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Borrego Springs, CA

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Windows 8, first impression

I thought when I fell into my bed last night, I’d be so comfortable that I’d instantly be asleep.  That was not to happen.  I tossed and turned until after 3:00 in the morning before I finally succumbed.  By the time I woke up at 7:30, my plans to get back on the job and start mowing had flown out the window.  I just couldn’t do it.  I guess recuperation takes longer the older you get, and my birthday on Monday just added another notch to the stick.

73 Tamarac NWR, 201313

I fiddled with the new computer for a while, and came up with this collage of pictures that my daughter Robyn took on Saturday afternoon.  It was a hot day, and when one of those ice cream trucks with the incessant song ringing came by, she treated everyone to a refreshing snack. 

I haven’t heard one of those trucks in a long time.  When I was a kid growing up in Chicago, a guy on a bicycle might pedal through the neighborhood ringing his bell.  The front of his bike had a big metal cooler on it with the sweet frozen treats inside.  It sure was more exciting to me than hearing the Rags-A-Lion man shouting with his horse and wagon as he made his way down the alleys in the city!

I suggested to Dan that everyone eat their treats outside, and he agreed.  All colors of ice cream and sherbet were squishing through those little fingers as the sun and heat helped melt everything.  I don't know smile  Robyn didn’t get pictures of everyone, but the five grandkids are represented.  Had I not been ill, I would have been clicking away myself.

Anyway, I digress.  This post is supposed to be about Windows 8.  When Dan and I were looking into a new laptop to order for me on Sunday night, he assured me that that any hesitations I had about using Windows 8 were not grounded in reality, but were all opinions I had heard in the blogosphere.  You know, sometimes we mature folks speak one language, and our children speak another.  However, I took his advice and ordered a new Dell 17.3” screen laptop with Windows 8.  He knows about all those numbers about RAM and such that are a mystery to me, so I relied upon him to not lead me astray.

Often, when he is trying to teach me something technical about my computer, we both become very frustrated.  That’s where the different language stuff comes into play.  He can’t understand why I’m not getting what he’s saying, and I can’t understand why he doesn’t understand my repeated questions.  I don’t think I’m stupid, you know. Annoyed

After all that I’ve said, here’s my first impression of Windows 8… I like it!  I like those big squares with things I can click on once.  I’ve eliminated those I’ll never use, and added my favorites like Live Writer and Picasa, and if you click on the ‘desktop’ you get right to a screen that’s familiar like Windows 7.  Yes, there’s a learning curve, but then I had someone to take me (a little tersely at times) through the basics.  Repeated prompts by Daniel helped a lot, but I was on my own once I left a few hours later.  I think it’s working out, and I’m sure anyone with questions about it would get a calm reply from RickSmile

I did have to call Dan once today though, because try as I might, I couldn’t figure out how to shut the dang computer down correctly since there wasn’t that familiar start button (that also included a shut down/restart option).  It took him less than 30 seconds to walk me through that procedure.  Perhaps now I’ve left the 90’s and entered the new millennium??  Time will tell…

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

39 comments:

  1. I am glad you like windows 8. I am still not that thrilled. I just hit the desktop app and go back to the computer. My take on Windows 8 is that it is a operating system for all those tablets they hope to sell. It is not really the best for an actual computer. Everywhere on the net, they keep saying the home computer is dead, long live the walk around devices. But then what do I know:))

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  2. I spent the summer when I was 14 pedaling around one of those 3 wheeled ice cream carts.
    Even had bells on the handle bars.
    Ended up eating up all my profits.

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  3. I just don't like change. My home computer has Windows XP and I'll use it until it dies. My lap top has Vista and since I don't do much on it, it's ok. I don't know why every time they change something they swap sides with the commands. I have a tablet and I have no idea what it uses. It took me about a year to learn how to get online with it besides using it for a hot spot.

    My son does computer work and I hope his customers are happier with him than I am. He changes things I don't want changed and takes things off I want. He says I don't need them. You can bet he's the last person I call if I have a problem. That might be his plan. lol

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  4. One thing I have learned.....trust the kid! There is nothing better than a child leading a parent....

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  5. My computer guy at Micro Center said to run away, fast, from Windows 8 and he's been in the business for a long time. He said there were a lot of problems with it and "fixing" those problems is way hard.

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    1. With all due respect, the computer guy at Micro Center sounds more like an ill-informed salesperson than a computer guy. No reputable techie has ever said that there were a lot of problems with Windows 8 - it's a rock-solid operating system.

