Windows Ocho - Day 1

It’s finally happened; I have become a Windows 8 user. Ok, as of this posting, it’s been less than 24 hours (a little under 12 hours to be exact). It was time to get a new computer, not so much because my “old” one was functionally obsolete as much as the fact that it is a few years old and it’s not portable (i.e., not a laptop). Over the Christmas holiday when traveling to visit family for several days, it became very apparent that I needed my own, non-work issued, private laptop; one capable of playing games and running the apps and software that I use regularly on my desktop. In other words, I needed a laptop capable of being a desktop replacement. So the search began with the plan to be using my income tax refund to finance the purchase.

I looked at several models and brands online and in various stores.1 One thing became abundantly clear very quickly - no matter what I bought, I was going to have to deal with the dreaded and much maligned Windows 8. It’s not that I couldn’t find laptops that did not have Windows 7, it’s just that the ones that had Windows 7 were no more powerful than my desktop. My thinking on that was simply that if I was going to get a new laptop to use in place of the desktop, it made more sense to get something that trumped it in terms of technology specifications. So, I resolved that I was going to have to learn Windows 8 and get used to the new GUI,2 (which is one of the things that I did not like about the new look as I felt Microsoft was trying too hard to make Windows look like a smartphone layout).

Yesterday afternoon, after having electronically receiving my W2 on Friday, I went to H&R Block Online and did my tax return for 2012. While I didn’t get back as much as I was hoping for, I am expecting a refund (federal and state combined) large enough to buy a new laptop. So, my fiancee and I drove the 30ish minutes to the nearest Micro Center where I filled out an application for a store credit card; I was summarily declined (as expected, frankly). However, my beloved, knowing how important this was to me, decided to also fill out an application and was approved, allowing me to get the laptop that I had seen the week before and had settled on being the one I wanted (once I get my tax refund(s), I’ll simply pay off the entire card balance).

Here are my initial comments/observances/grievances with Windows 8:

• Speed - so far very impressive; quick boot time, download and install speeds beyond acceptable. Admittedly, some of that could be the fact that the hardware itself has four times as much RAM as my desktop with a quad-core processor versus a dual-core, but still, the OS is what runs the show so it gets held responsible for shitty performance (case in point, XP seemed much slower on my desktop than Windows 7 on the exact same hardware).

• RAM usage - Speaking of hardware and how the OS utilizes it, I noticed something when looking at the screen showing basic system information, of the 12GB of total RAM, there are 11.9GB of usable RAM showing. I seem to remember XP always taking up to half of the physical RAM for itself, at least until there was over 2GB, and Windows 7 seems to take about a quarter. So it would seem that Windows 8 is considerably less of a resource hog than previous versions of the OS, but time will tell - plus the need to do speed tests and really see how much I can throw at it to see how it really handles resources.

• Look - I hate to admit it, but the new Start Screen is much easier to deal with than I had feared it would be; also using the WinKey+D takes you to a normal Windows Desktop mode like we’ve all been used to since Windows 95. The new layout also moves some things around, which I’m finding frustrating, but getting the hang of much faster that I thought I would (it helps that one of the pre-installed apps on the Start Screen is called “Getting started with Windows 8” and has been extremely helpful in learning the new GUI and features). Sure, it still feels a bit like it’s designed more toward a tablet layout, but there does seem to be a fair amount of ways to customize the look and supposedly there are apps that can be used to make 8 look and behave more like 7 for those that really don’t want to learn the new layout. So, the biggest thing I said I didn’t like about Windows 8 (based on initial screenshots I had seen) is actually growing on me and becoming something that I like about it.

• Apps - being a smartphone user, I’m used to the concept of apps and an “app store”. So far, I do like the fact that there are many programs that I use that have an app version for Windows 8 (e.g., Dropbox, Box, Nook for PC) and these seem to take up less memory and hard drive space than a traditional piece of Windows software. The only annoyance, so far, is that I’ve yet to find a search feature/option when looking for apps in the Windows “Store”.

Old vs New Comparison:

Just for reference, here’s a very basic comparison of my Desktop Specs vs the Specs of the new Laptop

	Desktop	Laptop
Brand & Model	Self built - Asus MB	HP Envy dv7-7292nr
CPU	AMD 64-bit Dual Core 2.6Ghz	Intel i7 Quad Core - 2.4Ghz
RAM	3GB	12GB
Dedicated Video RAM	1GB (NVIDIA chipset)	1.6GB (NVIDIA Chipset)
Hard Drive	3 total - primary internal (OS and software) =150GB, secondary internal (documents and files)  500GB; external (multimedia) 500GB	1TB (NOTE: the document and multimedia drives on the desktop have been setup for network sharing so are accessible to the laptop via the home network)

So far the first 12+ hours of using Windows 8 has been the typical new computer setup routine and getting used to the new features and feeling my way around. I have to say, I don’t “hate” it. Later today I’ll be testing 8’s supposed “better” multi-monitor handling when I attach it to one of my desktop’s current monitors in the upstairs office (I even managed to find a HDMI-to-DVI adapter cable instead of a big clunky adapter piece). I’ve also installed World of Warcraft (of course) so I’m looking forward to seeing on 8 handles that (the reviews on various message boards about playing WoW on Win8 seem to be quite mixed).

Articles and Links:

• “5 reasons you should buy Windows 8 now” - http://venturebeat.com/2013/01/25/5-reasons-you-should-buy-windows-8-now/
  
• "Windows 8 vs Windows 7: 8 ways it's different" - http://www.techradar.com/us/news/software/operating-systems/windows-8-vs-windows-7-8-ways-its-different-1025285
  
• "How to Add Quick Launch to the Taskbar in Windows 8" - http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5069-quick-launch-add-taskbar-windows-8-a.html

Notes:
1. Tiger Direct, BestBuy, OfficeDepot, and Micro Center to name a few.
2. GUI, for those of you that don’t know means “Graphical User Interface”.

