Recommended Posts

Obviously. You don't like something? Okay, let's talk about it. But the venom and hate some people like him constantly spew is baffling bordering on disgusting.

Yes, much like the venom and hate spewed toward those who don't like windows 8.

EasyBCD will fix any Bootloader issues. Free for personal use too.

http://neosmart.net/EasyBCD/

I have EasyBCD already, but for the first time ever, it didn't work, no matter how many times I tried. I did get the old bootloader back eventually though. I went into msconfig > Boot and set Windows 7 to be the default boot drive while booted into Windows 8 RP. I tried doing the same thing in Windows 7 and for some reason it didn't work. Go figure, lol.

Are you able to install MSE?

don't know about RP, but I did on my current CP installation. don't see any reason for it not to work on RP.

That's right, it is, I don't think you can install MSE on Windows 8 because they should be the same code and engine, just with different names. MSE will be around for Win7 and Vista only from now on I'd guess.

But as far as finding it, without booting into win8 right now doesn't it come up if you just hit winkey and type defender? That should bring up the app, or if not I'm going to say you can find it in the control panel (the desktop one).

Exactly, you can't install MSE on Windows 8 RP because is exactly the same program as Windows Defender!

guys, don't claim that you can't do something if you didn't tried. I installed MSE without trouble. even if it's the same code, MSE is recognized as separate anti-virus (and installs into different folder) and so it turns off Defender when installed.

then reason I swapped Defender with MSE is that while Defender might be the same thing, it's quite a pain in the ass to deal with it's settings and quarantine/history list.

Still also getting those issues of a freeze followed by graphical artefacts everywhere

Anyone else getting this?

this kind of thing is either driver or overheating problem. or both. i had such problems many times in past due to GPU overheating

does anyone know how much memory metro apps use? The reason I ask is if you open a bunch then say go to Netflix and run a video the metro apps are still running and performance suffers

New task manager tells you everything about apps.

Also Metro apps don't work that way. There is only one App using CPU resources and the rest are automatically suspended. You can see this enabling the "View -> states -> show suspend state" in Task manager.

Enjoying so far, great to finally be able to use the Xbox apps along with the media ones.

Music app doesn't like Zune DRM through which is a bit of a let down

It should do - the music app is effectively a Metro version of Zune and plays it fine on my PC, and you can download & stream Zune Pass music from it. You might have to authorise your PC though, but other than that as long as you're signed in with your Zune Pass account it should work.

Most metro apps shut down virtually immidiately after opening. News, Sports, Weather and Maps in particular.

Actually Weather just shows that it's working but never changes to the local weather. Just the blue screen with the spinning indicator.

So far, this Release Preview is a step back from Customer Preview. CP was rock solid for me. RP is laggy and most metro apps do not work. :/

EDTIT: Uninstalled News, Sports, Weather and Maps. Reinstalled each, rebooted and still none work.

Anyone else having problems installing the release preview on a computer they had installed the CP on? Like it telling you the cpu "isn't compatible" (read: has been made incompatible)? Pentium 4 by the way. Guess it's old.

I'm going to try to do a clean install boot off the cd and see if it tells me the same.

Most metro apps shut down virtually immidiately after opening. News, Sports, Weather and Maps in particular.

Actually Weather just shows that it's working but never changes to the local weather. Just the blue screen with the spinning indicator.

So far, this Release Preview is a step back from Customer Preview. CP was rock solid for me. RP is laggy and most metro apps do not work. :/

EDTIT: Uninstalled News, Sports, Weather and Maps. Reinstalled each, rebooted and still none work.

So I did a PC Refresh with no luck. Considering how ridiculously fast Win 8 installs, I just did another clean install. All works well now. Strange.

Impressions

1) Nice nifty quick clean install

2) Cloud sync nice, especially when reinstalling clean

3) Speed all around but I'll withold judgments. All previous versions lose this extra speed when RTM'd at least that's how it's been in the past.

4) If it remains this fast, Metro will be a liveable annoyance.

5) Laptops NEED Apple's multitouch mousepad gestures, currently a scroll mouse is needed or this is unuseable.

6) Scrolling is inconsistent in Metro apps. All Metro apps and the Start Page should scroll the same.

7) Metro not as good as lovers would have you believe, not as bad as haters would have you believe.

8) Bring on apps please, real apps.

  • Like 2

After further use, metro still annoys me of course :p, but I think it COULD be pretty good, but its just not there yet in windows 8:

1. Reboot/Shutdown. Why is this under settings? It makes little sense and takes too many actions to get there. Why can't I hit the super key and search for reboot/shutdown? Why can't I add reboot/shutdown etc.. to the metro homescreen? (more on lack of homescreen customization later).

