Database Users

M5000 as a replacement for a desktop pc?

Since getting my m5000 last Friday i've been considering the various uses it could have - from both a personal and business point of view.
Today I installed the VNC viewer software on the m5000 and it lets me remotely control my office desktop computer - plus all of our other workstations (I'm the IT Manager - we use it for remote support).
I'm giving some serious thought to the possibility of not having a desktop PC - instead using my m5000 to it's full capability just using vnc to access a spare computer in the office with all the apps on it i use. this would also work when i'm not in the office.
any views on this? i just thought that with the m5000 practically being a laptop it makes sense to possibly use it instead of a desktop pc.

i think the concept is more of an addition to a desktop, not a replacement.
its a very useful utility to read information, but when it comes to maniputlating data, ie, editing a huge spreadsheet its not really up to the spec of office on a desktop.
maybe 5years down the line when the software has been developed enough, the hardware is smaller and of higher specs.
but for now, i see it as a portable part of my main systems, and pound for pound the pc is still a way more viable option.

[Q] Alternative uses

So I barely use my A7 other than the occasional web browsing and movie watching. Anyone know of other uses from the device? Such as using it over the network to display info from a computer. Like an extended LCD monitor...

There is a program called idisplay on the market that allows you to extend your desktop screen over to the a7. haven't used it so not sure how well it would scale. or you can use a remote desktop program if you wanted to use your desktop while not sitting at it.

PocketCloud.... control remote desktop

I checked out idisplay...pretty much what I am looking for.
I have used pocketcloud, but i am not looking to use the tablet to control something, I want to push things from my desktop to the tablet display, not remote control my PC/Mac

I use RemoteDroid on mine to use it as a wireless keyboard/mouse for my HTPC. Works pretty decent, but the RemoteDroid server application that has to run on the PC is written in java and has a memory leak like you read about, eventually locks up the computer... Good as proof of concept though.

I am a paperless person
I use my tablet for almost everything. My books are there now. My documents and I take notes as well as use diagrams (mindmapper) to record meetings and give talks. It is pretty cool for the video and pictures slideshow too. I use wifi to read news and browse the net. I have also perl,python and ruby and use it to test scripts I move then to my Linux server.

Remote RDP app supports right click, scroll mouse, ctr/alt keys, and drag and drop

The primary reason I bought the transformer was to be an RDP client (I already had 2 other tablets). For the last week I've been disappointed (almost regretting my purchase) because the RDP support was so bad.
I needed a true RDP client so MyCloud/Splashtop wasn't an option.
I tried several:
1. Wyse Pocketcloud Lite and Pro (which I love on my phone)
2. 2X
3. XTRALOGIC
They are all nice, but none of them are good enough for regular use. I need an RDP client that supports:
- Full screen (auto-fit) resolution (1280x750?)
- Right click (via usb mouse)
- Drag and drop (via usb mouse)
- Wheel mouse (via usb mouse)
- alt/ctrl keys
I finally found a solution: Remote RDP. It support all of the above. I didn't test the trackpad, but it worked great with a USB mouse. I've only used it for 20 minutes, but so far I'm fantastically impressed.
Links:
http://www.toremote.com/
https://market.android.com/details?id=org.toremote.rdpdemo&hl=en
https://market.android.com/details?id=org.toremote.serversmanager
Update: 2X has released an update that works OK with the transformer and android 3.2. Right click was working, but I can't get it working anymore.

Good timing on the post, as I was hoping to find one. I used Teamviewer but as it goes across the network I didn't want to deal with the latency since I only need access over my internal network.
Are you using "Lite" or the paid version? I am wondering what ~$10.27 gets me in extra usage, but I will check this out tonight.

Gig103 said:
Good timing on the post, as I was hoping to find one. I used Teamviewer but as it goes across the network I didn't want to deal with the latency since I only need access over my internal network.
Are you using "Lite" or the paid version? I am wondering what ~$10.27 gets me in extra usage, but I will check this out tonight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For now I'm using the lite version, but if I don't run into any issues I'll be upgrading to the $10 version. The lite version doesn't have a special soft keyboard for the function keys, but the pro version allows you to save custom keyboard shortcuts (ex. ctrl+shift+f12) for quick use.

