So is Windows 8 worth getting for laptop/desktop?

[Shaka Khan]

^ This.

N00bs who haven't figured out all the shortcuts by now make me sick.

[Positive Touch]

hey guys FUCK OFF

sorry im too busy being cool and smoking cigarettes and having sex and shit

[Tasty]

it's solid. samsung makes a good one, too.

Got a link or model number handy? Samsung and Dell are about on the same level for me as far as PC's go.

And what do you mean by solid? Have you used it? Just curious.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

http://www.winbeta.org/guides/comprehensive-list-windows-8-keyboard-shortcuts

Win+C (charms), Win+Q (search), Win+X (power user) are MUST-HAVES. I am also a fan of language-switching being moved to Win+Space.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Windows key: Switch between Modern Desktop Start screen and the last accessed application
Windows key + C: Access the charms bar
Windows key + Tab: Access the Modern Desktop Taskbar
Windows key + I: Access the Settings charm
Windows key + H: Access the Share charm
Windows key + K: Access the Devices charm
Windows key + Q: Access the Apps Search screen
Windows key + F: Access the Files Search screen
Windows key + W: Access the Settings Search screen
Windows key + P: Access the Second Screen bar
Windows key + Z: Brings up the App Bar when you have a Modern Desktop App running
Windows key + X: Access the Windows Tools Menu
Windows key + O: Lock screen orientation
Windows key + . : Move the screen split to the right
Windows key + Shift + . : Move the screen split to the left
Windows key + V: View all active Toasts/Notifications
Windows key + Shift + V: View all active Toasts/Notifications in reverse order
Windows key + PrtScn: Takes a screenshot of the screen and automatically saves it in the Pictures folder as Screenshot
Windows key + Enter: Launch Narrator         
Windows key + E: Open Computer
Windows key + R: Open the Run dialog box
Windows key + U: Open Ease of Access Center
Windows key + Ctrl + F: Open Find Computers dialog box
Windows key + Pause/Break: Open the System page
Windows key + 1..10: Launch a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
Windows key + Shift + 1..10: Launch a new instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
Windows key + Ctrl + 1..10: Access the last active instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
Windows key + Alt + 1..10: Access the Jump List of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number
Windows key + B: Select the first item in the Notification Area and then use the arrow keys to cycle through the items Press Enter to open the selected item
Windows key + Ctrl + B: Access the program that is displaying a message in the Notification Area
Windows key + T: Cycle through the items on the Taskbar
Windows key + M: Minimize all windows
Windows key + Shift + M: Restore all minimized windows
Windows key + D: Show/Hide Desktop (minimize/restore all windows)
Windows key + L: Lock computer
Windows key + Up Arrow: Maximize current window
Windows key + Down Arrow: Minimize/restore current window
Windows key + Home: Minimize all but the current window
Windows key + Left Arrow: Tile window on the left side of the screen
Windows key + Right Arrow: Tile window on the right side of the screen
Windows key + Shift + Up Arrow: Extend current window from the top to the bottom of the screen
Windows key + Shift + Left/Right Arrow: Move the current window from one monitor to the next
Windows key + F1: Launch Windows Help and Support
PageUp: Scroll forward on the Modern Desktop Start screen
PageDown: Scroll backward on the Modern Desktop Start screen
Esc: Close  a charm
Ctrl + Esc: Switch between Modern Desktop Start screen and the last accessed application
Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel: Activate the Semantic Zoom on the Modern Desktop screen
Alt: Display a hidden Menu Bar
Alt + D: Select the Address Bar
Alt + P: Display the Preview Pane in Windows Explorer
Alt + Tab: Cycle forward through open windows
Alt + Shift + Tab: Cycle backward through open windows
Alt + F: Close the current window Open the Shut Down Windows dialog box from the Desktop
Alt + Spacebar: Access the Shortcut menu for current window
Alt + Esc: Cycle between open programs in the order that they were opened
Alt + Enter: Open the Properties dialog box of the selected item
Alt + PrtScn: Take a screen shot of the active Window and place it in the clipboard
Alt + Up Arrow: Move up one folder level in Windows Explorer (Like the Up Arrow in XP)
Alt + Left Arrow: Display the previous folder
Alt + Right Arrow: Display the next folder
Shift + Insert: CD/DVD Load CD/DVD without triggering Autoplay or Autorun
Shift + Delete: Permanently delete the item (rather than sending it to the Recycle Bin)
Shift + F6: Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box
Shift + F10: Access the context menu for the selected item
Shift + Tab: Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box
Shift + Click: Select a consecutive group of items
Shift + Click on a Taskbar button: Launch a new instance of a program
Shift + Right-click on a Taskbar button: Access the context menu for the selected item
Ctrl + A: Select all items
Ctrl + C: Copy the selected item
Ctrl + X: Cut the selected item
Ctrl + V: Paste the selected item
Ctrl + D: Delete selected item
Ctrl + Z: Undo an action
Ctrl + Y: Redo an action
Ctrl + N: Open a new window in Windows Explorer
Ctrl + W: Close current window in Windows Explorer
Ctrl + E: Select the Search box in the upper right corner of a window
Ctrl + Shift + N: Create new folder
Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Open the Windows Task Manager
Ctrl + Alt + Tab: Use arrow keys to cycle through open windows
Ctrl + Alt + Delete: Access the Windows Security screen 
Ctrl + Click: Select multiple individual items
Ctrl + Click and drag an item: Copies that item in the same folder
Ctrl + Shift + Click and drag an item: Creates a shortcut for that item in the same folder
Ctrl + Tab:  Move forward through tabs
Ctrl + Shift + Tab: Move backward through tabs
Ctrl + Shift + Click on a Taskbar button: Launch a new instance of a program as an Administrator
Ctrl + Click on a grouped Taskbar button: Cycle through the instances of a program in the group
F1: Display Help
F2: Rename a file
F3: Open Search
F4: Display the Address Bar list
F5: Refresh display
F6: Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box
F7: Display command history in a Command Prompt
F10: Display hidden Menu Bar
F11: Toggle full screen display
Tab: Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box
PrtScn: Take a screen shot of the entire screen and place it in the clipboard
Home: Move to the top of the active window
End: Move to the bottom of the active window
Delete: Delete the selected item
Backspace: Display the previous folder in Windows Explorer  Move up one folder level in Open or Save dialog box
Esc: Close a dialog box
Num Lock Enabled + Plus (+): Display the contents of the selected folder 
Num Lock Enabled + Minus (-): Collapse the selected folder
Num Lock Enabled + Asterisk (*): Expand all subfolders under the selected folder   
Press Shift 5 times Turn StickyKeys on or off
Hold down right Shift for 8 seconds Turn FilterKeys on or off
Hold down Num Lock for 5 seconds Turn ToggleKeys on or off

