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Take away the Metro UI, Win 8 is a winner.

chrisk

Folding Captain
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
7,702
Location
GTA, Ontario
Sat my buddy down in front of my folding Win8 machine yesterday. He got pretty pissed pretty quick.

While I agree that it sucks, and removing the Start menu is a mistake, I don't get that we should not have to ever install software to regain functionality and be happy with an OS. This happens all the time.

Got a new phone this week. What was the first thing I did? Got root access. Then I installed a launcher (Nova), which sounds eerily like something Start8 does on Win8. Then I installed widgets so that I would easily access functions of the OS, like wifi and screen brightness.

Now, I am looking for a good USB mass storage app so I can use my Android phone in a manner I have for ages...as a USB drive on Windows XP. They all seem to need root.

Actually come to think of it, I had to do a heck of a lot of work to get myself happy with my Android OS, to the point of potentially voiding my warranty.

Maybe Stardock should have called Start8 a 'launcher' lol...maybe people would give them a break. I don't see the difference here; while I don't agree with removing the Start Menu functionality, MS is just doing something that the industry does all the time.
 

enaberif

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 9, 2006
Messages
11,412
Location
Calgahree, AB
Sat my buddy down in front of my folding Win8 machine yesterday. He got pretty pissed pretty quick.

While I agree that it sucks, and removing the Start menu is a mistake, I don't get that we should not have to ever install software to regain functionality and be happy with an OS. This happens all the time.

Got a new phone this week. What was the first thing I did? Got root access. Then I installed a launcher (Nova), which sounds eerily like something Start8 does on Win8. Then I installed widgets so that I would easily access functions of the OS, like wifi and screen brightness.

Now, I am looking for a good USB mass storage app so I can use my Android phone in a manner I have for ages...as a USB drive on Windows XP. They all seem to need root.

Actually come to think of it, I had to do a heck of a lot of work to get myself happy with my Android OS, to the point of potentially voiding my warranty.

Maybe Stardock should have called Start8 a 'launcher' lol...maybe people would give them a break. I don't see the difference here; while I don't agree with removing the Start Menu functionality, MS is just doing something that the industry does all the time.

I don't get quite why you need a usb mass storage app? By default Android phones can be used as a mass storage device.. I have used my Galaxy S2 like this for a very long time and never needed root.

What phone do you have..
 

sswilson

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 9, 2006
Messages
24,652
Location
Moncton NB
Sat my buddy down in front of my folding Win8 machine yesterday. He got pretty pissed pretty quick.

While I agree that it sucks, and removing the Start menu is a mistake, I don't get that we should not have to ever install software to regain functionality and be happy with an OS. This happens all the time.

Got a new phone this week. What was the first thing I did? Got root access. Then I installed a launcher (Nova), which sounds eerily like something Start8 does on Win8. Then I installed widgets so that I would easily access functions of the OS, like wifi and screen brightness.

Now, I am looking for a good USB mass storage app so I can use my Android phone in a manner I have for ages...as a USB drive on Windows XP. They all seem to need root.

Actually come to think of it, I had to do a heck of a lot of work to get myself happy with my Android OS, to the point of potentially voiding my warranty.

Maybe Stardock should have called Start8 a 'launcher' lol...maybe people would give them a break. I don't see the difference here; while I don't agree with removing the Start Menu functionality, MS is just doing something that the industry does all the time.

Mainly because having the start button there runs counter to what M$'s vision is, so I wouldn't be surprised if every second update breaks that start button. Besides that, I refuse to reward bad behaviour by accepting a sub standard product.

I made my point earlier this week while shopping for a low(er) end laptop to replace my mother's P4 thinkpad... dell had a great deal on an i3, but I had a look at both FS and Staples for comparisons... Staples had nothing that tickled my fancy, and all of the sub $500 laptops at FS were Win8, and when I asked the salesperson about it, she admitted that the lack of win7 on those laptops was a noticable problem when it came to moving them.

This is a laptop for somebody who probably turns it on for an hour or so a couple of times a week... adjusting to win7 from XP is going to be a bit of a hassle for her (she's in another city so I can't walk her through it), attempting to adjust to win8 with it's non-intuitive / no visible indication of how it works metro setup is an absolute non-starter.

on top if all this, I noticed that the dell I was looking at is also offered with Ubuntu @ a $50 discount.... is that dell pushing back against M$'s attempt to push win8 on them?
 

enaberif

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 9, 2006
Messages
11,412
Location
Calgahree, AB
on top if all this, I noticed that the dell I was looking at is also offered with Ubuntu @ a $50 discount.... is that dell pushing back against M$'s attempt to push win8 on them?

