Windows 8 Consumer Preview Thread

Mr Krugga said:
I'm just pointing out, there's probably a fair share of other options you would be searching this way.



That's fair enough, as I said earlier, I'm new to Windows 8 shortcuts so it will take some getting used to.

Are there any advantages of Metro UI over the Windows 7 Start Menu (apart from the full screen view)?
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Yep fair enough, was just demonstrating another way if you wanted to avoid search and Metro altogether.

The full screen view will make a great media center front end with the right apps. I'm also loving things like the RDP app on a split desktop/metro screen. When the desktop is primary, it gives me a strip down the screen of RDP sessions which are updated. You can quickly see if anything is changing, whereas in Win7 you'd have to hover over the RDP pinned taskbar item and review each thumbnail view, or go into each session.

A week in and I'm just touching the surface, but with a few changes to workflow and learning it's no worse than Win7, and given more time I can see that it may even be better long term. The problem is the steep learning curve when things have moved, it does feel alien at first, but I'd say give it a few days of real day to day use before forming an opinion.
 
Mr Krugga said:
Any good guides on customising Metro UI?
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Heres some basic stuff...

  • Click and drag on any tile to move it (obviously).
  • To get options on the new Start screen on inside almost any Metro app, right click anywhere on the screen with the mouse.
  • Or right click on any of the tiles for options. Depending on what tile it is you'll get different options, but usually: resize, uninstall, unpin and others.
  • When on the Start screen, click on the small bottom right icon to zoom out (it's right in the corner), then you can right click on any group of tiles to name that group. Or drag to re-arrange group order.
  • When on the desktop, right click in the bottom left corner for many shortcuts (including Control Panel). It's almost like a mini Start menu.
  • You can pin literally almost anything to the Start screen, just by right clicking on something while on the desktop or making a shortcut icon for it, then pin the shortcut (right click > pin to Start).

You can also add ShutDown and Restart buttons directly to the new Start screen... (maybe people will stop moaning about this now but i doubt it)

6350391-850-956.jpg




Heres how to pin ShutDown to the Start Screen:

  1. Go to the Windows 8 desktop: Right-click > New > Shortcut.
  2. Paste the instruction: C:\windows\system32\shutdown /s /t 20
  3. Name the shortcut after yourself, e.g. YourName Shutdown, that way you will recognise it easily.
  4. Use Windows Explorer to navigate to the folder: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
  5. Paste the shortcut here.
  6. Return to the Metro UI Start screen.
  7. Now you may see your shortcut at the right of the Start screen. If not, type the first letter, then you should see a list of Apps begining with that letter. If your shutdown shortcut is there, right-click its icon and select "pinned".

Also note that other system settings can be pinned to the new Start screen, as in the above pic. The new Start is more powerful and customizable than the old Start menu.

And remember, all these settings are synced by default on Windows 8 using SkyDrive. So on any other PC you login to, or if you do a clean Windows install, all of these changes you make will be synced. You wont have to do it again!
 
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Besides IE10 missing from win 8 when they release it in europe what else do you guys think will be gone?

I think the need for email to login will be one and I think their store will be an option like android ect.
I still think it's ok for pads and touch screen but nothing else.
 
It wasn't missing at all, they made a windows E version which no one purchased.

You can make a local account on w8

Edit - actually seems windows E never saw light of day.
 
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Glaucus said:
It wasn't missing at all, they made a windows E version which no one purchased.

You can make a local account on w8
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A local account! well thats carp...forcing people to use an email will not go down well with the nice people
in the European Commission :)


Don't you mean N edtion?
"Windows 7 N editions, available for customers who live in countries that are part of the European"

I got the US version nothing missing. I will bypass win 8.
 
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deuse said:
A local account! well thats carp...forcing people to use an email will not go down well with the nice people
in the European Commission :)


Don't you mean N edtion?
"Windows 7 N editions, available for customers who live in countries that are part of the European"

I got the US version nothing missing. I will bypass win 8.
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No mention of IE at all:

What's not included in N editions of Windows 7?

