Windows 8 news coverage here

[LightShadow]

http://www.bing.com/?win8start=1

The beta is now officially known as the Consumer Preview.

[BetaAddict]

http://www.bing.com/?win8start=1

The beta is now officially known as the Consumer Preview.

Awesome. Weren't they planning to make the daily image on bing an HTML5 video. Wonder what's taking them so long.

[FaiKee]

LOL, MDL breaks any brain trying to read thru the posts, even for canouna, over half of his posts are just blah-blah's

OK, back on topic, seems the "start thumbnail" is just like the win7 taskbar thumbnails, it shows the appearance of the current start page, when click on it, you get the start page

And language selection is available(I guess it's just wave0)

[dafin0]

(when using mouse)

new voices http://forums.mydigitallife.in...ntid=13585&d=1328355607

new backgrounds

sources from MDL and winunleak

[FaiKee]

Awesome. Weren't they planning to make the daily image on bing an HTML5 video. Wonder what's taking them so long.

:laugh:

[Chris123NT]

:laugh:

Now they're just teasing lol.

[PGHammer]

Awesome. Weren't they planning to make the daily image on bing an HTML5 video. Wonder what's taking them so long.

Actually, it *is* an HTML5-based video (though it opens just fine with FF10 final).

I originally opened the page in da Fox - just to see how it would handle it.

[FaiKee]

:laugh:

[BetaAddict]

Actually, it *is* an HTML5-based video (though it opens just fine with FF10 final).

I originally opened the page in da Fox - just to see how it would handle it.

Yes, I'm aware of that and the link works fine with Firefox. But I was more curious about why they haven't made it a day to day thing for the homepage.

http://www.microsoft.../09-23Bing.mspx

I have been temporarily in the UK for a few months, so maybe they have already turned the feature on in the US as the article suggests, because the homepage is still a daily static image over here.

[Zain Adeel]

they do the video once a week i think.

or if they have a cool vid that is.

because many days its just a pictures... but once or twice a week they do a video.

[FaiKee]

The OEM guy who posted the 8220 x64 desktop has just posted more pics, (total 19 and seems to be counting). I don't have time atm to upload them, maybe you guys would be interested to visit PCBeta and look:

http://bbs.pcbeta.com/forum.php?mod=...8&pid=27058372

[FaiKee]

Windows Server 8 Beta (Chinese edition)

http://www.pcbeta.com/viewnews-34250.html

[FaiKee]

The PCBeta OEM guy has sent me the 8220 themepack and has uploaded, but I don't know if it would violate Neowin rules to post it, can a mod confirm? tks.

[bogas04]

REVIEW OF THE BUILD 8220

http://winunleaked.t...ate-build-8220/

[Guest fornaks86]

REVIEW OF THE BUILD 8220

http://winunleaked.t...ate-build-8220/

Start page

[FaiKee]

Seems nobody had noticed the Metro-Style Beta Fish canouna posted, I heard that this would be the default wallpaper in the beta(WCP) - notice how the bubbles forms the "8" :D

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

First Windows 8 'Consumer Preview' preinstalled apps revealed

Microsoft's Windows 8 "Consumer Preview" is nearing release and the company is putting the finishing touches on the preinstalled application list. We have learned from sources familiar with Microsoft's plans that the company will bundle in a number of Metro style applications:

• Camera
  
• Messaging
  
• Mail
  
• Calendar
  
• SkyDrive
  
• People
  
• Photos
  
• Video
  
• Music
  

These applications, and possibly more, will come preinstalled for the Consumer Preview release, and will be updatable from the Windows Store. Mail, Calendar, People, and Messaging are designed to be core Windows communications apps and are not branded with Windows Live. One source has revealed that Microsoft is working to enable SMS support for the Messaging app which operates as a Windows Live Messenger equivalent in its current form. The Music and Video applications are currently branded with Zune, but are built by the Xbox team. We are hearing that this branding will be removed shortly before the Windows 8 release, moving to Xbox Live for Windows as the entertainment brand for Windows 8 Music, Video and Games.

