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Chief among the many gripes that people have with Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 operating system are: that it includes the tile-based Windows 8 UI (aka “Metro”); that it’s the Windows 8 UI, and not the classic desktop, that greets you when you fire up your PC; and that there is no way to disable this behavior. Up until Microsoft released Windows 8 to manufacturing, a lot of people were still hoping that it would add to the OS a way to bypass/disable the tile-based interface. Unfortunately, the software giant was not in any mood to appease them. That said, there isn’t anything to prevent a third party from giving these people their wish.
RetroUI from Thinix is a software that Windows purists can now turn to if they want to use Windows 8 but just can’t stand the tile-based interface that the OS spits out once the user gets past the initial “Lock Screen.” With RetroUI, it’s not only possible to bypass Windows 8’s Metro interface and go straight to the classic desktop from either the Login screen or the Lock Screen, but you can also use it to disable all other Metro UI features. However, it’s only free for the first 7 days and you’ll have to pay $4.95 for a three-PC “individual” license after that.
Here’s what Thinix has to say about the software’s capabilities on the official RetroUI website: “Thinix RetroUI allows users to bypass the Windows 8 Metro User Interface (Metro UI) and automatically return to a classic Windows desktop* after login. Users can then return to the Metro desktop or use any Metro UI function. Optionally, Thinix RetroUI can be configured to eliminate/lock-out all Metro UI features. In this mode, users are sent to a classic Windows desktop at Login, and the new Metro features; Charms Bar, Hot Corners, and Metro Switcher - are completely disabled and inaccessible.”
Seeing a serious business opportunity in disabling Metro UI features in Windows 8 PCs owned by businesses and other large organizations, Thinix has announced separate pricing for them.
Comments are closed on this article
Rift2
September 13, 2012 at 1:13am
I can't even install it on my PC CPU is outdated but runs win 7 fine....
Read about it here... nice job MS =)http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_8-windows_install/error-when-installing-windows-8-release-preview/a2c11f2c-d43b-44fc-9bc0-61805a2d95ef?tm=1338816862951
Rift2
September 13, 2012 at 12:36am
I'm going to try the consumer preview took me about 8 hours to download on my 156k connection. The problem I have with old PC iswindows 7 it doesn't shut down all the time So maybe win 8 will fix it if it doesn't I'm screwed I gotta reformat and put window 7 back on. I don't think I have room for a partion I'll check again.
Baer
September 10, 2012 at 1:29pm
The only thing I do not like about the new interface is the optimization for touch screen. I have a touch screen Lenovo Notebook that works fine with Win 8 but I have no intention of reaching across 30" to my three monitors to use the interface and I hate fingerprints on my screens so that has taken away my enthusiam for going to Win 8 on my main workstation(s)
Shalbatana
September 10, 2012 at 12:03pm
This sounds good, and if it comes down to it, I'll put it on my home computer.
My only issue with it is that in a few more months there'll be ways to do this for free from other people (indeed, see below for part of the solution).
That said I'd gladly pay such a nominal fee if the company offers lifetime updates.
On the other hand.... what if it turns out I don't actually mind metro on my desktop?
pennystocksgo.com
September 10, 2012 at 3:39am
That is nice windows and good perform, I like this windows, cause that is new products from windows.
pennystocksgo.com
September 10, 2012 at 3:03am
That is nice windows and good perform, I like this windows, cause that is new products from windows.
whr4usa
September 09, 2012 at 8:38pm
I'd just like to point out how all you need to do is place the "show desktop" shortcut into the "startup programs" folder in order to achieve identical behavior for $0 [free]
cr8n
September 09, 2012 at 8:54am
"But Daddy, I'm scared of the future"
"See honey, you just have to press this little windows button once and look - back to how it was"
"But noooo, I'm scaaaaared. I want everything to stay just the way it is, forever."
"But you have all these icons on your phone honey and you like them there, and soon you'll have a touchscreen computer too and you'll be able to do the same, see?"
"Nooooo, I'm scared! Make it go away"
RUSENSITIVESWEETNESS
September 11, 2012 at 4:21am
And to think, Microsoft marketing has had to resort to trolling forums and news sites to counter public perception with a campaign of insults and false testimonial.
JeffDenver
September 10, 2012 at 9:38am
So you are basically saying "the future" is superfluous, uglier, more annoying to use, and annoying to bypass? Yay future.
In other news, all mice will now have only one button. Simpler is better! Don't be afraid of the future!
MarioJP
September 09, 2012 at 10:34am
I know a friend that is still on windows 98. Must be one of those type of situations where he works. Its just weird. I was like holy crap lol.
