Windows 7 features deprecated in Windows 8

Speed Up My PC

When Windows 7 was released, we had seen the list of Windows Vista features which were removed in Windows 7. Microsoft, based on user usage data, decides to enhance or deprecate a feature in the next release of the Windows operating system. Here is a list of some of the major noticeable features which were present in Windows 7, but have been removed in Windows 8.

windows 8 taskbar Windows 7 features deprecated in Windows 8

Windows 7 features removed in Windows 8

1. The first thing any Windows user will notice is that the Start Button has been removed. The Start Menu too has been removed, and replaced with instead the Start Screen, which is the first thing you see when you log in to Windows.

2. Desktop Gadgets have been removed too. And along with it the Sidebar. While the Sidebar existed in Windows 7, it was not ‘on’ by default.

3. The Windows Explorer has undergone a sea-change. The command bar is gone and replaced with a cool ribbon UI. It is now referred to as File Explorer.

4. You wont see the Games Explorer now. Possibly because the focus is now on Games as Apps, and therefore, Microsoft may have decided to do away with it.

5. The Windows Basic and Windows Classic themes have been removed. The Aero Glass theme with transparent windows borders has been done away with. You now have a Metro UI Style theme with windows borders matching the hue of the wallpaper.

6. Press WinKey+Tab and see what happens in Windows 8. Flip 3D too is gone. Keeping pace with the times and the Metro UI, you now have a Metro or Modern UI Switcher which gets activated.

7. The Windows DVD Maker has been removed, possibly because it was not very popular with the users.

8. DVD playing feature has been removed from Windows Media Player. It will however be possible to play DVDs in Windows Media Center.

9. Windows Media Center is not present in Windows 8. You have to buy it as an extra. You will have to buy the Windows 8 Media Center Pack or the Windows 8 Pro Pack, which includes Media Center, along with DVD playback in Media Center – but in Media Player, broadcast TV recording feature and playback (DBV-T/S, ISDB-S/T, DMBH, and ATSC), and VOB file playback.

11. File History has replaced Shadow Copies / Previous Versions. This makes the Windows Backup and Restore feature much more powerful.

12. Missing Windows CardSpace? Microsoft didn’t think you would. CardSpace was a technology in .NET Framework 3.0 that simplified and improved the safety of accessing resources and sharing personal information on the Internet.

13. The scary Blue Screen has been dropped to make way for a more friendly looking Blue Screen, which displays a sad emoticon, minimal information and the Error code.

14. Parental Controls has been improved upon to take on a much wider role. It is now comes in a new avatar called Family Safety.

15. The Windows Updates are available icon is no longer visible in the taskbar. If you have set Windows to inform you of available downloads, but not download them, in Windows 7 and earlier, you saw an icon whenever updates are available. Now you will see a notification in the bottom right corner of your login screen.

I am sure that there must be many more Windows 7 features, which have been removed in Windows 8. If you know of of think of any, please do add in the comments below.

Outlook 2013 deprecated features and components may also interest you.

Posted by on , in Category Windows with Tags
Anand aka HappyAndyK is an end-user Windows enthusiast, a Microsoft MVP in Windows Desktop Experience since 2007, and the Admin of TheWindowsClub.com, TheGeeksClub.com & WinVistaClub.com. Creating a System Restore Point before trying out a new software or a tweak is always recommended.

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  • Adham Magdy

    also the installing hardware tray icon and it’s details window have been removed… replaced with a simple dialog box with one progress bar that runs in the taskbar

  • David

    “The scary Blue Screen has been dropped to make way for a more friendly looking Blue Screen, which displays a sad emoticon, minimal information and the Error code.”

    Well, at least the minimal information part is consistent.

    MS: “All your base are belong to us”

  • Rmfboca

    No problem here…I’ll hang on to my Win7 as long as my pc’s work.

  • Mawbze

    16 Windows 7 users will be missing in windows 8.

    I dont know any of my friends or work collegues who are going to go out and get windows 8.

    I have tried it and it has some + and some – Just not enough better stuff to warrent the cost of upgrading.

    Alot of my friends absolutley hate it, and i must say that given the choice of useing a PC with 7 on it or a PC with 8 on it I would always head to the windows 7 PC

  • Usseryrl

    I think my next computer will be a Mac. I used to have a Mac,but my wife wanted PC years ago, and I never have liked them. Every PC I’ve had,{New Ones} I had to restart, usually, numerous times through the day and considering Microsoft is getting so greedy they have to charge for Windows Media Center,and having to have that for DVD playback is absolutely ridiculous. Plus I wasn’t near as prone to viruses on a Mac than a PC.

