official Windows 8 Consumer Preview Discussion

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Found and installed.

Thanks

[PGHammer]

Am I wrong or Defrag disappeared?

Replaced by Disk Optimizer (from Diskeeper Corporation - the same folks that wrote Disk Defragmenter and the commercial Diskeeper and Undelete) I pointed out in the old WDP thread that Disk Optimizer not does everything Disk Defragmenter does, it includes an option that Diskeeper Pro Premier actually lacks - multi-pass defragmentation - from the GUI - sans rebooting. I've been a Diskeeper user since I moved from 98SE to Windows 2000 Professional - this will be the first Windows OS I've never run Diskeeper on since 1999.

[NEVER85]

I don't know if anybody here uses Speccy (small system info program by Piriform, company who develops CCleaner), but when I tried running that in the Consumer Preview, the entire OS completely froze up.

[Mazhar]

If you find any problem, bugs or anything, send it to Microsoft through feedback.

[Jack@l]

Totally useless for work, or for everyday use in desktop. I have no idea who want to force people to use their 24+ inch monitors like an 4" wp7 phone. Totally brainless, and failure, it will be bigger downfall than the first vista.

[SreejithKM]

phewww...download completed of Win8 x86 iso... Now can some one tell me whether i can convert ISO to a VHD and run it using any virtual machine???

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Converting it into a DVD sounds like a plan.

Thats what I did.

[SreejithKM]

Converting it into a DVD sounds like a plan.

Thats what I did.

Sounds gud to me too, but i was thinking of not installing it until this becomes stable. I could see VHD as a gud option to test it...suggestions????

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Well, I have never tried VHD, but from what I can tell, and I've been using it for about 8 hours, its pretty stable so far.

No crashes as of yet.

I will advice to not remove your current OS, and install Consumer Preview on another partition, if you have one

[Mazhar]

Overall, Windows 8 has been good so far. Microsoft has worked hard in getting Windows 8 to work in almost all the devices out there whether touch or traditional hardware. But there is one thing...

I know that Microsoft has a point-of-view of "No compromise" regarding Windows 8 and thus users still have the traditional desktop experience along with the new Tiles Start Screen. It is good, it is fine but the problem is that these two interfaces are actually dividing Windows 8, I mean we are not getting just ONE interface, but TWO. This is the "confusion" in windows 8 that we are getting TWO experiences, one modern (Metro interface) and one old style (Desktop) and because of this, now every product is divided into two. I mean will it not be hard for a company say Mozilla, to develop Firefox browser for the TWO interfaces?

I hope I have made my point, there is still time for Microsoft to think in which direction they are going. As a Windows user I love Windows 8 and will upgrade when it comes but I am also forced to use the two interfaces even though I only want one, the Metro one (or it may be vice versa). The number of apps that I use in my daily life will also make me in trouble as now I know these apps will also available in metro version in the future, so I am kind of divided as which app environment I want to work in!

[Detection]

it will be bigger downfall than the first vista.

There were 2 ? :o

[Muhammad Farrukh]

I know that Microsoft has a point-of-view of "No compromise" regarding Windows 8 and thus users still have the traditional desktop experience along with the new Tiles Start Screen. It is good, it is fine but the problem is that these two interfaces are actually dividing Windows 8, I mean we are not getting just ONE interface, but TWO. This is the "confusion" in windows 8 that we are getting TWO experiences, one modern (Metro interface) and one old style (Desktop) and because of this, now every product is divided into two. I mean will it not be hard for a company say Mozilla, to develop Firefox browser for the TWO interfaces?

Well put.

That is one of my main concerns at the moment. Some files can only be viewed on Metro Start Screen, so if I am using Legacy desktop now, and open a file, it takes me to Metro screen, and then I have to come back, which requires a few extra clicks. Not necessarily a deal breaker but still, something that should be looked into

[neo1911]

After using it for 3-4 hrs, I can say that I felt confused and clueless while using the OS. Simple daily tasks seem unnecessarily complicated. Two interfaces for accessing apps are really not needed. Some settings I found in metro control panel are missing in desktop control panel and vice versa. There is no uniformity.

Microsoft needs to work really really hard to unite these two interfaces and make them homogenous. Big task ahead.

With that being said, I am utterly disappointed with this stop-gap of an operating system (in its current form). The worst part is I cannot think of improvements either.

[George P Global Moderator]

I suppose you could set which apps open which files (like always), right now it defaults to metro apps because that's what they want people to get used to and also devs to code etc. If you want a desktop app to open a specific format just set it to if it doesn't take over when you install it etc.

I also don't get why it's so hard to just use the desktop like you always do? I pin apps I use everyday to the taskbar and only use the start menu very very little now. This hasn't changed, and anyways, hitting the winkey and just typing the name of an app still works the same. What MS might do, with enough pressure from business users etc, is make a mini start-screen mode. Where if set when you hit the winkey it only takes up the left side of the screen (like the new metro task switcher does) and not the whole screen. I figure that'd be enough to quiet the majority of people moaning about the start screen "taking up the whole screen"

Hell, maybe toss in a auto snap for metro apps as well so when they do open they open snapped to the right or left of the desktop as well.

