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for me its not so much the speed because even on my 4 year old budget dell laptop they all start in less than a second, its more the little things i find missing like a delete all button for junk mail in the mail up... yeah not the best example i know but that was the most recent thing i noticed

I have no idea what's going wrong here then because on pretty much all computers I've seen Windows 8 run on, including my own iMac that has a 2,93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 onboard, most Metro apps take for every to load. In OS X Mountain Lion Mail starts instantly and same goes for Windows Live Mail in Windows 7. :/

I have no idea what's going wrong here then because on pretty much all computers I've seen Windows 8 run on, including my own iMac that has a 2,93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 onboard, most Metro apps take for every to load. In OS X Mountain Lion Mail starts instantly and same goes for Windows Live Mail in Windows 7. :/

odd,on my main desktop when running the customer preview it would take about 3-5 second to load a app. i have not installed the latest build of win 8 on it, but i would think that if it loads really quick on a crappy laptop it would load quick on a desktop as well.

on the laptop the longest loading app is the Store app but i think that has more to do with net connection.

P.S sorry for poor sentence structure im tired :sleep:

odd,on my main desktop when running the customer preview it would take about 3-5 second to load a app. i have not installed the latest build of win 8 on it, but i would think that if it loads really quick on a crappy laptop it would load quick on a desktop as well.

on the laptop the longest loading app is the Store app but i think that has more to do with net connection.

P.S sorry for poor sentence structure im tired :sleep:

The CP ran horribly for me on the slightly dated hardware in my media centre pc, more so than Windows 7. (by a long way)

All Metro apps took around 5 seconds to load and the video/music app was too slow to use. It's as though it tried to cache everything every time the apps ran, then cleared it and did it again. I could wait 10 minutes or more to actually see any music and when I did, it scrolled at a snails pace.

but it's unlikely many are willing to pay ?150 a year for a new Windows release. Keep in mind I'm talking retail prices here.

But nobody in their right mind pays the full price. I got W7 for 50? three years ago and could buy one right now for 65?. Newegg.com lists Home Premium for 100$. (Bi)yearly updates would have to be cheaper of course but not by much.

Seems kinda soon. I got frequent lock ups in Win 8 DP, CP and RP (always the same type, things won't open, I press alt-tab and windows components show up that shouldn't, then I do ctrl-alt-del and it locks), and when that didn't happen I got frequent BF3 crashes. Win 7 on the other hand, has never crashed on this machine and BF3 runs stable. I guess at this point all I can do is hope these are driver issues that get worked out by time Win 8 is available to purchase.

But nobody in their right mind pays the full price. I got W7 for 50? three years ago and could buy one right now for 65?. Newegg.com lists Home Premium for 100$. (Bi)yearly updates would have to be cheaper of course but not by much.

Most people aren't aware of these things, they just see the retail price in stores. And again, I don't see people paying ?80 a year for an OS update. Especially not PC users who tend to differ in this regard from Mac users.

While I support the notion that some will pirate software even if it's being sold for ?0,79. I do think that you'll end up selling more, perhaps even make more money, if you reduce retail prices enough. Apple cut expenses dramatically by making OS X and the rest of their software downloads only. As such they can cut prices as well. In the case of Microsoft's software it might even not be worthwhile anymore trying to bypass activation and the genuine software check if Windows Professional retail only costs ?45 (or something like that).

I have no idea what's going wrong here then because on pretty much all computers I've seen Windows 8 run on, including my own iMac that has a 2,93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 onboard, most Metro apps take for every to load. In OS X Mountain Lion Mail starts instantly and same goes for Windows Live Mail in Windows 7. :/

Same with Outlook, starts almost instantly and i'd wager that's significantly more complicated than the Metro client

Personally I like the notion of having smaller yearly OS X releases. But then again Apple is only charging us ?16. For Microsoft it would mean seriously rethinking their business model.

I think MS could go down the route of releasing yearly updates as service packs with features that are free i.e. they charge you $99 in 2012 and you get free feature updates (8.2, 8.5 etc.) till Windows 9 comes round. It is kind of a similar model.

On the other hand, most of the incremental updates in iOS are not OS level and updating those apps is as good as adding features?

If they release in it's current state, this thing is going to bomb bigger than ME and Vista combined. It needs a LOT more time in the oven and a total re-think. As is, they've got another WP7/Zune/Kin on their hands.

