Windows 8

Has your IT instructor used it? and as has already been mentioned the Dev Preview is just that, its not a day to day release build as in a Beta/RC or pre-RTM, its just code with not much GUI working, basically its used for devs to see the code and rewrite their apps.

TBH I wish Microsoft had not put this out as a freely installable OS, as its falling into the Vista debarcle as users will see oooohhhhh Windws 8 I must install, only to find its not a usable daily OS, and then slate it!!

I've run the DP install and some great new additions as in perpetual backups (be that to the cloud, portable HDD or NAS etc), new Task Manager (this is useful and will be for troubleshooting and malware location etc), Metro GUI will not be for everyone, I kinda like it as I have a Windows 7 Phone but on a PC its more geared to touch screens and tablets and I can see a Windows 8 Phone using the new ARM chips and being superb.

The Metro GUI is part of the core and the general Start menu is an overlay app now, and devs will likely need to have a Metro and non-Metro app install, not final but likely.

For all things W8 see http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/ as Steven Sinofsky is the main poster and posting weekly about the new stuff and what you may see in the RC/RTM builds.

This is interesting http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/09/26/signing-in-to-windows-8-with-a-windows-live-id.aspx

I was in a few presentations on Windows and Windows Server 8 last week, sadly nothing I can openly post as its all NDA stuff, but I will say Windows 8 while the Metro look may not be for everyone, get past that and disable it and you will see an OS thats built upon the good stuff in Windows 7.

But Windows 8 is not worth really speculating on until we start seeing RC builds and those are not forthcoming to the general public yet.

 

I agree Augie and I would like TBH to hear what Spocks Instructor has to say on this opposed to our comments as he/she should have a valued opinion on actually using the OS and more so in its DP guise.

This is the issue in that early versions are not the retail end product but a glance and should be taken as that but sadly as we both well know many do not see this FACT, they see ooohhhhhh free OS, but fail to see that it may not work as intended on specific hardware or with specific software, this is why I'm heavy headed in that MS released this a public over closed at this point in time.

 

Thats the problem with online news agencies and sites posting about Windows 8 in that the DP build is nothing that a home user will want or actually could use daily in reality. I dumped it off my computer ages ago as I know whats coming in the beta or RC builds that are not in this one.

As for the quote earlier and their is nothing in Windows 8 that is worth purchasing it for, well I'd be eating my words if I was that person as their is!! and if it wasn't for NDA I could post about what I have seen personally last month at Microsoft and the feedback from others in our group that have seen even more than me in Windows 8 and Windows Server 8.

I also dont think W8 is going to be superficial bugfixes as what do you need to really fix in W7 that has not already been done and is constantly being done on Patch Tuesday.

I think once you get past the Metro UI you will see a fair bit to actually say, ah that's worth upgrading too.


Vista was not as bad as portrayed, it was not what it could have been and wasn't the best OS Microsoft have released, but I and others I know had no issues with it, I still have it running in a VM and its going good still. The issue on Vista was the exact same on what XP was first released, in that it was a difference code-base from the previous OS version and 3rd party devs (software and drivers) did not jump on-board as quick as possible to actively develop their apps and drivers, much of them waiting for the final version to be released, this then caused much problems with early adopters and those as in Vista's case running the beta.

XP was a dog in RTM form, drivers where poor and many applications didn't work well, was not uncommon for those running it to have to do a re-install periodically, until around SP1 and more so SP2, and from SP2 its been a great OS. I wish I could find a well respected tech article I had on the very stuff I mentioned about XP RTM still, have the link somewhere and will add it if found,

Issues with new/beta OSes are fairly simple to understand in the main, most issues fall below

1. Hardware is not compatible
2. No drivers exist for some hardware (can fudge some to work from previous OS)
3. Not all software is compatible or partly compatible
4. Lack of understanding that a beta is a test version and may or will not work perfectly on all PC setups
5. User does not like change

If and when MSFT offer a beta for download to the public, then IF you have a spare test PC and its hardware is compatible, give it a whirl, but be warned that it may crash on your hardware or setup, whereas it may not on others, this is what testing is about, trying to narrow the problems down, hence why if you do use a beta then feed your issues back to Microsoft as most betas have a feedback option ( i know me and Augie and some others are on MS Connect so can feedback their on OS builds if we are in that techbeta team).

Never test a beta OS on your one and only PC and never use on on a mission critical PC (hence one thats crucial to a business, your school work etc)

I must add in last sentence that using betas of not only a OS but software apps is a great way to understand how apps work (or not) and how at times you can help affect change, many companies have a beta and beta feedback groups, Mozilla is a huge one.

