Windows Windows 8 Marmite thread... Because you either love it or hate it.

[N17 dizzi]

GB what was you opinion of Win ME when it was released just out of curiosity?

You seem like Microsoft's favorite early adopter

[GoodBytes]

Originally Posted by N17 dizzi

GB what was you opinion of Win ME when it was released just out of curiosity?

You seem like Microsoft's favorite early adopter

Frankenstein experiment, where Win98 was slap together with Win2000, and someone cross their fingers that it works. Unlike science fiction shows, it didn't work.

It was too long to recall the many issues, but I recall having switch to Windows 2000, at the cost of not being able to play any older games, including some that was recently released, but like a month or so of Win2000. Had to wait for patches, if any. And was hard to find devices for Win2000 support, and Win2k took ages to boot. But at least it was stable like a rock, everything (OS wise) was working fine, and after all software and drivers was working (newer games, or patches, and newer driver).

[RedFlames]

I've not read the thread so far but my thoughts on the consumer preview...

holy **** metro is doing my head in... and if anything the CP is a step backwards from the dev preview, the lack of a 'start' button is the most infuriating as having to hover in the bottom corner then click the 'start' thing often ends up in me clicking whatever is leftmost on the taskbar.

Apps wise, if you're using a local account none of them seem to work... and none of them work if your LIVE ID is from anywhere other then the US... the latter i can understand, they're beta apps... but the former is annoying [imo at least]

So far unless the finished article has an 'off' button for the metro stuff, the under-the-bonnet tweaks aren't enough to alleviate the constant annoyance the new UI causes.

[GoodBytes]

Originally Posted by RedFlames

I've not read the thread so far but my thoughts on the consumer preview...

holy **** metro is doing my head in... and if anything the CP is a step backwards from the dev preview, the lack of a 'start' button is the most infuriating as having to hover in the bottom corner then click the 'start' thing often ends up in me clicking whatever is leftmost on the taskbar.

Apps wise, if you're using a local account none of them seem to work... and none of them work if your LIVE ID is from anywhere other then the US... the latter i can understand, they're beta apps... but the former is annoying [imo at least]

So far unless the finished article has an 'off' button for the metro stuff, the under-the-bonnet tweaks aren't enough to alleviate the constant annoyance the new UI causes.

You should read it, has good tips too

I don't think anyone really aims at clicking at the start orb button. You just move the move to the bottom left corner and click. And this is what Win8 Start screen does.

A local account has every Metro app work. You need a Live account for the store (you'll get prompted for the first time to log-in), so that you don't need to pay twice or more for the same software per system. Also, if you re-install Windows 8, you wont have to re-purchase them.
The only thing that doesn't work is the Music and Video ONLINE app/service. If you open them they show you your local content of your computer. Microsoft will (rumor) move the Zune service to Win8.

i agree with you with the lack of the the shutdown button on the Start Screen.

[RedFlames]

Originally Posted by GoodBytes

You should read it, has good tips too

I may at some point

I don't think anyone really aims at clicking at the start orb button. You just move the move to the bottom left corner and click. And this is what Win8 Start screen does.

that's the problem, doing that invariably results in IE launching rather me getting the start screen/menu, Maybe i'm too used to Win7, Unity, Gnome Shell etc, where there is a defined area you have to click on for the menu rather than just 'put your mouse in the corner and wait'. And for the record i do aim for and click the start button or hit the 'windows' key [which doesn't appear to do anything in the CP, if that brought up the start screen that's be enough]

A local account has every Metro app work. You need a Live account for the store (you'll get prompted for the first time to log-in), so that you don't need to pay twice or more for the same software per system. Also, if you re-install Windows 8, you wont have to re-purchase them.
The only thing that doesn't work is the Music and Video ONLINE app/service. If you open them they show you your local content of your computer. Microsoft will (rumor) move the Zune service to Win8.

The XBOX companion app [as it is in the CP] doesn't work on a local account, or didn't for me, and when i switched to a roaming/live id account it wouldn't work because i didn't have a US-registered account. If it works as you say in the finished article, much like the live essentials stuff does now then that's all I ask.

i agree with you with the lack of the the shutdown button on the Start Screen.

Not quite what i was referring to, although the general assumption that by default you want to put your pc on standby than turn it off does nark me, I actually meant a way to turn off the metro stuff. As it is metro is [still] a massive annoyance which is a shame as the rest of w8 looks good.

[GoodBytes]

Originally Posted by RedFlames

that's the problem, doing that invariably results in IE launching rather me getting the start screen/menu, Maybe i'm too used to Win7, Unity, Gnome Shell etc, where there is a defined area you have to click on for the menu rather than just 'put your mouse in the corner and wait'. And for the record i do aim for and click the start button or hit the 'windows' key [which doesn't appear to do anything in the CP, if that brought up the start screen that's be enough]

You don't need to wait. You just click. Trowing your mouse at the bottom most left corner is much easier, and faster than aiming.

Windows key shows up the Start Screen. Are you sure you don't have one of those keyboard that blocks the Windows keys, under certain modes?

