Why Do People Think This?

[bawboh86]

I work in IT. Every time I talk to someone about Windows 8, they say "I'd update, but I don't have a touchscreen" or "I have Windows 8, but it's not as good because it's not on a touchscreen device". I have Windows 8 on my desktop, my laptop, and a Surface RT. My desktop does not have a touchscreen, and while my laptop does, I only use it when I have it in tablet mode (Lenovo Yoga 13). I find Windows 8 to be easy enough to use without a touchscreen. My girlfriend, who is not technologically advanced, finds using Windows 8 on the desktop to be just fine. She actually likes it more than Windows 7.

So why do people feel the need to have a touchscreen to use Windows 8?

I've personally informed people that it's easy enough to navigate around and if they get stuck with something, they can easily find tutorials on YouTube. It seems to be helping, but only just. There seems to be this stigma that you HAVE to have a touchscreen to use Windows 8 effectively, and I don't get it.

Thoughts?

 

[msweig]

Probably because just about every review of Windows 8 (at least the ones I've seen) say the OS works much better with a touch screen.

Also, due to the price of Windows, most probably find it easier to upgrade while also upgrading their computer.

 

[Guzzler3]

Hate to admit this, but yep. I was in the "Need touchscreen" camp, until I finally started using W8 with just a mouse or touchpad. I'm really surprised at how well MS implemented non-touch in W8. They really did think it through, despite what others have said.

But, with a touchscreen you do get the full experience. Every-now-and-then I to reach up to touch the screen on my non-touch laptop and I just think "Do'h!! I can't do that.'

 

[doublebullout]

Because swiping with a finger on a touchscreen is a much more intuitive and pleasant experience than swiping with a mouse. Can you use Win8 without a touchscreen? Yes, but it's not nearly as nice.

 

[bawboh86]

But you don't to swipe with a mouse. Use the corner shortcuts or right-click. In fact, there's no swiping with a mouse at all.

 

[bawboh86]

Hate to admit this, but yep. I was in the "Need touchscreen" camp, until I finally started using W8 with just a mouse or touchpad. I'm really surprised at how well MS implemented non-touch in W8. They really did think it through, despite what others have said.

But, with a touchscreen you do get the full experience. Every-now-and-then I to reach up to touch the screen on my non-touch laptop and I just think "Do'h!! I can't do that.'

After having touchscreen devices for a while, I do this with Windows XP when I'm at work...

 

[GoodThings2Life]

I use a Surface Pro 100% of the time as both a desktop (dual monitors, even) and tablet setting, and love W8 and have even upgraded to 8.1 RTM. I find it much better than W7, and I *love* W7.

I remember this same whining going from W3.1 to W95. I think we get over it soon.

 

[fatclue_98]

Bob, I find using W8 on a touchscreen good only for the Metro side of things. Without a physical scrolling device such as a mouse or up/down arrows, I find legacy apps to be dicey. I really like W8 but I would like to see a toggle for the volume buttons that can alternate between volume and scroll. That's really my only gripe with 8.

 

[blehblehbleh]

I agree as two have said above, because reviews and just about anyone who really hasn't embraced (or tried) Windows 8 feels that it's only useful for touch screens. Hence, a reinforced loop that goes on and on.

Keep doing what you're doing bawboh to dispel those thoughts.

 

[DBDev]

I agree, it works great without touch too :winktongue:

 

[TeknoBlast]

Also agree that Windows 8 works great with a non-touch screen. I've been doing since the day Windows 8 was released. All those top/bottom menus you get from swiping from the top or bottom, you can get those same menus by using the right-click button of your mouse. Yeah, not that hard at all.

 

[despertador]

I love Win8 though touchscreen, it works very nicely. Maybe the reviewers and/or users think you can't use it with a mouse because they think they're limited to only the metro apps? Just a thought...

 

[_Emi_]

the reason they say about the touchscreens, its because they haven't used Windows 8, that means they read about windows 8 and believe the haters who for an unknown reason think a small menu with folder hierarchy is better. you know some people feel like they should voice how they don't want a tablet interface in their desktops, even though to a lot of people like me it works better with mouse and keyboard.

also its the people who think they know how to use a computer but only because MS changed small things of place, it seems it affected so much their computers skills that apparently they don't know how to use a computer. and then they read "touchscreen" and blame on it. so they spread more lies about win8 and how "slow" it is compared to windows 7, so it must be for touch only.

also because some buttons tend to be bigger and such, because they are touchscreen OPTIMIZED but for an unknown reason for them the mouse doesn't know how to click bigger icons (tiles).