2. Metro start screen is not customizable enough. After using it for a while I think this is one of the main problems with metro. The start screen could actually be pretty cool if it was far more flexible. By default to view all my apps I have to right click, and then move my mouse all the way down to "all applications (this type of mouse travel can be tiresome on a laptop touchpad, and there is way too much of it in metro.) Why can't I put a shortcut to all applications right on the start screen? By default there is too little functionality on the start screen, and really no way to add much more.

3. Its confusing/hard to use with a touchpad. Navigating between different metro screens and the classic desktop can just be confusing. The gesture to get to the metro app switcher is a pain in the ass on a touchpad, this is true for the hotcorners as well. Trying to activate the charms bar with my touchpad makes me want to punch a baby. Hitting win key will switch between metro and classic desktop, quickly and easily.... Unless you have a metro app open, then it just switches between the metro app and metro homescreen, and to get to the desktop again you have to click it on the homescreen or use win + d.

tl;dr Metro screen could be pretty good if it had less awkward mouse/touchpad functionality and more customization features. It has potential with its good search functions and live tiles, but the metro implementation in windows 8 just isn't polished enough and makes the os feel inconsistent as a whole. IMO they really should have had an option to keep the start menu, until they improve the metro experience to a point where its more usable on the desktop.

After further use, metro still annoys me of course :p, but I think it COULD be pretty good, but its just not there yet in windows 8:

1. Reboot/Shutdown. Why is this under settings? It makes little sense and takes too many actions to get there. Why can't I hit the super key and search for reboot/shutdown? Why can't I add reboot/shutdown etc.. to the metro homescreen? (more on lack of homescreen customization later).

2. Metro start screen is not customizable enough. After using it for a while I think this is one of the main problems with metro. The start screen could actually be pretty cool if it was far more flexible. By default to view all my apps I have to right click, and then move my mouse all the way down to "all applications (this type of mouse travel can be tiresome on a laptop touchpad, and there is way too much of it in metro.) Why can't I put a shortcut to all applications right on the start screen? By default there is too little functionality on the start screen, and really no way to add much more.

3. Its confusing/hard to use with a touchpad. Navigating between different metro screens and the classic desktop can just be confusing. The gesture to get to the metro app switcher is a pain in the ass on a touchpad, this is true for the hotcorners as well. Trying to activate the charms bar with my touchpad makes me want to punch a baby. Hitting win key will switch between metro and classic desktop, quickly and easily.... Unless you have a metro app open, then it just switches between the metro app and metro homescreen, and to get to the desktop again you have to click it on the homescreen or use win + d.

tl;dr Metro screen could be pretty good if it had less awkward mouse/touchpad functionality and more customization features. It has potential with its good search functions and live tiles, but the metro implementation in windows 8 just isn't polished enough and makes the os feel inconsistent as a whole. IMO they really should have had an option to keep the start menu, until they improve the metro experience to a point where its more usable on the desktop.

1 - shows up in settings when you search. One could argue that the power state of your PC is a setting, but I'm not going too. :p

2 - If you're going into all apps often, just pin those apps you want in there onto your start screen.

3 - I find the gestures quite simple on a touch pad. I just do a sweeping arc gesture - (well, more diagonal and then up/down rather than a curved arc), but it works everytime, the same for both the app swticher and charms (diag-left then down for switcher, diag-down-right then up for charms :p) And you can click in the top left corner to flick between apps (to quickly get back to desktop if it's recent)

1 - shows up in settings when you search. One could argue that the power state of your PC is a setting, but I'm not going too. :p

2 - If you're going into all apps often, just pin those apps you want in there onto your start screen.

3 - I find the gestures quite simple on a touch pad. I just do a sweeping arc gesture - (well, more diagonal and then up/down rather than a curved arc), but it works everytime, the same for both the app swticher and charms (diag-left then down for switcher, diag-down-right then up for charms :p) And you can click in the top left corner to flick between apps (to quickly get back to desktop if it's recent)

1. Doesn't show up when just hitting win key and searching though. Hitting win key, clicking settings, and THEN searching is still too many steps.

