The Windows 8 Thread

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i'd like to see the windows install be as swish as ubuntu. after choosing your disk/partitions, it then prompts you for all your details but it's already copying files in the background as you enter them. then it's a single reboot at the end and job done.
 
It could never be quite as simple as Ubuntu, because when installing that OS it dont have to check all your current Windows software, user accounts and settings for compatibility, then transfer them. I think the Windows installer is now about as easy as it could possibly get. It's now at the point where someone who's totally computer illiterate should be able to do it.
 
More news...


> Easy and fast mobile connectivity

Full details here. But heres the main new features...

  • Theres now no need for 3rd party drivers or software to connect to a mobile broadband network, as Win 8 supports the Mobile Broadband Interface Model (MBIM) specification standard. Win 8 uses a single built-in driver that works with all modern mobile broadband hardware and providers and this driver is kept up to date with Windows Update. Connecting to mobile broadband should be as easy as with any modern smartphone.

  • Win 8 automatically disconnects from mobile broadband networks and connects to Wi-Fi networks whenever they’re available to reduce data usage with costly mobile broadband. And, when appropriate, powers down the mobile broadband hardware/device, which also increases battery life.

  • Support for popular Wi-Fi hotspot authentication types. Windows 8 also manages the authentication for you when you come within range of a Wi-Fi network, so you won’t have to re-authenticate each time (for instance, by going to a web page).

  • You can change any connection type to "metered" or "non-metered" to reduce data usage. Mobile broadband will be set to metered by default. New developer API's have also been added so if a network is metered an app can automatically choose a lower bandwidth option. For instance if watching a video it can automatically use a low quality video stream instead of an HD option on a metered network.

  • Win 8 maintains an ordered list of your preferred networks based on your explicit connect and disconnect actions, as well as the network type. For example, if you manually disconnect from a network, Windows will no longer automatically connect to that network. If, while connected to one network, you decide to connect to a different network, Windows will move the new network higher in your preferred networks list. Windows 8 automatically learns your preferences in order to manage this list for you.

  • To help mobile broadband data usage and costs, Windows Update will not download any updates until you connect to a non-metered network, such as your home broadband connection. There is one exception, and that is in the case of a critical security update to fix a worm-like vulnerability. Windows Update will download the critical update regardless of connection type, but this behaviour can be adjusted manually if you like.

  • When you resume from standby, Windows can reconnect faster to your preferred Wi-Fi networks from new optimizations in the networking stack. Now when your PC resumes from standby, your Wi-Fi adapter already has all the information it needs to connect to your preferred Wi-Fi networks. This means you can reconnect your PC to a Wi-Fi network from standby in about a second.


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  • Real time estimated data usage displayed for each individual network connection being as many mobile broadband packages have data caps and high costs. You can reset the data counter whenever you want, which is useful for monitoring your usage month-to-month for example.

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  • The new Task Manager provides more detailed information showing how much data a particular app has consumed.

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  • As with many smartphones Win 8 now has an "airplane mode" that can be turned on or off with one click. The new network settings also allow you to turn individual radios on and off (Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, or Bluetooth). This is new to PC's but obviously has been around on phones for years.

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ng93 said:
Can't wait for the beta, if I had the money i'd get a samsung win 7 slate and put win 8 on there :D

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Same, and if I wasn't so busy in the first 6months two stag dos, trip to America and a few other stuff, I would. But with all that I can't afford £800. Will have to wait for the soc versions.
And at a later date Hopfully get a ~I5 tablet with keyboard, to replace the desktop.
 
There will be tons of tablets to choose from on the release of Win 8, both x86 and ARM. Many of them better than anything else out now and guaranteed to work with all the new features (like DX11.1), so i'd just wait anyway :cool:

Heres some preview pics of the new Windows Store...

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Very much like the new X360 dashboard update, but with the grey background removed. More stuff here
 
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Moarrr W8 news added, and this one is great because i cant tell you how many times this ******* problem has annoyed me on Android and iOS! ...


> Sensor Fusion

Ever had a tablet or phone app where the controls mess up when you lay the device flat on it's back and tilt it to either side? This is because the accelerometer (the thing that determines the devices orientation) only has limited capabilities and 3 axes. Sensor Fusion combines multiple sensors from the accelerometer, 3D magnetometer and gyro sensor for a 9-axis sensor fusion system which stops things like this happening. Plus many other benefits... More details here.

 
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Heres some changes made to Win 8 since the Developer Preview. These changes will be available in the BETA in late Feb!


  • Ability to add folders and executables to the new metro Start screen.

  • File copy transfers will automatically pause when going in to sleep or hibernation, and can be resumed on wake.

  • File copy interrupts, which in past versions of Windows have stopped the copy operation until the user clicks through them (i'm sure we've all been annoyed with these!), will now queue and display after Windows has copied everything it can.

  • Explorer now supports camera EXIF data rotation on images, so it automatically displays images in the correct rotation (both thumbnail images or enlarged). So if your camera sets this value (nearly all do), you will not need to correct the orientation.

  • The new Ribbon interface is still present, but it is minimized by default.

  • Customizations you make to the Windows Explorer view settings will also now sync between your Windows 8 systems when syncing settings using your Windows Live ID.

  • When files in a copy operation have conflicting names, Windows will give you the option to skip files that also have the same timestamp and file size while copying over files. It also saves your chosen setting so you dont have to select this again.

  • Win 8 will now switch to the fastest available network connection, including in mid-operation, for those cases when you begin a file copy to another PC over wi-fi and then decide it would be faster to plug the PC into the network with a cable.

  • The addition of an "Open PowerShell" option in the File menu.
 
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The beta is going to be sweet. Most excited about the store being available though. Also really want to try out refresh. Be such a good feature for the parents.
 
Subliminal Aura said:
What are we looking at in terms of release date chaps ?

I'm not sure if I should install the developer preview(assuming that is the latest version) or windows 7 :o
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If you can wait until late feb the BETA will be out, and it has many improvements over the Dev Preview. Plus it should be atleast very near to fully featured, because the Dev Preview is also missing loads of things (Xbox Live, new media player, media center and loads more...)
 
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