This is how you De-suckyfy the Windows 8 interface.

[wynn]

My nephew is running a PC on Linux and has a system to operate microsoft office and he uses a lot less memory

[irneb]

My nephew is running a PC on Linux and has a system to operate microsoft office and he uses a lot less memory

He's either running it through Wine, or he's running an entire Windows through a Virtual Machine. I've done both before, the 1st don't work too well (it sometimes crashes), the 2nd uses a lot more RAM because you're basically running 2 operating systems at once.

Personally I've given up on Microsoft Office, I use Libre Office instead. And then instead of Outlook I use Thunderbird. I even use those if I'm working on Windows. IMO they do the job I want, and in most cases better than what Micky-soft's exorbitantly priced alternatives. So far, the only reason I'm stuck with Windoze is due to Revit, even AutoCAD is out since BricsCAD has a version which runs perfectly on Linux.

So as soon as I can find a Revit for Linux, I'll say goodbye to Micro-issues for good!

[Zesty App Services]

No chance I'm going to upgrade to windows 8 - windows 7 is still the best!

[adrianh]

Windows 7 is a total pain - I am yet to figure out how to get the XP, 7 & 8 machines to talk to each other - one day some talk, the next day they don't one day they see the printers, then next day they don't, there are workgroups, homegroups and G_d know what osrta of groups but they talk when they feel like it. Now of course sharing, some share with other and some don't then some want passwords and some don't....

It was all so easy with XP...now it is black magic or just using Reebok-net with memory sticks....

My vote is this Windows SUCKS because with each new version they manage to complicate even the most basic tasks for absolutely no reason. Here is another example - in XP you could print preview from explorer and then select multiple pics to be printed on one page. In 7 its all arse about face, you have to select all the pics up front right click and then print....why did they do this...for no other reason than to annoy people who are used to doing things in a certain way.

I don't want to have to relearn every single rudimentary thing each time I upgrade Windows...it just wastes so much time....

[Dave A]

Network printers or shared-via-computer printers, Adrian?

I delivered my gripe about Windows 8 Pro's work network functionality at PC Zone the other day. Apparently it'll be fixed with the 8.1 version release.

Then what's the point of even releasing the Pro version if it can't handle workgroups yet, for crying out loud?

[adrianh]

I spent some time on the issue tonight. It seems that the machines don't like to belong to a Workgroup and a Homegroup. I checked each machine and cleared out the Homegroup. I then rejoined them to the Workgroup and rebooted them. I got the 7 macnes to share the printers with one another and also to see the printers on the XP machines. If it all still works in the morning I'll try to get the XP machines to see the printers on the 7 machines. It seems though that one also needs to load the 32 bit drivers onto the 7 machines so that the XP machines can download and install them. I'll have to try and figure it out in the morning. I haven't tried to get the 8 machines onto the network or to share any of the printers, that is a chore for another day...

[irneb]

<RANT>Nope, I've had similar issues before. Everything since Vista gave huge network problems, prior to that it wasn't as bad. To the point where we had to scrap a wide-format printer (i.e. something which cost in excess of R 200 000) simply because its controller was in fact a WinNT 4.0 machine and couldn't "talk" to any Windows newer than XP.

Even now I've got network problems with Windows 7 / XP. At home I've stopped using them together. As soon as they need to connect with each other you loose hair. And yes, it's constantly inconsistent (yes oxymoron intended) - one day works, the next it doesn't: no reason, just because it doesn't "feel" like it. I've even had situations where you run the Trouble Shooting wizard, it "fixes" the problem and suddenly you can "see" the various PC's on the network - then an hour later the same problem crops up (you haven't even restated any of the PC's).

Now I've turned my main PC into a Linux server which also handles my internet share, printers & shared folders. It never gives issues, I can connect to all of it from my W7 laptop as well as one of my old XP PC's. A friend of mine's even connected his MacBook without any extra configs to it over WiFi at one stage. I can even turn on my phone's hotspot and have the server automatically share that across the wired network without any other input that to turn on the hotspot on the phone. I've tried that with XP and with W7 - neither works well (always needs some "click-here", "beg-there" to happen on the PC as well), and also works one day but not the other.

If I can get away from any form of "Windows" I'd jump at the chance! Not only is it inconsistently crash prone / non-connective, it uses the network very inefficiently. I've tested this between 2 W7's and 2 XP's - on my 1G LAN I've never gotten throughput of more than 40MB/s, usually no more than 20MB/s (even from an SSD which regularly does local throughput of around 120MB/s). But when I do the same between 2 Linuxes (or even the BSD I used to make my own NAS) I find throughput around 80MB/s (which is very close to max for a 1G LAN, and at the HDD's max speed).</RANT>

Sorry, had to get some vitriol out of my blood!

IMO: The way to "de-suckify" windows is to uninstall it.

[IanF]

We have a HP Microserver setup with unRaid. Just the free version as 2 disks and a Raid disk works fine. To find a NAS system that played nicely with W7 was hard for me.
Haven't tried W8 yet. I have been told that the way pros print with W8 is to drop a file into a hot folder. But you need to setup hotfolders for all paper weights and sizes and types

[irneb]

I have been told that the way pros print with W8 is to drop a file into a hot folder. But you need to setup hotfolders for all paper weights and sizes and types

Yes! Though the word "professional" in that sentence is probably subjective. That was also the only way we could print to that WinNT RIP server - have the server poll a folder to see if any files are there, then if found copy it directly to the port on which the printer is connected. Unfortunately this means the "file" needs to be the raw data which the printer understands: i.e. the data sent from the printer driver over the network.

In some cases we could get the program to send HPGL/2 code to those files. But if we tried implementing the same as a windows printer driver there was user access issues as the printer driver works in the System user space - which means it's not allowed to link to shared folders. And then even using a syncing service (i.e. something like robocopy) to copy the "local hot folder" to the "shared hot folder" through a user initialized sync didn't work: the files saved by the printer driver is not accessible from the user account (unless that user is an Administrator).

We were unwilling to set all users as admins - that just begs for virus infections!

This is the printer/scanner combo we had (scanner left, printer right):


The thing in the middle with the CRT screen is a box with a PC inside which controlled the Océ equipment through proprietary connections (not LPT/Serial/USB). And Océ's software only ran on NT4, their updated software (available for Win2003 server and above) was not compatible with the laser A0 printer - so we couldn't just upgrade the controller. The whole setup worked absolutely perfect without hiccup (as long as the users were on XP or below), there was NO reason to replace anything except due to Vista/W7.

[IanF]

Hi PMB
They use fiery RIPs and pay for extra programmes. We have a fiery but didn't buy the hotfolders addon.
What I am told is that this handles the transparency settings in print files a lot better.
I will wait see if it is worth the extra cost.