# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/61 "2013-09-23T23:36:19Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > Oh, it exited all right. Frequently and without warning. Yep that too. šŸ™‚ And yes, too bad that there is no context auto correct yet, I meant to say _Exist_ and not _Exit_. So thanks a lot \*\*armedmonkey \*\*for reminding us šŸ˜› . I still remember that in those days several IT people called Windows ME a virus. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/62 "2013-09-24T02:11:20Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > I just ran across the ā€œyour computer is rebooting in 15 minutes and thereā€™s nothing you can do to stop itā€ idiocy. > > I canā€™t believe that anyone would design anything so stupid as that and not see how deeply problematic that would be. Luckily, I wasnā€™t doing anything important and it only annoyed me. But if Iā€™d been in the middle of something that couldnā€™t be interrupted, I would have been livid. Are you saying that in Windows 8 they no longer give you the option to postpone it for up to 4 hours? I really hate it even with that option, because sometimes Iā€™m not at my computer but I still donā€™t want it to restart. Especially at my elderly computer that I use almost exclusively for MagicJack, and then my calls donā€™t come through and I donā€™t even know it because Iā€™m not constantly checking to make sure it hasnā€™t restarted. But at least I can postpone it if Iā€™m in the middle of doing something. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/63 "2013-09-24T02:46:58Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > I just ran across the ā€œyour computer is rebooting in 15 minutes and thereā€™s nothing you can do to stop itā€ idiocy. > > I canā€™t believe that anyone would design anything so stupid as that and not see how deeply problematic that would be. Luckily, I wasnā€™t doing anything important and it only annoyed me. But if Iā€™d been in the middle of something that couldnā€™t be interrupted, I would have been livid. > > For the most part, itā€™s not too bad. But there are just some incredibly stupid design decisions that make me wonder whether someone was high when they made those calls. You know, the whole ā€œweā€™re going to update your program NOW whether you like it or notā€ is the biggest reason why I dropped AOL back in the day. Doesnā€™t anyone in MS remember how annoying that was? I got to the point where Iā€™d turn off the computer, because I needed to use the phone when I got offline. Nowadays, I might need to use my computer, and I need to choose when the thing reboots. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/64 "2013-09-24T02:50:59Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > Are you saying that in Windows 8 they no longer give you the option to postpone it for up to 4 hours? I really hate it even with that option, because sometimes Iā€™m not at my computer but I still donā€™t want it to restart. Especially at my elderly computer that I use almost exclusively for MagicJack, and then my calls donā€™t come through and I donā€™t even know it because Iā€™m not constantly checking to make sure it hasnā€™t restarted. But at least I can postpone it if Iā€™m in the middle of doing something. **amarinth** is incorrect. Itā€™s rather easy to go to the control panel and select from one of the following: Install updates automatically; download updates and let me decide when to install them; Check for updates but let me check whether or not to install them Never check for updates. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/65 "2013-09-24T03:27:40Z")
> [@armedmonkey](#): > > Never check for updates. Oooooh! šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/66 "2013-09-24T03:40:47Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > How do you know Iā€™m going to say they donā€™t ā€œcountā€? Why would you assume that? > > Iā€™m curious about what he likes in Win8. Silophant summed up what I liked about Windows 8 nicely. Some of the apps are cool. I like the full screen app aspect on a desktop for SOME apps. Itā€™s an option I like having from time to time. Examples of stuff I use on windows 8 metro apps: BoA (cleaner and easier to use than their website), IM chatting (integrates facebook, gmail, etc into one fullscreen chatting ap). A lot of core improvements. Right clicking on the start-button (whatever you want to call it) gives you a LOT more options than it did in 7. The CMD/power shell whatever you call it is a HUGE improvement in 8 over 7. There is really no comparison. Speed and reliability. I have never ever had windows 8 crash on me, not once. 7 Gave me all sorts of blue screens from time to time with weird driver issues especially with regards to graphics cards. I love having a PIN to log in with on Windows 8 and having my log in tied to my microsoft account. The file transfer window is magical in 8, was adequate in 7, abysmal in XP and prior. I like the built in windows email application that integrates my work email, gmail, and other accounts. Works well and is very unobtrusive, and I like the fullscreen look. All that being said, I voluntarily opted to upgrade my home pc from windows 7 to windows 8 and Iā€™m so glad that I did. However, my laptop has 7 on it and I like 7 just fine for my laptop needs, so 7 stays on the laptop. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/67 "2013-09-24T03:50:48Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > How about a dose of ā€œif it ainā€™t brokeā€¦ā€? Thatā€™s already Microsoftā€™s motto: ā€œIf it ainā€™t broke, fix it 'til it _is_.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/68 "2013-09-24T04:25:29Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Thatā€™s already Microsoftā€™s motto: ā€œIf it ainā€™t broke, fix it 'til it _is_.ā€ Or their other motto: ā€œWhy pay for beta testers when you can charge customers to do the same work?ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/69 "2013-09-24T06:08:20Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Count me as the one guy in the thread who likes windows 8, doesnā€™t hate the metro UI at all, finds 8 to be a vast improvement in many ways over 7 (especially in regards to speed booting up and general speediness of things), and didnā€™t have to change any of the settings. > > However, I did have to google how to shut down my computer and a few other things, and sometimes I still get lost with how to do something. > > That being said, Iā€™m not going to sit here and tell you all that you are all WRONG and that Microsoft is INFALLIBLE. They arenā€™t. And the vast majority of people hate windows 8. Hopefully 8.1 fixes things for everyone! I bought a Windows 8 laptop in July and this has basically been my experience as well. I had to Google how to make it take full advantage of my monitor (right click -\> Screen Resolution -\> Advanced Settings, click List All Modes) , but other than I that I got by on some advice a buddy of mine who bought a Surface a few months before me offered: mouse to the corners and just think of the metro interface is a big, full screen Start menu. I was functional in about 20 minutes and pretty much fully up to speed in a few days, so I really donā€™t understand all the hate. But then, I didnā€™t hate the MS Office ribbon like a lot of people initially did either. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/70 "2013-09-24T06:10:39Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > Can you list examples of things you think are a vast improvement over windows 7 and why they are an improvement? (other than speed of bootup and apps) Others have already listed some that I wholeheartedly agree with - especially boot time, Skydrive integration and very especially, the file copying dialog, which has a built in deduplication wizard. But also, the File History backup feature - it worked in W7, bit was clunky - in Windows 8, itā€™s very straightforward. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/71 "2013-09-24T07:18:55Z")
> [@armedmonkey](#): > > **amarinth** is incorrect. Itā€™s rather easy to go to the control panel and select from one of the following: > > Install updates automatically; > download updates and let me decide when to install them; > Check for updates but let me check whether or not to install them > Never check for updates. Thanks! When I started googling frantically after that showed up, my results seemed to indicate that I couldnā€™t stop it once it had started and that the only way to keep it from happening again was to make a change to a registry key that I donā€™t have. Itā€™s good to know that thereā€™s a better option. Still, that a forced reboot is the default is a horrible design choice. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/72 "2013-09-24T07:34:32Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I wouldnā€™t have bought a new operating system either - if I had been given a choice. Itā€™s not like Microsoft will let you buy a new computer with the old version of Windows youā€™re used to. So if you buy a new PC system, youā€™re stuck buying whatever version of Windows Microsoft is currently selling. This is normal for just about every product in the world. If you want a new car, you canā€™t have a Model T Ford any more; If you want a new iPhone, it canā€™t be a 3GS, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/73 "2013-09-24T09:51:54Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > This is normal for just about every product in the world. If you want a new car, you canā€™t have a Model T Ford any more; If you want a new iPhone, it canā€™t be a 3GS, and so on. Yes, but if I want to buy a Toyota, I can buy a Camry or a Corolla or a Prius or Venza or an Avalon or an RAV4 or a Sequoia or a Tacoma. Or I can go down the street and buy a Ford or a Chevy or a Chrysler or a Honda or a Subaru or a Hyundai. But if cars were sold like computers, every car would be a Toyota Camry. