Windows Technical Preview  

1031 members have voted

  1. 1. On a scale of 1-5, 1 being worst, 5 being best. What do you think of Windows 10 from the leaks so far?

    • 5.Great, best OS ever
      156
    • 4. Pretty Good, needs a lot of minor tweaks
      409
    • 3. OK, Needs a few major improvements, some minor ones
      168
    • 2. Fine, Needs a lot of major improvements
      79
    • 1.Poor, Needs too many improvements, all hope is lost, never going to use it
      41
  2. 2. Based on the recent leaks by Neowin and Winfuture.de, my next OS upgrade will be?

    • Windows 10
      720
    • Windows 8
      20
    • Windows 7
      48
    • Sticking with XP
      3
    • OSX Yosemite
      35
    • Linux
      24
    • Sticking with OSX Mavericks
      3
  3. 3. Should Microsoft give away Windows 10 for free?

    • Yes for Windows 8.1 Users
      305
    • Yes for Windows 7 and above users
      227
    • Yes for Vista and above users
      31
    • Yes for XP and above users
      27
    • Yes for all Windows users
      192
    • No
      71


Recommended Posts

Is this a new banner? It happens when you go to Program Files>>Windows Apps>> and try to open an app directly from the folder. In 8.1 it does not seem to require admin rights to try and run it, and I don't recall seeing a dialog that requests permission with a password.

 

2ilotfm.png

  • Like 1

Classic Shell installed .... my liking of Windows 10 just took an up turn. :yes:

What does classic shell offer over the new Start menu? If anything it simply makes the system look ugly and slightly outdated if you are using the classic theme.

  • Like 3

What does classic shell offer over the new Start menu? If anything it simply makes the system look ugly and slightly outdated if you are using the classic theme.

It gives a sensible, familiar layout, and relieves frustration.

 

And if anything is ugly, Windows 8-8.1 was irritatingly UGLY. :pinch:

 

Newer is not always better.

It gives a sensible, familiar layout, and relieves frustration.

 

And if anything is ugly, Windows 8-8.1 was irritatingly UGLY. :pinch:

 

Newer is not always better.

This definitely does NOT look better:

startmenu1.png

A large quantity of users did want to switch to Windows 10 because it DOES have a built-in Start Menu and were mostly staying away from Windows 8.1 because of the lack of it. Since Start Menu is back, using third party Start Menu replacements seems to serve no purpose anymore at all. Besides, Windows 8 didn't need any Start Menu replacement application, because it didn't have a Start Menu to replace, to begin with :rofl:

Is this a new banner? It happens when you go to Program Files>>Windows Apps>> and try to open an app directly from the folder. In 8.1 it does not seem to require admin rights to try and run it, and I don't recall seeing a dialog that requests permission with a password.

 

2ilotfm.png

Hmm, I have noticed that too. Happened even when I was trying to open up an application that I have downloaded from the Internet, even if it didn't require administrative privileges to run/install it. They must be beefing up the security, kind of goes a bit in the Linux way: Windows.UI.Popups.MessageDialog.Sudo :rofl:

I am rapidly becoming disenchantecd with Windows 10.

 

It is just repackaged Windows 8, with a Start menu.

 

And I don't but the arguement that it's a beta -- it'll be great when it's done.

 

Microsoft just isn't interested in making an intuitive OS, nor giving users what they want.

 

Drifting back to Windows 7 ....

I have to disagree with you Hum, Windows * and now 10 is a step in the right direction when it comes to intuitive.  i'll give you an example, when I upgraded my Home Desktop to Windows 8 from Windows 7 my father, who is 60 years old and very illiterate when it comes to computers figured out a lot of functions faster than he did on Windows 7

Between Classic Shell & resolving the Bluetooth problem, I am now quite pleased with Windows 10. :happy:

 

Glad I did not give up ...

If you're using Classic Shell in Windows 10, then you shouldn't use Windows 10. There is a reason Microsft blocked CS, they need feedback, and you're just not giving it to them, which in the long run, only hurts you.

  • Like 2

If you're using Classic Shell in Windows 10, then you shouldn't use Windows 10. There is a reason Microsft blocked CS, they need feedback, and you're just not giving it to them, which in the long run, only hurts you.

Not to mention it'll just further ruin the chance of getting an effective built-in Start Menu for those who opt for it.

Oh my, that doesn't sound good... I really hope they'll put in a quick and simple way to entirely disable this tiles junk.

