win 8.1 Poll: Windows 8.1 Preview Experience (How do you like it?)

[lashtal]

Installed on 2 PCs, my impressions so far:

- Start button: looks slightly out of place. Useful on touch devices to open power menu. Wish I could hide it.

- Start screen: desktop app tiles now have color background, now its harder to distinguish them from modern apps. Also, some background color choices are weird (e.g. powerpoint, origin)

- On my Surface pro, Services snap-in is bugged. 

- How do I open All Apps screen with a shortcut? Before upgrade I could press Win+Q, now it opens search everywhere

- Libraries. I want to enable 'show all folders' to see Recycle bin, etc, BUT hide libraries. The thing is, when 'show all folders' is checked, 'show libraries' checkbox does nothing at all.

- IE11. Now with loopback restriction enabled by default on the desktop version, had to search how to override it to open locally hosted websites.

 

Other than that, I think the update is solid and a must have.

[Dot Matrix]

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:

 

Perhaps if you actually list the problems you faced, we could better understand this post...

[scumdogmillionaire]

I like it! Surface RT installed just fine.

 

My desktop however was a different story. Ended up having to uninstall SQL Server 2012 then finally the install worked.

 

Features are good. The desktop background on the start screen is much nicer. Like the new tile size, too.

[Dot Matrix]

The new Modern Control Panel is drop dead sexy. Simple, clean, and sharp. Also FINALLY UNIFIED. :D

 

 

 

[neo1911]

Ok W7 style System Image Recovery has been removed.... What the FU*K Microsoft? How am I supposed to restore if I mess up?

FU&K MICROSOFT. Couldn't be more angrier.

[lashtal]

Ok W7 style System Image Recovery has been removed.... What the FU*K Microsoft? How am I supposed to restore if I mess up?

FU&K MICROSOFT. Couldn't be more angrier.

 

recimg /createimage perhaps?

[+Warwagon MVC]

The one thing Windows 8.1 DOES have going for it is, after windows 8 the only way you could possibly go is up.

[Dot Matrix]

Ok W7 style System Image Recovery has been removed.... What the FU*K Microsoft? How am I supposed to restore if I mess up?

FU&K MICROSOFT. Couldn't be more angrier.

 

What kind of device are you using?

[mac_freak]

where link to download windows 8.1  not iso file  :)  grrr

[neo1911]

What kind of device are you using?

1957 typewriter.

[+KibosJ Subscriber²]

They removed the messaging app? :(

 

Metro Skype doesn't have Facebook features implemented yet so no facebook messaging for now :/

 

As for everything else.....

Installation was amazing! I downloaded it from the store while at work (remote desktop).

Nearly had a heart attack when it rebooted automatically and kicked me out of remote dektop.

Connected 10/15 minutes later and all was installed :D

 

Everything is working perfectly for me too so far :)

[neo1911]

I will list my annoyances

1. No image based system recovery.

2. Mandatory folders in This PC

3. Office 2013 setup returns bootstrap error and crashes.

4. Laggy DWM animations. Open / Close explorer window and you will see.

5. iPhone gets categorised as a drive and appears before C drive in This PC. So plug a device and drives shuffle their positions.

Suddenly Windows 8.0 feels like Windows 7.

[Sadelwo]

There is  "Help and Tips" Tile on the Start Screen. Why wasn't this included from day one? Microsoft would have saved themselves a lot of trouble with non tech users, but its a step in the right direction.

[spaceelf]

I could only vote in question 1 so I can't do the poll yet.

 

Why can MS do everything right except get things downloaded in the first place?  They have a long history of horrible glitchy downloaders lacking in functionality and as far as I can tell BITS has a lot to do with it.

 

Anyway, got the ISO coming.  Two hours.  As the bloody Store bits should've been.

 

(And yeah, I know, it's a preview so I'm not that mad about it.  Just bleh.)

[Studio384]

Not all features that where showcased are available in the preview, they will be added in the final, at least, if they are still on track to put them in there.

[George P Global Moderator]

Not all features that where showcased are available in the preview, they will be added in the final, at least, if they are still on track to put them in there.

 

Which ones are you talking about exactly?

[Evolution]

Is anyone finding that the bing all in one search is lagging, slow compared to before?

[Dashel]

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.  

 

Its really just a transparency so yes, it will work with rotating wallpaper.

[George P Global Moderator]

Is anyone finding that the bing all in one search is lagging, slow compared to before?

 

Probably getting hammered by all the preview users trying it out at once?

[Xilo]

They didn't fix the #1 complaint. So really there hasn't been much of an improvement.

[techbeck]

I hate it...worst thing ever  :P

 

Have not had a chance to try it yet.  Going to load it up on a test system hopefully this weekend.  Already have a copy of 8, just have not upgraded yet and waiting on 8.1.  Have all the Win8 drivers DLed for my system to. 

[heyitsheather]

Installed this morning on my hp Envy dv6, i5-3230m, 8GB, nvidia GT 635m. Win 8 x64 Pro.

 

I downloaded an ran the upgrade patch for the store with no problem.

 

Upon launching the store and then attempting the upgrade I ran into multiple download issues, not able to complete. This turned out to be an issue with my wifi and not the store itself. I used a patch cable to plug into my router and was able to download the upgrade without issue.

 

The upgrade ran flawlessly though took quite a bit of time, about 2 hrs once the download was done.

 

I haven't seen any compatibility issues beyond Start8 which I was aware of going into the process.

 

No issues so far with:

 

Office 2013 Pro (ran Outlook, Excel, Word)

Visual Studio 2010 Pro

Dreamweaver CS6

Dragon Age: Origins

Sim City 2013

Plex Windows 8 app - streamed 2 movies

Netflix Windows 8 app - streamed a couple of TV shows.

 

I'm really liking the new sizing options for start menu tiles. Allowing me to cram more stuff there, I might actually start using it. Being as crowded as it could potentially become, I did have a flash back to my days with Win 3.x program manager. :)

 

Overal, no issues so far.

[PGHammer]

Test system put through the wringer (8 Pro VL).  Upgrade attempts from the Store failed (two different attempts); however, ISO-based updates (MSDN the first time, and from the 8.1 Preview site the second) were both successful.  Now I'm doing major IE11 testing - so far it's faster darn near everywhere (even on Flash-heavy sections of Facebook, which were notorious for dragging IE10 and earlier to a crawl).  Will I *finally* be able to standardize on a single desktop browser? (I've had to rotate among three desktop browsers due to site idiosyncrasies, and I hate it.)

[McKay]

Decor8 stopped working. ModernNix stopped working, UXThemePatcher causes a BlueScreen so I can't re-apply my theme. Lovely.

[Dashel]

Anyone know what the trigger for the show more tiles is, I'm assuming resolution-wise?  (Or why they block this on higher resolution screens?)

 

I don't see the option on my Desktop where it would be most helpful, nor do I see a large tile option, but they still appear to be bigger/less dense than RT with it enabled.