Recommended Posts

post-2-0-12897300-1372325156.jpg

DIE START, DIE!!!!! - Steve Ballmer

 

Inspired by the Windows 8 experience thread, we have put together a Windows 8.1 satisfactory poll.

Vote!

Leave your comments below.

Some facts:

  • Windows 8.1 Preview version 6.3 (9431) Released June 26 2013
  • Signed off RTM - not yet
  • Handed to OEMs - not yet
  • Released to MSDN/TechNet - not yet
  • Released to Retail - not yet

Guides

Over here, installation went great on al my devices (pc, laptop and tablet). No issues seen. As far as I've tried, everything I normaly use works (Office 2013, Adobe CS6, WinRAR, FileZilla, etc.). Yep, I'm prety happy.

  • Like 3

Not going to use a preview build on my main system (on one of my test systems) so didn't throw everything and the kitchen sink at it, but all in all pretty decent for a preview release.  Tried a few applications, a couple games, etc, ran as expected with no problems.  Shaping up to be a pretty nice update once it's finished.

I like it a lot, actually. There are small refinements here and there and I'm not even going to install a start screen replacement I think.

 

Sorry if this is common knowledge, but has anyone noticed the introduction of animated wallpapers in the start screen?

I like it a lot, actually. There are small refinements here and there and I'm not even going to install a start screen replacement I think.

 

Sorry if this is common knowledge, but has anyone noticed the introduction of animated wallpapers in the start screen?

 

 

Yeah I noticed those a while back in one of the preview videos they posted.   What I want to know though, and since I haven't installed it yet to try, how does the start screen work when you have it set to use your desktop wallpaper but you also have the desktop set to slideshow mode where it cycles between different wallpapers on a set timer?  Does the start screen update as well?  I hope it does since I have some 140 wallpapers I cycle through on my desktop.  

I installed the preview as upgrade over the existing Windows 8 installation. Graphical glitches in the Windows Store aside this worked fine.

 

Compatibility: Most apps worked, MetroTwit crashing upon launch being the exception.

 

Features: It's what I expected it to be - a refined version of Windows 8. Is it good enough to wean skeptical users from earlier versions of Windows and bring them to 8.1? I'm not sure. On a non-touchscreen PC/Laptop 8.1 still feels kludgy, with two entirely different UX concepts shoehorned into one product. The changes in the preview bridge the gap between Metro and desktop to a degree, but still.. it all feels awkward.

I am really sad that they screwed up the unified Search Charms experience that was introduced in 8 in favour for the Search Hero. Though. Annoyed me most in 8.1. Another thing is customising the Start Screen. You tap+hold for picking a title, rather than slight swipe, which is a defined experienced.

I have to be able to finish the download.  Before it'd go to 44% or so and switch to Pending... forever.

 

Now I *think* I fixed it, but it's still stuck at 44% (still says Downloading though, so I figure it just went over 1GB and isn't smart enough to figure out that that's supposed to happen heh.)

 

So yeah, I'll get back to you once it actually installs, which should've been over six hours ago heh.

I like it a lot, actually. There are small refinements here and there and I'm not even going to install a start screen replacement I think.

 

Sorry if this is common knowledge, but has anyone noticed the introduction of animated wallpapers in the start screen?

 

I can't see any animated wallpapers in the Personalize menu and I've tried to select all of them,

Also, the boot screen which shows betta fish is supposed to be animated but mine isn't. Any ideas?

I'm pretty disappointed with the wait for the ISO files!!

 

I'm not really sure why they've delayed the release of those.

 

I don't want to install it as my main OS until RTM - I finally have Windows 8 running smoothly :) .

 

 

The 24hr delay, which is pretty minor, is so they can get people to test the newer store upgrade system first which is how most Windows 8 users will upgrade to 8.1 when the final hits.  It's important to get feedback and people testing it that way instead of just doing a clean ISO install which should work regardless.

