30 best features of Windows 8

I can't seem to click on your link to the ten things you would like to see in Win8? It asks for a server username and password..

By Connor on 11 May 2012

So basically it offers very little to those of us using a desktop rather than poking at a tablet's 10" screen?

It doesn't say much for Windows 8 if you can't list 30 new features without including utterly trivial stuff like stretched background images.

Microsoft are lucky that they aren't facing more effective competition in the desktop OS market.

By davek99 on 12 May 2012

Broken link

Connor - apologies for the broken link. That's now been fixed.

Barry Collins
Editor

By Barry_Collins on 12 May 2012

Just a small point regarding feature 30, (stretching a single image across two screens) - I do that on my machine which still runs XP. In the Display Properties menu, Desktop tab, just choose 'tile'. Providing the image is the right size it will split across both screens evenly.

The screens don't even have to be identical size for it to work, as long as the dimensions of the picture are correct. I've been enjoying lovely landscapes for years!

As for the rest, I think there's more stuff putting me off Win 8 than enticing me, as it does seem overly tablet-orientated. I'm not writing it off yet, but I can't say I'm exactly looking forward to it...

By Mr_John_T on 12 May 2012

unwanted restarts with Windows Update.

Grow some balls and tell Windows 7 to download but not automatically install updates and Windows Update will never again restart without your permission.

Windows 8.. Patch Tuesday... Seriously ?

As to security updates from MS protecting you in real-time .. I dont think so. They are fixes to issues and vulnerabilities that have been known to the community for weeks if not months by the time MS rolls out a patch. You need something better than Windows update protecting your system so automatically installing gains you nothing.

By sminc on 13 May 2012

Windows Update Restarts not a problem.

Simnc, I've been using Windows 7 for over 2 years now and it NEVER restarts without permission. I get a dialog box asking for permission to restart. I then have the option to either accept the request or postpone it for a length of time. Or just let it sit there for as long as I want. You have something configured wrong. Better do more research.

By Big_Jojo on 14 May 2012

Windows Update Restarts not a problem.

Simnc, I've been using Windows 7 for over 2 years now and it NEVER restarts without permission. I get a dialog box asking for permission to restart. I then have the option to either accept the request or postpone it for a length of time. Or just let it sit there for as long as I want. You have something configured wrong. Better do more research.

By Big_Jojo on 14 May 2012

Windows Update Restarts not a problem.

Simnc, I've been using Windows 7 for over 2 years now and it NEVER restarts without permission. I get a dialog box asking for permission to restart. I then have the option to either accept the request or postpone it for a length of time. Or just let it sit there for as long as I want. You have something configured wrong. Better do more research.

By Big_Jojo on 14 May 2012

Playing DVD and CD

Oh wait...

By willy on 14 May 2012

Windows update

I only seem to get updates...and therfore install them, as I'm shutting the computer down. So this has never been a problem.

Am I doing something wrong?

By fingerbob69 on 14 May 2012

Windows update restarts

I don't have unwanted restarts in Windows 7, I was responding to 'Benefit No. 12 of Windows 8'

quote 'Desks across the country have fist-sized holes in them, caused solely by Windows’ habit of restarting to implement a security update, often losing unsaved work in the process. Windows 8 doesn’t promise to abandon forced restarts, but it’s much more considerate about them.'

The above can be very easily avoided in Windows 7 so it's hardly a world shaking benefit of Windows 8.

By sminc on 14 May 2012

Having used the CP I will not be 'upgrading' to Win8.

The OS is designed for a touch interface and is useless on a desktop.

As for the dropping of WMC and native DVD playback - big mistake.

By Coltch on 25 May 2012

Worse than Millennium

I made the mistake of firing up the evaluation of Windows 8 and from the get go I found nothing to recommend it. It is clearly designed for a touch screen and any other medium is going to suffer. I have used every version of Windows since Win 3.11, this, in my opinion, is the worst yet.

By SabreT on 28 Jun 2012

Is it going to work?

I just wish Microsoft would make a version of Windows that works. Why do we consumers tolerate slap dash programming? I have a PC with a version of Windows XP Professional SP2 customised by Red Submarine. It has never crashed in 5 years. I think Microsoft need to talk to them to work out what to dump to make a PC stable and reliable.

My new Windows 7 Ultimate [64-bit] crashes more than I would wish. Aero stops occasionally and it 'forgets' its internet settings. It's really annoying.

By BoredWithBeingAskedToChooseAnotherScreenName on 5 Jul 2012

@BoredWithBeingAskedToChooseAnotherScreenName

Maybe you need to learn to maintain a computer? I've had Win 7 since the pre-beta release and had one crash in all that time. Programmes can crash occasionally, but the OS has only ever done so once. I have 5 networked PCs and that is one crash only overall!

By cooloox on 12 Jul 2012

File copy revamp

Not just that: If you copy multiple files separately (separate copy/move session at the same time that on previous Windows OS would have progress windows each shown on your desktop and taskbar), now there will only be one window showing them all in a list with separate progress bars (and a scroll bar if it won't fit all in the window) and still can be paused/cancelled individually. And also, file overwrite window (that appears when a copy/move operation detects a duplicate file/s) also has an improved and detailed screen :)

By _no3L on 20 Sep 2012