Windows 8 Question

[ChuckTheHammer]

OK so the rules: I do not want to hear any flaming of Microsoft et al. I just have a simple question: with three small children in the house using computers a great deal for their work would the Windows 8 tiles be an easier way for them to be productive? You can get Pro now for $40 so if it would help them be more independent on the computers it is well worth it to me. I would love to hear from anyone that has played with it so far.

 

[RainMotorsports]

Do you have touch screen monitors? If not, instead of swiping side to side like you do on your smartphone, you have to use a mouse to move a scroll bar at the bottom of the screen. Kind of a pain in the ass and does nothing but literally slow me down. Switch out to a touch screen monitor its a different game altogether.

Are you going to be using mostly Desktop apps? With the startmenu gone all apps not pinned or shortcutted are on the windows 8 launcher.

It gets to be kind of a mess if your using 90 to 99% of the apps that exist today. This switch is a bit rougher than the one from 3.1 to 95 was. I was a kid when that happened and I was more than a little upset.

Wouldn't be a bad idea to buy it just for the price. But the Windows 8 Tiles are for Windows 8 applications. Many major applications are not even available in that form yet as to meet some of the requirements set forth by microsoft such as being able to pause state the application, they have to be thoroughly rewritten.

ALL Desktop apps written before Windows 8 will launch to the Desktop, a cut down version of the windows 7 desktop. So its like using Windows Phone launcher to start your desktop apps. Desktop apps are a legacy support item now. Until all or the majority of the apps the children are using are windows 8 native. They will be learning to use Windows Classic applications on windows 8 rather than things being easier than ever. Once all the applications they are using are 8 Native it will probably be a breeze.

 

[ChuckTheHammer]

They do not use many programs. They mainly use office, kindle on the computer (they have some school books provided through there), and my daughter would use mail/messenger. Both would have a few older programs but not many. I thought it might be a good time to get them using it as they are new to things and learning 8 would be better than getting to know 7 and switching later.

 

[RainMotorsports]

Office 2010 is a desktop app of course but Office 2013 (15) coming out next year will be tile friendly. IE 10 is on a tile now of course. Not sure if FF or Chrome is stable on 8 yet, I believe FF had the jump.

I believe Kindle just got ported to 8.

 

[ChuckTheHammer]

Yeah, I know Kindle is there and some things are moving there. They are used to ipads and the like, so one style of interface is what I was thinking, especially at $40.