I can't see any animated wallpapers in the Personalize menu and I've tried to select all of them,

Also, the boot screen which shows betta fish is supposed to be animated but mine isn't. Any ideas?

 

 

The animated stat screen wallpapers move when you scroll the tiles left and right, they don't move if the start screen is just sitting there.   If even when scrolling they still don't move then I dunno, maybe it's a gfx driver issue?

Just read some reports of lag in DWM. Are window animations laggy like the ones in previous leaked builds?

They may have delayed the ISO release to save some bandwidth. The early downloaders will hammer each other in torrents.

/conspiracy theory.

 

The animated stat screen wallpapers move when you scroll the tiles left and right, they don't move if the start screen is just sitting there.   If even when scrolling they still don't move then I dunno, maybe it's a gfx driver issue?

 

I still can't see any animations. It's probably due to my legacy graphics card and outdated drivers.

 

Also, dragging apps from top to bottom no longer closes them like it did in Windows 8, they still remain running which can be checked in Task Manager.

Installed to my Surface RT yesterday. Installation went smoothy, and took may upward of an hour to complete. Search is a little slow at times, but other than that, everything still works, and works great!

 

Also, Buendia, I don't have any of the animated tattoos either, after tweeting Brandon LeBlanc, he got back to me indicating that the animated backgrounds are NOT included in the preview build.

The 24hr delay, which is pretty minor, is so they can get people to test the newer store upgrade system first which is how most Windows 8 users will upgrade to 8.1 when the final hits.  It's important to get feedback and people testing it that way instead of just doing a clean ISO install which should work regardless.

 

 

Unfortunately for that plan, I'm too patient for this to work. If I could I would put Windows 8 in a VM then go through the Store update, but I've made the assumption it won't work if it's not activated (which it wouldn't be because my license is activated on the host).

Is it just me, or does it suck that they removed the option to create and sign on with a local account during the installation?

 Just disconnect from internet during OOBE (or go back when asked to provide MS account during OOBE) and disconnect network cable or whatever. Then you will be able to log in with a local account.

8.1 is horrible. I had to do a clean install twice, but that's not the problem I have with it. I know it's a beta and I'm used to all kinds of problems.

 

The main problem with 8.1 are separate search fields. App list has one, metro control panel has one, xbox music, etc.

 

I mean, seriously? WTF are they thinking? I understand a search icon (like in the mail app), it's there as a shortcut or a visual clue.

 

To me, the search experience in 8.1 is completely broken. When you open the store, you can't just start typing anymore. You have to click that ugly search field first.

 

Tiles for desktop apps are ugly as hell and I really hope they'll fix them in the final build.

 

I assume they'll also fix how start screen customization works. Right now, you choose a background and set a color scheme. When you pick another background, the color scheme resets to default.

So far... pretty impressed! 16 minutes install time till i was on the desktop... needed to kick off a windows update to get graphics sorted... but so far.. i like! personally.... classic shell installed first thing! really dont enjoy the modern ui! but its something thats overcome so easily... :)

 

I look forward to final release! 

 

new fish is a little girly tho! :P

Installation went great. I enjoy the new features. The only thing is, I had to reinstall a few programs like PerfectDisk, j.river media center, an encoder, my Ceton InfiniTV app/drivers, as-well-as my HP printer/scanner. Digital Cable Advisor doesn't work in Media Center. IE11 is a little glitchy. I get screen flicker only in YouTube on IE11. Also I cannot turn off the Charms Bar (Hot Corners). I check the boxes to disable but nothing happens. Graphics can be jerky at times.

Getting the store to display the update was troublesome. After a lot of messing around and installing the US language pack, it allowed me to install the update meaning I finally got the Preview. :D

 

Most of the changes are welcome expect libaraies being hidden by default and the removal of system images. 

  • Like 1

Just found that there's a setting to permanently display the address bar and tabs in Modern IE. Actually doesn't look too bad, but doesn't that break the chromeless UX Microsoft was going for?