[close]

[Himu]

Hardcore as fuck.

[Shaka Khan]

Amazing.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Additional notes:

1) I had to go through hundreds of photos and a handful of videos with some people yesterday. Using the Metro Photo and Video apps would have been a LOT more enjoyable than the legacy Win 7 desktop applications.

2) Anyone who slags on Windows 8's Metro UI and in the next breath is excited for Steam's Big Picture Mode - and you've seen these people out there - should be immediately reduced to their component proteins for the greater good.

[D3RANG3D]

Additional notes:

1) I had to go through hundreds of photos and a handful of videos with some people yesterday. Using the Metro Photo and Video apps would have been a LOT more enjoyable than the legacy Win 7 desktop applications.

2) Anyone who slags on Windows 8's Metro UI and in the next breath is excited for Steam's Big Picture Mode - and you've seen these people out there - should be immediately reduced to their component proteins for the greater good.

.

[mjemirzian]

For sure. Hope to see you around here more.

Ty. I posted some extended thoughts on the start menu vs start screen/apps list at my blog.. with pretty pictures. Comments welcome.

http://www.tbstactics.com/2012/10/windows-8-impressions-start-menu-is.html

[recursivelyenumerable]

YMMV, but I find things faster on average in the new apps list than digging through All Programs - if I don't know the name of a program I don't necessarily know what folder it'll be in either, so finding it often means opening and closing several folders (and putting up with the annoying expand/collapse that moves everything around (in Vista/7) or the frustrating cascading menus that make you carefully navigate through the bottleneck (in 9x/XP)). For me it's usually quicker just dumping everything out, so to speak, and scrolling through until the icon/name jumps out at me.

[Van Cruncheon]

i never used the start menu much to begin with in win7 -- it basically supplemented anything i had pinned to the taskbar or on my desktop.

[MrAngryFace]

i never used the start menu much to begin with in win7 -- it basically supplemented anything i had pinned to the taskbar or on my desktop.

This- and when I did pop open the start menu it was to search programs- not navigate to something specific.

