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

[_neutrino Veteran]

loaded it last night on a test machine and ran into a few very strange things.

 

• It asked for a product key, which i could not give it because windows 8 systems do not come with a sticker with the key on it, ended up looking on microsofts sight and got a preview key to use.
• Once the computer rebooted and told it it was ready for use (and ran through the small setup) it went to the desktop for a few minutes and signed me off, once i signed back in, i got a black screen with a curser, and the CPU is tacked out to 98%

[JonnyLH]

They should.  Or at least they should add in a reasonably useful, and business-oriented replacement for it.  the Windows 8 Start Screen will simply never be useful in a business or non-entertainment setting.  Hell, given the direction they are going, I'd love to see a Windows Home and Windows Work type differentiation between OS offerings.

 

Good gawd... i shudder at the thought of teaching our mostly completely non-technical staff user base of around 1800 how to use Windows 8.  Which is why we will never deploy it.  Doesn't make any sense in a domain-based, productivity-driven, educational industry work environment.

While people complain about the OS lacking unification, the same people also complain that they want more fragmentation built into it by including the start menu.

 

Why is the start screen any different to the start menu if you're just loading programs from it? Also, as a guy who's installed Windows 8 for many non-tech users, its very easy to pick up. I just show users how to get to the desktop and back to the start screen, which takes the whole of 4 seconds. After that, and when they release they have a central app store where they can download games for their kids, you soon realize how much it actually benefits the normal user. True story!

 

I can't wait to try out Windows 8.1.

[McKay]

Well yeah O.o

Clearly things ****ing with Windows files are going to break when those Windows files change >.<

 

Not everything changes. There was a strong possibility the theme patching stuff would work. 

[+DonC Subscriber²]

They should.  Or at least they should add in a reasonably useful, and business-oriented replacement for it.  the Windows 8 Start Screen will simply never be useful in a business or non-entertainment setting.  Hell, given the direction they are going, I'd love to see a Windows Home and Windows Work type differentiation between OS offerings.

 

Good gawd... i shudder at the thought of teaching our mostly completely non-technical staff user base of around 1800 how to use Windows 8.  Which is why we will never deploy it.  Doesn't make any sense in a domain-based, productivity-driven, educational industry work environment.

You know it's kinda funny really.

 

Here I am looking at my start screen thinking:

 

Hmm.  Mail.  Yeah I use that at work (though it is no Outlook.)  Oh a calendar!  I use that for work too.  A weather app.  Oh my boss won't be cross seeing that over my shoulder.  A map app!  I could use that to get some maps for my next off-site visit!  Photos!  Wow - there's all my photos of whiteboards and system architecture sketches.  Even more neat - there's all my work colleagues cycling through the people app.  I can click on them to get maps, phone numbers and stuff.

 

This stuff will NEVER catch on in the workplace! WHAT WERE MICROSOFT THINKING??????!!!!!!!  /s

[JonnyLH]

You know it's kinda funny really.

 

Here I am looking at my start screen thinking:

 

Hmm.  Mail.  Yeah I use that at work (though it is no Outlook.)  Oh a calendar!  I use that for work too.  A weather app.  Oh my boss won't be cross seeing that over my shoulder.  A map app!  I could use that to get some maps for my next off-site visit!  Photos!  Wow - there's all my photos of whiteboards and system architecture sketches.  Even more neat - there's all my work colleagues cycling through the people app.  I can click on them to get maps, phone numbers and stuff.

 

This stuff will NEVER catch on in the workplace! WHAT WERE MICROSOFT THINKING??????!!!!!!!

What about all those highly useful desktop apps which you pin to the start screen to make it a fully fledged application launcher like its meant to be, do you not use those either?

Stop being a jackass, it has the same purpose of the start menu.

[muffinsyay]

As mentioned before (I think) I dislike background colours on desktop applications for the start screen. Differentiating app types isn't as easy. Firefox also seems to have an awful bright blue, not sure why.

[slumdogtrillionaire]

why is everything so huge? explorer items.. and how do I turn off cleartype system wide? full screen apps are mehh

[Dot Matrix]

I can't wait til Neowin supports IE11....that'll be like next year right ;)

 

I have had more trouble just getting this thing installed and working right than anyone should ever have to, but now that it's working I do love it.

 

Damn.

 

 

Surprisingly, Neowin works better with IE11 on my Surface tablet, than it did with IE10. Go figure. :P

[+DonC Subscriber²]

What about all those highly useful desktop apps which you pin to the start screen to make it a fully fledged application launcher like its meant to be, do you not use those either?

Stop being a jackass, it has the same purpose of the start menu.

Sorry - I should've put a /s on the end of the last line.  I just edited it now.

 

I was trying to point out that the start screen stuff is just as useful in the context of the workplace as they are at home.

[neo1911]

Ok I have sorted my Office 2013 install issues. 

 

But still has anyone ever found how to remove those nagging folders in This PC? I think we need to dig deeper in to registry settings.

[JonnyLH]

Sorry - I should've put a /s on the end of the last line.  I just edited it now.

 

I was trying to point out that the start screen stuff is just as useful in the context of the workplace as they are at home.

