Windows 8 release preview has been launched today

ChileanLlama said:
What build are you running? Aero is still in the Release Preview, but is slated to be dropped from the final release.

Also I think I read somewhere that MS are making changes to prevent the "fixes" to allow start button/menus - but I guess that will just be a temporary inconvenience until another way is found :)
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The one that came out yesterday.

Aero isn't here properly, The taskbar is Aero & the top is Aero. But everything else is flat & not Aero such as the page in computer. The colours look flat & extremely tacky to me. the loading icon next to the cursor is another which looks flat & tacky.

Well if that option gets taken away completely Windows 8 isn't an option for me, Can't be doing with things hidden around the screen randomly.
 
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Totality said:
MS have possibly made the biggest mistake of their OS career so far which could cost them dearly in the fight against Apple now that Apple OS and Macs in general are becoming more popular. Once Windows 8 becomes the only version of Windows that is available on new PCs/Laptops this could drive users away to Mac as the Mac will give them a more familiar desktop. I am a die-hard Windows user, have used Linux and tried Mac OSX a few times but Windows 8 is putting me right off staying with MS if this is the route they are taking :(
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From a personal opinion, I couldn't agree LESS.

From what I saw of the consumer preview, I'm switching back to Windows from Mac....haven't tried this release preview yet.
 
Cheetah Designs said:
From a personal opinion, I couldn't agree LESS.

From what I saw of the consumer preview, I'm switching back to Windows from Mac....haven't tried this release preview yet.
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May I ask why?

I really wanted to like windows 8, I like when companies are bold and try something adventurous, but I just don't get it. For a desktop without a touch interface, it just feels wrong in my opinion. The only thing I preferred to windows 7 was the performance.

However, I really want to be convinced otherwise. I'm not a microsoft hater and I really want to 'get' why metro is better. At the moment though, I just don't see it.
 
I'm also in the camp that just don't 'get' Metro for non-touchscreen desktops.

If they don't allow a 'classic' option, or at least fair customisation, then I'll probably be skipping this for the next version (Windows 9 or whatever). ...And if it's the same then too, well, then I'll only use it for gaming and dual-boot linux for everything else. I say that because DirectX 11(.1) (W8) I'm guessing won't offer relatively much and thus be easier to ignore, but by the time of DirectX 12 (W9) I'll definitely need to upgrade.
 
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|Thomas| said:
May I ask why?

I really wanted to like windows 8, I like when companies are bold and try something adventurous, but I just don't get it. For a desktop without a touch interface, it just feels wrong in my opinion. The only thing I preferred to windows 7 was the performance.

However, I really want to be convinced otherwise. I'm not a microsoft hater and I really want to 'get' why metro is better. At the moment though, I just don't see it.
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The reason I went to OSX was the interface and because of the interface I found things quicker and easier.

What I didn't like was the fact that I had to pay for some apps that were free on Windows and I couldn't do that odd bit of gaming when I wanted to.

With what I saw of windows 8, I really liked the interface, it was new, fresh and modern (IMHO). It booted fast and the UI didn't feel sluggish. I like the idea of Metro and having my commonly used apps in one place. I liked the fact that you now have the option to hide the ribbon as I would rarely use anything from the menus and it addded clutter.

Thing I like most, which is actually in Windows 7 and possible to do in OSX and is in Ubunutu is the fact I can press the start key and start typing to find something, then press enter to open it......out of all the operating systems, Windows 8 has done this the best.

There are also other factors like better Silverlight integration (I use Netflix and will be using SkyGo) and better media center software (IMHO).

I also develop for Windows on the side, so not having to load up Parallels/boot camp is also a plus and there are also some other insignificant things like not having to have Caffeine for OSX.

I HIGHLY DOUBT I would ever use the browser in Metro.

I've bought a new IvyBridge 3770k setup for Windows 8, whereas my main machine was my Macbook Air.

EDIT: Just bought myself a Windows phone to see if I can use that instead of my 4s. After getting the 4s I realised the only things I actually do on my phone are emails, instant messaging, browsing and spotify....all of which are available for WP.
 