 

And I hope they'll provide an option to hide the textlist side of the menu. I have no desire to return to a "traditional" start menu, but a desktop-UI implementation of the Screen might be useful - maybe as a quick launch.

 

A large quantity of users did want to switch to Windows 10 because it DOES have a built-in Start Menu and were mostly staying away from Windows 8.1 because of the lack of it. Since Start Menu is back, using third party Start Menu replacements seems to serve no purpose anymore at all. Besides, Windows 8 didn't need any Start Menu replacement application, because it didn't have a Start Menu to replace, to begin with :rofl:

 

 

Replacement menus and shells existed long before Windows 8. No reason for them to magically disappear just because a menu is built-in again. I myself used Norton Desktop in Win 3.x, and was horrified to discover that not only was it not compatible with 95, but Program Manager had been replaced with a cumbersome text list!  :angry: 

 

But still, after all the complaints about the menu being gone, it seems counter-productive to use a replacement on a beta intended to get feedback on the new features - including the new menu.

Not to mention it'll just further ruin the chance of getting an effective built-in Start Menu for those who opt for it.

 

^This. It would be ironic if because of all the people using Classic Shell because the new menu isn't good enough yet, Microsoft scrapped the menu and went back to just the screen. After all, if they really wanted it, they'd use it and test it, right?  :rolleyes:  I wouldn't mind because I prefer the Screen. I'd just have an epic facepalm ready when people once again complained about "Microsoft not listening!"

Would you care to explain why the live tiles are "junk", "infested", "annoying", and "atrocious"? The problem I have with people hating on Modern UI, is I have yet to found anyone with coherent, justifiable points.

 

You can take a look at my post in another thread here, or take a look at this image where I summed up the main failing points of Metro:

Fv99mayq.jpg

Not mentioned there because it didn't fit in the comparison is that the Metro UI is a huge pain in the anus to use with a mouse (which is what 98% of all desktop users are still using). That's because Metro was designed for touch devices only, and mouse control was poorly implemented as an afterthought.

Stats about how tiles are universally hated by most people are here.

 

It gives a sensible, familiar layout, and relieves frustration.

 

And if anything is ugly, Windows 8-8.1 was irritatingly UGLY. :pinch:

 

Newer is not always better.

 

Indeed. Windows 8 is the epitome of ugly. Also, emulating the look and feel, in many regards, of an OS that's over 25 years old (Windows 1.0) wasn't such a smart idea :rofl:

 

Anyway, after throwing out all that tiles garbage from the start menu, it's usable for now... perhaps I'll install classic shell at a later time, we'll see.

^This. It would be ironic if because of all the people using Classic Shell because the new menu isn't good enough yet, Microsoft scrapped the menu and went back to just the screen. After all, if they really wanted it, they'd use it and test it, right? :rolleyes: I wouldn't mind because I prefer the Screen. I'd just have an epic facepalm ready when people once again complained about "Microsoft not listening!"

Or in a future update, Microsoft will remove the Start Menu again stating that "It was YOU Insiders who didn't give us enough feedback and telemetry towards the reimplementation of the Start Menu, because the majority of you have been using third party Start Menu replacements while we were expecting results to further enhance the one within Windows 10. It is YOU who didn't listen to us!".

 

You can take a look at my post in another thread here, or take a look at this image where I summed up the main failing points of Metro:

Fv99mayq.jpg

Not mentioned there because it didn't fit in the comparison is that the Metro UI is a huge pain in the anus to use with a mouse (which is what 98% of all desktop users are still using). That's because Metro was designed for touch devices only, and mouse control was poorly implemented as an afterthought.

Stats about how tiles are universally hated by most people are here.

 

 

Indeed. Windows 8 is the epitome of ugly. Also, emulating the look and feel, in many regards, of an OS that's over 25 years old (Windows 1.0) wasn't such a smart idea :rofl:

 

Anyway, after throwing out all that tiles garbage from the start menu, it's usable for now... perhaps I'll install classic shell at a later time, we'll see.

I believe you are getting live tiles mixed up with the Modern UI. What you are saying is Modern UI has flat icons and you apparently don't like that. Many OSs are moving to a flatter looks.  You also say Microsoft should leave CP until it has a full replacement, which they are doing, so I don't see your argument? In Windows 10 9901, CP is still there, but by RTM I think it will be gone and Settings will take over. I don't see how that has anything to do with live tiles, but okay.

 

Next argument: it was a bad idea...this is subjective and has no proof that live tiles are the issue

 

Moving on: 98% of desktop users use mouse as their main input... yes and Windows 10 addresses that, but how do live tiles create that problem?

