In 8.1 it can be set so the Win button goes to ALL Apps screen which is the same as ALL Programs instead, of the Start screen; being on the taskbar & going to ALL Apps is the only difference to using the Win key in Windows 8. I, still, prefer having an Applications windows on the Taskbar... saves changing screens & I like the View & Sort I can select better than the ALL Apps screen type of display & arrangement. And Shutdown (Shutdown/Restart) has been added to the Power Users menu, instead of using Charms.



Oh & people will like that it can, now, in 8.1 be set to boot directly to Desktop. Saves hitting the Enter key.



Personally, I see no more need for adding 3rd Party start stuff w/ 8.1 than I did w/ 8.0, maybe, even, less. I saw no need w/ 8.0



There are a number of other cool enhancements w/in Windows 8.1

To mention some...

Search is improved, PC settings streamlined & it is faster than 8.0. Also, comes w/ IE11 & that has been improved over IE10. Greater customization & flexibility to Tile & App sizing (Snap) and finally more can be done w/ backgrounds including having consistency, similarity, from Desktop to the other screens.

Cheers,
Drew
Attachment 2498.1

I'm with Drew on his point, there are no added Start replacements on my 8.1, though on 8 Pro, I still have Classic Shell installed. Haven't booted into the Windows 8 Pro installs for some time anyway, not even to update them (Office 2010 has SP2 awaiting) though I have used the 8.1 preview some.

Will likely remove Classic Shell from 8.1 once the upgrade becomes official, or before I perform the upgrade. In a way, I wished these had never been introduced, or never heard of them personally, as they can be addicting & hinder the user from learning. For example, back in late Feburary 2012, when Windows 8 CP was released, through the 1st week of Windows 8 RP, released in late May 2012, I ran the preview "as is".

It was only when other prominent members of the forum started discussing Classic Shell, over 3 months after I began using the previews, did I become curious, tried it & never looked back. Even installed it on my Windows 7 & Vista OS's, where it actually does have a use. Those two OS's, if one has a lot of apps, there's a lot of mouse scrolling to find the one wanted, unless one prefers typing everything into the Search box.

However, even for those OS's, since then I've learned (from Drew), of a taskbar option to display the apps with a single click of the mouse. That also works on Windows 8, though I haven't tried it on 8.1.

But I won't knock those who does use these, as I realize that we're all different & know that many prefers to stay in their comfort zone. No more than I'll knock those who chooses non-inbuilt security options, alternative browsers & other customizations. That is one of the things that made Windows so popular, the freedom of choice to a great degree & wouldn't want to see it any other way, though I suspect that's slowly going to change. Windows 8 is sort of a bridge between the past & future for the corporation.

As for the Start Menu replacements & many other everyday apps that we've freely used for years, expect that to change. MS didn't create that Windows Store for good looks, it was created to be profitable. To make up for cost of basic apps that at some point we'll be paying for, future versions of Windows will likely cost less, just as Windows 8 Pro was for those who took the leap before the deadline.

In the end, if all goes as planned, MS will be making more cash than ever, once they get users off of XP & more importantly, Windows 7. Note that Office 2010 just got SP2 & Windows 7 got nothing but again, a long list of monthly updates that's continually weighing the OS down. I can now install 2 versions of XP in the time it takes to install one Windows 7 due to this. Worse yet, at least on one computer, Vista SP2 is just as fast as Windows 7 is.

It appears as though at this point, MS has zero intentions of issuing a new SP for it's largest group of users, it's bread & butter, which will only cause deep, irreversible resentment & major loss of customers when the smoke clears (once Windows 7's lifespan is over). Many of which can ride out the next 2 or 3 versions of Windows because computers now have longer lifespans than ever.

I'm one of those pissed Windows 7 customers myself & though I have 8 installed, have turned to Linux Mint as my primary OS, after running it in VM's for years. It's fast, secure, maintainance is low & get updates as needed, not primarily on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. Plus it's free, ships with a near drop in replacement for MS Office (sufficent for the majority of users) in Libre Office & has 30,000+ apps in the Software Manager free of charge, though there are a few select paid ones.

Not to mention that Linux powers over 90% of the world's servers & supercomputers. Most of the branches of the US government & financial sectors even uses Linux servers. In fact, directly or indirectly, we all use Liunx to some degree, when we bank online or make transactions, or even use the Internet period.

What really freaked me out, was that even Windows 8 was distributed through Linux servers.

As far as the Start Menu replacements goes, I can live with or without them. There are far more important matters to be concerned about, as we'll be seeing them unfold within the next couple of years.

Cat

Cat,

However, even for those OS's, since then I've learned (from Drew), of a taskbar option to display the apps with a single click of the mouse. That also works on Windows 8, though I haven't tried it on 8.1.

It works just the same, is just as ideal on 8.1 I've taken to using it w/ Medium Icon for View recently instead of List; looks like opening Control Panel of yore, lol. Easy to see everything.