[MCD]

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/promotions/win8-landing
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/new-windows-8-products

I tried MS Touch mouse but I didn't fancy it that much. I don't like ambidextrous mice + only one finger sensor.

I am eying the Sculpt Comfort keyboard for the Windows 8 hotkeys.

[archnemesis]

I occasionally use the recently opened programs section. It's useful for programs I use once a week or so. Searching works for everything else.

[MrAngryFace]

I don't like gesture mice- too frequently does it seem to stick on a gesture or pick up a gesture I did not intend to make.

[recursivelyenumerable]

yeah, I don't much care for the Touch Mouse either. both due to accidental gestures and it's just not very comfortable for me. The original Intellimouse is still the perfect mouse afaict in terms of shape, it just needs blue-track and wireless (does this exist?)

[MrAngryFace]

I think the arc line, mobile mice, and touch mice are what's out there from MS- I actually liked the first arc most of all- you can still buy those on Amazon at least. My main focus these days is finding a good Bluetooth mouse- and honestly I may just buy another Razer Orochi cause that's probably been the best for me.

[MCD]

yeah, I don't much care for the Touch Mouse either. both due to accidental gestures and it's just not very comfortable for me. The original Intellimouse is still the perfect mouse afaict in terms of shape, it just needs blue-track and wireless (does this exist?)

Best wireless MS mouse are the following two:

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-BlueTrack-Technology-Recharging-5AA-00001/dp/B001F7AP1Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351528657&sr=8-1&keywords=explorer+mouse
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-MGC-00001-Wireless-Mouse-5000/dp/B0021Y73W6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1351528657&sr=8-5&keywords=explorer+mouse

Closest thing to Intellimouse is the Comfort 6000:

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Right-Handed-Comfort-Mouse-6000/dp/B004RPSGIC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1351528678&sr=8-3&keywords=intellimouse

Bluetrack but not wireless. Only bad thing about it is this:

[MrAngryFace]

They should call it the Comfy Mouse

[Positive Touch]

did a clean install; everything metro-related works fine, but search only finds the stuff on my c drive, not any of the other partitions. i backed up my c files and of course theyre all still fine, but i forgot to back up my itunes info. my playlists...

[Cerveza mas fina]

Gmail doesnt work again. 

Maybe one day I can do a clean install, when I get all my shit to Skydrive.

hey guys FUCK OFF

sorry im too busy being cool and smoking cigarettes and having sex and shit

 

[Howard Alan Treesong]

I'm having trouble attaching my Facebook and Twitter accounts for Metro app sharing. It says "Complete, but it may take a few minutes for you to see the results." Are there any known issues?

[Cerveza mas fina]

Yeah it doesn't work for me, youre talking about the People app?

DID YOU DO A CLEAN INSTALL?

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Yeah it doesn't work for me, youre talking about the People app?

DID YOU DO A CLEAN INSTALL?

Yup, in the People app. My Gmail account is attached okay to Mail/Contacts/Calendar, but I can't get Facebook or Twitter to work for Sharing.

I did an upgrade install cause I'm a fuckin' AIDS-ridden hobo. I'm gonna do a clean install to a new SSD over Thanksgiving weekend.

EDIT: Googling around, appears to be a known issue and an MS rep says they're working on a fix. While I'm all for the Brave New World of Windows 8 and think it's a lot easier to wrap your head around than most people are saying, I do think the Windows team needs to make a few concessions to Desktop users...

[Cerveza mas fina]

Fucks sake I cant get any music to show up in the Music app, no photos in the Photos app. Gmail still doesnt work.

Like going through the desktop to MY MUSIC the folder is empty, but the MY PICTURES folder is full. But then when I go to MY MUSIC in MY COMPUTER there is 20 gigs of music.

Doesnt matter though cause none of it shows up in the Metro Apps.

 

Also GMAIL dissappears from the MAIL app every time I shutdown the PC.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

It's rough. Win8 is VERY Library focused. Make sure your My Music and My Photos folders are in the Music and Photos libraries.

If you turn on File History, you can only backup things that are contained in libraries. So I just made a "C_Drive" Library. PROBLEM SOLVED.

[TakingBackSunday]

bought the pro and did a clean install on my boot camp partition.  running it on my retina macbook pro so there's some odd text-fuzzies, but otherwise everything looks pretty sweet

[Cerveza mas fina]

Im gonna get an aneurysm soon if stuff doesnt start working.

