Making Life a little easier in Windows 8

Screenshot: Vista VS with Classic Shell enabled, using a Windows 7 Canada theme background.

So, yeah, recently I had a friend who was kind of "forced" to use Windows 8. Most people I know find Windows 8 to be a pain in the rear, but there's some programs you can use to ease the pain.

Note that I did not upgrade to Windows 8.1, for 2 reasons:

1) I am using the Enterprise evaluation version currently - which I downloaded before 8.1 was released - which for one reason or another seems to have Windows Update disabled - still trying to work on fixing that.
2) My CPU just does not support it. Windows 8.1 (and later) requires a more modern CPU, and my system is just too old for that.

So - to the list of programs!

1) Classic Shell: (Usability)
http://www.classicshell.net/downloads/

This program, quite simply, brings back the start menu. It does a whole host of other things too, but if you're transitioning from any older version of Windows to Windows 8, you want that start menu back. It also plays around with your Explorer settings and brings back a few bells and whistles so that you can get some classic Windows functionality back. On Windows 8 itself it also enables boot-to-desktop, so that you don't have to find the silly Desktop tile on the Metro screen. Basically, as far as usability goes, this is a must.

2) 8GadgetPack: (Optional, Usability)
http://8gadgetpack.net/

This program brings back the sidebar gadgets introduced in Windows Vista (and included in 7 as well). 

3) WinFlip: (Optional, Usability)
http://winflip.en.softonic.com/

Remember the Windows+Tab key flipping through your windows? This will bring it back. This program was made for Windows XP but works fine on 8.

4) Glass8: (Eye Candy)
http://glass8.eu/download.html

This program re-enables the "Aero effects" from Vista/7. It does so with a simple tweak to the DWM. Note that your video card still has to support the blur and transparency if you want to get those back, but this is needed for the themes.

5) UxStyle
http://uxstyle.com/

This program allows the use of custom themes in Windows 8. (And other versions, obviously) If staring at Windows 8 vector arts make you sick, installing a custom style will help, and this program is needed for that.

6) VistaVS (Optional)
Windows 8.1: http://simplexdesignsart.deviantart.com/art/Windows-Vista-538265110
(no adfly)

This makes Windows look and feel more like Windows Vista. Installation is simple, just read the included files. You will need to use Administrator access to drag the files into the proper place.

7) Aero Glow (Optional)
Windows 8.1: http://mrgrim01.deviantart.com/art/Aero-Glow-8-1-415317318

This seems to be the closest I can find to making Windows 8 look more like Windows 7.

8) Royale (Optional)
Windows 8.1: http://xxinightxx.deviantart.com/art/Royale-417858455
(no adfly)

This is a Windows XP-like skin.

Author's note: The links have been updated as of June 25, 2015. "No Adfly" links are included for users who do not wish to download things behind compulsory Adfly links. If such links are intentionally broken, the listings for each project will simply be removed entirely; I do not support compulsory Adfly downloads and never will. If a user decides to support your work, it should be of their own good will - not because you forced them to.

Alright Microsoft - let me spell it out for you.

(Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2824443/microsoft-updates-skype-for-windows-mac-with-new-chat-interface.html)

Now - I know some people think that new looks and feels makes everything feel fresher and less boring. I'll admit - to some extent, you're right. We do occasionally need a little newness every now and then. Even the most stubborn of us could use a little change every so often.

But - why, why, why would you ever change an interface so completely? Why would you remove so much of the familiarity and replace it with something that so many people have never tried before? Switching up the layout to make it look worse than it ever did before? With so much clutter in one space, and so much empty space in another?

Microsoft - let me spell it out for you - PC's are not phones. PC's are not tablets. I know I don't speak for everyone saying this - but I know I speak for more than myself - We don't want monstrously giant buttons with no gradients on them. We don't want two-color vector art to replace the pretty 3D buttons we've had before. I'm even going to go out on a limb and say the new interface looks like crap. Just as Windows 8 did.

Not only does it feel boring and stale, it feels like a trip back to the 70's - from back before computers even had the mystical magic that they did back in the 80's. At least with the DOS prompt we had more than 2 colors to play with! Even Windows 95 looked better than this.

Did you not learn from the massive disaster that was Windows 8? This isn't the future. It's cardboard cut-outs that a kindergartener could imitate with crafting paper. With unwelcome layout changes, to boot.

I am sorry for such a strongly worded post, but when they change programs that I use frequently (such as Skype) in the name of "easier to use" and "to be more like the phone", it really upsets me.

I'm done now. I hope Microsoft realizes their mistake and - if they insist an interface change is in order, they do something a little bit better than this.