Dell has had an option to buy laptops with out an OS and with Ubuntu installed for quite some time but it never took off because well people don't know what Ubuntu is really about.
 

botat29

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 4, 2010
Messages
830
Location
Montreal
Well , I tough I saw all the bad thing in Windows 8, I discover why my NIC suddenly change for the wrong drivers, MS include " Microsoft Kernel Debugger Network Adapter " after some research it come with a Kernel Debugger MS include with Windows8, so many peoples are loosing network connectivity because of that, WTF, a kernel debugger, are we buying Beta or even Alpha OS now ?

Like if it was not enough bad news today, Sinofsky, decide to challenger him self and don't want to release service pack anymore, so if you reinstall Windows 8 in few years, you will have to re download all the update.


Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows division, has essentially stated as much on the Building Windows 8 blog:
"During the final months of Windows 8 we challenged ourselves to create the tools and processes to be able to deliver these 'post-RTM' updates sooner than a service pack," Sinofsky wrote. "By developing better test automation and test coverage tools ... Windows 8 will be totally up to date for all customers starting at General Availability."

what an idiot this guy, "challenge ourself" can wait the board fire him when they will realize the lost they make with their sales.

You don't challenge yourself to change thing that work well , may be he should chalenge to make more peoples hapy with the Desktop version of windows 8.
 

NyteOwl

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 4, 2008
Messages
869
Location
Nova Scotia
Got a new phone this week. What was the first thing I did? Got root access. Then I installed a launcher (Nova), which sounds eerily like something Start8 does on Win8. Then I installed widgets so that I would easily access functions of the OS, like wifi and screen brightness.

Now, I am looking for a good USB mass storage app so I can use my Android phone in a manner I have for ages...as a USB drive on Windows XP. They all seem to need root.

Actually come to think of it, I had to do a heck of a lot of work to get myself happy with my Android OS, to the point of potentially voiding my warranty.

But this is not due to anything lacking in the OS but rather the configuration the Telco provider has made available with the phone. Installing an "unadulterated" version of Android/rooting the phone is simpkly restoring functionality the Telco made unavailable - not that didn't exist in the first place.
 

GT7R

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 23, 2010
Messages
988
Location
The universe
I dislike the Metro UI in place of the start menu, plus I dont care for th apps at all. I am getting used to it though, only time will tell if I will actually begin to like/prefer it. also, having trouble finding things I used to find easily is annoying. Google is my friend!

- I like the search. It works great.
- I think the parent control changes are very good.
- The Task Manager is fantastic.
- It's snappy, and I'm running it on a P4 3.2 system with onboard graphics, a laptop HD and 2 GB of Ram.
- It boots very quickly.

Totally with you on this one.
 

chrisk

Folding Captain
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
7,702
Location
GTA, Ontario
I don't get quite why you need a usb mass storage app? By default Android phones can be used as a mass storage device.. I have used my Galaxy S2 like this for a very long time and never needed root.

What phone do you have..

Galaxy Note II. From what I have read, no Android 4.1 Jelly Bean device has it without 3rd party support.

I need mass storage because I was Windows XP at work, and will continue to do so for the next year or more at least. With current 4.1 Jelly Bean, Windows 7 will do it. XP and Ubuntu will not without mass storage enabled.

Mainly because having the start button there runs counter to what M$'s vision is, so I wouldn't be surprised if every second update breaks that start button. Besides that, I refuse to reward bad behaviour by accepting a sub standard product.

Again, I believe that MS is wrong in their omission of the Start button, just like I think its wrong that mass storage was removed in Android. Why remove functionality people are happy with? There are a plethora of apps in the Play Store to add mass storage again, so I am not a minority.

Also, has anyone seen the new tablet interface on Android 4.2? The interface has been unified across phones and tablets now....
Counterpoint: The Android 4.2 Tablet UI Looks Just Like A Giant Phone's, And That's A Shame

Voting with your dollars as you have will certainly get MS to add it if enough people chose to do so. My point is hat MS is not the only company do do this.

But this is not due to anything lacking in the OS but rather the configuration the Telco provider has made available with the phone. Installing an "unadulterated" version of Android/rooting the phone is simpkly restoring functionality the Telco made unavailable - not that didn't exist in the first place.

Does Android 4.1 and 4.2 on Nexus devices support usb mass storage (and not MTP mode)?

Again, I think MS will pay for their decision to remove the Start button, but they are not the only ones making these types of decisions.
 

chrisk

Folding Captain
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
7,702
Location
GTA, Ontario
I am running a custom 4.1 rom with mass usb support

Thats a custom rom, so the functionality could have been added by the dev.

I would like to know for sure if its Samsung that removed the functionality, or did Google choose to do so. I think it was Google, but I would not put it past Samsung either.

Best way would be for someone with a fully updated Nexus device, using stock rom to try mass storage (not NTP or some kind of camera mode).
 

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