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Infographic: The top 11 features of Windows 8

In the past, the level of animosity toward Windows 8 was a little over the top on many occasions. Now, that it has been out in the wild for a while, have feelings changed? Can you see the strategy Microsoft is using?

Many of the 11 features listed don't apply to the way I use a computer.

Task Manager - There's been a task scheduler in Windows since at least 2K. My cursory glance at the one in W8 didn't reveal any radical new features, just new ways to access the old ones. Besides, I rarely schedule tasks on client systems; just on servers.

IE 10 - I'm a Firefox guy. I've disliked IE since 7; I don't like the lack of customization of the controls and buttons.

Multiple Storage Devices - I don't know what that one means. I've had multiple devices at least since W98 added USB support, but I assume this doesn't refer to a feature that old. I don't use much drive space anyway.

Hyper-V, Metro, Desktop search, SkyDrive, Windows 2 Go - don't care, and weren't HyperV and SkyDrive available in W7?

These top features may well be worth the 'steep learning curve' for many users, but they still have no attraction for me.

I have Win8 Pro 64 on a desktop next to my XP PC and it's fine. However, if you're happy with XP, there is no need to upgrade. Metro is gimmicky at best on a desktop PC, and I am mostly in the desktop UI, occasionally going to Metro to see the weather or the latest news. Note that the Aero effect in Win7 was removed from Win8. All the 32-bit software I write, runs fine in Win8 including the low level sound buffer handling and streaming stuff. Even most registry keys are the same as XP - see jacobsm.com/mjsoft.htm

If "the low level sound buffer handling" you do means making COM based filters, then it is not truly low level. The real low level stuff that accesses devices does not work in 8 way too often. The sound layer has also been considerably modified so that latencies are much better, but the sound from a VMWare virtual XP is often creepy, for example. Of course, COM wrapped stuff does not suffer from that.

Programming the following sound APIs in C++ work fine from XP through to 8, whether they are the 32 or 64-bit OS :-
waveInUnprepareHeader
waveInPrepareHeader
waveInAddBuffer
waveInGetErrorText
waveInOpen
waveInStart
waveInReset
waveInClose
waveOutUnprepareHeader
waveOutReset
waveOutClose
waveOutPrepareHeader
waveOutWrite
waveOutOpen

"However, if you're happy with XP, ..."

FYI, I'm running W7. However, we agree that there's no need to upgrade if you're happy with what you have.

Task Manager and Task Scheduler are completely different things. Scheduler in Win 7 got real interesting as you can schedule tasks on all sorts of event other than timers.

Charlie,

I think you are confused. Task Manager is the thing that shows you all the processes running in your system, how much memory, CPU, disk I/O, etc. each task is using, how busy your CPU is, etc.

Scheduled Tasks is where you set up scheduled tasks. A completely different thing.

Windows 7 had Virtual PC, not Hyper-V. Similar, but not the same.

Rick

Yes, gentlemen, I did swap the terms by mistake. I recall the name of the task scheduling utility had changed, and incorrectly remembered it as 'Task Manager'. I believe the new name is actually 'Scheduled Tasks', but I could be wrong about that too...

Fortunately, I'm not in Task Manager often enough to appreciate the differences, especially on my own system. i would expect (hope?) with a new OS to be in it even less than in W7 or XP.

There is much more detailed information about every process that is running and about what resources are being consumed. Maybe average users don't care but for tech-heads who want insight into thier machines this was a very nice surprise.

My interpretation of their strategy is to make sure no one gets a better experience than a tablet user. If they don't get glass/aero because their hardware won't do it, no one shall have it. If "they" can't have their own images on their interface, then neither can the rest of us.

We buy high-end hardware to get a better result. More screen-estate, better colour re-production, finer resolution, ..... Now it seems the idea is to make sure we can't get a better result!

Is there a script I have to allow to see the graphic?

Which browser are you using. I am looking at it in Chrome at the moment.

.

Lol

W8 has nothing NEW to offer W7 users who have a Laptop or Desktop. What do I mean?