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  6. We had one of those ice cream trucks with the incessant music going through the neighborhood we left behind. It wouldn't come through our small subdivision, but it would roam the streets all around us ... never did go out and get a sweet treat. Hmmm ... opportunity missed.

    Technology changes so fast ... what looks daunting at first, can be good if we can customize it to our own specs. Have fun with Windows 8. We switched to Macs in 2010, and while it wasn't the easiest transition, we would not go back. I still have a Windows7 laptop, but it's use is limited to Streets and Trips and Live Writer.

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  7. I drove an ice cream truck in college. We didn't have any cool Popsicles like those.

    Good luck with your new computer and a very happy belated birthday!

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  8. Glad you are feeling better, Judy, and getting the hang of Windows 8. It's so great to have a techie brother to help you, and Rick to help all of us. I'm a little late chiming in, but I would say that four pills at one time of Amoxicillin is what did you in....

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  9. Glad you decided to take another day to rest and recuperate. I have Windows 8 and I think it's okay. Not great, not terrible.

    My first memory of the ice cream man was when I was about 6 years old and we moved to Japan. The first Japanese words I learned were "jo-ta-monti Popsicle man." (just a minute, Popsicle man) Its funny that I still remember that (when I've forgotten so many other things)

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  10. For some reason, explaining computer stuff to family members is always more difficult than to friends, acquaintances and even total strangers.

    After a bit of use, I'm sure you'll continue to like Windows 8 even more.

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  11. haahaa ~~ 'He can’t understand why I’m not getting what he’s saying, and I can’t understand why he doesn’t understand my repeated questions. I don’t think I’m stupid, you know. "

    universal ... ;)

    and the sounds of the ice cream man coming up the street was a wonderful thing.... wasn't blaring though back then... just a nice calliope kind of sound.

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  12. I went from '95 - '98 - XP - Vista & now 8. I'm not terribly fond of 8. I feel it belongs on touch screens or phones. It took awhile to find the "hidden" aspects of 8 because you have to do some right clicking to find things. You can set it to just the desktop if you desire. I found once I used the "my computer" & "control panel", I can set my programs there & create my photo/video files there. I've not created short cut icons for them yet on my desktop screen, but I need to. Thought I'd just simply go back to win8 & do a right mouse click to all apps each time, but that gets annoying after awhile. I don't have any games yet either because I've not set up a Microsoft account yet. Which also irks me that I have to do that too. Google also took over my smartphone, so that was a challenge as it also reformatted some things on it too. There's some days where I just don't want to have to figure this stuff out! That makes us resort to Ice Cream for comfort!! ;-)

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    1. PS, youtube has great tutorials on how to use windows8. And since you brought this up, I finally got around to saving the control panel by pinning it to my taskbar & made an icon for my computer. Just one of those things that I kept meaning to do! Acer had already pinned my power control button to my taskbar, so I didn't have to mess with it.

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  13. My computer also died a horrible death back in May. I had been using Ubuntu/Linux on it for a number of years. I wanted it on my new computer also but would have had to wait longer than I wanted to get it.The salesman told me that they could add Ubuntu to a laptop that had Windows 8 on it which was great so I bought it. Long story but they could NOT add Ubuntu so I was stuck with Windows 8.
    I had very little problem doing what I want to do with Windows 8 and do not find it to be the horrible OS that people complain about. What few irritating issues that I have had with it were 'fixed' by doing web searches for the solution.
    I think I may have been lucky that I was a Ubuntu user rather than Windows 7. Most of the complaints I think are from Window 7 users that want Windows 8 to work the same way. I accepted it as a new system that I had to learn and it was not all that hard to do so.

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  14. Interesting take on Windows 8. Hope you adjust! Down right cool today:)

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  15. We need a new computer...We have Windows (can't read the numbers, they are carved in stone)..Yep, I remember the scissor/knife sharpener coming down the street pushing his cart... and my Mom was a seamstress, so she always had a job for him. Glad you are feeling better...My fractured arm is almost healed but the pain will be there a long time, so they tell me...whatever!

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  16. Glad you're feeling better. Enough about Windows 8. I want to know what the "Rags-A-Lion man" was. Have never seen or heard of that, before.

