Windows 8 Release Preview Discussion

[Vice]

How do you get two Metro Apps to be open at the same time on the screen I can't seem to work it out. I've tried dragging them to the side, right clicking apps, middle clicking, looking for hidden buttons. Any help?

[.Neo]

Depending on how often you use both types of apps then it's not much of an issue. If you're using desktop apps 99% of the time then it's just on the times you have to start an app you haven't pinned to your taskbar, and it's a few seconds at the most. Once I have the apps I use open I'm not diving in and out of the start menu in Win7 for example.

Let's say you use Mail and Microsoft Word + Excel on a daily basis. What happens?

[.Neo]

How do you get two Metro Apps to be open at the same time on the screen I can't seem to work it out. I've tried dragging them to the side, right clicking apps, middle clicking, looking for hidden buttons. Any help?

You have to go to the upper left corner. You'll see app thumbnails there. You can then drag one down and it will be "pinned" to the side.

[Guest]

And here, because you wanted it from the Stocks app, and I posted from News, whatever.

Is that enough or do you want me to post from every metro app I can find? I think it looks fine to me on my 1080p 22" monitor, or maybe I'm seeing things.

I think if metro dynamically changed the white-space around content more so, the perceived waste of space might be lesser than it currently is. For example, the white-space around the graph, it does feel a little to tight with the space that there is to play with there. I'm sort of thinking like all of the google apps, they detect the resolution of the window and fit them in either "comfortable" "cozy" or "tight".

That doesn't mean to say the space is actually utilised in a better manner, it really does just mean the perceived usage of the space would change. On the news article, there is clearly not enough content to fill your screen and on a higher res screen which is becoming very common these days, the only thing to make the perceived space usage any better would be to increase the text size dynamically but for stories even shorter than the one shown, it just wouldn't work.

[Kelxin]

For one, I agree with what everyone else is saying. It seems over 1/2 my 55" screen is constantly going to waste.

For two, everything that I do as a computer and network administrator takes 2 - 3 clicks more than any previous OS, and I have to wiggle my mouse around waiting for that crap on the side to come up and if I move the mouse away too quickly, then I have to wait 2-3 seconds, then move the mouse back to the corner. This is all wasted time and productivity.

[Vice]

You have to go to the upper left corner. You'll see app thumbnails there. You can then drag one down and it will be "pinned" to the side.

Thank you :)

[soulburner]

I have a problem with the mail app. After launching, it looks like this:

Tried restarting the app, restarting Windows - nothing.

[George P Global Moderator]

Let's say you use Mail and Microsoft Word + Excel on a daily basis. What happens?

If, for some reason you just don't like the mail metro app then you'd go back to a desktop mail client. I personally use Outlook 2k7 atm, but still, it's minimized to the tray 90% of the time. Now, maybe I don't use email as much as other people but still, how often do you dive into your mail client? And how much time do you spend in it compared to other work related programs? Besides, wasn't everyone moving to web based mail, so you're going to access it through a browser. :p

Point is, if the metro app isn't doing it for you there's still the old desktop apps to use, and many probably will stick with them while others move. It depends on the type of user in the end.

[George P Global Moderator]

For one, I agree with what everyone else is saying. It seems over 1/2 my 55" screen is constantly going to waste.

For two, everything that I do as a computer and network administrator takes 2 - 3 clicks more than any previous OS, and I have to wiggle my mouse around waiting for that crap on the side to come up and if I move the mouse away too quickly, then I have to wait 2-3 seconds, then move the mouse back to the corner. This is all wasted time and productivity.

So uhhh, why aren't you using kb shortcuts then? I hear some moaning about the mouse yet wonder why they don't use the large number of kb shortcuts that do things, and always have, faster.

[Steven P. Administrators]

Waiting :)

it is one of the main reasons I switched back to 7 from consumer preview.

No GUI glitches on Firefox 13.0 beta that I can see. I have yet to confirm if Flash items can be paused and don't restart by themselves though.

It took almost 2 and a half hours to upgrade lol

[BiGdUsTy]

"There isn't enough free space on the system partition." when I try to upgrade install from win7 x64. I have 647Gb free on the drive. Clean install it is I guess.

