That is actually more efficient than touchscreen control!
Cant wait for Microsofts operating system for it!
NOT.

http://videosift.com/video/Frog-Good-At-Touchscreen-Games

2 years in Finland too and no choices, every carrier has it and they are priced almost exactly the same.. Just like a bunch of guys agreeing something in the backroom and miraculously announcing their campaign in sync.. Personally, i buy the cheapest phones there is and have my 12 year old prepaid still going strong. I've estimated that i've saved over 2000€ in the last ten years and that's comparing to the cheapest contract available (around 20€ is the minimum contract price.) Of course that means that i'm the only one in my class that doesn't have a touchscreen as you can't get those without contracts on a students "salary"...

I wouldn't mind the changes, but the fact that you can't go back to a Windows 7 style start bar menu on the Desktop is just odd... I am willing to have Metro the default and no real way to boot to Desktop, but Desktop should function they way people are used to it, give them an easy way back to Metro, but leave Desktop functional...

The big problem is most home consumers buy their PC from Best Buy, Wal-Mart or some retail box store like that, and those PCs will all be loaded with Windows 8, so it doesn't matter if Microsoft keep Windows 7 available for businesses and people doing custom builds, most consumers will be stuck with this mess for their desktops and laptops.

About the only thing they seem to be doing right on the desktop/laptop end is finally going with a semi-more-reasonable price structure for the upgrades. $40 per PC... still not as cheap as Apple's $20 upgrade every Mac you have, but a step in the right direction. Had they managed to get ReFS better integrated across the line (able to boot from it, able to use it in removable drives and in consumer level versions... the inability to boot from it and use it in removable drives is perhaps why it isn't in the consumer version) then that would be a thing they have going for it as well.

Metro looks great for touchscreens, although the lack of ability to set where you want to split side by side apps seems odd even for touchscreens.

This was designed for touchscreen interface, so of course it's going to be better with a touchscreen. But, the idea of a 'touchscreen monitor workstation' does not make ergonomic sense. For the majority of us who sit at a desk with their monitor in front of them, imagine experiencing this software 'as intended,' with a touchscreen monitor. Now, imagine holding your arm out with your hand arched backwards and clicking items on the desktop...for 8 hours a day. If typing on a keyboard gives people carpeltunnel issues, mousing around with this kind of setup will have long lines at all the hospitals.

Let's say we have our ideal setup to prevent all injuries. We have the monitor lay flat on the desk or at rather flat angle, and then people can mouse around on it rather comfortably. Now, your monitor is where your keyboard goes. Typing on the screen works in a pinch, but a real keyboard is certainly much better. The only setup I've seen that has successfully married a touchscreen monitor with a keyboard is the new small tablet systems, where both the monitor and the keyboard are small enough to fit on your lap at the same time. Of course, if you want to do more than surf the web or check emails, that dinky screen really doesn't do it.

Touchscreens are for toys, not for productivity.

W8's Metro is not designed for desktops. It's fine for touchscreens and tablets. Ugh! I use it at work for testings. It drives me nuts!

There are two things that I think are overlooked with Windows 8...

First up it's an operating system that has a UI designed specifically for touch input. The UI is obviously not intended for regular desktop usage, and is Microsoft's attempt at reaching out to the consumer market. Let's face it, Microsoft has pretty much got the business side of things covered with Windows 7, and there is still a large business user base who have yet to put migrations to Windows 7 into effect. Why use a keyboard and mouse with an operating system designed for touch input? Windows 7 will be available for a long time yet, because Microsoft know Windows 8 is a stretch too far for most businesses.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the whole desktop UI is still there, and you can run your entire Windows session in the traditional desktop without having to step in and out of the "modern UI" (aka metro) shell. The start menu is lacking, but easily recreated with a shortcut to the start menu folder in your user profile pinned to the task bar.

Yep, there'll be many geeks who wanted to persuade their bosses that everyone needs their monitors replaced with touchscreens but let's face it, Windows 8 is a consumer product and is not yet geared up for business use. Touch input is slowly creeping into the business world with many executives loving their shiny pads/tablets/slabs that make them look professional. It'll be a bit longer before tech departments start envisioning an overhaul of their entire workstation setups and are willing to embrace Windows 8.

One last thought crossed my mind... As far as touch input goes, Windows 8 is pretty sweet.

THIS IS A SYMPTOM OF TOUCHSCREEN TEXTING.

With a physical keyboard you can learn the letter placement and not have to look at the screen. Hell I could text 40 words per minute on an old Nokia brick using t9 BEHIND MY BACK.

In other words I blame Apple fans.

Because thats how hard you have to hit it to make the touchscreen work.

>> ^jonny:

dead


Thanks. I think I found a replacement.

>> ^Boise_Lib:

Looks worse than Vista.


Worse than Windows Me IMO. Did MS even do any usability testings with this new design? I am OK for tablets with touchscreens, but devices without touchscreens? HELLO MS?

>> ^direpickle:


Oh, god, no. NO! FOR GOD'S SAKE NO! Predictive text, autocorrect, and all of that bullshit is the most painful thing about using touchscreen phones.


/shrug

You are obviously entitled to your opinion, and yes, we've all seen hilarious examples where autocorrect completely changed the meaning of some text, but have you tried using a mobile device without it? It's slower and more error prone.

My day job is programming, so you would imagine I'd spend a lot of time typing, but you'd be wrong. Because the editor understands the context of what I am writing, I rarely type more than a few letters before the editor suggests what I want. Obviously human languages are much more complex and ambiguous, but a best effort is certainly possible.

>> ^ChaosEngine:

Actually I have to say that typing full words out on a keyboard is incredibly tedious. Seriously, typing in notepad or textedit or word or whatever is way slower than it needs to be.
Text editors need to take a serious look at the innovations that are happening all around them. Look at mobile phones or code editors. Computers these days have spare CPU power to burn, and yet I still have type out the entire word when the app should easily be able to guess the word I want from context and first few letters.


Oh, god, no. NO! FOR GOD'S SAKE NO! Predictive text, autocorrect, and all of that bullshit is the most painful thing about using touchscreen phones.

Tell that to Apple (Mac OS X Lion) or any modern touchscreen device.

If you hold on the page and move up, your view goes down.

>> ^ForgedReality:


I see. Well with a mouse, up SHOULD be up, and down SHOULD be down. For anything with a stick, I always use back for up and forward for down. How anyone can do the opposite just astounds me. Doesn't make any sense whatsoever, especially considering ALL flight sticks in EVERY real-life aircraft EVER CONSTRUCTED uses the same control scheme.
Also, I can't recall the last game I played that came with a default setting of pushing up (forward) on a stick to equal up. It's always been forward for down for every game I can remember.

>> ^deathcow:

I have no use for a low resolution, awkwardly small device which you must crane your neck to use or hold in front of your eyes eternally. I like computing on the edge baby, with ultra high resolution big screen and a comfortable chair. And maybe most of all.... a REAL keyboard with buttons. I am sure there are some fast screen typists out there, but its not for me... I like tactile feedback and lit keys in a dark room. The tablet may be ideal for going to the bathroom however...


The stock keyboard on these devices are crap and do not work. But add Swype or Slide-it and they work just great for short amounts of text. Once you start typing an essay then move back to the laptop.