What does MS still need to fix in Windows 8.1?

[mitchellvii]

As beta's go, this is pretty awesome despite a few rough edges here and there:

1) IE 11 scaling in desktop is all weird when moving the browser from your SP to an external monitor.
2) They still don't have the independent zooming for external monitors working properly for Modern UI and Desktop apps.
3) Although I like the new Favorites Management in IE 11 Modern UI, I wish the Favorites List would persist instead of having to hit the star button again each time. The default is to show your tabs. I wish I could set the default to Favorites.
4) The squares they use to represent favorites seem like a waste of space to me. Wouldn't lists or a folder tree be more efficient? Also would be nice to be able to dock favorites to a sidebar as in the Desktop version. What do these squares do for me? If they were live tiles that would be kind of cool I suppose, but as it they are just big 90% empty squares.

 

[pallentx]

The squares are nice targets for fat fingers. Its not needed on a traditional desktop, but doing it this way makes it work for both touch and traditional input. I almost never use favorites anymore though, so I don't care what they do with them. :LOL:

 

[Nuspieds]

3) Although I like the new Favorites Management in IE 11 Modern UI, I wish the Favorites List would persist instead of having to hit the star button again each time. The default is to show your tabs. I wish I could set the default to Favorites.
4) The squares they use to represent favorites seem like a waste of space to me. Wouldn't lists or a folder tree be more efficient? Also would be nice to be able to dock favorites to a sidebar as in the Desktop version. What do these squares do for me? If they were live tiles that would be kind of cool I suppose, but as it they are just big 90% empty squares.

I can make do without the Start button. I did so by adding more program icons to the Desktop TaskBar and creating Start Screen groups. Definitely not equivalent to the Start button, but good enough for me to accept and move on.

My IE Favorites structure, on the other hand, isn't going away and I certainly cannot do without it! I understand the whole touch/finger-friendly design requirement, but something can still be done. I also find those squares huge, since they are mostly empty and non-functional, as opposed to a Live Tile.

I purchased a Modern UI file browser (Files & Folders) and to me, it's fine in that it allows me to navigate a folder structure without using oversized icons for file and folder names. Something like that could be implemented. Even the SurfaceForums.net app has an expandable/collapsible forum structure that is still touch-friendly; there's another example!

Finally, if the Favorites docking isn't going to be available, then the list should definitely persist.

 

[mitchellvii]

I can make do without the Start button. I did so by adding more program icons to the Desktop TaskBar and creating Start Screen groups. Definitely not equivalent to the Start button, but good enough for me to accept and move on.

My IE Favorites structure, on the other hand, isn't going away and I certainly cannot do without it! I understand the whole touch/finger-friendly design requirement, but something can still be done. I also find those squares huge, since they are mostly empty and non-functional, as opposed to a Live Tile.

I purchased a Modern UI file browser (Files & Folders) and to me, it's fine in that it allows me navigate a folder structure without using oversized icons for file and folder names. Something like that could be implemented. Even the SurfaceForums.net app has an expandable/collapsible forum structure that is still touch-friendly; there's another example!

Finally, if the Favorites docking isn't going to be available, then the list should definitely persist.

I admit that the big favorites icons are easy to hit with my fat fingers, but with all that real estate, can't they do more to make them more interesting? Like live tiles or just bigger images? It just looks weird to have this HUGE icon with a tiny image in it.

I have to admit that now with 8.1 I am using Modern UI far more. Bing News is also greatly improved to me. The "Sharing" button seems broken though as I wanted to send an article to my GF but it indicated the page couldn't be shared.

 

[mace2442]

1. the start-menu.
Not that I need it in person but my Customers has so far told me that they won't touch W8 without it (and there have been a bunch of them.) Some of them have even canceled their SA agreements since they don't see anything new they are willing to use from MS.

2. Revert the context menus in IE11 to IE10 behaviour.

 

[tonyz3]

1. the start-menu.
Not that I need it in person but my Customers has so far told me that they won't touch W8 without it (and there have been a bunch of them.) Some of them have even canceled their SA agreements since they don't see anything new they are willing to use from MS.

2. Revert the context menus in IE11 to IE10 behaviour.

Not trying to restart this debate, but why cant your customer do what they do on their android or Iphones- get an app for that. There are a bunch of FREE apps that bring you the start menu functions. yikes. I have one I am using called POKKI. not that I use the start button, but out of curiosity I grabbed it a few months ago because it was touch optimized with tiles etc. Works fine. TO BE CLEAR I like the start button on the 8.1 prev as is and have not loaded pokki on to it but when I boot back to 8.0 on occasion I use it the same way MS has it to access the start menu. That said your customer can set it directly up to act as the old start menu - why do they need MS for that?

 

[TeknoBlast]

People need to start accepting it. All that energy they use to hate on start screen or wanting a start button can be spent on learning something new and realizing that, hey, the start screen is a good thing.

 

[mace2442]

I didn't mean to start a flame war either.
For me it's just a fact when 100% of our customers says the same thing.

They would love to buy a start-menu app if it was guaranteed to work with future updates and SP:s from MS the day the are released. Ie it would have to be MS making that App.
They don't want a third party app since no one but MS can guarantee that it will work with future patches and SP:s from MS.

It's not about hate or something like that. It's about support and training costs. As long as those costs are higher than any gain they can see with win 8.X they simply will not upgrade.
For them it's as as simple as either does MS provide them with a useable W8 (ie with start-menu) or Ms will not sell W8 to them.

Currently most of them plans to stay on W7 until 2020 if they don't get a new windows with a start-menu before and therefore 8.1 do miss the Menu required to be able to sell to my customers

 

[jnjroach]

These were the same arguments that the IT Pro's made against Window XP then once their users brought home their XP Home Machines they demanded the same UI at work.

 

[ArnoldC]

Those people are misinformed, whoever their reseller is did a poor job. I don't use the Start thing and didn't affect my daily work.

If they're whining about more technical matters I would probably understand.

 

[mitchellvii]

People need to start accepting it. All that energy they use to hate on start screen or wanting a start button can be spent on learning something new and realizing that, hey, the start screen is a good thing.

When it comes to technology, most people have no desire to learn something new. They just want a magic box that works, they don't care how or why. Like it or not, that is about 80% of the marketplace and if you want to sell stuff you have to design for them.

 

[ArnoldC]

If I would put a finger (and a middle one, that is) it will be on the Photo app. Subjectively, I liked the previous version and this change in 8.1 I described as 'putting a head and removing all the limbs.'

I would have loved it had it remained unchanged in its previous presentation and functions, and empowered with what we now have in 8.1.

Ok, I'm whining.