windows 8 Windows 8 Consumer Preview: A Call for Common Sense

[Kelxin]

I have one. :) Disk Management now takes two clicks to get to versus four! Right click in the lower left corner, click "Disk Management" versus, click "start", right click "computer", click "Manage", click "Disk Management" :)

Ok, so its easier to get to disk management, but harder to shut down? Glad someone at microsoft is thinking, oh wait. Do we shut down more often or re partition hard drives more often?

[AJerman]

I have one. :) Disk Management now takes two clicks to get to versus four! Right click in the lower left corner, click "Disk Management" versus, click "start", right click "computer", click "Manage", click "Disk Management" :)

Okay, I guess I can't argue with that. I would probably still use windows key+r diskmgmt.msc, but I guess that takes ~1-2 seconds off the previous method. How about we ignore the silly arguments about how things take one click and one second more or less because I'm not in the "omg it's so hard to shut down" group. I'm talking about useful additions it adds to productivity. What in my daily use will Windows 8 actually improve over Windows 7.

[Kelxin]

Long term AJerman, one thing is "supposed to add" is a new file system that is database driven which "Should" increase the ability to find files faster, access larger drives, and read / write data faster.

Short term it will increase the ability for people to lose data, delete files and have zero tools to recover them, and remove compatibility with unix / linux / mac os environments.

[UndergroundWire]

Don't attack a person's character just because you don't agree with them. ;)

But how will people reply then.

[Melfster]

That's fine with me. They can design it for whatever they want. I'm not against something that works fantastically for tomorrow's hardware. But if they release it for older desktops, I'd certainly like to see the interface that works best for the so called past and not just put this interface for everything and see what happens.That's what a no-compromise release is.

This is what stagnated Win/Intel ecosystem we still have PC with BIOSs in them we still have computers with PS/2 ports. Unless someone forces change .The PC will never evolve. I am not saying that what Microsoft has done is the best solution but I do applaud them for being Bold.

[winlonghorn]

Ok, so its easier to get to disk management, but harder to shut down? Glad someone at microsoft is thinking, oh wait. Do we shut down more often or re partition hard drives more often?

Why is it harder to shut down? It is just on a different side of the screen. Instead of moving your mouse to the lower left corner, clicking "start" and then clicking the shut down options button, you hover on the upper or lower right corner, click "settings", and click "power" to bring up the shut down options.

[PGHammer]

If I'm working within the UI I find it inconvenient to LEAVE the UI to go to the Hyper-V manager panel to shutdown a machine, especially when I need to reboot a machine and the only options that Hyper-V offers along those means is to do a HARD reset possibly corrupting the servers data, or doing a soft shutdown, waiting for it to shut down, then powering it back up. Personally I tend to gravitate towards efficiency. You may not, but eh, each to their own.

Maybe because you don't?

Windows 8 Server is *still* Windows 8 - if you need to shut down a virtual machine in Hyper-V, use the Hyper-V Manager. Windows 8 Server retains the Charm Bar of Windows 8; therefore shutting down or restarting the entire server, for any reason whatever, is not merely little different, but no different. In fact, you can remote into the server from a tablet and do any administrative task you would normally have to do locally, as long as it doesn't involve hardware. Basically, managing real servers is no different than managing virtual servers.

[AJerman]

You missed point four - QuickTask. It includes all the stuff that was one level lower when right-clicking the Windows 7 Start menu, and it includes a *separate* Command Prompt for stuff that requires elevated priviledges. In short, something borrowed from the old Start menu, and a lot easier to get to and use, with more features besides. The issue with the Consumer Preview is not application compatibility (which I addressed in both points two and three), but users used to doing things the same way for nigh on two decades.

Okay, so it has everything from the Windows 7 start menu and what? A separate command prompt for stuff that requires elevated privileges, like Ctrl+Shift+Enter did? So nothing new? I actually haven't played with QuickTask, it sounds like something promising, but not from how it's been described here.

[Kelxin]

Eh, kill the PS/2 Mice / keyboards 12 - 30 bucks each, no big. Kill the LPT port, 100 - 200 bucks for a new printer, no big. Kill the usability of my 46" HDTV forcing me onto a touchscreen. Yea, like I'm going to get my ass off the couch to go touch my TV.

[AJerman]

Long term AJerman, one thing is "supposed to add" is a new file system that is database driven which "Should" increase the ability to find files faster, access larger drives, and read / write data faster.

Short term it will increase the ability for people to lose data, delete files and have zero tools to recover them, and remove compatibility with unix / linux / mac os environments.

See, this isn't a UI thing though. I have no doubt that the OS contains a number of improvements and optimizations over previous versions, however, none of those require the start screen.

[Kelxin]

Why is it harder to shut down? It is just on a different side of the screen. Instead of moving your mouse to the lower left corner, clicking "start" and then clicking the shut down options button, you hover on the upper or lower right corner, click "settings", and click "power" to bring up the shut down options.

You OBVIOUSLY have not read this thread about Hyper-V, multi monitor, keyboard problems, etc. The CHARMS DON'T WORK.

