official Windows 8 Consumer Preview Discussion

[gate1975mlm]

In Windows 8 how do you log off or turn off the computer from the desktop?

[Ashl]

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.

If you go Windows Key + R.. then control.exe you can get into Control Panel as previous versions... which given the limited subset of options available in Metro even some home users may actually need to do to! Lots of old functionality is basically just brushed under the carpet.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

In Windows 8 how do you log off or turn off the computer from the desktop?

Take the cursor to the bottom right.

Choose Settings in the Charm Bar.

Click Power

[Dot Matrix]

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)

Take a peek at my review here: https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1061012-windows-8-consumer-preview-discussion/page__view__findpost__p__594694188

If you do not want to use Metro, the metro apps can be un-installed, and you don't have to see them again. Also, don't think of the Start Screen as "touch centric", it's far from it.

[stevember]

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.

Firstly, I don't see anybody claiming this is the end of the world. However if this is nearly complete then it will be the end of a great desktop power user experience. The metro just does not work especially with multiple monitors.

Moving the mouse quickly to a corner with more than one screen is a complete nightmare you have to find the area with your mouse hiding off the screen.

[yikes]

For those who want easier way to shutdown:

1) Create a shortcut (new->shortcut) on a classic desktop.

2) Direct it to shutdown.exe -s -t 0

3) Put a nice icon on it

4) Pin it on start screen

Here you go, easy shutdown button :)

[Dot Matrix]

Firstly, I don't see anybody claiming this is the end of the world. However if this is nearly complete then it will be the end of a great desktop power user experience. The metro just does not work especially with multiple monitors.

Moving the mouse quickly to a corner with more than one screen is a complete nightmare you have to find the area with your mouse hiding off the screen.

As far as I'm aware, the Start Screen only appears on the main monitor.

And so far, moving the mouse across my three monitors hasn't been anymore of an issue with using multiple monitors with Windows 7.

[Draken]

Take a peek at my review here: http://www.neowin.ne...t__p__594694188

If you do not want to use Metro, the metro apps can be un-installed, and you don't have to see them again. Also, don't think of the Start Screen as "touch centric", it's far from it.

Well, then I supose it's Windows 7 with the office ribbon, I can live with that.

And the Start Screen is very much "touch centric" one my work mates have a Viewsonic MT Display (this one) and that's the way to go with that. Usable with a mouse but not the best experience.

And btw, nice review ;)

[~Johnny]

Something that I think is new... but WordPad can now open & save Office & OpenDocument formats.

[efjay]

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

Yes, hopefully by then MS would have removed the redundant desktop anyway. :)

[Muhammad Farrukh]

This 'reduntant' desktop ain't going anywhere

[Shaun N.]

Take the cursor to the bottom right.

Choose Settings in the Charm Bar.

Win + I

Click Power

[Woelfel]

I love it.

There will always be people who don't like change. Yes, it's a big change for "power" desktop users. Yes, even I was like "wth" where is everything when I first downloaded the Developer Preview, but one thing I did do was force myself to keep using it. Got used to it and now I like it better than the regular desktop. Then when the Consumer Preview came out yesterday, every change was welcome. Wait, I lied, the only thing that I did miss and still getting used to from DP to CP is now to get to CP isn't as easy as moving the mouse to the most right part of screen and now must go to a corner. Not that much big of a deal.

I do hope that MS does have an OPTION for mutltasking to show icons rather than snapshots because I have to try to decipher what is in the screen in order to know which app it is. And when you hover over it, it should show a preview on the screen. But of course, that's me. I think it would help though.

EDIT: Yea, the Metro apps don't have the ability to show more than 2 apps at a time and I can understand why "power" users want to see a lot of things at the same time especially with a lot of screen real estate, I mean, I do the same for work with so many different windows open on multiple montiors. That still doesn't change as the desktop is still there. I want all the "power" users to literally think about what you are missing and see if it really justifies not using Windows 8. Remember, your desktop application IS STILL THERE. But as with anything, people have their own opinion and I respect that they don't like the change, like I said in my first sentence, there will always be people who don't like change.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Thanks for the shortcut +Shaun :)

[efjay]

This 'reduntant' desktop ain't going anywhere

I know that, just joshing back with the poster who replied to me. Just want an option to make it more consistent with the Metro UI, I personally will be sticking to x86 devices for Windows 8. For my family who don't do anything remotely power user related, ARM devices will do just fine.