Remote RDP Lite, excellent client and I think it has all the features you mentioned although I can't try the drag and drop so I'm not sure.
Edit: Sorry didn't see your edit!!

mattjsorensen said:
The primary reason I bought the transformer was to be an RDP client (I already had 2 other tablets). For the last week I've been disappointed (almost regretting my purchase) because the RDP support was so bad.
I needed a true RDP client so MyCloud/Splashtop wasn't an option.
I tried several:
1. Wyse Pocketcloud Lite and Pro (which I love on my phone)
2. 2X
3. XTRALOGIC
They are all nice, but none of them are good enough for regular use. I need an RDP client that supports:
- Full screen (auto-fit) resolution (1280x750?)
- Right click (via usb mouse)
- Drag and drop (via usb mouse)
- Wheel mouse (via usb mouse)
- alt/ctrl keys
I finally found a solution: Remote RDP. It support all of the above. I didn't test the trackpad, but it worked great with a USB mouse. I've only used it for 20 minutes, but so far I'm fantastically impressed.
I cannot post a link, but you can find Remote RDP in the market or google for toremote.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds very interesting. Does it support video that writes directly to the frame buffer (eg. Windows Media Center in full screen mode)? What frame rates do you get? And any idea how much bandwidth it's consuming?
I like Splashtop, but it'd be really nice to have an even more capable solution...

I've tried RemoteRDP, but couldn't ever get it to connect to my server running win 7 pro 64bit. Wyse Pocketcloud was the only one I could get to work without some sort of server program running on the computer (splashtop, vnc)

right click was one of the big ones, I sent the log to Remote RDP and he was able to do it within a few hours....which was excellent. However splashtop is slower, I sent them the same log/message basically and they still havent got time to do it. I guess they might be too busy? I love splashtop because it streams well, but the right click is such a essential feature.

GREAT to hear this! So glad app devs are starting to support features like right-click and scroll... great news.
I'll try RemoteRDP soon... although my server will also be an x64 machine running Win7Pro.
lordgodgeneral - let me know if you do get yours working (I'll do the same).

It's an excellent client.
It would be perfect if he could get two finger scrolling to work with the TF touchpad.

The only problem I have is that it turnes off local keyboard (I don't have keyboard for Transformer).

OMG! This is awesome! Just tried RemoteRDP Lite and it worked "flawlessly". Everything works, including right-mouse button, drag-drop, cut/paste. This makes me soooo happy! Finally, I can use my Transformer the way it was supposed to be used
Thank you for posting this. You made my day!

Win7 x64 works for me
lordgodgeneral said:
I've tried RemoteRDP, but couldn't ever get it to connect to my server running win 7 pro 64bit. Wyse Pocketcloud was the only one I could get to work without some sort of server program running on the computer (splashtop, vnc)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been using it with Win7 x64 Pro on multiple machines (home and work). Works perfect in both cases. I also tested Sever 2008 and XP x86 (both work).

knoxploration said:
Sounds very interesting. Does it support video that writes directly to the frame buffer (eg. Windows Media Center in full screen mode)? What frame rates do you get? And any idea how much bandwidth it's consuming?
I like Splashtop, but it'd be really nice to have an even more capable solution...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Running regular apps (no video; no games), it renders significantly faster than 2X, but it doesn't handle video as well as Splashtop. Splashtop is very impressive when it comes to streaming video.

mattjsorensen said:
I've been using it with Win7 x64 Pro on multiple machines (home and work). Works perfect in both cases. I also tested Sever 2008 and XP x86 (both work).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What settings/tricks did you use on the app to get it to connect?
I just couldn't ever get it to go. I used the same settings for both RemoteRDP and Wyse, but just kept getting a connection refused on remoteRDP. Wyse worked from the first shot.

lordgodgeneral said:
What settings/tricks did you use on the app to get it to connect?
I just couldn't ever get it to go. I used the same settings for both RemoteRDP and Wyse, but just kept getting a connection refused on remoteRDP. Wyse worked from the first shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know of any trick. I set the following fields:
- host to my ip address
- port to 3389
- username = xxxx
- password = xxxx
- screen = autofit
I left everything else to the default. All of the other RDP clients worked fine for me as well (with Win7 x64).
Oh, wait. When I originally setup RDP on my Win 7 box, I did select "Allow connections from computer running any version of Remote Desktop". If you don't select that, you must have an NLA capable client. I haven't tried it, but Remote RDP Enterprise claims to support NLA.

