Windows 8

[modey]

It turns out that my laptop's hd is partitioned into two already! I think I might try tackling this Win8 thing this weekend.

 

My best Windows 8 advice is to use a Mac

Believe me, I'd jump at the chance to switch to a mac. I use one at work and it's awesome. Alas, I do not have money to throw around!

[zazen]

Because the Surface uses the ARM architecture for the CPU, which cannot run x86 code.

Well duh, I wasn't saying why doesnt it work, simply why build a whole new OS with an "app" mentality when they already have Windows Mobile and soon to be releasing Surface "Pro" which runs off x86 chipsets.

 

"Windows Mobile" no longer exists. It is called Windows Phone 8, and it supposedly is capable of running the same apps that are available for the Surface. Also, Windows 8 for x86 machines can run apps that are meant for Surface.

 

Presumably, this also means that apps you buy from the Windows App Store will potentially run on your (windows 8) phone, Surface and Laptop. (Maybe also your X-Box??). Thats quite interesting, although I havent heard Microsoft mention it as a 'feature'.

[Guest nene multiple assgasms]

I've been using windows 8 on my netbook for a few days now. I can't use the metro (windows store) apps at the low resolution I'm using, but I don't care about those anyway. I've been considering installing one of those start menu replacements (http://www.ghacks.ne...t-menu-program/). I wish the start screen were more customizable, but I can always push the windows key and start typing the name of a program to start it. my favorite new features I've noticed so far: much improved task manager, and pasting files gives you a dialogue box with a graph and pause button.

 

this list could prove helpful for keyboard-oriented people:

http://www.everythin...oard-shortcuts/

[encey]

ftp://clownfart.crez/poopfizzle~etd

 

lol, clownfart to the rescue!

[modey]

Actually, I prefer http://clownpenis.fart/80085/ibm .. Much more interactive!

[zazen]

For £25, I figured it was worth a try. Like it so far, the Metro Tiles are pretty nice, especially when you see them in motion. You get used to mousing into the corner pretty quickly.

 

The tutorial vids have some pretty nice IDM in them:

 

http://windows.microsoft.com/is-IS/windows-8/basics#1TC=t1

http://windows.microsoft.com/is-IS/windows-8/charms#1TC=t1

http://windows.microsoft.com/is-IS/windows-8/snap-apps#1TC=t1

[Joyrex]

It turns out that my laptop's hd is partitioned into two already! I think I might try tackling this Win8 thing this weekend.

 

My best Windows 8 advice is to use a Mac

Believe me, I'd jump at the chance to switch to a mac. I use one at work and it's awesome. Alas, I do not have money to throw around!

 

You don't need a lot of money to get into Mac:

 

Buy Apple refurbished models for significant (read: within normal PC prices) discounts.

Build a Hackintosh - easier than you think.

[BCM]

macs work out cheaper in the end too. i had a 2006 13" white macbook - bought it for £750ish brand new, kept it for 6 years and sold it earlier this year for £350 making the actual cost £400 - £400!...for a totally reliable, fast, gorgeous laptop that never went wrong once and still kept up with even today's comparable computers in every day situations. and i'm sure it will be good for another 5 years at least. in the 6 years before I got that macbook I owned 3 windows PCs (1 laptop) - all of which broke due to hard disk controller failure on the motherboard. PCs = false economy.

[oscillik]

macs work out cheaper in the end too. i had a 2006 13" white macbook - bought it for £750ish brand new, kept it for 6 years and sold it earlier this year for £350 making the actual cost £400 - £400!...for a totally reliable, fast, gorgeous laptop that never went wrong once and still kept up with even today's comparable computers in every day situations. and i'm sure it will be good for another 5 years at least. in the 6 years before I got that macbook I owned 3 windows PCs (1 laptop) - all of which broke due to hard disk controller failure on the motherboard. PCs = false economy.

 

Apple hardware isn't as failure-proof as you like to proclaim.

 

I personally have had 6 laptops of theirs die on me, all of the same fault (logic board failures, and no not my fault). I also get numerous calls each day from customers who have faulty iPhones. This myth that Apple has hardware that is less prone to failure than a PC is ridiculous and completely untrue.

[Blir]

Macs use the exact same hardware as PC's.

[BCM]

i can only speak from personal experience and that of my friends - we all made the switch to Mac around the same time - 2005-2006ish, and have never had any problems, whereas before that we were all on PCs and had numerous issues. also personally i much prefer OSX to Windows (not that you can't use either on either a PC or Mac i suppose), but yeah, just generally had a better time with them.

 

edit: plus the resale value thing - important imo.

[oscillik]

Macs use the exact same hardware as PC's.

 

bang on, lad

 

i can only speak from personal experience and that of my friends - we all made the switch to Mac around the same time - 2005-2006ish, and have never had any problems, whereas before that we were all on PCs and had numerous issues. also personally i much prefer OSX to Windows (not that you can't use either on either a PC or Mac i suppose), but yeah, just generally had a better time with them.

 

edit: plus the resale value thing - important imo.

