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1. I want the desktop to be more metrofied

2. Folders for Metro Apps

3. Run metro apps in a window on the desktop

1. Not possible for Windows 8. The desktop will remain similar to Windows 7 to help keep training costs down.

2. These aren't really needed. The Start Screen's capability to group tiles should suffice.

3. Maybe have a WinRT "desktop", where WinRT apps can interact with each other. But Metro apps shouldn't be on the 9x desktop.

I'd like it if the metro apps could talk to the desktop ones. To maintain security they could try to use SkyDrive so an app could write to an AppData folder on SkyDrive that is shared by the desktop application.

Also, better favorite management. As it stands you have to pin your favorites to the home screen. It would be nice if they had an about:favorites page that would show a hierarchal list.

Greetings! I believe every aspect of Windows 8 is absolutely stunning! However, it does require minute bug fixes and enhancements to improve the overall OS. The enhancements have been listed on this site numerous times and would be redundant to state them again.

On another note, this is a great site! I've been getting all my Windows 8 news here for the past 5 months and decided to join just the other day. Here goes my first post!

--Terra

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I would like all of the system icons (including those in Windows Explorer) to be white, just like the icons on the tiles in the Metro experience. I doubt we'll see this, though. Further, I still don't think I like the mismatch of colours on the Start Screen (the different tiles), so perhaps some refinements regarding that would be good, if possible. Unless it's just a case of me needing to get used to how all of the different tiles look together :p

Greetings! I believe every aspect of Windows 8 is absolutely stunning! However, it does require minute bug fixes and enhancements to improve the overall OS. The enhancements have been listed on this site numerous times and would be redundant to state them again.

On another note, this is a great site! I've been getting all my Windows 8 news here for the past 5 months and decided to join just the other day. Here goes my first post!

--Terra

Welcome to Neowin :) That's a great first post, if I do say so myself :p

My main gripe is the close gesture for Metro apps, it's not exactly...smooth...to execute with a mouse, but I supposed I can get used to it. It is downright horrid on a touchpad (on my eeePC) With this touchpad driver bizzo it would be cool if you could do CTRL+touchscreen gesture on the touchpad.

I'm liking that they have finally changed the mouse cursors in the RP. Even warming to a few Metro Apps (Wikipedia/Sports). The Release Preview both feels and looks fantastic. I'm still hoping for a higher quality to included Metro apps, and 3rd party apps, come RTM.

EDIT: What about a Metro Windows Explorer Equivalent? (haven't seen any file management in WinRT demos... surely they will sort that out?)

I would like all of the system icons (including those in Windows Explorer) to be white, just like the icons on the tiles in the Metro experience. I doubt we'll see this, though. Further, I still don't think I like the mismatch of colours on the Start Screen (the different tiles), so perhaps some refinements regarding that would be good, if possible. Unless it's just a case of me needing to get used to how all of the different tiles look together :p

Welcome to Neowin :) That's a great first post, if I do say so myself :p

Thank you for the warm welcome Calum! I also strongly agree with you regarding the icons. No worries, though Microsoft promised new refined icons din't they?

EDIT: What about a Metro Windows Explorer Equivalent? (haven't seen any file management in WinRT demos... surely they will sort that out?)

Yes! Why isn't there a Metro file manager? Quite odd to tell you the truth.

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For Microsoft to realise that Metro isn't the be all and end all thus as a result actually lay out a long term road map that addresses the traditional desktop that'll hopefully including the ability to develop traditional applications using WinRT/XAML to replace win32 in the long run. The problem I have with Windows 8 isn't anything necessarily what exists today but what their roadmap is going forward - if we know what the road map is then you can step back and realise that this release is but one in a many steps towards some sort of end goal thus the jarring effect of win32/Metro can be overlooked in favour of the long term vision.

Yes! Why isn't there a Metro file manager? Quite odd to tell you the truth.

In the Metro world you don't manage the files, the operating system does hence the reason why there is no file management tools that are available.

In the Metro world you don't manage the files, the operating system does hence the reason why there is no file management tools that are available.

I think I can finally see why folders are on the way out - they're a departure from the reality that all of our files are just ones and zeroes, contiguously or otherwise spread out on spinning platters (SSD-folk excluded, of course). The hierarchical organization made sense back when search and indexing was primitive and underdeveloped, like back when the Web was AOL, Yahoo, and Altavista. I still remember Yahoo Groups, or something like that, where sites were organized hierarchically, and you'd browse to a site like Neowin by clicking on some sequence of links like "Communities > Forums > Technology."

