My Take on Windows 8

Simple enough for you?

Windows 8 hit the shelves recently, so I thought I'd give my input on my experience so far. Based on a 1 day experience, I've already found some very decision-making differences from Windows 7 or any other previous versions of Windows that might affect whether or not I'm going to stick with it.

So here goes!

Pros

1. The boot time is incredibly fast - even on a standard HDD. It pre-loads the OS before displaying the OS choices menu, so the moment you select Windows 8 from the list, it's ready to log in. Creates a seamless loading process.
2. Despite other reviews and the fact that Windows 8 was designed for those with touch screen devices or monitors, the Modern UI Start menu works considerably well with a mouse and keyboard.
3. The Start menu is sleek, and scrolling is smooth. If you have a background image set, a parallax effect is obvious which makes the whole thing look nicer.
4. Windows 8 is completely different to previous version? Au contraire, mes amis. Sort of. The Start menu has a complete overhaul, but the Desktop Windows environment is still perfectly accessible, and using legacy apps isn't really a problem.
5. The Taskbar, title bar of open windows and scroll bars aren't clunked up with gradients and unnecessary graphics. They are solid colours  creating less distraction from what really matters on screen.
6. Viewing System information now tells you what CPU architecture you're running (i.e. x86 or x64). This is extremely useful and will probably save me from having to download a third-party program on another machine in future to find out what architecture it has.

Cons

1. You can no longer easily edit a connection's info (the name and icon), and it's weird to change between a Public/Private network setting. To change the name and icon, you have to go into the registry and do it yourself. (Microsoft changed it because it was an unused feature - but I used it.)
2. Shutting down is an awkward process. You have to move the mouse to the top-right or bottom-right to bring up the Charms, then select Power, then Shut Down (as opposed to the classic Start > Shut Down.)
3. You can't change your LIVE password to a previously used password, despite how long ago the password was used. This is more of a Microsoft problem as a whole, but it affected how I like to run my operating systems. (This also applies to Google, but that's for another topic.)
4. If you don't own a secondary monitor, the Desktop program isn't loaded automatically - you have to run it yourself (by opening the Desktop app from the Start menu, or hitting WINDOWS+D on the keyboard). If you have a secondary monitor, however, hitting the WINDOWS key on its own will do the trick since the Desktop app is already running on it.
5. The stock Messaging app only supports Windows Live Messenger and Facebook Chat protocols. Because of this, I have abandoned it and reverted back to the Pidgin IM client.
6. Apps that aren't optimized for the Modern UI look out of place in the new Start menu. Icons display, but they don't match the Stock icons, and the tile's background colour is just set to that of whatever colour you've set in the Personalize settings.
7. Internet Explorer runs in two different processes depending on the UI you're using, each running different tabs in different UI environments. The same goes for the new Photos app (vs. the classic Windows Photo Viewer.) and the Music app (vs. Windows Media Player). Control Panel also does a similar thing when you want to edit user accounts.
8. You need to sign in with a Windows Live account to download apps from the Store, which makes the brand new Start menu kind of redundant if you're using a local profile on a machine with no Internet connection.

Conclusion

Overall, despite my outweighing negative arguments, I find Windows 8 somewhat successful. The way Microsoft have presented us with a new environment, whilst keeping hold of the old one, is a good way to introduce their users to a new milestone in how Windows works.

But this - as I said - is based on a 1 day experience and my opinions might change in the future.  I might discover more Pros. I might discover more Cons. Windows might amend the problems. Third-party developers may choose to make their apps integrate better with the Modern UI. Who knows?

What I can say is, don't take my word on your decision. I only wanted to express how my experience is going. If you're unsure if you should get it, get a copy of the Windows 8 Release Preview for free from Microsoft and dual-boot it with what you're running now (or run it in a VM). That way you can always go back to what you're used to if you don't like it.

Peace.

Something New

Lately I've been reminded how much I love other languages. My favourite being French. Though I'm also practising Swedish, I'm going to practice writing in French so I'll be composing this post thusly. If you don't speak French, you could use a translator - however, they are unreliable. So here goes.

Cette année, 2012, a été une bonne année. J'ai rencontré beaucoup des personnes et je me suis fait beaucoup des amis. J'habite avec les gens qui sont d'autre pays, et ils m'ont appris la culture, les langues, et comment à boire des boissons alcoolique en quelque 5 secondes (il a été une mauvaise nuit >_<). Mais oui, cependant, j'adore cette année et j'ai hâte d'être l'année prochaine.