2X now has has great mouse + keyboard support
I just installed the latest update to 2X. It now supports:
- USB mouse
- scroll wheel
- ctrl/alt keys
- right click
- drag/drop
It also has the virtual keyboard for function keys that Report RDP doesn't handle as well.

if somebody can find the Remote RDP non-lite and non-enterprise holla, the enterprise one crashes and the lite one is missing sound and stuff

mattjsorensen said:
I just installed the latest update to 2X. It now supports:
- USB mouse
- scroll wheel
- ctrl/alt keys
- right click
- drag/drop
It also has the virtual keyboard for function keys that Report RDP doesn't handle as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great! Hopefully Splashtop will add support for these soon, too...

Why not use VNC client and a mouse?
Mouse should work in USB port. I have not tried, but it seems a good option.

Bob Smith42 said:
Why not use VNC client and a mouse?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because Splashtop is so far without equal in terms of framerate. It's possible to watch fullscreen video with audio on the tablet via a desktop or notebook PC, without significant degradation. At the moment, it's basically the only way to watch Netflix on the Transformer, too.

full control of my home (windows7) PC with my TF

Can I control my home PC (windows7) with my TF? To be more specific: I own a projector and have a Home Theater room. I want to be able to see the same on my TF tablet as what is shown on my projector, so kind of like a secondary monitor.

You can use teamviwier app that with it you could use your pc throw your tf
Enviado desde mi Transformer TF101 usando Tapatalk 2

You can use VNC Viewer to control your PC after you install VNC on it.

Slapshtop 2 HD is free right now.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...xLDMsImNvbS5zcGxhc2h0b3AucmVtb3RlLnBhZC52MiJd

+1 for Splashtop 2 HD

There are at least 3 different options which I have tried:
VNC
+ cross platform
+ lightweight
+ well renowned + used
- can be quite slow
- can be quite low quality
- by default, requires setting up NAT to access from outside LAN
- no sound I don't think
Splashtop THD
+ super fast and smooth (like realtime)
+ sends audio as well
+ excellent quality picture
+ easy to use outside LAN (no worries regarding portforwarding if you login with google)
- no linux client
note: splashtop 2 isn't free if you want to connect from outside your LAN
note2: if you choose this, try find Splashtop THD, it's optimized for Tegra, but not accessible through market on TF101 by default.
TeamViewer7
+ super fast
+ excellent quality picture
+ super easy management of multiple computers
+ easy to use outside of LAN
+ free for non-commercial use
+ cross platform (linux clients available)
+ no install required (can run from USB)
= uses different interface to others, instead of touching where you want to click, you use the touchscreen like you would a mousepad on the laptop to move the cursor, then tap to click. I like it personally, but I have stuby fingers and high resolution windows desktops not conductive towards touch interface
- no sound by default (I don't think - not really tested with sound:S)
- For some reason, when I disconnect, and reconnect the next day to my VM, all my windows are closed. This maybe something I've done wrong though.
Personally, for me, I chose TeamViewer because I needed linux clients as well. Any of the above would probably be okay for your needs. If you're wanting to interact with it, I'd suggest teamviewer because the mouse control works better with the small controls of Windows.
Dom