[Zain Adeel]

Is it just me or the Weather app doesn't support our location? :wacko:

not just u :(

also .. same with the maps aap.

[bogas04]

Nice its fluid and snappy to me

But i have few problems :

• i live in india , so i can't use audio metro app? / How to add music to this app , as in playlist or so?
  
• same for weather app? it was working in WDP
  
• how to remove hotmail from mail?
  

[TheLegendOfMart]

I am willing to at least give it a chance but I am currently watching the MWC12 W8 keynote and I'm 40 minutes in and all I've seen is metro this and metro that, how a mouse works instead of using touch and it doesn't look very intuitive, all they've done is grafted a touch experience onto a mouse control.

Windows desktops don't need fullscreen apps end of story, all they've shown might be impressive on a tablet but not a desktop PC.

[George P Global Moderator]

not just u :(

also .. same with the maps aap.

It's a good thing MS said that updates will be coming to apps AND the OS over time then. Also, about the UI, there's still things they haven't done, the way they worded it, so I expect more changes by the RC, maybe more on the desktop side now.

[George P Global Moderator]

I am willing to at least give it a chance but I am currently watching the MWC12 W8 keynote and I'm 40 minutes in and all I've seen is metro this and metro that, how a mouse works instead of using touch and it doesn't look very intuitive, all they've done is grafted a touch experience onto a mouse control.

Windows desktops don't need fullscreen apps end of story, all they've shown might be impressive on a tablet but not a desktop PC.

Because desktop apps still look and work like they always have, why show desktop apps when they're not new? Besides, who says you have to use or even install metro apps? If you don't like them then don't use them. The start screen is just a way to start apps while allowing for more info (with tiles, for apps that use them) and better touch interaction. Still, the desktop is the desktop, anyone who's a power user should have a number of their daily apps pinned to the taskbar and use that as the area of the UI to start and switch between them (or alt+tab which still works the same last I checked).

I mean, come on, how is it not possible to use the desktop like you have been? I personally almost never have the need to use the start menu in Win7. The few times per week I do I just do winkey and type the name of the app and hit enter. It's all the same in Win8, so I don't see an issue. Once you also get all the new kb shortcuts down you don't even really need to use the mouse in the UI at all.

[SreejithKM]

Well, I have never tried VHD, but from what I can tell, and I've been using it for about 8 hours, its pretty stable so far.

No crashes as of yet.

I will advice to not remove your current OS, and install Consumer Preview on another partition, if you have one

Thanks to Julio Franco, I will surely give this a try

https://www.neowin.net/news/techspot-configuring-a-windows-8-virtual-machine :)

[Xerax]

It's still a but awkward to use with Mouse and Keyboard. But compared to the Developer Preview it's heaps and bounds better. If they made this much progress, by RC/RTM it should be even nicer to use with Mouse/Keyboard.

[9UnknownMen]

I mean, come on, how is it not possible to use the desktop like you have been? I personally almost never have the need to use the start menu in Win7. The few times per week I do I just do winkey and type the name of the app and hit enter. It's all the same in Win8, so I don't see an issue. Once you also get all the new kb shortcuts down you don't even really need to use the mouse in the UI at all.

But why remove it? There are obviously so many that use the Start Orb extensively whether out of habit or perceived convenience. Just cause one can 'train' themselves not to over time isn't a reason enough. If it ain't broke dont Fix it.

The obvious answer I see is that they didnt want the meme that Windows 8 = Windows 7 with Metro slapped on top.Removing the start orb is a big UI counterpoint to that argument.

Btw, anyone here messed with Server 8 yet? Is it the same thing on that side as well?

[Adam20]

If you configure Media Center to start on windows startup, Metro interface still launches on top of it, despite configuring Media Center to "always stay on top"

[TheLegendOfMart]

Because desktop apps still look and work like they always have, why show desktop apps when they're not new? Besides, who says you have to use or even install metro apps? If you don't like them then don't use them. The start screen is just a way to start apps while allowing for more info (with tiles, for apps that use them) and better touch interaction. Still, the desktop is the desktop, anyone who's a power user should have a number of their daily apps pinned to the taskbar and use that as the area of the UI to start and switch between them (or alt+tab which still works the same last I checked).

I mean, come on, how is it not possible to use the desktop like you have been? I personally almost never have the need to use the start menu in Win7. The few times per week I do I just do winkey and type the name of the app and hit enter. It's all the same in Win8, so I don't see an issue. Once you also get all the new kb shortcuts down you don't even really need to use the mouse in the UI at all.

The desktop may not be new but they've done nothing to assure the power user that they haven't been forgotten other than "Oh wow look you can use a mouse to emulate the finger" nonsense.

Even if I remove all the Metro Apps from the Start Screen I'm still going to have to use Metro to navigate my way around the OS, I can't turn the Start Screen off, I can't disable the 4 corners of the screen Metro nonsense, I can't disable Metro snap because they consider the Desktop an App now and that says it all to me.

Unless they offer an Enterprise version that doesn't have any Metro whatsoever I don't see myself buying Windows 8.

[alligoodw6]

I have no Control Panel nor IE10 in Metro. Anyone knows why?