I couldn't find one with Windows 7 so we had to settle on a Dell unit (from BestBuy) 

Check out my previous link. HP is now selling Windows 7 laptops on their site for not that much.

 

 

HP is now selling Windows 7 laptops on their site for not that much.

 

We did actually look a laptops, but my folks are just not into mobile and wanted a desktop computer ... they don't like the small screens and small keyboards and track pads.  Tried to point them to an iMac (since Win8 would be just as unfamiliar to them as OSX) but they didn't want to spend that much money.

 

They do actually like the touch screen, but they definitely can't handle or remember the gestures ... they seem to use a combo of mouse/keyboard for most work and then touch for selection of desktop or metro items/icons.  So I guess touch wasn't a complete waste on them.

 

A few visual clues would have gone a long way, once they got used to it, they could have turned them off.  But the lack of visual clues is common in a lot of mobile focused UI's ... yes, even Apple's, took my wife 30 minutes to figure out how to delete a weather location on her iPhone 5S.  And in the case of RTFM, well there was no manual with the Dell, nothing, just a sheet on how to put the batteries in the keyboard/mouse and plug the wireless USB trans/receiver in.

Lieutenant Dan got me invested in some kind of fruit company. So then I got a call from him, saying we don't have to worry about money no more. And I said, that's good! One less thing.

-Forest Gump

An OS shouldn't be a puzzle game that the user is trying to solve ... I doubt many users find OS puzzle solving fun.

 

True.

 

I've had a few of my customers' phone me complaing that W8 has locked them into a window they cannot escape from (despite me having installed ClassicShell for them when their computers were new).  So even although they were using a W7 style desktop, doing certain tasks brought up the screen with no apparent escape. The solution of course is to move the mouse to the top of the screen and drag it all the way down to the bottom, an unforgivably cumbersome maneuver for mouse users, and especially so for the elderly and disabled.

And as you said earler,  there are no visible clues or hints on how to escape 'the puzzle'.

 

--

 

Windows 8 is Worse Than Vista (for Microsoft)

http://techpinions.com/windows-8-is-worse-than-vista-for-microsoft/26704

 

PS: Useful tip:  When buying a desktop PC, I'd avoid buying HP/Compaq as they now use a laptop-type power supply instead of a standard fan-assisted PSU. This obviously means you'd likely have to buy a resplacement PSU from HP and not off the shelf.   Thanfully Lenovo and Acer etc still use standard PSUs.

 

Even the power on process, just brings up a screen with the time on it ... nothing else, no visual clue as to what to do next ... gesture up or click somewhere on the screen and viola you get a login prompt.  What's the point of this step?  An OS shouldn't be a puzzle game that the user is trying to solve ... I doubt many users find OS puzzle solving fun.

That's reminiscent of DOS. A totally blank screen with just the words <Enter Input>

With Vista and Win8 Ms tried to force people to change. People stay with XP because it does what they want. Win7 is an acceptable upgrade. But businesses are certainly not going to slavishly upgrade their win versions. There is still a strong market for PCs. Tablets and smart phones will not take over completely. MS needs to understand that there is a market for all. So either design an OS that can identify on what system it is and switch automatically or design separate OSs.

  

Exactly.

 

Nope, that's only going to make a local account in the machine (Which you can do without going through your steps). You still need to have a Microsoft account (aka Windows Live) to download "apps" and the 8.1 update. Exactly what I think. Spot on.

 

Yup... What's the big deal about boot times?

Managed to do the 8.1 update w/out the M$ account

I don't think I'll get anything later than 8.1. I simply don't use it anymore. I've FSX and Realflight installed in 8.1 for everything else I use Ubuntu and even run my other Windows apps with WINE.

So now I feel pretty much done, but thanks Bill.

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