MrGuy said:
There are at least 3 different options which I have tried:
VNC
+ cross platform
+ lightweight
+ well renowned + used
- can be quite slow
- can be quite low quality
- by default, requires setting up NAT to access from outside LAN
- no sound I don't think
Splashtop THD
+ super fast and smooth (like realtime)
+ sends audio as well
+ excellent quality picture
+ easy to use outside LAN (no worries regarding portforwarding if you login with google)
- no linux client
note: splashtop 2 isn't free if you want to connect from outside your LAN
note2: if you choose this, try find Splashtop THD, it's optimized for Tegra, but not accessible through market on TF101 by default.
TeamViewer7
+ super fast
+ excellent quality picture
+ super easy management of multiple computers
+ easy to use outside of LAN
+ free for non-commercial use
+ cross platform (linux clients available)
+ no install required (can run from USB)
= uses different interface to others, instead of touching where you want to click, you use the touchscreen like you would a mousepad on the laptop to move the cursor, then tap to click. I like it personally, but I have stuby fingers and high resolution windows desktops not conductive towards touch interface
- no sound by default (I don't think - not really tested with sound:S)
- For some reason, when I disconnect, and reconnect the next day to my VM, all my windows are closed. This maybe something I've done wrong though.
Personally, for me, I chose TeamViewer because I needed linux clients as well. Any of the above would probably be okay for your needs. If you're wanting to interact with it, I'd suggest teamviewer because the mouse control works better with the small controls of Windows.
Dom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just tried teamviever (first program I tried) but don t like it for 2 reasons:
- cannot use TF hardware KB+MOUSE
- screen isn t filled fully (although it will become tiny if full screen but that does not matter to me)
btw.: Splahtop THD seems to be only for Tegra 3 devices. The TF1 (non-prime) is Tegra 2.

yeah, teamviewer is different. It's better for phones I think - but I prefer it's interface now after some time. My fingers are too stubby just to try and press the start bar or whatever.
Regarding the screen, you can pinch to zoom to fill the screen. Also, in the settings when connected, you can adjust the resolution to match the screen.
Regarding splashtop THD, as I said, you wont find it in the market on the TF101. Perhaps you can think of a different way to acquire it, which I'm not necessarily condoning, involving google and the term "APK". It will install on the TF101. It's a lot smoother and better than regular splashtop though.
I would use just splashtop THD over teamviewer, it's just there's no linux client for splashtop which is a must for me.

RDP
I prefer the 2X app. It uses RDP and the terminal-server capabilities of W7 prof.
HW-mouse and HW-keyboard are working fine.

Logmein
Logmein works good and also lets you control any computer including Mac. Keyboard/dock works.

I use pocketcloud, has RDP and VNC and it has never failed me yet. I would choose any vnc based solution last for win7 prof since prof has RDP functionality and one of the features is auto resize of the whole desktop when you log in which comes in handy since i hate scrolling around

You could take a look at Jump Desktop
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=Jump+Desktop&c=apps
It's absolutly amazin and works like a charm! There is a free version for 1 connecton and the paid version is at discount price on the moment normally 8 euros, and now it's 2 euro's. It's worth it!

+1 to splashtop and its free

Also give a try to TeamViewer. It doesn't use RDP but you can install it on Windows as a service.
On the tablet the remote desktop will be resized without changing the remote screen resolution. Furthermore its tablet useability is awesome. Just give it a try... it's free for non commercial use. I use it even on my Nexus S!

Some names: Splashtop (free for our tablet), teamviewer, LogMeIn (a little bit expansive). My choice? The first one.

lacrossev said:
I use pocketcloud, has RDP and VNC and it has never failed me yet. I would choose any vnc based solution last for win7 prof since prof has RDP functionality and one of the features is auto resize of the whole desktop when you log in which comes in handy since i hate scrolling around
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I started off using pocketcloud because it used RDP. I'd highly suggest you at least try using splashtop as it's a lot quicker I found than pocketcloud.

Turn any laptop into a tablet?