1. Boot time is done or twice a day or week. Win 7 from hibernate or sleep is just as fast as W8 and I can get at it easily.
2. There is no learning curve, W7 just works the way I like and want it to.
3. The multiple Storage options are all available on W7.
4. If you really want IE10 (Why?) Its available on W7.
5. Task Manager. W7 task manager. If I found my users playing with that they would be shown the door. I employ people to USE the machine not fiddle under the hood.
6. Hyper V. Not of any use to mainstream users, just tech/geek stuff. No productivity gain.
7. Search under W7 is much Better. W8 you have to look up, fail, try settings, etc.
8. Skydrive is not as good as many of the free alternatives in the wild.
9. Windows to go. There many better ways and upgrading (!) Is not one of them.
10. Metro. No valid or usable Business or productivity purpose.
11. Windows Store. Just a way to spend money with Microsoft!

I tried W8 and to summarise

Windows 8 FAIL!

Life is too short.

But really you've said everything that needs to be said. I hate the new interface, and got stuck with this (Wind 8) when I bought a new laptop. Seriously wish I could upgrade to Windows 7.

...and all it looks like to me is an attempt to rationalise a huge expense that brought no tangible gain.

But then we know the business world is full of people stroking their own egos and imposing their way in order to "make their mark".

The faster bootup time is also a myth in my point of view. If I compare windows 7 and windows 8 on the same hardware, it is just about the same. Windows 8 might arrive at the desktop slightly sooner, but showing the desktop doesn't mean it has finished booting, it is still loading services etc., and reacts slowly to user input at the beginning. So you still have to wait for about the same time like you do with Windows 7 to actually start to work with it.

IE10 is still IE and insecure. I never use m$'s browsers. So that isn't an argument either.

Search? What for? I usually know at least approximately where my files are. Also the installed software is easier to find via a menu system (like the start button), than having to enter it's name (which I might have forgotten and then a text search is more difficult) in a search bar. For me it is like going backwards in time to the days of DOS where you had no GUI and had to type in everything.

Task Manager? The one you get in Windows 7 is good enough, and if it isn't there are 3rd party tools like Process Manager available...

SkyDrive? I can use that with Windows 7, XP, Linux and probably most other OS's too....

Metro? Totally useless crap if you don't have a touch enabled device, and also then I'd Question it's usefulness. The same applies for the store, there isn't anything there for which there aren't any better real Windows programs.

Support for UEFI? What would anyone need that for???

The only useful stuff that is left is:

1. the Hyper-V Host (and that really can only be used on hardware that has virtualization support and enough RAM). Also, most people don't need that. You can also always use a type 2 hypervisor like Virtualbox, it is good enough for virtualization on a desktop system as that normally only makes sense for testing purposes and then you can live with the lower performance.

2. WindowsToGo, which I haven't come round to testing yet though.

Windows 8 is the first MS OS which, on shutdown, powers off the monitor before disk activity has finished - to give the semblance of it shutting down "faster"! Unbelievable! On booting up, all network drives are only attached when they first get called up "on demand" so it looks like it's booting up faster! Jeez!

Learning curve: We all had to learn Win95, then 98, Mil, XP and 7 followed with same format. To run 8 you have to reinvest for the new age. If you don't like 8 you won't like 9,10, etc. either. Invest in the new OS (eventually) or move to Chrome, Apple, Linux, etc. It is pretty clear. Regardless, it is time to reinvest. Win8 is a new OS and Linux would be a new OS also that you would have to invest time in to learn it. Hope that you can understand and appreciate my point.

Ill admit right up front that I only have a week in with my shiny new (clean install) Windows 8 Desktop so maybe I just have not seen the light yet. I've been in the business since the DOS days. I've seen a lot of new OSs from M$ and so far...this one wins! Its the worst! While I understand the need to make improvements to your product so people will continue to buy new ones, there is a difference between taking something that works and making it better, and taking something that works and making it worse (yeah, seems simple, I know). I use my Win 7 laptop to wirelessly remote into the wired desktop in my home office across my home LAN. Same old hardware and connections, just a new OS. As long as I dont use metro its seems pretty stable, but soon as I start trying to figure out the new user interface, remote desktop starts crashing and losing its connection to the point where its unusable. Was searching last night and while I found lots of people complaining about it, found very few answers. And what is up with IE? Did anyone notice that the IE you launch from your desktop (which looks and feels like IE) is dramatically different from the IE you launch from the broken tiles start page? No controls, full screen only???what a bunch of knuckle heads. And someone please tell me why it was necessary to remove the X to close an app or window? Please explain how its better to make it so difficult to move back and forth between apps or shut something off that your done with???.anybody? And where is my stinking RUN bar?