If only the poll had the important question: do you like it and plan to use it?

 

I swear, I've been a "loyal" Microsoft Windows user for 2+ decades now and their progression through all the versions (I used a pre-alpha Windows 1.0 a very very long time ago and absolutely everything since) has been a logical one for the most part. When the very first beta of Windows 7 came out within 15 minutes of installing it and booting the first time I was "Ok, this is what I've been waiting for, this is how to make an OS that works" and I still feel that way even at this moment. That was in October of 2008 and I was running Windows XP Professional x64 Edition since the day that OS became available - I never used Windows Vista as my own day to day OS, couldn't stand it so I went from XP to XP Pro x64 directly.

 

But then the first preview of 8 came along last year and I checked it out, saw a little promise perhaps but I knew from the gitgo where Microsoft was going - or so I thought because those really early betas and previews were still somewhat useful to me to a degree.

 

And then 8 actually came out and I've still yet to use it because I simply can't tolerate it at all - and I say that as a guy that's used touch or pressure sensitive devices for almost 20 years solid: I've been using tablet PCs since before day 1, basically, and all sorts of other tablet style hardware that is just now becoming popular.

 

And then yesterday I snagged the 8.1 ISO off Technet and installed it and... all that I keep wanting to scream out as loudly as possible is "Microsoft, what the hell are you people doing?!?!" because it's just utterly disgusting to me, even more so than 8 is (RTM). I know it's considered a preview and that things will change in some ways but, I can't even get the words to say just how completely totally crappy I felt as I was staring at this laptop of mine as it booted the final time and got to the Start screen.

 

I have been saying that with 8 out I'll be running Windows 7 for a long long time to come, and now with this preview of what 8.1 is going to offer in the next few months, I'm very glad that I haven't shelled out a dime (aside from my Technet membership) for Windows 8 - I even use the Enterprise trial edition for testing Windows 8 so I don't have to waste one of my rather precious Technet Product Keys (things were nice years ago but then idiots realized they could get a Technet sub for $250, get 10 Product Keys for everything Microsoft sells for the most part then they'd dump those keys on eBay or craigslist and use the proceeds to buy another Technet sub, get more keys, repeat the process and finally Microsoft caught on so now we only get 2 Product Keys per product).

 

Once again the few screw things up for the majority.

 

Regardless, I'll be using Windows 7 for an even longer period of time now. Can't tolerate Linux at all in any distribution, and while I have a very checkered and somewhat public past with OSx86 as one of the first people to actually make it work on a regular old PC, I wouldn't use that OS if Apple paid me and gave me free MacBooks.

 

I'm just saddened to see what Microsoft is doing with this OS, I really am. I know it's just one opinion and many many people love Windows 8 - I won't fault them if it's what they like and it serves their needs.

 

But damn... Microsoft, seriously, what the hell are you people doing?!?! :argh:

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • Dude, im talking about simply disable it from settings app. Because of the eu regulation, you could disable it here for years.
    • One big question about Mars was answered thanks to Einstein's 100 year old theory by Sayan Sen Image via DepositPhotos Scientists at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have calculated how time passes on Mars compared with Earth, adding detail to how timekeeping would need to work beyond Earth’s orbit. The study, published in The Astronomical Journal, found that clocks on Mars run an average of 477 microseconds, or millionths of a second, faster per day than clocks on Earth. A microsecond is one millionth of a second, a very small unit used in precise scientific timing systems such as atomic clocks, which measure time using consistent atomic behavior. This difference is not constant. Because Mars moves around the Sun in a non-circular path (an eccentric orbit, meaning its distance from the Sun changes over time instead of staying fixed) and is affected by gravity from other bodies, the daily difference can vary by as much as 226 microseconds over a Martian year. The study also identifies smaller repeating changes of about 40 microseconds per day linked to synodic cycles (repeating periods that describe how planets line up with each other as they orbit the Sun from different positions). These longer patterns affect how time differences slowly rise and fall. To make these estimates, researchers compared Mars with Earth and the Moon. The work looks at relativistic proper time (the time actually measured by a clock depending on its speed and the strength of gravity where it is located, as described in Einstein’s relativity). This shows that each world has its own slightly different “rate” of time. This becomes more important as space missions expand into cislunar space (the region between Earth and the Moon) and toward Mars. On Earth, time systems rely on atomic clocks and satellites, which stay closely synchronized for navigation and communication. The study is based on Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, which shows that time is affected by gravity and motion. Stronger gravity makes clocks run slower, while weaker gravity makes them run faster. “The time is just right for the Moon and Mars,” said NIST physicist Bijunath Patla. “This is the closest we have been to realizing the science fiction vision of expanding across the solar system.” A day on Mars is about 40 minutes longer than on Earth, and a Martian year lasts 687 Earth days. But the main question is not just about days and years, but how fast time itself passes. An atomic clock placed on Mars would function normally, but compared with one on Earth, the two would slowly drift apart due to differences in gravity and motion. This requires careful calculation of what is similar to a time-zone difference across planets. Researchers modeled Mars using a reference surface and included gravitational effects from the Sun, Earth, the Moon, and other planets. This includes a multi-body gravitational system (often described as a three-body or four-body problem, where predicting motion becomes difficult because multiple large objects all pull on each other at the same time through gravity). Mars also follows a Keplerian orbit (an idealized elliptical orbit based on simple gravitational laws that assume smooth motion, before adding real-world disturbances from other bodies). In addition, the researchers accounted for solar tides (small changes in gravitational force caused by the Sun that slightly distort planetary motion and timing, especially in systems involving Earth and the Moon). These combined effects are described as relativistic proper-time offsets (small but measurable differences in elapsed time between locations caused by gravity and motion), which must be included when comparing clocks across planets. “But for Mars, that’s not the case. Its distance from the Sun and its eccentric orbit make the variations in time larger. A three-body problem is extremely complicated. Now we’re dealing with four: the Sun, Earth, the Moon and Mars,” Patla explained. “The heavy lifting was more challenging than I initially thought.” Although the differences are extremely small, they matter for navigation and communication systems that depend on precise timing. Even modern networks on Earth, such as mobile systems, rely on timing accuracy at very small fractions of a second. Communication between Earth and Mars currently takes about four to 24 minutes or more depending on planetary positions, meaning signals are not real-time. A shared and accurate time system could help future missions reduce confusion in navigation and data exchange. “If you get synchronization, it will be almost like real-time communication without any loss of information. You don’t have to wait to see what happens,” Patla said. Researchers note that fully developed interplanetary communication networks are still far in the future. However, understanding how time behaves across planets helps prepare for those systems. “It may be decades before the surface of Mars is covered by the tracks of wandering rovers, but it is useful now to study the issues involved in establishing navigation systems on other planets and moons,” said Neil Ashby. “Like current global navigation systems like GPS, these systems will depend on accurate clocks, and the effects on clock rates can be analyzed with the help of Einstein’s general theory of relativity.” Patla added that the results also help improve understanding of time itself under relativity. “It's good to know for the first time what is happening on Mars timewise. Nobody knew that before. It improves our knowledge of the theory itself, the theory of how clocks tick and relativity,” he said. Source: NIST, IOPscience This article was generated with some help from AI and reviewed by an editor. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, this material is used for the purpose of news reporting. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