  • http://twitter.com/rantsfromron Ron Graves

    Since I’ve not seen the “Scary Blue Screen” since Win95 I’m not unduly bothered by its loss – screwing up that badly is rarely a good idea.

    My main gripe re Win 8 is cosmetic – I do not want my monitor to look like a giant Windows phone. That MS inflict this upon users without any alternative is simply unacceptable. Only one person gets to decide how my Desktop looks – me.

    My Desktop has a favourite pic as wallpaper – currently a pair of Canada geese, changing shortly to an autumnal scene – and a row of folders down one side. The Desktop in general is a dumping ground which, every few days, gets tidied into the folders. It’s how I’ve run Windows since 3.1 and still do in 7.

    It’s just one of several reasons why I have no intention, a mere 25 quid** for an upgrade or not, of switching to Win 8, and all reasons essentially boil down to one – it would piss me off beyond endurance.

    **Is the low price an indication how desperate MS is to have 8 widely adopted?

    By the way, 15 is wrong. You don’t see an “Updates are ready” icon in Win 7 if you have set Windows to inform you of available downloads, but not download them. It actually flags a “New updates are ready” message (I’ve no idea what an old update might be). The icon is actually in the Hidden Icons box and is, er, hidden, unless you actually go look.

  • http://www.facebook.com/dave.rieck.75 Dave Rieck

    Hi Greg – I sort of agree .. MS on the desktop is moving toward a mobile emulated OS, to some extent out of necessity, at least in terms of the consumer based home-user market. Personally, I moved to Linux years ago & have for the most part been happy.

    When Canonical moved from the Gnome desktop to Unity, myself, along with what seemed like the Ubuntu community at large were horrified. Since then Unity has improved greatly and is now my default desktop.

    Since W8 is MS’s first major overhaul in the attempt to unify desktop & mobile environments, I would expect many, many service packs to follow. I’ve beta’d W8 and find it cumbersome on the desktop, at this time it looks more like a glorified tablet OS. As other Linux distro’s like Mint, Zorin & Peach (which resembles a MAC) mature, traditional Windows folks like me will gradually make the transition.

  • Laney M

    So here is my dilemma. I don’t use apps and I don’t do cloud. I have been quite pleased with Windows 7 and really don’t like or approve of the “app” looking format of Windows 8. I just really have no intention of playing this game again with Microsoft. It really boils down to security for me. After reading about the guy who had his whole digital life wiped out by some freak who just wanted his twitter tag, I was more convinced than ever that we are setting ourselves up with digital suicide with all the apps and cloud services. I just ain’t going there. I already despise my smartphone so there is no way I am going to make my pc look like my phone…it just ain’t happening. So…with all that said, what is a good OS out there other than Windows and the Mac OS? I don’t have a Mac so that is out for obvious reasons. Any suggestions? I am sure at some point Microsoft will decide to force 8 down our throats whether we want it or not so I just want to get a jump on things now.

  • Theclyburns

    I installed the win 8 beta on an old hdd and once a week or so i hook it up and use it instead of my trusty win xp pro. Within a few hours I am so frustrated with it, I have to disconnect and go back to win xp pro. I will miss winxp. I have been running it for over 10 years now. It is the best os microsoft ever created. I guess this is what happens when you bring in a bunch of geeks who think everything should be mobile that way they can carry their entire home computer with them so they can play video games while driving instead of just having to text. I have finally joined the “I hate microsoft” group. Why did they have to take something that worked so well and just totally trash it.

    On the bright side, at least I will be saving money by not buying a windows os anymore. I will stick with win xp until ms does not support it anymore in April of 2014. So that gives me another year and a half. Who knows, maybe ms will come to their senses by then, fire all of the geeks who want to play video games while driving (or maybe they will all die in horrible accidents) and go back to doing it the right way.

