# Windows 8 is the worst piece of shit I've ever used in my life. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 22, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464 "2013-09-22T20:47:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/321 "2014-03-09T17:25:57Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Well, I think I found the mail client, but it prompts me for a Microsoft account before it will do anything. I don’t have a Microsoft account, and am not sure that I want one. I just want to read my e-mail. > > Or do I? I assume the Microsoft account is so that I can sync my e-mail and read it across multiple devices, which is not a bad idea, really. I’ll probably get a smart phone soon, and it would be nice to see the same e-mails on it that I do at home. But I’m sure there are other apps for that, and I probably won’t get a Windows phone. It will depend who you get your email from. How did you get it before? If you are happy to share the part after the @ it would be easier, but if you don’t no problem, I can still try to help. If you have an address with one of Microsoft’s domains (hotmail, live, xbox, microsoft and so forth) you’ll need to sign into that. If not, you’ll need to sign into wherever you do get it from, probably with their own client. It’s usual, though not necessary, to sign into your Microsoft account when logging on to Windows anyway these days. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/322 "2014-03-09T17:45:25Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > It will depend who you get your email from. How did you get it before? If you are happy to share the part after the @ it would be easier, but if you don’t no problem, I can still try to help. I have a couple addresses, actually. For years I used the one from my cable provider ([rcn.com](http://rcn.com)). A couple years ago, I moved to a neighborhood they don’t serve, but since that’s the address everyone had for me I kept an e-mail-only account with them. And of course my new cable provider gave me an address. I had been using Windows Mail (not even Outlook) as a client (POP protocol). I think I can salvage the hard drive from my old computer, so I should be able to recover the data (addresses are what I’m most concerned about) if I can find something that reads the data saved by Windows Mail. (For the moment, I can check my messages on RCN’s website.) I think I managed to get into Windows on my desktop without linking it to a Microsoft account. And I may have an account in one of their domains; created years ago to do one thing, never used again, and forgotten. But maybe this is my wake-up call to drag myself into the modern computer era. What’s a good desktop/mobile/e-mail/calendar package to look into these days? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/323 "2014-03-09T17:48:31Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Okay. > So I suppose my computer won’t let me set the date to September 3, 1752, either? 🙂 > > (That’s when the Gregorian calendar erased 10 days, and the world moved from Sept 2 to Sept 14th overnight. > It’s a good thing they were still using CP/M back then.) 🙂 What if you’re living in Russia? ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/324 "2014-03-09T18:10:24Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > But maybe this is my wake-up call to drag myself into the modern computer era. What’s a good desktop/mobile/e-mail/calendar package to look into these days? Sadly I only use web-based mail, so can’t help you there. You might get better advice if you ask in GQ than in an old pit thread though, there’s bound to be people here who will know. In the short term, I’d try going to the website of your cable providers and seeing if you can access the mail from there - I have an email address from mine that I can access that way, but I don’t use it. ETA I’ve just been to [rcn.com](http://rcn.com), and they have a webmail link at the top, which may be what you need. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/325 "2014-03-09T18:17:27Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > But maybe this is my wake-up call to drag myself into the modern computer era. What’s a good desktop/mobile/e-mail/calendar package to look into these days? My suggestion is to go completely web-based. Doesn’t matter where you move, as long as you have web access you have everything. I personally like Google’s stuff, especially since it syncs to my Android devices, but I realize some people have a problem with Google and don’t want to use them. I used Yahoo’s stuff for a long time, and it was fine. It’s changed a lot since then though, so I can’t say what it’s like now. Plus, people with concerns about Google would likely have similar concerns about Yahoo. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/326 "2014-03-09T22:33:58Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > ETA I’ve just been to [rcn.com](http://rcn.com), and they have a webmail link at the top, which may be what you need. Yeah, I’m using the webmail now, but I wasn’t planning on making that my permanent solution. No good reason, I guess, but I’m not a fan of using a browser for everything. ---
**Author:** ![Gramps199](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Gramps199](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gramps199)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/327 "2014-06-19T09:56:53Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > So, how is middle age working out for ya, Gramps? > 😛 Middle age was fine, but now I am 62, and having trouble with technology. Last week, I was installing a new laptop and CAN system in a new BMW, and need to time stamp real-time video that I am capturing for analysis. I need frame-by-frame granularity to within about 10ms max to try to coordinate a CAN/LIN bus messaging with video. The Dell quadcore I7 laptop I had been using has some thread pre-emption issues that hijacks CAN by 25-30ms making correlation analysis miserable, and guesswork. I wanted to work on the issue at home, and picked up a new high-end laptop to install in my Tacoma CAN bus, but it is powered by Windows 8. Thread preemption latency moved out to 65ms, making correlation impossible. I will probably blow away the Windows 8, and just install a Linux kernel without a gui shell, because even on a slower system at work, my real-time latencies on Linux are about 7ms max. I would suggest that just because someone is older than you doesn’t make them useless. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/328 "2014-06-19T11:13:06Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Yeah, I’m using the webmail now, but I wasn’t planning on making that my permanent solution. No good reason, I guess, but I’m not a fan of using a browser for everything. Aw, I missed this when you first said it. First off, you can still install Windows Mail on Windows 8. You just have to [download it separately](http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-live/essentials-other#essentials=overviewother). But by the most popular desktop email client is [Thunderbird](http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/), if you want to try something new. But it’s been a while, and if you are already satisfied using webmail, that’s cool, too. Most webmail providers will even let you check you mail for other providers. Just check the options for POP3 or SMTP. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/329 "2014-06-19T12:57:27Z")
> [@Gramps199](#): > > Middle age was fine, but now I am 62, and having trouble with technology. … > I would suggest that just because someone is older than you doesn’t make them useless. Joined the dope just to blow some seriously great shit on **dropzone** after nine months. **Gramps199** , Welcome to the Dope! Please stay. We need more like you. Bubbadog (Also in the Grampa zone) ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/330 "2014-06-30T20:42:24Z")
