Windows 8 How do I shut the computer down?

[denomis 10]

A bit late on this thread but my daughter has asked me to set up her new windows 8 laptop.

I started it up and wanted to connect to the internet only to be told there was no connection,I knew that, but couldn't find the router set up, nor could I get off the page.

Where's the back button?

I got p'd off and went to shut it down.

It took me (and I'm not totally stupid) 5 minutes clicking every key in sight until I found how to do it.

 

How could anyone think to find that bar on the right by clicking on an empty space near the corner?

And as for the turn off button appearing when you click the user name icon, how on earth are you supposed to know that.Especially there is START on the left WHERE TURN OFF USED TO BE.(Stupid as that was, but at least we got used to it)

What a totally s..t interface.

My iMac's Snow Leopard was easier to suss out when I changed from XP

Rant over.

 

 

Did you just jump in a car and know how to drive?

Do people just think, yeah I'm a doctor?

NO!

 

Calm down and learn about it, you can get free guide books if you can't work it out, just because you can't figure it out, doesn't make it crap, that's your own failing because you can't be arsed to sit down for half hour and read a tutorial.

 

Personally I found it simple and a breeze to use, use google (if you can) and search "windows 8 guide" and I'm sure all your frustrations will melt away.

 

Here's a starter tip, the bar on the right (called charms) doesn't need to be clicked, just move your mouse to the bottom corner and it pops out automatic.

[AlexAtkin 10]

Did you just jump in a car and know how to drive?

Do people just think, yeah I'm a doctor?

NO!

 

Calm down and learn about it, you can get free guide books if you can't work it out, just because you can't figure it out, doesn't make it crap, that's your own failing because you can't be arsed to sit down for half hour and read a tutorial.

 

Personally I found it simple and a breeze to use, use google (if you can) and search "windows 8 guide" and I'm sure all your frustrations will melt away.

 

Here's a starter tip, the bar on the right (called charms) doesn't need to be clicked, just move your mouse to the bottom corner and it pops out automatic.

 

I am an experienced user and it took me AGES to find the shut down option too. Fortunately, I always alter power management so that the power button turns off rather than going into Standby so its not as much of an issue. The point is, why move it? What purpose does it serve to NOT have it in an obvious place?

 

As for your analogy, its seriously flawed too. Because if someone presents me with a car I haven't driven before I AM able to immediately drive it, because things like ignition, indicators, brake, accelerator, are all in obvious places and clearly marked - unlike Windows 8.

 

An analogy for shutting down a car like Windows 8 would be to NOT be able to turn off the engine without finding a hidden button in the glove box or under the seat, while also making it near impossible to figure out how to OPEN the glove box or move the seat, to get at that button.

 

Never before has such an essential option been hidden so deeply compared to a previous version of the OS. When you use Windows you don't expect essential options to have been moved. It HAS to have been a big deal for a lot of people, for Microsoft to actually be putting a shut down option back in plain sight on the 8.1 update.

Edited October 10, 2013 by AlexAtkin

[davyboy 19]

You beat me to it Alex, those are exactly the points I was just about to make but not so eloquently.

 

Denomis, It's not that I couldn't be arsed to get instructions but I stupidly expected that my past experience of windows 95 to XP would be of some use when I started blind on W8.

I was wrong.

I have set up thunderbird as the e mail provider and expected that clicking on the MAIL square would open TB but no, it tells me I haven't got an MS account.

I don't want one on the machine .

I shall stick with Apple.

[alchresearch 214]

An analogy for shutting down a car like Windows 8 would be to NOT be able to turn off the engine without finding a hidden button in the glove box or under the seat, while also making it near impossible to figure out how to OPEN the glove box or move the seat, to get at that button.

 

Sounds like a Windows 8 car is a TVR then, they're renowned for hidden buttons!

 

People seem to think that the Windows 8 interface gripes are user errors and that Microsoft can do no wrong. Lets not talk about ME, Vista, or Office 2007 shall we?

[AlexAtkin 10]

As I have said before, I do not understand the people who post on forums to say they downgraded to Windows 7 because 8 is s**t. If they are savvy enough to post on a forum they could also have solved those Windows 8 gripes and no wasted money on 7 (or potentially running an illegal copy) or held back their PC by sticking with legacy software. There are enough improvements in 8 to warrant keeping it in my opinion. I have fallen into the trap myself holding back on older software due to reluctance to adjust, it usually makes the inevitable moment you HAVE to switch much harder.

 

However for a less technical user who doesn't have the skills (or at least feel they don't) to figure this stuff out, I can totally understand. But that kind of person is unlikely to have a spare copy of Windows 7 lying around and if they have to rely on a more technical person to downgrade for them, its far better for that person instead to make the changes so Windows 8 is usable and hopefully the user will adjust more gradually to the changes rather than it being a shock years later when Windows 7 is no longer supported.

