Is Windows 8 a better OS than Windows 7? IMO, yes and here's why

Posted by Dan77 on April 23, 2012 03:12 am 19

I have tried Windows 8 CP since the first days it came out. I have used it on different hardware paradigm, laptops on the go (touchpad only), standard desktop machines with mouse and keyboard, external monitors, tablets.

I seriously think Microsoft is doing the right thing with this new OS, specially if you take in account this is still a beta, not even a RC. Let me explain why I think so:

(Look the Tutorial video available on Windows 8 website.Don't make an argument about how everyone should be able to use it without even a knowledge. This is not a mobile OS. It's a full blown OS that gives you a full control over your work and is supposed to be used with complex interfaces applications and operations. I suppose spending 3min of your life to get a clue how to use it shouldn't really be a big problem)

• Using Windows 8 on PC is generally an improvement over windows 7 in some area, like faster startup, better file transfer interface, generally faster UI.
• One big concern is that new corner system isn't really fast or performant for production people.. probably is true but honestly people concerned about productivity and speed in their work, should use the keyboard shortcuts. In Windows8 they make a terrific work to give you access to almost everything you need. They are faster and more precise than any mouse interface, being the new Corners system in Windows 8 or the previous point and click on icons in Windows 7.
• Another concern is about the new menu system. Well let me tell you this. Once you have organized your metro menu it's quite a faster way to access to your programs than fiddling with Windows 7 menu sublevels. Still if you really want a super fast access you can pin applications in desktop or the application bar, exactly like before.
• Multitasking can be called just like before (keyboard shortcut), plus you have corner access to move/swap/substitute applications in the side/side interface. The new 2 apps side by side interface can be pretty good and improving your work. Now I'm able to keep reading The Verge website on a 2/3 screen while keeping an eye on the desktop in the remaining 1/3, with all the applications opened on the desktop appearing with a live preview in a vertical list. In this way I can read and at the same time see the downloading progress, or file transfer, or the progess bar in the video encoding software.. and so on. Also, with desktop on 2/3 and two windows opened in it, you can actually easily manage 3 apps at the same time. All of these things were simply impossible or very difficult to achieve on Windows 7, requiring to manually tweak the different apps windows to achieve a similar result.
• The new search system is slick and simple to manage. In one common interface you can access and search applications, files, settings, even in-app search in the metro apps. I think there's a need for some advanced filtering but the system is already perfomant now. Simply said I never used too much the search in Windows before, rather I was loosing time searching manually, now is a constant and useful too.
• The corner systems is better on mouse than touchpad. Not saying is bad, just it's better with a mouse IMO.
• Windows 8 on Samsung Slate 7 is simply terrific. The interface is awesome, the swipe system works flawlessly, the onscreen keyboard very good and reactive, Metro apps really shine with touch controls. I use it as a tablet on the go, with finger touch most of the time and pen-touch in handwriting apps or when more precision is required. Back in the office, I dock it and it become a desktop pc, where I use more keyboard shortcuts and the mouse to navigate. The possibility to switch between all these interfaces is amazing and it can adapt perfectly to your different usage.
• This is a CP and there are some problems here and there, like functionality in metro apps not yet consistent, mixed UI paradigm sometimes aren't working, low performance of corners system on multimonitor systems and so on. But I expect to see improvements on these things when RC will come out.
• Windows 8 will drive an evolution in the consumer market, where basically the laptop as we know it today will disappear, being replaced by laptop with touchscreens monitor and different form factors (folding, pivoting, keyboard-docked etc..). Also desktop market could become different, with tablet ala Slate 7 transforming in desktop machine with a docked station connected with external monitors. The necessity to have Windows 8 to access the Metro market will push people to upgrade systems as well. In corporate environment, for some time we'll see probably a slower adoption rate, but the possibility to share a common interface between all corporate devices (tablets, phones, laptops desktop and so on) will push the upgrade in the future.

It would be interesting now to know from you what's the way you use windows 8, in which way you think is performing better or worse than your previous OS.

I would like to see this post as a constructive way to discover new usages and solutions about Windows 8, from current users. Even if you don't like Windows 8, come here open minded and listen to those with a different experience.. maybe you should discover isn't really that bad for you too.