Windows 8 Consumer Preview Discussion

By Roger H.
in The Fast Ring (Insider Previews)

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Grand Master

firey

Posted
Posted

That's what tiles are for. Press the win key once to check the weather or see if you have mail, then press it again to go back to what you were doing.

but I can continue what I am doing on Windows 7, and not have to switch screens at all, I can have windowed apps, and gadgets on my second screen, look over boom, look back, boom. or even have it on the same screen with windowed apps and not have to even leave the program I am working on.

Veteran

devBrian

Posted
Posted

Didnt the preview Windows 8 drivers work? Worked fine on the DP on my Acer W500.

Not with Catalyst Control Center, which makes the drivers 100% useless for me.

Edit: Here's a new driver from ATI:

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=359369

Grand Master

firey

Posted
Posted

So you're limited to using full screen apps in Metro, with only one partially suck to the side?

And unless you want to use mouse gestures to get to the next one, you are also limited to whatever app you pin to the side.

Rising Star

Dannydeman

Posted
Posted

Major negative points:

1: With multiple monitors, it's crazy to use this stuff. I just want to pin a HTML5 app on the 2nd monitor, but it won't let me. Unless I set it as my main-taskbar, which will make everything crazy to work with :)

2: On a desktop PC with huge monitors, Metro is useless. It really is. I want to like it, but it doesn't offer me anything useful. The fullscreen apps are frustating to use on this big setup, the options what to do with the apps are very limited.

3: It might be cool to show the startscreen on the second monitor, and pin an app next to it. Then it can give you information and stuff like that, which isn't as useless as it is now. However, this is impossible in Windows 8 so far.

4: When I press escape, the HTMl5 apps will not close. You need to do all kinds of stuff with your mouse, which basicly sucks.

5: The UI is very inconsistent. When you press the WIFI icon in the right corner for example, a huge ugly bar comes up with the options to select on top of it :) Who makes this stuff? Damn..

6: It doesn't make any sense to remove the old start-menu. Desktop people will work on the desktop for like 100% of the time. The Startscreen on a desktop, as it is implented right now, is the most stupid thing Microsoft released in their entire existence. It's horrible to use on a bug monitor with your mouse and keyboard. The app-pining is confusing and just much slower to use then a normal startmenu.

Positive points:

1: Windows 8 uses much less resources

2: The boot-up time is excellent

3: Explorer is much nicer

4: Dualscreen support is better then it was in Windows 7

Conclusion:

What the hell Microsoft? For tablets, Windows 8 is a great experience, I'm sure of that. But to force this Metro startscreen with all the horrors to normal desktop-users like me, will be the biggest mistake the company ever made. I can't see that someone will actually use this Metro app-stuff on a big screen-desktop PC. 9/10 times we don't actually want a fullscreen app, it's stupid on a big monitor! The mail client for example is nice for a tablet, but come on. On a desktop, it's crap to use. It doesn't make any sense! And with a second monitor, you can't use any of these apps, which makes it even worse, because the only possible reason to use them will involve a second monitor.

Grand Master

Max Norris

Posted
Posted
So which brings me back to my original point: You can't really disable Metro. It just isn't a viable option.

Sure it is, if somebody doesn't want those new features to begin with. Either they're going to embrace change and use Metro, or they don't want it and they'll disable it reverting it to essentially an updated Windows 7 desktop, losing the additional new functionality it brings. Or just replace the start menu completely.. hardly a new concept in Windows, it's been done for years.

You either want it or you don't.. viability is up to the person who's using the thing.

Mentor

Colin McGregor

Posted
Posted

ok so zune has been changed to Music and Video right? So how come when I sign in to Music it wont work in my region?

nm figured it out

The apps affected by this issue include Xbox Companion, Xbox LIVE Games, Music, and Video. Note that the Windows 8 Consumer Preview Apps are only available in the following locations:

  • United states
  • Japan
  • Germany
  • France

Grand Master

PGHammer

Posted
Posted

Too many posts to see if it is already mentioned, Right click the start button for context menu of all tech settings that the DP made impossible to get to without a fight such as Device Manager etc

The standard Control Panel (which was in the DP) remains in the CP as well (enter control in the Run box). However, this trick you pointed out is even slicker - you can even start a command-line session from it (in other words, faster than even Windows 7's Start menu).

Unless you are just plain unwilling to deal with the lack of Windows 7's Start menu, there's absolutely zero reason to stay with Windows 7 at this point.

Grand Master

firey

Posted
Posted

The standard Control Panel (which was in the DP) remains in the CP as well (enter control in the Run box). However, this trick you pointed out is even slicker - you can even start a command-line session from it (in other words, faster than even Windows 7's Start menu).

Unless you are just plain unwilling to deal with the lack of Windows 7's Start menu, there's absolutely zero reason to stay with Windows 7 at this point.

There is absolutely zero reason to go to windows 8, for me productivity drops to a crawl, can't quickly multi-task, am in the broken beaten desktop half the time anyways. May as well stay with Windows 7

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