Xessive
September 09, 2012 at 8:02am
Hmm, so you can get Windows 8 and then buy RetroUI to make it function like a more traditional Windows desktop style. Is it really worth the trouble? It makes a lot more sense to just stick with Windows 7.
The features of Windows 8 are not significant enough to warrant a change from Windows 7; at least not as grand as the change from XP or Vista to 7.
RetroUI just comes as off as an opportunist trying to fish for cash from gullible customers. Save your $5 and stay with Win7. If you bought a PC with Win8 pre-installed, you may as well set it up with Win7.
MarioJP
September 09, 2012 at 10:59am
The problem there is that it does warrant the significant changes. For starters. It looks and performs better than 7. Not sure of many is aware. But windows 7 transfer window has a glitch where you can't really tell when it is done. Looks like the progress bar is complete but its not really complete. Only way you know for sure is when it disappear. In other words. The transfer meter is not accurate and does not seem it is optimized for flash drives either. I did a test on this between 7 and 8. For some reason 8 seems to copy files faster off the flash drive than 7 does.
It has been fixed on 8. Just thought i point that out.
jonnyohio
September 10, 2012 at 4:50am
You can get a program called teracopy for windows 7 to solve that problem and it is free...I'm still not sold on upgrading yet. Doesn't seem like its worth the price.
maxeeemum
September 08, 2012 at 8:40pm
They should rename the "Metro" UI to "Mystery" because it's a mystery how to use it on a PC/laptop for an average user.
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/youtube_video_shows_how_real_people_react_windows_8
Philippe Lemay
September 08, 2012 at 8:40pm
I thought Stardock had fixed this already with Start8.
I haven't tried it myself (haven't moved onto Win8 yet), but I had heard it worked just fine at effectively removing the Interface Formerly Known as Metro.
John Pombrio
September 09, 2012 at 10:26am
It does, it works, it's free, and Start8 still lets the user interact with Metro. Retro UI is a poor imitation and it costs money to boot.
nadako
September 08, 2012 at 4:58pm
Try out INFUpdate it will change the desktop back to windows 7 style.
WilliamAngelo
September 08, 2012 at 3:48pm
Microsoft already blocked a workaround once before.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9230024/Microsoft_blocks_Windows_8_Start_button_boot_to_desktop_hacks
MarioJP
September 08, 2012 at 3:56pm
they didn't block it they rip out the start menu code which is no issue with me though.
MarioJP
September 08, 2012 at 3:48pm
I really don't see what's the complaining about. Windows 8 desktop is better than 7. I got used to the metro already. So whats the fuss really?
biggiebob12345
September 08, 2012 at 8:10pm
I'm sure you were also first to jump over to vista and think it was great too...
Newest != best.
MarioJP
September 09, 2012 at 11:28am
Not really but eventually did. The issue with vista was with lack of driver support which later got fixed in SP1. The main reason was that when i built my rig it has 8GB of RAM exceeding what XP can handle so went to vista 64.
I really don't see the issue with metro. To me its much easier to search for stuff quickly.
Chronologist
September 08, 2012 at 11:42pm
I don't understand the windows 8 hate. Do you guys just not like metro?
I'm more than fine with it. I just start up my computer and click the desktop mode tile. Would I spend the extra money to upgrade from windows 7? No, probably not. But is it a good OS to upgrade older XP-Vista machines to? Of course it is. And with these new 3rd-party software out on the market, I won't be surprised to see a free cracked version floating around on torrent sites in the months after win8 officially drops. And even if we don't see that, I'm not that stingy to the point of refusing to pay 5 dollars for a 3-pc license. Come on guys. This is maximumpc. We're willing to drop down a couple hundred, to a couple thousand on gaming rigs, but too miserly to pay that extra 5 dollars on top of a $40 upgrade? And that besides, no one's forcing you to go windows 8. Like windows 7? Stay on it. Microsoft won't be axing support for it for at least 5 years. By then, the so-called good OS/bad OS cycle dictates that in 5 years we'll all have a lovely new Windows OS that we can stick to Apple's face.
MarioJP
September 09, 2012 at 10:30am
Yeah i don't get it with these people. Its only software. Its not like its unusable or anything like that. Everything is practically there. I bet these people if they could would run xp forever and ever and ever not realizing how outdated that OS is becoming. It is one of these situation, just going to have to let these people go, as they refuse to change.
