Classic Shell

I had to install Classic Shell on another Win8 machine yesterday.
One of my friends was absolutely frantic! (Like me she's in her 60's)

She said that she and her husband are just too old to learn all this new
stuff and they have been barely able to use their new machine.

I told her not to worry, so far I have been getting even more complaints
from the younger generation.


Honestly, once Classic Shell is installed I just cannot see any
difference between Win8 and Win7.

On 11/2/2013 11:25 PM, philo wrote:
I had to install Classic Shell on another Win8 machine yesterday.
One of my friends was absolutely frantic! (Like me she's in her 60's)

She said that she and her husband are just too old to learn all this new
stuff and they have been barely able to use their new machine.

I told her not to worry, so far I have been getting even more complaints
from the younger generation.


Honestly, once Classic Shell is installed I just cannot see any
difference between Win8 and Win7.

I agree, but Start8 is better. The start menu is identical to W7 and it
runs smoother. Classic Shell lags a bit for some reason and the start
menu (in W7 mode) is more like Win XP. Start8 is $5.00...if you know how
to use torrents there is a great download on TPB.

On Sat, 02 Nov 2013 22:25:53 -0500, philo* wrote
in Re Classic Shell:

Honestly, once Classic Shell is installed I just cannot see any
difference between Win8 and Win7.

Can you see the difference between Win8 with classic shell and WinXP?.
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On 11/03/2013 03:51 AM, CRNG wrote:
On Sat, 02 Nov 2013 22:25:53 -0500, philo wrote
in Re Classic Shell:

Honestly, once Classic Shell is installed I just cannot see any
difference between Win8 and Win7.

Can you see the difference between Win8 with classic shell and WinXP?.




I used Classic Shell because it was freeware. Even though a lot of
people say they prefer "Start 8" I never investigated because Classic
Shell did the job.

Everyone who I've suggested it to loves it. In at least three situations
the person was going to return their computer for a refund.


Classic Shell has some tweaks I've never tried but the default setting
makes it look exactly like Win7. It is not identical to XP but other
than the start button being an orb rather than a rectangle is not much
different.

Though I personally am a Linux user, I am a volunteer IT worker at an
NPO and am a Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher. Any machine I ever have
set up from Win98 = Win7 have essentially the same "classic"
interface. The first thing I do after the install is turn off all visual
effects (set for best performance).

On 03/11/2013 10:12 AM, philo wrote:
On 11/03/2013 03:51 AM, CRNG wrote:
On Sat, 02 Nov 2013 22:25:53 -0500, philo wrote
in Re Classic Shell:

Honestly, once Classic Shell is installed I just cannot see any
difference between Win8 and Win7.

Can you see the difference between Win8 with classic shell and WinXP?.




I used Classic Shell because it was freeware. Even though a lot of
people say they prefer "Start 8" I never investigated because Classic
Shell did the job.


Start8 didn't work here (Windows 8 running in VirtualBox on Windows 7) -
it hung things up comprehensively when I installed it, so off it came
pronto. Classic Shell has been fine on 8.0 and 8.1.


--
Bob - Tetbury, Gloucestershire, UK

Monday is a terrible way to spend 1/7th of your life.

On Sat, 02 Nov 2013 22:25:53 -0500, philo* wrote:

Honestly, once Classic Shell is installed I just cannot see any
difference between Win8 and Win7.

I think it would be interesting to sit beside someone for a while who claims
not to be able to see differences between 7 and 8 with Classic Shell
installed. I honestly don't know how it's possible.

On Sun, 03 Nov 2013 04:12:31 -0600, philo* wrote:

On Sat, 02 Nov 2013 22:25:53 -0500, philo wrote
in Re Classic Shell:

Honestly, once Classic Shell is installed I just cannot see any
difference between Win8 and Win7.

Though I personally am a Linux user, snip

Oh, ok. Disregard my previous post. Now I know why you don't see any
differences.

I'd still like to sit next to someone who uses Windows regularly who
claims not to see differences between 7 and 8 with Classic Shell installed.

"Char Jackson" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 02 Nov 2013 22:25:53 -0500, philo wrote:

Honestly, once Classic Shell is installed I just cannot see any
difference between Win8 and Win7.

I think it would be interesting to sit beside someone for a while who
claims
not to be able to see differences between 7 and 8 with Classic Shell
installed. I honestly don't know how it's possible.


I think so, too. The only reason I paid the $3 for StartIsBack is because I
couldn't get Classic Shell to do what I wanted it to do. Maybe I missed one
of the hundreds of settings that would make it so, or the right combination
of settings, but I just got a little frustrated with the trying and opted
out for $3 of extreme easiness (or laziness) :-)
--
SC Tom

On Sun, 03 Nov 2013 03:00:59 -0500, Ron wrote:

On 11/2/2013 11:25 PM, philo wrote:
I had to install Classic Shell on another Win8 machine yesterday.
One of my friends was absolutely frantic! (Like me she's in her 60's)

She said that she and her husband are just too old to learn all this new
stuff and they have been barely able to use their new machine.

I told her not to worry, so far I have been getting even more complaints
from the younger generation.


Honestly, once Classic Shell is installed I just cannot see any
difference between Win8 and Win7.

I agree, but Start8 is better. The start menu is identical to W7 and it
runs smoother. Classic Shell lags a bit for some reason and the start
menu (in W7 mode) is more like Win XP. Start8 is $5.00...


I don't quite agree, but almost. I wouldn't say that I couldn't see
any difference, but that the differences are few and minor. And I
agree that Start8 is better, and worth the $5

--
Ken Blake

On Sun, 03 Nov 2013 04:12:31 -0600, philo* wrote:

I used Classic Shell because it was freeware. Even though a lot of
people say they prefer "Start 8" I never investigated because Classic
Shell did the job.

Everyone who I've suggested it to loves it. In at least three situations
the person was going to return their computer for a refund.


Classic Shell *is* very good. If there were no better alternatives, it
would be a good choice. But as far as I'm concerned, since you can get
something even better for as little as $5, for almost everyone it's
worth spending the money.


--
Ken Blake

On 11/03/2013 08:40 AM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Sun, 03 Nov 2013 04:12:31 -0600, philo wrote:

On Sat, 02 Nov 2013 22:25:53 -0500, philo wrote
in Re Classic Shell:

Honestly, once Classic Shell is installed I just cannot see any
difference between Win8 and Win7.

Though I personally am a Linux user, snip

Oh, ok. Disregard my previous post. Now I know why you don't see any
differences.

I'd still like to sit next to someone who uses Windows regularly who
claims not to see differences between 7 and 8 with Classic Shell installed.




I /do/ use Win7 from time to time but admittedly have little experience
actually using Win8 (other than the evaluation version)...however all
those I've helped make the transition from XP to Win8 have not
complained again once Classic Shell was installed.


What kinds of differences are you seeing between Win7 and Win8 with
Classic Shell? Are they serious problems?

On Sun, 03 Nov 2013 09:56:46 -0600, philo* wrote:

On 11/03/2013 08:40 AM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Sun, 03 Nov 2013 04:12:31 -0600, philo wrote:

On Sat, 02 Nov 2013 22:25:53 -0500, philo wrote
in Re Classic Shell:

Honestly, once Classic Shell is installed I just cannot see any
difference between Win8 and Win7.

Though I personally am a Linux user, snip

Oh, ok. Disregard my previous post. Now I know why you don't see any
differences.

I'd still like to sit next to someone who uses Windows regularly who
claims not to see differences between 7 and 8 with Classic Shell installed.




I /do/ use Win7 from time to time but admittedly have little experience
actually using Win8 (other than the evaluation version)...however all
those I've helped make the transition from XP to Win8 have not
complained again once Classic Shell was installed.


What kinds of differences are you seeing between Win7 and Win8 with
Classic Shell? Are they serious problems?

For me, they're serious problems because they hurt my credibility and
they're embarrassing. I spend most of my work time in conference rooms in
front of customers, with my PC connected to a projector. I configure the
equipment they've purchased, make presentations, provide technology
walk-throughs, and lead Q&A sessions related to the products that I install
and support. When unexpected things happen, it totally blows the rhythm of
the moment and always has people giving each other funny looks, whispers,
etc. It's actually not unusual for someone to jokingly say, "Get out!" when
they realize I'm running Win 8. Everyone laughs, but the damage is done.