[archnemesis]

Why not install Thunderbird or something instead?

[Cerveza mas fina]

THE PICTURES ARE IN THE MOTHERFUCKING LIBRARY

[Positive Touch]

i like it when apps dont download/update for no reason

[archnemesis]

It's probably best to follow the reasoning behind Ubuntu's LTS releases and wait for Windows 8.1.

[Cerveza mas fina]

Upgrade install or not, basic functions should work. Why have an upgrade feature then?

This is 2012 where people are used to upgrading mobile OS without any problems, this is pretty bad.

Maybe in the 90's there would have been excuses for this but not now.

[Tasty]

Lager, please don't go on a murderous rampage over Microsoft.

[Cerveza mas fina]

I just want W7 back. Is there a button for that? I dont have time to fuck around with this.

It looks so sexy, but it just doesnt work

Im not saying I dont like how it works, I thnk its super cool what MS is tryin to do here. I just mean its broken.

[Cerveza mas fina]

Spending a whole evening trying to get pictures/music/emails show up.

Thanks Microsoft! 

[Cerveza mas fina]

 

[Cerveza mas fina]

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[Cerveza mas fina]

I wanted to get MS support, but they want me to provide my product key, which is in my gmail. Which doesnt work 

[Tasty]

I wanted to get MS support, but they want me to provide my product key, which is in my gmail. Which doesnt work 

You can't get into it with the browser?

[Howard Alan Treesong]

I wanted to get MS support, but they want me to provide my product key, which is in my gmail. Which doesnt work 

Don't you have a phone? In any case, I printed my keys out before installing for JUST that reason. BE PREPARED.

[Cerveza mas fina]

The key isnt recognized by MS support now.

So charges my apply if I contact support.

 

I wanted to get MS support, but they want me to provide my product key, which is in my gmail. Which doesnt work 

You can't get into it with the browser?

Yeah but its just ironic isnt it.

[TakingBackSunday]

weird, I'm having wifi issues with pro, at least at work.  this is the first time I've tried connecting it to the internet at work and it's not asking for a password.  when I click connect, the entire OS starts running like dick and I can't connect to anything still.  wonder if that's an apple thing that needs fixed via updated drivers

I should note that it works perfectly fine on wifi at my house which also uses a password

[Cerveza mas fina]

My last 15 min trying to backup files before a clean install.

W8 wont let me backup files.

[Cerveza mas fina]

Dat windows 8 

[mjemirzian]

Dat windows 8 

[demi]

I love that blue screen for the wrong reasons.

[archnemesis]

That mocking sad smiley is going to cause fists going through monitors.

[demi]

"you can search online later"

[Cerveza mas fina]

More goodness

[Himu]

why did you install a new os without backing up first?

[Fifstar]

Do you guys use a system function/external program for backups or just throw your vital data on a external disc? Because I always just did the latter, is there a better proper way to do it?

[archnemesis]

You can delete ClientRegistry.blob and AppUpdateStats.blob in your Steam folder. They will be recreated if you restart the client.

Do you guys use a system function/external program for backups or just throw your vital data on a external disc? Because I always just did the latter, is there a better proper way to do it?

I use a program called SyncBackPro to mirror all my important files to an external HDD. It's about 520 GB and I don't want to pay for that much cloud storage.

[MrAngryFace]

More goodness

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

haha, as an aside it looks like 'installing windows' from the perspective of a drunk man

[TakingBackSunday]

weird, I'm having wifi issues with pro, at least at work.  this is the first time I've tried connecting it to the internet at work and it's not asking for a password.  when I click connect, the entire OS starts running like dick and I can't connect to anything still.  wonder if that's an apple thing that needs fixed via updated drivers

I should note that it works perfectly fine on wifi at my house which also uses a password

anyone know why this is?  my google-fu seems to not come up with a result or answer

[Tasty]

Holy crap dude get a better camera.

[chronovore]

It is going to be a long time before I upgrade to Win8.

Is anyone experiencing flawless enjoyment of it?

[Cerveza mas fina]

thanks andrex my dslr broke my galaxy s2 broke and now i have a shitty windows phone capturing my laptop dying

[Tasty]

thanks andrex my dslr broke my galaxy s2 broke and now i have a shitty windows phone capturing my laptop dying

Dude you need to make better purchasing decsions. Maybe read an Amazon review once in a while.

[Cerveza mas fina]

you need to get laid instead of reading amazon reviews