Windows 8 Experiences thread

[peterb]

^^Thanks for that Cat - I think I feel slightly sick.

However, to drag the thread back...

While win8 is being rolled out as an operating system for tablets, there is no reason why there shouldn't be a 'traditional' interface for keyboard/mouse systems. Although Microsoft have never offered an alternative GUI before, there is no reason why they shouldn't - it is done in Linux for example.

This pre-occupation with tablets is fine (Gnome 3 seems to be designed with that in mind) but the large corporations are still going to be using desktop machines, and if it doesn't sit well with their machines or business model, they won't use it.

[Pete301]

Mmmm, tasty looking :S.

Think I'll stick with Windows 7 thanks.

[Terbinator]

^^Thanks for that Cat - I think I feel slightly sick.

However, to drag the thread back...

While win8 is being rolled out as an operating system for tablets, there is no reason why there shouldn't be a 'traditional' interface for keyboard/mouse systems. Although Microsoft have never offered an alternative GUI before, there is no reason why they shouldn't - it is done in Linux for example.

Being able to boot straight to the desktop would be a start.

[Gunbuster]

Although Microsoft have never offered an alternative GUI before, there is no reason why they shouldn't - it is done in Linux for example.

Aside from Bob and Media Center

[aidanjt]

Chicken and Egg?

Windows 7 is fairly touch screen friendly, that's what the whole point of abandoning the traditional task bar was about, people are simply uninterested in touch for PC. It's all designers pushing for it.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

TM2.exe is gone

and if you haven't figured out how to turn metro off

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
"RPEnabled"=dword:00000000

This is not present in the consumer preview.

[DDY]

Here's my experience of Win 8 on my Dell Latitude XT2 a multi-touch/digitiser convertible tablet;

Good
Great touch interface for IE
Transitions are smooth
On screen keyboard is easier to use, split mode is especially useful

Bad
Frustrating routes to 'advanced' config options, e.g. messing about with drivers or connecting to networks requiring specific certs.
Can't 'swipe' to navigate back or forward
Welcome screen - prefer to be taken straight to the PW screen rather than having to drag away somthing first...
No metro UI for file management
Stuff running on metro doesn't appear on the taskbar

Nightmare mode
Getting N-Trig drivers working, although this isn't a fault of Win 8... Right N-Trig?

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Following on from my award winning non-review of Windows8 dev edition I now do the same for Windows8 Consumer Preview.

Here is my previous non-review:

http://forums.hexus.net/2123420-post31.html

Now lets get on with it!! I suspect the MS possy will be throwing old Vista disks after this one(it is an upgrade though over the ME disks thrown at me last time).

The latest versions seems like a polished version of the previous one,hence my new non-review plager...sorry.. takes inspiration(not of the Dell type) from the last one.

Firstly, here are some shortcuts for those wishing to navigate metro a bit easier:

http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/inde...i-tips-tricks/

With Windows 7 it takes two steps to get to the desktop:
1.)Switch computer on
2.)Enter password at start screen

Now lets look at Windows 8 Consumer Preview.



This is the first screen you are greeted with after boot. It is so serene and calming plus it tells me the time date and time!! This is very useful as I usually don't have a clue about such things. The default picture is also under water - I hope MS is not insinuating that you will sink if you use Windows 8!! OTH,Pirates beware as it seems MS has got its big guns pointed at you and you are going to have to get used to the view baby!!

Clicking the icon,pressing escape or dragging the screen upwards with your mouse banishes it to some place unknown. It might be the world above the ocean,also known as Atlantis.

Moving on. Now we are greeted by the start screen. It seems the new default colour is not the eco-green for the dev preview!! Oh noes!! It seems Microsoft has moved to a "hi-energy" blue-like colour. MS is more worried about the ecological state of the ocean than the land!! They are really putting effort into making Win8 Dolphin friendly.



Well,I had an issue here. It seems Win8 Consumer Preview did not trust me at the beginning(first impressions count??) and the screen would randomly flash and erase my password before I had even finished entering it!!

Anyway a kick up...I meant reboot soon solved the issue.

After that,we get to the metro tile screen thingy.



TBH,it looks more jumbled mess than the previous version and it seems MS has finally realised most desktop screens have higher resolution than 1024X768!! Now you can use your prescription glasses!!Yippee!! OTH,the desktop button is even smaller!!


I can see the advantage of adding icons for frequently used applications instead of getting to the desktop.

However,since getting to the Windows 7 desktop is quicker anyway it negates any potential speed advantage.

You can scroll using the keyboard arrow keys or using the mouse to drag the slide bar at the bottom. Now it seems you can use the scroll wheel which is an improvement over the previous version.

A nice addition would be for the tile screen to recognise the lateral acceleration of the mouse so you could quickly scroll through the tiles.

However,luckily you can remove and organise the icons you want. So I decided to do some spring cleaning.



Now we reach the new and improved desktop. Its only taken three steps too.

It seems the marine-friendly theme is extended to the "desktop" too. Does Microsoft know that something is going to happen to those pesky "land-dwellers" ??



