official Windows 8 Consumer Preview Discussion

[the better twin]

Right, thought I would add my opinions so far.

Negative points:

• Seems pretty buggy with drivers. My wireless card would not install, my monitor drivers are messed up with incorrect resolutions and when i try to change it I just get a black screen that doesnt revert back.
  
• The Metro seems pointless if you dont have an active network connection.
  
• Setting up your MS account should be shown at install. Metro is much better when it links to my skydrive/hotmail etc
  
• Couldnt try out Xbox/music/video because for some insane reason MS wont let people in the UK sign in.
  
• Agree with the point about two OSes competing with each other. It doesnt feel right. There are different methods to do everything ie close an app in desktop is still the old method, to close it in Metro its slide down.
  
• Another example of this is the two different versions of IE10, different favourites, history etc. It doesnt feel cohesive at all.
  
• On the subject of IE10, still no css transitions???? And the metro version doesnt seem to like Microsoft filters so websites look different.
  
• App previews are buggy as hell.
  
• viewing emails in the email app is terrible, the actual email is off the screen?
  

Positive points:

• Blazing fast, even on ancient desktop hardware.
  
• love the idea of convergence of my Microsoft account. Xbox, email, music etc. I have a windows phone so know how this can be done well.
  
• Mouse use seems much improved.
  
• like the lock screen
  

Overall, it feels very unfinished. It seems to me that this isnt something that is anywhere close to being ready. It still feels like a concept OS at this stage.

[Cereal Bawks]

Can anyone with the server build installed post the refs.sys or protogon.sys driver, whatever applies?

[Glen]

from what i understand (dont have it installed yet) you grab the app from the top and pull it to the bottom to close.

You're correct - put your courser at the top of the screen and a little hand appears. Drag down and it closes the app. you can also use it to drag left or right (pinning it)

Alt+F4 still works as well as what the other guys said.

Good to know, thanks! I'll give it some more of my time today. It's annoying that it doesn't support my video card (and hence the second monitor), but I understand it's the driver limitations of a preview OS.

[REM2000]

Sorry ive tried the Consumer Preview now since released and i really don't like the Metro start menu, it just doesn't work and makes me feel like im battling against the computer to do things. I love Windows 7, i am productive and the system is reliable and maintains itself well, however 8 is so far a pain.

I really want to see the Start menu back with the orb in the bottom left hand corner, this works well with the mouse and works well for productivity, just because it was brought in with Windows 95 i see no reason to dump it. This is not a case of not being to adapt to new, if a system is intuitive then i can use it, doesn't matter how different the UI is, generally this is the same for all people, how many people have adapted to using smartphones, smart tv's etc, People are generally not that resistant to change.

Whats a disappointment to me is that the UI is annoying and for me counter productive which is a shame as i really want to take advantage of all of the under the hood changes and additions to the OS. I really love to have Hyper-V on the client, the new copy,move mechanisms and UI, the new storage system all looks incredibly good/useful, however i don't know if i will be able to get over the UI and may have to stick with Windows 7.

I can see how metro works well for touchscreen devices, especially when the screen size if smaller but for desktop computers i don't think the design fits, it presents too much information at once and the transition between start menu and desktop/application is quite jarring.

I hope Microsoft have the option to run a classic start menu system to allow people to adapt over time, similar to how they kept the classic start menus through XP - Win7.

Performance in the Consumer Preview seems on par with Windows 7 which is a good sign considering this is beta code and not optimised yet. I like the new task manager, it's my most used app on Windows and the changes present a lot more information.

I really don't like any of the Metro apps, again on a small device with a touch screen i can see how they fit in well, however on my 21" widescreen monitor they just look too large and are just fiddly to operate, i.e. in mail have to swipe with the mouse to read the emails, have to right click the mouse to then bring up folders etc... Im not too bothered by these as they are just previews but i hope microsoft considers optimising these a bit more for the desktop.

I like the skydrive integration, Microsoft has some excellent cloud services so im pleased they are starting to finally integrate these across their products, as it's been a killer feature/resource just waiting to be taken advantage of.

[patseguin Global Moderator]

I can imagine my parents trying use this LOL took my 5 minutes to find restart.

lmao

[stevember]

Back to Windows 7 and I love it more today than I did yesterday morning.