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/74 "2013-09-24T12:31:34Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Yes, but if I want to buy a Toyota, I can buy a Camry or a Corolla or a Prius or Venza or an Avalon or an RAV4 or a Sequoia or a Tacoma. Or I can go down the street and buy a Ford or a Chevy or a Chrysler or a Honda or a Subaru or a Hyundai. But if cars were sold like computers, every car would be a Toyota Camry. Iā€™m not sure this even works, because you do have choices: [ul] [li]Windows 8[/li][li]Windows RT\*[/li][li]OSX[/li][li]Chrome OS[/li][li]Linux (not very commonly found preinstalled, admittedly)[/li][li]iOS[/li][li]Android[/li][/ul] \*(OK, thatā€™s only included as a joke). Itā€™s just not reasonable or realistic to expect manufacturers to maintain product lines they have classed as obsolete. Iā€™m not sure more choices per brand is workable either ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/75 "2013-09-24T12:56:23Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Itā€™s just not reasonable or realistic to expect manufacturers to maintain product lines they have classed as obsolete. Iā€™m not sure more choices per brand is workable either How compatible are various versions of Linux? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/76 "2013-09-24T13:15:39Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Iā€™m not sure this even works, because you do have choices: > [ul] > [li]Windows 8[/li][li]Windows RT\*[/li][li]OSX[/li][li]Chrome OS[/li][li]Linux (not very commonly found preinstalled, admittedly)[/li][li]iOS[/li][li]Android[/li][/ul] > > \*(OK, thatā€™s only included as a joke). > > Itā€™s just not reasonable or realistic to expect manufacturers to maintain product lines they have classed as obsolete. Iā€™m not sure more choices per brand is workable either That analogy would only work if each car came with a lifetime subscription to all of the surface roads, some of which didnā€™t even go to the places you used to go to with the other cars. You could still of course use the same highways (i.e. Internet) and some of the destinations (i.e. apps) were the same, but you might have a favorite place/app that you just canā€™t get to anymore if you change from a Camry to a Taurus. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/77 "2013-09-24T14:20:33Z")
The new car has a steering wheel on the roof but itā€™s ok because you can move it somewhere more useful. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/78 "2013-09-24T14:38:02Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > That analogy would only work if each car came with a lifetime subscription to all of the surface roads, some of which didnā€™t even go to the places you used to go to with the other cars. You could still of course use the same highways (i.e. Internet) and some of the destinations (i.e. apps) were the same, but you might have a favorite place/app that you just canā€™t get to anymore if you change from a Camry to a Taurus. The whole car analogy just isnā€™t a very useful one. Car manufacturers have a range of different models available at any time, OS developers generally donā€™t (Iā€™m excluding server OSes as out of scope for this discussion). What do people actually want Microsoft to do? Never change anything? Because thatā€™s a recipe for certain commercial failure in the software arena. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/79 "2013-09-24T14:42:17Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > How compatible are various versions of Linux? With each other? Generally very compatible, mostly because the better applications tend to be available precompiled for all the main Linux flavours, but even when this isnā€™t the case, itā€™s usually possible (I wont say easy) to compile the source yourself gpr whichever variant you have. Mostly now, you simply donā€™t need to though. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464/80 "2013-09-24T15:28:08Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > I like the full screen app aspect on a desktop for SOME apps. Itā€™s an option I like having from time to time. I think I understand most of your post, but this one confuses me. Are you just talking about having an app take up the full screen? You could do that on other versions of windows, so this confuses me. > [@](#): > > All that being said, I voluntarily opted to upgrade my home pc from windows 7 to windows 8 and Iā€™m so glad that I did. However, my laptop has 7 on it and I like 7 just fine for my laptop needs, so 7 stays on the laptop. Could you expand on this? I curious about what you do differently between your home pc and your laptop that would cause a preference of one OS over the other. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-8-is-the-worst-piece-of-shit-ive-ever-used-in-my-life/669464.md?page=5)