Windows 8 Consumer Preview Thread

I was playing around with w8 on my laptop. Installed fine. Needed a video driver to get 1900x1280 working. Other than no problems. First impression is, it would suit a more home PC type of use (entertainment and internet hub) more than a work PC or development box. But i've not really used it enough to know if I like it or now.

I'm not seeing anything that makes me go, wow thats a much better way of doing something. Its all a bit Meh tbh. I was a bit like that about W7 and Vista though. Windows, 95~XP are all the same. But the jump from Dos to Windows 3.0 was just wow. As also was the jump from Windows 3.11 to Windows 95. Ditto System 6 to 7 or System 9 to OSX.

But Windows 8 just feels like a lick of paint and new curtains.
 
OspreyO said:
But Windows 8 just feels like a lick of paint and new curtains.
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I think you encapsulate the problem. The only thing really to say about Windows 8 is Metro - a shell designed for touch screens. Desktop users don't have touch screen so using a mouse for these functions is awkward and un-natural.

Maybe MS will learn from this when they get to Windows 9 - but I doubt it!
 
Is there any good online guide to the features of metro and any advantages for the desktop?

I do like the idea of the tiles as a live desktop. I dunno if I see anything else useful in it. Early days yet though.
 
dbmzk1 said:
Things like double clicking have been around since forever. Scrolling a mouse wheel is what its for and most people know that, its kind of obvious and not inherent to Windows anyway. (Though 8 makes you use it to scroll SIDEWAYS?!)

Everything in XP and Vista/7 were big changes, but nothing that fundamentally changed the way Windows worked. 95 was the first one to do that, but it was for the better and didn't as much change everything but re-arrange it. Windows 8 has taken everything thats good about Windows XP/7 and changed it, just because they felt like it and/or so it's better on touch screen tablets.

This is NOT designed for a PC and it shows massively. It just doesn't work properly as said. It's annoying, you have to learn stupid shortcuts you never had to that are not listed anywhere and stuff like that. It's just poor.

I didn't go into it thinking it was going to be bad - I just installed it, played with it for a few hours, and these are my opinions on it. It's not about growing up and using it. Why should I use something that is poorly designed, harder to use than what I've already got and generally is just annoying. Basically, it's terrible.
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If you've only used it a few hours then i dont really think you should be moaning about it. Basically because you're so used to your old ways of doing stuff you dont like 8, when you need to work with it atleast a few days and get in to new habits to truly be able to judge it.

Windows 95 used to have text that said "click here to begin" and pointed to the Start menu, as people didn't know they had to click on that with a mouse. Same thing with 8, new things need to be learned, you just have to get used to the changes and a few hours is nowhere near enough time. Most things are faster and easier when you know how to work it, you dont even have to learn keyboard shorts most of the time because theres often also a quicker way with mouse. For instance you can right click in the botton left corner of the desktop to get a menu with many common tasks. Again something you have to get used to. I could give more examples but most of this stuff has already been pointed out by others. Some stuff is worse though, like having a lock screen then another screen to enter my password, clearly not a good idea and a waste of time. But overall theres more improvements.

BTW scrolling sideways makes sense, theres far more horizontal space on todays widescreen monitors that it makes sense to have content display horizontally. Not just for touch but also with mouse, as it's easier to scroll left and right because of how the wrist works, it's designed to move in that way a lot better than doing a awkward movement up and down. But again even though it makes perfect sense, people are not used to it so will likely hate it at first just because it's different.
 
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MR.B said:
...BTW scrolling sideways makes sense, theres far more horizontal space on todays widescreen monitors that it makes sense to have content display horizontally. Not just for touch but also with mouse, as it's easier to scroll left and right because of how the wrist works, it's designed to move in that way a lot better than doing a awkward movement up and down. But again even though it makes perfect sense, people are not used to it so will likely hate it at first just because it's different.
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Not disagreeing, just embellishing. Many in my office have their monitors in portrait. I assume many tablets are used the same way. Usually I scroll vertically using the mouse wheel. No wrist movement at all. Most websites and documents scroll vertically too.
 