The start button has now been replaced by Muller Fruit... sorry...I meant corners which are pointer sensitive, in theory. Well,it seemed they had the consistency of a pathological lier trying to tell the truth when detecting my mouse pointer!! Finally when I had moved the mouse to about a one pixel grid in the top right corner,you get the option menu seen above.

Wait a second!! Something seems very familiar.....!!

Is it me or does Microsoft have a slight obsession with telling people the time and date??

Maybe something historic is afoot and they want us to remember the time and date?? What could it possibly be??

As you have noticed the start menu has been totally castrated. Clicking on it will actually lead you back to the tile screen.

However,the metro icon is not responsive to mouse clicks now - so you need to use the keyboard.

MS seem to hate the mouse for some reason. Poor mouse!!

Any menus launched are also pared down.

However,a lot of functionality is now in the ribbon menus in the file explorer.



You can also add shortcuts and toolbars onto the taskbar as before.

However,Metro cannot be disable ATM like with the dev version.

On the BAH!,MEH!! and YIPPEE!!! rating scale, I was going to give this a solid MEH+!! but since Metro cannot be easily disabled it gets a solid BAH+!! for effort.

However,if you are part of the Mergirl alliance it is a solid MEH! for marine awareness and a BAH-!! if you are one of those "up-above" dwellers.

Mice just run AWAY!! Save yourselves!!

[Jonj1611]

I lol'ed

[Unique]

last night i tried about 3 or 4 times and gave up installing. i think the problem may have been the flashdrive i used (i couldn't get the dvdr to boot either), so tried another drive and it installed first time

i was even more confused with this version than the original preview in trying to find the win7 type settings, and whilst i tried it on a few pcs the last time i mainly played with it frustratingly as dual boot on a macbook and thought maybe that was the problem, but it wasn't the mac

it seems like a tablet OS stuck on a desktop. it doesn't make me want to spend much time on it

ie10 was interesting in it's full frame mode though. interesting, rather than nice. it seems more set for tablet use again. it was reminiscent of using one of them internet cafe type machines you get in airports and places that seriously restrict what you can access. whilst that may sound bad, it might be good for children and old people who might not like the usual small icons and millions of settings that windows normally has

hopefully they change a lot before it comes out and gives proper win7 style desktop boot options etc so it feels like a computer OS being used on a computer

[directhex]

As you have noticed the start menu has been totally castrated. Clicking on it will actually lead you back to the tile screen.

Click "Search" to get something closer to a real start menu

[Hicks12]

Its got alot of good and alot of bad points really from me!.

Cat, its easy to scroll through the metro GUI now, as soon as my mouse hits either side it scrolls (relative to movement speed), i would prefer to be able to swipe like with the mouse as it would seem a bit better really.

Not sure what the default colour was but as soon as i installed windows it gave me a big slider to choose the colours before anything else so i guess you get to choose .

Searching, excellent! Simply get on metro and type... brilliant (or you can use windows key + f). Its very smooth and fluid and im liking the browser as it has so much room, it makes alot of sense and yes i know its like a mobile interface but seriously its useful, menu easily viewable by right clicking = win.

Now the settings and advanced features, flipping aweful... spent ages trying to work out how to add extra accounts to the simple email client... googled it and it appears windows key and I is the command for this , its stupid! It requires taking your hand off the pointing device to simply bring up a menu, why not let right click bring this menu up?? I dont want to press two keys that arent near to each other for simply basic/advanced options. And adding the basic options on laptops etc for say the wifi and powering down is damn right stupid to have in that menu to, it should always be visible or viewable by windows key and shift or something close by and easy to manage.


Also, the applications are very basic at the minute, id like office to be updated to incorporate it though, things like the calendar dont seem to support importing of calendars which is annoying since i have a calendar in ical and cant import it .


I will say that its a good effort by MS, it needs refinement but seriously they have like another 7 months till release right? Thats plenty of time to implement these improvements/fixes. MS just simply need to take a step back and think... Hmmm this isnt good for a keyboard and mouse user, right then lets sort that!.

Im looking forward to the finished product as for free i will certainly try it . The GUI will take ALONG time for me to fully understand it though .

[shaithis]

However,Metro cannot be disable ATM like with the dev version.

Err, the reg key I posted does work and does disable metro on the customer preview....at least it did on the 3 install I have done in the last 24 hours.....

[Phage]

Are there any changes under the hood ? I can see that the UI is not good, but are there any performance changes ?

I've said it before - Bring back XTree.

[Agent]

Thanks Cat, although the colours used in the images are making me cringe.

What's with the return to flat, boring colour palettes? The login screen looks like it's running in 8bit, with the metro screen not looking much better.

Hiding the start menu? Jeeze. I know they are trying to keep things 'clean' but it's starting to cross the line of functionality now.

[Jonj1611]

Are there any changes under the hood ? I can see that the UI is not good, but are there any performance changes ?

I've said it before - Bring back XTree.

Dos Xtree I hope