In the year that I've had this Windows 8 PC, exactly none of my customers
have been running Win 8, none want it, none have expressed any respect for
it, and their respect for me visibly drains when they realize that I'm
running it. That's why it's embarrassing when the damn tiles show up,
unbidden and unwanted. Classic Shell, Start8, and the others can't do
anything about that.

The two most recent examples have been the blue screen with the banner
telling me I have to go to the app store to get 8.1, and just this morning
when I needed to pair a Bluetooth device and the damn tiles came up.
Fortunately, both times I was alone and not with customers, but that's
obviously not always the case.

I really need to upgrade to Win 7, but I don't have a license and since
November of last year I've been averaging 80-90 billed hours per week, so I
don't have a lot of time to build a system from scratch, install and
configure my apps, etc. Meanwhile, I stumble forward, knowing I need to bite
the bullet sooner rather than later. I did buy a spare hard drive, so at
least the first step is complete.

Anyway, that's why I bristle a bit when people say to install their favorite
app to make 8 look like 7. It's only true as long as you keep your hands off
the mouse and keyboard. Once you actually *use* your PC, the differences are
numerous and obvious. As I said above, Classic Shell and Start8 and their
cousins can't do anything about that and it's unfortunate.

On Sun, 03 Nov 2013 11:00:36 -0600, Char Jackson
wrote in Re Classic
Shell:

Anyway, that's why I bristle a bit when people say to install their favorite
app to make 8 look like 7. It's only true as long as you keep your hands off
the mouse and keyboard. Once you actually *use* your PC, the differences are
numerous and obvious. As I said above, Classic Shell and Start8 and their
cousins can't do anything about that and it's unfortunate.

What's really unfortunate is MS dumping something like Win8 on their
users. Here's how that came about:

Steve Balmer on stage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvsboPUjrGc
--
Web based forums are like subscribing to 10 different newspapers
and having to visit 10 different news stands to pickup each one.
Email list-server groups and USENET are like having all of those
newspapers delivered to your door every morning.

On Sun, 03 Nov 2013 09:56:46 -0600, philo* wrote:

On 11/03/2013 08:40 AM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Sun, 03 Nov 2013 04:12:31 -0600, philo wrote:

On Sat, 02 Nov 2013 22:25:53 -0500, philo wrote
in Re Classic Shell:

Honestly, once Classic Shell is installed I just cannot see any
difference between Win8 and Win7.

Though I personally am a Linux user, snip

Oh, ok. Disregard my previous post. Now I know why you don't see any
differences.

I'd still like to sit next to someone who uses Windows regularly who
claims not to see differences between 7 and 8 with Classic Shell installed.




I /do/ use Win7 from time to time but admittedly have little experience
actually using Win8 (other than the evaluation version)...however all
those I've helped make the transition from XP to Win8 have not
complained again once Classic Shell was installed.


What kinds of differences are you seeing between Win7 and Win8 with
Classic Shell? Are they serious problems?


Sorry, it's been too long since I tried Classic Shell and don't
remember the differences. No, they weren't really problems at all, let
alone serious ones. As I said, I think Classic Shell is very good; I
just think Start8 is even better.

--
Ken Blake

On 11/3/2013 2:33 PM, Ken Blake wrote:
hink Classic Shell is very good; I
just think Start8 is even better.

I was a long time XP user and had put off upgrading to Windows 8, then
the laptop died.

I bought a laptop with Windows 8 and found that even IE runs on the
desktop. Many of the OS programs like Defrag, etc also run from the
desktop. So I set everything I use, Mozilla, Corel, etc, to run on the
desktop. When the Windows 8.1 upgrade came, I did the upgrade and
turned off the log in screen and made W8.1 to open to the desktop.

I have found with this set up I find the operation quite similar to W
XP. I have little need to access the start up with all of the
advertising icons that float around the screen.

I have been using W 8 for about 2 months, and I still do not know how to
close some of the W 8 programs, that I use like MS Solitaire and Mahjong.

Other things I dislike is the pop up screens that come out of no where,
but I find it no more infuriating that the menu system of W XP where you
chased the menu around the screen.

I wish W 8.1 had thumbnail presentation for PDF and other files like W XP.

While there is more access to the OS, I wish they were logically
arranged, rather than having them like Brigadoon and show up
accidentally every 100 days.