People grumbled and hated Windows 95. It was a huge paradigm shift from Windows 3.x and everyone hated it. It was too different, they changed too much and I remember friends that are in the computer business saying they "Will never go to Win 95" yeah, we laugh now but back then, it was pretty heated. Time has shown that it was an immense improvement. That said, some OSs were stinkers right from the get go and you could hear the flushing sound early on. Anyone remember Millennia? Ha, yes, I hear that snort of derision. When we went from 98 to Win 2000, no one understood the need for all the changes. Again time has shown that from a systems management point of view Win 2k was a good investment of the effort required to learn the new OS. Then along comes Vista . With Windows 8, it appears that Microsoft has provided a user interface that you have to bypass or work around to use your computer. So far, everything seems like change so we can get some more of your money. I hope time proves me wrong but right now all I can hear is

"Time has shown that it was an immense improvement."

The point is that we did something stupid back then. Let's not repeat the stupid behaviour every time a new version with a new interface comes out. Let's learn from our mistakes and those of others.

I did not hate Win 95 when it came out. I liked it. It was a vast improvement over 3.11. When I was learning NT, the first thing I did was install the Win 95 interface for it.

I still despise Metro.

The infographic seems to confuse "new" and "improved".

"System Boot Time and Performance" is hardly a NEW feature, it is a flaw in the Windows operating system that Microsoft has been trying to fix since Vista (how many years is that?)

"User Friendly Print and Search Options" ... other than acknowledging Microsoft's poor design over the past 2 decades, this again is fixing a competitive disadvantage ... not really anything new.

I could go on, but what's the point? Those that fear anything but Microsoft will continue to overspend on technology that is overly complex and goes mostly under-utilized.

I'm sorry, but the idea of trying to cram the same UI onto laptops and cellphones is just plain stupid. Gesturing on the screen of a cellphone or tablet held in one's other hand is comfortable, doing the same on a laptop, with arm held straight out is just painful after a while. "Gorilla arm", anyone?
Do people even want to do the same tasks on a 4" screen as on a 15" one? But, then I don't get the appeal of watching a movie on a cell, maybe that's just my eyes.

I get a real kick out of those whining about Windows 8. The whines take two forms:
(1) Loss of the Start button and menus -- easily overcome with StarDock's Start8 or a dozen other free or low-cost utilities that restore the Start button and menus to the desktop and easily enable you to boot directly into the desktop. I've been using Windows 8 Pro since early November along with Start8 and I pretty much ignore the Modern UI. Same for the five or six follk for whom I've built a Windows 8 computer.
(2) Steep learning curve and missing features. Well, if you use Start8, there is virtually no learning curve because Windows 8 works like Windows 7, but on steroids with much faster boots and shutdowns, greater stability, more security, and a much more forgiving behavior. As for those missing features like a scheduler some object to -- pure fiction. They're still there in Windows 8. They may have a different name, but they still exist. Unfortunately articles like this one tend to use too much short hand. I imagine that "Multiple Storage Devices" refers to the ability of Windows 8 to configure several hard drives, for example, as a single drive -- so you could have two or three hard drives appear as a single drive to Windows.

All in all, I've found Windows 8 to be a significant step up from Windows 7 and well worth the $40 to $70 it cost until Feb 1. Is it worth $199 to upgrade now? That's for each person to evaluate on their own.

You realize your argument basically boils down to "Win8 is fine once you buy additional software to fix it"? In other words, you like Win8 once you make it work like Win7. I'll leave you to ponder the logical fallacies in that.

You can find some comfort in knowing you are not alone. I have heard similar stories in several places. It really leads me to one logical conclusion. Win8 is a good upgrade if you moving from XP or Vista or you really need touch. If you're already on 7, then 8 isn't going to do much for you, even at $40. Now that the price has skyrocketed to $200, expect Win8 sales to tank horribly.

please see my reply below titled "struggling" (meaning struggling with win 8) - apparently this site is struggling too: simply clicking on reply doesnt work, 'reply' and 'edit' only work as expected here if I right-click on the links and open in new tab (FF 18.0.1 w. java uninstalled)

TR has filed a bug report with Mozilla. The problems you notice began a few weeks ago and exist only when viewing the site in FF 18 or higher.

