Re: windows h8te
I used it for nearly two weeks. Among my issues:
1 UI problem #1: the damn hidden whatever-it-is that pops up on the right side. I had no end of problems getting to the Settings or to the Control Panels. In earlier versions of Windows, or on Macs, or even on Ubuntu Linux, doing similar tasks is trivial.
2 UI problem #2: finding apps, or programs, or whatever, when in Desktop mode. In earlier versions of Windows, or on Macs, or even Ubuntu Linux, this was trivial. Unless I scattered shortcuts all over the place, locating a particular app was a major pain. Yes, I know, Microsoft wants me to use MetroSexual. No, I prefer not to.
3 UI problem #3: I didn't (and still don't, and probably won't for a very long time) have a touch screen on my test unit (an ASUS laptop; it came with a 750 GB drive, partitioned into two. I had Win 7 on one and Win 8 on the other.) or on any other desktop or laptop I ever own. MetroSexual is aimed at touch. Yes, it will work without touch. No, it won't work as well.
4 Startup problem #1: when I installed Win 8, it declined to admit that there was a Windows install on the other partition. I had to dig up the install disc (which I had 'cause I got Win 8 from DreamSpark, and that download was an ISO which I burned to a DVD) and run bootrec. And when that didn't work, I called Microsoft Support... and the bottom-tier CSA couldn't fix it either, though he tried hard and had me let him log into my system remotely. He escalated it to higher-higher, and they were able to get things working. Total time elapsed, including my time before I called MS: seven hours. I have _never_ had an OS install of _any_ OS whatsoever, dating back to my first experiences with desktop computers in the 1970s, which caused so much trouble. Yes, Win 8 would load... but for me to get Win 7 to load I had to play with the damn BIOS, until it got fixed and the nice boot manager I was expecting in the first place became available. Apparently my problem, though rare, was not the first of its kind that the senior MS CSA had seen. _This is a known bug._ It is also completely, utterly, totally, UNACCEPTABLE.
5 Startup problem #2: the first two times I went back to Win 7 after getting the boot manager to behave, it crashed on getting to the Windows splash screen. I was able to fix this with CHKDSK. _Something_ caused directory errors. Gee. I wonder what could have done that. Note that I had run CHKDSK _before_ installing Win 8 and there were no problems then.. Correlation ain't causation and all that, but it sure seems suspicious...
6 Usability problem #1: Win 8 insists on installing IE10. IE 10 breaks at least two web apps I use. IE 9, in Win 7, works fine. No, I don't know what breaks. I don't care. They're unusable in Win 8, and will stay unusable until someone (NOT me) either fixes 'em themselves or pays someone else to fix 'em. For various reasons I must use IE on that particular site. Indeed, that site and its requirement to use IE is a major reason why I have a Windows laptop in the first place, I'd be using a Mac instead otherwise.
7 Usability problem #2: certain older programs (in use since Win2K and the other major reasons why I have a Windows laptop) which worked just fine in Win 7 break on impact with Win 8.
There were other problems, but this is getting long. I tried to use it. I really did. It annoyed the hell out of me, and I nuked the partition and am very unlikely to ever reinstall Win 8. As Win 8.1 appears to be merely Win 8 SP1, I'll give that a miss as well.
Win 8 may well work beautifully for others. It stunk up the place around here.