 

Let me look at your image 

 

1. Apps can be only ran as tiles and full screen--- Wrong I can snap up to 3 items on one screen, Windows 10 now runs them as windowed apps

2. Tiles are definitely re sizable and movable--  Why did you put this?

3. Tiles should not overlap! What good is two icons on top of each other?

4.Very edgy without round edges- what is the problem with that? Your screen is a square

5. Monochrome designs != Windows 1 style

7. Questionable choice of colors - this will probably change with Windows 10

  • Like 3

 

You can take a look at my post in another thread here, or take a look at this image where I summed up the main failing points of Metro:

Fv99mayq.jpg

Not mentioned there because it didn't fit in the comparison is that the Metro UI is a huge pain in the anus to use with a mouse (which is what 98% of all desktop users are still using). That's because Metro was designed for touch devices only, and mouse control was poorly implemented as an afterthought.

Stats about how tiles are universally hated by most people are here.

 

 

Indeed. Windows 8 is the epitome of ugly. Also, emulating the look and feel, in many regards, of an OS that's over 25 years old (Windows 1.0) wasn't such a smart idea :rofl:

 

Anyway, after throwing out all that tiles garbage from the start menu, it's usable for now... perhaps I'll install classic shell at a later time, we'll see.

Metro UI is not designed for mouse/keyboard? So what do you say about one of the greatest media player ever with no touch support?

 

post-62693-0-85816800-1418873643.jpg

 

If there is anything ugly, it is classic shell. You are mixing usability with aesthetics.

Metro UI is not designed for mouse/keyboard? So what do you say about one of the greatest media player ever with no touch support?

 

 

Agreed. I've said it over and over on this forum that Metro "not being mouse/keyboard friendly" is a myth. It is quite usable with a mouse and keyboard, even more so, than the original Start Menu. Fly out menus are not mouse friendly! But then it turns into a whole debate because its become the accepted narrative, even from Paul Thurrott.

 

The primary reason Windows 8 failed was apps, apps, and apps, and start button. Here are the top issues with Windows 8

1.) Metro/Moden Apps use a pre-mature API called WinRT that forked from .NET unnecessarily.

2.) Metro Apps are a locked down platform for developers, a break from the past.

3.) Metro Apps can only run in fullscreen or snap mode, making "universal apps" impossible.

4.) Missing Start Button which causes confusion for users.

  • Like 2

What the taskbar looks like when it wants your attention for something (and new photos app icon/tile):

 

2a0j85s.png

I still expect to see changes to the taskbar itself, they should be working on letting live tiles work fully when pinned to it and not just turn into a static icon. We should also get the option to extend the tab previews we get from running apps on the taskbar to live tiles. In that event when I hover my mouse over a closed store app pinned live tile i'll see a tab preview of the live tile like it'd show up on the start menu/screen.

I still expect to see changes to the taskbar itself, they should be working on letting live tiles work fully when pinned to it and not just turn into a static icon. We should also get the option to extend the tab previews we get from running apps on the taskbar to live tiles. In that event when I hover my mouse over a closed store app pinned live tile I'll see a tab preview of the live tile like it'd show up on the start menu/screen.

I wonder if we'll see something like the planned MixView tiles coming to Windows Phone? Along with the window preview which we see now, we'll get exploding tiles that show more information/updates from the app without having to click open the window.

 