With that said I really could see Windows 8 selling, including those all in one PC's especially.
igoka
September 08, 2012 at 11:45am
I don't get it what is the point of this , that it would look like win7 ? Why not just to keep using win7 , instead of using win8 and pretending that it's win7 . Huh ? What benefits win8 has that you would pay additional money for make up ?
John Pombrio
September 08, 2012 at 12:23pm
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/261955/five_reasons_to_make_the_switch_to_windows_8.html#tk.hp_fv
SpaceyJacey
September 08, 2012 at 10:44am
This is effectively the same as forcing your new girlfriend to wear you old girlfriend's clothes. Get over her and move on!
don2041
September 08, 2012 at 11:55am
My old girlfriend is awesome, she runs my household, takes care of my finances,fetches information for me, she even plays games with me,and she does this all with ease. She does not wrap herself in flashy clothes, or pretend to be something she is not. I don,t drop my old girlfriend Just because some flashy new broad moved into the hood.
Engelsstaub
September 08, 2012 at 11:01am
I sometimes wear my old girlfriend's clothes when my new girlfriend is away.
Neufeldt2002
September 08, 2012 at 10:27am
I am voting with my wallet on this, no Win 8 in my house. By buying Win 8 and then disabling Metro you are telling MS that they won with Metro and they won't change anything, they probably won't anyway but the only true tool we have to show our disapproval is by not buying.
Scatter
September 08, 2012 at 11:17am
I feel the same way as you do but I know damn well that Microsoft will pull some bullshit and purposely make their next Direct X Windows 8 only.
igoka
September 08, 2012 at 11:52am
I don't know about you but I don't buy that bullshit about Direct X anymore . Transition from version 8 to 9 was big I mean you could really see the difference . Now from 9 to 10 or 11 the difference is so subtle that I don't see reason to upgrade . Yea you can say "look there are some feathers looks better " or something else but when I play the game I don't pay attention to those details.
biggiebob12345
September 08, 2012 at 8:11pm
More like "here's some feathers that look better if you magnify your screen 200x".
germanogre
September 08, 2012 at 9:06am
Oh, it'll do a fine job blocking metro. Until MS sends out a "security update" that disables it and forces metro on us again. Windows 7 sales were huge. The only way MS can continue to see those big sales is to F$#k up windows... and then make windows 9 great. Cut off security updates to windows 7, get people to think of 9 as their escape from metro, and rake in the $$$. I highly doubt they will support 7 as long as XP.
Maybe I'm paranoid / bitter of corporations right now, but it seems a likely scenario to me.
WilliamAngelo
September 08, 2012 at 11:31am
Windows 7 is supposed to be supported until Jan. 2020
http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?LN=en-us&x=9&y=11&c2=14019
Bullwinkle J Moose
September 08, 2012 at 8:44am
"Seeing a serious business opportunity in disabling Metro UI features in Windows 8 PCs owned by businesses and other large organizations, Thinix has announced separate pricing for them."
Good thing businesses like spending all that money to make the desktop more like XP's out of box config
Too bad Windows 7 & 8 users can't run about 20% of the software that runs on XP just fine
Hey look, Newegg still has XP compatible Hard Drives without the new crap format
so...
what were we talking about?
poee
September 08, 2012 at 11:50am
And too bad XP can't run 24% of the software that Win7 runs just fine.
BTW, why did you upgrade from Win98se? You clearly wasted money on that fancy new XP when 98 worked perfectly fine...
Bullwinkle J Moose
September 09, 2012 at 9:17am
So I should buy all the new software that I already have working on XP again and buy newer hardware to run it? (even though it runs fine as it is?)
Can't help you on that other stuff
I never used DOS 4,6 or 98
(Not compatible with what I had)
loozer
September 08, 2012 at 7:05am
Costes muchos casholaz. I really can't approve of this while there are many free alternatives. (classic shell, start8, vistart, etc.)
keyzs
September 08, 2012 at 1:40am
seriously with all that talent at MS... why cant they just allow users to select the UI during the install stage and perhaps make and option within Control Panel like add / remove Windows features and stuff?
just wondering how many ppls will be willing to pay $5.00 for a third party software just to override the default UI; personally i for one will NOT. it frankly doesnt make any sense. this payment doesnt not enhance the OS's performance nor does it contribute to anything significant. this UI thinngy should be a SETTING!!!
it is so true that this wasnt the case when Bill was running the company. nowadays its pencil pushers who are thinking with another part of the anatomy while screwing up an almost perfect OS.
integration with multiple devices is fine, just make them add ons. who the fxxx needs a touch screen interface if one doesnt own a touch screen panel????????????