Then actual searching came along, and at least search engines haven't been the same since, but the Desktop has kinda lagged behind. It is a little surprising if you think about it - a lot of people have completely different workflows for finding "bieber remix.mp3" online as opposed to finding "technical documentation 14662.docx" on their own computer - especially people from the days of XP, when hierarchical organization was still more or less the only way to go about anything locally. Now, file content can be indexed, and isn't that really what is important? It isn't the name or the place that we saved something that is actually relevant when we're looking for it. We want the content, and search - if powerful enough - eliminates the need for this fantastical overhead of where some file exists on our spinning platters.

Oh, as far as Windows 8 goes, I'd like for them to tone down the auto-Aero colorization, or make cool colors the dominant determinant of the window frame color. I'd like for them to continue working on performance. I think this issue is especially noticable since 8 is shipping with some apps, while Windows 7 shipped with almost nothing but the barebones OS. They should continue to work to improve the Music, Mail (IMAP!), Videos, and Photos apps.

I still think that they should include a quick and easy editing pane that allows users to set their own Start Screen background - simply apply a blur and desaturate in the appropriate areas - should be enough to fix most images. Of course, they need to include a feature that slaps the user should they still manage to create something ugly.

I would the desktop as start up and option to turn off metro and go to classic and of course the start menu to the left side, not the right side. Who ever come up with these concepts were probably on some type of drugs. With all these changes are not brought with innovation, the only innovation I keep hearing about is the performance under the hood. Just cause you have people saying its okay you will adapt to turning off your computer in 4 steps versus the 2 steps on Windows 7. Come on you are kidding with that darn Windows 8 tutorial? Its confusing enough.