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Cheetah, you seem like a power user so may have found the transition easier. How do you reckon a non-techie user is going to find the transition when they boot up a new laptop and are presented with Windows 8 instead of what they are used to? MS make no attempt at introducing or making things logical! Maybe this will change in the RTM, but techies are happy to tinker and play around but general users hate PCs and just want to get down to working! Even changing something as simple as a start menu shortcut is enough to make users at our workplace whinge. When they see Metro the confusion and frustration is going to push a lot of people away and make them anti-windows making the Mac crowd smug!
 
Totality said:
Cheetah, you seem like a power user so may have found the transition easier. How do you reckon a non-techie user is going to find the transition when they boot up a new laptop and are presented with Windows 8 instead of what they are used to? MS make no attempt at introducing or making things logical! Maybe this will change in the RTM, but techies are happy to tinker and play around but general users hate PCs and just want to get down to working! Even changing something as simple as a start menu shortcut is enough to make users at our workplace whinge. When they see Metro the confusion and frustration is going to push a lot of people away and make them anti-windows making the Mac crowd smug!
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(I have) Absolutely no idea. Give a non-techie person a Mac and I think they would struggle just as much....but that said, people who are non-techie still go out and buy a Mac and after a while they will get used to it....I think it will be the same for Windows 8 (personally)
 
Going to whack this on my netbook as I was using the consumer preview perfectly fine on it.
Does anyone know if Xonar Control Panel works on this?
 
ic1male said:
So are folks using this as their day-to-day OS now? I'm wondering whether to do an upgrade from Win7.
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I've used it as day to day on my Brothers PC.
Used it as day to day on my netbook.
Went to use it day to day with my PC but the lack of Xonar CP made me uninstall.
 
Cheetah Designs said:
With what I saw of windows 8, I really liked the interface, it was new, fresh and modern (IMHO). It booted fast and the UI didn't feel sluggish. I like the idea of Metro and having my commonly used apps in one place. I liked the fact that you now have the option to hide the ribbon as I would rarely use anything from the menus and it addded clutter.
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I can see what you're saying from the rest of the post, however I just don't agree with this paragraph. I find the interface really counter intuitive for a non-touch screen device.

For example, once the computer boots you are presented with a picture which you have to drag upwards to be presented with a login screen. What on earth is the point of this for a normal computer? For a touch screen device it makes sense, preventing accidental spamming of the login screen or whatever. For a normal computer though it is utterly pointless. I appreciate this can possibly be disabled, but I can't see a 'normal' user sifting through settings to disable it.

Another thing I found difficult was just shutting down the computer, it took me a small age to find it! I decided to try to see if I was just being an idiot and asked a bunch of my friends, all computer literate students, to shut down the computer. Needless to say they found it equally difficult.

Furthermore, this split between metro and normal apps really doesn't seem to have come together well at all.

I've used all sorts of weird and wonderful linux/BSD UIs, working in ways which are completely different to the 'windows way'. However, for me windows 8 really isn't intuitive at all. Maybe they think that the traditional desktop market is dying, but I honestly can't see that happening for a very long time.

As I said though, I really want to eat my words.
 
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Totality said:
Cheetah, you seem like a power user so may have found the transition easier. How do you reckon a non-techie user is going to find the transition when they boot up a new laptop and are presented with Windows 8 instead of what they are used to? !
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A) due to mibile phones, the metro should be pretty self explanatory.
B) itll come with a tutorial or somesort of help. Just like it did when start button was first introduced.

I cant wait to get my parents on it, its even more tied down and standardised. After a bit of help, i'm pretty sure I will have far less hassle.

Personal;y i like it, it ties all the OS together, once you get use to it, it is very slick. it just requires changing your mind, that metro on desktop becomes an interactive start menu. Full screen and provides real time information.

Unlike someone in here, if w8 didn't come, MS would have lost massive market share. Mobile computing is the future for a large portion of the market. i would go as far to say a slight majority of the market. although desktops will stay, there dominance is over. As corporations gear up and use tablets and phones far more and do more with them, it makes perfect sense to bring desktops in line. Lets also not forget MS has one if not the best Corporation support and combustibility.
 
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