Cons:
- Mixing the modes. It was an insane idea to mix the new "Metro" mode with the regular desktop mode (Aero mode? I don't know what it's really called... I just call that "Windows" really). When installing, you should be able to choose one or the other and live in that mode, not live in both. It's confusing and they don't work well together.
- "Apps" - again, this is the Metro side of things. I don't see the point in "Apps" on a desktop PC at all. The good old tried-and-true Windows desktop is the place to be still.
- Apps go full screen when you use them. Really? Isn't the OS called WINDOWS? Why would you make all the programs run full screen!? Might as well rename the OS if you're gonna do that.
- No Start Button! What! That's crazy. I've purchased Start8 for $5 so I have a button back. It's a real nightmare when logging into a remote PC that has Windows 8, where the little corner gestures are basically worthless. If you can't navigate a GUI with a mouse sucessfully, you need to redesign your GUI. I really hope MS learns from mistakes this time around and Windows 9 comes with a Start Button. Now, however, I don't really mind the new Start Screen that much. It's the lack of a button that I don't like, and Metro Apps that I don't like. The new Start Screen I don't think is half bad. More on that later.
- Networking - I think this is messed up. Clicking the network icon in the system tray gives you some kind of funky new menu that really doesn't give you anything in the way of options. You can still right click the icon and get to the Network and Sharing Center, but it seems like a waste to me when you can't just simply click the icon and be presented with meaningful options.
- Aero Glass being gone. I guess that's not a hard con, more of a "wish there was an option for it still" con. I'm cool with the new minimalistic look. But it just feels weird to remove something that was there in a previous version that worked OK... sort of like the Start Button!
- Start Screen ordering is really, really bad. You have to stick to 2 columns because of their crappy "two tile" layout with some applications. Ordering things is more difficult than it should be. As a desktop user, or any user for that matter, I should be able to drag and drop a program shortcut wherever I want it to be on that screen and it should stay there. I shouldn't have to fiddle around with the locations of other icons to get the one icons I need to be in a spot to stay there.
- Overall ease-of-use - there just isn't any. It's hard to use. That's a backwards step for users. It's wrong to make something so different that it alienates the users and they have to re-learn how to do simple things. Turning off the PC is one of those things. Asking someone to turn off the PC shouldn't be a hard thing to do. Also getting to things by going to the Start Screen should be easier. There's a LOT of wasted space on that screen, and I think it could have been put to good use by putting things like Control Panel links, Programs and Features (which should still be called "Add/Remove Programs, btw!) Network, and important things like that. I think there could have been a decent looking bar across the top of the screen where these things are found, but no. They just wasted all that space. It literally can't be used by anything.
- The All Apps screen is harder to navigate than the regular classic start menu. That's a backwards step.
- The Charms menu. What the heck? That crap needs to go.
- Finally (I'll stop here), no ability to go "legacy" and have a Windows 7 look that disables the Metro interface. This kinda relates back to point 1.
Pros:
It's not without its pros. Here are a few I like.
- File Copies - this is more meaningful and works well. You can pause copies, which is pretty cool. The More Details option and graphical readout for speed is pretty nice too.
- Start Screen - I actually like the new start screen. I feel like it's useful and easier to quickly find and click a program on that screen versus the old Start Menu. I do still however think a button should be there for access to this screen (hence my addition of Start8). I simply set Start8 to be a button I click that flips over to the start screen instead of using it lick the old classic menu. I'm not a fan of 3rd party apps for basic OS operations and I typically want to run my PC as clean as possible, but the lack of a start button is just too crazy.
- Snappiness - the OS seems snappier to me compared to Win 7. I can't quantify it, but I feel like it is more snappy. I also disable a lot of the visual hoopla that doesn't give me anything helpful, so that makes it feel all the more snappy to me.
- The Ribbon Bar on the windows - I like that, and I have it showing all the time. The ability to hide it is good too. It's cool to be able to go to Computer and get to important stuff off that one screen, like Control Panel, Programs and Features, Manage, and System Properties. You can almost get to all you need from that one screen.
- Start Screen icons don't do that weird "pop in" that desktop icons do. They layered it better so this is basically non-existent. I like that. The start screen is faster to load than the desktop as well.
Unfortunately the cons outweigh the pros to me. If you're comfortable with Windows 7, I see no reason at all to move to Windows 8. Win 7 will do whatever you need to do. If you want to upgrade and just like to experience new stuff (like me), then sure, give it a go. It takes a while to get used to the new Start Screen, but I think that I do like it more than the older menu. However the older menu did provide more in the way of "ease of use" compared to the new screen. Things like Control Panel were easy to get to just by clicking Start, and that's not the case anymore.
Overall I'd say stick with Windows 7 unless you just like having the latest stuff.
-Xplaced