    Windows 8 is for mobile computing. Why do I need to mobile compute at home??? If I want to mobile compute, I will buy a mobile computer, duh… It may be great for phones and tablets but I do not want, and will not have it, at home. Maybe if I buy a camper, it might be good. So, once ms quits supporting win xp, I will start using Ubuntu. It’s not win xp but it is better than win 8. I guess this makes me an old fart. I have reached an age where change is no longer acceptable…

  • Constantin Sime

    I’m still with XP Professional because I couldn’t find anything tempting in the next versions (Vista, Windows 7). I’m still using Outlook Express and with the latest Driver Detective (http://www.drivershq.com/) installed in my PC, it automatically finds out the best drivers for any new hardware/peripherals I install in my PC – the same way as Windows 7 does. So, the moment Microsoft will stop providing updates for XP Professional I will consider any OS other than Microsoft.

    PS.

    The most inconvenient (if not INSULTING) feature of Windows 7 is the user’s difficulty/impossibility to UNINSTALL it if desired to do so.

  • http://www.facebook.com/justin.sharp.9469 Justin Sharp

    I agree with what you said and made the same points as you, I have come to this conclusion, I have been using windows since windows 95, and like the fact you could move to the next version quite happy. But to change to thier phone format which has 7% market share seems crazy. But im really happy now as I realise i kept to windows for support on most games, but I mainly play on ps3 now for games and , my phone s3 is android my next gaming console the Ouya will be open sourced and android based, so I thought my next operating sysytem will be android two, I love android problem solved, and free, and yes no paying extra to watch dvd thats a p**s take in 2012, I know u can download free software to play dvd’s or even blue ray’s remenber its 2012. No sorry the android revolution, got me out of mindset that I had since 1995 that the best gaming and pc experance had to be through windows, Up until 2011 I use to upgarde my pc, kept monitor soundcard harddrive, and replaced motherboad, cpu, mem and gpu. That was the last upgrade ^ core cpu, 8gig ddr3, direct x 11 graphics, to play star trek online, thats all I use my windows pc for. Instead I use my large screen android phone or android tablet for net and other pc things writing letters converting music and ps3 for games, all of which dosn’t need upgrading and I am saving a packet. i think this was a gamble for microsoft, even my next gaming console will be open source android based $99. This could cost bill gates big, but hey when ur as rich as him , he won’t give a s**t.

  • http://www.greggdeselms.com/ Gregg L. DesElms

    Indeed, Dave and Justin, I think that Microsoft has really shot itself in the foot this time. People will always be blindly loyal to it, so I’m not saying that this will be the beginning of the end for Microsoft. Far from it.

    However, there is no question in my mind that Microsoft will not enjoy the public appreciation for this sea change in its classic Windows OS; and that it will end-up being the event which causes those who might otherwise not consider any other OS to seriously consider such as Linux, the Chrome OS, and now even the Firefox OS.

    I have a not-for-profit organizational client who still had Win98SE on most of its desktops until maybe… oh… I guess it was maybe 2007, believe it or not. A few machines even still had Win95… I kid you not. The reason, in the main, is that the organization was so strapped for cash that it just couldn’t upgrade hardware; and it preferred that donors give cash (rather than donating computers) so it could control how the donation is spent/used.

    The organization finally now has XP, Vista and even some Win7 machines (thanks to a donor I found for them whom I asked to insist that if they wouldn’t accept computers from him as his donation, then he’d donate nothing at all… ostensibly to force them into accepting newer machines)…

    …but my point is that for their purposes, by and large, Win9x was still pretty much okay for what they needed in the office. They were okay with the older software that was all that would run on such older both machines and OS versions; and by not using Internet Explorer (IE) as the browser (but nevertheless still having the most recent version of it on the machine that the OS could support because IE is so integral to Windows, itself); and by using other browsers which kept-up with web standards, but were backward compatible even to old Win9x, their web experience actually didn’t suck (though it still wasn’t quite as nice as if they were at least on XP).

    The notion that everyone must have the latest and greatest of everything is just folly… a brainwashing that both hardware and software makers impose on end-users so that said makers can maintain reasonable annual growth from upgrades, as well as new users. The fact is that if whatever is the hardware, OS and application software one uses will get the job done, then one needn’t necessarily upgrade/update anything.

    Sadly, the pressure to update/upgrade has, for some time, now, also come in the form of such things as, for example, websites refusing to display flash content unless the browser’s version of flash is the absolutely latest and greatest; and, of course, in order for such very up-to-date flash versions to even run, the browser, at the very least, must be a very recent version. And, of course, the newest browser versions often won’t run on either or both of very old hardware and/or OS versions. So they end-up getting you, anyway. But the bottom line remains that a version of Windows can be “milked” for a really, really, really long time if one’s willing to put-up with an actually surprisingly-easy-to-adjust-to small list of inconveniences.

