Microsoft to tweak Windows 8 Start screen

Looking more convincing

It does look a lot more convincing in its latest forms. (Whimsically I wonder if we're not closer to Win3's Program Manager than we have been for a while!)

I am, however, baffled as to how MS got themselves into this situation in the first place so late in the day. Sinofsky refers to the furore as being "not the best way to have a dialog leading to a new product". Yes, well, doesn't it take two to have a dialogue? And I really can't imagine what dialogue MS had before the Preview

By AdrianB on 19 Jan 2012

"We've seen some small amount of visceral feedback focused on 'choice' or 'disable' — a natural reaction to change, but perhaps not the best way to have a dialog leading to a new product,"

I wish MS would give us choice, despite being on Windows 7 I still have it set up like the vista taskbar because it works for me, same goes for the start menu.

Plus I remember from the dev build the transition to metro when clicking start annoying.

All I can say is that at this rate I'll be sticking with W7.

I just wonder how 'normal' people will react to the change on a laptop or desktop?

By tech3475 on 19 Jan 2012

Disable Metro

All you need is this...

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr
entVersion\Explorer]
"RPEnabled"=dword:00000000

It completely disables Metro in Windows 8 Developer Edition and reverts the Start menu to standard Windows 7 format :-)

By anthona on 19 Jan 2012

@anthona, that's all very well but what you refer to as "Windows 8 Developer Edition" was a "developer *preview*", which could well be very different to the beta or final product, and could well have had all sorts of bits from Windows 7 still lurking in it.

By halsteadk on 19 Jan 2012

Tested on a tablet

Tried the developer editoin on a tablet and it was still awfull. I like the metro idea, i wanted to like it, but even in it's ideal environment it was still terrible. More than alot of times I would find myself stuck trying to work out how to navigate around the OS. Finding programs, even something as mundane as Word became a chore.

I would have prefered a Media Center type implementation.

By JStairmand on 19 Jan 2012

Eh??

"Finding programs, even something as mundane as Word became a chore."

Eh? It's simplicity itself... heck add a tile for the application within seconds.

Tested on a TM2, Dell Latitude ST slate, x220 and a Samsung 7 slate... all quite easy and fast (Apart from the Dell st)

By rhythm on 19 Jan 2012

Unprofessional

All this tile malarky is fine on a Fisher Price home computer but who the hell wants this crud in the office? Even more so, on a server rack!

Yeah ok it might have it's place on a touch screen tablet, but I use a laptop - and I have OCD and don't want finger prints on my screen, and I find it easier to use an external mouse or even the touchpad.

If they want to go down this route, have three versions of Windows:

Windows 8 Pro; for people who know what they're doing and without anything dumbed down.

Windows 8 Home; for people who need their hand held to do the simplest task, this is where they can stick stupid annimations of dogs and the like.

Windows 8 Touch; for those that want Metro on whatever device they're running it on.

If they can't do that, I'll just use my reg key (above) to disable Metro or as the previous person mentioned, just stick to Win7.

By anthona on 19 Jan 2012

Yeh,This metro interface will work really well on my non touch screen 24" monitor on my home computer and cad software..........not !

By Jaberwocky on 19 Jan 2012

Yeah I'll be sticking to Gnome3 on openSUSE then.

Oh wait, that's free you say...

By cbamber85 on 20 Jan 2012

Opportuniy knocks

I wonder if it will be possible to buy a replacement for the interface? Perhaps

- an M$ Win8 Plus Pack
- Gnome on Win8
- return of GEM desktop

By QbixQbix on 20 Jan 2012

Thought we'd had this row guys...

Nobody (outside MS) knows what the Beta defaults will be, or how difficult \ easy it will be for the Luddites to revert to Windows 3.1 when they want.

All this baloney abot being 'forced' to use a touchscreen etc is becoming tedious. If there isn't an easy way to revert to a pure WIMP interface on non-touch hardware I'll eat my Tablet!

Meantime February draws closer so we'll get to see within a few weeks....

By wittgenfrog on 20 Jan 2012

@wittgenfrog

.
"All this baloney abot being 'forced' to use a touchscreen etc is becoming tedious. "

Blame that on MS for even hinting that an interface that is only optimised for a tiny fraction of the computing devices it might be used upon will be the standard.

Had they simply said: "we are developing a great new interface for tablet users - you'll love it" we would not have had any of this.

By qpw3141 on 20 Jan 2012

Multitouch

I am not a developer but wouldn't it be possible to have a multitouch pad at the side of the keyboard allowing full use of all the gestures.

Allied to a mouse surely this would provide increased and faster control not less. This is ignoring voice as a possibility.

Change is difficult for some especially when we don't know where our imagination might take us.

By jc_cheter on 20 Jan 2012

Multitouch

I am not a developer but wouldn't it be possible to have a multitouch pad at the side of the keyboard allowing full use of all the gestures.

Allied to a mouse surely this would provide increased and faster control not less. This is ignoring voice as a possibility.

Change is difficult for some especially when we don't know where our imagination might take us.

By jc_cheter on 20 Jan 2012

Neil_aky

jc_cheter - I like that idea a mini touchscreen (or even a tablet) to use instead of a mouse...

OK not a complete idea but life moves on and only with a wee bit of real imagination will we improve.

I use Windows 7 at work and at home; Ubuntu on a netbook (yes they have a use); I have an Android phone and an iPod Touch. i.e. there is no right / wrong operating system just horses for courses - if it works I actually couldn't care less. The operating system should simply allow you to get the job done easily which means it should be simple - this has nothing to do with the user's intelligence. People who want to mess with operating systems must be the same type who buy old cars to tinker with rather than somethng to drive...

By neil_aky on 20 Jan 2012

Jim

I am more than a little put out with microsoft you used to be able to configer there OS as you liked but no longer,they have taken all the fun away and replaced it with whinnig if you try to do anything diffrent from the microsoft way.

By JimAbz1 on 21 Jan 2012