Help! They sold me Windows 8!

[tpetzke]

Am I really more flexible than dozens of chess programmers

That's not difficult. Chess programmers spend lots of hours looking at black command line console windows. A bit like in the screens in the Matrix movies.

Thomas...

[Peter Skinner]

You can remove whatever start menu app you are now using, as today you will be able to get Windows 8.1 (Blue). It's a free update that should be available later today. This update brings back the Start Menu.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMG5LaWRQ_E

The release done today is an 8.1 Preview.

If you install it, you will need to re-install all your applications again once the final version is released in September.

I highly advise people not to install the preview...

Peter

[hgm]

P.S. I still don't understand the requirement for a "Classic Shell" or the like, because as mentioned before, one mouse click bottom-left (or [Windows]+D keys) brings up the classical desktop, and Windows 8 also stays there until you switch back. Am I really more flexible than dozens of chess programmers?

The issue was the start menu. I don't want a classic desktop, I want a hierarchical menu where I can quickly and efficiently select one of the thousands of programs I have menu items for. The classic desktop did NOT have a start button. But now that I installed Classic Shell, it has.

It seems they also completely wrecked MS Paint. Is there also a place where one can load a 'Classic Paint'? Or anything that works (e.g. does not draw black pixels when I set the color to white, etc.).

[Thomas Mayer]

It seems they also completely wrecked MS Paint. Is there also a place where one can load a 'Classic Paint'? Or anything that works (e.g. does not draw black pixels when I set the color to white, etc.).

Well, a completely enhanced paint is PAINT.NET, which is free... Great piece of software: http://www.getpaint.net/

What happens if you go into start page and type "paint" - that should bring up something that is close to the original one ?!

Greets, Thomas

[Milos]

P.S. I still don't understand the requirement for a "Classic Shell" or the like, because as mentioned before, one mouse click bottom-left (or [Windows]+D keys) brings up the classical desktop, and Windows 8 also stays there until you switch back. Am I really more flexible than dozens of chess programmers?

The issue was the start menu. I don't want a classic desktop, I want a hierarchical menu where I can quickly and efficiently select one of the thousands of programs I have menu items for. The classic desktop did NOT have a start button. But now that I installed Classic Shell, it has.

It seems they also completely wrecked MS Paint. Is there also a place where one can load a 'Classic Paint'? Or anything that works (e.g. does not draw black pixels when I set the color to white, etc.).

I didn't read the whole thread, but the solution is really simple:
1) Instal Virtualbox
2) Instal Ubuntu

Takes approximately the same time as installing only Ubuntu since drivers are not installed in the process (it's all there already).

[Mike S.]

It is "mspaint" in Windows 8 and brings up a program which seems quite rich in terms of features. But I won't use it. I use IrfanView which suits my needs perfectly since ages, and is free.

[Thomas Mayer]

It is "mspaint" in Windows 8 and brings up a program which seems quite rich in terms of features. But I won't use it. I use IrfanView which suits my needs perfectly since ages, and is free.

IrfanView is nice to VIEW pictures... but if you want to produce some small Icons etc. paint is sometimes the best thing to use. The needs of developers differ a lot compared to pure users.

Greets, Thomas

[Milos]

It is "mspaint" in Windows 8 and brings up a program which seems quite rich in terms of features. But I won't use it. I use IrfanView which suits my needs perfectly since ages, and is free.

There is also an important thing about irfanview. It is a great little program, but only for personal use, so if you are using it in your workplace be aware you're not breaking copyright policies .