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

[faugusztin]

Originally Posted by dullonien

Anyone heard much about what we should expect from WP8? Are we talking something very similar to the RTM of Windows 8? Or should we be expecting something more akin to WP7.5? Anyone even know if WP7.5 devices will be able to upgrade to WP8 (officially or otherwise)?

It will be different than Windows 8 for now. Only the base system is similar to Windows RT.

WP7.5 devices cannot be upgraded, period. You will get some features in WP7.8, but many will be missing.

[BennieboyUK]

On the general subject on Windows 8, I have to say - after forcing myself to get used to the new UI, layout and features... After using a good few hundred hours it has "clicked" into place on how to use and find stuff.

I am pleased to report that for me personally, it is more efficient than Windows 7 - especially for the work place.

Additionally server 2012 is brilliant, again the new UI layout takes some getting used to, but enabling you to access 99.9% of the servers functions from the new server manager is ideal. And the use of "server" groups to manage several different servers is great. Enabling you to have one go to server for all your management needs - this is replicated inside of Windows 8.

For anyone not sure about it... stick with it, its worth it!

[Nexxo]

Originally Posted by dullonien

Anyone heard much about what we should expect from WP8? Are we talking something very similar to the RTM of Windows 8? Or should we be expecting something more akin to WP7.5? Anyone even know if WP7.5 devices will be able to upgrade to WP8 (officially or otherwise)?

WP 8 will in many ways appear much like WP 7.8, which is the WP 7 upgrade which incorporates the main GUI changes that WP 8 introduced, but remains WP 7 under the hood. WP 8 has a lot of extras in the background such as a shared kernel with Windows 8 so Metro apps can be easily converted. It also has hardware encryption and other enterprise features and a lot of other stuff such as support for higher resolution displays.

WP 7 devices cannot be upgraded to WP 8. This bridge-burning transition is the price paid for fundamentally changing things under the hood for increased compatibility with Windows 8 and increased features. However WP 7.8 will give them the shiny new GUI with resizable tiles.

EDIT: darn, ninja'd by faug!

[impar]

Greetings!

Windows 8 in-app advertising shown off by Microsoft

When Windows 8 officially launches, just three weeks from today, you will likely want to download a number of Windows 8 apps for news, weather and other information. Microsoft is working to make deals with a number of Windows 8 app developers that will offer in-app ads that will include video and interactive features.

IObit StartMenu8 1.0 Beta

[Nexxo]

Wouldn't worry about in-app ads. Businesses won't allow them, and users will not want them. Either they will become optional or someone just creates an ad banner plugin.

[GoodBytes]

Originally Posted by Nexxo

Wouldn't worry about in-app ads. Businesses won't allow them, and users will not want them. Either they will become optional or someone just creates an ad banner plugin.

The only application that comes with Windows that could have ads are:
-> New more involved games, if any. (I mean you won't have them for minesweeper and solitaire etc.)
-> Music App, due to the unlimited music download. Maybe there will be a paying version where you have no ads.

[dullonien]

It'll work in a similar way to in-app ads on WP7 I'd imagine. It'll offer app developers the opportunity to offer two versions of their app, a free version which will have in-app advertising, or a paid for version which removes the ads. I've got a number of apps on my phone which have advertising and it is relatively unobtrusive, and I prefer that than otherwise paying for it.

[GoodBytes]

Home Shopping network is ready for Windows 8
http://www.hsn.com/electronics/windo....aspx?rid=2835

Top of the page has their own video showing Windows 8.

[RichCreedy]

Originally Posted by GoodBytes

Home Shopping network is ready for Windows 8
http://www.hsn.com/electronics/windo....aspx?rid=2835

Top of the page has their own video showing Windows 8.

yeap and full of crapware, which is why Microsoft moved into the hardware market with it's surface tablets

[rollo]

Virtually every game has advertisement however small, from coke cans to trainers branded with Nike and Addidas. Not sure what the big deal would be with that tbh.

Id personally pay to remove adds as i find them very annoying. Nokia 920 the leading phone for windows 8 has probably priced itself out of the market, 600 Euros to 649 Euros on nokias web page.

Just like in america it would seem the UK market will also be 1 platform exclusive with the general betting on it been EE. ( Orange ) EE is only company with any release information and is only provider of the 4G network in Uk that the phone runs on.

SG3 is £450
IP5 is £529
Nokia 920 £523.45 ( using a calculator lol not the most useful tool)

I dont have euro pricing for those phone models ( IP5 and SG3)

[aramil]

Originally Posted by BennieboyUK

On the general subject on Windows 8, I have to say - after forcing myself to get used to the new UI, layout and features... After using a good few hundred hours it has "clicked" into place on how to use and find stuff.

I am pleased to report that for me personally, it is more efficient than Windows 7 - especially for the work place.

Additionally server 2012 is brilliant, again the new UI layout takes some getting used to, but enabling you to access 99.9% of the servers functions from the new server manager is ideal. And the use of "server" groups to manage several different servers is great. Enabling you to have one go to server for all your management needs - this is replicated inside of Windows 8.

For anyone not sure about it... stick with it, its worth it!