Despite some criticisms regarding its incredibly touch-centric user-interface that doesn't perform as well as a traditional desktop when using a standard mouse and keyboard, there will likely still come a time when Windows 8 is the only viable operating system for everyday use due to Windows' far superior application support by developers over Linux and Mac alternatives. Since versions after Windows 8 are likely still going to employ the touch-centric UI with Microsoft clearly determined to harken in the death of traditional computers in place of tablet/laptop hybrids, it seems to me that I may as well merely upgrade and become accustomed to the new user-interface. Whilst the discounted upgrade offer until the end of January also offers even further incentive to upgrade, the lack of an input method optimised for Windows 8 on my laptop is concerning and making me reluctant to do so.
I distinctly remember reading in articles a few months ago of purchasable styluses that also came included with a clip that attached to the top of a laptop's screen and, when using the stylus, it effectively turned said screen (so long as it was under 17 inches in size) into a touch-screen. Has anything become of these, because they seem very well-fit towards Windows 8 and the price for such a device is still likely to be much cheaper than purchasing a new laptop with a touch-screen or standalone touch-screen monitor?
Alternatively, as some of you have recommended, a mouse or touch-pad optimised for usage with Windows 8 may also prove a very viable alternative. The Logitech® Wireless Touchpad T650 is a really nice device that arguably even has benefits over even using any touch-screen, since you will not be subjected to fingerprints on your monitor from touching it all the time. However, I really do need something that still allows for traditional mouse input with a left-click and right-click simultaneously, which is needed for gaming. Any ideas of such a device, if any exists?

I've seen the same. It's one of those nice ideas that go fetal when facing commercial reality. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it.
IMO the most practical way to use Metro on a non-touch system (whether laptop or desktop) is to have a good touchpad with updated drivers to allow edge-swiping. Much of Metro's functionality is from the edge swipes, and the other functions--pinch zoom, scroll, gestures, etc--are old hat. A touchpad isn't as intuitive as directly touching the screen, but it is ergonomically superior (you don't have to lift your arms up to the screen for every touch), and you don't have to deal with fingerprint city.
If your laptop's trackpad is of the throwaway variety, or if you have a desktop, would suggest a good external trackpad. Unfortunately, I have no firsthand experience with any, but a cursory search on Amazon yields this below, the Logitech T650. Looks good, but fairly expensive at $80. Assuming Win8 doesn't do a faceplant, I'm sure there'll be more like this.
http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/195406/Logitech-Wireless-Touchpad-T650-Silver/

As e.mote said, a multi-touch trackpad is your best bet!

I have the T650 and it is a good, inexpensive, portable solution. Bonus - it uses Logitech's unifying driver, so you can also add a compatible Logitech mouse or trackpad and they will all work off the one usb dongle. (At the same time!)
But, in my opinion, the BEST solution is the Dell dell S2340T touch screen monitor. Yeah, it costs $550 more - but this is the experience you are looking for.
[/QUOTE]

DoogieDC said:
I have the T650 and it is a good, inexpensive, portable solution. Bonus - it uses Logitech's unifying driver, so you can also add a compatible Logitech mouse or trackpad and they will all work off the one usb dongle. (At the same time!)
But, in my opinion, the BEST solution is the Dell dell S2340T touch screen monitor. Yeah, it costs $550 more - but this is the experience you are looking for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[/QUOTE]
Looks nice...I wasn't thinking about something like that at the time I made my reply.

I picked up the T650 from best buy to try it out. I'm returning it. Works as advertised but just isn't worth the $80.
Number one, they've got a software kink or two to work out (lags with double tap). I'm sure that'll be fixed, but.... eh. Two, the printed Logitech logo actually interferes with the input near the top of the device. Not a huge deal- hard to notice, but still. Three, no support for momentum. Four, something stained or smudged or... did something to the glass surface not an hour after I unboxed it. Doesn't seem to have hurt it at all, but I can't clean it off. The surface isn't incredibly fragile but it sure isn't going to stay pretty for long. Five, touchpads are generally inferior input devices. If you want an input device that is stationary, get one of the mice that has the ball you move with your thumb. The T650 is really sort of a gimmick device- I'd only recommend it as a low-profile/visually pleasing/easily-hidden remote input for a computer hooked up to a tv or similar scenario. Even then, I'd recommend a wiimote over this, if you know how to configure it of course. The T650 is zero configuration.
Honestly I have no issues using metro with a mouse on a desktop. Really, you're not disadvantaged or having to work around anything. Move the cursor up to the corner, move down a few pixels. Or Win+c / Win+tab on the keyboard. Right click and the context menu button certainly aren't disadvantaged (I've honestly never used that button before!). Actually using the mouse is better- it's faster to navigate the previews on the left than arbitrarily swiping through apps as with touch. As for closing an app- you don't need to. But if you must, alt+f4 works. Also I have no problems dragging down to close on my mouse or touchpad, though I would imagine that it could get annoying if you use a very low sensitivity setting. But you're doing it wrong if you do- a good rule of thumb for any input device is that the cursor should be at least 1:1 with the screen; you should be able to reach all corners of the monitor without having to readjust your hand (that is, reach every corner of the screen without lifting a finger on the touchpad, and without lifting a mouse). So the gesture should be easily done on mouse/touchpad with minimal effort.

