pdwoods11

I have used the various iterations of Windows for 20+ years and
liked the intuitive feel of Win 7 and its' predesessors
=

Nightski

I didn't use 7 very long, I have XP on my work computer. I am very comfortable with XP, but I do like the look and feel of 8 better. I am curious. Could you be more detailed about the intuitive feel of Win? Could you pinpoint the things that seemed more natural for you to use? Thanks in advance. :-)

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Did you know that you can make Windows 8 work just like Windows 7 for free and in about 10 minutes, allowing you to boot directly into the desktop, bypassing the Metro screen, and restoring a start menu that is virtually identical to the Windows 7 Start menu? There are a number of good 3rd party Start menus available for Windows 8. I use the Classic Shell. http://www.classicshell.net/ Once in place you have a very Windows 7 like experience with a faster and more robust operating system.

Nightski

So, you didn't like the metro screen either? It must be a girl thing. I like having tiles for the things I use most. I can make it fit my needs.

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

Hi Nightski, happy you're more satisfied with '8' now. I'm just dabbling with it now on an older computer, just to become a bit familiar with it. As for your monitor, I would set the one you use most for photos to where it appears right, then depending on how it matches your prints, make further adjustments.
Question: When I first delved into Win 8, I found a menu of sorts that listed the keyboard options for various screens. Now I can't seem to find it anywyere?? Got any idea what I'm referring to? Where it is? It gave several keyboard combos such as Windows Key/Q, etc.

Nightski

Do you mean keyboard shortcuts?

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/keyboard-shortcuts

http://www.redmondpie.com/this-extensive-list-of-windows-8-keyboard-shortcuts-will-help-you-adapt-to-the-new-interface/

Here's a couple of links. I'm not home with the new computer right now, so I can't look for myself. I am still having to search a little. It will take time before I just know, and can answer.

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

[quote=Nightski]Do you mean keyboard shortcuts?


Yes Nightski and thanks for the links. What I was specifically referring to is how to find them in Win 8. I stumbled into them yesterday purely accidentally but now don't seem to be able to find them once more. Thanks.

Nightski

[quote=Papa Joe]

I will look when I get home. If I can find it, I will share. I think it would be helpful to know that.

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

OK, thanks much. Sorry to bother you at work.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

You could try opening HELP and doing a search.

Nightski

Oh yeah, Papa Joe. Mouse over your top right corner, and bring the charms up, and use your search tool. Type in keyboard shortcuts. :D

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

That was my first approach... no dice. Only produces the 'on screen keyboard" Thanks anyway, now get to work :) :-)

Nightski

Yeah, or the boss is going to fire me :shock: oh wait, I am the boss...I just have to work late when I fool around too much. Because in the end, the Customer is the real boss, and you better deliver. :thumbup:

mlhghdvr1

HATE IT!!! Have been using computers since the 60's. have had Apple 2e, lots of clones because Apple did not have business programs. Used dos, 311, and every other Windows product with no problems. Eight is worthless. Will switch my new net book I use for travel to 7.

GaryS1964 Loc: Northern California

Like I said in my previous post if you are into social media where you can see all your emails, Facebook page, twitter, the weather, UUH, etc. then it's great. If you are like me and want to just get down to business then it gets in the way. And while there is a Windows Desktop "tile" when you access it you can still not do all the things you could do from the Windows 7 and earlier desktops. I never considered myself a power user but they took away tools I need and used regularly. Plus for me anyway getting to the Charms Bar(?) is hit and miss. I move my cursor to the upper right corner and sometimes it opens and many times it does not and I have to keep trying. Then of course it opens when I don't want it to while using Lightroom, Photoshop, etc. whenever I move my cursor to the right side of the screen. Annoying!

The Windows 8 photo viewer is an example of it being unintuitive. It opens with nothing except the little x in the corner. How do you get rid of it if you are using a mouse and not a touch screen? If you right click on it you are dumped into another window with other photos and no obvious way to get out of it and back to the desktop. The same is true of some of the other "tiles" I have explored. Plus from the old Windows Photo Viewer you could print, copy, burn, move to the next photo, etc. and then shut it down with the click of the mouse.

Also in the Windows 8 Photo Viewer you don't really close the photo. You push it off to a "tile" along with any other photos you viewed which are then hidden from view. They sit there using system resources which if you have lots of RAM and room on your hard drive is not a problem but if you don't then things will start to slow down. Same with all those other "tiles" you like. They are all using system resources which if you don't have lots of RAM and hard drive space will compete with Lightroom and Elements and slow them down.

Having said all that it is visually appealing and if you like, as apparently you do, having all those things you mentioned readily accessible and it works for you then that's great and there is no reason to ask for the opinions of others because it works for you and you love it which in the final analysis is all that counts.:-)

However if you are like me and many others and Microsoft took away many of the tools you used regularly then it's not so great. We are waiting to see if 8.1 brings back the tools we miss. If not I'll keep using Classic Shell.