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  17. Well, I just want to say "Happy Belated Birthday"! I think I must have missed that from a previous post :)

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  18. We're still on Windows 7. Back when 8 was introduced, we could have upgraded each computer for about $15. Never got around to it, and we aren't interested in buying it at the current price for each computer, so we'll just have to wait until one or more die, then get new PCs. That'll be a very long time in the future, we hope! Liked the ice cream collage. Like anything with ice cream!

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  19. I remember the rag man in Milwaukee when I was a child. "Rags .. Rags..." I loved horses very much, and I remember getting in trouble one day because I saw the rag man coming several blocks away and waited for him to pass. This made me late for school. I had a very mean teacher who I think disliked me. She made me stand in the hall. It was't so bad. I could think about the rag man's horse. I was seven.

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  20. Glad you are liking Windows 8. Those frozen treats look pretty good.

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  21. See? I really like Windows 8, too. Seems to be it's actually easier to navigate and more user-friendly. Nice to know I'm not the only one who likes it! Glad you're on the mend.

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  22. You go girl! Quite proud to hear you like Windows 8....great testimony for the "older generation". Might not be so afraid to change now.

    Hope you get lots of rest and all your strength back. It does take longer to get back on your feet.

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  23. My mom just got a new computer and she's having a love hate relationship with Windows 8. When I left their place a couple of weeks ago, she was ready to throw it out the "window". I haven't talked to her in a few days so not sure if she's got it worked out or not.

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  24. Windows is coming up with so many new systems, I'm shortly going to run out of fingers to keep track of them all... ;c)

    Happy Birthday, btw. I'm shocked that a young lady of 29 such as yourself is having such a hard time embracing new technology! :cD

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  25. It always warms my heart to hear someone else having the same problems that I had or have.

    So, thanks for warming my heart, and enjoy your new computer!

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  26. It's to bad you were so sick and missed so much with the grandkids. But you are well now and have a new toy. Take it easy for a few days.

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  27. I lived in Chicago until I was seven years old. I remember ice men with a horse drawn wagon, rag and tin pickers and knife sharpeners. On warm summer days the ice man often gave us kids a small chip off the old block. I don't think kids today have as much fun as we did.

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  28. Happy Birthday to you. We almost celebrate together don't we. I'm getting used to Windows 8 but I still find it frustrating at times. Guess I'm stuck with it though and I'll make the best of it.

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  29. Happy, happy Birthday to You!!!! Yes, I have learned takes me longer to feel better when I am sick. And I just go to the desktop and don't fiddle with "8" as I have no one to splain things to me :) at least I figured it out that far!!! Which was a feat in itself...

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  30. Our son n law wants me to get a Mac now I don't know if my mind and nerves could handle that big of a difference. Maybe one day.
    And happy birthday may you have many many more happy days ahead!!!

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  31. awwww. . .what memories for those grands. . .I don't remember the ice cream man as much as the snow cone truck. . .I always had a blue coconut one. . .still love those!

    I did the same thing as you the first time I wanted to shut down windows 8. . .only I didn't have my on personal IT guy to call. . .LOL. . .I had to get out the book!

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  32. I have Windows 8...it's ok, i've gotten use to it..only thing I don't like some of my old programs can't run on it..:( other than that..it's a bugger every once in awhile when I can't find something LOL...but like every thing else just gives me something to complain about..LOL..God Bless

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  33. So glad you are on the mend! Ice cream on a hot day is the perfect treat :)

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  34. Photo collage is priceless - and sticky! Occasionally there's an old-fashioned ice cream truck in my Roseville, CA neighborhood. The tinkling music makes me pause and remember those wonderful treats on a hot Summer day in my youth. Now I get my satisfaction out of listening to the music because my taste has risen to the level of homemade banana split with hot fudge and lots of nuts ....
    As for computers, all I can say is that the learning curve is steep - and even more steep when learning for the first time on [like your commenter above] "the far side of fifty." And, it's human nature to think it's easy once you've learned it. But it is not easy the first time (or second or third) you get the instructions. Apple says their products are "intuitive;" yah' right! intuitive if you're under thirty!

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  35. Not a fan of Windows 8. I find it incredibly irritating to use.

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  36. Since I was away I missed your birthday, so let me send belated happy birthday wishes to you now.

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  37. I sort have mastered Windows 8 but still absolutely HATE it. It costs me hours of lost time since it constantly changes the resolution and even jumps out of programs I'm using.

    Are you using the touch screen or a mouse? I'm using it on a laptop and it is absolutely horrible.

    You were the first person I've heard from that likes it.

    And a very belated Happy Birthday.

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