The XBOX companion app [as it is in the CP] doesn't work on a local account, or didn't for me, and when i switched to a roaming/live id account it wouldn't work because i didn't have a US-registered account. If it works as you say in the finished article, much like the live essentials stuff does now then that's all I ask.

Oh I forgot about trying that app.

Not quite what i was referring to, although the general assumption that by default you want to put your pc on standby than turn it off does nark me, I actually meant a way to turn off the metro stuff. As it is metro is [still] a massive annoyance which is a shame as the rest of w8 looks good.

I highly doubt Microsoft will go back to the old way. I expect Win9 and later to keep using the start screen.

If you go back a few pages, form here, you'll see a post where I suggest people a layout I found very enjoyable to use out of the Metro start screen. Have a look.
[edit]Here page 12: http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthrea...226827&page=12[/edit]

I am still adjusting the layout on mine.. but since adding the folders, and position stuff this way, I started to like Metro Start screen. I see myself getting e-mail notification, local news, national/world news, weather all at my start screen, like an information hub. And I can start programs and stuff.

[RedFlames]

Originally Posted by GoodBytes

You don't need to wait. You just click. Trowing your mouse at the bottom most left corner is much easier, and faster than aiming.

for me there is a noticable delay between putting your mouse in the corner and the start button thing showing up, 'just clicking' just gives me internet explorer.

Windows key shows up the Start Screen. Are you sure you don't have one of those keyboard that blocks the Windows keys, under certain modes?

All of the 'win-key +' shortcuts work, but it could just be me.

I highly doubt Microsoft will go back to the old way. I expect Win9 and later to keep using the start screen.

I agree that MS have decided it's the way forward, for better or worse. And i have nothing against the metro ui as a whole, what annoys me is the jarring switch between 'desktop' and 'start screen'.

Ideally what i want is the *option* [even if it's not the default] for a classic[ish] start menu [with 'start button' if possible], something that doesn't take up the entire screen, with my recently used programs, maybe a few app tiles pinned to the top... and what is currently the 'all programs' giving me the full start screen.

[GoodBytes]

Originally Posted by RedFlames

for me there is a noticable delay between putting your mouse in the corner and the start button thing showing up, 'just clicking' just gives me internet explorer.

Something is wrong with your system.

This is my taskbar:

Notice the gap between Folder and the edge of the screen. That area doesn't work if you click on it. Unless the mouse is at the bottom left corner most of the screen, where I instantly see the Start Screen icon show up. Clicking on it shows that Start Screen. Never have to wait, not even "1 ms" (no delay visible, if you pay close attention is what I mean).

[GoodBytes]

Did you installed your video card drivers in Win8? or using Windows 8 default one?
I am thinking that the delay is due to a GPU driver problem, because the interface (and fully metro) is GPU rendered.

[GoodBytes]

Hey guys! Check this out:
Search for "restore" under settings sections (in the Start screen), and click at Restore your files from history. You connect it to a network computer, and you have many options to control the backup. You can even do one every 10min, if you so wish to do so, and more.

The sucky thing though, is that you don't have "Previous Version" feature as you did in Vista or Win7, which is a local backup of your files. So you can go back in time.. let's say on a picture you just edited, or project file, document, accidentally deleted a file on a system, etc. Granted it was all gone as soon as you re-install Windows with 0 way to recover it, and only created when you manually tell Windows to do it, or update Windows, or install/uninstall a software. But it was something at least.

[Evolutionsic]

Originally Posted by GoodBytes

Not here. Interesting...
This is what I installed:
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=21.

installed it without the windows update way before, hopefully this will work

[GoodBytes]

Windows Embedded Standard 8 Community Technology Preview (I kid you not, that is the title ) version is now out (that is the beta version)

Download: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsembe...ard-8-ctp.aspx

It also features Metro interface, fully functional, with the same application support. This version of Windows is aimed at: Point of sale terminal systems, digital signage, kiosks, manufacturing systems and even medical equipment, and more.
It's a super light Win8 if you will.

[Gaming_freak_10]

I don't see the download.. is it in that link? I checked that out.. I couldn't find the link to download that in the page..

[GoodBytes]

You need to register with your live account first. The link is on the right side column.
the instructions are also on the right side column

[GoodBytes]

StarDock releases Start Screen on desktop:


Download
http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/

[GoodBytes]

Ok I have tried it (for the sake of trying it). It works. It ACTUALLY uses Metro engine, and not a replica. The downsides are:

-> no access to anything else beside "Apps"
-> Can get it confused and have it stop working
-> Mouse scrolling doesn't work.
-> Unable to select Metro app search filter. Well you CAN, you just scroll down , and now the top 3 items or so will be click-able (you can see they did an click-able area zone that covers the 3 top filter buttons, they did that because when you click on a Metro app... well you have disaster.
-> On my laptop screen 1440x900, it's so big, that you wish it was full screen. I kid you not.
Because the metro design is designed to take room. It doesn't have a small item list.

[wuyanxu]

on laptop it probably won't work well, but it should work very well on desktop with 24inch or above resolutions.

press bottom left, then 1024x768 Metro search screen pops up bottom left, with search field highlighted. that's the way to go hopefully with a frequently used list on the left where A-Z list currently sits.
(the actual start screen is rubbish to be honest.)

