Windows 8 Consumer Preview Discussion

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

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beanboy89

Posted
Posted

Sorry if someone already asked this or if there's an easy solution, but is there any way to add a clock to the Start screen? It seems like there would be one there by default; they've added one to the lock/logon screen.

Grand Master

Izlude

Posted
Posted

Ok, when I go to the bottom left corner of the desktop, a thumbnail of the start screen appears. Is there any way to disable that thumbnail from popping up like that? Sometimes when I want to click the 1st Icon, I go too far and that thing comes up and blocks me from being able to click it :p

Guest ScubaDog

Posted
Posted

I, for one, am exceptionally pleased with where it's going. I hate Apple and Google so much I can't stand it, and it frustrates the heck out of me that Windows Phone hasn't just smacked the cakes out of those to platforms. So, I'm fully embracing the Metro UI in Everything that I can. I hate the tired old desktop and I'm anxious to see it go the way of the dinosaur. The one thing that's holding Win8 back IS the desktop and all the dinosaurs who can't seem to leave that meme behind. I realize it will take time for developers to get their heads out of the up-and-locked position and understand the power of live tiles and using the Metro meme. And can be patient.

As for though who have a very limited perception of Win8 as a tablet OS, and that touch on the desktop just won't fly, let me wake you up to where this is REALLY going. Kinect. Gestures. It's already becoming a reality with Win7, and the newest version of the Kinect has a LOT more granularity to it. I cannot express how badly I want to be able to sit at my desktop and simply gesture in the air to make Windows do what I need it to. The keyboard and mouse should become the DETAIL input devices (e.g., typing Word documents, etc.). Touch would be virtually unnecessary on the desktop if Kinect can accomplish what I need. Touch would be reserved for the tablets and smartphones.

So, if many of you just don't get it, or (as it seems to me, refuse to get it), then perhaps hanging onto Win7 or moving to Linux or Apple will be better for you. But I'd hate to have people like you hold back the full potential of such a forward-thinking approach to an OS. I'm ready for this. I've BEEN ready for this. Bring it on, Microsoft, bring it on!

  • Stoffel, Wyn6 and dr_crabman
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Rising Star

korupt_one

Posted
Posted

just so everyone knows, when you install any software it will show up on the metro start, you can pin the program in metro start to your taskbar in the desktop environment, very simple and easy.

All my Office programs launch from metro in less than a second, which is faster than the windows 7 load time, actually all my applications run from metro faster than they do from win7 desktop, I think this is some of the best work MS has done in years.

All the bitching about Metro is pointless, if you don't like metro then switch over to the desktop.

But I would imagine if you used it for more than 10 minutes you would find that win8 is infact better than windows 7 and we are just at the beta stage in the game.

but everyone has there own opinions, if you don't like it MS is not gonna all of a sudden dump windows8, even vista made a crap load of money.

Rising Star

korupt_one

Posted
Posted

Sorry if someone already asked this or if there's an easy solution, but is there any way to add a clock to the Start screen? It seems like there would be one there by default; they've added one to the lock/logon screen.

I'm sure there will be an app for that soon enough

I don't know if this has been said in this thread either, if you hit the little ? in the bottom right hand side it will allow you to name your nice groups of games/ apps on the start page.

Rising Star

downhillrider

Posted
Posted

I like what Im seeing so far. One issue Im having is it doesn't seem to see my intergrated NVidia video on my HP laptop. So I guess its using a default one. The display looks fine but I cant update drivers so I cant use it through HDMI on my 36 inch tv I use as a monitor. Microsoft Basic Display Adapter is what I see in Device Manager under Display Settings.

Mentor

beanboy89

Posted
Posted

I've been browsing around the Store, and it's really buggy. The load times for categories and individual apps are slow, and I've been seeing a lot of "sorry, this app is no longer available" messages. I'll go back a few seconds later to the same app, and it'll load. I also got some bug in the Store where the white background wouldn't load and you could see through to the tiles behind it. I had to close the Store in the Task Manager and re-open it to fix it.

Grand Master

Muhammad Farrukh

Posted
Posted

Sorry if someone already asked this or if there's an easy solution, but is there any way to add a clock to the Start screen? It seems like there would be one there by default; they've added one to the lock/logon screen.

I tried searching for the app. Couldn't find it.

Its quite weird that there isn't a default one.

But I think they were intending to have the time integrated with charms bar

Grand Master

Mazhar

Posted
Posted

As I pointed out before in this thread, Windows 8 has been good so far, but the main concern I have is that I am forced to use one of the two interfaces in Windows 8. Why we are getting the TWO interfaces? Why not just ONE? Hence Windows 8 has been divided and thus the users and their opinions. Thus, the Controversy! What if I do not want to use the Metro interface or I do not want to use the traditional desktop interface?

Windows 8 is actually Windows 7 + Metro. It is really going to create some troubles for the users in the future, if not now, because every product will then have two interfaces and thus two setups, one Metro and one Traditional style application.

