Windows 8 Consumer Preview Thread

Hmmm, could mean I need to rethink my OS drive eventually then as it's currently a 80Gb SSD. My Apps tend to live on another 256Gb SSD and then music, video etc on a spinny 1TB drive E:

So far it doesn't look like metro apps are large enough to worry about too much but longer term it may be time for a larger OS drive (which is a bugger as I've only just installed and configed 8 on the current drive).

Hmmmm
 
Athanor said:
Hmmm, could mean I need to rethink my OS drive eventually then as it's currently a 80Gb SSD. My Apps tend to live on another 256Gb SSD and then music, video etc on a spinny 1TB drive E:

So far it doesn't look like metro apps are large enough to worry about too much but longer term it may be time for a larger OS drive (which is a bugger as I've only just installed and configed 8 on the current drive).

Hmmmm
Click to expand...

Just clone your current OS drive to a newer bigger one
 
Just installed the final product on to my laptop......while i actually quite like the OS, it's not kind to a touchpad.

Such a roundabout way of doing things as well, just getting to device manager seemed like such a hog for example.
 
mrbios said:
Just installed the final product on to my laptop......while i actually quite like the OS, it's not kind to a touchpad.

Such a roundabout way of doing things as well, just getting to device manager seemed like such a hog for example.
Click to expand...

Windows Key + Break still works I belive
 
mrbios said:
Such a roundabout way of doing things as well, just getting to device manager seemed like such a hog for example.
Click to expand...

what do you want device manager for?

Things people use are there, things people don't use, or people use infrequently are put out of the way. Which makes sense, stops the average user messing stuff up and even tech savy people hardly ever use such features, maybe a few times on first install and then only again when you have issues. It declutters the place so you don't have massive lists of options.
 
mrbios said:
Just installed the final product on to my laptop......while i actually quite like the OS, it's not kind to a touchpad.

Such a roundabout way of doing things as well, just getting to device manager seemed like such a hog for example.
Click to expand...

Take a look at the "WIN+X" menu. It's great for some of the more common system commands. Shame that you can't configure it and add your own items in there...I know, I tried to put WindowsUpdate in there :(
 
ChileanLlama said:
Take a look at the "WIN+X" menu. It's great for some of the more common system commands. Shame that you can't configure it and add your own items in there...I know, I tried to put WindowsUpdate in there :(
Click to expand...
also available (the WIN+X menu) by right click in bottom left corner I've just noticed
 
I'm actually quite warming to it apart from the Metro Apps being very MS orientated and would like to have seen more Google services inclusion, perhaps that will come.

When you realise you can log out or shut down with CTR + ALT + DEL instead of going through Metro for instance, saves a bit of time on what I initially thought was the only convoluted method.

As someone with not the best eye sight I would have preferred a smoother transition to the Metro UI as this replaces the start menu. The Metro Apps not opening with an initial white back ground would also be less tiring on the eyes. Also I would have preferred the shortcuts in Metro App view to have retained the possibility of folder hierarchy and re-nameable groups. I can see its been done to suite tablets more but don't understand why optional customisation would suite a tablet user any less and why we must all have a flat world forced upon us.

My biggest gripe is the lack of Google integration, why would I also want SkyDrive and the implications of saving office files by default to that and how that jars with having different Google accounts to keep business and personal separate. I'd prefer to do document cloud storage with Google so I don't mix business and personal documents together and if I want to share or collaborate I can do through the appropriate Google Account.

I don't know whether its me but I've also not found a way to close a Metro App without popping out the left side bar in Metro and then right clicking the thumbnail for that App in the sidebar and choosing close.
 
Google isn't Microsoft, why would they include it. Google apps will come when they decide to make them, probably on launch. Chrome is allready available, the rest of google apps will follow shortly.

Close an app, simple left click at top of screen and pull it down to bottom.


Skydrive is Microsoft so it's included, you can still keep business and pleasure separated.
 
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@Glaucus,

I realise that Google isn't Microsoft but neither is Flickr or Facebook. My point is that if you already have Google Accounts you wouldn't necessarily also want MS equivalents, after all it is MS that is late to the cloud party not Google. They're ought to be better Google Account integration into sign in or better details about it as they are a significant provider and MS has an OS monopoly. Hopefully this will come but my comments can only reflect how I find things at present.

Thanks, I can see how pulling an App down to the bottom would suite someone using a tablet but is more cumbersome than it needed to be on a desktop IMO.

As for SkyDrive I assumed you could keep files organised separately but if it comes to sharing or collaborating I'm guessing the recipient would then see your MS Account email which you wouldn't want them to have over one they already have for you when you use separate accounts for businesses / domains and personal.
 
Facebook isn't a compeitior and is used By the majority.

Cloud storage hasn't taken of yet and they aren't late to the party, skydrive has been around for ages.

There's coloration skydrive accounts for teams working on projects and wanting one storage area and better syncing options are coming soon.

Metro apps aren't designed to be closed, there's simply no reason to close them.

You seem to forget that it hasn't even been released yet, google are working on the apps and already released some like chrome.
 
Just had a complete freeze with the RTM version and had to do a hard reset. Could be the hardware though but it just reminded me of how the preview versions used to randomly halt.
 
@Glaucus

FB is very much a competitor, the most significant of all in fact as I suspect more people will have FB credentials than Microsoft Accounts. It's all about competition for user eye balls, how many and how long retained and thus greater advertising power. I don't know who designed the Metro FB App, if it was FB it was most likely to ensure they get their Ad network into the App rather than the feed being wrapped in someone else's clothes with say Bing advertising surrounding that feed. Perhaps the reason why FB are looking at including ads into people's feeds. There's also a potential benefit to MS as linking your FB account to MS's must result in certain FB profile / activity data being shared with MS. The FB / MS relationship will be an interesting one to see unfold as MS are pinning their future consumer successes and growth on App store sales and advertising as they've seen how lucrative this can be from Apple and Android. Now their gripped with 'me too' syndrome and are most defiantly late to the party in every respect I can think of. The interesting twist with buddying FB is they share a lot of similar goals largely enjoyed by whomever controls user buy in to having those user credentials and using the associated service. With such similar goals it could be a relationship that sours rather than flourishing.

It's more to do with inclusion into Microsoft Accounts like the FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr and Google Contacts are so we also see Google+ in the People App, Google+/Picasa in the Photo App, YouTube in the Video App, Google+ Messenger in the Messaging App rather than wanting to see stand alone Metro Apps for these.
 
Last I heard was MS didn't have a social networking site, but were competing with Google around search, cloud, mail and online office suites.

I can't really see MS promoting and linking their services into Google any time soon, even if the demand is there. Wait til Google develop their own and use those instead of the MS apps...better still wait til a 3rd Party develops an app that combines what you want.

Just don't expect one of the major players to develop it, it's just not in their own interests.
 
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