They will NOT kill off the Metro UI on the desktop and restore the start button/menu! That just isn't going to happen as much as many people don't like the idea. I don't really understand why it is difficult to adjust to honestly. I am adjusting to it just fine (and yes, I am an IT Pro/Developer). However, I do respect the decisions of others. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It may be confusing to me, but to each their own! ;)

They will NOT kill off the Metro UI on the desktop and restore the start button/menu!

As if that's the only critique. A lot of people accept Metro but have severe doubts about multi-monitor support and multi-tasking for example are handled. Not to mention the performance of current Metro apps.

As if that's the only critique. A lot of people accept Metro but have severe doubts about multi-monitor support and multi-tasking for example are handled. Not to mention the performance of current Metro apps.

I am not saying that is the only consideration by any means! Multi Monitor Support is looking good from what I have read online. For example, the ability to move the start screen to another monitor so that you can use it as an information dashboard while working is very cool! As far as Metro App performance, you can bet that it will greatly improve by RTM. Once they take the apps out of preview and remove/disable any debugging code, everything should run very nicely.

As if that's the only critique. A lot of people accept Metro but have severe doubts about multi-monitor support and multi-tasking for example are handled. Not to mention the performance of current Metro apps.

Exactly... I'm concerned with the performance of the metro apps of course it could be that there still is debug code in metro with consumer preview. I would like another Release Candidate Preview so that metro could be tested. I see where they are going but execution has to be really good for Microsoft to succeed.

Exactly... I'm concerned with the performance of the metro apps of course it could be that there still is debug code in metro with consumer preview. I would like another Release Candidate Preview so that metro could be tested. I see where they are going but execution has to be really good for Microsoft to succeed.

Exactly! There is at least a 80% chance that the debugging code is the issue if you ask me!

I wouldn't judge RTM quality based on Release Preview because development is strange sometimes. I am developer for years and i am saying this from experience. A lot of work was done in the background and i supposed all dots are connected with RTM. I believe MS purposely didn't want to update Metro Apps and overall GUI for Release Preview to leave something for RTM. (few surprises). I believe quality of RTM is very good including Metro Apps which are updated. Be sure that these apps will get updated in the future and it is pretty independent just like any other Metro App gets updated via Microsoft Store in Windows 7 Phone.

With each new Windows, development process will go quicker just you guys know. If took MS two years to build Windows 8 for example, it will take them only 1.5 to build Windows 9. I believe Windows will get its new release every year and update will be very seamless.

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Exactly... I'm concerned with the performance of the metro apps of course it could be that there still is debug code in metro with consumer preview. I would like another Release Candidate Preview so that metro could be tested. I see where they are going but execution has to be really good for Microsoft to succeed.

Exactly! There is at least a 80% chance that the debugging code is the issue if you ask me!

I'm pretty sure the CP and RP are not Debug builds....

