What's that pain in my Anus??

[siringo]

Ok, so about 2 months back I bragged I had jumped the evil ship Microsoft and onto the good ship Lollipop AKA Linux.

Well as it turned out trying to use Linux and other open source bits n pieces in a Microsoft only environment just doesn't work, it was too hard and time consuming.

So tonight I undertook an inplace upgrade W7 to W8.1. Now I thought it'd just work, how wrong I was.

I can't even get 1366x768, best I can get is 1024x768 or whatever they are.

Microsoft have copped a lot of bad press with W8 and rightfully so.

25 years in this bloody trade, I've seen a lot, but I've never seen a desktop upgrade leave a user with such a vastly different working environment. It's going to take me at least a week to get everything back, or learn how to use what I used as second nature in W7.

I may not be as technically sharp as I once was, but now I'm in a position to make recommendations and that involves money and that's what it's all about.

Oh yes, I didn't even realise I was being bent over the table before the penetration began. They're so gentle at Microsoft.

 

[OneMofo]

Thats why stick with Apple, its a little gimmicky but it works for me and doesnt really drastically change.

 

[Connaught]

be nice for an android powered desktop (sorry i can't stand apple)

 

[siringo]

Huh, I just went to look for my programs in add/remove. It lists 1!!! It's telling me only 1 f'ing program is installed. I've been using this laptop for 4 years.

Glad I ghosted the laptop before I installed this OS. I may be reverting on Sunday. And this is it's biggest downfall. You can't instantly use it, the learning curve is too great & too much is altered.

 

[siringo]

be nice for an android powered desktop (sorry i can't stand apple)

Tried that. You can Android to run on the x86 platform, too tired to look up info at the moment, but I tried it and it wasn't bad but need to spend a lot of time to get it setup. More of a hobby than a serious thing ATM.

 

[Al]

God I could never use Windows as my OS again. I've used Arch Linux for around 7 years and suse before that. I don't see what you mean by it taking to much time maintaining it. I my view it takes less then windows and the frequent reinstalls when it get all junked up.

And I don't have to worry about viruses and other malware on Linux. My work accounting runs on a hosted Linux server that costs like $5 a month.

as for android x86 it doesn't make for a good desktop, great for phones though. I only ever read this forum on my nexus 5 with tapatalk. So easy.

Everyone should give open source and Linux a go.

 

[Old.Tony]

I'm running W8 out of necessity on my laptop and it really lives up to its name - I have to W8 an awful lot. Thankfully I've got VMWare installed as well, and I'm currently running virtual machines with Fedora 17, 18, 20, Linux Mint (Cinnamon), Ubuntu, Lubuntu, Windows XP and OS/2 so I can pretty much do whatever I please.

My servers are usually some flavour of Linux. Trying to get Lubuntu onto a Samsung N150 at the moment but it's playing hardball - the N150 has a native video resolution that Lubuntu just doesn't like, so I'm about to cave on it and find something else that's light and serviceable. My issue with Linux is that the twits that put Gnome3 together forgot that the bloody thing needed configuring and communications, and there is a distinct lack of administrative tools in an environment that not only screams "Windows 8 Wanna Be" but leaves all of the functionality up to people that produce interfaces like Mate (FFS guys, you could do a LOT better).

I do have an Android device that I can do a large amount of my work with - my Asus Transformer Prime TF201. Supposed to get 18 hours out of the battery, regularly get over 12 hours on it, I've got a full (functional) office suite on it as well as remote control (VNC, RDP) tools plus some file management tools too. It's lacking data recovery tools that I need, as well as CD/DVD burning tools (of course, since it doesn't have a DVD drive, but I regularly have to make copies of surveillance DVDs at work). I don't think I could do everything with Android (yet). I've made an attempt, it doesn't work - yet.

I wouldn't mind getting myself an updated laptop at some point and throwing Android onto THIS device (Asus N56V i7 laptop, 8Gb/1T+BD) and see what it makes of the hardware. Only issue would be power - I've never seen Android go onto a device it was not specifically set up for and use modest amounts of power, it's usually super-hungry. I had a HTC Touch HD phone that I put Gingerbread onto and the battery would go for an hour and a half, two at best (the phone, under Windows CE, would run for 24 hours without a charge immediately before and after when I flashed everything back).

Android needs to mature a little. Linux geeks need to get their heads into an actual workspace and Microsoft needs to get the flick big-time. They're (obviously) in cahoots with Intel to "encourage" people to update their computers because I'm sure Windows 9 will require a quad-processor i9 with half a terabyte of RAM and only 200Gb of space for the install.

While I'm whining about space, I had a look at what my various OSes over the years used.

OS/2 installed in 200Mb and needed just 8Mb of RAM, preferred 16.
Windows ME installed in 500Mb and needed 256Mb of RAM, preferred 512.
Windows XP installed in 5Gb and needed 2Gb of RAM.
Windows 7 installed in 8Gb and needed 4Gb of RAM.
Windows 8 installed in 25Gb and needed 4Gb of RAM, preferred 8Gb.

If MS (and I am referring to the disease, not the unfortunate medical condition) continues on this trend, Intel stocks will continue to soar. Investors take note. Sensible people, look for a version of Linux.

You can - with OpenOffice (I hate LibreOffice, what a pig) - conduct a great deal of office tasks. I wish there was a decent Lotus Notes interface for Linux (or even Android) - I'm a LN developer and can't really leave the Windows environment unless I can take that with me.

Unfortunately for me, Windows lives on out of necessity.

