Windows 8

After, I'd say less than an hour, of using Windows 8 I found it better and faster to use than 7. I have 7 at work and when using it miss the new start menu, HUD features, and even a couple of the apps I use at home (like the mail app). Then again I often change my workflow paradigms to keep my efficiency up, such as switching to the Gmail one some years ago.

Personally I think the entire folder/file skeuomorph is an outdated concept and would love for the entire OS to move away from it, not just in the start menu but for the entire file structure.

Denaut_sl said:

After, I'd say less than an hour, of using Windows 8 I found it better and faster to use than 7. I have 7 at work and when using it miss the new start menu, HUD features, and even a couple of the apps I use at home (like the mail app). Then again I often change my workflow paradigms to keep my efficiency up, such as switching to the Gmail one some years ago.

Personally I think the entire folder/file skeuomorph is an outdated concept and would love for the entire OS to move away from it, not just in the start menu but for the entire file structure.

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You sound like a mac user. Are you sure you don't need help remembering how to breathe too? I'd sooner cut of my wiener than lose control of my files. My local machine is not a mystical cloud - I understand how it works.

Alkorin_sl said:

The Ribbon has made its way into most of Windows Explorer at this point. But, hey,you already knew this, right? It's not an Office thing.

Do you even Windows 8, bro?

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The ribbon didn't appear there first, and you know it. Good point otherwise. I don't see the windows explorer implementation as a problem so far. Granted, it's been a while since I've worked IT professionally. What is you beef with it?

Denaut_sl said:

Personally I think the entire folder/file skeuomorph is an outdated concept and would love for the entire OS to move away from it, not just in the start menu but for the entire file structure.

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This ought to be good for a laugh or two. What, specifically, would you prefer to replace the file/folder structure with?

Melvin_sl said:

This ought to be good for a laugh or two. What, specifically, would you prefer to replace the file/folder structure with?

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A metadata system that involves organizational features like tagging. The file/folder structure is already a type of abstract representation of the data, and there are better ones that aren't based on the limitations of 3 dimensional physical space.

Denaut_sl said:

A metadata system that involves organizational features like tagging. The file/folder structure is already a type of abstract representation of the data, and there are better ones that aren't based on the limitations of 3 dimensional physical space.

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Folders Vs Metadata Document organization | john-norris.net
Basically you want sharepoint. That's already a nightmare from a storage pov. I think you should be shot

Look here for various file systems:
Comparison of file systems - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I know about all that stuff.

There are all sorts of ways to implement a database or database-like file system with all kinds of advantages and disadvantages that come along with them. You can also implement it in different ways such as with the actual file system or as an abstraction over it. I was speaking from a User Experience perspective (I should have been more clear), which can involve a host of different implementations. Generally speaking it would probably be best if the actual file system was constructed in the way the user would interface with it (non-hierarchical), but that does have issues.

Generally speaking, a non-hierarchical system (at least on the user abstraction end) is much more flexible and powerful than a hierarchical structure. You can even use one to mimic a hierarchical if you really want to. Windows already kind of does some of this with libraries, symbolic links, and other features but I think it would be much easier if the whole system just worked that way. Then again I work on projects that benefit greatly by organization by metadata and have also worked on Sharepoint implementations, so I am VERY used to using non-hierarchical data structures.

Unfortunately, considering the way people's brains broke with the Windows 8 Start menu changes, I don't think this is going to happen any time soon with a mainstream OS. Or maybe even ever for that matter. Off the top of my head 2 examples of what I mean are how Gmail and the Unreal Content Browser are organized (just the browser though, the files themselves are still structured in the file system normally).

Alkorin_sl said:

There was a simplicity about the menus that wasn't broken. I find the ribbon to be an aesthetic change that just gets in the way of Getting Work Done. Kinda like Metro, actually, just not quite as in your face. It's one of those changes that I end up wondering which focus group they were talking to when the change was ratified, and how high they all were at the time.

Sure, it looks nice, but it's not functionally "better". Not in my mind, anyway.

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Yeah, I see where you're going. I'd retort: Does it make you stand on one leg and cluck like a chicken? Metro does.

Vvoid_sl said:

Tagging isn't going to do much when like a terabyte of my data is going to be tagged "unknown name, hot, tits, pussy" etc. How will I ever find my favorites?!

Serious question that is annoying me with Win 8.1. I built my new computer a couple of weeks ago, and at first it was fine, but now every time I restart it won't connect to my network drive (that little cloud with the red x shows up and says, "Unable to connect to all network drives" or something like that). I click on it and have to re-enter my credentials every single time. I'm obviously entering them correctly because now I can access it, and I'm clicking the box to remember it.

At the same time, my HTPC which has had Win 8.1 for quite awhile (probably close to a year now), also never connects to my network drives immediately upon reboot, but at least with that one all I have to do is double-click the drive in the file explorer and it auto-connects. I sort of figured that it might have something to do with booting up too fast (it is a NUC with just an SSD card) or something, and I only reboot that one like once a month so it doesn't remind me as often how annoying it is.

Is there something I'm doing wrong? I'm doing the map network drive thing, assigning it a letter, and entering the correct credentials. Neither one of them wants to restore properly at reboot, but with the two different symptoms I described above.

Halp!

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This is for 7 and mentions OS X but may be the same, give it a whirl:

Network password/credentials not remembered - Windows 7 Help Forums

This problem relates to how the default group policies for SMB shares are set up when Windows 7 is installed. The default value is that the relevant policy is left unset, and that creates this problem when you wish to automatically log in to some SMB shares. This of course is how OS X drives are seen by Windows when they are set as mapped drives within your system, and that is why this problem seems to occur.

To edit the Group Policies, we need to run the Group Policy Editor program. Press the Windows and R keys together to bring up the Run Program dialog, and then, in
the Run dialog, enter gpedit.msc and press the OK button.

In the Group Policies Editor, open each of the following items in turn:
Computer Configuration
Windows Settings
Security SettingsLocal Policies
Security Options

Now, right-click on the "Network security: LAN Manager authentication level" policy item, and then, from the context (pop-up) menu, select "Properties".

Locate and select "Send LM & NTLM - user NTLMv2 session security if negotiated".

Now click the OK button, and then finally, you may close the Group Policies Editor window.

The problem should now be fixed, and your mapped drive logins should now be persistent through multiple reboots of the system.

Reboot all machines after making the adjustment.

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I haven't had any issues at work with the network locations that originally required me to log in from my 8.1 computer at work. Let me know if this works.