OspreyO said:
Not disagreeing, just embellishing. Many in my office have their monitors in portrait. I assume many tablets are used the same way. Usually I scroll vertically using the mouse wheel. No wrist movement at all. Most websites and documents scroll vertically too.
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You can press and hold the mouse wheel down on 8 to scroll horizontal, but you need to move your wrist still. It seems a bit broken in the BETA though, atleast for me, it's too sensitive.

And i'd say only the iPad is designed more for portrait. Android tablets have landscape more in mind, while Win 8 takes it further and every single Metro app i've used on 8 will scroll horizontal as well.
 
eBooks are all portrait, as are almost all phones. That said either direction isn't much of an issue. Its like having a virtual desktop and having other desktops in every direction. I was simply point out it doesn't save your wrist in the vertical axis, as you don't use your wrist to do that. Not least if you have mouse wheel.
 
Here is a question. Can I create my own tiles for the applications that just have that generic square tile that looks ugly as hell.
 
+1

Also Can you create a tile for a website, or a document?

Whats with the window live registration. Do you need that. I couldn't find a way not to do that. I have a live account, but I was just wondering.
 
Why have they made shut down so hard to find? For a while I thought they might have removed it and instead you'd just press the power button. But no, the power button just puts the system into sleep mode. Eventually I found you have to click start screen, user picture thingy, log off, slide the screen upwards, click power icon and then click shut down? Turning something off shouldn't be a marathon

They might as well have just called it Windows Touch. Metro offers no benefit on a desktop pc and the desktop mode of Windows 8 has virtually no change from 7 anyway. I was about to start saving to upgrade my Q6600 system. If this is the way windows is going I might start saving for an iMac instead.
 
I install it over the weekend...its not as bad as the people who hate it make out but a lot of it...just feels very what?! I don't know why I suddenly want full screen "apps" everywhere for something as simple as messaging app....

The start screen is nice, but ultimately useless on a desktop. How often do you would you really go back to it to check your live tiles, as said earlier it might have more use if it became the "desktop background". Maybe its just a lack of apps that use it for me, great I can have a live tile with the weather and my mail but seems pointless to me on a desktop. (On a tablet/phone I get it, you've put the device to sleep for a bit while your walking, you want a quick overview of notifications when you get it out again.) I don't like alt and tab doesn't bring up all my programs in both metro and desktop depending where I am.

That said, the way wireless works, seems a lot better and quicker in general to connect. I like new lock screen (and again notifications/live stuff works well here!) and the charms menu is nice once you learn where it is. (Would be nice if you could move some settings directly to it, for instance the shutdown button directly on there.) The new file explorer while i haven't use much but to see what they changed, seems like a good idea to.

Maybe i will grow to love it and metro apps but at the moment I don't really see a need for metro and its giant over taking of the whole screen with every single app. (I can live with the new start screen replacing start menu but keep my task bar from the desktop there!).

One more thing, I am presuming on touch you can just swipe to scroll across in many places (The people app for instance) Why can't i do this with a mouse, I'd like to just click a blank area and pull it across rather than a sideways scroll bar. (Or go back to the desktop idea of scrolling down!
 
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Much improved mouse navigation in metro. I see on music/video and other MS apps, if you right click it brings up the bottom toolbar and on the left it has feedback. So give them feedback I will be.

Really liking metro so easy to use, shame about lack of apps and shame that mail app can't be made even bigger and display more info.
Also shame about lack of apps, was expecting more. Still they said they would add more as and when they can.
 
doofski said:
i like it but dont use Metro much, wife hates it.
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lack of apps. I much prefer metro. can actually see stuff without going into anything. Works fantastically well for a home pc. Just a shame not everything is metro compatible. But hopefully by launch lots of stuff will be.

Also can I not add yahoo to mail app?
 
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Glaucus said:
lack of apps. I much prefer metro. can actually see stuff without going into anything. Works fantastically well for a home pc. Just a shame not everything is metro compatible. But hopefully by launch lots of stuff will be.
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Oh, so we will all have to buy upgrade versions of our current software to get compatibility? I seem to think we have done this before when XP came out - and at some high price for some software.

I just hope Microsoft will make out present software work with Metro or there really won't be so many sales.
 
Anyone have any idea if this is going to overwrite my Windows 7 install?

Win8Cons.JPG
 
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