[.Neo]

If, for some reason you just don't like the mail metro app then you'd go back to a desktop mail client. I personally use Outlook 2k7 atm, but still, it's minimized to the tray 90% of the time. Now, maybe I don't use email as much as other people but still, how often do you dive into your mail client? And how much time do you spend in it compared to other work related programs? Besides, wasn't everyone moving to web based mail, so you're going to access it through a browser. :p

Point is, if the metro app isn't doing it for you there's still the old desktop apps to use, and many probably will stick with them while others move. It depends on the type of user in the end.

Sorry, but I don't see much point in upgrading to Windows 7 if you end up spending most of your time on the desktop. It wasn't what I was getting at either: An average person who uses Mail and Word/Excel on a daily basis will see him/herself constantly switching between two completely different interfaces. It's really that simple.

[Kelxin]

So uhhh, why aren't you using kb shortcuts then? I hear some moaning about the mouse yet wonder why they don't use the large number of kb shortcuts that do things, and always have, faster.

I don't feel like memorizing 50 keyboard shortcuts to go to a new client, to find they don't have the keys necessary to hit those shortcuts, or they're running a Mac, or since you've evidently never used a virtual machine KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS DON'T WORK.

Edit: Speaking of virtual machines, anyone install it on the new VMWare 8.0.3 and notice when you install the VMWare tools that the icons freak out and turn black, and if you open the control panel and set it to classic, then re-open the control panel it always goes back to category?

[Steven P. Administrators]

Where is the remote desktop metro app?

[ady199]

Has anyone found a way to remove the desktop watermark yet??

[+Zlip792 MVC]

firefox ui glitches, are they fixed in relese preview?

As Neobond said, they are fixed now. It was fixed after few days of Consumer Preview release in Nightly build. I don't know about if any new bug popup by the way.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For nvidia folks:

http://blogs.nvidia.com/2012/05/nvidia-drivers-receive-windows-8-certification/

Wait one week for drivers...

[Tilt090]

i'm not going to be verbose about this. making such drastic changes in the ui and forcing it on even business users make me just connect it to the state of US economy. is it in such doldrums that they have to make such drastic changes to push jobs into training for this new os jobs in new development for this os etc. etc. seems like microsoft is the last atlas holding usa up and they had no choice but go in this direction more because of the economists than actual IT guys and public demand.

sorry if i'm hitting a nerve or sound like bs, just my take after seeing RP.

[TygrScott]

I just don't see myself wanting to use this in my business. I'm TRYING to get used to it, but all the damn bouncing around as I try to launch programs and do the things I normally do, what is the point?

[Mr.XXIV]

Eventually I want to use Windows 8 for business, ONLY because I'm to be developing apps for those who solely love the use of Windows 8's tiles.

I'm not going to lie, I actually used Windows 8 as a Web Server.

The performance really annoyed my in CP, did you notice any difference?

[Kelxin]

Just curious, why open a new thread about something that is already being talked about in like 4 threads?

[Harshwardhan]

No GUI glitches on Firefox 13.0 beta that I can see. I have yet to confirm if Flash items can be paused and don't restart by themselves though.

It took almost 2 and a half hours to upgrade lol

Thanks.

As Neobond said, they are fixed now. It was fixed after few days of Consumer Preview release in Nightly build. I don't know about if any new bug popup by the way.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For nvidia folks:

http://blogs.nvidia....-certification/

Wait one week for drivers...

In Consumer preview the most prominent issues with firefox were erratic behavior when clicking on the top left firefox button and then trying to open new tabs, sometimes tas would become unresponsive and sometimes not open at all.

and a few minor issues as well.

Anyways thanks for confirming.

[Tilt090]

this is the first time i'm seeing something being pushed on consumers to make the economy go rather than the consumers demanding something and that making the economy automatically go.

[Tilt090]

Just curious, why open a new thread about something that is already being talked about in like 4 threads?

i'm not sure if thread killing is polite interruption in your dictionary but anyway the larger link to the state of us economy possibly being the reason to push these changes aka a larger picture is what i'm looking at not the 'my desktop prettier than your desktop' or 'this not working but that is'.. etc. thats why this thread. different purpose different thread.

[caerma]

is a little disorienting at first, and I'm not finding it faster than 7...

[neufuse Veteran]

anyone having an issue with virutalbox and this in when 64bit where you have to hold the mouse button down to get a click? or double click to get a single click in? even with the windows additions installed