There’s always Linux!

pfffthahahaha

I have a feeling like you consider Linux as a worse OS

For the average person it is.

I'd take Linux over iOS any day.

Manco epitomizes the average PC consumer, so of course he hates Linux.
Linux can do everything consumer operating systems can and then some, you just have to actually learn how to use it.

It's one of those "teach a man to fish" things.

linux can do anything if you just take the time to learn how not to use the GUI at all

That's, uh, totally not the impression I get from his posts at all.

In fact, he seems to mostly have a good handle on himself while most of the people for the last couple of pages of this thread are running around like headless chickens yelling WHY AREN'T THESE NEW THINGS LIKE MY OLD THINGS and THIS LIGHT HEARTED ERROR MESSAGE DEEPLY OFFENDS ME WHERE IS MY BSOD?!

Agreed, also, I swear by Microsoft and PC because it suits my needs, I don't think the average PC user hates Linux or iOS, we just use PC because it's what we know and what is best for us...

Truth be told, I only read about two replies in this thread, so you're probably right. Sorry if I came off as virulent.

Don't get me wrong, I love Windows (more than Mac, as Manco can tell you), and I haven't used W8 and probably won't any time soon. It's just that for the work I do, I find more and more that I yearn for the amount of control and customization that are becoming increasingly limited. I remain in staunch opposition of sacrificing usability for simplicity, but this applies to everything, not just operating systems.

As I said before though, you can (mostly) forego the minor annoyances of a simplicity>usability styled interface with a bit of tweaking, so in the end it just boils down to whether or not you want to complain about the little extra work you have to do to have it your way.

What distributions have you used and how long ago? Ubuntu in particular is putting a lot of work into a more user-friendly and intuitive GUI.

Ubuntu was the only version I tried. It was a decent enough interface but the issue was how quickly the interface stopped being helpful if you wanted to do more than just the basics. The Linux community is so used to command lines and shit that nine times out of ten the solution they recommend goes way above my head.

What got me in the end though was the severe lack of support from software developers, especially with the apps I needed most (e.g. Adobe).

Incompatibility with the applications and games that I use is one thing that keeps me away from using Linux. Ubuntu is a good basic OS considering that it's free and user-friendly if you want to do basic things with, and you can dual boot or emulate OSes to use your apps with it (or use Wine). However, it often doesn't work correctly, and if you're going to do that then what's the point? May as well just stick with Windows.

Valve are going in the right direction by making some of their games compatible with Linux, though. If more companies do that then Linux may become a viable desktop OS alternative if Microsoft and Apple both screw up majorly in future.

As for Win 8, people shouldn't really blame Microsoft by trying to be innovative. Tablets are the future of computing for the masses, since most people only want to browse the internet on the go, whereas desktop PCs will only be for people who want to do more than that. MS wanted to make an OS to bridge the gap between several different devices. It's just the interface doesn't seem to work so well on desktop PCs, and as some replies in this thread highlight, most people hate drastic changes that they've been used to for years...

I think it's 'cause the Tablet format is such a drastic change to everyday computing and nobody is really sure how to tackle it properly - Though it seems kind of silly to force desktop users to use a touchscreen GUI. Windows 7 is still supported for now though, and is better as a desktop OS.

My only concern is where MS are going with this and that I hope they won't move away from the desktop PC format too much - Which they probably won't if there is still demand for it. There are lots of things you can't do on a tablet. Perhaps they simply need to address that there's a big difference between tablets and desktop PCs, and try to integrate them in a different way rather than treating them as the same.

So has anybody had any experience with those new Surface things?

You know, you shouldn't criticise Linux, most popular OS's run off Linux.

I just want my damn startbutton.. then Im happy.. I see no need for its removal!!

8 does have a start button, but for some reason they just made it invisible. It is there, though.

Like Android, and uh ...

Well, if you take out the word popular

I've not had any personal experience but from what I've heard, whilst they're innovative they're prone to breaking.

That’s the same device that a Microsoft rep dropped live on stage at the launch event.

Oh, and they built working skateboards out of them too.

I've heard windows 8 is supposed to run better or something but that's it for the good, I tried it for a little in vmware and it was a little bothersome with the metro thingy replacing the start bar and all, I found this but didn't get around to actually trying it out, i can't see myself switching over to it ( But I also said the same for 7/Vista when using XP, though those two were designed more for actual desktop computers/laptops, this thing seems like it has some kind of split personality ), especially with steam coming to linux and all, that's gotta pave the way for at least a bit of a more gaming friendly linux

I did find that win8 was fast.... at bootup and all that.. But I have no idea if its just the harddisk that was good(Couldnt have been the laptop, cos that sucked).... But it booted within seconds.

If it was the same hard disk you used with your win7 before then yeah it's probably win8 booting faster

Windows 8 is very fast on startup apparently. About 50% faster than Windows 7 at best. Although the faster boot time leads to some problems with a USB boot.

I haven't actually used Windows 8 yet, but to be perfect honest, it is something I will happily avoid.

Why Microsoft are persisting with making all of their products look the same I'll never know, I read somewhere they are trying to make Xbox, Windows Phones and PC's all work the same, which is stupid, I know Apple usually pump out technology after technology and thinking things are obsolete, but do Microsoft really think that nobody uses a keyboard and mouse anymore?

Isn't this a pretty good move? By setting some sort of standard or look across all of its products, wouldn't users find it easier to use them because they have a better understanding of the interfaces?

I think you mean Unix?

I dunno.. as long as they dont stop support for win7 i really dont care... Its ok that MS are making an OS for touch devices.. but I wish theyd just make it for those exclusively and keep on perfecting the Desktop versions for desktops...

I doubt that for desktops, touch screen will ever replace mouse and keyboard... Having to keep up your arm to touch stuff all the time would be annoying... Mouse covers a long distance on the screen and you dont have to use your whole friggin arm.

I just think it would bother people in the end....

Support for XP is going to end in 2014 so...

I like Windows 7 a lot too. Apparently they're having trouble with Windows 8 sales so far: http://uk.gamespot.com/news/source-w...ations-6400329

You can get a plugin for a start button anyway if you miss it.

Yea I don't think touch screen will ever completely replace the mouse and keyboard, though I did see this video where this guy was talking about different ways touch screen could be combined with normal desktop computers one way or another, like having a sort of roll-up touch screen as a second monitor flat out on your desk