The N editions of Windows 7 have all the features that normally come with each individual Windows 7 edition, except for Windows Media Player 12 and related programs, such as Windows Media Center or Windows DVD Maker. You'll need to install a media player or other software to play or create audio CDs, digital media files, and video DVDs; organize content in a media library; create playlists; convert audio CDs to digital media files; view artist and title information of digital media files; view album art of music files; transfer music to personal music players; or record and play back TV broadcasts.
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deuse said:
I think microsoft was forced to give people an option of which browser they used it may have been in a update.
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Have you never installed a uk purchased version on w7, it installs IE

All they and to do was offer two version, one of which no one purchased.

Back in 2004, the European Commission fined Microsoft a record €497m under an antitrust ruling. The Commission concluded that with a near-monopoly in the operating system market, Microsoft's bundling of Windows Media Player within Windows was anti-competitive. Microsoft was forced to unbundle the software and offer European consumers and manufacturers a version of Windows without it.

Microsoft was allowed to keep selling Windows with a media player, under the condition that it at least offer a version without. This took place in the latter part of Windows XP's life and prompted the release of Windows XP N -- a version identical to Windows XP, but without Windows Media Player.

A couple of years down the line, Windows Vista splatted down in Europe, complete with its own N editions to confuse the poor saps who missed the EC's memo.

Fast-forward to today, and a Microsoft spokesperson explained to CNET UK, "The European Commission's 2004 decision requires Microsoft to offer an N version of Windows in Europe. We continue to abide by this ruling."

And so Windows 7 N was born. They cost the same as their non-'N' brothers and sisters, and apart from Windows Media Player, offer the same spread of features.

All you have to do now is decide which of the six non-N versions are right for you.
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So they'll yet again offer an N version which about 10 people will buy.
 
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deuse said:
A local account! well thats carp...forcing people to use an email will not go down well with the nice people
in the European Commission :)
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A local account is local to your PC, no different to a Windows 7 account.

With Win 8 you now have the option to sign on with a Microsoft Account (Hotmail/Live account) online as well.

So you're not being forced to sign on with an email at all.
 
deuse said:
A local account! well thats carp...forcing people to use an email will not go down well with the nice people
in the European Commission :)

8.
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Just spotted this Gem, LoL. What do you think win7, vista, Xp and well the rest have had. Local is what you allready have on all versions of windows.
 
Glaucus said:
There isn't any ballots, that was ditched along with the N version before release.
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No, the ballot was introduced after release for Win 7, and also applied to Vista and XP.

IIRC it wasn't in the original RTM as MS were still posturing to have an edition without IE for EU at that time. So it came down through Windows Update and would place an icon on the desktop and on first boot present you with the ballot screen to choose browsers.

I don't think it's been withdrawn.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/what-is-the-browser-choice-update
 
ChileanLlama said:
.

IIRC it wasn't in the original RTM as MS were still posturing to have an edition without IE for EU at that time. So it came down through Windows Update and would place an icon on the desktop and on first boot present you with the ballot screen to choose browsers.

I don't think it's been withdrawn.

]
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I've installed win7 many times(from release and last one was a few weeks ago) and it has always installed IE, no ballot, I haven't seen it or heard anyone have it.

I certainly have never had that ballot.

Seems some have had that update in feb 2010, wonder what the criteria to get it is.
 
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Glaucus said:
I've installed win7 many times(from release and last one was a few weeks ago) and it was always installed 8e, no ballot, I haven't seen it or heard anyone have it, as far as I remember the whole idea was ditched and included in a version which no one purchased.
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No, I've definitely had it through Windows Update, though I don't recall it on the last reinstall I did a few weeks back. IE8 is always installed, all it does is unpin it if you choose a different browser.

The idea for a different version without IE was ditched by the EU - that's what MS wanted to do initially. The EU forced them to do the ballot screen.

But the KB from MS outlines it, if you've not seen it, then you've either forgotten, it thinks your in a different non-EU region, you've hidden it from WU, or just plain lucky ;)
 
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