 

Also to look forward too are Minimising need for re-boot on Windows Updates HERE for the newer Task Manager, reducing Run-Time Memory and reduced Setup Time

a Blog to read on occasion Spock for up to date info on Win8.

 

Rumoured to be late Feb and will likely loose the beta tag and come in as Windows 8 Consumer Preview (CP), and as guesstimate on my part is that loosing the beta tag is due to it likely being a near RC version and not a beta in the sense of the word.

I think it looks good in a version or two I have seen (not personally had) to be very good, the CP version should be a near as finished product, with likely the data collecting routines still in it for the Win Dev Team to look over metrics and stability.

I just at present dont know how the wider PC user community may take this version, Metro is maybe too strong to adapt to for some, unless they just give it an open good trial, but the main things are under the hood as they where in Windows 7, I have outlined a few earlier in this thread.

With Microsoft now releasing a PC version of Kinect is this now positioning the Windows 8 Metro GUI into users taking up a part non-mouse interactivity with their PCs?

 

I was just looking online at some info.

That metro interface is visually horrific. I hope that's not the final thing they come up with. This is a PC, not a phone. I hope they remember that.

 

Yup that's what it will look like, if you see a Windows 7 Phone, its the same GUI.

Yeah HP make some great ones but in an earlier post MSFT have thought of none touch-screen users and Metro is usable via a mouse and with the new Kinect for PC it gains gesture movement.

As I have said in a few posts on W8 while I like Metro on Windows Phone 7 (I have one) and on tablets it will be superb and better than the Apple iOS and Google offerings, does it have a place on a PC desktop at present.

 

Yeah in Barcelona, will be interesting to see the wider public feedback as well as the so called educated tech press take on this version of Windows, I'm kinda not thinking they will go for Metro and never have since I knew that was the end point GUI last year.

I dont mind it but it has its place and for corp and general users they are not going to like it, tablet, mobile and those with the new Kinect for PC gesture hardware then not so bad, but the mouse is still in a way king.

We shall see and if you have a spare PC or run a VM then worth a install of the beta ooops! Consumer Preview

 

Personally I prefer the non-metro browser version as I use the likes of WHS2011 which needs Silverlight 4 (Silverlight 5 doesnt work in playback of video yet)

Expires on my Birthday January 15, 2013 and no I did not bribe Steve Ballmer but by then we will have likely had a RC and RTM version ahead of release I guess in sometime Nov 2012, if not Nov then it will be 2013 as MSFT will have missed the Xmas market rush for new PCs and Tablets.

And tablets is what this is squirely aimed at if you have used it, as its geared to touch pads greatly, looks good in PC desktop form but as I have mentioned on numerous occasions Metro is not going to be for everyone and especially business customers, their will be the odd weird home user that just doesn't like Metro but give it a go as I took a test netbook into work today to show a very experienced IT network tech Windows 8 CP and his initial impressions where, this is very good and especially the back end stuff and the speed of not only boot but general usage on a low powered Intel Atom 1.6ghz and 2GB Ram netbook.

personally I think its superb as it installed in 20mins off USB and boots in near 20secs and for a netbook its amazing, heaven only knows what my Desktop a Quad Intel 2.6ghz with 6GB DDR3 and 2nd gen SSDs in raid0 will make of it.

I will at some point post or blog about some neat features of W8 as there are many that you just dont see initially.

 

Indeed Oma and many will feel the same I feel but the more I delve into the backend the more I like it and its resource usage and the Wifi oprtions are superb for laptop and netbook and likely tablet users.

Great app you posted, cheers, I also as mentioned in some post on W8 that Microsoft will I no doubt offer an app to do just the same, they HAVE TO for bussiness users to adopt W8.

 

Hi Oma, I agree with you on the orb, however thats not really testing what Windows 8 is all about its making W8 like W7 WXP etc and the idea is to move forward, and to be honest I'm getting used to the Metro look on a PC (not too disimilar to my W7 Phone).

I would like to see the Start Orb back though as its a massive jump to Metro UI from the Start UI for a desktop user, tablets and touch users will get used to it quicker I feel. However I would like to see the Start Orb back in the Desktop view (bit with IE and Explorer icons on taskbar) option over being in the Metro view only.

So far I really like the lastest encarnation, look more forward to the RTM before Escrow release.

I'm knocking up a small blog post on some features of W8 CP now.