Thought so, I read it expecting the /s  :)

 

Exactly, the start screen has perfect relevance. If the company has and works heavily on MS services then stuff like modern app deployment makes its even more beneficial. The start screen makes your PC feel more like yours. Like I actually take pride in re-arranging my start screen on my phone and computer. You can tell the difference so much when using someone else's computer or WP8 phone.

[_neutrino Veteran]

I am now doing a full re-install of Windows 8.1 from scratch rather than just running the update on my test machine, apparently others have had the same issue i did (with the computer booting to a blank screen) and no one has yet to resolve the issue. so a fresh install it is.

[DavidM]

5 - 5 - 1, need an option for sticking with Windows 7.

[(Spork)]

is the new start menu thing a joke ?   ill be sticking with my start8  

[Hizzoner]

No great improvements - I only noticed a slightly faster boot up time.

I was generally disappointed in Win 8.1

Re-installed Win 8.0 and will not install Win 8.1 'til it is RTM'ed

 

[PGHammer]

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?

And you can use your desktop wallpaper (even the themepacks) there, too (that's what I've done).

 

If only you could use them in the LOCK screen as well...(however, that is, admittedly, Quibble Territory).

[Tilt090]

not impressive.

 

ie11 lags when scrolling large pages.

 

metro still comes in the way altho its better, but the option to do straight desktop should be in the setup screen

[slumdogtrillionaire]

back to xp... option should be in the poll back to xp back to 7

[PGHammer]

What about all those highly useful desktop apps which you pin to the start screen to make it a fully fledged application launcher like its meant to be, do you not use those either?

Stop being a jackass, it has the same purpose of the start menu.

JonnyLH - You missed the "sarcasm" tag at the end - and also the whole point of that post.

The live tiles can certainly link to *desktop apps* (which pin to the StartScreen by default, or, at the very least, to the AppsScreen, which is one screen down) - however, live tiles for any application, desktop OR Modern, that supports them, can function as a tripwire/alarm, as you can tell, at a glance, whether there is anything you need to do immediately, without having to actually open the app or application to which they are attached.

 

Point of data - the Mail live tile is linked, naturally, to the Mail app (included with Windows 8.x); by default, of course, it's linked to your Microsoft account.  On my testbed, that same account (an Outlook.com mail account) is in Outlook 2013 - hence the Mail live tile lets me know if my Outlook.com account has anything important I need to deal with ASAP.  Therefore, I need only open Outlook if I have to.

 

That is above and beyond the Start menu.  It does everything the Start menu does - and then some.  And it takes up ZERO desktop real estate except for the Start button, which anchors the Taskbar.

It also fulfills a promise that started with ActiveDesktop and push gadgets and widgets (which go back to not only Windows 95, but NT 4.0 - specifically ActiveDesktop and push-based technologies for it).  It is, at most, a screen away - if you have multiple displays, you can, in fact, dedicate a display to it.  (Note that you don't have to do it - the choice is yours.)

 

Chance of my going back to Windows prior to 8.1 for any length of time on any of my computers?  Exactly none.

[+DonC Subscriber²]

JonnyLH - You missed the "sarcasm" tag at the end - and also the whole point of that post.

Umm.  I confused matters by adding the sarcasm tag afterwards...  :blush:

[articuno1au]

Not everything changes. There was a strong possibility the theme patching stuff would work. 

The problem is that the theme patchers use binary offsets in order to patch the files.

 

If a single bit is added or subtracted in front of where the change needs to be made, it breaks them >.<

[George P Global Moderator]

If you don't want the tiles you can set it to go right to the all apps menu, then it's a full screen app list "menu".   This is no different than how it is in GNOME 3.x as well, also a full screen overlay "menu".    So if you don't want the tiles then you don't need to even see them or use them with 8.1.   You also see more items in the all apps list for the start screen then you ever did with the old start menu, something you'd think power users would like. 

 

But this argument is old, use a start menu replacement or stick with Win7.  I personally see a good number of improvements and additions in 8.1, plus it being free is great.  I can't wait to upgrade my main desktop PC to the final RTM version later.

[Dashel]

@GreyWolf - In Windows 8.1, the limit is 9, 6 was in Windows 8.

 

Then how do I enable the other 3 rows on the Desktop?  If point of this change is more density is available to lower resolutions, 1080 should get 9.

[PGHammer]

Ok I have sorted my Office 2013 install issues. 

 

But still has anyone ever found how to remove those nagging folders in This PC? I think we need to dig deeper in to registry settings.

You mean the ones for Documents, Videos, etc.?

 

Those are the replacements for the default Libraries in Windows 8.0, and are pretty much the same default folders/sub-directories Windows has had since 3.x (with additions from 9x/NT).  All are linked to SkyDrive 8.1 (another by-default inclusion - referred to directly by the OOBE).  While it's a quibble, it's a USEful quibble; in fact, it matches - heads-up - a feature of iCloud (both OS X and iOS).

[Auditor]

Update through win store.. that was a joke. no indication of download speed, no approximate time for installation. No solid indication whether the installation is still working. Disabled permanently the store download and downloaded ISO. Don't see anything new and exciting on desktop front and have no plan to be in metro land. so reverted to 8.