2. I don't all that often, but having to right click to bring it up is still annoying.

3. I do the same gesture, but the travel on a touchpad is REALLY annoying. In windows 7 I can do all these things with less steps and mouse travel.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • ...but you're Johnny, from Australia?    
    • Glow 26.9 by Razvan Serea Glow provides detailed reporting on every hardware component in your computer, saving you valuable time typically spent searching for CPU, motherboard, RAM, graphics card, and other stats. With Glow, all the information is conveniently presented in one clean interface, allowing you to easily access and review the comprehensive hardware details of your system. Glow provides detailed information on various system aspects, including OS, motherboard, processor, memory, graphics card, storage, network, battery, drivers, and services. The well-organized format ensures easy access to the required information. You can export all the gathered data to a plain text file, facilitating sharing with others for troubleshooting purposes. No installation needed. Just decompress the archive, launch the executable, and access computer-related information. Glow runs on Windows 11 and Windows 10 64-bit versions. Glow 26.9 changelog: New Features The processor hardware detection engine has been significantly enhanced beyond traditional Intel and AMD architectures. Native support is now available for modern platforms such as Apple Silicon (M-Series) and the newly introduced NVIDIA Spark. In addition, all ARM-based processors can now be accurately distinguished between ARM32 and ARM64 architectures, providing precise hardware reporting. This marks a major milestone for Glow's hardware detection capabilities. The RAM manufacturer identification algorithm has been expanded. JEDEC vendor codes for popular brands such as Patriot, PNY, Team Group, GeIL, Lexar (Longsys), and Asgard/Gloway have been integrated into the database. This significantly reduces the likelihood of incorrect or "Unknown Manufacturer" results and improves overall hardware detection accuracy. New Public IP Address and Internet Service Provider (ISP) features have been added to the Network section. To ensure reliability, this information is retrieved from the trusted service ipwho.is. When Hiding Mode is enabled, no requests are sent and these features remain hidden, as they may expose sensitive information. The search engine used in the Installed Drivers, Installed Services, and Installed Applications sections has been enhanced. You can now perform more flexible and accurate searches using initials, partial matches, and loosely arranged character sequences. The TS Preloader loading bar has been rebuilt using our modern TS Custom Controls graphics library, developed entirely in-house. As a result of this infrastructure upgrade, the loading bar now features smooth rendering and rounded corners that align with the visual style of Windows 11. [TS Updater] A new validation algorithm has been added to check whether the target application is currently running before the update process begins. Bug Fixes Resolved a condition that could prevent TS Preloader from shutting down safely during rare application crash scenarios. Fixed a text alignment issue in the Network section affecting the display of DNS addresses. Alignment is now rendered correctly. [TS Updater] Fixed an issue that could prevent the updated application's executable "*.exe" file from being located after the update process. [TS Updater] Fixed a bug that could leave outdated "*.sha256" files in the application directory after an update. [TS Updater] Fixed a rare issue that could cause subfolders to be moved into the root directory after an update. [TS Updater] Fixed an issue during the first launch that could cause flickering and a temporary white window appearance due to Windows Defender interactions. Changes A small improvement has been made to the internet connectivity detection algorithm. Connectivity checks are now performed in the background with minimal impact on the user interface thread. The keyboard shortcuts in the top menu have been reorganized and simplified to provide a consistent experience across all Türkaysoft applications and to avoid potential conflicts with standard Windows shortcuts. The TS Preloader splash image has been updated with a Türkiye-themed stadium design to celebrate Türkiye's qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup—its first appearance in 24 years. Congratulations, Türkiye! The TS Custom Controls module has been updated to version 26.6, delivering improved stability and a more polished visual appearance. [TS Updater] The application icon has been redesigned to provide a more modern and refined look. Note: Always unzip the program before using it. Otherwise you may get an error. Download: Glow 26.9 | 1.8 MB (Open Source) Links: Glow Homepage | Screenshot | Github Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • DWARF mini review: the world's smallest smart telescope for night and day sky captures by Steven Parker DWARFLAB reached out to me asking if I was interested in checking out the DWARF mini, which is a portable astronomy telescope designed for amateur astronomers. Why do I say it's for amateurs? Well, for starters, it's not what you'd call "high end"; it's more of a professional-grade starting point for amateurs serious about capturing what's up there in our night and day skies. A typical amateur astronomer is most likely