17mblk8w5ybr9jpg_story.jpg

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • Microsoft Edge 149.0.4022.52 by Razvan Serea Microsoft Edge is a super fast and secure web browser from Microsoft. It works on almost any device, including PCs, iPhones and Androids. It keeps you safe online, protects your privacy, and lets you browse the web quickly. You can even use it on all your devices and keep your browsing history and favorites synced up. Built on the same technology as Chrome, Microsoft Edge has additional built-in features like Startup boost and Sleeping tabs, which boost your browsing experience with world class performance and speed that are optimized to work best with Windows. Microsoft Edge security and privacy features such as Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, Password Monitor, InPrivate search, and Kids Mode help keep you and your loved ones protected and secure online. Microsoft Edge has features to keep both you and your family protected. Enable content filters and access activity reports with your Microsoft Family Safety account and experience a kid-friendly web with Kids Mode. The new Microsoft Edge is now compatible with your favorite extensions, so it’s easy to personalize your browsing experience. Microsoft Edge 149.0.4022.52 changelog: Migration to improved V2 architecture for Workspaces. Workspaces, introduced in Edge in 2022, allows users to create durable sets of tabs that can be saved and shared with others. In order to improve reliability and performance of this feature, the following changes are being made: Migrating data for saved Workspaces from OneDrive/SharePoint to Edge Sync service Removing the collaboration/share functionality of this feature For organizations who have disabled Sync through policy, the existing v1 Workspace data will still be migrated to the new architecture. New v2 Workspaces created after migration won't sync across devices and will remain local to each device. This update occurs on a progressive rollout beginning in Edge Stable v145 and will continue rolling out in Edge v149. For more information, see Getting started with Microsoft Edge Workspaces. Feature Updates Passkey Sync for Enterprise Users. Microsoft Edge is introducing support for passkey synchronization for enterprise users, enabling secure, passwordless authentication across devices. Passkeys created in Edge can now be synced seamlessly, improving sign-in experience while maintaining strong security standards. Note: This is a controlled feature rollout. If you don't see this change, check back as we continue the rollout. Enterprise WebView2 runtime downgrade via DowngradeVersion policy. Administrators can temporarily roll back specific applications to a previous WebView2 Evergreen Runtime version (N-1 or N-2) using the new DowngradeVersion policy in msedgewebview2.admx. The Downgrade Version policy allows enterprises to mitigate critical regressions by specifying per-application exe-to-version mappings. The Edge Updater installs the target version side-by-side, and the WebView2 Loader redirects targeted apps accordingly. Downgrades auto-expire with each new WebView2 release: apps pinned to N-1 remain on the same version (now becoming N-2) and will auto-update in the next release, while apps pinned to N-2 will revert to the current Evergreen version. The policy applies only to enterprise-managed devices (domain-joined or MDM-enrolled). For more information, see Microsoft Edge WebView2 Policy Documentation | Microsoft Learn. Collections retirement. Collections has been removed in this update. Users can no longer access or use the feature. To keep saved content, users can export it, or move all pages to Favorites before updating to Microsoft Edge Stable 149. For more information, see Organize your ideas with Collections in Microsoft Edge - Microsoft Support. Modern, unified, and updated Look and Feel. Microsoft Edge has updated the Look and Feel to give customers a unified experience across all of Microsoft AI surfaces including Copilot and Bing. This changes multiple elements of the UX such as spacing, corners, fonts, default colors, etc. Clarify choices surrounding third-party cookie settings. Language under Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies are clarified to better describe the choices users have in managing third-party cookies. Custom primary password retirement. Users are no longer able to create a new custom primary password in Edge Settings edge://settings/autofill/passwords/settings. Any users who are still using a custom primary password will be automatically migrated to device authentication. Additionally, the PrimaryPasswordSetting policy will no longer support the WithCustomPrimaryPassword option. For more information, see Keep your saved passwords private in Microsoft Edge | Microsoft Support. Unifying Copilot Chat policy controls. The Microsoft365CopilotChatIconEnabled policy is the standard for configuring Copilot Chat. Previously, this behavior was controlled by blocking the Copilot extension, either explicitly or by using the * wildcard via the ExtensionSettings or ExtensionInstallBlockList policies. Extension and sidebar policies no longer affect the appearance or functionality of Copilot Chat. Copilot address bar suggestions were also tied to extension policy settings. Starting in Microsoft Edge version 149, admins can use the CopilotAddressBarSuggestionsEnabled policy to manage this behavior. Intune MAM Protected Downloads. The protected downloads feature for Intune MAM is now available for BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) devices, which aren't managed by a tenant. Policy Updates / New policies CopilotAddressBarSuggestionsEnabled - Enable Copilot address bar suggestions CpuPerformanceTierOverride - Override for the CPU performance tier DataUrlInWebWorkerOpaqueOriginEnabled - Enable opaque origins for data URLs in Web