    • TeraCopy 4.0 Build 26 by Razvan Serea TeraCopy is a compact program designed to copy and move files at the maximum possible speed, also providing you with a lot of features. Copy files faster. TeraCopy uses dynamically adjusted buffers to reduce seek times. Asynchronous copy speeds up file transfer between two physical hard drives. Pause and resume transfers. Pause copy process at any time to free up system resources and continue with a single click. Error recovery. In case of copy error, TeraCopy will try several times and in the worse case just skips the file, not terminating the entire transfer. Interactive file list. TeraCopy shows failed file transfers and lets you fix the problem and recopy only problem files. Shell integration. TeraCopy can completely replace Explorer copy and move functions, allowing you work with files as usual. TeraCopy is free for non-commercial use only. For commercial use you need to buy a license. The paid version of the program includes the following features: Copy/move to your favorite folders. Save reports as HTML and CSV files. Select files with the same extension/folder. Remove the selected files from the copy queue. TeraCopy 4.0 Build 26 changelog: Added support for receiving files via the LocalSend protocol. Improved exception handling and automated bug report upload. Fixed several minor bugs and small memory leaks. Build 26 (June 24) Fixed a rare exception when a transfer completed. Features added since version 3.17: Enhanced speed graph. New multi-threaded copy engine. Support for copying to multiple targets. Queue system for managing multiple copy operations. Support for receiving files via the LocalSend protocol. TeraCopy entry in the modern Windows Explorer context menu. Integrated toolbar in the title bar. Why receive LocalSend transfers with TeraCopy? Handle file conflicts: Skip, overwrite, or rename files when a file with the same name already exists. LocalSend always creates another copy, which can waste time and disk space, especially when resuming an interrupted transfer. Filter unwanted files: Apply ignore lists or remove files manually before accepting a transfer, so unnecessary files are not downloaded. Better performance on fast networks: In tests over a 10 Gbps connection, TeraCopy received files several times faster than the standard LocalSend app on Windows. Download: TeraCopy 4.0 Build 26 | 14.5 MB (Freeware, paid upgrade available) View: TeraCopy Website | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • Briefly used Turbo Pascal (and Turbo C++) in 97 and soon after that I bought PC magazine that included a full version of Delphi 2. I still use Delphi today, some 29 years later.
    • Age of Empires Mobile comes to PC, here's how to carry over progress from your phone by Ivan Jenic Image: YouTube/Microsoft Microsoft just released Age of Empires Mobile for PC. The game, officially called Age of Empires Mobile: PC Edition, is available for free on Steam and Microsoft Store, almost two years after its initial release for handheld devices. Age of Empires is one of those franchises that entire generations grew up with. The original came out in 1997, and immediately got people hooked to building civilizations and crushing their enemies on the battlefield. However, the franchise today is a far cry from its roots, as Age of Empires Mobile is, well, a game optimized for handheld devices, and not a classic RTS title we’ve all loved for years. And, of course, it includes in-game purchases. The PC version is still a mobile game at its core, but it’s been optimized for desktop play. There’s mouse control, full keyboard compatibility, and a refined UI. Microsoft also refreshed the visuals with some 4k textures, so the game should look better on larger screens. The game supports Crossplay, so you can switch between your phone, tablet, and PC without losing anything. But linked progress doesn’t come out of the box, as you have to enable it first. Here’s how to link your progress: On your mobile device, open Age of Empires Mobile. Go to Settings (Gear icon) > Account. Select Bind Account and choose a sign-in option. Once you enable account binding, sign in on PC using the same method, and your progress will be accessible across all your devices. Xbox Game Pass subscribers also get a bonus reward pack on PC, which includes: 1 Monthly Pass Token 1 Custom Resource Chest 10 Universal 60-Minute Speed-Ups 1,000 Empire Coins Exclusive Player Portrait Frame You can find more info about Age of Empires Mobile: PC Edition, as well as download links, on the Age of Empires official website.
  • Recent Achievements

    • One Year In
      Philsl earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Dedicated
      Scoobystu earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • First Post
      Tom Schmidt earned a badge
      First Post
    • One Month Later
      D0nn13 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Rookie
      +ChiefOfNeo went up a rank
      Rookie
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      458
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      177
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      124
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      79
    5. 5
      Xenon
      76
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!