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    • Creative Sound Blaster AE-X PCIe review: your headphones will love it by Steven Parker If you have been reading Neowin for any length of time, you may remember that I reviewed the Sound Blaster Audigy FX Pro back in April. I found it to be an excellent budget sound card, even though it lacked support for formats such as DTS over the included SPDIF port. Anyway, Creative reached out to me again asking if I was interested in reviewing the Sound Blaster AE-X. It is a card mainly targeted at headphone wearers, which I'll get into a bit later. Before we get underway, here is a disclaimer: Creative Labs provided a free sample without any review pre-approval. Here are the full specs of it: Creative Sound Blaster AE-X Dimensions: 179 x 126 x 18 mm Weight: 263g / 9.28 oz Platform: PCI-e DAC: ESS ES9039Q2M Connectivity Options Side: Rear: 1 x HD Audio Front Panel Connector, 1 x ⅛“ Headphone port, 1 x RCA Line-out (Left) port, 1 x RCA Line-out (Right) port, 1 x Coaxial SPDIF-out port, 1 x ⅛“ Mic in/Line-in port, 1 x TOSLINK SPDIF-in port Surround: No DNR / SNR: THD+N: 0.0001% Dynamic Range 130 dB Recording Resolution: PCM up to 32-bit / 192kHz (Stereo) Direct Mode: Line Out (Stereo): PCM up to 32-bit  384 kHz Coaxial SPDIF Out: PCM up to 24-bit 192.0 kHz Headphone Amp: PCM up to 32-bit / 384kHz (Stereo) Native DSD: DSD64, DSD128, DSD256 Output Impedance: 1Ω, Supported Headphone Impedance: 8–600Ω, IEM: 0.5Vrms, Low: 1.5Vrms, Mid: 3Vrms, High: 6Vrms, Maximum output power: 350mW @ 32Ω (High), Maximum output voltage: 6Vrms (High) Front Panel Headphone Amp: PCM up to 32-bit / 192kHz (Stereo) Native DSD: DSD64, DSD128 Output Impedance: 10Ω, Supported Headphone Impedance: 32–300Ω, Maximum output power: 40mW @ 32Ω, Maximum output voltage: 1.9Vrms ASIO: ASIO 2.3 Total Harmonic Distortion: THD+N: 0.0006% Dynamic Range: 114 dB Scout Mode: Yes EMI shielding: No (but it passed all the FCC emission tests) Operating temperature: 0–45°C Input Power: 12V⎓0.5A Warranty: 1 Year (MSRP) Price: $179.99 / £169.99 The Sound Blaster AE-X was announced at the end of May, and it becomes clear that it is mainly for headphone wearers. I should also note that the card does not support DDL/DTS encoding technology, but it is said to support decoding through the coaxial SPDIF port. I was able to test this working with the classic Windows Sound properties, but I could not get a DTS (decode) signal through my Logitech Z906, it defaulted to 3D sound whenever I played DTS content through Plex or Emby. In addition, this card only supports two channels (stereo) over the speakers. The surround support is limited to the Headphone Amp, so before I get underway, what we have here is a card mostly intended for headphone use, especially with its SPDIF In (Toslink) port where you could connect another device like a console. So what about the highlights of this card? The AE-X is powered by the ESS SABRE DAC (ES9039Q2M), which is capable of a 130 dB dynamic range. In addition, it supports 32-bit/384 kHz playback for deeper detail and clarity. The headphone amplifier delivers up to 350 mW @ 32Ω, which admittedly far surpasses standard onboard audio, offering support for studio-grade headphones. DSD256 and ASIO 2.3 are also supported. What doesn't it have? No support for What-U-Hear, Super X-Fi, or the SmartComms Kit No EMI shielding, but it passed all the FCC emission tests (from the FAQ) I also want to make it clear that I am no audiophile. For me, it's purely subjective and it should just "work" out of the box. First impressions As I said in the introduction, I was a bit sad to see that the AE-X only supports stereo output, meaning it would not be on par with my ALC1220 over my speakers, as I mentioned it seems like this card is marketed toward headphone users. Since I am not an avid gamer that would rule me out as a potential customer, but I can still test its capabilities! The card arrived in a nice-looking box, as shown above. It's quite a bit larger than the Audify FX Pro that I reviewed back in April, and at first I thought the covering meant that it was EMI shielded, but it isn't as mentioned above in the highlights section. What's in the box: 1 x Sound Blaster AE-X PCIe card 1 x 3.5 mm CTIA TRRS to Dual TRS Headset Splitter Cable 1 x Quick Start Guide Aside from the Quick Start Guide, which someone at my age (I guess) needs a magnifying glass to read thanks to the tiny fonts, Creative Labs also has the manual online, which first requires you to prove that you're human in order to access it (so I can't direct link it). Anyway, the box is mostly made up of cardboard, and the only plastic in it is the anti-static bag for the card itself. Design Top Bottom The card itself looks pretty cool and actually wouldn't look out of place in an all-white build. There's only one connector, and for some reason it is awkwardly placed on the side (front-facing) that is for the front panel audio connector, which will let you use the headphones through the front PC audio jack. Since the front panel Headphone Amp has fewer capabilities than the rear headphone port, I decided not to use it. Rear of card PCI-e interface The rear of the card is completely open and is normally where you would find the front panel connector. The PCIe interface side is completely covered, which initially made me think it was EMI shielded. I/O panel Side (front-facing) with