I hated XP users that complained about Vista and Windows 7.

Unfortunately, with this Win 8 CP I am now one of those people I hated.

Unless they bring back the start menu, allow us to disable Metro or come up with some miraculous way they work together which I cannot see possible and I don't think they can either otherwise they would have done it I will be sticking with Windows 7.

I have an idea.

Make Windows 8 for touch devices.

Give us a 2nd edition Windows 7 with the new task manager, increase speeds, copying dialogues and explorer.

I would be happy to pay a reasonable upgrade fee.

[efjay]

Installed on my Acer W500 last night and I am impressed. Everything works well, my keyboard and mouse are usable compared to the dev preview, the OS feels stable and is so fast, I wonder how this performs on a higher specced machine.

Main issues I have are the Microsoft applications are just not fleshed out enough, they are basically nothing better than non-working demos behind a glass case, pretty pointless to include them when they don't work. Also the desktop still looks out of place, there really needs to be a Metro theme included because switching to it gives the impression of two distinct OS's when just a visual tweak would make the transition less jarring. As I have to use the desktop for my email and music it stands out pretty badly.

Otherwise, its pretty much spot on and I cant wait to see the improvements to the beta and final release. A bit baffling to see so many uninformed comments from members of a tech site who seem unwilling to do even the minimum to explore what the new OS has to offer. Apart from problems with multi monitor setup this is faster, more efficient, and will be more capable than any previous Windows version. You would think "techies" would be excited about that rather than being obsessed with the supposed "ugliness" of the Metro UI.

PS, anyone have any tips on how to make the desktop more Metro like? Thanks.

[threetonesun]

That sounds like a "You're holding it wrong" solution. If I want to shut my computer off I should be able to and easily. It took way too long for me to find something so simple as a shutdown toggle and I'm a software developer what hope does the average joe have.

It seems so silly to me that something so basic as turning your computer off needs to be defended. It's like you're under a Microsoft spell or ... dare I say ... reality distortion field?

You can do it easily, hit the power button. :rofl:

For people on networks, it's usually a bigger issue that computer gets shut off, so I can see them making Restart and Sleep the main focus. At the same time, with better power management we're getting close to the point where a device at idle draws as much as a device powered off... but has the advantage of being brought back to use much faster. So why turn them off?

And no, I don't care what MS does, I use OSX anyway.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

not just u :(

also .. same with the maps aap.

And no luck signing in with Zune and XBOX, right? :cry:

[ms-7]

I got a problem with Windows 8 Consumer Preview x86! Windows Store is not opening after Loading it shows this

Don't know Why??

My Internet Connection is Working ( I have Alfa AWUSO36H - RTL8187)

I Installed Alfa AWUSO36H on Windows 8 by Compatibility of Windows 7. (AWUSO36H is not Compatible on Windows 8).

BTW Installed Windows 8 x86 on my PC on Partition as Secondary OS.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Try to disconnect and reconnect again

[neo1911]

Desktop part of the OS needs huge tweaks in terms of visuals and icons to make it more Metro-ish. Then our constant switching between desktop and metro apps would be less jarring.

[~Johnny]

An imperfect solution, but with this you can have something that's like the Win7 Start Menu, whilst still having the option of the immersive start screen - http://lee-soft.com/vistart/

The start button overlaps slightly with the taskbar buttons, but it's still a solution. Just be careful with the installer, it does try and trick you into installing some nonsense, just unclick everything and press "DECLINE" at the end.

Saying that, I still like the immersive start screen personally :p

[nyolc8]

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

There is no Control Panel tile in the consumer preview, you acces that control panel from the charmbar > settings > more pc settings

There is no Metro IE10 if you set your default browser to anything but IE.

[ms-7]

Try to disconnect and reconnect again

Done many times but Still having same Problem :(

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Are you using Wi-Fi? or Ethernet?

Try turning off Router. Wait at least a minute and switch back on

[ms-7]

Are you using Wi-Fi? or Ethernet?

Try turning off Router. Wait at least a minute and switch back on

I m Using Wi-Fi. and surfing the web perfectly the only thing is not opening through the web is WINDOWS STORE.

