Windows 8 Release Preview Discussion

[Shaun N.]

I really want to install this, My want to stay in front of the OS versions is urging, But I know how much I'm not a fan of the Start screen and I know I'll end up putting Windows 7 back on after a couple of days :(

[neufuse Veteran]

Ok so I tried snapping Metro apps side by side but when you do that the app with the least amount of space on the screen is severely limited. For example in the stocks app you can read news article in full view but if you snap that to the side you only get current stock trends and nothing else. And due to the way Microsoft has designed this for tablets they don't expect you to have a screen large enough to have two metro apps truly side by side (each taking up 50% of the screen) so instead it's this 25 / 75 split and there is no way to change that?

I wouldn't really consider this multitasking. It reminds me of the gadget toolbar where you would have something on the screen on the side that simply shows you information that you don't interact with. I am genuinely curious where Microsoft sees this going in the future, will Windows 9 fully eradicate the desktop in favour of Metro? They seem to be pushing that idea on ARM Tablets where desktop apps are not allowed to be run unless they are Microsoft ones.

I guess only time will tell how far they are willing to take this concept.

if like all their other "new ideas" this will last one os revision then fade into somehting else.....

[siah1214]

I'm starting to get really curious how the general public will react to this.

I'm starting to wonder if the people on this site have actually observed how the general public (aka average joe on the street not using a company issued computer) uses their PC.

It's usually 1 window open (web browser, usually running Facebook)

If they want to get work done, it's usually done in a browser, or in the MS office suite. And again, it's 1, at most 2 windows open. Remember that only 14% of Windows users had multiple monitors. I bet the number is much higher on this site (I have 4)

Neowin-ites are not the general public. We are geeks. We do geeky things with our geeky computers. The average joe, does not. They don't care. They want fast access to facebook and angry birds, not much else matters.

[Skittelor]

Has anybody tried Deep Freeze on the Consumer Preview or Release Preview? Does it work fine?

[what]

I'm starting to get really curious how the general public will react to this.

I think first impressions and long-term usage opinions will be poles apart. Metro is new, fresh, clean, modern, etc, which looks great in the shop window of PC World. After using it for a while, I think people will start wondering why it takes so long to do mundane things.

[George P Global Moderator]

I think first impressions and long-term usage opinions will be poles apart. Metro is new, fresh, clean, modern, etc, which looks great in the shop window of PC World. After using it for a while, I think people will start wondering why it takes so long to do mundane things.

What sort of things take so long though? Other than the whole shutdown bit being one click more and in a different locations (because since most people now own or use a laptop as their main PC you don't have to "shutdown"). What mundane things take so long?

[DeadEndAccount]

I'm starting to get really curious how the general public will react to this.

After watching this video:

http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/BUILD/BUILD2011/HW-457T

I have a feeling that Windows 8 will primarily be a operating system that people will upgrade their computer for rather than something bought through the retail chain - why? because many of the features require the latest firmware for example which will roll onto faster boot uptime's - and when combined with SSD's you're going to see end users see the link between Windows 8 + new hardware and decide rather than upgrade the operating system that they should do the two at the same time. It isn't all bad news for Microsoft because many will buy Office when they purchase their new Windows 8 machines.

There is a tonne of stuff Microsoft has added to the lower levels of Windows 8 - too bad all the whining and focus has been on Metro.

[Harrison H.]

Does anyone else experience constant issues with the Music app? I'm in the US, so it is supported, but constantly I get the cannot connect to Xbox Live message. Can't play any music at all on this PC from the Zune Pass. I'm not sure if it counts against the 3 PC rule, in which case I can't manage it because I can't connect to Xbox Live in the app to do so. It's not an issue of the system's time as I've verified that is correct.

[mr_han_solo]

I've got it downloaded and ready to go on my HP Touchsmart TM2. I'm just waiting for the Office 15 BETA until I install. Any word when they release is happening? I've seen rumors that's it was going to be at or around the same time as this Win 8 preview.

[Harrison H.]

I've got it downloaded and ready to go on my HP Touchsmart TM2. I'm just waiting for the Office 15 BETA until I install. Any word when they release is happening? I've seen rumors that's it was going to be at or around the same time as this Win 8 preview.

The only date range that has been mentioned is "summer 2012". Could be now, or it could be August. I'm impatiently waiting for it as well. The Metro mail app isn't suited for a business exchange environment, but it looks so much better. Can't wait until V15 is out to see the tie ins.