Front panel connector On the outer rear bracket side we have the TOSLINK SPDIF in, Coaxial SPDIF out, RCA line out (Right), RCA line out (Left), Headphone out, and Mic/Line in ports. On the front facing portion of the card itself is the F-panel connector. Usage Test System Our test system consists of the following: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Gigabyte X870E AORUS MASTER (BIOS F12) Corsair RM1000x (2024) Thermal Grizzly Kyronaut (33x33x0,2mm) 2x 32GB Kingston Fury Beast RGB DDR5 6000MT/s CL36-38-38-80 T-Force Z540 2TB (PCIe Gen5) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition (NVIDIA) Creative Sound Blaster AE-X Windows 11 25H2 Pro I installed the card into the Gigabyte X870E AORUS MASTER which includes the RealTek ALC1220 onboard audio. For our subjective listening tests, I used the Coaxial SPDIF port to my Logitech Z906 speakers. For headphone tests I used the OneOdio Studio Max 2 Wireless DJ Headphones that I reviewed last month. After installing the audio driver, I installed Creative Nexus, which is a relatively new app designed for the latest Sound Blaster cards. Then I discovered the AE-X needed both a driver update from 1.00.15.0001 to 1.01.09.000 and a firmware update from 1.00.06.0000 to 1.00.06.0002, then I was set to go. It should be noted that the card did not work without the driver (not Plug and Play). As you can see above, you can manage the firmware, driver, and inputs via Advanced Settings on the Device tab. By default Nexus enabled "Direct Mode". Upon clicking on Acoustic Engine, the Equalizer can be enabled and set to four different presets, which are: Gaming Music Movies Footsteps Enhancer There's also a dedicated Scout Mode for gamers. I mainly used Tidal and Spotify in the past week to listen to some of my Liked Songs (which now total over 700) in Shuffle mode; there were no pops or interference that I could hear. I also found a 5.1 Surround Music playlist on Tidal that sounded really great over Studio Max 2 headphones. When I reviewed the Audigy FX Pro, I went out and purchased a Logitech Z906 set second-hand for €100 specifically to use with the card, but in this instance all I could get on the AE-X was the 3D output of surround sound through Coaxial SPDIF and although it still sounded great, it isn't quite as good as DTS Interactive via my onboard Realtek ALC1220. Conclusion So what have I learned? The AE-X lacks multi-channel support for 5.1/7.1 setups and drops support for modern surround technologies like Dolby or DTS, functioning strictly as a stereo output device. So to really benefit, you will need Studio-grade headphones to "hear" the benefits of this card. With that being said, I can imagine it will appeal to gamers who are switching between console and PC. By utilizing the SPDIF in port, you could just plug your headphones into the AE-X (front or rear port) and then switch between PC and Console without having to move the headphones to a different port. As I said in the Sound Blaster Audigy review, the EQ in the Creative Nexus app offers safe presets, which allows a user to further tweak the lows, mids, and highs for a personal listening experience. Of course it all depends on the headphones you hook up to it. Speaking of headphones, I kind of wish I had higher-quality Studio-grade headphones to really test this card with; I'm not usually wearing headphones in my day to day duties. The only time I will wear them is if I want to listen to music very late at night and I don't want to disturb my neighbors, so my rating (verdict) is based on this fact. Someone with a PC/Console setup and wears headphone religiously to game, and consume media will benefit much more than I from the high-quality Headphone Amps that are included in the AE-X. Once again, I do feel like Creative could have gone the extra mile to support the S/PDIF port a bit more. Why include it if you're not supporting the main popular digital formats? It seems like the decision was more of a legacy-based one, offering uncompressed 2-channel PCM audio, for users with high-fidelity audio systems and external DACs. Maybe I will be lucky enough to review a card that truly includes all these features in the future. I am sure readers with far more knowledge on audio systems than me will correct me in the comments below. I'll just say I am happy to learn what I don't know! Where to buy The Sound Blaster AE-X is available to purchase now in preorder for $179.99 on the U.S. Creative website, or for £169.99 on the Creative UK website and will start shipping to customers from June 25.
    • $80 or 90%, anything else would be financial suicide one way or another.
    • Or... just use Bitwarden. Free, and has on-prem option as well. Works both on desktop and mobile, wherever you are. The age of local password files is over.
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    • I actually got to use one of those so called "backup codes" once. It was for a customer, I choose the backup code option, and by the grace of god, they actually hade them printed out. Imagine my surprise, when after using the backup code, Google then told use we had to enter a code they just sent to the gmail address we currently did not have access to. I was not amused, Google backup codes should be the end all get out of jail free card, because you had to have access to the account to even get them.
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