Windows 8....urgh

[CyberNerd]

Not really. At my school laptops outnumber desktops. I can see Windows 8 hybrid laptops with 14-19 hour batteries (Envy X2 / Vivo Tab / ATIV Smart PC) being very popular in the future.


The first iPad was barely five months old when that report was published in 2010. Schools are not known for being early adopters of new technology.


I took more than six weeks to learn to drive a car. That's terrible, isn't it!

You can't expect to learn something instantly (unless you live in The Matrix that is).

I'm typing this on a £160 tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard. I'm not so sure that Windows 8 is really going to be required for this technology shift. And six weeks is really quite a long time to expect teachers to train to use something. I don't think they will see the benefit if they are using technology already. It just seems like a lot of headache for very little,if any, benefit.

[RabbieBurns]

I gave my laptop to my 60 year old mother who is pretty much technological illiterate when i was back in September. It had windows 8.

Speaking to her this week I was asking how she got on and she says she found it very easy to use, and had figured it out within a couple of days.

We need to remember that most users dont need to know how to get to the control panel and other advanced stuff. They just click to open applications, and the easier the applications are presented to them, the easier they can open them.

[SYNACK]

I gave my laptop to my 60 year old mother who is pretty much technological illiterate when i was back in September. It had windows 8.

Speaking to her this week I was asking how she got on and she says she found it very easy to use, and had figured it out within a couple of days.

We need to remember that most users dont need to know how to get to the control panel and other advanced stuff. They just click to open applications, and the easier the applications are presented to them, the easier they can open them.

Yea, its probably like Office, I'm gearing up for people coming and gloating to me about all the cool new features their new PC has that have existed since Windows 95 but they have not found.

[theithelp]

It just takes some time getting used to, but after a couple of hours, things start to fall into place. After a few months of using Windows8 in my work, I'm totally in love!

[tmcd35]

It just takes some time getting used to, but after a couple of hours, things start to fall into place. After a few months of using Windows8 in my work, I'm totally in love!

Sounds like Stockholm Syndrome to me

[jinnantonnixx]

Sounds like Stockholm Syndrome to me

Perfect setup. Flawless execution.

[JohnCondon]

Perfect setup. Flawless execution.

and he isn't talking about the Windows 8 installer.. bdum tish...

[localzuk]

I've been using Windows 8 at home for a while. I still don't 'get' the 'metro' stuff but everything else is fine. However, I am now looking at Linux with much more seriousness. Mint is now installed on both my laptop and desktop. I've started programming in Python instead of C# also. Steam for Linux will be the final nail for me really! I already have a pile of games through Humble Indie Bundles which have Linux versions, Minecraft is linux friendly and plenty of Windows games can be brow beaten into working with Wine.

The only other use is as a media centre and everyone knows that MythTV does that job well!

[CyberNerd]

I've been using Windows 8 at home for a while. I still don't 'get' the 'metro' stuff but everything else is fine. However, I am now looking at Linux with much more seriousness. Mint is now installed on both my laptop and desktop. I've started programming in Python instead of C# also. Steam for Linux will be the final nail for me really! I already have a pile of games through Humble Indie Bundles which have Linux versions, Minecraft is linux friendly and plenty of Windows games can be brow beaten into working with Wine.

The only other use is as a media centre and everyone knows that MythTV does that job well!

If you want to look into a larger scale managed deployment then look no further than here:
Spacewalk: Free & Open Source Linux Systems Management
We've been using it for several months now for 70+ centos machines and it works really nicely for imaging, locking down settings, installing new software, patching and running small scripts.

[theithelp]

Sounds like Stockholm Syndrome to me

I really dont feel like I'm kidnapped.. but maybe it's the Stockholm syndrome, but on a deeper level..

[Jamo]

I've been using Windows 8 at home for a while. I still don't 'get' the 'metro' stuff but everything else is fine. However, I am now looking at Linux with much more seriousness. Mint is now installed on both my laptop and desktop. I've started programming in Python instead of C# also. Steam for Linux will be the final nail for me really! I already have a pile of games through Humble Indie Bundles which have Linux versions, Minecraft is linux friendly and plenty of Windows games can be brow beaten into working with Wine.

The only other use is as a media centre and everyone knows that MythTV does that job well!

I would really be looking into Linux if it worked with my soundcard bought a Moto 828MKII a long time ago when I did audio production, Motu are really against Linux so will never produce a compatible driver

Will be interesting to see if Valve do Steam for linux or just stick to their 'console' idea. I hope the linux steam games do go well, it would really push me away from Windows for home use, same with the Media center though, I use it a LOT, havent used the linux variants yet. Got WMC recording the Mentalist. Can't be doing with missing that!

[localzuk]

I would really be looking into Linux if it worked with my soundcard bought a Moto 828MKII a long time ago when I did audio production, Motu are really against Linux so will never produce a compatible driver

Will be interesting to see if Valve do Steam for linux or just stick to their 'console' idea. I hope the linux steam games do go well, it would really push me away from Windows for home use, same with the Media center though, I use it a LOT, havent used the linux variants yet. Got WMC recording the Mentalist. Can't be doing with missing that!

Steam for Linux is already in existence - the closed beta has been going on for a few months, and the open beta should be happening some time this week. They've got about 80,000 people using it at the moment.

Their plan, from what I've read is that the console will be one option 'pre-made' or for those who are more happy doing things themselves, the client will be available as well.

WMC is, to put it bluntly, terrible when you compare it to the other options on the market. MediaPortal is amazing in comparison, as is MythTV.

Also, from what I'm reading, that sound card should work fine with FFADO, and have done since about 2009 when v2 rc1 was released.

[Jamo]

Steam for Linux is already in existence - the closed beta has been going on for a few months, and the open beta should be happening some time this week. They've got about 80,000 people using it at the moment.

Their plan, from what I've read is that the console will be one option 'pre-made' or for those who are more happy doing things themselves, the client will be available as well.

WMC is, to put it bluntly, terrible when you compare it to the other options on the market. MediaPortal is amazing in comparison, as is MythTV.

Also, from what I'm reading, that sound card should work fine with FFADO, and have done since about 2009 when v2 rc1 was released.

FFADO is SO difficult to set up though, I really can't be bothered with things breaking after an OS update either, if it doesn't work well in stock Ubuntu or Mint then I usually didn't bother.

Oooo I didn't realise it was all go with Steam for Linux! I'll check out that MediaPortal as well, gonna have to make some more time, got a baby on the way in -4 days!!! (overdue! )

[rich_tech]

I actually have it installed on my home PC again and am having a better experience this time, I am apparently a sucker for punishment (lol) I am warming to it, I have a massive issue at the moment in in that I need to have the on-board VGA enabled in the BIOS for it to boot on my Gigabyte motherboard, because it doesnt seem to recognise my GTS450 on its own if the onboard vga is turned off, so I have to disable screens and the card in windows, this time around I have not installed any other drivers (Windows itself downloaded the latest nvidia one, which seems stable).

Other than that, its working well so far, takes a bit of getting used to the start menu change though, but I am persevering, acid test is going to be when the mrs has a go (showed her last night, but she needs to play for herself with it and get use to it)... wish me luck ....

[sparkeh]

WMC is, to put it bluntly, terrible when you compare it to the other options on the market. MediaPortal is amazing in comparison, as is MythTV.

Interesting, my experience is the exact opposite. I really persevered with MP, it was a pain to set up and maintain whereas Media Centre just worked and has continued to work with zero issues.