[Ilgauskas]

This is what stagnated Win/Intel ecosystem we still have PC with BIOSs in them we still have computers with PS/2 ports. Unless someone forces change .The PC will never evolve. I am not saying that what Microsoft has done is the best solution but I do applaud them for being Bold.

I understand that the system has stagnated. However, such a bold and quick change is not the best way. Anyway, we'll see what happens when WIndows 8 is released.

[Kelxin]

See, this isn't a UI thing though. I have no doubt that the OS contains a number of improvements and optimizations over previous versions, however, none of those require the start screen.

I 100% agree. Bring on the kernel changes! Leave the UI ALONE (besides the copy / move / delete confirmation boxes, those are actually a good step).

[efjay]

Another perspective, along with the obligatory "how much did M$ pay you" comment: http://www.extremete...-love-windows-8

[winlonghorn]

Okay, I guess I can't argue with that. I would probably still use windows key+r diskmgmt.msc, but I guess that takes ~1-2 seconds off the previous method. How about we ignore the silly arguments about how things take one click and one second more or less because I'm not in the "omg it's so hard to shut down" group. I'm talking about useful additions it adds to productivity. What in my daily use will Windows 8 actually improve over Windows 7.

Ok, fair enough. How about constantly updated, at-a-glance information (latest emails, weather, etc...) without even opening an app (and no, I am not talking about the latest angry birds scores either! I mean real/important information for our daily lives!)?

[123456789A]

Mr. Thurrott is hardly in position to propose a convincing argument here. He's been drinking Microsoft's Kool-Aid since 1997.

Aside from the Windows Me and Songsmith flavors, they've had some really good Kool Aid to drink since then.

[AJerman]

I 100% agree. Bring on the kernel changes! Leave the UI ALONE (besides the copy / move / delete confirmation boxes, those are actually a good step).

Those are, and the new task manager is nice. I'll clarify and ask what does using the Start Screen on a desktop add over the traditional Windows 7 desktop. Still looking for something here.

[Kelxin]

Ok, fair enough. How about constantly updated, at-a-glance information (latest emails, weather, etc...) without even opening an app (and no, I am not talking about the latest angry birds scores either! I mean real/important information for our daily lives!)?

Good god, did you really miss the Windows gadget evolution of windows Vista? They have gadgets for ALL of that and more.

Hell, I can even listen to pandora, check RSS feeds, while reading my e-mail, checking the weather, watching my network thoroughput, change my theme, do a puzzle, make a skype call, and a ton more without even leaving my desktop or opening an application, and the WHOLE time the START BUTTON is accessible to me.

Those are, and the new task manager is nice. I'll clarify and ask what does using the Start Screen on a desktop add over the traditional Windows 7 desktop. Still looking for something here.

It adds the ability for complete morons to create troll threads and try to defend it, such as this entire thread.

[simplezz]

I have one. :) Disk Management now takes two clicks to get to versus four! Right click in the lower left corner, click "Disk Management" versus, click "start", right click "computer", click "Manage", click "Disk Management" :)

Start->Run->diskmgmt.msc

Or

Super + R ->diskmgmt.msc

[bandit_liberty_rumble]

I am not saying that what Microsoft has done is the best solution but I do applaud them for being Bold.

Yes, I guess it's kind of refreshing to see. Of course, if you are going to be bold and stubborn, it helps to also be right.

[Southern Patriot]

Ok, fair enough. How about constantly updated, at-a-glance information (latest emails, weather, etc...) without even opening an app (and no, I am not talking about the latest angry birds scores either! I mean real/important information for our daily lives!)?

Wasn't that the point of desktop gadgets and the Aero Peek button? Unfortunately, Microsoft has basically made it all but impossible to get new desktop gadgets by shutting down the Windows Live Gallery (other than a dozen or so of the "most popular" gadgets that are still shown there).

[simplezz]

Eh, kill the PS/2 Mice / keyboards 12 - 30 bucks each, no big. Kill the LPT port, 100 - 200 bucks for a new printer, no big. Kill the usability of my 46" HDTV forcing me onto a touchscreen. Yea, like I'm going to get my ass off the couch to go touch my TV.

I lol'd

[AJerman]

Ok, fair enough. How about constantly updated, at-a-glance information (latest emails, weather, etc...) without even opening an app (and no, I am not talking about the latest angry birds scores either! I mean real/important information for our daily lives!)?

Okay, I could see information in tiles being at least an argument, but I respond with this, there are already a plentiful number of apps that can bring this information to your desktop and or tray as is. While this is a nice side effect of the start screen, I don't think it even really counts as something the start screen adds that Windows didn't have before. Plus, another point I'd bring up for that is that a lot of that information retrieval has been offloaded to my phone now, so tiles aren't where I'd naturally look for that, but I'd give that at least a little credit. Live tiles are one of the very few things that can be made decent in the metro start screen, though as Kelxin mentions, they've tried to do that kind of thing in widgets in the sidebar before, an arguably even better place for it, and no one used it. Still, I'll say half a point for that one.

[Kelxin]

Yes, I guess it's kind of refreshing to see. Of course, if you are going to be bold and stubborn, it helps to also be right.

Or I've found holding a gun at the same time helps too...

[Vice]

Oh well now that Paul Thurrott has weighed in I'm convinced! :rofl: