevent the Skype app taking over from her other computers and allowing all and sundry to contact her.

I admit I have no direct experience, but nothing I have heard suggests Win8 is an enterprise-class OS (or anything I want to expose myself to). Microsoft should have called it "Windows for Tablets" and not marketed it on the desktop.

 

[Scrat]

A friend has been battling with Win8, she's more knowledgeable than me but has failed to prevent the Skype app taking over from her other computers and allowing all and sundry to contact her.

I admit I have no direct experience, but nothing I have heard suggests Win8 is an enterprise-class OS (or anything I want to expose myself to). Microsoft should have called it "Windows for Tablets" and not marketed it on the desktop.

I rarely go into the tiled tablet menu, and I don't have a touch screen on my laptop anyway. I stay in the Windows 7 look-alike interface. It's only if you run an app from the tiled interface that it flips over to tablet mode. You can buy a tiny app that flips those full-screen tablet apps into windowed desktop mode.

http://www.stardock.com/products/modernmix/

Despite all the criticism of the split personality Win8 experience, rumours are that Apple is planning to follow suit, bringing together OSX and iOS, presumably into iSUX?

 

[Black Hole]

bringing together OSX and iOS, presumably into iSUX?

Yeah, it really will! :rofl:

 

[Trev]

A friend has been battling with Win8, she's more knowledgeable than me...

I (am). This is 'The Arms', after all

 

[Black Hole]

:panic:

 

[Scrat]

I (am).

"she's more knowledgeable than me's" surely?

 

[Trev]

seem's that youre mor knowlegable than me's then. ill hush my mouth then if i cant speek propper

 

[Scrat]

seem's that youre mor knowlegable than me's then. ill hush my mouth then if i cant speek propper

OK

"she's more knowledgeable than I's"

 

[Scrat]

Anyway, an update on W8.1

I have settled into a pattern with 8.1:

I use a PIN rather than a password for login.
I use the Classic Shell to overlay the Windows 8 start button.
I rarely venture into Metro.
I have 3 programs pinned to the task bar: Chrome, Windows Explorer and a shutdown8.
Next to the system tray I have the Pokki menu, but I use that less and less these days. It may go.
I have abandoned Start Menu X as too ugly.
I have installed Samsung Quick Starter, which pops up when needed and includes its own excellent start menu, as well as icons and folders for common programs.
I have no desktop icons.
I have disabled charms appearing on the desktop. In fact, I have disabled edge effects there.
I have downloaded most of the themes from M$, aggregated most of the backgrounds and use those on the desktop as a slow slide show.

So, am I a typical user of Windows 8.1?

PS 8 to 8.1 was a particularly painful transition. I have dual graphics, and that was unsupported at first. Also, the Alps touchpad driver was problematic. The one from Samsung kept popping up Charms when I swiped left, most annoying, even when Charms were supposed to be disabled. After much searching, and emergency use of a bluetooth mouse when things went wrong and the touchpad ceased to work, I eventually found a driver that disables Charms and works on this laptop.

 

[4291]

OK

"she's more knowledgeable than I's"

I(am).

 

[Scrat]

I(am).

Am you?