 

[nakedape]

Its been said already, but let me reiterate: BUY A MAC!

While the OS is upgraded the interface remains constant. And they are rarely buggy.

 

[siringo]

I had to go back to windoze coz my job is to support it, both server and desktop. it's hard to support something you get don't training on or use, so it really came down to keeping my job secure.

I don't want a mac, for the same reason I dropped Linux, I need to keep my windows knowledge up. There aren't enough macs in the world to sustain full time employment, not for me anyway.

Truth be known i'd really prefer to complete my TIG welding ticket and become a boiler maker, I've had more than enough of IT.

Back to my w8 install. It doesn't know what my screen is, I can't immediately find office, firefox and much else. When I was looking at Linux every distro found all my hardware, but Microsoft can't. The free stuff works, the paid for stuff doesn't.

 

[Malicious]

The fun of windows H8 , I'm glad my work won't allow it.
As for Mac , can't get it for my home theatre PC / server / virtual machine host , it runs Linux and can't find anything that comes close to flexibility and cost

 

[Roadeater]

Yesterday. This WAS my laptop. Windows 8-8.1. Yes, I lost my sh!t. A high-end 8 month old ASUS is no more because of Windows.

Yes, I probably need some sort of anger management. Yes, that is my lappy, legit. It is now on the front verandah as some sort of Bohemian art piece. If you don't believe it I can post more pics and I will put my Mac next to it with this forum page on screen for proof.

 

[tweak'e]

but I've never seen a desktop upgrade leave a user with such a vastly different working environment. It's going to take me at least a week to get everything back, or learn how to use what I used as second nature in W7.

the free 8.1 upgrade and the recent big patch KB2919355 changes a fair few things. but i still miss the old programs menu.

 

[Old.Tony]

Microsoft wins again, thanks to their partnership with Intel. Now you'll buy another computer, and even if it's not running Windows, you can bet there was a license fee paid for it anyway, and someone had to buy the CPU from Intel.

Here's an interesting question. What happens if you do NOT agree to Microsoft's EULA? Can you take the laptop back and have it supplied without the OS, at a discount?

Currently installing Bodhi Enlightenment (Linux, based on Ubuntu) in a virtual session, will see how that goes.

 

[Kranzy]

Here's an interesting question. What happens if you do NOT agree to Microsoft's EULA? Can you take the laptop back and have it supplied without the OS, at a discount?

Shops purchase the hardware from their suppliers/manufactures as they are. The os is supplied as a part of the product. So as far as the retailers are concerned it's not their problem.

To have any chance of what you suggest I would imagine you would need to be in discussions with the manufacturer. And you could only imagine how that would go.

I generally set up a Linux partition and dual boot when necessary.

You could always just wipe the drive and install Ubuntu as the solo os if you want.

 

[siringo]

Sunday morning, typing on my restored W7 laptop.

Found out yesterday that when you upgrade from W7 to 8.1 you CANNOT keep your programs/apps. When I was installing 8.1 it asked, 'What do you want to keep, A) data files, B) Nothing. I chose A.

I just expected it would do an inplace upgrade leaving all apps AND my data. Oh no. Only the data. If I want my apps I have to reinstall ALL of them. It even nuked Office.

I find this just staggering, I really do. I cannot believe I haven't heard anything about this, this makes the lack of a Start Menu problem look insignificant.

If this what is going to happen with each OS upgrade from now on, maybe I should go back to Linux or Mac.

 

[Nevyn]

Its been said already, but let me reiterate: BUY A MAC! While the OS is upgraded the interface remains constant. And they are rarely buggy.

I'll third that. I'm not computer savy at all but since buying the Mac my migraines are non existent!

 

[siringo]

I'll third that. I'm not computer savy at all but since buying the Mac my migraines are non existent!

Migrains, that's be the D22 Brad ;-)

 

[Nevyn]

Migrains, that's be the D22 Brad ;-)

Haha, seriously the D22 is so simple to use I smile when driving. Windows on the other hand, **** me!

 

[nao]

I've used IT for over 30 years.. as a user i see no end of dramas with microsoft and no end of compliments from mac users.. few years time apple will catch up with whats its lacking and will start their advertising campaign..'yes, but is it mac compatible'

a lot of the 'corporates' are getting behind apple as well now..

 

[terryc]

Siringo,I sympathise, but thanks for posting. It reminds me of how lucky I am despite my feelings with Linux arseholes at times. So glad I'm retired and no longer have to do user support for MS OSs, even if it was paid.

I've never purchased a MAC as it was totally closed shop, HW & SW, in my days and I could get double anything else for the price. Anyways Macs are just another Linux/SysV(?) these days.

I only ever paid MS Tax on Win3.11, Win98 & Win 2000(it finally went whacko 3 months ago when it was swapped to LCD screen from glass). Maainly because I roll my own HW and buy the bits I need. A lot of system sellers use MS OS as the SW to test the hardware assembly.

If anyone wants to try Linux, do a bit of reading as there is more varieties than types of bread.

I'll also point out PlayOnLinux, which is wine+dosbox for running MS OS programs, on Linux. The install scripts are mainly Games, but the basic office stuff is there as well. Anther trick is to just copy your MS system into the PoL MS app virtual drive and kill off excess directories.

Tony, if still reading, what was your problem with LibreOffice? Apache has a version of OO as well. The Boss uses it for her limited stuff, but I threw all those word processors on MS & Linux in about 10 years ago when I went real retro and learnt LaTeX.