This Might Take A Few Minutes (A Windows 8.1 Preview Review)

"Technology offers us a unique opportunity, though rarely welcome, to practice patience."

~Allen Lokos, Patience: The Art Of Peaceful Living

 

Patience you say? Patience. Well, if you are like me, and you had NO real choice but to suffer through that laughable, embarrassing, magnificently stupid operating system that was known as Microsoft Vista, than you know a little something extra about patience. How Vista was ever released as a legitimate OS by Microsoft is beyond me. While visually it was stunning, and was for the most part user friendly, when it was irritating... it was really irritating. It didn't matter that it was attractive, it was still crappy. Choppy performance, in a brand new computer is unacceptable even if the computer is the equivalent of the Playboy Playmate Of The Year. Vista was slow, and it's security unstable despite constantly running the defragment tool.

Shall we talk about the drivers constantly going out? Seriously, a display driver going out after a year? And when you see through different user forums that it's not just you, it's not a huge help. I payed a lot for my H.P. computer that was running Vista. I didn't have the money to have the computer fixed, but unfortunately I had no choice as most of our life is now run from our home computer. Paying bills. Blogging. Storing digital photos, you name it, it exists through our computer. So, in that there was no way to fix the Vista, we gave it a proper burial, and purchased our next computer, a Gateway, that ran the lovely, brand new at the time, Windows 7. Lovely, uncomplicated, still visually attractive, Windows 7.

 

I like Windows 7. It was everything Windows Vista should have been... and more. It is easy to work. It has all the buzz and whistles I want in a PC, although I was disappointed that Microsoft stopped including the full version Microsoft Office free of charge. That's a let down. But after having run Windows Vista, it was nice to be able to turn off my computer at night, with full confidence that when I fired up my computer the next morning, it would not only actually boot, but perform as expected. Sigh. I like Windows 7, so when I was offered a discounted upgrade last autumn to Windows 8, on my newest computer purchased last summer, I passed because literally, if nothing is broke... why fix it?

My thinking changed somewhat last February, when I purchased my darling new little Toshiba laptop. It's a great little laptop, which is probably best described as a "mom laptop." For a budget computer, it is pretty darn nifty, and does everything I need it to.A great computer, at a great price, with a new OS. Okay, so why not? Let's try something new, while I still have Windows 7 to lean back on? I am happy... except for the fact it came loaded with Windows 8. It wasn't that I didn't want to learn the new OS, I embrace learning new things, but from the get go Windows 8 was absolutely perplexing. If you read my blog regularly, you already know my thoughts, but just briefly here I can sum the whole situation up with... WHERE IN THE HELL IS THE START BUTTON?



Okay, perplexing but I didn't give up and I learned my way around the radically new Windows 8, and here I am to tell the tale. But even after I finally worked out all my bugaboos, it was still bugging me that Windows did away with the one thing seemed to hold it all together... the Start Button. But again I made my peace with it. Still, when I heard that my mourning over the beloved button wasn't just me being impatient, a lot of others missed it as well, I felt a little bit better. And I felt better still with the rumor that perhaps Microsoft would be doing a fix which included bringing back that beloved of all buttons everywhere.

The official 8.1 Preview download came out on Wednesday, and I downloaded it Thursday. After 24 hours I am a happy girl. Microsoft did indeed put back a new version of the Start Button and booting straight to the desktop is back once again. One less hoop to jump through will always be a good thing... right? Plus there has been some adjustments to the app tiles that makes customization easier, so again, it's a good thing. I am still playing with the customization of the Lock Screen a bit, and I HATE that it's mandatory that I have a Microsoft account, but those are really little things that I am used to now, but seriously Microsoft... it's irritating to be given no choice. You know? That's a lame approach. Please consider doing away with that. Please.



Over all... so far so good. Time will tell, and so will sales. I think I am already looking forward to Windows 9. If I don't miss my guess here... Windows 9 will be everything Windows 8 wasn't. But all I can do is cross my fingers and hope. If you haven't made the big step to Windows 8 yet... don't... wait a year or so and get the slimmed down, smarter, less neurotic version. Wait for it. Trust me. But if you do make the big leap, don't let the new system throw you, if I can figure it out, anyone can! Of this, I am 100% sure!

Do some research...

Top 10 Reasons People Hate Windows Vista

Criticism Of Windows Vista

4 Major Differences Between Windows Vista And 7

Windows 8

Windows 8 vs Windows 7: 8 Ways It's Different

Microsoft Launches Windows 8.1 Preview

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

Have A NIce Day!

"A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other invention with the possible exceptions of handguns and Tequila."

~Mitch Ratcliffe

 

Have you ever noticed that good news doesn't usually come on Fridays? As a matter of fact, bad news doesn't tend to come on Fridays either, well unless it's political. You see Friday has long been deemed the "news dump"day and politicians love it because they can come out and tell the truth, which is quite often ridiculous or infuriating, and they have two full days, AKA the weekend, to gather their collective wits about them, for the ensuing question barrage questions they know will be coming.

That's the world of Politics.

But yesterday, there was a pretty interesting bit of news that came from the Technology world. Well, it's kinda new, actually the article I read was dated June 5th, which was a Wednesday. I am not sure if Wednesdays hold any special good or bad connotations as far as news goes, but this was good news, and I read about it yesterday, which of course was Friday! LOL. Anyway, it seems there will be a major new update coming for Windows 8, on June 26th, a Wednesday, which when downloaded will make it's current operating system be called Windows 8.1.