Whilst I have yet to see a single review of the Logitech Wireless Touchpad or even hear of it prior to this thread, I absolutely love the idea of it and can easily see it as a solid replacement for the touch-screen on a Windows 8 machine. The problem is that I really do need a traditional mouse for playing games. Looks like I shall not be upgrading to Windows 8 then...

Sounds like what you're looking for is a touch mouse, ie one that allows 4-way touch scrolling plus Win8-specific gestures. Logitech has the T620 ($70) and MS has a whole suite of touch mice, although I think only the top-end MS Touch Mouse ($80) is Win8 optimized.
Logitech T620 (at 1:20 mark)
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/10/...-t650-touch-mouse-t620-zone-touch-mouse-t400/
Logitech T620 Win8 gestures
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/mice-pointers/articles/win8-t620-gestures
MS Touch Mouse Win8 gestures
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/p/touch-mouse/3KJ-00001#windows-8

e.mote said:
Sounds like what you're looking for is a touch mouse, ie one that allows 4-way touch scrolling plus Win8-specific gestures. Logitech has the T620 ($70) and MS has a whole suite of touch mice, although I think only the top-end MS Touch Mouse ($80) is Win8 optimized.
Logitech T620 (at 1:20 mark)
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/10/...-t650-touch-mouse-t620-zone-touch-mouse-t400/
Logitech T620 Win8 gestures
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/mice-pointers/articles/win8-t620-gestures
MS Touch Mouse Win8 gestures
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/p/touch-mouse/3KJ-00001#windows-8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The two mice look, frankly, awful. The touch-pad is a very nice idea once you learn the shortcuts, but its performance in traditional applications that need a left and right click at the same time (such as games) is going to be poor. Thanks for the suggestions though.
I want a form of input for Windows 8 that either is, or closely mimicking that of, a touch-screen whilst still offering the traditional input that I need for games and also retaining a reasonable price. Until I can find such a thing, I shall never be upgrading to Windows 8.

Brad387 said:
Whilst I have yet to see a single review of the Logitech Wireless Touchpad or even hear of it prior to this thread, I absolutely love the idea of it and can easily see it as a solid replacement for the touch-screen on a Windows 8 machine. The problem is that I really do need a traditional mouse for playing games. Looks like I shall not be upgrading to Windows 8 then...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you serious? I mean, if you don't have $40 to spare, fine. But your decision on whether or not to upgrade to a faster, slimmer version of windows is hanging on something so trivially stupid as, "I need to buy another device because I've convinced myself that touch input is the only way to use 8"! You do realize you can turn off anything that you think "requires touch"? Did you read my post, which mostly consisted of me explaining why it's stupid to think you need touch for any of it?
That touch mouse is ridiculously silly. Do you realize you could just buy a gaming mouse with extra buttons, then map all the "touch gestures" to each button? Basing your decision on something so incredibly arbitrary is... frustrating.
Touch input is *NOT REQUIRED*.
Get the Logitech G700 if you don't have a gaming mouse yet- honestly there is no other mouse comparable on the market (unless you need an MMO mouse, that's a different beast).

link68759 said:
Are you serious?
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Click to collapse
Am I serious in that the lack of an input system I am comfortable with using for an operating system puts me off of said operating system? Absolutely. I have seen videos about using Windows 8 with traditional mice and, frankly, it looks a less than desirable experience. How you interact with an operating system, despite your strange reaction to my issues, are actually really important.