Of course I think people who call win8 tablet interface or its for touch only, I cant stop but to think they are stupid. because yeah, while win8 feels nice with touch and all, I find it better with mouse and keyboard, and it makes things faster, like the right click left bottom corner menu, its really amazing! and it makes things faster than even win7 in a lot of things.
so how an interface that works better with mouse and keyboard can be a touchscreen interface? I have no idea. of course a lot of those are simply haters who see win8 and try to spread any lie, or they see Microsoft, and automatically they need to voice how everything MS makes sucks, and then they start saying all lies other, people and blogs, have said over the months. like monkeys.

for example still today I see how people say "but E3 xbox games ran on Win7 and NVidia cards" when there was like million reports about how it was only ONE game, and it was decision of the developing team to decide using windows and not xbox one, since their game wasn't ready but still they wanted to show it. and you know the list goes on, because they see Microsoft and it must suck and not be cool. so saying Win8 its a tablet interface, its one of those lies that were spread among the stupid humans. Just like Vista sucks, they don't know why, but because they heard it sucked, they think it sucks (even though it worked fine after couple months of release, and it wasn't that buggy on release)

 

[WP7_Genius]

Its funny how people forget all the other windows never used touch screen now they gripe. It works fine with a mouse/touchpad. I don't like touch screen PC cause I go crazy with the prints on my 920.....I would go crazy looking at smudges on my laptop screen O.O Just me though

 

[angusdegraosta]

I have a touch screen laptop. I use the mouse more. You don't need a touch screen, but it is cool to have. I have no big complaints about Windows 8. I tweaked some stuff in Registry to disable lock screen, the top left corner doohickey, Charms Hint, and caps lock. Beyond that, it searches fast and has great improvements to the desktop. Still needs refinement, but I'm not feeling any nostalgia for 7. I dig the tiles as well as the new desktop folder and task managers.

 

[wtrmlnjuc]

There's the hate camp that insists that Windows 8 was designed for tablets only and all apps are full screen (and have never used it), and then there's the camp that I think wants the whole experience. They want both sides of Windows 8, the best there is to offer and their current device doesn't allow that.

 

[fatclue_98]

There's the hate camp that insists that Windows 8 was designed for tablets only and all apps are full screen (and have never used it), and then there's the camp that I think wants the whole experience. They want both sides of Windows 8, the best there is to offer and their current device doesn't allow that.

That hate camp you're referring to are the ***** bloggers who don't understand the difference between "designed for tablets only" and touch-optimized. That same group of ***** bloggers are probably iSheep who don't want to accept the fact that OSX Mountain Lion was first in bringing a touch-optimized desktop OS to the masses. I have a Mac desktop and I won't update to Mountain Lion because it's not as well done as W8. Of course, that's my opinion.

 

[bawboh86]

Part of the problem is that it's people that I work with in IT that are VERY knowledgeable when it comes to computers and working with the software, but they are only using Windows 7 right now. I work for a large company, so I interact with a lot of people. It seems most are very receptive to hearing that W8 is more than the touchscreen apps, so I think I'm making headway, but it definitely feels like an uphill battle when my co-workers complain that it's only touchscreen. Oy. At least many are trying it out and finding it works fine without a touchscreen. *sigh* Thanks for the posts. It helps me realize that I'm not the only one stuck in the sea of negativity (and trust me, I was one of those against MS even just a few years ago - I was an open source/Linux zealot - Visual Studio 2008/2010 and Win7/8 have really changed my mind).

 

[Davingtons]

Part of the problem is that it's people that I work with in IT that are VERY knowledgeable when it comes to computers and working with the software, but they are only using Windows 7 right now. I work for a large company, so I interact with a lot of people. It seems most are very receptive to hearing that W8 is more than the touchscreen apps, so I think I'm making headway, but it definitely feels like an uphill battle when my co-workers complain that it's only touchscreen. Oy. At least many are trying it out and finding it works fine without a touchscreen. *sigh* Thanks for the posts. It helps me realize that I'm not the only one stuck in the sea of negativity (and trust me, I was one of those against MS even just a few years ago - I was an open source/Linux zealot - Visual Studio 2008/2010 and Win7/8 have really changed my mind).

I work for a large company, and there are no Win 8 devices - mainly Wind 7 and XP (!!).

I think there's a perception that Win 8 is mainly Metro apps and these require touchscreen. This is obviously wrong, but I believe it's what people think. I've shown a few people my Windows 8 setup and they are confused about finding the charms bar with the mouse and generally feel that this should be done with a swipe action rather than a mouse.

I personally run Windows 8 with just a mouse and keyboard (no touch) and am very happy with it. I rarely use Metro apps, spending most of my time in the desktop which I find a superior version of Windows 7.

So, I think it comes down to education. I like to do my bit, but nowadays you very rarely see advertising for Windows 8 that doesn't include a touchscreen angle.

 

[fatclue_98]

I work for a large company, and there are no Win 8 devices - mainly Wind 7 and XP (!!).

I think there's a perception that Win 8 is mainly Metro apps and these require touchscreen. This is obviously wrong, but I believe it's what people think. I've shown a few people my Windows 8 setup and they are confused about finding the charms bar with the mouse and generally feel that this should be done with a swipe action rather than a mouse.

I personally run Windows 8 with just a mouse and keyboard (no touch) and am very happy with it. I rarely use Metro apps, spending most of my time in the desktop which I find a superior version of Windows 7.

So, I think it comes down to education. I like to do my bit, but nowadays you very rarely see advertising for Windows 8 that doesn't include a touchscreen angle.

Oh, and don't get me started on the start button. You have no idea how many homicidal urges I've had to resist in the past 10 months every time I hear about it. I know shaking a baby is death-penalty-evil, but what are the effects on an adult?