Yeah, yeah... we know that. Right? Well yes, Microsoft did say a while back that they had heard our screams of WHY,WHY,WHY,WHY, WHY,WHY? Why oh WHY, did you change the Windows operating system so drastically? Why have you made it impossible and confusing to use? Thank you for making it pretty with the awesome little tiles, and the beautiful colors, but WHY did you take away the Start Screen Button? WHYYYYYYYYY? Just Why!

Okay, if you haven't read the article that came out Wednesday, hold on to your hats, and buttons, because as of June 26th Windows 8.1 will be available for download, with some cool new features that promise to make it much more user friendly, and without mentioning it, there is a strong indication that the beloved Start Button will be back! I know. If they haven't mentioned it, maybe I am in for a let down, but most articles I have perused seem to all agree it will be there... in the lower left corner... right where it belongs.

Frankly, I have come to terms with the Windows 8 system, and made my piece with it. After thinking long and hard about whether I should give up and have Best Buy downgrade my Toshiba laptop back to Windows 7, I chose to soldier on. After all, whether we like it or not, Microsoft has moved on from Windows 7, therefore all future computers, desktop or otherwise, will be sold with Windows 8 already loaded. Besides, while I was super annoyed in the beginning, I have acclimated to the Windows 8 system now, and I am okay with it.

But I have to say, I really love sitting her at my desktop PC, which runs Windows 7, and not have to put as much thought into the tasks I need to perform. My lovely Start Button is right there, in the lower left hand corner, like an old cherished friend. Smiling at me, and telling me in a soft voice... "It's okay... I am here. I understand. I am your friend and I will never leave you." LOL. Well, okay, it doesn't really say that, the most my computer ever says to me is... "You've Got Mail, And We Have Forwarded It On To The NSA."

Have A Nice Day!

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

My Journey With Windows 8 Revisited

"Man is a slow, sloppy, and brilliant thinker; computers are fast, accurate, and stupid."

~John Pfeiffer

Lock Screen
 

It's been a two months to the day that I gave my first review of the new Windows 8 operating system. To say that Windows 8 and I got off to a rough start would be an understatement. But now, like I said, it's been a couple months and I have had a chance to work through learning the new program and there are some conclusions I have come to. For one thing, it's never a bad thing to learn something new... even if it challenges you in ways you couldn't imagine. Alan bought me the new Toshiba laptop to make my life a little easier, but from the outset I wondered if maybe I should have gone a different way entirely. After not giving up... and working through the rough patches... and doing a little troubleshooting online... I am glad I stuck with it. Am I a big fan of Windows 8 now? Um... no. But I don't absolutely hate it either.

It's complicated.

Here is the thing. Once I learned how to maneuver through the new Start Screen and folders formats I am cool with the rest of the program... well for the most part. It took me the better part of a couple weeks of trial and error, plus hunting around because of how bad those two parts of Windows 8 that confused me. I HATE the fact that there is no longer a simple Start button, which made life, and Windows much easier to use, and the for the LOVE OF GOD what were they thinking with that silly, area on the right that takes you to that stupid ghostly "WhatchaWannaDo" sidebar that appears with only the slightest of brushing against the right side pane of the display screen? Microsoft... just put the Start button back and banish the idiotic ghostly sidebar menu! Just let users boot straight to the desktop!

Ghostly Sidebar...


Start Screen


Desktop
 

Log Out Screen (Original)
 

Visually speaking, it's a gorgeous program. As a photographer, I enjoy being able to customize my screens to suit me. What I don't appreciate is the fact that when you first start working with Windows 8 you are beat over the head to use a Microsoft account. Take it from me... it's not necessary. My Toshiba laptop came loaded with a lot of apps that I simply didn't need. After I took the time to remove the apps, most of which you had to pay to operate, I customized my Start Screen with the programs and apps I actually use. That rubbed me the wrong way from the start, but in fact computers tend to come full of useless crap, so that's really not a new thing. It's up to each individual to figure out.

I have read there is a possibility that there will be a Windows 8.1 coming in the future, possibly later this summer, that addresses some of the issues I have bitched... ummm... complained about in this post and my previous review. You read about it here. Whether or not there will be a charge for the update is any one's guess. Hopefully Microsoft will realize their folly and be decent about the situation and just fix the stupidity. Either way, I have learned my way through the darkness that is Windows 8 and I am satisfied for the moment. I have learned about sites where you can download a program that puts a Windows Start button into the program for you, but it's just not the same. A nice try though. Somehow it would always bother me that it wasn't a real Start button. LOL. Yes, I obsess over stupid stuff like that.

Ugggg! And Mumpfh!

Simply said... Microsoft Windows 8 isn't as bad as all that once you get used to it, but it does take a little feeling around in the dark though. Of course there are books you can by through Amazon.com to help you figure it out, but personally, they aren't for me. I prefer to figure it out for myself, and once learned, never forgotten. But that's just me. Hey if nothing else, at least it's not Vista. Right?

As for my new Toshiba Laptop C855D-S5106... I couldn't be happier with it! As laptops go it's pretty darn nifty. It's fast. Quiet. Has a great display. It's perfect for all the basics. Browsing. Photo Editing. It has a decent sound quality and the battery life is great! It's lightweight and easy to carry.  The DVD drive seems a bit flimsy, so I am extra careful with it, but that's the only negative that I have come across. I paid $279.00 on sale at Best Buy. For the price I am impressed! It's perfect for someone who needs a computer on the go, or to simply play a movie on (with headphones) when the neighbor's damn dog won't stop barking! LOL. I give it 4 out of 5 stars!

Mood: Tired

~Me :)