[PGHammer]

After watching this video:

http://channel9.msdn...ILD2011/HW-457T

I have a feeling that Windows 8 will primarily be a operating system that people will upgrade their computer for rather than something bought through the retail chain - why? because many of the features require the latest firmware for example which will roll onto faster boot uptime's - and when combined with SSD's you're going to see end users see the link between Windows 8 + new hardware and decide rather than upgrade the operating system that they should do the two at the same time. It isn't all bad news for Microsoft because many will buy Office when they purchase their new Windows 8 machines.

There is a tonne of stuff Microsoft has added to the lower levels of Windows 8 - too bad all the whining and focus has been on Metro.

All of which means that Windows 8 will spur hardware upgrades/replacement - which is far from a bad thing.

Let's face it - for at least the past year, the desktop hardware sales numbers have been pretty *meh* - and that's just in the consumer space. In the enterprise/corporate space, it's been worse than flat.

Also, I think that the very reason that the detractors are focused on WinRT is *because* of the API's known immaturity (it's like Ajax v. Achilles - with the detractors in Ajax' place). Win32 is, in fact, a major *strength* of Windows 8; if anything, Windows 8 is largely better than even Windows 7 in terms of backward-compatibility with applications and games. However, if Windows 8 is successful, the line between desktop and portable will blur even further than it has already.

Do the detractors really want to kill what's left of the desktop space?

[patseguin Global Moderator]

Installed last night on my Windows 8 partition, loving it. I love the start screen and the OS is looking and feeling pretty solid.

[bandit_liberty_rumble]

I think that the very reason that the detractors are focused on WinRT is *because* of the API's known immaturity

I think the 'detractors' (you like that word, don't you?) are focused on it, because MS themselves are making it the focus of Win8 by choice.

[Thingol]

Internet Explorer crash, Windows Explorer crash, Nvidia driver stopped working errors. Pfff :(

[Quillz]

MS and metro...

Looks like they're trying to turn Windows 8 into an Xbox 360.

They could've put the Metro interface in for those that wanted to use it, and left the rest of us to what we've been using for 10+ years (removing the start button is such a dickish move, so simple to leave it in), but no, forcing Metro down the throat is the way to go.

And back in 1995 everyone was saying what a "dickish" move it was by Microsoft to force Windows Explorer and the Start menu down the throats of those who had been using Program and File Managers for 5+ years.

[ArialBlue]

Internet Explorer crash, Windows Explorer crash, Nvidia driver stopped working errors. Pfff :(

And AMD stopped supporting 2/3/4xxx series GPUs.

[Richard Mircea]

Hello.I'm new here and I come with a problem with windows 8 release preview.the problem is that i have a pppoe connection and it works fine on the desktop but if i try to acces an app from the metro ui,like the weather,or almost any other,it says that i'm not connected to the internet and stuff like that.can you help me please with some suggestions?thanks

[TDT]

I can't install the x64 version...keeps saying that the damn cd-key is wrong... :(

[theyarecomingforyou]

I can't install the x64 version...keeps saying that the damn cd-key is wrong... :(

If you've double checked the serial key then are you sure you didn't download the Consumer Preview by mistake? They use different serial keys. Some of the links being posted early on were for Windows Server 2012, which might have a different serial as well.

[Stoffel]

Anybody else getting stuck at 15% or 23% of the installation?

It just stops and tells me the installation failed

Any ideas?

I've used the MS USB tool to make a bootable USB with the Win8 RP install on it

Starting from Win8 CP just ran the Setup

Once he starts copying I get the error

[anidais]

Internet Explorer crash, Windows Explorer crash, Nvidia driver stopped working errors. Pfff :(

Same here. It happens randomly. I can't use the OS properly because I know the same errors will ocurr again. New NVIDIA drivers for the Release Preview are supposed to be released early next week. Hopefully they fix the problem.

[Tharp Daddy]

Installed it this morning. So far it feels a bit snappier than CP, and it's more stable. I enjoy the new multi monitor options, as it was one of my main complaints about the CP. I don't really find myself leaving the desktop much, since there aren't any metro apps which catch my eye as of yet. All in all, i don't really have any major complaints about it.

[Dot Matrix]

I can't install the x64 version...keeps saying that the damn cd-key is wrong... :(

Double check. The key should be: TK8TP-9JN6P-7X7WW-RFFTV-B7QPF

[ArialBlue]

Youtube still fails to support HTML5 properly. Good Job Google, still ****-buddies with Adobe Flash I see. :angry:

[Luis Mazza]

I can't boot to Windows 8 (unless on Safe Mode) because I tried to install a damn touchpad driver that didn't work (Macbook Pro 2011).

PLEASE, DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO SOLVE THIS???

There are no Repair Points, they don't work and I don't want to use the Refresh feature as it deletes all my apps.

PLEASE? :) :cry: