4. Better perf 5. Quicker startup 6. Really like the new TaskManager 7. Settings in the cloud
I think there's a lot of solid foundation to like, BUT, the windows RT bits still feel glued on, not integrated: it is very much like a first release. I'm hoping for some nice incremental improvements. The vision of an integrated experience across all devices is a nice one. It just isn't there yet. Too much a lowest common denominator: but that's always a good starting point ;) |-----Original Message----- |From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet- |boun...@ozdotnet.com] On Behalf Of GregAtGregLowDotCom |Sent: Thursday, 9 May 2013 6:39 PM |To: ozDotNet |Subject: RE: Is Surface really failing? | |To turn it around to a positive note, it'd be interesting to find the things that you |feel you can now do with Win8 that you couldn't do with Win7 ie: if you go |through this process, what are the benefits from upgrading? | | | |For me that's: | | | |1. Native Hyper-V execution. Previously I was using VirtualBox in this |environment. However, I still don't have the same flexibility that VirtualBox |offered in terms of screen resolutions, etc. For example, WinServer2008R2 guests |in VirtualBox, trivial to use whatever screen real estate I want. In Hyper-V not so |lucky. (Much more flexibility with WinServer2012 or Win8 guests in this regard) | |2. Native ISO mounting. Previously I was using MagicISO most of the time. |Never had an issue with it but it's nice to not need it now. But it also could do a |bunch of things that the native mounting can't do. | |3. Running RT apps. I'll appreciate this when I find one that's compelling for |me. | | | |For me, that's about it. What would others add? | | | |Regards, | | | |Greg | | | |Dr Greg Low | | | |1300SQLSQL (1300 775 775) office | +61 419201410 mobile│ +61 3 8676 4913 fax | |SQL Down Under | Web: www.sqldownunder.com |<http://www.sqldownunder.com/> | | | |From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet- |boun...@ozdotnet.com] On Behalf Of Fredericks, Chris |Sent: Thursday, 9 May 2013 5:56 PM |To: ozDotNet |Subject: RE: Is Surface really failing? | | | | | |From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet- |boun...@ozdotnet.com] On Behalf Of David Burstin |Sent: Thursday, 9 May 2013 4:05 PM |To: ozDotNet |Subject: RE: Is Surface really failing? | | | |Windows, like a car, is a tool to get from A to B. People use tools because they |make life easier. If a car manufacturer decided to change the way we drive (eg by |swapping the location of the accelerator and brake) then people will rightly ask |why. This has happened before - eg the gear stick moving from the column, which |had a good reason. When changes are forced on us, it is legitimate to ask what |the gain is given the pain of changing the way we use our tools. | | | |Agreed. | |I don't believe that saying "just learn it and if you don't like it then you must be a |bad driver" is any kind of answer. If anything it implies that you don't have a good |answer so you are trying to shame people into not asking questions. | |I wasn't seriously suggesting "if you can't cope with Windows 8, please avoid |driving a car anywhere near me or my family" - the smiley face should have been |the giveaway. Nothing that you suggest as being implied by my statement is true, |or a fair claim to make. At worst it was a failed attempt at humour on my part. I |do have answers, and I was actually typing them in my response to David's "The |Level 1 Helpdesk Test" post when Ken's reply arrived and stole my thunder, |almost word for word - great minds and all that. So you what you got instead |was me not repeating what was just provided. | |Ditto for the argument that Office is not a fail, therefore the ribbon must be good |and those who criticized it were, in hindsight, fools. I wonder how successful the |new version of Office would have been if the ONLY change had been the ribbon. | |Don't know where that is coming from. I never said "ribbon must be good and |those who criticized it were, in hindsight, fools". I am certainly guilty of poor or |false analogy with the car, but I suspect you are guilty of false logic to imply the |extreme contrary meaning to my statements. | |Learning new technology is fun FOR ME, but I would certainly not presume to |speak for the people who use it as a tool to get their real job done. They, quite |rightly, ask why they have to relearn how to use this tool just to get the same job |done. And they deserve a good answer - not just "suck it up". | |It is fun for me too, and I don't want to provoke or upset anyone. I never asked |anyone to suck it up. I just suggested some effort in learning to uncover it |nuances would be beneficial. The fact that you need to do that is not good, but it |is one answer for what it is worth with my limited experience in using Windows 8. | |Btw - I still find the Office ribbon difficult to navigate. | |Me too. My point was not whether the Ribbon is good or bad, but the furore that |surrounded its introduction has waned as people learned and accepted it use. I |suspect a similar situation will occur with Windows 8 adoption. Good or bad. | |DB | |Please, I am not at the extreme position you seem to want to assign to me. I am |not singing the praises of Windows 8 - or the Office ribbon for that matter - in |my original post I said I 'like' Windows 8, not 'love' it. It is far from perfect, but |neither is it a complete fail. | |My experience is that it 'tastes' better with time and experience. But the fact |that many of the features that you need to learn to return your productivity are |not obvious or intuitive, and introduce a learning curve, is not good and will |hinder it's adoption. Perhaps many will skip Windows 8 altogether and jump |instead to the next major release which we all hope is handled better. I don't |have a choice and I place myself somewhere in the middle of this discussion. | |Regards |Chris | | | |On 09/05/2013 3:37 PM, "Fredericks, Chris" <chris.frederi...