[CDomville]

The main downside is that the full start screen comes up again if you start using Metro applications. I'd like something more consistent if I tried a UI change.

[impar]

Greetings!

That Windows 8 experience? Confusing. Confusing as hell
Trying out Windows 8 on the desktop gives a strange feeling: there's a solid update to Windows 7, and then there's a strange interface which jumps context.
...
I keep thinking of the episode of Red Dwarf where Kryten gets turned into a human. There's a scene where Kryten is trying to get used to the capabilities of his new body. At one point, Lister can see this isn't going to end well, turns to him and says: "You're neither one thing or the other." I think the reason why this scene occurs to me is that Kryten desperately wanting to be human gives up the things that make him an android and will make the proposition fit – consquences be damned. That describes to me pretty accurately what this version of Windows is.
...

Windows 8's Metro UI: 7 Things You May Just Hate
The brightly colored, interactive tiles of Windows 8's Metro interface are fun and innovative. But they can also be frustrating and completely unintuitive to use.
...
The interface has been widely praised around the Web, and for good reason. It's a bold innovation (especially coming from a company that's normally so timid), it looks great, and it makes getting around Windows a lot more fun.
But in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, at least, Metro is as annoying as it is innovative, especially if you attempt to use it with a keyboard and mouse instead of with a touchscreen. Among other problems, its shortcuts are difficult to use, it disappears without warning, and it makes any attempt to change settings on your PC a scavenger hunt.

This guy is right about the UIs:

Windows 8: A Giant Misstep Forward
...
It's meant to appeal more to consumers, to be tablet-friendly, and it's meant to be the foundation of an entirely new and modern platform that doesn't have to be backwards compatible with almost twenty years of code. I can appreciate what Microsoft is trying to, however I don't think they're going about it in the right way.
...
Although I really like Metro, I think that its emphasis over the desktop -- and the treatment of the desktop as essentially "legacy" -- are going to prove detrimental to the Microsoft platform. Here's why:
...

[dullonien]

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Windows 8. There are some things I like, some things I don't. A list is probably the easiest way to convey my feelings.

The bad.....

- Very little unity between the Metro part of the OS and the Aero part. It still feels as though the Metro parts have simply been shoe horned into the existing Windows 7, with very little unity between the two. I feel much more could have been done to create a more seamless transition, and for me this could have been achieved by ditching Aero and fully embracing the Metro interface. The Zune player software demonstrates how the Metro interface can be successfully used in non full-screen applications. I feel this style could have been used throughout the Windows experience, including explorer etc.

- The Metro apps still feel a little clunky on a desktop computer using the keyboard and mouse. Having simple applications for tablet use is important, but on the desktop these Apps start to look incredibly basic and incredibly limited. For example, the Music App in it's current state is almost unusable. It's slow and uses a ridiculous amount of recourses. Despite having a meticulously organised music library (all ID3 tags manually edited, with album-art etc.), some album-art is still missing. Whilst scrolling through the library, album-art has to re-update continuously, which takes a lot of time. I also feel the program as a whole is overly simple. Something more comparable to the Zune software, where the simple Metro interface is blended with a gorgeous visualization overlay is much more aesthetically pleasing.

Overall, I feel many of the metro apps have similar problems to this. The Video App is almost completely devoid of sorting options, while there's no way of renaming different mail accounts in the mail app (from what I can see). Hopefully the fact that these are in beta stage means that they'll be improved upon, but they probably show quite well what Microsoft's intentions are here, and I'm not sure I completely like them.

- Issues with multi monitors. I feel that Microsoft are continuing to overlook important options for multi monitor users, and unfortunately I find that Windows 8 takes one step forwards but two steps back in this department. It's nice to have the ability to place a taskbar on every monitor out of the box, but they don't provide enough customization options. I for one want to be able to chose which monitor the clock and notification options appear on, not forced to keep them on the primary screen. I'd also like the option to place pinned programs anywhere on the taskbar, and on either screen. Finally, where I feel Windows 8 takes a step back in multi-monitor usage is due to the hover areas in the corner of the screen that brings up things like the start button, or the search/share/settings bar. I find using these a little clumsy because all are kept on the single monitor, meaning I have to hover in the bottom-centre of my desktop (but at the edge of my left monitor) to bring up the search/share/settings bar, and it's easy to overshoot onto the second monitor. I hope that made sense, it's a little difficult to explain.

The good...…

- Setup. I feel the ease and speed of installing Windows 8 is vastly improved. Removing the aero parts will help make it feel even more unified though.

- People hub. With built in Facebook, Twitter etc. this will be a big draw for casual users. Whilst I only use Facebook and Windows Live out of those available, and even then very rarely, being able to pull information from these accounts is still very useful. Microsoft also show up sites like Facebook here, by designing a much more simple and intuitive interface than what's found on their website. Push notification will be very useful here as well, being able to see any pending notification without having to open up a web-page.

Those are just a few of my immediate thoughts, after using the Consumer Preview for just a day.