À propos de l'année prochaine, je voudrais apprendre plus des langues. Le suédois, le gallois, et le chinois (peut être). Mais, je vais toujours préférer le français. C'est une langue romantique. Considérez la phrase « va te faire foutre dans ton gros cul. » C'est très magique en français, mais en anglais, c'est trop horrible. Il sonne comme un chat qui est en train de manger du merde et puis il mourut.

De toute façon, je devrais parler de l'Écosse. Pour quoi, vous demandez ? Parce que ma famille ont déménagé en l'Écosse, alors je suis ici pendant le Noël ! C'est magnifique ! La vue est très belle et les gens sont polis, bien que je ne comprends pas très bien l'accent.

Il ne semble pas que nous habiterons‎ ici pour longtemps - pour les raisons non révélé - mais il était amusant ! Je voudrais visiter une fois bientôt.

And that's enough thinking for one night. My French needs improving a bit - the new year will help me practice.

So, from an English games developer currently residing in Scotland, I bid you...

Joyeux Noël !

Writer's Block (sort of)

Every writer needs some inspiration to get the ball rolling. Something to give them that boost. Something that they can write about, and it sticks out and tells the world "Hey! I'm interesting enough to spill my mindset to the anonymous blog dwellers out there!" Thankfully, I am not a writer. I like to think of myself as such, given that I blindly let my fingers hit the keyboard and extract what's inside that brain of mine. But I don't dedicate myself full time to this sort of thing. Just on occasion. Most days. Whenever I feel like it. Potato.

Sorry, I got sidetracked there. But since I'm not really a writer, I'm allowed to do that right? Spew out the garbage and save the sane and mundane for a rainy day? Bah, who am I kidding? Wales is nothing but rain. In fact, my feet are still drenched from two days ago when I walked through that puddle I like. You know the one. He picked on me in high school. You stood there laughing with your... your... your music, and your headphones. And your other things that's popular in youth culture today. Your.

I'm getting this inspiration to blog more frequently from my friend. My sister. My sister friend. My friend sister. Platonic sisters ('cause you know, I'm a girl now...). That, and the movie Ruby Sparks. I've literally just come home from the cinema and since the movie follows the life of a writer, it gave me the feeling that I should blog more often. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking "But Oliver! Your blogs are more depressing than the starving children in third world countries!" Let's face it - I have been writing very negatively lately. I do apologise; for the atmosphere is lacking, here in Cardiff. Lacking that sociability. Nobody's visited my place. Nobody calls me. And worst off, I now sound like an old-aged pensioner, and nobody wants that.

...

I've reached the point where I lack the motivation to continue. Writer's block is a bitch isn't it? Although, I'm not a writer. Programmer-who-likes-to-waste-precious-Internet-space... block... Don't judge me.

Seriously, I need some help here. Nothing interesting enough happens! It's turning into a diary. All I need is a pretty pink cover and jewels over my page and I'll be just like a little girl!

Tell you what, I need a job. That'll fill the void.

Maybe.

Only One Week In

I'd be lying if I said this course is teaching me anything. The majority of lectures aren't worth listening to, and those that are only preach things I've known for years. The lectures worth listening to dictate the conventions of syntactically correct programming, declaring variables, the practicality of Java (Ha!), and the like.

The only GIF of the clip I wanted, and it has captions I don't need. You get the gist of how I feel though.

I seem to be settling in well though. Meeting some great new people, the teachers are laid back, we're often sent out early and on top of all that, the work is baby work. Even the maths unit, which you would assume would be more game-oriented like more algebra, is simplistic. Things like 17936200 - 14827635 aren't worth learning if you're going to be spending the majority of your future at a computer, with open access to a calculator application. Seriously, computation in mathematics has zero practicality in the real world. When developing a program, it does the computation automatically. We should be learning real maths - things that we actually need to know. Learning how an equation reaches a result, not just working out what the result is.

I'm sorry, I love this GIF.

NEVERTHELESS, it is still October. I'm only one week in, so there is much time to deliberate on whether or not this enrolment was a good decision. I leave it to you, Internet, to decide - based on my biased review - whether or not there is any means to an end here. I don't know if it's the headache getting to my brain, or the liquid nitrogen fatality in the news passively destroying my innards (seriously, how retarded do you have to be to ingest liquid nitrogen? What are you, five?) but I seem to be writing very pessimistically about university lately. Perhaps I should write something positive...

...

STUDENT NIGHTS.

That is all.

..

..

...

An Update from my Home Away From Home

I wouldn't really consider myself a people person. I cringe at the mere thought of socialising. But for some reason there are a few people with whom I would entrust my life. Why? I don't know. I have difficulty opening up. It's not my thing to do because I feel it's my business. Everybody has their own troubles and worries. I wouldn't want to intrude into their life with my woes. Would I? This blog tells me otherwise... Weird huh?

The thought occurs that as the time for university draws closer and closer, I'm going to have to become more outgoing. I've always been an introverted person - probably why I suck at relationships - but maybe it's time to let go and grow up. Keeping things bottled up can't be healthy for you. You might end up with a Peter Griffin shaped tumour.

If I was to ever have a tumour, I would gladly accept a singing one.

Even living in this flat, crossing strangers in the hall, is a big step for me. You can almost feel the awkward from afar. No one here stops to chat, they just nod. No one spends time in the communal living area, we just stay confined to our rooms like an urban prison with access to the Internet.

Still, independence is a great thing. Can't be pessimistic about this stage in my life can I? I need to grow a back bone to this thing one day. I just hate the process. I guess I will just have to grow to like it, c'est la vie.

A Great Loss

On August 25, 2012, the human civilisation suffered a great loss. Neil Alden Armstrong passed away after undergoing cardiovascular surgery at the ripe age of 82. Armstrong was a huge inspiration to astronauts today, and will continue to inspire the astronauts of the future.

Not only was he the first man on the moon, which is a massive bragging right on its own, he was, and forever will be, the first human being to set foot on another celestial body. We'll have men on Mars, we'll have men travelling to the outer solar system and exploring new worlds, but they will never be the first person to step foot on another world. Armstrong will have beaten them. And proudly so, I might add.

I hope that the human civilisation continues long enough to multiply and populate the universe long before our sun dies out. It is absolutely vital for our species' survival to spread out and look for a new home. I know I might not live to see it happen, but I hope that in generations to come my descendants will value the glory of space and science as much as I. I hope space travel becomes just an everyday thing; much like driving down to the store each morning is to us now. Or that we can take vacations to other worlds (the moon or Mars are probably the most viable candidates for a holiday spot this time of year. No hurricanes, no tornadoes, no beach offenders with their metal detectors digging up sand into your face just to find a two pence coin and leaving you with a gritty ice cream cone you wish you'd never bought in the blazing heat on a hot summer's day and you forgot your drink because you're senile. Hmm... Too far?)

Nevertheless, it is a great achievement on its own to say that we (humans in general) have escaped the bounds of Earth's gravity. No amount of disbelief that the moon landing was real can change the fact we are stepping out into an unknown and bold cosmic journey. As Neil Tyson would say, "onward to the edge".


NB: I found out the other day that my grandmother is one of those who believe the moon landing was a hoax. If you are one of those people that believes it was fake, you are simply outright ignorant.
She claims the radiation would be too deadly, or that the flag couldn't have fluttered about from the lack of an atmosphere. Both of these claims (and many more) are debunked here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_landing_conspiracy_theories#The_hoax_claims


One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. And three giant steps backward for those who believe the moon landing is fake.

R.I.P. You fortunate cosmic bastard, you. Leaving Earth once again.

A Step Forward

Well results day was upon us. I already had my results but I now have an official diploma with the grades I earned in college.  I'm a little upset because I didn't get the grades I wanted to get into my "Firm" choice in university, but fear not! I did have sufficient grades to get into my "Insurance" course. I need to contact student finance and let them know of my change of course, but all should be well. I also won't be seeing someone else who took the same course as me but we're on the same campus, and I'll make new friends. Frightening to say the least, even before considering that on the first day I'll have to introduce myself... I hate talking about myself... Anyone see the irony here?

Nevertheless, this is a new chapter in my life (hooray! previous blog-post references!) and I aim to succeed! To be honest I don't know why I'm going to university if I plan on being self-employed with my game development. Oh well, it's fun to boast.

I'm also quite disappointed that I didn't get to do that much this summer. I'm way behind on my programming schedule and the SA-MP community is probably eagerly awaiting my next update. I need to keep my head down... I'M COMING GUYS! HANG IN THERE!

I thought cats land on their feet? Why hang when you can fall safely?

It just occurred to me that I was going to use this blog to post programming-related progress, but it's turning into a journal of my life... Didn't see that coming. But anyway, that's enough from me. I need to get plan ahead and think about what I'm doing with my life. The first few months of university should be the great deciding factor of whether or not I want to keep studying. Only the future will tell. Great, mystical future... (Hmm... blog post inspiration coming up... SOON!)

Have a pleasant night, people of Earth!

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