Sorry I edited a lot and didn't realize you already replied, go read my post again.
For the record, you can disable all the "touch" things and it behaves exactly like 7. In fact if you don't use metro at all, you don't even need to access the related metro commands... So I fail to see what the issue is.
Also, I assume you were watching videos of someone moaning about how excruciating it is. Self confirmation bias isn't research.

link68759 said:
Sorry I edited a lot and didn't realize you already replied, go read my post again.
For the record, you can disable all the "touch" things and it behaves exactly like 7. In fact if you don't use metro at all, you don't need to access the related metro commands... So I fail to see what the issue is.
Also, I assume you were watching videos of someone moaning about how excruciating it is. Self confirmation bias isn't research.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like the new Metro UI, but just feel that I may need a slightly better form of input. If I want the same Windows 7 UI, I'd just keep Windows 7.

There is a lot more to 8 than just the superficial UI additions, is my point. The under the hood improvements are very good and well worth snatching while 8 is still $40.
To name a few changes; generally faster and more optimized, uses less RAM, and the entire graphics subsystem has been rewritten, so when NVidia gets around to taking advantage of the new features with their drivers, we should see better gaming performance too.

link68759 said:
There is a lot more to 8 than just the superficial UI additions, is my point. The under the hood improvements are very good and well worth snatching while 8 is still $40.
To name a few changes; generally faster and more optimized, uses less RAM, and the entire graphics subsystem has been rewritten, so when NVidia gets around to taking advantage of the new features with their drivers, we should see better gaming performance too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My other worries are regarding drivers. I don't want to upgrade and lose drivers for my laptop, which would be a nightmare. Also, software support seems pitiful at the moment. Does Steam and iTunes work on Windows 8? Finally, do you need a Microsoft account to utilise Windows 8?
But, back on topic, I'd still rather just keep to Windows 7 unless I can actually enjoy the new UI. Windows 9, or whatever it is likely to be called, should be released next year as part of Microsoft's new annual upgrade plan for Windows and I will likely just get that or even the one after that. The performance increase might be there, but I haven't read of any performance increases on Windows 8 anywhere. "No UI = No New OS" is my policy here. I want the Metro UI, but a nice form of input with it.
All I need is a touch mouse that allows for all the otherwise touch-screen Windows 8 gestures, but still retains physical left and right mouse buttons for gaming. After that, I am sold so long as everything in terms of drivers and stuff checks out.

Brad387 said:
My other worries are regarding drivers. I don't want to upgrade and lose drivers for my laptop, which would be a nightmare. Also, software support seems pitiful at the moment. Does Steam and iTunes work on Windows 8? Finally, do you need a Microsoft account to utilise Windows 8?
But, back on topic, I'd still rather just keep to Windows 7 unless I can actually enjoy the new UI. Windows 9, or whatever it is likely to be called, should be released next year as part of Microsoft's new annual upgrade plan for Windows and I will likely just get that or even the one after that. The performance increase might be there, but I haven't read of any performance increases on Windows 8 anywhere. "No UI = No New OS" is my policy here. I want the Metro UI, but a nice form of input with it.
All I need is a touch mouse that allows for all the otherwise touch-screen Windows 8 gestures, but still retains physical left and right mouse buttons for gaming. After that, I am sold so long as everything in terms of drivers and stuff checks out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am running Steam on W8 fine. I don't use iTunes, but there haven't been any complaints yet. Most games I have tried run on W8, with the exception of Command & Conquer Generals. Whats's this about the annual upgrade plan, by the way? Also trackpad drivers for Windows 8 have Windows 8 gestures built in (if it is a Synaptics trackpad you should have no issues). Finally, if you are worried about losing W7, you can just dual boot.
And fyi, I am not a fanboy. I would rather use Linux if I could, but until there is software and driver support for what I do, that is not going to happen.

