MS : Windows Release Preview (RC)- First Week of June

[George P Global Moderator]

The start screen and the desktop are part of the same shell, but I don't think both are run through explorer.exe. I'm pretty sure the start screen has it's own exe going or something.

[bogas04]

The start screen and the desktop are part of the same shell, but I don't think both are run through explorer.exe. I'm pretty sure the start screen has it's own exe going or something.

try closing explorer.exe (go to task manager , click explorer.exe , press delete button)

[George P Global Moderator]

try closing explorer.exe (go to task manager , click explorer.exe , press delete button)

I don't doubt what you say, I just found it odd. For users it feels more like "desktop" is running on the start screen with the way you get to it. Besides shouldn't the dwm.exe kick in and restart explorer.exe automatically?

[bogas04]

I don't doubt what you say, I just found it odd. For users it feels more like "desktop" is running on the start screen with the way you get to it. Besides shouldn't the dwm.exe kick in and restart explorer.exe automatically?

Shall i make a video to show you what i am saying ?

And yes that's why i was saying that Desktop App is not a metro app , its actually holding Metro apps! Though it feels the opposite , but Metro is still not independent , its just that MS now opened Start Screen whenever you clicked start button/windows key instead of start menu...

(don't care about the quality)

[V23]

It's starting to look a lot nicer (not that it wasn't good before), can't wait for the Release Preview.

[bogas04]

From the new video @ win blog..

(Green store , Cyan Mail , News App , New Cursor , More pinkish purple Messaging , Purple Calendar , Orange Music)

Lawl even new cursor is confirmed :p

[contextfree]

Couple other things:

* The People app now has a mosaic live tile a la Windows Phone which I think is new (or at least if it was in CP it never worked for me)

* The Mail app now has a back button for each column and other changes (starting to look kind of cluttered tbh, heh)

* The most interesting thing to me: Notice that "Timmy" has different colors for Messaging and Calendar from what Phil has! I really hope this means the colors are now customizable. Ideally you should be able to set the theme color for each app and see that color in the tile, the app itself, and notifications.

[Arceles]

many of the "engineering software" can definitely learn something from "Metro". They adopted ribbon (e.g. AutoCAD)...you never know.

Ribbon is actually good, metro is not, I wonder how one would fit all the functions of Autocad/Catia/Solidworks... into big tiles. A hint: Office 15 still retains ribbon albeit simplified interface... because that interface is really good, no metro tiles for office.

[srbeen]

face it guys, Windows 7 is the "last" of the desktop series....

We all remember windows 3.1 before 95 right? well, 3.1 = 8 now for mobiles.

[PGHammer]

face it guys, Windows 7 is the "last" of the desktop series....

We all remember windows 3.1 before 95 right? well, 3.1 = 8 now for mobiles.

BS.

Windows 8 is the first formfactor-neutral (favoring neither desktop or portable) Windows.

What the detractors REALLY miss is the desktop bias at the OS level that Windows has had since the beginning.

The problem for them is that while it matters to users, it doesn't matter to applications, games, etc. at all.

And that's the real issue for the detractors.

For every other OS or desktop environment that moved to a more neutral position (GNOME 3, Unity, etc. for Linux for example), there's been serious application-compatibility issues that have resulted.

Apparently, a lot of folks - myself included - thought that desktop applications required a desktop-biased environment. (That was, in fact, the core of my skepticism concerning the Developer Preview.)

The Developer Preview gave me a ton of data rather tersely refuting any part of that argument.

The detractors said "That's still early - let's see how backward-compatible the Consumer preview is!"

Guess what - the Consumer Preview is setting a new standard for backward compatibility - and not just for beta versions of Windows - but for Windows altogether.

The evidence is staring me in the face - day in and day out.

I run traditional desktop applications, games, etc. twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week.

Opinions are one thing - hard data is another.

And the hard data says that desktop bias is irrelevant to applications.

I never said that it wouldn't matter to USERS - in fact, I predicted that it would matter more to users than it would to applications (in the Developer Preview thread here in this forum, in fact).

And apparently it matters so much to certain users that they are perfectly willing to deny their own hard data that makes plain that the lack of desktop bias in the Consumer Preview matter not a lick to "desktop" applications.

[Dot Matrix]

PGHammer, I love Windows 8, and where it's going, but even I'm finding it hard to understand your compatibility argument. Windows 8 represents more than just backwards compatibility.

But you are right in that it eliminates devices bias. Beginning with Windows 8, users will be able to switch between devices, without breaking workflow. On Apple's side of things, I would need to switch between iOS and OS X, requiring two different working environments.

It's a bold step for Microsoft, something we've never seen from them before. It's a step which I think will pay off in the long run. Glad to see them sticking to their guns, despite a vocal few who are clinging to their mouse for dear life.

[jagowar]

It's a bold step for Microsoft, something we've never seen from them before. It's a step which I think will pay off in the long run. Glad to see them sticking to their guns, despite a vocal few who are clinging to their mouse for dear life.

I think the paying off in the longrun argument is the key to this whole thing.... and what the detractors really don't seem to get. The foundation being laid here is the basis for the next decade plus for Microsoft so they really need to get it as right as possible to allow them to enhance it over the next few versions. Too much legacy now will only burden this transition more and it's already going to be a jarring transition as it is.

[FaiKee]

Findings by a winunleaked member:

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...0-f9382360e291

Compare to how it appears in WCP

And here are others :

Photos

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...d-c1805a297206

Music

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...a-e9ed3a5f872d

Mail, Calendar, People, Messaging

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...4-ee5df3a15c63

Reader

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...0-f9382360e291

X-Box Live

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...0-847c610baf41

Weather

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...2-d60f3ba3cae0

Finance

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...e-8f0df45083c1

What's more interesting, this was posted by some-one on May 14, maybe there's something new in there (just check those with en-US in the URL)

http://pastebin.com/sgN9KUds

:)

Edited May 15, 2012 by lcg
Fixed links

[bogas04]

You copied the text of link and not the url :/ none of them works..

[Som]

We already had this conversion on the forum, and you are wrong/out of your mind.

everyone is entitled to their opinion,.... i agree with him, i don't like it but that's just my opinion :p

still don't understand why they don't just call it windows 8 tablet edition...

[George P Global Moderator]

everyone is entitled to their opinion,.... i agree with him, i don't like it but that's just my opinion :p

still don't understand why they don't just call it windows 8 tablet edition...

I think the difference in the name is for a simple yet also technical reason, or two of them at least. First off calling it Windows RT or just Windows "something" and not Windows 8 "something" is probably so people can get a quick idea that even though they look the same UI wise Windows RT and Windows 8/8 Pro aren't really the same code/app wise. By changing the name enough you try to make it clear that this version and the other one aren't 100% the same. Last thing they want is people trying to run their x86 apps on Windows RT tablets and then bitching because they don't install at all.

The other reason I see is that MS is also pushing Windows RT as part of the tablet, as one "device" and not how we look at Windows on the PC as far as just being the OS that anyone can change on their generic x86 hardware. The Windows RT licensing should make this clear as well, only OEMs will get access to it so they can install it on their specific hardware it sounds like. No retail version of WinRT will be sold and I doubt you can just install it on any ARM tablet without enough support/work from the hardware makers of that tablet as far as drivers go.

Now if you don't like the Windows RT name, that's one thing but I think not simply calling it Windows 8 tablet edition was the smart thing to do in this case.

[FaiKee]

You copied the text of link and not the url :/ none of them works..

Sorry, my bad.

Photos

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...d-c1805a297206

Music

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...a-e9ed3a5f872d

Mail, Calendar, People, Messaging

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...4-ee5df3a15c63

Reader

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...0-f9382360e291

X-Box Live

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...0-847c610baf41

Weather

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...2-d60f3ba3cae0

Finance

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...e-8f0df45083c1

[contextfree]

still don't understand why they don't just call it windows 8 tablet edition...

Because that's not what it is. There will be x86/64 tablets, there will be ARM netbooks/laptops.

[Ice_Blue]

Anybody notice that although the window corners are square, the shadow corners are round?

[bogas04]

Anybody notice that although the window corners are square, the shadow corners are round?

Not noticeable , also its fine doesn't look odd.

[jagowar]

I wonder what they will say about this at e3.... their e3 show is the monday of the first week of june so it would kinda make sense to talk about the gaming aspects at e3 and then release the new version right after but I could see them holding off a few days because of the extra traffic e3 will bring.

[08993]

Not noticeable , also its fine doesn't look odd.

He noticed it, I noticed it, it is odd which is why we noticed it.

[ESC@PE]

Extremely excited for this! I just hope that they fixed the audio driver issue(s)...

My Dell Vostro 1400 lappy will not play sound from the on board speakers! But plug a pair of headphones into the audio jack and the sound is fine ;)

Heres to hoping it's all well and good!

[George P Global Moderator]

I wonder what they will say about this at e3.... their e3 show is the monday of the first week of june so it would kinda make sense to talk about the gaming aspects at e3 and then release the new version right after but I could see them holding off a few days because of the extra traffic e3 will bring.

They could talk about Win8 and WP8 at e3 since we're really not going to get any info about the next gen Xbox at the show from what MS has said officially. I'd be down for some cross-platform Xbox Live game syncing and playing to be shown. I also expect they'll finally show the new "Zune" service at E3 as well, whatever the final name will be. Best bet is Xbox Music but maybe they have something a bit more creative in store for us.

[jagowar]

They could talk about Win8 and WP8 at e3 since we're really not going to get any info about the next gen Xbox at the show from what MS has said officially. I'd be down for some cross-platform Xbox Live game syncing and playing to be shown. I also expect they'll finally show the new "Zune" service at E3 as well, whatever the final name will be. Best bet is Xbox Music but maybe they have something a bit more creative in store for us.

I don't see them showing off wp8 because they haven't even officially talked about it yet.... plus I see win8 being a much bigger deal for xbox live support than wp8. wp7 has been a pretty big disappointment to me in the gaming dept and I don't think it gets much better with wp8. The new music service is interesting to me because it sounds like they will finally go multiplatform with it and it would make sense to show it on xbox and the tablet.... I am a bit concerned whatever it is will trump the zunepass which could be a good thing or it could be bad. My zunepass was up for renewal next month so I opted to not renew for now until I see what the new service looks like.