You have a couple of options. One is to open the Reply and Edit links in a new tab. If you use TR heavily, you may want to reinstall FF 17.

Lol gotta love StarDock - adding Linux features to Windows since 1993

Re: "Multiple Storage Devices" refers to the ability of Windows 8 to configure several hard drives, for example, as a single drive -- so you could have two or three hard drives appear as a single drive to Windows.

Is this the same as mount points in the Unix file system, from the 1970's or 1960's.

I'm not sure why one would want to do that on a personal system, but I know it's another feature that has no appeal to me personally.

Elderly people who only just managed to get what they wanted done under XP cannot grasp the three modes (Desktop, "start", app tiles - I don't know how else to describe them except as modes) of Win8. This is not a whining objection; it's pointing out just another Microsoft Change for the sake of Change "innovation".

Don't mistake "new" and "improved", like the compiler of the infographic did.

I can't believe they left out the new File History feature.

It's not that price any more. It'll cost you two Franklins now.

Sorry Microsoft, we will not be moving to Windoze 8.

Does Not ft our computing model, no Touch and Mobiles are phones.

Also the UI is ###p and this is the MOST unproductive O/S I've come across.

We will also NOT be moving to Office 2013 we are happy with 2007/10.

Ha! Gotcha beat! I'm happy with 2003!
And 2003 is "not compatible" with Windows 8. Does that mean I use Windows 7 for the rest of my life?

Works fine, as far as i have been able to see

I'm just not seeing the value of moving to Windows 8 on my business desktops or laptops. There is no must have feature there, there are training demands that my users really shouldn't have to go through, and Windows 7 still has a long life ahead of it.

There will no doubt be a point when something comes out that will only work on Windows 8 and above. At that point, there may be a reason to upgrade. I just don't see that happening for at least two more years for any applications that we use here.

Replying to dl@: [sorry: seems 'reply' and 'edit' only work here if I right-click and open in new tab (FF 18.0.1 w. java uninstalled)]
a heading like "Whining objections to Windows 8 Easily Overcome, when not pure fiction" comes across as trolling, but you do make some valid points: security (mostly this isn't seen and therefore not appreciated); and stability (although 7 is very stable here). I'm not sure what exactly you mean by 'forgiving behaviour', but I can report running a pretty big piece of software from 1999 (Freehand 9), and it runs better than on XP or 7 (minor 'dysfunctionalities' are gone in 8). The other side of the coin is that I think you must have gotten the bug free version of 8
In mine:
(1) random mouse movements activate the charmsbar (and tell me the time). I've tried registry fixes to no avail. This is the killer for me and I'm not alone (although there appear to be variations on this one - maybe hardware is a factor). Simple fix: - MS gives us ability to turn it off.
(2) I get (what feels like) randomly thrown from one interface to the other. If they weren't so visually different this might be easier to cope with - but it would be just that - "coping". I dont want to cope with my OS, I want it to help me get things done. [technically not a bug - but it's the kind of behaviour that normally would get removed before moving from beta]. Not such a simple fix for MS.
(3) I have found a successful work-around to MS forcing the Tiles on us and can now boot to desktop ("coping" anyone?) [again, not a bug - unfortunately it's more like getting the finger from MS. See quote below, and 1ronman's full post]. A simple fix for MS: choice please.
(4) there is no reasonable excuse (apart from maybe quote below) for removing the start menu. It affects me *relatively* little (I'm keyboard friendly, & for years now I've used an app launcher) but for the things I seldom do where there's a shortcut in there, I need a workaround (btw thanks for your recommendation, I'm unhappy with classic start menu). A simple fix for MS: choice please.
~
the above (mainly 1 & 2) are enough to stop me using it - thankfully I have a choice I pray for the day that MS will decide they've done enough advertising for 'the Tiles' and allow desktop users to be just that.

Quote from "1ronman" (More Windows 8 hating):
"With Windows 8, it appears that Microsoft has provided a user interface that you have to bypass or work around to use your computer. So far, everything seems like change so we can get some more of your money. I hope time proves me wrong..."

Apparently Windows 8 gets about 1 or 2% faster frame rates.