Cheers,
Drew
Attachment 2500.1

Personally, unless I intend to use a touchescreen monitor in the future (which I will probably not), I will not bother with the new UI. I am happy to use Win 8 like Win 7 even though it is not natively designed as such. It's more efficient for me that way. Maybe little by little I will learn to like Win 8 in it's totality. But I will not waste my time right now trying to figure everything. As long as the Classic Shell is free and working for me, I am good. You may throw me a question like "Why did I get Win 8 then?". And my answer will be "out of curiosity of what the fuss is all about". And now I know exactly why a lot of people put "H" before "8" ( as in H8). :P

The only thing I am happy about Win 8 is it's snappiness compared to 7.

Just like Cat, I am also beginning to like the Linux OS and use them more often than the Win 8. And I am kind of enjoying my $35 Raspberry Pi running "Raspbian" OS (a Debian OS optimized for Ras-Pi) more than my Win 8 PC.

"ALL APPS" is not the same as "ALL PROGRAMS". A computer can be useful without apps, but won't function without programs. In Classic Shell plug-in, Programs are separated from Apps which is a very smart idea because I never really bother using any apps on Win 8. The only apps I use are the ones on my tablet and smartphones. Apps on Win 8 are very erratic unless you are logged on to your Microsoft Account 24/7 which I don't really like.

This is me. I am not arguing with anyone. As one would always say, "To each his/her own." Some would say Win 8 is "GR8", but for me, I simply I kind of "H8" it. Not totally, but yeah... that's the way it is.

Cat, I am trying Mate on VM. So far I can't tell the difference with Cinnamon release.
I have yet to try that portable version.

badrobot, on computers not pre-equipped with Windows 8, I strongly agree with you, Windows 8 (& 8.1) is far snappier than Windows 7 is on the computers designed for that OS. In time though, given enough updates w/no SP's to roll them into a neat, compact package, Windows 8 will be as slow as 7 is today. Fortunately, Windows 8 is getting a huge update very soon. Unfortunately for it's users, Windows 7 isn't, or if so, there's no word on it. Even Vista users got SP2, which actually isn't that much slower than Windows 7 now, on the same machine using the same security, if at all.

I need to check Debian out, have heard a lot about it, as I recall there is a Linux MInt version based on it. Debian is known as a "rolling release", constantly updating as needed & one of Linux's long term staples. Except for the bit of time I tried CentOS, RedHat's community & developmental OS, I've been using Ubuntu or "gnome" based Linux OS's, which includes Mint & others.

Though I'm not particular crazy about the Modern UI, I've been giving it a shot with 8.1, mabye it'll stick to me, mabye not. One thing for certain, if one is going to use the Modern UI, it'll be best to keep it uncluttered as possible. It's not necessary to have tiles for apps/programs used once or twice per year, those are best accessed through the Search box (easily accessed, unless one is too lazy to type).

I wouldn't be interested in a touchscreen on a home computer, whether it be a widescreen desktop PC or traditional notebook. Main reason is fingerprints everywhere, I can't stand a dirty monitor. However, on the job, I could see using a tablet with a touchscreen & when shopping, most of us have used them at self-checkout registers or photo kiosks.

badrobot, I believe that you'll enjoy that portable version, the Lightweight Portable Security OS offered by the researchers at the Air Force. If for no other reason, having a malware free browser to boot into is a huge plus. Although it can be installed to a USB stick & changes preserved between uses, this isn't recommended practice. The only time it's recommended to use a Flash drive/SD card is when there's no optical drive available.

Booted the CD today to pay a couple of bills, it does indeed contain LibreOffice & Adobe Reader software. Remember, to have the most secure OS for transactions, a clean boot is recommended if other sites are visited before purchasing/online banking or other sensitive transactions are made.

Should be about time for a new release to come forward. I'll keep you informed.

Hope that you're enjoying the Raspberry PI, the reviews on it are outstanding to date.

Cat

Cat, I stumbled upon another open source OS which is being developed to be an alternative OS for Windows. It's not Linux based. The idea is to create an OS that will be compatible with Windows drivers and applications.

The OS is ready for use (beta but stable). They have different versions for download. Each one is packaged to run either locally on your hard drive, live on CD, with QEMU, VMWare or Virtual Box.

Read more here: About ReactOS | ReactOS Project

Download here: Download | ReactOS Project

Cheers!

Work as what it says, and it's totally free of charge. I love start menu 8, I love IObit's software.

I also think its important to include the start menu, for old users so they can find it easy.

Originally Posted by Hazneliel

I also think its important to include the start menu, for old users so they can find it easy.

There is a start menu. And everything in the OS is easy to find & this is coming from an "old user". And that's w/out unnecessarily adding any 3rd Party thing to make the OS look like some OS from the past.

Cheers,
Drew
Attachment 2832