1. I would have loved the boot animation dots ported to cursors. Probably someone from deviantart can come up with that.

2. Ability to choose a custom tile for those horrid non-metro apps

3. Bigger size text in desktop mode to match the size used in metro mode. (Not that pathetic DPI scaling nonsense)

4. New default font with better cleartype.

5. The black charms bar should not overlap taskbar.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
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    • Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 Ergonomic Office Chair review: The Ikea of chairs by Steven Parker I've reviewed a few gaming chairs over the past three years or so and generally found them to score well in our reviews. SIHOO reached out asking if I was interested in taking a look at their flagship chair, the Doro C300 Pro V2. I never got the chance to check out its predecessor, but the V2 is described as an "Adaptive Ergonomic Chair." It became available to buy in April of this year. Let's get things rolling with a closer look at the specifications and features. Specifications Doro C300 Pro V2 Model Ergonomic Materials Mesh Back and Seat; Soft PU Coated Armrests Height adjustability 45.5 - 53 cm / 17.5" - 20.9" Seat (w+d) 52 x 43 - 47 cm / 20.5" x 16.9" - 18.5" (adjustable) Backrest 52 – 60 cm / 20.5" - 23.6" (adjustable) Lumbar support Mesh built-in (adjustable) Armrest adjustability 8D Bionic Armrests Rocking angle 105°, 120°, 135° (fixed) Neck support Mesh built-in (adjustable) Net weight 27.3 kg / 59.64 lbs Weight support 150 kg / 330 lbs Colors Black, White Warranty 5 years (upon registering) Price $499.99, $539.99 Introduction At first glance, it looks like a chair that in another life wants to be a Herman Miller; It certainly looks like my Aeron Remastered, but the Doro C300 Pro V2 has quite a few more features and costs quite a bit less. SIHOO says that it is made up of a "DynaCore" system that tracks your movement and synchronizes the headrest, backrest, lumbar support, and armrests as you shift, twist, or recline. They also say that the "SyncroFlex Backrest" molds to your spine, which kind of describes how the mesh fabric works in most ergonomic chairs, but anyway. Below are the meat and potatoes measurements for the chair. Here is the same tech sheet, but in inches. Durability I would be remiss to not talk about the various durability testing this chair underwent before coming to market, as this is claimed on the product page. First of all, the chair is BIFMA-, SGS-, and TÜV-certified. As for durability, the tests undergone were: 100,000 Castor cycles tested 120,000 Armrest cycles tested 120,000 Recline cycles tested 120,000 Gas lift cycles tested 60,000 Armrest durability cycles tested 120,000 Rotation cycles tested Nothing about weights testing, though. Now that's all disclosed, now onto my own personal findings. Assembly The Doro C300 Pro V2 came in two large boxes (1) (2), and everything was packed very well, protecting the different parts of the chair. In the box, there is a folded sheet that explains the 12 steps to assemble it; they are: Remove the bottom cover on the aluminum base; Insert the five legs into the aluminum base and use ten screws to fasten them; Insert the castors into the legs; Replace the bottom cover on the bottom of the aluminum base; Place the Class 4 Hydraulics gas cylinder into the aluminum base; Screw the bottom part of the arm rests, taking care of the orientation using two screws on each side; Use three torx screws to fasten the footrest to the bottom of the seat; Fasten the backrest to the seat using four torx bolts; Fasten the armrests to the backrest using four Torx bolts (two on each side), taking care to note the orientation; Place the chair onto the Class 4 Hydraulics gas cylinder; Insert the headrest into the top of the backrest; Use two torx screws to fasten the headrest to the backrest. There's also an online guide you can refer to. Carefully unpacking the two boxes took around 15 minutes because almost everything is wrapped in plastic and protective foam; the chair assembly itself took around an hour. I say in the above assembly steps to take note of the orientation, because it's not obvious which way around the bottom portion of the armrests go, and although there is an L and R on the bottom of the armrests, it also wasn't clear from the instructions which was actually left or right, facing the chair, or in the seated down orientation? Anyway, I ended up putting the bottom portions on the wrong sides, and after securing one of the armrests, I discovered that although it was on the correct side, the armrest base could rotate a full 360°, but not when bolted to the chair, so I had to remove it, rotate it, and then bolt it back on. Truly an Ikea experience! Also, to complicate things further, although all the parts are labeled from A to X (yes, that's 24 parts) unhelpfully, these letters do not appear on the parts themselves or the package with the bolts, screws, and washers. There's also a pair of protective gloves in the box, but I think they were made for much smaller hands than I have. Even my friend, who is 5.1, had difficulty putting them on. Once assembled, I needed to sit down. Anyway, as I said, it looks quite similar to my Herman Miller. And here is the back of it. If you look at the product page and on Amazon, it seems like a lot of thought has gone into the chair itself and what it's capable of, but there is no mention at all about the castors, and this is an area where I think the chair trips up quite quickly. I found it difficult to move the chair in any direction. I asked a friend who came to visit me earlier this week to test my findings, and she said that the wheels were "no good," so it definitely isn't just me. I am 6'2 myself and a big guy, I work from home and gained a few pounds from mostly staying in and the hell away from other people. However, the Doro C300 Pro V2 is rated for up to 150kg (330lbs), which in my case is used well within its max rating. Ergonomics The number of adjustments you can make, right up to setting it in nap mode — which I haven't fully tested yet — is what you'd expect from a premium chair. Yes, you can go up and down (max 7.5 cm adjustment), rock back and forth (with tilt adjustment), and lock the chair between three stages of 105°, 120°, 135°, which is not quite as flat as the AndaSeat I tested at 160°. Some thought has also gone into the "8D" armrests, too, which are cushioned but quite firm; you'll only know it if you press hard into the PU-covered tops, which give about half a centimeter, but it's enough to ensure your skin won't get awkwardly stuck to it in warmer (or sweatier) conditions. It almost feels like plastic and is very easy to keep clean. However, the armrest positions move far too easily, and I am not sure what that "elbow" function is. Maybe it is good for a short person with short arms, anyway, I never used it and kept it flat at all times. There are eight levels of adjustment for the armrests, they are: backwards, forwards, swing left/right, height up and down, tilt, and 360° rotation, which can be handy for desk clearance. As I said, the armrest pads shift far too easily, which could give off an ergonomic vibe, but who wants the armrest sliding when you are shifting weight? The height adjustability does lock into place when lifting and adjusting. Comfort This is ultimately what it boils down to at the end of the day, right? Quite a lot of reviews praise the comfort of this chair, and I don't disagree that the mesh seating is quite comfortable. I am used to the material from my daily Herman Miller. However, the backrest cannot be locked into place, and this is actually a feature; as you shift or recline yourself on the chair, the backrest moves with your body. It