    And if I had to guess, I’d say that by sometime in 2013 or 2014 Microsoft will realize that nowhere near as many XP, Vista and Win7 users adopted Win8 as it had hoped… so much so, in fact, that Win7 support may even be extended like XP’s was because so many end-users refuse to stop using it.

    But all of that assumes that the mobile/portable tablet and phone use of Windows doesn’t so take-off by 2014 that hardly anyone’s buying desktops or notebooks anymore. And I fear that that could actually happen…

    …not because phones/tablets are the better way, but, rather, because so many end users are just casual computer users. In other words, they don’t really need a powerful computer because all they do, really, is web surf, socially-network, and text/email. They may not, some of them, hardly ever even use a word processor or anything… maybe even never use one. For such as they, who knows, maybe a phone or tablet is all the computer they’d ever need. And as larger and larger percentages of the population start using computers of whatever kind, it stands to reason that the last of them will not require much more than a browser, and texting ability.

    Remember that money always drives this sort of thing. As the number of computers users, as a percentage of the entire population, rises, the last adopters will be those who are casual users who need serious computing power far less than the early adopters who need computers for SERIOUS work. And whenever the percentage of casual users finally gets so big that the hardware and software makers can afford to ignore the serious computer users, two things will happen…

    First, the typical computer will become less powerful, and cheaper, and with less capable, often-free software; and,

    second, the cost of truly potent hardware — if it can even be found — will skyrocket, as will the cost of the really capable software which runs on it.

    We’re seeing that happen already. Trust me when I tell you that it’s just the tip of the iceberg. The worst — the far, far, far worse — is yet to come.

    And people wonder why I keep saying that I’m glad I probably either won’t be alive to see — or will be too senile to care about — that of the future which so scares me…

    …such as, for example, in this case, a day when notebooks which now cost $500 might, in time, cost $5,000 or more because no one, comparatively speaking, is purchasing them; and tablets cost $29 because, by then, they had become so ubiquitous that no human being — not even a homeless person — would be caught dead without one.

    That day is coming, friends. One of the benefits of being alive a long time (as I have been); and also being both part of, and also a carefully-observant student of an entire industry (as I have also been, for more than 35 years) is that it starts to become really easy to spot the trends…

    …and to know what is a frightening portend of things to come.

    Believe me, I hate what I can see coming. I’m like a psychic who wishes s/he didn’t have his/her gift; who awakens from nightmares of what at least certain aspects of the future will be like.

    So don’t even get me STARTED on global warming.

    ______________________________
    Gregg L. DesElms
    Napa, California USA
    gregg at greggdeselms dot com

  • http://www.greggdeselms.com/ Gregg L. DesElms

    Dave,

    I don’t know if you end-up getting an email notice of a posting here simply because I just responded to my own post to which you earlier responded; or if the only way for you to get such an email would be my responding to YOUR posting (as I’m now doing)…

    …but on the chance that only that latter would notify you, I’m posting this in direct response to your posting so you’ll get notified that I just made a posting here addressed to both you and Justin…

    …and its THAT to which I’m now calling to your attention, and not that which you’re now reading. I posted in response to myself, and not to either you or Justin both because to do it to one of you, but not the other, might mean that only one of you got notified of it; and also so it wouldn’t further indent on the page and start becoming too narrow.

    So, then, please see my response, in this thread, to my own posting (to which you earlier responded) which is addressed to both you and Justin.

    - Gregg

  • http://www.greggdeselms.com/ Gregg L. DesElms

    Justin,

    I don’t know if you end-up getting an email notice of a posting here simply because I just responded to my own post to which you earlier responded; or if the only way for you to get such an email would be my responding to YOUR posting (as I’m now doing)…

    …but on the chance that only that latter would notify you, I’m posting this in direct response to your posting so you’ll get notified that I just made a posting here addressed to both you and Dave…

    …and its THAT to which I’m now calling to your attention, and not that which you’re now reading. I posted in response to myself, and not to either you or Dave both because to do it to one of you, but not the other, might mean that only one of you got notified of it; and also so it wouldn’t further indent on the page and start becoming too narrow.

    So, then, please see my response, in this thread, to my own posting (to which you earlier responded) which is addressed to both you and Dave.

