The Windows 8 UI is clearly a massive clusterf**k as evidenced by the vast majority of people who've written about using it on the internet.
Best bet for a desktop UI for general layperson usage now (i.e. for someone who wants to surf the web, use iTunes to manage their music, edit the odd document or spreadsheet, is probably either Debian (which I've set up on a couple of laptops for non-tech people now as a Windows replacement, and they're perfectly happy) or, if you have the money to burn, a Mac.
Only downside of Debian is the reduced printer support compared with Windows, but as inkjet printers are pretty much disposable items it's not such a big deal to buy one that works with Linux. Also, the announcement that China is going to develop atop Ubuntu as it's national standard OS is great news for the future of hardware support (as that is where most devices are manufactured).
Only reason to stick with Win8 is if you want to play the latest Windows games - the stuff that doesn't work properly with WINE, etc.
I have Debian as a second OS on my main computer.. I really like it, but the main problem I have with it is I can't find decent flash video drivers or codecs for it, so it'll only play some Youtube videos and quite often won't play video on non-Youtube sites.. Other than that, we get our e-mail on this computer and the Missus likes Outlook as that's what she has at work (although I'm sure she'd get used to TBird quickly enough, if I could convince her to do so).. If we could fix that, I'd be happy to switch to Linux permanently.
I think MINT is the best Linux Distro I've come across so far though..
Using Fedora 14 on my old Dell Lattitude and it seems to play flash just fine (non free repo's were added straight after install) - it actually streams and plays youtube/flash better than my Win8 equipped Sony netbook.
I'll be dual booting the Dell with AROS soon as the live DVD seems to work quite well.
well I have Vista on my Desktop (writing on it now) and have no problems with it whatsoever....none.....nothing....
Plays all the latest games (borderlands 2, Skyrim) works fine as a Music station (FL 10 + VST's) and runs Mame , Specbas , Mess and Spin with Chrome for the net.
no crashes or freezes run's 24 hours if I'm downloading stuff and just works...
where are these bug's (the search is a pain but it just makes me more organised when storing stuff)
on my Laptop I have gone back to XPsp3 (it works and is stable) reads my usb stick and runs Specbas and Chrome....happy days.
Windows 7 started freezing on my Laptop (no mouse movement) and as for Metro......:-o
You know what I would buy....A Stripped down Windows OS that will run games and if you want all the crap like wordpad....notepad.....diskfrag...solitare....mediaplayer...IE(ha ha ha) etc
you can download it and install it
the first thing I do with a new install is get all the better free programs out there like VLC,Chrome,Winamp Lite(I like it) etc why Windows thinks I will buy an OS and then buy apps from an online store (do I look like an Apple user)
Hmmm... no probs with YouTube on my laptop running ubuntu 64 bit either. And Mrs.C is always looking at vids of handbags and stuff on QVC so it seems to be sorted for flash video on other sites too. I know that isn't much help but at least you know it's possible. I didn't have to do anything special to it, other than perhaps going to the adobe website and clicking the "Get Flash" button.
I believe the 32 bit versions of Outlook run fine via WINE so maybe that's an option for you. I know thunderbird is a fair bit diffent to Outlook, but it's nowhere near as different as the Mail tile is on Win8 :)
You know what I would buy....A Stripped down Windows OS that will run games and if you want all the crap like wordpad....notepad.....diskfrag...solitare....mediaplayer...IE(ha ha ha) etc
you can download it and install it
I have Debian as a second OS on my main computer.. I really like it, but the main problem I have with it is I can't find decent flash video drivers or codecs for it, so it'll only play some Youtube videos and quite often won't play video on non-Youtube sites..
Try using Google Chrome. They have an APT repository for Debian so you just add the repo, and apt-get install google-chrome.
Chrome has an in-built replacement for flash for playing videos. Works on every site I've come across and I'm quite happy not to have Flash installed on my Debian system at work (on my Mac at home, if something's chewing up CPU time for no reason, chances are it's the Flash player. One day I'll get around to evicting that pile of crap and installing Chrome).
Silverlight seems to be the new Flash these days, both in terms of what people are using it for and that it's a complete shambles on non-Windows platforms. Luckily it's nowhere near as ubiquitous, but if you're using LoveFilm, Netflix, or Sky you're probably stuck with it.
Try using Google Chrome. They have an APT repository for Debian so you just add the repo, and apt-get install google-chrome.
Chrome has an in-built replacement for flash for playing videos. Works on every site I've come across and I'm quite happy not to have Flash installed on my Debian system at work (on my Mac at home, if something's chewing up CPU time for no reason, chances are it's the Flash player. One day I'll get around to evicting that pile of crap and installing Chrome).
I'll have to try that.. I've installed all their kooky user-made browsers like Chromium and IceWeasel and the Flash alternative that comes with Debian, but it never seems to do much good.
Iceweasel is actually just Firefox rebranded (the issue is the Firefox branding itself was non-free and therefore can't be redistributed by Debian under their social contract). So to be able to ship Firefox they just removed the Firefox trademarks and made a "generic" version. It's the same browser and same actual code.
Comments
I have Debian as a second OS on my main computer.. I really like it, but the main problem I have with it is I can't find decent flash video drivers or codecs for it, so it'll only play some Youtube videos and quite often won't play video on non-Youtube sites.. Other than that, we get our e-mail on this computer and the Missus likes Outlook as that's what she has at work (although I'm sure she'd get used to TBird quickly enough, if I could convince her to do so).. If we could fix that, I'd be happy to switch to Linux permanently.
I think MINT is the best Linux Distro I've come across so far though..
I'll be dual booting the Dell with AROS soon as the live DVD seems to work quite well.
Plays all the latest games (borderlands 2, Skyrim) works fine as a Music station (FL 10 + VST's) and runs Mame , Specbas , Mess and Spin with Chrome for the net.
no crashes or freezes run's 24 hours if I'm downloading stuff and just works...
where are these bug's (the search is a pain but it just makes me more organised when storing stuff)
on my Laptop I have gone back to XPsp3 (it works and is stable) reads my usb stick and runs Specbas and Chrome....happy days.
Windows 7 started freezing on my Laptop (no mouse movement) and as for Metro......:-o
You know what I would buy....A Stripped down Windows OS that will run games and if you want all the crap like wordpad....notepad.....diskfrag...solitare....mediaplayer...IE(ha ha ha) etc
you can download it and install it
the first thing I do with a new install is get all the better free programs out there like VLC,Chrome,Winamp Lite(I like it) etc why Windows thinks I will buy an OS and then buy apps from an online store (do I look like an Apple user)
I Like Windows / I will not use Metro....ever.
I believe the 32 bit versions of Outlook run fine via WINE so maybe that's an option for you. I know thunderbird is a fair bit diffent to Outlook, but it's nowhere near as different as the Mail tile is on Win8 :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiny_XP#Windows_2000_and_later
Try using Google Chrome. They have an APT repository for Debian so you just add the repo, and apt-get install google-chrome.
Chrome has an in-built replacement for flash for playing videos. Works on every site I've come across and I'm quite happy not to have Flash installed on my Debian system at work (on my Mac at home, if something's chewing up CPU time for no reason, chances are it's the Flash player. One day I'll get around to evicting that pile of crap and installing Chrome).
It revealed this:
:lol:
Tales of the Abyss Clusterf*ck episode 1, makes as much sense as Windows 8 UI design...
What's that, it's an intruder !
:lol:
I'll have to try that.. I've installed all their kooky user-made browsers like Chromium and IceWeasel and the Flash alternative that comes with Debian, but it never seems to do much good.
It's not you, you are getting old.
Job done.