Workers DefaultLocalFontsSetting - Default Local Fonts permission setting ForceForegroundPriorityForUrls - Force foreground priority for specific URLs LocalFontsAllowedForUrls - Allow Local Fonts permission on these sites LocalFontsBlockedForUrls - Block Local Fonts permission on these sites Deprecated policies WalletDonationEnabled - Wallet Donation Enabled (deprecated) EdgeWalletEtreeEnabled - Edge Wallet E-Tree Enabled (deprecated) Additional policy changes ForceForegroundPriorityForUrls - ForceForegroundPriorityForOrigins is renamed to ForceForegroundPriorityForUrls OnSecurityEventEnterpriseConnector - Add macOS platform support ProtectedContentIdentifiersAllowed - Remove macOS platform support Download: Microsoft Edge (64-bit) | 193.0 MB (Freeware) Download: Microsoft Edge (32-bit) | 170.0 MB Download: Microsoft Edge (ARM64) | 188.0 MB View: Microsoft Edge Website | Release History Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • User: "But is it good?" Microsoft: "Well, no. But it is less bad."
    • Media Player Classic - Home Cinema 2.7.2 by Razvan Serea Media Player Classic - Home Cinema (MPC-HC) is a free and open-source video and audio player for Windows. MPC-HC is based on the original Guliverkli project (which is no longer maintained) and contains many additional features and bug fixes. As the continuation of the original Media Player Classic, MPC-HC isn’t flashy but it works with nearly any media format. MPC-HC uses DXVA technology to pass decoding operations to your modern video card, enhancing your viewing experience. And MPC-HC supports both physical and software DVDs with menus, chapter navigation, and subtitles. Overview of features A lot of people seem to be unaware of some of the awesome features that have been added to MPC-HC in the past years. Here is a list of useful options and features that everyone should know about: Dark interface Menu > View > Dark Theme When using dark theme it is also possible to change the height of the seekbar and size of the toolbar buttons. Options > Advanced Video preview on the seekbar Options > Tweaks > Show preview on seek bar Adjust playback speed Menu > Play > Playback rate The buttons in the player that control playback rate take a 2x step by default. This can be customized to smaller values (like 10%): Options > Playback > Speed step Adjusting playback speed works best with the internal audio renderer. This also has automatic pitch correction. Options > Playback > Output > Audio Renderer MPC-HC can remember playback position, so you can resume from that point later Options > Player > History You can quickly seek through a video with Ctrl + Mouse Scrollwheel. You can jump to next/previous file in a folder by pressing PageUp/PageDown. You can perform automatic actions at end of file. For example to go to next file or close player. Options > Playback > After Playback (permanent setting) Menu > Play > After Playback (for current file only) A-B repeat - You can loop a segment of a video. Press [ and ] to set start and stop markers. You can rotate/flip/mirror/stretch/zoom the video Menu > View > Pan&Scan This is also easily done with hotkeys (see below). There are lots of keyboard hotkeys and mouse actions to control the player. They can be customized as well. Options > Player > Keys Tip: there is a search box above the table. You can stream videos directly from Youtube and many other video websites You can stream videos directly from Youtube and many other video websites Put yt-dlp.exe or youtube-dl.exe in the MPC-HC installation folder. Then you can open website URLs in the player: Menu > File > Open File/URL You can even download those videos: Menu > File > Save a copy Tip: to be able to download in best quality with yt-dlp/youtube-dl, it is recommended to also put ffmpeg.exe in the MPC-HC folder. Several YDL configuration options are found here: Options > Advanced This includes an option to specify the location of the .exe in case you don't want to put it in MPC-HC folder. Play HDR video This requires using madVR or MPC Video Renderer. After installation these renderers can be selected here: Options > Playback > Output Ability to search for and download subtitles, either automatically or manually (press D): Options > Subtitles > Misc Besides all these (new) features, there have also been many bugfixes and internal improvements in the player in the past years that give better performance and stability. It also has updated internal codecs. Support was added for CUE sheets, WebVTT subtitles, etc. Media Player Classic - Home Cinema 2.7.2 changelog: Updated LAV Filters to version 0.81-23-g6fadb Updated MPC Video Renderer to version 0.10.2.2540 Updated MediaInfo DLL to version 26.05 Updated MPC Audio Renderer Several crash fixes, bug fixes and small improvements. Download: MPC-HC 2.7.2 (x64) | Standalone | ~20.0 MB (Open Source) Download: MPC-HC 2.7.2 (x86) | Standalone Links: MPC-HC Home Page | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • No problems here using the new Outlook. In our company we started to default installing to users on new computers or when we're reimaging. But, if the user needs/ask for the classic one, we install it. Low reject rate at this point.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Very Popular
      s0nic69 earned a badge
      Very Popular
    • Collaborator
      Asgardi earned a badge
      Collaborator
    • Conversation Starter
      mobandz earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Apprentice
      fernan99 went up a rank
      Apprentice
    • One Month Later
      nothanks earned a badge
      One Month Later
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      466
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      246
    3. 3
      Skyfrog
      79
    4. 4
      FloatingFatMan
      65
    5. 5
      Michael Scrip
      60
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!