A Linux User's Perspective Of Microsoft Windows 8

[gamerk2]

Windows 8 installer bluescreened on me, while running in VirtualBox. Need I say more?

What was the STOP code/error message? Kinda hard to diagnose the problem without at least that information...

[squirrl]

I couldn't determine if he was reviewing Windows 8 or Ubuntu 12.10.

Generally, it would have been nice to hear about the usability: Navigation with respect to workflow based on how Unity and Gnome 2.28 work.

What about Windows 8 from a gaming standpoint? Did you find the graphics system got in the way of game performance?

It's about like me installing Ubuntu 12.10 and saying it froze up at the LDM window right as I was about to type my password.

Therefore it sucks and I install Slackware on it and it's better because I know how to install it.

Thanks!

[Michael504]

Basically i would always do clean win installs and never upgrade. That's usally lost time to do so.

[gamerk2]

What about Windows 8 from a gaming standpoint? Did you find the graphics system got in the way of game performance?

As I expected months ago, basically exactly the same as Win7, with a handful of reported bugs in specific titles with specific hardware. Given how 8 is built on top of 7, there should never have been any expectation of significant changes in application performance.

[Pallidus]

having had the chance of messing about with a windows tablet and a sony vaio with touch enabled

both with win8 preinstalled

I dare say that it does suit touch well.

For all that I red on the internet I was expecting a much more cumbersome experience.


The fact remains that it is well suited for the upcoming windows tablets and that's what ms is gambling on

[theweirdn8]

Woah strong words there.

At least you made a new OS. Windows 7.5. LOL.

Hurry and copyright it now!

ROFL.

[Otamay]

My father bought a laptop with Windows 8 preinstalled. My home router has mac filtering. I spent an HOUR looking for the mac address of the laptop wireless card, I felt very frustrated.

How I found the mac address? Going to the desktop, window key + R, cmd, ipconfig /all. Maybe it's my fault for not knowing how to get the mac address in an easy way, I'm an unexperienced windows user (8 years using GNU/Linux), but what about a person that it's the first time he uses a computer? Doesn't it supposed to be windows 8 an easy experience?

[Licaon]

My father bought a laptop with Windows 8 preinstalled. My home router has mac filtering. I spent an HOUR looking for the mac address of the laptop wireless card, I felt very frustrated.

How I found the mac address? Going to the desktop, window key + R, cmd, ipconfig /all. Maybe it's my fault for not knowing how to get the mac address in an easy way, I'm an unexperienced windows user (8 years using GNU/Linux), but what about a person that it's the first time he uses a computer? Doesn't it supposed to be windows 8 an easy experience?

Oh, come on, if you are smart enough to have a MAC filtering router and use it then you are smart enough to http://is.gd/Uz6rx6
Normal lusers (see what I did here?) that fit the Windows friendly framework thing have normal (insecure yeah) routers that accept any MAC, so they don't ever have that problem.

[Otamay]

Oh, come on, if you are smart enough to have a MAC filtering router and use it then you are smart enough to http://is.gd/Uz6rx6
Normal lusers (see what I did here?) that fit the Windows friendly framework thing have normal (insecure yeah) routers that accept any MAC, so they don't ever have that problem.

Jeje, I was avoiding the use of the command line, that's what the windows users blame about gnu/linux os. The hardware information is something that is basic to know even for a normal user, and not even in the Windows Device Manager (,where there are vendor and device id, for example) the MAC address could be found.

[0xBADCODE]

but what about a person that it's the first time he uses a computer? Doesn't it supposed to be windows 8 an easy experience?

Well, 1st time persons are unlikely to have mac filetering on their router. In fact they often forgot to setup wi-fi network key and/or leaving routers using defaults. Which leads to "free wi-fi for everyone" or easy network hacking.

On other hand, network information in XP has been in more visible place. Then in vista and win7 MS hidden it further, hence regression. I guess in win8 it isn't anyhow improved either.

Windows is friendly only if you don't try advanced stuff and some experienced technician configured it for you. Else it's just another OS and ton of marketing. If you'll configure any other OS (be it some Linux or whatever you're competent in) for some non-technical user and allow them to use it it would be just as user friendly (granted that technician is able to setup OS for usual user tasks). Basically, windows is bad for advanced users (as it quite hostile to automation/commandline usage/etc) and win8 is just awkward on it's own (to my taste win8 appearance is far worse than it has been in win7).

And another part: if some non-technical user will try to reinstall windows, soon they got stuck with half of devices failing to work properly. Because installing drivers in windows isn't really friendly and could be hard enough. Especially granted poor quality of some drivers and/or their installers.