52!

Fifty-two weeks, fifty-two blogs. I have never had a calendar year in which I have actually posted a blog every single Sunday, until now. This is blog number 52 for 2012 (unless I counted wrong, which is highly probable). Whether or not my count is correct, I have managed, for the first time ever in a single calendar year, to post something every week. Sometimes it’s been a rant, or something about nothing, or sometimes just a photo, but at least I can say I’ve posted something every week.

I’ve discovered a few things while engaging in this little project. First of all, I enjoy writing - or at least the act of writing; it’s cathartic. Secondly, how the fuck professional writers come up with material on a regular basis escapes me; there have been plenty of weeks where a topic worth writing about, or for which I had more than a sentence or two worth of commentary has alluded me.

I’ve also discovered, based on the analytics for the blog, that more people actually read this thing than just my friends who are kind enough to click on the links I post on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Interestingly, some of my older posts comparing To Do list services seem to be my most popular (or at least most viewed) posts.

Going into 2013 I can’t say that I’ll make another run at 52 straight weeks of blogging. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ll allow myself the occasional break from blogging. I’ve always called the blog “Chaotic Commentary” because I’ve never locked the blog into a single topic; that won’t change, although don’t be surprised if you see more World of Warcraft themed blogs in the near future.

~JC

Carlisle’s Chaotic Commentary 2012 Posts

First Blog of 2012	January 1, 2012
Damn it Feels Good to Be a Lannister	January 8, 2012
Ben Was Right... Mostly	January 15, 2012
What Possesses People?	January 22, 2012
Let The Hunt Begin	January 29, 2012
The Hunt is Over	February 5, 2012
Some Chaotic Commentary	February 12, 2012
Nook Tablet – First Impressions	February 19, 2012
Boxes, Boxes Everywhere	February 26, 2012
Movin' On Up	March 4, 2012
Channels, Channels Everywhere	March 11, 2012
Hungry for the Games	March 18, 2012
The Great Furniture Hunt	March 25, 2012
Put It Together Your Damn Self	April 1, 2012
Laptops, WiFi & Family	April 7, 2012
Sunday Evening Bloggin’	April 15, 2012
U-verse vs Xfinity - Just My Humble Opinion	April 22, 2012
Tiptoeing Through ‘The Cloud’	April 29, 2012
LG Tone Bluetooth Review	May 6, 2012
Shaking My Head	May 13, 2012
The Sarah J Show	May 20, 2012
Remember More Than Just Your Grill	May 27, 2012
Sorry Ben, But Beer Doesn’t Love Me	June 3, 2012
RIP Ray Bradbury	June 10, 2012
Happy Dad’s Day	June 17, 2012
Can’t Stop The Music	June 24, 2012
Burnt Offerings	July 1, 2012
The Game Is Afoot	July 8, 2012
The Great Book Debate	July 15, 2012
Is This The Real Life?	July 22, 2012
Making a Splash	July 29, 2012
Rethinking My Tablet Choice	August 5, 2012
Vacation 2012	August 12, 2012
Round IS a Shape, Right?	August 19, 2012
Lock It Down	August 26, 2012
Sunday Ramblings	September 2, 2012
Bachelor Pad	September 9, 2012
Time to Become a Little More Antisocial	September 16, 2012
I’d Rather Be Writing	September 23, 2012
Rethinking the Layout	September 30, 2012
Save the Tatas	October 7, 2012
The Last (?) Temptation of Uhnk	October 14, 2012
What the Puck!?	October 21, 2012
Return to Azeroth	October 28, 2012
Heads or Tails - Election 2012	November 4, 2012
Salute to our Veterans	November 11, 2012
WoW, It’s Been A Month Already	November 18, 2012
Tis The Season	November 25, 2012
Raiding, Achievements, and Gold, WoW	December 2, 2012
What Ifs	December 9, 2012
Fifty Down, Two To Go	December 16, 2012
We’re Still Here	December 23, 2012
52	December 30, 2012

We’re Still Here

Well, this apocolypse that was supposed to happen a couple of days ago didn’t. So, have a Merry/Happy Chrismahaunakwanzaka (or whatever it is you celebrate this time of year)!

~ JC

Fifty Down, Two To Go

At the beginning of this calendar year I imposed upon myself a goal. That goal was to actually post a blog every Sunday through the end of the year. Writing, for me, has always been a cathartic undertaking. I don’t really care if anyone actually reads it or not. Sundays became the day of blogging from almost the start because it was always the one day of the week when I had time in the morning to post. A few years ago my friend Jimmy starting trying to do a daily blog, which inspired me to at least do a weekly one. Like most hobbies I undertake, I tend to go at it pretty hardcore at first then my interest starts to wane, so there are some pretty large gaps in the dates of my blog posts. Writing, though, is one of those enjoyments that I really like to do, so even though I didn’t write something every week, I still wrote fairly often. Strange as it sounds, it’s the act of typing that I enjoy - I’m not sure why. And yes, I’m the weirdo that will say that the thing I miss most about college is writing papers.

So far I’ve managed to post something every Sunday during 2012. Today’s post is number 50 with two more Sundays left in the calendar year. So, I’ll see you here next Sunday for another blog post (that is, of course, if the Mayan calendar was wrong).

~ JC

P.S. - I was going to write another World of Warcraft post this morning, but figured I’d take a break from that topic for a bit ;-)