Microsoft 8

[Milestones]

Who else is using this crap? I had a 7-year old computer and decided to upgrade. My new computer is probably fine, but Microsoft 8 is the most godawful thing I've ever come across. At this point I barely feel as if I know the first thing ion how to use the computer--or rather the program. The music arrangement is especially bad. My hundreds of playlists are probably a waste; god knows how long it will take me to re-create them. I have not found a sure way of brining in my backed up music files, which probably total over 10,000. I can't even find a good way to PLAY music on this program.

[BeBop]

I've got a laptop with Windows 8. That's why I'm posting this from my phone. No lie. Even the web browser is unusable, unless you have a touchscreen, and even then... I can't "tile" (verb).

[Rooster_Ties]

And people wonder why I continue to hold on to 3000+ CD's, instead of putting them all on my computer (and saving all that physical space by getting rid of the CD's).

Who really thinks they'll be able to access everything they have electronically in 25 years? Hell, even 10 years!!

THAT'S why I stick with CD's and other physical media (mostly CD's) -- the LAST thing I want to do is worry about porting my music collection across multiple operating system changes (and other forced software changes) over two or three decades. No thank you!!

Edited June 3, 2013 by Rooster_Ties

[mr jazz]

Windows 8, IMO, is very close to being a disaster for Microsoft. Haven't they heard of user i.e. real world pre relase testing not just allowing computer geeks to try a beta version?. FD: many of my friends are pc geeks but they speak a different language than us regular users. As a normal user AND a stockholder, I ain't happy!!

Edited June 3, 2013 by mr jazz

[Milestones]

The dissatisfaction is running rampant!

I am making some progress, though. I've been able to set up a more traditional Windows Media Player at the bottom of my screen. I can click on that and things work about the same as they used to. That beats going through the file manager, which takes 5 or 6 steps and uses some stupid ass media player that sucks up the whole computer screen and may play only one song at a time.

But bringing back the playlists is problematic.

[Scott Dolan]

And people wonder why I continue to hold on to 3000+ CD's, instead of putting them all on my computer (and saving all that physical space by getting rid of the CD's).

Who really thinks they'll be able to access everything they have electronically in 25 years? Hell, even 10 years!!

THAT'S why I stick with CD's and other physical media (mostly CD's) -- the LAST thing I want to do is worry about porting my music collection across multiple operating system changes (and other forced software changes) over two or three decades. No thank you!!

I think you may be over-thinking this a bit.

You can now store all of your files remotely. And if you purchase your stuff from iTunes, it's permanently on their servers just in case you somehow lose them. There is also external HD's where you can back up everything. Etc, etc...

Your CD's are no more of a physical media than my Western Digital external HD.

Your argument sounds more like "THAT'S why I hold onto all my 8-tracks. Does anyone honestly think they'll still be listening to CD's a decade from now?"

As for porting them across multiple operating systems...

Like what? Wind'ohs and Mac which have been around for decades, and are still the rulers of the market? Besides, you can play your digital music files on any operating system under the sun. They all recognize mp3. The only quibble would be that Wind'ohs recognizes FLAC but not ALAC. And OS X the exact opposite. Either way, no big deal as changing the formats is nice and easy.

[Rooster_Ties]

My point is that simply trying to maintain a "virtual" music collection over multiple format changes, over multiple operating systems, over multiple decades -- is no small matter.

Can it be done? - certainly. Will you never loose anything in the process? - not without a fair bit of headache and/or on-going overhead with an eye to preventing it (and an overhead I don't want to deal with).

FWIW, I *DO* expect to be listening to CD's 10 years from now, and 20 years from now, and maybe even 30. Perhaps a "CD-player" won't be my primary listening device, but I doubt I'll ever get rid of all my physical media -- especially for the rare stuff that isn't easily replaced.

[Milestones]

I still like CDs as well, and in fact I put most of my playlists or compilations on CD.

Despite some problems I've had, digital music is a wonderful thing.

[Scott Dolan]

My point is that simply trying to maintain a "virtual" music collection over multiple format changes, over multiple operating systems, over multiple decades -- is no small matter.

Can it be done? - certainly. Will you never loose anything in the process? - not without a fair bit of headache and/or on-going overhead with an eye to preventing it (and an overhead I don't want to deal with).

FWIW, I *DO* expect to be listening to CD's 10 years from now, and 20 years from now, and maybe even 30. Perhaps a "CD-player" won't be my primary listening device, but I doubt I'll ever get rid of all my physical media -- especially for the rare stuff that isn't easily replaced.

Right, but what I'm saying is that if you've gone through multiple format changes, and multiple operating systems, over multiple decades, perhaps you're doing it wrong.

I switched from Wind'ohs to OS X/iOS a couple of years ago and had thousands of mp3's. All I had to do was import them to iTunes which took less than an hour. I found other things to do while they transferred. No file format changes were necessary because iTunes plays mp3's. I had one album in FLAC that I had to transfer to ALAC. Took about a minute.

As for the overhead, I paid less for my digital files than you did for your CD's. I can spare it.

I'm not saying your way is wrong, or that mine is right. Just trying to give a little perspective for those who may be contemplating the pros and cons of each.

[Rooster_Ties]

As for the overhead, I paid less for my digital files than you did for your CD's. I can spare it.