[9UnknownMen]

Back to Windows 7 and I love it more today than I did yesterday morning.

I hated XP users that complained about Vista and Windows 7.

Unfortunately, with this Win 8 CP I am now one of those people I hated.

I so know how you feel. I really spent all night trying to see if I was missing the big picture and had to be honest with myself at the end of it.

Seeing comments from the defenders and the guys who are exclaiming that Win8 is brilliant reminds me of my reaction to Windows 7 and its detractors.

I guess 2012 is gonna be a Bizzaro year for me.

[Rickkins]

Worst operating system ever. Complete rubbish.

If you have microslop shares, I'd dump 'em real quick....

[Dot Matrix]

Before I start, yes I know there's a few of you that have denounced the "Metro" operating environment, but I just wanted to discuss my first initial reactions after having spent the whole day with it, and wanna see what the rest of you thought after you installed it. It is my hopes that you will actually read through what I have to say before posting hatred. So, without further ado...

The learning curve was smaller than I anticipated, and for those NOT wanting to use Metro apps, the learning curve is actually smaller than the curve we got from moving from XP to Vista! Yes, I'm serious, the curve is almost non existent for "classic" desktop users.

First, let's start with the obvious: Metro. I honestly think there's a lot of people confused as to what it is, and what it's meant to do. Having installed the CP on my laptop (Bare metal install), I wanted to give the CP a thorough test on a keyboard/mouse system, and so far, I'm loving it. Interacting with the "larger" tiles is no more different, than increasing the size of your desktop icons in Windows 7 to "large". The mouse wheel works great to slide the screen side-to-side, and I LOVE that I can pin 'tiles' to groups. I feel like I have a neat and organized start menu.

Now, onto the subject that is throwing people off. Metro apps. A lot of users seem put off using full-screen touch centric apps. After having played with them on a laptop, I can say they are not for everyone, but if there is one to use, it's the Bing Weather app. But, if you DO NOT want to use the metro apps, they can be un-installed completely, and you never have to see them again! What you're left with then is a Start Screen reminiscent of the Office 2010 "Backstage" Menu. Metro is gone. The Start Screen becomes a full-screen Start Menu full of your "classic" desktop apps, complete with "classic" start menu functionality (type to search, etc...).

So far, all my "classic" desktop apps have worked without a sweat, the only exceptions being the Windows Live Suite, and Wireshark, which I had to run in compatibility mode to get the WinPCap driver to install. Windows Live runs, but a lot of things are missing compared to Windows 7.

Next up, "OMGZ NO START BUTTON! WTFBBQ!". Let me get this out of the way: DON'T PANIC! The 4 corners of the screen now act as "hotspots" for different functions.

• The upper left corner will display your open Metro apps. Don't use them? Then this won't work for you.
  
• The bottom left corner still acts like the good ol Start Button. Move your mouse down here to access the Start Screen, or right-click for a nice little menu full of shortcut goodies.
  

• The upper and lower corners on the right side of the screen trigger the charms bar. Here you will find the options to Search, Share, Activate the Start Screen, Open the devices options, Networking, Power options and PC settings.
  

Desktop. So with the Metro UI, what about the desktop? There is much to say here except, that if you know your way around the Windows 7 desktop, you know your way around the Windows 8 desktop. Almost nothing has changed. The ribbon is nice to use, and is minimized by default. If you have used it at one point or another, there is no learning curve here. Keyboard shortcuts are still the same, along with the tray icons. Despite some weird looking "metro" icons seen in leaked pictures, ALL the desktop icons are the same as they are in Windows 7. Desktop users rejoice, for your options are all still here!

That's all for now, I have to get running here, but I hope you all can take the time to read this, and understand it's not the end of the world. Feel free to share!

[Muhammad Farrukh]

I m Using Wi-Fi. and surfing the web perfectly the only thing is not opening through the web is WINDOWS STORE.

Then I guess the problem is on the Windows side.

Try rebooting.

Or waiting.

[BetaAddict]

Worst operating system ever. Complete rubbish.

If you have microslop shares, I'd dump 'em real quick....