took some getting used to. The lumbar gives ample support, but I would have preferred an adjustable one built into the seat base, as this causes the backrest to move up and down at will. Again, as with my previous chair review, this chair is also rated for tall people, but nowhere in the product documentation does it say how tall. Being 6'2 myself, I'm happy to say that the backrest is tall and wide enough, and thought has been given to being able to adjust the neck rest, but as others have mentioned in their reviews, people as tall as 6.2ft is about the limit for the neckrest. Conclusion What I didn't like The footrest is rated for 15kg (33 lbs), which to me seems a bit light, and after looking online, it seems like a chair footrest for adults must be at least twice that rating. In all honesty, they are just hollow metal tubes, so it is not recommended to let a kid sit on them. I also feel like it doesn't really go out far enough for my height, so that kind of puts the dampener on me being able to use it regularly. I'll just have to continue to use my subwoofer as a footrest! I do not like the armrests being able to shift around as easily as they can, and they are a little too forward-positioned in the chair to comfortably sit close to my desk, because even in the lowest height position, they don't allow me to go under the desk like is possible with my Herman Miller. I also feel like this chair could have been delivered partially constructed, especially the armrests on the seat, and why the aluminum base wasn't already pre-constructed (without the castors) is baffling, considering it would have fit in one of the two boxes that way. The instructions also need to be clearer. On the pamphlet, there's an A to X listing (which is also used in the steps), but none of the physical parts use this lettering system! What I did like I'll be honest, I haven't used it for very long, just one week, and seating comfort is subjective after all! Any spills wiped straight off it, the stitching, and the lines look great, not a fray to be seen or stitch out of place. It looks kind of cool, too. My favorite feature of these seats is the nap mode. While you're not lying completely flat, it leans far back enough to make you easily doze off after a heavy gaming or working session. Overall, this chair offers plenty of comfort features. The MSRP does vary quite a bit depending on the region, at £549.99 in the UK, and €580 in Europe, and $599 before tax in the U.S. However, shipping is free, which is a bonus for such a heavy item. Is it worth it, though? At three years' warranty, I think it's a decent deal. Another firm out of Germany sent me a free replacement hydraulic gas spring for a chair that failed after almost four years, so it was well outside its two-year warranty. My advice is to always try, as you might have the same luck I did. If I could fault it at all, it would be the constant shifting of the armrests and backrest. Where to buy Although the footrest variant normally costs $539.99, it has been discounted to $469.99 on the official website in Black or White. In fact, the non-footrest variant is only $40 cheaper. On Amazon, it currently costs more at $499.99 links below. Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 for $469.99 (official website) Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 for $499.99 at Amazon US SIHOO provided a free sample without any review or pre-approval. Good to know This Amazon link is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Making US citizens pay is a prominent tool? Joke of the week…
    • Price Drop: Save 86% on Microsoft Office 2021 Professional Plus lifetime digital license by Steven Parker Today's highlighted deal comes via our Apps + Software section of the Neowin Deals store, where you can save 86% on a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 for Windows. This bundle is for families and small businesses who want classic Office apps and email. It includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and OneNote. A one-time purchase installed on 1 Windows PC for use at home or work. Lifetime license for MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, & OneNote One-time purchase installed on 1 Windows PC for use at home or work Instant Delivery & Download – access your software license keys and download links instantly Free customer service – only the best support! Microsoft Office Professional 2021 (for Windows) includes: Microsoft Office Word Microsoft Office Excel Microsoft Office PowerPoint Microsoft Office Outlook Microsoft Office Teams Microsoft Office OneNote Microsoft Office Publisher Microsoft Office Access No faffing about with subscriptions, just classic apps that don't expire. Good to Know ONE-TIME PURCHASE INSTALLED ON 1 DEVICE Redemption deadline: redeem your code within 30 days of purchase Access options: desktop Full versions No subscriptions – no monthly/annual fees Version: 2021 Updates included* *Support for this version of Office ends on Oct 13, 2026 A lifetime subscription to Microsoft Office 2021 Professional normally costs $219.99, but this deal can be yours for just $29.97, that's a saving of $190. For full terms, specifications, and license info, click the link below. Get Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for just $29.97, or learn more Although priced in U.S. dollars, this deal is available for digital purchase worldwide. Support queries If you have queries or need support for any of the Neowin Deals, please use the contact form here. Neowin Deals are managed and sold by StackCommerce who represent Neowin on an affiliate basis. Why we post these deals We post these because we earn commission on each sale so as not to rely solely on advertising, which many of our readers block. It all helps toward paying staff reporters, servers and hosting costs. So for those that keep moaning and complaining, be thankful we're still online for you to even do that. Other ways to support Neowin Whitelist Neowin by not blocking our ads Create a free member account to see fewer ads Make a donation to support our day to day running costs Subscribe to Neowin - for $14 a year, or $28 a year for an ad-free experience Disclosure: Neowin benefits from revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site powered by StackCommerce.
    • The only reason I want to know where you from is because if you are not from the U.K, then why should you care what we in the U.K do or don't do? Racist I am not, I am fed up with the amount coming over here and feel they can come over here and think we need to support them. Do you know how much it costs this country to support these people coming over here? Even when we give them a place to live it is not good enough. We had a barge that was being used to house immigrants, oh but that was not good enough. A mate said to me at the time, when he was homeless, he would have been happy to live on the barge, instead of ending up sleeping on a bench on the beach. I am not scared to say what my family heritage is, unlike you who is scared to say where they are from or where they live. Father side U.S, mother side Wales, still have family living in the U.S. A mate who sadly died a few years ago, had a load of people from different races recording in his studio, I got on with all of them. Skin colour don't bother me, where they are from don't bother me. Religion don't bother me as long as they don't push it onto me and it is not crazy stuff. I am not religious. But if you are not living in the U.K, then why should you care if we are in the E.U or not? This the problem, too many people poking their noses into where it don't belong. But you believe what you believe, if you think I am racist, then be it, I really do not care. Just grow a pair
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