Ruined my night

[MHC48]

So I got my SP3 yesterday and planned to set the evening aside and do what I've always done when I bring home a new computer: remove bloatware, set it up, adjust settings, and in this case, install programs and apps from the Windows Store. In general, to get it working the way I wanted.

About 5 questions in, Setup asked whether I wanted to set my new Surface as a new pc or the way I had set up my original Surface RT. I wasn't sure what it meant so I chose that option.

Five minutes later my SP3 was fully set up with the same colors, all the apps I'd previously bought, all the web pages clipped to the Modern screen and all my Favorites in IE. There was practically nothing left to do.

Except start using it and play with the pen the rest of the night.

 

[sharpuser]

Great post, MHC48. It is encouraging to hear about your good experience.

 

[malberttoo]

Yeah good post! I was expecting you to say that it went the other way... I've seen other users mad because their SP3 got synced up like yours did, when in fact they wanted the SP3 to be the different machine and push changes out to the other machines.

 

[ipaq_101]

A great benefit of buying a Microsoft product or any windows product from the MS Store, no manufacturer bloatware

 

[wynand32]

This is definitely one of Windows 8.1's strengths. Every time I've had to set up a new machine (or reset an existing machine) it's far easier to get it up to snuff than any other platform I've used. That does depends somewhat on modern apps vs. desktop apps, with the latter still needing completely manual installation, but even when you install the latter they show up in the right place in the Start screen.

Windows 8.1 is getting a really bad rap. It's actually an exceptional operating system.

 

[BaritoneGuy]

So I got my SP3 yesterday and planned to set the evening aside and do what I've always done when I bring home a new computer: remove bloatware, set it up, adjust settings, and in this case, install programs and apps from the Windows Store. In general, to get it working the way I wanted.

About 5 questions in, Setup asked whether I wanted to set my new Surface as a new pc or the way I had set up my original Surface RT. I wasn't sure what it meant so I chose that option.

Five minutes later my SP3 was fully set up with the same colors, all the apps I'd previously bought, all the web pages clipped to the Modern screen and all my Favorites in IE. There was practically nothing left to do.

Except start using it and play with the pen the rest of the night.

I know what you mean. I miss the 8 hours or so that it took me to get a new machine set the way I liked. Invariably I would blow away the factory install and start from scratch.

WP 8.1 does this now as well. Not sure what I will do with the free time.

 

[MHC48]

I've seen other users mad because their SP3 got synced up like yours did, when in fact they wanted the SP3 to be the different machine and push changes out to the other machines.

Setup does give you the option to set it up as a totally different machine as well. And of course you can always later set your various pcs to sync settings and or choose which aspects you want to sync and which you don't.

 

[ctitanic]

Switching from Surface to Surface in Windows 8.1 is a magical experience. You are up and running in less than 10 minutes.

 

[gtext]

Would you still have to install and setup the desktop programs?
Would this setup everything or only the metro side and it's apps?

Hoping for all but not counting on it.

 

[Arizona Willie]

Apple " loans " units to tech writers and if they write favorable reviews they conveniently " forget " to ask for the unit back.

Never could figure out why that didn't get prosecuted under the old laws they made back in the days of the " payola " scandals when they caught disk jockeys being paid to play certain records.

Same thing.

Thus you know why tech writers pan Microsoft operating systems and jizz down their legs when Apple comes out with another I-useless.

This is definitely one of Windows 8.1's strengths. Every time I've had to set up a new machine (or reset an existing machine) it's far easier to get it up to snuff than any other platform I've used. That does depends somewhat on modern apps vs. desktop apps, with the latter still needing completely manual installation, but even when you install the latter they show up in the right place in the Start screen.

Windows 8.1 is getting a really bad rap. It's actually an exceptional operating system.