Although the applications are built into the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Microsoft has not yet made a final decision on whether the apps will be bundled at launch later this year. The company previously removed Outlook Express, its built-in mail client, from Windows 7 and replaced it with the downloadable Windows Live Mail application in a broader effort to separate core Windows apps to make updates easier. Windows Store can handle separate Metro style app updates from the operating system, and Microsoft is said to be considering bundle plans for OEMs along the lines of the current preinstall option for Windows Live Essentials. Microsoft has also built an Xbox Live Companion application, similar to the Windows Phone version, that may come preinstalled in the Consumer Preview version too.

Source: The Verge

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Media Center excluded from Windows 8 'Consumer Preview'

Windows Media Center fans will be disappointed to hear that Microsoft has opted to axe Media Center in the "Consumer Preview" version of Windows 8. The software maker originally removed the application from its Windows 8 Developer Preview, released at BUILD in September last year, and explained "Media Center will not be part of the first pre-release builds," at the time. However, Media Center fans expected to hear more during the beta (Consumer Preview) phase.

We are hearing that Media Center will still be included in Windows 8, but that it will remain relatively untouched from the Windows 7 version. Unlike Windows 7, it will be separated into an edition (or editions) aimed at enthusiasts. Microsoft's TV strategy has shifted towards Xbox so the existing Media Center product will be removed from most editions of Windows 8. The separation means Microsoft can eliminate licensing fees that the company and OEMs have to pay for certain technologies used in Media Center, pushing the core cost of Windows down. Microsoft's Windows chief, Steven Sinofsky, hinted at this strategy in a September 2011 blog post, explaining that Media Center is part of "premium" SKUs for Windows.

Source: The Verge

[Guest xiphi]

That most likely means no dvd playback either. :/

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

And now MS responds to the above news item:

Source: https://twitter.com/#!/buildwindows8/status/167276289286352896

[PGHammer]

And now MS responds to the above news item:

Source: https://twitter.com/...276289286352896

Which references one of their own blogs - specifically the Building Windows 8 blog.

Windows 8 CP Release will apparently be simultaneously with the midpoint of the Mobile World Congress (which is February 27-March 1 at the Hotel Miramar in Barcelona, Spain - is this where Ethan Hunt would stay on a mission in Barcelona?) - a Microsoft Press event dedicated specificaly to the Windows 8 CP will be February 29th from 1500-1700 at the same location.

[George P Global Moderator]

The blog said that WMC IS going to be in Win8 just not in the first CP we're going to get later this month. This means, at least the way I look at it, as them working on a new verion thats probably going to get a WinRT part or re-code to fully support Win8. I think it's good news at this point.

[Dolan]

New build list:

winmain

8195.0.120131-1637

8275.0.120202-1550

8276.0.120206-1425

8277.0.120207-1851

winmain_win8beta

8222.0.120131-1912

8223.0.120201-1910

8224.0.120202-1924

8225.0.120203-1918

8226.0.120206-1902

8227.0.120207-1903

winmain_win8beta_srv

8220.0.120130-2335

8221.0.120131-1900

8223.0.120201-2019

8224.0.120202-2046

8225.0.120205-1937

8226.0.120207-2235

http://soft-forum.ws/threads/microsoft-windows-8-beta-sign-off.31582/page-10#post-219711

[Zain Adeel]

anybody know if there is something like the feedback tool in the consumer preview?

There are two things. Either MS are really happy with the OS as it is right now and the consumer preview is to get to know how metro works. Or. I think this is a consumer PREVIEW. and things might change (on the desktop side of the OS). There is alot of time to RC and i hope the RC is presented as a real beta test.

[pack34]

anybody know if there is something like the feedback tool in the consumer preview?

There are two things. Either MS are really happy with the OS as it is right now and the consumer preview is to get to know how metro works. Or. I think this is a consumer PREVIEW. and things might change (on the desktop side of the OS). There is alot of time to RC and i hope the RC is presented as a real beta test.

On the Windows Weekly podcast they had said that the vast majority of beta feedback in win7 and vista were of issues they were already aware of and were in the process of fixing. So, it's speculated that this is the reason they aren't calling it a beta and aren't really accepting feedback.