[Roadrunna]

For those who want easier way to shutdown:

1) Create a shortcut (new->shortcut) on a classic desktop.

2) Direct it to shutdown.exe -s -t 0

3) Put a nice icon on it

4) Pin it on start screen

Here you go, easy shutdown button :)

Thanks for that - I'll give that a go tonight.

First impressions when I fired it up was not entirely favourable not with the start screen (which is fine) but mainly due to the "where the hell is everything?!" feeling but gradually learning what's what and where's what, it's beginning to grow on me. I'll give it a week or two before deciding whether I like it or not.

[BajiRav]

Hopefully I can get some help. Love Win 8 so far. So, I have 2010 MacBook Pro that is Boot Camped, and was running Win 7 Home Edition. I installed Win 8 as an upgrade, and the installation went off without a hitch, with 2 exceptions.

First, I get no sound out of the headphone jack. The speakers work fine, the control panel says everything is hunky dory, and I tried reinstalling the drivers. No luck.

Second, same as above, but the trackpad does not work.

Anyone have any suggestions.

I got trackpad to work after a long struggle with apple's stupid bootcamp 3.3 installer. If you successfully installed bootcamp, then you need to turn on click/secondary click from bootcamp. working ok here (a little jerky).

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.

well initially I was excited but then yesterday after first install, the mouse/keyboard interaction seemed very tacky BUT after spending a good (almost) 24 hrs with this, I am used to new workflow and it doesn't feel as bad as my first five minutes reaction.

I think you are making a big deal out of metro start screen, just launch whatever you need - pin to taskbar if you want - and forget about it. No big deal. On the flip side, I am loving integration with Windows Live ID Microsoft account (probably doesn't make that much sense to PS3 or non-WP users, are you one? :p going by your avatar).

[DClark]

Also this is Neowin, full of nerds and hardcore Windows fans who would defend it to their dying breath. If its doing that badly here I'm sure it is safe to say that the general public is not going to care for it at all. I believe this is going to be Microsoft's biggest flop since MS Bob.

This isn't necessarily true. The most conservative people in terms of technology is not the general public, but techies and power users - especially those in IT. You don't see the general public crying about adopting to fairly new smartphone and tablet UI, whether it be iOS, Windows Phone or Android. What Microsoft has recognized is that doing brave, dramatic changes to their OS is necessary for Microsoft to continue to thrive in the desktop market. After all, if Microsoft listened to the whiney techies and their love of DOS during the rise of the desktop, Windows as we know it would not exist.

[stevember]

As far as I'm aware, the Start Screen only appears on the main monitor.

And so far, moving the mouse across my three monitors hasn't been anymore of an issue with using multiple monitors with Windows 7.

I don't have an issue that it only works on one main monitor, no different than the existing start menu unless you have a third-party application.

When you only have one monitor it is easy to slam the mouse into the corner, when you have multiple monitors moving your mouse into one of the corners of your centre monitor is a royal pain because you overshoot, you need to find the area.

You cannot tell me if you have multiple screens and they are aligned and the same size therefore no corner to stop the mouse that you do not overshoot?

[BajiRav]

Something that I think is new... but WordPad can now open & save Office & OpenDocument formats.

well :p welcome to Windows 7.

[stevember]

But as with anything, people have their own opinion and I respect that they don't like the change, like I said in my first sentence, there will always be people who don't like change.

I love change, I immediately jump in every time new software was released. I love Microsoft products, I am quite anti-Apple but do own an iPad simply because it works.

It felt like I had installed a Fisher-Price desktop overlay, one that comes with some applications for my child to use. Granted on a touch tablet they would probably be awesome, I would rarely go back to the desktop.

However I am voicing my opinions on using it on a desktop.

[Glen]

Looks like NVidia has certified the GeForce drivers with the Windows 8 CP, so I'm going to try to install those to fix my video issues.

[Jack@l]

There were 2 ? :o

With sp1 and sp2 it was performed much better.

[justmike]

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.

Exactly. They should have made three types. The Intel/Metro usable tablet, the battery saver non-Intel basics only tablet, and non-Metro enabled desktop.

[Rohdekill]

Has anyone been successful in getting the iso onto a usb thumb drive using the Windows 7 USB DVD download tool? I get nothing but "the file is not a valid iso" error. And, I have tried this 3 times, downloading the x86 iso directly off MS website.