But then it still loses to Linux which gets about 10% faster frame rates.

http://steamforlinux. com/?q=en/node/74

Here is one idiotic but simple reason why Windows 8 will have problems. I was at someone's house yesterday and was asked how to change the profile picture.
Seems simple enough. Go to the Control Panel, select User Accounts and change the picture for the account.
Nope. They pulled that option.
It is now in PC Settings in the charm "menu". Why?
Keep everything in one place!
Even better, if you want it in a new place, that's fine but leave it in the old place as well.
Like in windows 7 and before you could access the Device Manager from the Control Panel or right clicking My Computer on the desktop.
But to split user account settings in two?

I have had my W8 laptop for 2 months. It has locked up or crashed at least a dozen times. I upgraded to Pro right away. I have 6 Gig and a I7 with a 500 gig hd. I should run rings around anything out there short of a SSD. But it is slow and unresponsive. It reminds me so much of Vista I had to look at the tag to make sure what I had.
It crashed and locked up a lot, which looked like it was associated with App updates that I did not even ask for and had set my Windows updates to Download but let me install. I got worried about system stability so I did a SFC and it found 13 corrupt system files. It was able to fix them. I ran it again to make sure.
I have set up WLMail by downloading Windows Live and using it on the desktop. I do not want the Metro and it is always trying to get in the way.
Microsoft needs to bring out SP1 for W8. And like everyone else we need the Start Menu and the X in the Apps.
KG

I hate the Win 8 interface from the screen with all the apps to the complications to enter commands.. Bring the start menu and search\ type in box. Microsoft, if its not broken stop trying to fix it. KISS - Keep it simple stupid. The only reason I'm using Win 8 is because it came with my brand new laptop. Thinking about "downgrading" to Win 7. Well I don't consider it a down grade.

Gisabun hit it on the head and I think is one of the things people hate the most about new versions of Windows. most of the functionality we have grown accustom to is still there but moving functions and tools, splitting them up, changing how you get to them, renaming them, hiding them...come on Microsoft, thats dumb

And bloating.

Consolidation is a good thing.
For example, in Windows 7, there is two user control panels.
One under "control panel" and the other under "control panel/all control panel items"
The only way to get to all panel items is to change the view to icons. That's pretty counter intuitive.

In Windows 8, type DPI, and you get two options for DPI settings, one is desktop, other is Metro, why did they do this? And it doesn't tell you which is which. Same happens if you type printer.

Windows has been a mess for a long time, and MS keeps making it worse.

It's no more complex than having two doors in your house. You know where they are and you choose the one that's closest. If you have the option of a keyboard shortcut, a button on a ribbon and a custom toolbar, you use the toolbar or ribbon if your hand is on the mouse already and the keyboard shortcuts if your hands are already on the keyboard.

The fact that the old commands/procedures are still there is a good thing. Many people complain about having to learn new ways of doing things. In many cases, you don't have to because the vendor leaves that old stuff there for you.

...House.

But my back door opens into a different room to my front door!

It is king of funny how we see things differently. Since I first loaded the Win 8 DP in my PC I felt that it is going to be best MS OS thus far and loaded it promptly to two others at home for a great benefit for the users. I have also used most PC OS's since early DOS days and for my opinion Windows 8 is the best OS so far from MS. Now considering how my family uses Pc's and laptops it might not be something that others do. On the other hand we use all the office applications and if counting every one for the addition for general, what people I know do, we use them for multimedia including editing, CAD, photo editing and games. Might have forgotten something. It works with lots of legacy programs that I use from around 2000. Don't know much about older programs as I don't use them any more. Some companies are bad for older device drivers like for printers and scanners, but the those didn't work on Windows 7 either.

"The only thing wrong with Windows 8 is that, unless you have a mobile or tablet device, you dont really need it. While Windows 8 is an acceptable operating system for a desktop it is not really much different than Windows 7."
I'd rather have more than acceptable.

I got it with a new laptop from ACER as a gift for my Xmas & 75th B'day
I do not like either
I do not see win 8 as any improvement over Win 7 which I enjoy!
The new laptop no indication of hard disk working?
Lousy battery life 1 hour and 59 minutes despite their claims. there are a few others.
The one excellent property is the hidden partition which enables a reinstallation. Good because I have had to do it no less than 3 times, but it did not recover all some inbuilt apps did not appear and on doing several searches established that they were no longer in the m/c.
Meaning that both ACER and MS did not do their jobs correctly