I have to agree with you. The right click bottom left corner is a great win8 feature too (takes you straight to control panel / device manager/ elevated command prompt, etc, etc)

The only little niggle I have is that I don't use "Modern Apps" (all uninstalled) so the Start screen just has a desktop tile..... I did try adding groups etc, But I use so many different pieces of software (depending on the job/work I am doing at the time) it just got busy (ie. it was quicker to bring up the menu and start typing the name)

I use (win)+Q to open the Actual Start Menu (where all the software is listed)

I just wish I could skip straight to Desktop on boot.

[GoodBytes]

Originally Posted by aramil

I have to agree with you. The right click bottom left corner is a great win8 feature too (takes you straight to control panel / device manager/ elevated command prompt, etc, etc)

The only little niggle I have is that I don't use "Modern Apps" (all uninstalled) so the Start screen just has a desktop tile..... I did try adding groups etc, But I use so many different pieces of software (depending on the job/work I am doing at the time) it just got busy (ie. it was quicker to bring up the menu and start typing the name)

I use (win)+Q to open the Actual Start Menu (where all the software is listed)

I just wish I could skip straight to Desktop on boot.

You can maybe add folders. Like Computer, Removable drive (yes the icon stays and does nothing, if there you removed your USB flash drive/external HDD), Downloads, Documents, and so on.

For your programs, you can have a group called productivity, and you can put all of them in there.

You can also, using this software, make a picture.
http://www.addictivetips.com/windows...f-your-images/

Add special folder with a bit more ease:
http://www.addictivetips.com/windows...-start-screen/

Custom program tiles
http://www.addictivetips.com/windows...-folders-urls/

[GoodBytes]

Microsoft removed Microsoft point system when purchasing music, video, or renting movies.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/8/34...ntal-purchases

Now you see the actual price, and you get to pay by credit card. If you have Microsoft Points, you can use that as well, but it's not set as default. So if you have a lot of Microsoft Points, you won't be screwed over.

[impar]

Greetings!

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 pricing revealed
...
As of today, TechRadar is stating that the ThinkPad Tablet 2 will start at $629 (UK £392, AU $612).
...

Atom.

Samsung ATIV Tab up for preorder in Blighty
The ATIV features a very nice spec indeed, a dual-core Snapdragon APQ8060A at 1.5GHz backed by Adreno 305 graphics, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It’s a Wifi only affair, but other than that is feature packed: micro HDMI, micro-SD, 10.1-inch 1366x768 screen, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and a 1.9-megapixel front facing unit. To top it all off, it has an 8200mAh power pack and measures 265.8x168.1x8.9mm. It’s pretty light, too, and it tips the scales at 570g.

Now for some bad news. The asking price is a whopping 550 pounds, which will easily buy you a similarly spec’d iPad with a Retina screen to boot.
...

Expensive.

Microsoft releases new IE10/Windows 8 Flash update
Earlier this morning, Abobe released a new update for its Flash Player software for various platforms. The update did not include one for Internet Explorer 10 in Windows 8. Now, Microsoft has confirmed it has released a new update for IE10 that does indeed update the web browser for the latest version of Flash.

Good.

[rollo]

Samsung ATIV Tab is Dead on Arival if they truly do launch at that price. Its 2.5 times the cost of a nexus 7 and even more expensive than a 32gb Ipad retina. ( Its £220 more than an Ipad 2)

Samsung have lost the plot if this is indeed accurate.

[Nexxo]

Lenovo full-fat Windows tablet for less than £400,--? Game changer.

[rollo]

Dout we will get it for £400 and it does not include a dock or keyboard with that price, just depends on the cost of those i guess.

People have just converted for the dollar to pound for uk price not an official price.

Def something to keep an eye on though x86 tablet for £400 consider me sold if we ever see that sort of pricing. ( depending on battery and performance naturally)

[GoodBytes]

x86 tablet will cost the same as ultrabooks. Because they are ultrabooks. In fact they might even cost more, due to the high-resolution, small screen, IPS panels, used, and multi-touch support. And possibly better battery technology/grade to last longer.

If you aim for a cheap tablet, then we will be back with what we have now with laptops. Ultra cheap, packed with junk, poor engineering, and Windows 8 minimum resolution very low-end TN panel crap.
THEN you'll complain how Windows 8 sucks, because it's slow, not responsive, and how its terrible for touchscreens, and how Apple does a better product, excluding the fact that they cost significantly more.
And if you think I am being ridiculous, this when I was younger, I worked at retail stores, and A LOT of people where acting like this. You always get what you paid for.

[impar]

Greetings!

Originally Posted by Nexxo

Lenovo full-fat Windows tablet for less than £400,--? Game changer.

If it comes at £400 (in UK), and lets not forget thats just the tablet, without dock\keyboard, and its only powered by a DC Atom.

[Nexxo]

The Atom has come on a bit since the netbook-running-XP days, and has an OS better geared to exploiting it. So you can have an Apple iPad at £400,-- which won't talk to your NAS, won't talk to your networked printer, does not have USB ports and does not run a full-fat office suite. Or you can have, for the same price, a tablet that does have all these features. I think which comes out on top in this comparison.