thousands of dollars deep into the hobby, and I will make no claims that this DWARF mini (at a fraction of the cost) could replace it all, okay? Well, if you read on, it will be clearer what I am trying to convey. Disclosure: DWARFLAB provided a free sample without any editorial input or review pre-approval. I have always been interested in looking up and observing the night sky. I see satellites crossing the sky above my garden most nights, and I am always looking at the moon. Yeah, I have a 200MP camera on my phone, but at 200X zoom, AI takes over and makes the pretty moon pictures that I snap, the DWARF mini does not, you get an actual true picture of what you can barely see with the naked eye. Before we start, let's share the highlights of the DWARF mini in bite-sized format: Pocket-Sized & Ultra-Lightweight Weighing just 1.85 lbs (840g), the DWARF mini easily fits into a backpack or large pocket. Its all-in-one, compact design makes it the ultimate grab-and-go digital telescope for hiking, camping, or traveling to dark-sky locations. Intuitive App Control & Built-in Sky Atlas Go from unboxing to your first shot in just 3 minutes! The DWARFLAB App provides a seamless experience with an interactive star map. Simply select your target and start exploring without the steep learning curve of traditional setups. Auto GOTO & 360° Pivot Freedom Enjoy pinpoint automated tracking with full 360° rotation. Powered by a high-sensitivity Sony IMX662 sensor (1/2.8-inch, 2.9μm pixels), it captures amazing, low-noise astro details, bringing faint nebulas and star clusters to life with stunning clarity. Pro-Level EQ Mode & Long Exposure Unlock advanced deep-space imaging with Equatorial (EQ) Mode. Supporting impressive single-frame exposures up to 90 seconds and featuring built-in light pollution filters, it easily cuts through city glow to reveal intricate celestial structures. Smart Cloud Processing & All-Ages Fun Effortlessly enhance your raw data with integrated cloud processing for professional-grade results. Perfect for beginners, kids, and adults, this telescope makes exploring and sharing the wonders of the universe an exciting, family-friendly adventure. The packaging is a pretty minimal affair with the outer box opening like a flap to reveal the plastic mould of the DWARF mini sitting in it. Below, the Sun filter, charging cable, cleaning cloth, and documentation can be found. DWARFLAB also provided a Mini Hydraulic Tripod ($89.99), and I highly recommend getting it if you plan on purchasing the DWARF mini, as it fully supports the motorized tracking feature of the telescope; plus, at 840g, the weight of the telescope, you will need a tripod that supports more than the weight of a smartphone anyway. What's in the box DWARF Mini Smart Telescope × 1 Sun Filter x 1 Type-C to Type-C Cord x 1 Cleaning Cloth x 1 User Guide With that out of the way, here are the full specs: DWARF mini Dimensions (DWH): 60.70 mm x 100.38 × 183.61 (2.39" x 3.95" x 7.23") Weight: 840g (1.85lbs) Aperture diameter: 30 mm (telephoto), 3.4 mm (wide angle) Image Sensor: SONY IMX662 1/2.8" (Telephoto) OmniVision OS02K10 1/2.8" (Wide-angle) Focal length: 150 mm (telephoto), 6.7 mm (wide-angle) Equivalent focal length: 1016 mm (telephoto), 45 mm (wide-angle) Shutter Speed: Tele - 1/10000-90s, Wide - 1/10000-30s Maximum exposure time: 90s (telephoto & wide-angle), Both in EQ mode Rotation range: Lens: 225°, Base: 360° Effective Pixels: 2.07M Maximum Resolution: 1920 × 1080 (Telephoto & Wide-angle) Built-in filters: Astro, Dark, Duo-Band (Telephoto), Astro (Wide-angle) Output: JPG, FITS, TIFF, MP4 Shooting Mode: Photos, Videos, Astronomy, Burst Shooting, Time-lapse Photography Storage: 64 GB Battery: Built-in 7000 mAh, supports external USB charging Charging Port: Type-C NPU: 1 TOPS Features: WiFi, NFC NFC One-Touch Connection Astronomy Post-Processing/Appointment Shooting/Astronomy Mosaic Wi-Fi Transmission Range: 15m (open environment) Color: Black Compatibility: iOS & Android smartphones/tablets Warranty: 2-years (24-months) MSRP: $399 Design Charge port On/off button Lens On the DWARF mini itself, it is a pretty minimal affair. On one side, there is a Type-C USB port to charge the non-removable 7000 mAh battery, and on the other side, a large button to power on or off the telescope. The button is flanked by an LED that is green when connected via the DWARFLAB app, or lights up red when being powered off. Below the button, there are four LEDs that indicate battery power. The DWARF mini does not have any sharp edges as all sides are rounded off; it has a good heft to it, but the weight of it feels quite balanced in the hand, so it isn't top or bottom-heavy. On the front there is the DWARFLAB logo which is quite small and there are no other markings on it. The tripod offers full 360° rotation of the motorized base, which allows for tracking for the time-lapse mode, but also for the 90-second captures of nearer objects in the sky, such as the Sun or the moon. Usage To get started, simply power on the DWARF mini and open the DWARFLAB app, tap on Connect, and it will scan for the DWARF mini over the Wi-Fi network. The device supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, as well as Bluetooth for discovery, so connection issues were minimal in my experience with it. As previously noted in the specs, the DWARF mini will stay connected with a phone or tablet up to 15 meters in an open environment, such as a backyard. Lighting status Powering on: The green circular