I haven't had a Windows Phone since 6.1(which was meh) but I do enjoy running Windows 8 on my desktop and have enjoyed almost every Windows version since Windows 95b except for ME(yes, even Vista). Is my UID low enough to be taken at face value?

I think it's an ALF reference. ALF's "real" name is Gordon Shumway.

I haven't needed an IM client for years since Steam hit critical mass among my friends. If and other friends, family, or work people need to message me they can txt or email.

MSN/Windows/Live Messenger has been a pain in the ass ever since Windows XP would end up loading each of those as separate clients to do the same thing.

Conversely the story in Diablo 3 is terrible. The fact that you're beaten over the head with it on each play through only makes it more annoying. Diablo 3 would be a much better game if the bad story wasn't always in your way.

Azmodan is Baghdad Bob.

Well it's not everywhere for me. Like I said, I only see the Metro overlay at two points. When I go to the start menu, which other than being full screen is just as customizable as the Windows 7 start menu for putting your favorite desktop app and file shortcuts on it. I also see a brief partial Metro overlay along the right-hand side when I need to shutdown/restart. How can you define these instances as "everywhere"?

Again, I agree that the default setup with all the Metro apps covering the this new "full screen start menu" is stupid. I do admit I would prefer a smaller menu that only takes up the bottom corner but I don't spend any serious time in the start menu so it's not a huge deal to me. I get in, make a click to start my program/open my file, and I get dumped right back to the good old Windows desktop. The added features Windows 8 provides me way exceed the minor weirdness of a giant start menu(XPs start menu was weird to me at first too and I used to disable it for Win95/98/2k style).

It's the same shit, different day. If you hate Windows and like looking for more ways to hate Windows then you will find many more reasons to hate Windows 8 than 7 when you start clicking any of the Metro shit on the default start menu layout. I agree that the default of putting Metro apps in your face on a full screen start menu is a mistake. Hopefully one that MS fixes soon for their own sake because they indeed are souring people's taste for Metro apps instead of sweetening. If they had made the Metro apps more out of the way then they would probably have more people willing to try them. I uninstalled all that shit though and on aggregate have way more cool new Windows features than in 7. Then again I'm someone who actually likes Windows(even Vista SP2 but no not ME).

The calendar and mail apps ARE Metro apps. You don't have to use them and you can uninstall them. Install your own. The Metro calendar and mail apps are just the shitty defaults(which I already stipulated to). Windows 7 doesn't even have calendar and mail apps by default. They make you go download the Windows Live apps. Stop being intentionally obtuse.

Search works fine for me.

The article you linked is not a good overview of what is wrong with Windows 8. It's an overview of what is wrong with Metro. What I've learned in my toying with the betas and my week having RTM installed on my home desktop/gaming computer is that you really can ignore Metro. The desktop is not "an app for Metro". Metro works more like an overlay. The only time I ever see it is when I bring up the "start" menu. The new start menu exists in the Metro overlay but when properly set up isn't all that bad. The problem is with the default layout. It is covered in shitty metro apps. You can uninstall all of them however and pin any and all of your favorite shortcuts. If you need to see the shortcuts that your desktop apps install into the old Windows 95 Start Menu hierarchy you can right click then click all apps. You can of course always type in a search too as in Vista/7.

So do Metro and the default presentation of Windows 8 suck total ass? You bet, but if you can get over your new giant customizable start menu(and the time spent setting up) Windows 8 is quite the improvement over Windows 7.

The new File Explorer or Explorer.exe is really great. The ribbon is hidden by default but is there quickly when you want to do things like show hidden files that used to require digging through control panel options. I also really like the quick access to administrator features that pops up when you right click the start button(or what is now the bottom left-hand pixel). MS needs to make that as easy to edit as the start menu. There are built in ISO mounting and burning tools. There are many other little improvements made to the desktop experience. Though I will admit that shutting down is also a little wonky as you need to put the mouse in the lower right corner then then click on settings and shut down. That's the only time I need to use the weird overlay activated in by that corner and all it does is pop up 5 little icons along the right-hand screen edge.

The biggest disappointment for me in Windows 8 so far has actually been Client Hyper-V. I was really looking forward to this feature and still hope to use it in the future but when the hypervisor is installed my 3D gaming performance takes an fps hit. Most games were still pretty playable but having Quake Live's fps dip down into the 60s is unacceptable. Complaining about 60 fps in a game probably sounds unreasonable to most of you but if you know the Quake 3 and Quake Live engines you understand. Games do run great without the hypervisor in the way though. Hopefully MS can eventually optimize their tech or more likely future/faster hardware will take care of it.

So yeah take my Slashdot card away, because even though I do hate Metro and agree it has no place on the desktop. I really am digging Windows 8 in spite of that.

There are a few gems in the second season like Elementary, Dear Data and Measure of a Man.

Sounds like FUD from someone who has no clue what they are talking about.

I know this account is false because Steam account security is excellent. Every time you change your Steam password or login from a new device Steam sends a code to your email address that you have to type in to verify who you are.

The article at Anandtech is less ominous and explains why this is actually a good thing with video chips and drivers as complicated as they are today.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5880/amd-discontinues-monthly-driver-updates-releases-catalyst-126-beta

What the summary and article from the submitter are missing is the term WHQL. AMD has and always will be releasing beta drivers to fix games as needed just as Nvidia does. What they are stopping with this announcement is halting the monthly WHQL releases. To get WHQL certification from Microsoft the driver needs to be validated by MS for a week or two. By the time the drivers get certified they're already out of date. Cutting edge gamers almost never use the WHQL drivers and will use the "beta" drivers anyway.

The main people concerned with WHQL releases(OEMs) are ok with new releases every 3-6 months like Nvidia does it. The OEMs are only going to support whatever drivers they want to anyway so this really is a non-story.

Now who's making a stupid argument? No one is talking about permanent damage. We're talking about turning someone's ass red and making it uncomfortable for them to sit for a few days.

Here's the box cover you mention...

http://www.sierragamers.com/uploads/24082/The_Games/1981_09_Softporn_A_Front.jpg

Roberta Williams is the one on the right.

Can't agree more. The most damning part from the article...

WTF are they preserving then? Why not just make a replica hull out of paper mache and put that in a museum if they're throwing away all of the shit that makes it work?

The video the article uses as its source is from October.

The article also incorrectly states that this is Khan Academy's first programing language. There are a few intro to Python videos on the site already.

Actually the literary influence for Starcraft is Heinlein's Starship Troopers.