 

resale value is important, yes...but when you're spending out the arse for a machine that can be in most cases significantly more expensive than a better spec'd PC, when the Apple machine cannot be upgraded (as is increasingly happening these days), and you have to treat the machine with kid gloves otherwise the tiniest scratch on it completely marrs it's resale value....i dunno. Seems like the Apple way is certainly the false economy.

 

but that's just like, my opinion, man.

 

 

at the end of the day, you're not wrong in liking a Macintosh, and I'm not wrong for preferring a PC. but to claim that a Mac is less prone to hardware defects, that is definitely wrong.

[eugene]

can you even load watmm on mac without some kind of virtualization and official software certificate from steve blobs ?

[BCM]

no. no you can't :(

[oscillik]

can you even load watmm on mac without some kind of virtualization and official software certificate from steve blobs ?

 

you have to get to the secret level on this game before you can access it from a mac

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYNsNz3zQuY

[eugene]

but srsly, it looks like air 11/13 is in deep shit with the new wave of win 8 hybrids/ultrabooks and it's only half a year old. my hardon gradually switched from surface pro to samsung's ativ pro: http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/tablet-pcs/XE700T1C-A01US-specs

[modey]

It turns out that my laptop's hd is partitioned into two already! I think I might try tackling this Win8 thing this weekend.

 

My best Windows 8 advice is to use a Mac

Believe me, I'd jump at the chance to switch to a mac. I use one at work and it's awesome. Alas, I do not have money to throw around!

 

You don't need a lot of money to get into Mac:

 

Buy Apple refurbished models for significant (read: within normal PC prices) discounts.

Build a Hackintosh - easier than you think.

Well, there's the whole thing about me having a perfectly fine PC laptop, and no money to even think about buying another, either PC or mac!

 

[Joyrex]

Macs use the exact same hardware as PC's.

 

Yes, but part of the hardware is the case/shell, which so far there hasn't been a PC-based product that beats Apple's industrial design. Coupled with the fact they tightly integrate their software with the hardware, gives Apple the edge in overall superior usability, IMO.

 

but srsly, it looks like air 11/13 is in deep shit with the new wave of win 8 hybrids/ultrabooks and it's only half a year old. my hardon gradually switched from surface pro to samsung's ativ pro: http://www.samsung.c...T1C-A01US-specs

 

The Macbook Air is more than a half year old - several years, in fact.

 

Also: SuperLOL™ at Windows RT taking up almost 1/2 the space on a 32GB Surface tablet. Seriously, WTF.

[mcbpete]

so far there hasn't been a PC-based product that beats Apple's industrial design.

I dunno, I certainly prefer the look and feel to my new(ish) Vaio than my housemates Macbook - plus the case has standard HDMI and monitor ports so I can just plug it into a TV/Monitor/Projector without farting about with some sort of proprietary adaptor thing.

[GORDO]

Only thing cooler about macbooks is that they don't have cooling fans. However this has the drawback of making you hot if you use it on your lap.

[Guest disparaissant]

they have cooling fans, they just rarely need to use them.

plus this thing never gets hot enough to bother me on my lap, unlike my old laptop which sounded like a small airplane.

 

i'm happy with my 13" air, really happy. much more solid than any other laptop i've owned, and not that much more expensive. worth the premium in my opinion. when i got this i could have spent maybe $300 less for an ugly samsung with an inferior screen but i figured fuck it i'll look like a cool person twat and have a really nice screen and keyboard.

[eugene]

The Macbook Air is more than a half year old - several years, in fact.

isn't the current gen air from the mid 2012 ?

[Joyrex]

so far there hasn't been a PC-based product that beats Apple's industrial design.

I dunno, I certainly prefer the look and feel to my new(ish) Vaio than my housemates Macbook - plus the case has standard HDMI and monitor ports so I can just plug it into a TV/Monitor/Projector without farting about with some sort of proprietary adaptor thing.

 

While I agree with you on the HDMI thing (and Apple is finally acknowledging the need for them on their hardware), I could also say I prefer just pushing the display to my HDTV with AirPlay rather than having to deal with a cable at all.

 

What model of VAIO do you have? I'd be curious if they cribbed the design like Samsung did with their Ultrabooks...

 

The Macbook Air is more than a half year old - several years, in fact.

isn't the current gen air from the mid 2012 ?

 

The original design of the Air hasn't changed much, if at all since it was released originally.

[oscillik]

so far there hasn't been a PC-based product that beats Apple's industrial design.

I dunno, I certainly prefer the look and feel to my new(ish) Vaio than my housemates Macbook - plus the case has standard HDMI and monitor ports so I can just plug it into a TV/Monitor/Projector without farting about with some sort of proprietary adaptor thing.

 

While I agree with you on the HDMI thing (and Apple is finally acknowledging the need for them on their hardware), I could also say I prefer just pushing the display to my HDTV with AirPlay rather than having to deal with a cable at all.

 

While AirPlay, and other wireless streaming options are very cool and handy, they're not ubiquitous. HDMI connections however, are.

[Rubin Farr]

good read on MS strategy of including ads in their OS now. Most can probly be turned off by power users, but most users of Windows are sheep and will leave the default options on. Fuck this mess.

 

http://hothardware.com/m/News/Microsofts-Big-Hidden-Windows-8-Feature-BuiltIn-Advertising/Default.aspx