light will rotate and breathe in turn Powering off: The red circular light is gradually extinguished Connecting: Green light strip rotating Connected: Green light strip solid/always on 4 lights 1= 0-25%, 2= 25-50%, 3= 50-75%, 4= 75-100% battery power To view the full lighting status, such as tracking mode and connection failure, you can check the user guide on the official DWARFLAB page. DWARFLAB app Above, you can see the steps undertaken to connect the DWARFLAB app to my Galaxy S26 Ultra. Weirdly, I got an alert that a firmware update failed to get uploaded to the DWARF mini the first time, but upon retrying, it worked. Then place the DWARF mini outside, make sure your smartphone or tablet is connected to it, and then head back inside, because you can manage it from the comfort of your home. Simply enter the Atlas tab in the app and search for what you want to capture, and then tap on the camera icon; the DWARF mini will then attempt to track the object and give you a live view right on your connected device. Results I've had the DWARF mini since April, but even though my garden is south-facing, I had a lot of trouble trying to capture a good image of the moon. In the end, it was possible after I took it with me on a trip to my parents in Southend, UK, at the end of May. Here is a capture of the moon, resulting from 20 stacked images over a 90-second exposure. What you are seeing here is not AI-assisted. A good example of what I mean is the latest flagships with their 200MP cameras claiming to capture things like closeups of the moon, and while they are not as good as the above example on the DWARF mini, the resulting image on smartphones is actually AI-assisted above 30X zoom. Here is an example of a similar shot at the moon at 200X zoom using an HONOR Magic8 Pro. The difference is clear. Next, here we have a shot of the daytime moon. Here is a shot of Arcturus, the red giant star, which is the fourth brightest in the night sky. As previously mentioned, it could be a bit clearer, but clouds passing in front of it muddied the shot a bit. The Sun The DWARF mini also ships with a sun filter, meaning you can take great shots of the sun as well. Tracking Sun Resulting (stacked) shot Live zoom The pictures themselves are limited to Full HD, and some of the examples actually came out in HD (1280x720), but this is because the standard telescopic result is in 720p while "Wide" is in 1080p. Above you can see how in the app the Sun is tracked, the resulting capture, and Live zoom. I have only scratched the surface of what is possible with this telescope; I found several examples online of shots of the Milky Way, among others, such as nebulae and galaxies. All of this requires patience and knowledge, although if you know what you are looking for, simply enter it in the Atlas tab in the DWARFLAB app, tap the camera icon, and the telescope will attempt to track it. Conclusion The good The DWARF mini definitely places itself in a price point that makes astrology accessible to anyone looking to get started in the hobby. Say you want to have a closer look at the moon, simply enter it in the Atlas, and the Live view also lets you zoom in and snap pictures. The bad Some issues I came across while operating the DWARF mini were that it sometimes failed to connect unless I held my smartphone right next to it, and finding and tracking sometimes took several attempts to get it calibrated. I discovered that it helped if I sort of positioned and pointed the telescope in the general area it was supposed to detect, but this obviously wouldn't work with objects you can't see with the naked eye; more testing is required for that. Another bit of advice is to ensure that the lens is clean. While making the examples of live zooming on the sun, I discovered that the telescope lens and sun filter were not completely clean, and only after cleaning with a microfiber cloth was I able to get a decent shot of the sun. Where to buy and a coupon Okay, $399 is not cheap for a side hobby, but nor is a $1,500 smartphone flagship that you'll most likely have for a couple of years. This is a one-time entrance into astrology, and it won't become obsolete in one year like a smartphone. It's a thumbs up from me. The DWARF mini is available to buy right now in the U.S. and U.K. at the links below. DWARF mini for $399 on the official site DWARF mini for $399 on Amazon U.S. Use the NEOWIN5OFF coupon code for an additional 5% off at checkout (expires June 21) As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Adobe Acrobat Reader Dis Continued
    • The name, you mean? If so, it's actually the objects common name. There's another one called NGC 7293 which is also known as Helix Nebula (because we're looking at a helix structure top down) but other times also known as the Eye of God. You'll understand when you see it
  • Recent Achievements

    • One Month Later
      lamborghiniv10 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      lamborghiniv10 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Reacting Well
      X-No-file earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • One Month Later
      pestcontrol46 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      pestcontrol46 earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      504
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      270
    3. 3
      Skyfrog
      75
    4. 4
      +Edouard
      75
    5. 5
      FloatingFatMan
      70
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!