@hp.com> wrote: | |I suspect the Office Ribbon wouldn't have passed the "The Level 1 Helpdesk Test" |either - but Office hasn't been a 'fail'. And I am sure that most of the initial |'issues' with Windows 8 will pass in time as users learn it's nuances. | |Sometimes people have to make some effort to move out of their comfort zone, |embrace change and learn something new instead of expecting everything to be |obvious. The first time someone sits behind the steering wheel in a car, it is not |very intuitive on how to use the clutch to change gears, or to even start the |engine. Almost everyone needs to be taught how to drive a car - does that mean |that a motor vehicle is a 'fail'? | |Everything I have read about why Windows 8 is a 'fail' seems a bit emotive and |most of the problems listed are very easily addressed with a little research and |learning. I suspect that safely driving a motor vehicle requires more effort, |learning and concentration than what is required for Windows 8. If you can't |cope with Windows 8, please avoid driving a car anywhere near me or my family. |J | |Just my 2c worth and I am most definitely not trying to offend anyone. | | | |Cheers, | |Chris | | | |From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet- |boun...@ozdotnet.com] On Behalf Of Ken Schaefer |Sent: Thursday, 9 May 2013 2:49 PM |To: ozDotNet |Subject: RE: Is Surface really failing? | | | |Caller: "Hello. I can't find my Windows desktop" | |Helpdesk: Press the Windows Key and the letter D at the same time | | | |Caller: "No, I can't see my start menu." | |Helpdesk: Press the Windows Key | | | |You should try managing server 2012 via RDP sometime. It really is just 1 pixel in |the bottom left which is nearly impossible to click on unless your RDP is full |screen. | | | |What do you need on the Start screen on Windows Server 2012? | | | |Cheers | |Ken | | | |From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet- |boun...@ozdotnet.com] On Behalf Of David Connors |Sent: Thursday, 9 May 2013 2:13 PM |To: ozDotNet |Subject: Re: Is Surface really failing? | | | |On Thu, May 9, 2013 at 1:58 PM, David Burstin <david.burs...@gmail.com> |wrote: | | I am neutral about Windows 8, but what I do find annoying is that when |people voice their opinions they get labeled as 'haters'. While it's a convenient |way to dismiss other people's concerns, what you are basically saying is "this |doesn't bother me so it can't be legitimate and therefore only reason you are |saying it is because you are a troll/hater". Not a great basis for a productive |discussion imho. | |I agree. I have this game I play as a part of mentoring people working for me on |usability. I call it "The Level 1 Helpdesk Test". Whenever I see something that is |batshit crazy, I ask them to run it past The Level 1 Helpdesk Test which involves: | |1. Sitting at your PC pretending you're on level 1 helpdesk. |2. Imagine you've just answered the phone and someone is ringing up about |the feature you've just shown off. |3. Imagine the conversation with that person as you describe how to use |the feature. | |Windows 8 fails the level 1 help desk test in style. | | | |Caller: "Hello. I can't find my Windows desktop" | |Helpdesk: "Can you see a picture of Seattle or a mountain with desktop written |on it?" | |Caller: "Ummm... no, I think ... I can see a picture of Julia Gillard and the weather |in Paris, but I'm in Brisbane. Should I click on the purple box about Victoria |Beckham?" | |Helpdesk: "No, keep looking for a box with desktop written on it in tiny writing." | |Caller: "Oh, I've found a flower with desktop written on it." | |Helpdesk: "That's your desktop. Click on that. BTW it is a flower today but it |might be a mountain or seattle tomorrow." | |Caller: "That's better, I can see Windows now." | |Helpdesk: "Is that all?" | |Caller: "No, I can't see my start menu." | |Helpdesk: "Oh, you were just at the start menu." | |Caller: "The boxes with Victoria Beckham?" | |Helpdesk: "Yes, that's it." | |Caller: "Where is it?" | |Helpdesk: "It is in the bottom left single pixel of your monitor." |Caller: "What's a pixel?" | |Helpdesk: "Nevermind, just move your mouse to the bottom left and you'll see a |start menu pop up." | |Caller: "Oh, I see. But when I move my mouse over the button it disappears." | |Helpdesk: "Oh, you're not meant you click on it, you just move your mouse to |make it appear and then click on it without actually moving your mouse over it." | | | |etc etc etc | | | |Fkn fail. | | | |Don't even start me on the Charms "Nothing can be shared right now" bar. | | | |You should try managing server 2012 via RDP sometime. It really is just 1 pixel in |the bottom left which is nearly impossible to click on unless your RDP is full |screen. | | | |What did they do in previous versions of Windows? | | | |Helpdesk: "If you want a document or program, click start." | |Caller: "Thanks!" | |*click* | | | |David.