    - Gregg

  • Constantin Sime

    Try UBUNTU, Laney M… Unless Microsoft will “come to their senses” any time soon (as Theclyburns put it below), Mac, Linux or Ubuntu seem so far the only reasonable alternatives… If you have two hard drives in your PC you may already (download and) install Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop) on one of them, explore it and decide if you like it or not… No risks involved…

  • Walker44colt

    I’m staying with XP Pro ’til my IT friend can’t support it. It works, it doesn’t take a “mini-Cray” to run, and all the programs I need are formatted for it. Vista was as bad a joke as Win2000, and Win7 is just Vista on steroids to me. BTW, if you buy a new pre-built computer, WIN7 is BURNED into the CPU and can’t be deleted. Dirty little Micro-Snot secret.

  • http://patkashtock.squarespace.com/ Pat K

    The problem with Linux (my husband is a big UBUNTU fan) is that it does not run any number of programs. Doing the Windows in a box through it is unwieldy – Who wants to bog down with two OSes. GIMP is a wonderful program, but it sure ain’t PhotoShop. And Open Office does not even come close to the MSOffice suite. I need to be able to share docs and power point presentations in the format that most people have. Linux is also not user friendly as far as adding things, at least for me.

    But as far as the ap thing of 8, sigh. I don’t need one more distraction in my life. It already is totally overloaded and not getting less so any time soon. Unfortunately, oh sacrilege, I really, really dislike UBUNTU. Windows 7 Ultimate works great

  • http://patkashtock.squarespace.com/ Pat K

    I really agree about not having DVD playback included. That is ridiculous

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/QX6AN6I6KDKCAO7XZUCFKTNNJQ chris

    Great. I hate Windows 7, (aka Vista 2). Windows 8 sounds promising. And Media Player is nothing to cry over. Windows 7 is old news. Now if they made a updated XP 2, then they would have a winner.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/QX6AN6I6KDKCAO7XZUCFKTNNJQ chris

    Get with the program. Windows 8 is the new OS. You probably told the XP users to move on. Now you’re staying with 7.

  • Constantin Sime

    I agree that Windows 7 may be the last best thing Microsoft has come with after XP Professional, but starting with Vista all Windows look more and more like Christmas trees, with more decorations that useful things, far more difficult to learn to use than in XP.

    Things I HATE about Windows 7:

    - the WORST of all: you can’t UNINSTALL it if you don’t like it. How did Microsoft even think about such an INSULTING feature?

    - the Control Panel is far more complicated and hard to work with than in XP.

    - as far as I know it doesn’t include an e-mail function as XP includes Outlook Express. (Microsoft Outlook is nowhere as simple to work with as Outlook Express is).

    - while with XP you can set up an office/home network which will allow computers with different OS to interact, Windows 7 will only let you set up an office/home network with all computers running Windows 7 only. That is another UNWELCOME feature.

    - unlike with XP, with Windows 7 I could never make my desktop look as I wanted.

    Should I go on a n on?

    I still BELIEVE in XP Professional!

  • Walker44colt

    Chris, YOU have the $64 million solution. Keep Duo Core P4 processors hardware and IMPROVE THE SOFTWARE ala JPL and Voyager I & II. They couldn’t improve the computers on VI and II, so they re-wrote the programming so the tiny processor could do more with less. Micro-Snot (and the hardware makers?) have an unholy vested interest to see we buy more “stuff” every 4-5 years. Not $200 of “stuff”, but $2000-6000 of “stuff”. Is it better for “Homer Simpson” like me? Nope. For a fraction of a percent of people it is. All that happens is we fill landfills with older models of computers which are PERFECTLY GOOD! What about recycling and being “green”? Given software, a student could use a PII machine thru college just fine, and not need all the gim-cracks and gee-gaws. I got my driver’s license in 1969 and my first car was a 1958 Imperial, hardly the the “latest word” in automobiles (no seatbelts, no emissions controls, no disc brakes, etc.) but it got better fuel economy than a new ’69 Chevy Impala (triple! 24 MPG vs: 8 MPG; 390 HP vs: 160HP 403 CID vs: 400CID). Maybe I’ll dig out the old TI and re-learn DOS BASIC.

  • Constantin Sime

    Try to contact Microsoft and tell them (as feedback) how disappointed you are about all the shit that’s going on lately with Windows… and see if anybody from their staff will even bother to reply you…

  • Rathna Kumar.