Collaborator

AWilliams87

Posted
Posted

My thoughts on Windows 8....It's superb in terms of performance, it runs smooth and really good even on old PC. Although it has plenty of new feature, I do not approve where Windows is headed (PO). Windows OS has been great because of everything was right there for you, easy to access all your files with a snap while still be able to run other programs look through them switch to them from the Taskbar. I have never enjoyed or liked as much as I have liked Windows 7 so far. Windows 8 is orientated towards tablet for sure, which is good as everything is going "on the go" nowadays. But it's losing core facto for Desktop users. It still has the old desktop in BASIC form shows that they are really going away from what made Windows OS special. I will probably not switch to Windows 8 from how it looks and feels so far. But that decision will remain to be seen until it's released officially, as of now, I'm sure that Windows 7 will be XP and Windows 8 is so far Windows Vista. But, credit must be given where it's due for Microsoft hard work and for trying out something new. Good job Microsoft!

Windows 8 is easier to use with a mouse and keyboard than Windows 7. Searching for apps is far easier. Switching between task is virtually no different. I don't get why you're saying it's more difficult. The only difference is they're located on the top left instead of the bottom.

Collaborator

joddie191

Posted
Posted

Somewhere i read that windows 8 will have feature to emulate / Virtual / ISO's natively ? where is it?

Also how to close metro apps? complete exit?

If by emulate / Virtual you mean mounting ISO files, then it's very easy. You simply right click a ISO-file and select mount. It doesn't get much easier.

For the last 10 pages or so people have been complaining over how hard it is to shut down Windows now. A few things come to mind when people say this:

- My desktop computer stays on always, I power off my display and leave the computer on - I'm sure a lot of you techies do the same, so why bother with how you turn it off via software?

- Whenever I actually want to turn off my computer, I use the power button on the case - it has been telling windows to shut down graciously since Windows XP, and your most likely turning off your display(s) anyway, so why not just push the power button on the case as well?

- On my laptop I always just close the lid when I'm done, not once have I used the shutdown-link in the start menu.

In conclusion, if you are in any way familiar with computers, is it really that hard to use the hardware button to shut it down if you know that is faster than the software alternative? IIRC powering off your computer in Linux Mint is also two (or three?) clicks away - and you never see any Linux fans complain about that.

On a very unrelated note, it bugs me to no end that Metro applications can only stay on one screen no matter how many screens you got =/

Stupid question, but is the taskbar and its pinned items supposed to be duplicated on my second monitor in a dual-screen setup? If so, that's weird.

You can choose it to duplicate, show only applications on the current screen or to only show taskbar on main screen.

Edit: I accidentally some air in between

Grand Master

XerXis

Posted
Posted

I don't understand all these people saying they are lost. Let me give some examples:

what I do in win 7 to start an app: press winkey, type the first letters of the name, press enter

what I do in win 8 to start an app: press winkey, type the first letters of the name, press enter

How I start a program I always use in win 7: click it's icon in the superbar

How I start a program I always use in win 8: click it's icon in the superbar

How I switch between apps in win 7: alt-tab

How I switch between apps in win 8: alt-tab

How I close an app in win 7: alt-f4

How I close an app in win 8: alt-f4

How I change UAC settings in win 7 (not that I do): press winkey, type uac

How I change UAC settings in win8: press winkey, type uac

I could go on and on like this.

To all the people saying they are lost, did you really do everything with your mouse picking through huge lists in the start menu?

  • Ace, Muhammad Farrukh and Sadelwo
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Neowinian

JPXi77

Posted
Posted

What a mess this thing is. It's seriously horrendous. MS seriously needs to re-think the whole force metro into every damned thing. You can debate that it works well enough on a phone (personally I think it's really ugly), but it's just an ugly mess on XBOX and PC.

Grand Master

Lee G. Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

Anyone had a Bluescreen yet ?

System started to get a bit sluggish earlier, for about 20 minutes seemed like it was battling with something, then the Happier looking sad face BSOD appeared and rebooted.

I have to say, it was not as painful as the old faithful bluescreen we know and love, but it still sucked

I had one after I installed incompatible graphics drivers. It would boot up, BSOD and restart. System restore fixed the problem.

Collaborator

AWilliams87

Posted
Posted

If by emulate / Virtual you mean mounting ISO files, then it's very easy. You simply right click a ISO-file and select mount. It doesn't get much easier.

For the last 10 pages or so people have been complaining over how hard it is to shut down Windows now. A few things come to mind when people say this:

Not to mention the physical shutdown button virtually does the same thing as the on-screen one.

Collaborator

Dapen

Posted
Posted

Windows

8

Was Not

My

Idea

Do you see what I did there?

I installed it to my laptop last night, awful. Why must I slide the lock screen up with my touchpad as if I were on a tablet/phone? Why is it so hard to find settings, why do they have (default) smart screen that uses the internet to check EXE files, what happens if I'm not connected to the internet and I don't click that small "more info" link to get the install anyway button?

Why does it look so awful and feel like I'm on a phone not a PC?

Windows 8 is designed for tablets and made to work on a PC. Just like modern PC games, designed for console and ported to PC. Microsoft have shown their desperation with competing with iPhone, Android and iPad - hopefully someone else can rise above Microsoft now and innovate something that is useful. Big F from me, hate it.

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