GabeN: Linux a-go-go Because Windows 8 is a ‘Catastrophe’

[Matty]

Blizzard agree with Gabe.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/28/wind ... -blizzard/

[PirateEggs]

Windows 8 will be good for those who use their computers for small and trivial tasks. Like old people and such.

[Matty]

I had it on my laptop for a bit. My start screen ended up with desktop icons everywhere and only a quarter of it filled.

I actually don't mind the new interface but it's not very useful for things such as firefox. When you click on the firefox "App" square (which is just a desktop FF logo in a grey square) it closes the start screen, brings up the desktop, then launches firefox.
Also my start screen just ended up in being desktop icons in grey squares. The more longer I had it, the longer I found it more of an inconvenience.

I guess it would be a different story if people had W8 metro style programs already, but right now I don't see any reason to get it over windows 7.

[Shinanigans]

I haven't actually been following Windows 8, so here's a good place to ask - what are the bad's for Win 8, specifically with gaming?

[SaNE]

I haven't actually been following Windows 8, so here's a good place to ask - what are the bad's for Win 8, specifically with gaming?

None really, it's a faster and more refined version of 7 ruined by the metro interface.

[Shinanigans]

Metro interface is like an application though, isn't it? You can choose to login to the standard desktop, can't you? The only thing missing from the standard desktop is the Start menu, which is a big issue in my books, but not entirely related to gaming.

[The Null]

Metro interface is like an application though, isn't it? You can choose to login to the standard desktop, can't you? The only thing missing from the standard desktop is the Start menu, which is a big issue in my books, but not entirely related to gaming.

No, you computer will always boot to the Metro UI, there is no way to change that, but there is a small program you can get called ViStart, which adds the start menu to Win8.

All the things they supposedly removed in Win8 are for the most part still there. WMP is still there, hidden away. There were even rumords of DVD Video compatibility being removed but I ran a few DVD's and they worked fine in WMP, they didn't work in that Metro Video Player thing that MS has now.

[PinothyJ]

No, you computer will always boot to the Metro UI, there is no way to change that, but there is a small program you can get called ViStart, which adds the start menu to Win8.

My reply on page two details exactly how to bypass Metro to boot to the desktop…

[The Null]

No, you computer will always boot to the Metro UI, there is no way to change that, but there is a small program you can get called ViStart, which adds the start menu to Win8.

My reply on page two details exactly how to bypass Metro to boot to the desktop…

Cheers for that, I must have missed it, I'm installing it now an seeing how it runs.

[skitzor]

I'm fairly sure everyone is missing the main point as to why Valve and Blizzard are worried about Windows 8.

sure, the interface is an issue, but I doubt it's the thing these big developers are complaining about.

from the sounds of it their issue is with the POSSIBILITY of Microsoft moving everything to an app-store-esque set up. that is, everything installed on the computer has to go through that store. this closes down the system and costs the developer money (not just redeveloping, but paying Microsoft to have their application in the store).

it could be argued that this setup would even be a direct competitor to Valve (as someone in here has actually mentioned), which would cause them to worry. why would game developers go to Steam when they have a fairly equivalent distribution network on all Windows 8 machines instead of only the ones with Steam?

the thing is this hasn't been implemented, but it's not a large stretch to see it happening. Windows 8 is a tablet OS and app-stores are natural on tablets.

in any case, this seems to have caused Valve to start looking at supporting Linux, which is great. it will take some fairly large events for me to ever switch to Linux as my main OS, but it's still good to see it happening.