 

None of this excuses the fact there was no need for Microsoft to do this in the first place though. By all means have options in new places for the touch interface stuff, but keep the old stuff too for legacy users.

 

Incidentally alchresearch, search for file associations as that will fix my second huge frustration that you mentioned - everything being assigned to WinRT apps by default. It will show a list of default actions so you can make sure everything opens in the correct application again.

Edited October 10, 2013 by AlexAtkin

[denomis 10]

You beat me to it Alex, those are exactly the points I was just about to make but not so eloquently.

 

Denomis, It's not that I couldn't be arsed to get instructions but I stupidly expected that my past experience of windows 95 to XP would be of some use when I started blind on W8.

I was wrong.

I have set up thunderbird as the e mail provider and expected that clicking on the MAIL square would open TB but no, it tells me I haven't got an MS account.

I don't want one on the machine .

I shall stick with Apple.

 

May your daughter would like an ms account on her laptop, as for you using xp, that's a 12 year old os, would you like ms to just not innovate and evolve.

I don't know why I'm arguing as it's clear how much of an apple lover you are.

 

(I use both btw)

[swarfendor437 14]

Well I did state before that if you had played around with Gnome3 DE then Windows 8.1 would be a doddle to shut down! In fact I have it on good authority that the interface was designed by two former Canonical employees which would explain the reported mutterings of Mr Ballmer saying "I love Linux"!

 

If you log out you get the yellow palm leaf and the clock and information about whether you have network connection - click on this to 'raise' the wall and you should see your user name - click on that and you should get the usual options of shutdown, restart. I spotted a neat thing for users who wonder if they have mistyped their password - if you click on that little 'eye' to the right and hold the left mouse button down, what you have entered so far is revealed - good for uncertainty, bad for security (dependent upon setting obviously). At first I didn't like it because it was based on tablets, but I can live without a menu - interesting they have really copied Apple with Launchpad (as has Pear 8 and that looks far more classy than Windows 8.1 - the finish looks a lot more polished. So now I have 5 OS's on my rig!

[denomis 10]

I'm counting down the days when 8.1 comes out so people stop crying.

 

7 days.............

[swarfendor437 14]

Well will it mean the same licencing wording/warnings that Software4Students quote on their overview/features of Windows 8 (not 8.1) [and reminiscent of Office2013]? :

 

"Other System Requirements: Microsoft account required for some features. Watching DVDs requires seperate playback software.

 

 

 

**Please note that changing hardware may result in a loss of license. Licenses are non-transferrable.

 

 

 

We strongly recommend students check the health of their hard disk BEFORE installing any operating system software upgrade.

 

 

 

Software4Students is not responsible for any system crashes or HDD failures during install of Windows 8 on faulty hardware."

 

[denomis 10]

**Please note that changing hardware may result in a loss of license. Licenses are non-transferrable.

 

This is not true, I bought windows 8 at launch, a couple of month ago I got a new pc with no os, I transferred my licence onto my new rig with no fuss whatsoever. Windows 8 installed and verified genuine.

 

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_8-windows_install/how-do-you-transfer-windows-8-licence-to-a-new/1424b725-4aa2-4c93-a559-1b35542d72a7

Edited October 10, 2013 by denomis

[Obelix 11]

Did you just jump in a car and know how to drive?

Do people just think, yeah I'm a doctor?

NO!

 

Calm down and learn about it, you can get free guide books if you can't work it out, just because you can't figure it out, doesn't make it crap,

 

No it does make it crap. If you changed from a Mk2 to a Mk3 Focus and found that the accelerator had moved from under your right foot and was now hidden behind the fuse box and needed you to aim for it unseen with your left foot you'd be surprised and annoyed as well.

 

---------- Post added 11-10-2013 at 23:34 ----------

 

You beat me to it Alex, those are exactly the points I was just about to make but not so eloquently.

 

Denomis, It's not that I couldn't be arsed to get instructions but I stupidly expected that my past experience of windows 95 to XP would be of some use when I started blind on W8.

I was wrong.

I have set up thunderbird as the e mail provider and expected that clicking on the MAIL square would open TB but no, it tells me I haven't got an MS account.

 

That's the point I decided that it was a no go. You have to register with MS to use a different email provide? No chance.

 

The MS rep dropped by eager to close the deal on our desktop upgrade. I sent him packing - we've started to move everyone wholesale over to Linux now.

[eatshmeat 10]

windows key + I job done, where are you all making lives to difficult for yourselves?