Add me to the list of people who absolutely despise Windows 8. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/331 "2014-06-30T22:46:30Z")
maybe an new version will help Microsoft Windows 9 Will Reportedly Come in 3 Flavors > **[Microsoft Windows 9 Will Reportedly Come in 3 Flavors](https://news.yahoo.com/microsoft-windows-9-reportedly-come-190236005.html)** > > Microsoft's Windows 8 is approaching its second birthday and the terrible twos. According to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, each version of Windows 9 will work differently depending on the type of hardware. The fan-favorite Start Menu button that made an... ---
**Author:** ![WPA-Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WPA-Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WPA-Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/332 "2014-07-01T02:06:30Z")
[quote=“johnpost, post:331, topic:669464”] maybe an new version will help Microsoft Windows 9 Will Reportedly Come in 3 Flavors Will there be an Apple Flavor? I’m tired of the ones that taste of desperation. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/333 "2014-07-01T09:55:51Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Okay. > So I suppose my computer won’t let me set the date to September 3, 1752, either? 🙂 > > (That’s when the Gregorian calendar erased 10 days, and the world moved from Sept 2 to Sept 14th overnight. > It’s a good thing they were still using CP/M back then.) 🙂 Nitpick: Not the world. Catholic countries adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1582. But, being regarded as a Popish innovation, Protestant countries such as Britain, including its American colonies, shunned it and stuck with the Julian for two more centuries. Oh, and when Britain and the Empire switched in 1752 it was 11 days adrift not 10. As for Windows 8 I too hated it at first but the update to Windows 8.1 removed fixed the worst fsults and now I’m perfectly happy with it. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaptics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Sinaptics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaptics)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/334 "2014-07-01T12:14:11Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Nitpick: Not the world. Catholic countries adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1582. But, being regarded as a Popish innovation, Protestant countries such as Britain, including its American colonies, shunned it and stuck with the Julian for two more centuries. Oh, and when Britain and the Empire switched in 1752 it was 11 days adrift not 10. > > As for Windows 8 I too hated it at first but the update to Windows 8.1 removed fixed the worst fsults and now I’m perfectly happy with it. 8.1 brought the desktop back to some degree and that was a huge plus. The problem, in my opinion, has been the move to touch interfaces. It seems like a step backwards to me. I have exceptional control over a mouse pointer and can click a precise point with speed and precision. Trying to click things with my chubby fingers seems clunky, at best. I’ve always hated touchpads for the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/335 "2014-07-01T12:31:27Z")
Sounds like a failure of biology, not technology. Now we all need finger implants. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/336 "2014-07-01T13:20:44Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Sounds like a failure of biology, not technology. Now we all need finger implants. Nope, a USB3 port just below the left ear. Screw that. Just install a Bluetooth interface between your head and the op system. Bingo! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/337 "2014-07-01T14:49:38Z")
> [@Sinaptics](#): > > 8.1 brought the desktop back to some degree and that was a huge plus. > > The problem, in my opinion, has been the move to touch interfaces. It seems like a step backwards to me. I have exceptional control over a mouse pointer and can click a precise point with speed and precision. Trying to click things with my chubby fingers seems clunky, at best. I’ve always hated touchpads for the same reason. This. The designers overlooked the fundamental fact that ditching a keyboard and using a touchscreen for input instead is _a compromise accommodation_ to portable device size and weight limits, and is not (with limited exceptions such as drawing with a stylus) a desirable feature in and of itself. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/338 "2014-07-01T15:58:13Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > This. The designers overlooked the fundamental fact that ditching a keyboard and using a touchscreen for input instead is _a compromise accommodation_ to portable device size and weight limits, and is not (with limited exceptions such as drawing with a stylus) a desirable feature in and of itself. Except Windows 8 (and 8.1) have full keyboard and mouse support, and a fully functional desktop, and the touch functionality is in addition to all of that, not instead of it. There are some cosmetic changes to highlight the touch stuff, but most of them are reversible in Windows 8.1, and the others easily reversed with free third party software. I still don’t really understand the problem people have with adding in new functionality, especially as more and more devices are either touch-capable or fully touch controlled these days. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/339 "2014-07-01T21:38:42Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Except Windows 8 (and 8.1) have full keyboard and mouse support, and a fully functional desktop, and the touch functionality is in addition to all of that, not instead of it. There are some cosmetic changes to highlight the touch stuff, but most of them are reversible in Windows 8.1, and the others easily reversed with free third party software. > > I still don’t really understand the problem people have with adding in new functionality, especially as more and more devices are either touch-capable or fully touch controlled these days. So the primary reasons Win8 is an improvement are: 1 - Most of the changes are reversed in Win8.1 2 - You can install a 3rd party app to reverse the rest That is an impressive set of arguments for why Win8 is so great. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/340 "2014-07-02T08:11:12Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > So the primary reasons Win8 is an improvement are: > 1 - Most of the changes are reversed in Win8.1 > 2 - You can install a 3rd party app to reverse the rest > > That is an impressive set of arguments for why Win8 is so great. No, they’re the arguments that claims that Win8 is worse are false. The improvements are mostly minor over Win7, with the exception of touch support, but taken together they make for a noticeably better OS. Not significantly enough that most people would benefit from upgrading from 7, though. Point being, it’s entirely possible, and easy, to use Win8 and 8.1 without a touchscreen, and without ever seeing the new start screen, and still have it be an improvement over previous versions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464.md?page=18)