I'm not at all worried about the cost of overhead, but rather the headache (over two decades) of trying to preserve digital audio data -- in any way that will preserve said data with a high degree of certainty.

BTW, I'm not saying my way is the "right" way either, but simply that I'm (obvioulsy) much less concerned about data-loss when I have the original physical media to fall back on -- so (effectively) there's nothing riding on the success (or failure) of data migration going forward.

I agree any one data-conversion can go perfectly well (or even two or three). My concern is trying to protect that data over the inevitable changes in technology over the rest of one's lifetime (or at least the next 25 years).

For those who are more savy, technically, obviously there are more options to be comfortable with.

[AllenLowe]

bought a Windows 8 laptop one morning at 10 am; returned it at 1 PM.

Piece of shite, as the Brits say.

[Scott Dolan]

I suppose, Rooster.

I've just never encountered this headache of which you speak. And many of my digital files go back almost 20 years.

[Neal Pomea]

Not sure I even really own the files I think I am buying from Itunes or Amazon Cloud. I think they just lease them to me to use with their programs. So I could not pass them along to heirs.

[erwbol]

As long as you use an open source format like FLAC, you're probably not running much of a risk of format obsoleteness. I primarily secure rip to hard disk for archiving anyway. 16-bit FLAC files do not increase in size, hard disk drives do. Making backups of backups of ever increasing collections shouldn't be too much of a financial burden. I would never store in a Cloud.

I switched to an iMac a few years ago (still on Snow Leopard). iTunes does not play FLAC, but VLC does and .cue sheets can be used as playlists easily enough.

As for Windows 8 (or 9, 10 ,11, etc.), I would sooner install Ubuntu on a new PC.

[Scott Dolan]

Just convert the FLAC files to ALAC if you want to play them in iTunes. One album takes about a minute to convert.

Neal, you own the files you buy. DRM died several years ago.

[Neal Pomea]

I don't think that is correct. See this about "ownership:" http://www.marketwatch.com/story/who-inherits-your-itunes-library-2012-08-23

"According to Amazon’s terms of use, “You do not acquire any ownership rights in the software or music content.” Apple limits the use of digital files to Apple devices used by the account holder."

[Scott Dolan]

In the hypothetical case posited by that article, I.e. leaving them to your kids, just sign in on whatever device they're using and authorize it. It will take all of five seconds out of your day.

Edited June 3, 2013 by Scott Dolan

[Milestones]

To get back to my specific situation, I'm in good shape now, except I can't find the stuff I downloaded from "e-music"--and that may have to do with it being in an odd spot on the external hard drive.

[mjzee]

eMusic downloads usually wind up duplicated in two places: where you instructed it to go (in my case, to let iTunes catalog it), and to a separate eMusic folder as a safety (in my case, on my desktop).

[JSngry]

Would like a new PC/laptop/tablet/pad/whatever, but have been staying the hell away from getting one b/c I more or less "need" Windows for work-related reasons, and what I've seen of 8 scares the hairydonekeyballed bejeebers out of me.

supposedly(?) a Service Pack To Kiss It and Make It Feel Better is on the way, but...jeez, was it THAT big a deal to get 7 outta the way?

Truth be tole, I was liking Vista just fine after SP2, but that was as a clean installation, as an install over an existing system...would not want to go there. But did not have to.

Maybe I should just learn to go SmartPhone once and for all (don't really own one now, just carry my wife's if needed), just JUMP and make the leap from Point A to Point Z1 and just get it over with. This whole terminal-based/tied thing is on the way out anyway, right? although...are cloud servers REALLY in clouds, or on the ground somewhere in a network of fixed location?

Yeah, that's what I thought...

[Dave Garrett]

Windows 8.1, incorporating a significant number of changes to Windows 8, is scheduled for release before year-end:

http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-1-unveiled-will-it-change-your-mind-about-windows-8-7000016112/

Anyone who's used Windows for any length of time should be familiar with the old saying about avoiding major new Windows releases until the first service pack comes out, but I sympathize with anyone buying a new PC now as you're pretty much stuck with Win8 in most cases. I have no desire to "upgrade" from Win7, and will likely not do so for a long time - I was still using Win2000 Server until a little over two years ago.

[Chuck Nessa]

A couple of months ago I got Ann got a new laptop with the dreaded 8 and she has been cursing me since then. I can only hope the new "update/fixes" promised for the Fall bail me out.

They made the idiotic decision to make one program written for touch screen and then dumbed it down for pcs.

[JSngry]

They made the idiotic decision to make one program written for touch screen and then dumbed it down for pcs.

Yeah, that's what my son told me, that they're using this as a pivot-point into Touch Screen FutureWorld. His wife bought a W8 laptop on a REALLY good deal and was ready to take it back within the first 30 minutes, which in the cumulative leads one to ponder if they're pivoting into a future that will not include them b/c they didn't pivot so much as jackknife themselves into a broken neck or some such.

I can take progress being awkward, and I can take progress being stupid, but both? Is that really necessary? Maybe so, but jeez, really?

[Tom 1960]

My wife recently purchased me a new laptop which contains Windows 8. In the beginning it made me feel like I was an idiot. That I was starting over again. After initial cursing and swearing I've gotten used to it. Not a ringing endorsement by any means. I'm glad I still have the desktop with the older operating system.

[Jim Alfredson]

I'll stick with Windows 7, which I like a lot. I skipped Vista altogether.