Best review ever. :rolleyes:

Before I start, yes I know there's a few of you that have denounced the "Metro" operating environment, but I just wanted to discuss my first initial reactions after having spent the whole day with it, and wanna see what the rest of you though after you installed it, but I wanted to post my thoughts of it, after having used it, and it is my hopes that you will actually read through what I have to say before posting. So, without further ado...

The learning curve was smaller than I anticipated, and for those NOT wanting to use Metro apps, the learning curve is actually smaller than the curve we got from moving from XP to Vista! Yes, I'm serious, the curve is almost non existent for "classic" desktop users.

First, let's start with the obvious: Metro. I honestly think there's a lot of people confused as to what it is, and what it's meant to do. Having installed the CP on my laptop (Bare metal install), I wanted to give the CP a thorough test on a keyboard/mouse system, and so far, I'm loving it. Interacting with the "larger" tiles is no more different, than increasing the size of your desktop icons in Windows 7 to "large". The mouse wheel works great to slide the screen side-to-side, and I LOVE that I can pin 'tiles' to groups. I feel like I have a neat and organized start menu.

Now, onto the subject that is throwing people off. Metro apps. A lot of users seem put off using full-screen touch centric apps. After having played with them on a laptop, I can say they are not for everyone, but if there is one to use, it's the Bing Weather app. But, if you DO NOT want to use the metro apps, the can be un-installed completely, and you never have to see them again! What you're left with then is a Start Screen reminiscent of the Office 2010 "Backstage" Menu. The Start Screen becomes a full-screen Start Menu full of your "classic" desktop apps, complete with "classic" start menu functionality (type to search, etc...).

So far, all my "classic" desktop apps have worked without a sweat, the only exceptions being the Windows Live Suite, and Wireshark, which I had to run in compatibility mode to get the WinPCap driver to install. Windows Live runs, but a lot of things are missing compared to Windows 7.

Next up, "OMGZ NO START BUTTON! WTFBBQ!". Let me get this out of the way: DON'T PANIC! The 4 corners of the screen now act as "hotspots" for different functions.

The upper left corner will display your open Metro apps. Don't use them? Then this won't work for you.

The bottom left corner still acts like the good ol Start Button. Move your mouse down here to access the Start Screen, or right-click for a nice little menu full of shortcut goodies.

The upper and lower corners on the right side of the screen trigger the charms bar. Here you will find the options to Search, Share, Activate the Start Screen, Open the devices options, and power options and PC settings.

Desktop. So with the Metro UI, what about the desktop? There is much to say here except, that if you know your way around the Windows 7 desktop, you know your way around the Windows 8 desktop. Almost nothing has changed. The ribbon is nice to use, and is minimized by default. If you have used it at one point or another, there is no learning curve here. Keyboard shortcuts are still the same, along with the tray icons. Despite some weird looking "metro" icons seen in leaked pictures, ALL the desktop icons are the same as they are in Windows 7. Desktop users rejoice, for your options are all still here!

That's all for now, I have to get running here, but I hope you all can take the time to read this, and understand it's not the end of the world. Feel free to share!

Well said. I've used it for almost a day now and it feels no different than Win7, if not better because of the easy metro app access for fetching frequently needed info.

[Draken]

That's not the correct aproach MS :no: that's a touch oriented OS and we still have mouse and KB, look at Apple, they have touch inspired features implemented for mouse, touchpad and KB (Y)

[Kushan]

Can I just say that I have nothing agianst metro at all, in fact I think it's a great idea for Tablet and Touch interfaces. However, what I have issues with is how it seems to have unnecessarily impacted the desktop side. Doing simple tasks with the mouse is downright painful - I hate having to bring up the "charm bar" just to go into Control panel or shut my computer down. Bringing up the start screen is equally a pain - and this is before I get to the issue of the start screen itself. I get the idea, have your apps as easy to access as possible, but the start menu did a alot more than that with regards to PC settings, opening your computer (and no icon on the desktop as default, how exactly were MS hoping people would access it?) and more besides.

I read the Win8 developer blog and admit that I agreed with most of what they said about the design changes, but having tried to use it myself, I'm sorry to say that I'm really dreading Windows 8 now.

[veternan]

PS, anyone have any tips on how to make the desktop more Metro like? Thanks.

Wait till 2013 then Go and buy a Tablet which has Windows 8 for ARM :crazy: