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

[BajiRav]

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.

there is a WP dev event in June, same week I think. So they might actually show all together at E3.

[Anthonyd]

* 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.

I hope so too, but TBH I'm not confident about that. In the CP, metro apps can't query the OS to know the accent color of the user. But it's possible in Windows Phone, so who knows ...

[FaiKee]

Say good-bye to the "old" Task manager, gone since build 837x.

[Ice_Blue]

http://www.winbeta.o...review-24th-may

Microsoft to compile the Windows 8 Release Preview on 24th May?

The Windows 8 Release Preview is expected to launch as a "feature-complete" build, meaning that what you see in the Release Preview will more or less be the same in the RTM. The Release Preview is expected to launch sometime in the first week of June this year.

Three more weeks! :)

[FaiKee]

http://www.winbeta.o...review-24th-may

Microsoft to compile the Windows 8 Release Preview on 24th May?

The Windows 8 Release Preview is expected to launch as a "feature-complete" build, meaning that what you see in the Release Preview will more or less be the same in the RTM. The Release Preview is expected to launch sometime in the first week of June this year.

Three more weeks! :)

canouna posted a few days ago in winunleaked that there would be 12 more days for testing and voting, so counting the days it's around 24th or 25th.

[contextfree]

Some changes noticed from the multimon post & video (crosspost from that comment thread):

* Switcher bar now has text overlays showing the names of the apps. Very welcome change as the switcher was kind of useless without them - it sometimes took so long to scan the thumbnail list for the app you wanted that it was faster to just go to Start and click on the tile.

* It looks like the charms and Start/last app previews come up much quicker now, no slow animations like in the CP. Also a very welcome change especially for the charms.

Also, the preview thumbnails in the corners on the left are smaller now, and only become full-size when you bring up the switcher. At first I thought maybe that was addressing the complaints from people who were confused when they tried to move to click on the thumbnail instead of the corner and it disappeared, but that doesn't seem to be the case - while it happens too quick in the video for me to tell for sure, it looks like the thumbnails still fade out while your mouse pointer is still on them. I guess they just think a smaller button is less "tempting"?

[FaiKee]

Animated file copying, present since build 8370 - the black line moves up/down showing actual copy speed at the instant.

[bogas04]

What's new in that?

[FaiKee]

What's new in that?

Yes, I just found it out in WCP, LOOL.

[Jub]

^ It doesn't have rounded borders any more. :p

[bogas04]

It is since

WDP :p

[winlonghorn]

http://www.winbeta.o...review-24th-may

Microsoft to compile the Windows 8 Release Preview on 24th May?

The Windows 8 Release Preview is expected to launch as a "feature-complete" build, meaning that what you see in the Release Preview will more or less be the same in the RTM. The Release Preview is expected to launch sometime in the first week of June this year.

Three more weeks! :)

Possibly just over 2 weeks if they launch around June 2 or June 3.

[Ice_Blue]

Possibly just over 2 weeks if they launch around June 2 or June 3.

A weekend launch? Have they done this before?

[Dot Matrix]

Damn. The old task manager is gone? Well, that just does it for me. Windows 8 sucks!

JK. :p

Just a little over 3 weeks to go, I'm literally jumping out of my skin waiting to download it. All these enhancements and fixes we've been seeing are a welcome change, and I can't wait to try them!

[Jub]

This has been such a remarkably boring process though. Windows 7 was so fun with all the 'leaks' and discussions (as were Longhorn/Vista and XP), while Windows 8 has seen a couple of releases with half a year in between them and discussions pretty much focused on how "crappy" the start screen is.

Still, I hope the RP sorts out the few oddities I have with the CP. I really like it and want to use it.

[George P Global Moderator]

Win8 will be when I finally move up to 64bit and I might also go multimonitor for the first time as well. I do want to get a bigger screen but I'll probably keep this 22" connected as a 2nd screen then.

[winlonghorn]

A weekend launch? Have they done this before?

No, I mean right in that time frame. Maybe the 4th. I am just guessing and waiting. lol. :)

[freakyfriday]

I hope they fix the realtek audio issue!

[bogas04]

No, I mean right in that time frame. Maybe the 4th. I am just guessing and waiting. lol. :)

4th is my birthday :p

[Subhadip]

This has been such a remarkably boring process though. Windows 7 was so fun with all the 'leaks' and discussions (as were Longhorn/Vista and XP), while Windows 8 has seen a couple of releases with half a year in between them and discussions pretty much focused on how "crappy" the start screen is.

Still, I hope the RP sorts out the few oddities I have with the CP. I really like it and want to use it.

I feel the same way. 90% of Windows 8 discussion is simply - "Metro sucks".

[George P Global Moderator]

I feel the same way. 90% of Windows 8 discussion is simply - "Metro sucks".

I expected no less, either way all the start screen needs for me is a few more customization options, like a better way to handle large lists of tiles instead of just endlessly scrolling left or right. Tile groups is a start but I'd like to see a way to collapse and expand those groups when needed so we can keep the start screen from turning into some crazy long horizontal line.

[Anthonyd]

I expected no less, either way all the start screen needs for me is a few more customization options, like a better way to handle large lists of tiles instead of just endlessly scrolling left or right. Tile groups is a start but I'd like to see a way to collapse and expand those groups when needed so we can keep the start screen from turning into some crazy long horizontal line.

The zoom out button isn't enough for you ? Also you can order the group and put the most used apps in front.

[George P Global Moderator]

The zoom out button isn't enough for you ? Also you can order the group and put the most used apps in front.

Zoom out is fine though you have to wonder how good it will keep being when you end up with a long list anyways? If you don't install much then that's ok, but for those who do there should be at least another way to quickly move to another spot . Having the group names listed at the top, sorta like the way it's done on the Xbox 360's dashboard would also work, and work faster than zooming out and back in. It'd also be easier for users to figure out, I question how many will find out about zoom out even when it's got it's own button in the UI.

Makes me wonder how many people even know about Aero peak, I bet most average users trigger it by mistake, freak out and then thank god their window shows up again after they move the mouse around out of panic.

[BeerFan]

Zoom out is fine though you have to wonder how good it will keep being when you end up with a long list anyways? If you don't install much then that's ok, but for those who do there should be at least another way to quickly move to another spot . Having the group names listed at the top, sorta like the way it's done on the Xbox 360's dashboard would also work, and work faster than zooming out and back in. It'd also be easier for users to figure out, I question how many will find out about zoom out even when it's got it's own button in the UI.

Yeah, i agree with that. It's good that the zoom out feature is there, but only power users are ever going to figure out how to use it. And as you mention, when the Start Screen starts growing, it gets more and more annoying.

Makes me wonder how many people even know about Aero peak, I bet most average users trigger it by mistake, freak out and then thank god their window shows up again after they move the mouse around out of panic.

Too true! I've seen people freak out about that at work on Windows 7. "OMG where'd it go?!? Stupid $%^&ing computer just lost my work!! Oh, there it is." :laugh:

[Anthonyd]

Zoom out is fine though you have to wonder how good it will keep being when you end up with a long list anyways? If you don't install much then that's ok, but for those who do there should be at least another way to quickly move to another spot . Having the group names listed at the top, sorta like the way it's done on the Xbox 360's dashboard would also work, and work faster than zooming out and back in. It'd also be easier for users to figure out, I question how many will find out about zoom out even when it's got it's own button in the UI.

You only have to pin your favorites apps, not all installed items are showed on that list.

You are asking for group name in top, which can be an issue if you have many group. That's why you can zoom out and see the list of all your groups at once to select the one you are looking for.