    Yes. So much of defference is there compared to win7. Win7 is very user friendly. But win8 is not looking like that. It will take time to understand the features. Win xp user can use win7 easly. But win7 users can’t use win8 easily.

  • http://www.facebook.com/justin.sharp.9469 Justin Sharp

    Hi Gregg, I like your reply and ur right, to quickly sum this up, I beleve this will go the same way as vista went, i.e. it was crap so crap that the big suppliers(and small) still gave buyers the option of having windows xp on their new machines, this came about due to customers bringing their new machines back and saying I want xp, vista crap, its sucking all my resources, which in turn led Microsoft to backtrack and say actually we will support windows xp a little longer( nearly 10 year old operarting system at that time). and I still got vista, I have tried for years to give it away no takers, and I am someone who was the geek who allways got the next version straight away, even windows me(which was arfulll just windows 98se in a new shell full of bugs) saved by windows xp, as did windows 7 do it for vista. yet windows 7 will be my last microsoft operating system, with no desire to get the next big thing, finally I have broken the cycle. But I see that this will be Microsofts biggest flop, even bigger than vista was,as I said with android dominating, and microsoft windows phones not even scatching the surface, this could be a lemon waiting to happen, especally in this finacal climate.

  • http://www.facebook.com/justin.sharp.9469 Justin Sharp

    Agree the new setup is utter sh*t, tried the preview gave it 24hours, back to 7 and staying, 25quid I had not even bothered to find out the price as not getting it, but yeah that price they desperate lol

  • Qsabe

    Another reason to find a new operating system. Win 7 is the pits and this sounds even worse. Running software from Linux, even from a command line, sounds far more appealing every day.

  • http://www.greggdeselms.com/ Gregg L. DesElms

    @Justin Sharp: Thanks for your comments.

    Vista, just FYI, can actually be made quite tolerable if one is willing to make all the necessary configurations and registry hacks. Once they’re made, then, honestly, Vista becomes almost as good as Win7 for most purposes.

    For whatever that’s worth.

    _____________________________
    Gregg L. DesElms
    Napa, California USA
    gregg at greggdeselms dot com

  • mannyalbite

    I have been looking at windows 8 through lynda.com and came to the conclusion that the desk top or the pc as we know it is gone and I dont think is coming back either on windows 9, I just bought my norton 2013 and notice that I lost the gadget for the windows 7 also < dont know if I am going to like it but eventially we will be force to move because new programs will come and work better for this system witch I am not computer saby like I see u guys write so for me now that I am prety good with the pc to learn a new system well good luck to u guys and keep writing I learn a lot from u guys thank you take care

  • roadlizard7

    Actually Windows 7 has Windows Live Mail, which operates very much like Outlook Express. Only drawback s that sometimes when forwarding emails with pictures in them, the pictures don’t get included.

  • LicketySplit

    Thats not “quite” correct. Win7 doesnt come with windows mail..you have to load it seperately from their site which is annoying as all get out…but ive found that i like thunderbird better…actually works more like office and has a clean interface. Seems like MS is turning away from consumers and demanding dollars for junk. Im happy with vista..xp..or even 7..they are on the downslide it seems.

  • Abcdefg

    u r a psycho, Gregg

  • Alphalee

    What makes me angry is that we do not use Iphones or none of those gadgets, quit taking away from our PC use on windows, because of new phones that society seems to be evolving to.I use all the DVD features and media center why are you trying to kill personal computer use.

  • PCGamer

    I am a gamer who listens to music and watches movies on my computer as well. I have several friends who are the same way. We have older cell phones that make and receive calls in emergency situations and have no desire to have this phone technology on our computers. We all skipped Vista and went to windows 7 for compatibility issues but will NOT be getting this new fail os.

  • BuckeyeBoy

    I love Win7 in all my machines. All the handles to configure and fix are provided. I have Win8 Preview on one of my machines and could tolerate it but it offers NO reason to move to it at the release. Win7 got it right for desktop.

  • Mike

    Sounds to me like Windows 8 is gonna blow.

  • Gene

    Can 9 be clarified. It doesn’t quite make sense to me.

  • markings

    I have a client who still runs an application from 1993 on DOS computers with a Lantastic network.

  • Jon Goff

    I’ve already begun migrating to Linux Ubuntu. I’ve been a MS user since, well forever. 20+ years, and this is the first time I’ve even considered moving to another OS, and unless MS fixes a lot of things wrong with Windows 8 (unlikely), then I am moving full square to Linux. I’ll keep a dual boot for games, but everything else will be run through Ubuntu using Wine to run my MS programs I need.

  • http://www.facebook.com/timothy.alberts1 Timothy Alberts

    you can uninstall the same features/programs in 7 as you do in xp
    in xp in the control panel its the add remove in win 7 in the control panel its the programs and features
    as far as outlook express goes windows live is better and easier to use
    it look like you have never used win7 ???? have you???

  • technoho

    Windows 8 is going to be a dog on a regular pc.
    On a tablet,who knows.

  • perihelion22

    So when are we going to see a Windows 8 app that makes it possible to emulate Windows 7?

  • Yaseeen

    Why that I have to buy extra for Windows midea center while I did buy the damn Windows 8? stupid microsoft!

  • Sid

    The only thing I would like is to be able to get my Windows XP Professional back…..They can have 7…8….9…..100……just get my XP pro back.

  • Stephen Brumbelow

    I wonder if users who prefer the ribbon user interface would much rather use a smartphone than a desktop or laptop. I also wonder if windows always behaves exactly like they want it to. Maybe they should try Apple products. Yes, I’ve probably used computer technology since before most readers of this post were born. I started before personal computers existed. I understand that newer users might not want to learn all of the OS power user details that I know. but I do resent the fact that Microsoft depreciates UI components that are important to me.

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.waterkotte Joe Waterkotte

    Windows 8 looks great for a phone or tablet. For a desktop or laptop? NO WAY!!!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.waterkotte Joe Waterkotte

    Windows 8 looks pretty good for a phone or tablet OS. For a desktop or laptop? They have got to be smoking something. No way, no how will I install this on an actual computer

  • Kain

    Gregg, you are experiencing what is sometimes called “Old Man Syndrome” — Yes, it turns out that it actually does still happen to techies…

    This is the ride to the future, now either hop on or gtfo because you’re slowing us down man.

  • Kain

    Gregg, while reading your comment I got the impression that you might be onto something in terms of public reception of the new Windows OS… That is, until you started talking about Win9x, WinXP and Vista. I don’t know why you hold Windows XP in such high regard…

    IMO:
    Windows 2000 > Windows XP
    Windows 7 > Windows 2000
    Windows 8 ? Windows 7 (that’s a greater than OR equal to symbol for the mathematically challenged out there)

  • Kain

    Windows Phones not even scratching the surface… Doomed to fail, right? It’s funny, people used to say the same thing about the Xbox…

    I’ve owned Android phones and I’ve played around with my friend’s iPhone.. (couldn’t ever bring myself to buying one… they just feel like something’s off.. i dunno, anyways, back to my point..) — Android was a welcome addition to the mobile market in my opinion. Google didn’t immediately become top dog, even though it was clearly the better choice compared to what was out there at the time.. Blackberry devices from RIM were the must-have phones at the time. They had a pretty big chunk of the market share… However, now they are grasping onto the tiny pebble that they have left with their numbers showing absolutely no growth, with very high losses…

    When are you people going to learn that when Microsoft decides to play, they are going to win… Windows Phones are here to stay, just like the Xbox was… Windows Phones will keep in the game and eventually end up in the mobile equivalent of where the Xbox is in the gaming market.

  • Kain

    Hahahahahahahaha

    Sorry… But your “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke” which is a bastardization of the original “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” simply does not apply here. We are talking about advancements & new technologies… Not repairing what is already out there.

    I mean, if you took the logic you’re using here and apply it to other things then we wouldn’t have ANYTHING new. No airplanes, no cars, simply because a horse and buggy worked as a means of travel. So, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

    How about instead of using that self-defeating sentence (self-defeating because if something is not broke then you can not fix it.. so the statement is completely ridiculous and should not be said because it simply doesn’t make sense) — ahem.. anyways, how about instead of FIXING these unbroken things, we allow them to exist but we still try to come up with newer, better alternatives… I mean, I guess we COULD stop innovative thinking and halt all development just for you and the 6 other people on the planet who think that older is better when it comes to computer technology. You do realize how dumb that sounds right? And yes Gregg, that is the underlying theme of every single one of your comments so far. Older = better. Re-read them yourself if you don’t believe me. You should be able to see it… If not, you’re either a liar or an idiot.

  • Kain

    Hey, dumbass. You can still personalize your desktop in Windows 8.

    Research before you form such close-minded opinions about something and end up looking like an idiot.

  • Kain

    You are looking for a new OS? Hmm…

    Um… Gee I dunno, let me do some quick research by reading YOUR comment.

    Ah, I see… It appears that you are quite pleased with Windows 7. So um, why don’t you just keep using Windows 7?

    trolls trolls trolls
    i WILL feed them until somebody physically stops me.

  • Kain

    Okay, wtf. XP was the first “CHRISTMAS TREE” OS.

    The Windows XP theme was big, green/blue/pink and fat and bubbly.

    Idiot.

  • Kain

    I am also a gamer who listens to music and watches movies on my computer. However, I also go with the flow of technology and I buy the latest smartphones & portable gaming/computing devices & try to stay up to date as much as possible.

    Windows 8 is amazing for music and watching movies you idiot. And as far as games go, it supports the same games that Windows 7 does.

  • Ed Jennings Agent

    Just to add my 2cents… I am getting tired of my smartphone already, and I have only had it a year. Thinking of going back to a feature phone and saving $$$. On the other hand, I am entrenched with my desktops. I built my wife one last year to replicate mine that I built two years ago when I upgraded to Win7 from XP. I will stay with what I have for the forseeable future. Have no intentions of “upgrading” to Win 8 unless I decide to buy a tablet. Right now, I am content with my laptop and two very powerful desktops, and a stable OS.

  • Ptrck56

    hey Kain you are a microsoft employee I take it , or are you in sales?

  • Constantin Sime

    Who the fuck are you ARROGANT knows-everything DICKHEAD, who insults everybody around (with “dumbass”, “idiot”, etc) without being provoked…?!… If you can’t interact with others in a decent, civilized language, why come here at all, MOTHER FUCKER?!…

  • http://www.facebook.com/faceless.man.child Clinton Williams

    I fear you may be to young to know MS list of blunders, where they did not “win,” in fact in your terms they were epic fails. One of the biggest was the Zune. Remember that name? NO? Neither does anyone else!

  • http://www.facebook.com/faceless.man.child Clinton Williams

    Actually if you want to get technical, anything beyond DOS is a christmas tree. STFU and move on you degenerate low life.

  • Constantin Sime

    THANKS Clint for your back up!

  • rndmperson

    Of course the Nokia Lumia 920, for example, definitely scratches the Surface; I tried at Microsoft Store in San Diego. They kicked me out, though. Maybe next time; I wasn’t done doing my testing, nor could I take a pic.

  • rndmperson

    Windows Media Center is available for Windows 8 Pro users for free though.

  • norndmperson

    God damn dumb people like u ptrk56, Patrick I guess, defending god damn dumb people like Justin Sharp & Ron Graves, who feel entitled enough to think they own Windows. Why don’t you design your own desktop, then, if YOU decide how it looks. Otherwise stop representing Windows 8 and realize its the same, damn desktop and same damn UI except w/ a screen replacing a menu for starting. Hell, I love Windows 8 on my laptop, but I could care less for the Metro…ahem..erhh…I mean Modern UI apps.

  • stillnorndmperson

    Man, I got mad told y’all to stop representing Windows 8, rather than to stop MISREPRESENTING Windows 8.

  • rndmperson

    -Actually you never could uninstall Windows, and there’s no Operating System I know of that can do that.

    -I have to agree regarding the Control Panel, but using search for things like this, mitigates that issue.

    -Windows Live Mail replaced Outlook Express as a free mail app from Microsoft.

    -And I have a successful network that includes Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8, but boy was it a pain.

    -Modding XP was one thing that I loved doing but, I really don’t have a problem w/ the desktop for 7 or 8.

    Kain’s statement, although brusque and rude, sheds the irony of people intial to XP a bloated candy and horrible; now people want to save it.

  • Cyber

    I don’t know what version of Windows 8 people are using here, but I just got it and it includes a Desktop you can click on, which looks a lot like the old desktop people miss. I’m using it that way because I hate the visual clutter of all the tiles on a desktop. Microsoft appears to be trying to copy Apple, which seems unnecessary. Fortunately there are other workarounds too — just google and you’ll find solutions to things like getting a reasonable version of the Start Menu pinned to your taskbar, along with Restart, Shutdown, Sleep and other handy icons. Windows 8 solved problems I was having with RAM access in Windows 7.