JihadSquad said:
I am running Steam on W8 fine. I don't use iTunes, but there haven't been any complaints yet. Most games I have tried run on W8, with the exception of Command & Conquer Generals. Whats's this about the annual upgrade plan, by the way? Also trackpad drivers for Windows 8 have Windows 8 gestures built in (if it is a Synaptics trackpad you should have no issues). Finally, if you are worried about losing W7, you can just dual boot.
And fyi, I am not a fanboy. I would rather use Linux if I could, but until there is software and driver support for what I do, that is not going to happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/28/3693368/windows-blue-update-low-cost
So, my trackpad built into my Acer which is a Synaptics will gain all the Windows 8 gestures?

Brad387 said:
http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/28/3693368/windows-blue-update-low-cost
So, my trackpad built into my Acer which is a Synaptics will gain all the Windows 8 gestures?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If Acer has released drivers for it. My Thinkpad did not get drivers until about a month after RTM, but I would expect any decent manufacturer to have them out. If not, the generic Synaptics drivers work, but some trackpads may have issues.
If you are planning to dual boot the system, you may want to check this out first. Set it up in dual boot and see if everything works. If you are satisfied, you can install Pro over it. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/jj554510.aspx

Brad387 said:
My other worries are regarding drivers. I don't want to upgrade and lose drivers for my laptop, which would be a nightmare. Also, software support seems pitiful at the moment. Does Steam and iTunes work on Windows 8? Finally, do you need a Microsoft account to utilise Windows 8?
But, back on topic, I'd still rather just keep to Windows 7 unless I can actually enjoy the new UI. Windows 9, or whatever it is likely to be called, should be released next year as part of Microsoft's new annual upgrade plan for Windows and I will likely just get that or even the one after that. The performance increase might be there, but I haven't read of any performance increases on Windows 8 anywhere. "No UI = No New OS" is my policy here. I want the Metro UI, but a nice form of input with it.
All I need is a touch mouse that allows for all the otherwise touch-screen Windows 8 gestures, but still retains physical left and right mouse buttons for gaming. After that, I am sold so long as everything in terms of drivers and stuff checks out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Software support is pitiful? Literally almost nothing in regard to how a program runs has changed. If itunes doesn't work that's because itunes is a crappy piece of **** software. Steam has never not worked, idk where you heard that. As far as I can tell, everything that worked on 7 will work on 8, with the obvious exception of 7 tweakUI and related customization utilities.
As for an MS acount, no you don't need one. You can create a local account just like you always could, and if you want you can log into the store with an MS account, so you can still use metro without tying your local account to the MS account. But if you do this you obviously lose the neat sync features.
As for the mouse, trust me when I say you do not want to buy into a gimmicky piece of hardware like that. If you find something, it's not going to be suitable for gaming as the hardware will probably be pretty shoddy. I don't know why you keep insisting that you need touch input, I've tried to tell you but you just won't listen! Touch input is just unnecessary! It's not going to add to your windows 8 experience in any significant way. Save yourself the money, just get a conventional mouse from razer or logitech. Stop convincing yourself that the input is "touch based"- the mouse actually uses different gestures than the touch input does so each new addition can be accessed by mouse gesture or touch gesture. Insisting that you need touch to use it the touch way is just stupid.
"No UI = No New OS"
You are the worst type of person. It's that kind of horrible attitude that turns good software into ****. Behind the scenes improvements and minor efficiency optimizations to the established UI(s) is what the focus should be. I'm not even going to try and explain to you why that's so stupid...
/abandon thread

If you have a synaptic touch pad on your laptop aready then just download the latest drivers, they work fine, to be honestmate you've read to much in to the touch centric UI its just as easy with a keyboard an mouse, use it, learn it, and I promise once you get the Hang of it you won't miss the touch screen, that then allows you to freely learn the OS an when your ready you can buy a new laptop or tablet when the time an price is right for you, don't believe all the negativity you read on this, its almost all complete FUD
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