News - Now anyone can try Windows 8 RTM for free

[dangel]

@ dangel

I'm using the keyboard short-cut to close them, not that I use Metro apps that often either. I'm also booting to desktop which makes things a lot better for me but I still prefer Windows 7. I'm sure the good features like the new task manager and file copy interface will be available to Windows 7 at some point, if Microsoft don't do it someone else will.

Metro doesn't generally bother me because I'm on the desktop proper 99% of the time as I suspect most will be. The new Start menu is the only thing you have to interact with and whilst it has it's faults it's 95% of the way there in terms of what I actually need in an app launcher.

You can look at things the other way too.. people are already modding 8 and producing addons to change things as much as you like - and that means it's quite possible to have the OS the way you'd like it (or as near as darn matters). I'd miss more from 8 when running 7 than vice versa now (it's the consequence of being with all the new features for several months - i've more than once tried Win+X on a 7 system recently and been disappointed!).

But you never answered - do you need to close metro apps all the time? ?

[pctech2012]

MS are putting in measures to stop people booting directly to the desktop.

Hello MS, if that's what people want from an OS they are paying money to licence why not give it to them instead of forcing your ideas onto them.

I've been an XP hold out until I bought my new system from Scan and specced Win 7 Pro and it is really good.

[dangel]

MS are putting in measures to stop people booting directly to the desktop.

Hello MS, if that's what people want from an OS they are paying money to licence why not give it to them instead of forcing your ideas onto them.

I've been an XP hold out until I bought my new system from Scan and specced Win 7 Pro and it is really good.

Seems a bit tin foil hat to me - MS are simply making choices about how their software acts by default there's nothing stopping people from modifying it in reality and they've already done so. Example 1:

http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

Example 2 - see previous post which is just a registry entry. And so on..

Every single piece of software 'forces' ideas onto it's users otherwise you have to make everything infinitely configurable and stupidly complex (in which case people complain about that too). MS have good motivation to promote the 'MUI' ecosystem but I don't really see the changes from preview to release as being actively blocking modifications. Which measures are you referring to exactly?

[Noxvayl]

But you never answered - do you need to close metro apps all the time? ?

I don't need to close metro apps but I do need a simple and easy way to get it away from my screen so I can get back to my desktop quickly and efficiently when I'm done using an app, and that is clearly lacking if you use the mouse predominantly. I know keyboard shortcuts are great but I tend to use my computer with only one hand while leaning on my other one, a bad habit perhaps but it's comfortable to me and having to change the way I interact with my computer in order for it to operate as efficiently as the old system is not something I am happy to put up with.

The other thing preventing me from using Windows 8 full time is the lack of apps with live data being persistent on the desktop so I can check on different things while in a full screen app. They've done away with gadgets and not provided something similar as a replacement. I would of liked the the start screen to have the option to be docked to a second screen making the live tiles actually useful instead of being hidden in a screen you need to open to see; using one screen for live tiles and launching apps while using the other to run the apps in would be very useful but it seems that it is too much to ask.

Perhaps given time and a few updates there will be changes made that allows me to use Windows 8 the way I like to, but at the moment there is too much sacrifice required by me to get things operating as efficiently as I'd like and I'm not going to spend money hoping that the changes I'd like to see get done by Microsoft or a third party app.

[dangel]

I don't need to close metro apps but I do need a simple and easy way to get it away from my screen so I can get back to my desktop quickly and efficiently when I'm done using an app, and that is clearly lacking if you use the mouse predominantly. I know keyboard shortcuts are great but I tend to use my computer with only one hand while leaning on my other one, a bad habit perhaps but it's comfortable to me and having to change the way I interact with my computer in order for it to operate as efficiently as the old system is not something I am happy to put up with.

Top left corner, thumbnail opens - click that. Bit of a challenge for me as i'm a keyboard junkie but it works.. top left, drag down for the full list. I use Win+tab or just Win+D (which is straight to desktop).

The other thing preventing me from using Windows 8 full time is the lack of apps with live data being persistent on the desktop so I can check on different things while in a full screen app. They've done away with gadgets and not provided something similar as a replacement. I would of liked the the start screen to have the option to be docked to a second screen making the live tiles actually useful instead of being hidden in a screen you need to open to see; using one screen for live tiles and launching apps while using the other to run the apps in would be very useful but it seems that it is too much to ask.

The start screen can be moved to another monitor (win+pgup/pgdown) if you like (i did this accidentally) . Agreed on gadgets although I've been using rainmeter for some time instead anyway (even on 7) as MS abandoned gadgets for even 7 some time back.

Perhaps given time and a few updates there will be changes made that allows me to use Windows 8 the way I like to, but at the moment there is too much sacrifice required by me to get things operating as efficiently as I'd like and I'm not going to spend money hoping that the changes I'd like to see get done by Microsoft or a third party app.

Shrugs. It's your choice of course but there's already a plethora of options to customise things. For me the underlying OS is simply much better and so it makes more sense to approach it with that as a base.

[Hicks12]

I just think its the issue of the user, yes alot arent keyboard shortcut warriors but you should be if you're a power user or just simply looking at being effcient, windows has always been improving on shortcuts and windows 8 doesnt dissapoint, it really is the fasted OS for people who get on with shortcuts.

I understand that you (noxvayl) wouldnt want to change how you work on your pc and your posture but thats your choice and of course it means that changes to Windows 8 directly effects your ability to effectively navigate it unfortunately, yes they should make it easier to open and close apps but its still relatively simple by switching apps and hovering top left and right clicking the tile to close. If you can change how your interact with the pc it will certainly help productivity, I used to be a mouse person but after a few years found the gem of keyboard shortcuts and life is now good .

Its also the funny part that people hate the removal of the start button but people who have changed to use the keyboard shortcuts have never bothered using the button in along time so its hardly a difference, thats the whole point of a windows key on most keyboards .

Im waiting for RTM to be released on dreamspark, apparently it was only released to admins on the 15th and will be available to me between 21st and 30th , only a week i guess though.

[aidanjt]

I came, I saw, I deleted the virtual machine. Nothing's really changed, just as awful as always.

[cheesemp]

I came, I saw, I deleted the virtual machine. Nothing's really changed, just as awful as always.

(I knocked this up in about 2 seconds as you can see)

Personally I hate it ...

[dangel]

I came, I saw, I deleted the virtual machine. Nothing's really changed, just as awful as always.

Darn, and we all expected immediate conversion

[shaithis]

Its also the funny part that people hate the removal of the start button but people who have changed to use the keyboard shortcuts have never bothered using the button in along time so its hardly a difference, thats the whole point of a windows key on most keyboards .

I use keyboard shortcuts a lot.....yet still use the start menu. How do you launch apps? Desktop shortcuts for everything? (Clutterville) Custom keyboard shortcuts for everything? (Customville)

While the Windows keyboard shortcuts are nice.....it doesn't seem long ago that I finally got used to the search box.......and like it a lot. I don't need to navigate my start menu to find things.....there is no mouse movement needed at all.....but of course, keystrokes slows down touch screens just like metro slows down keyboard users.......

[dangel]

I use keyboard shortcuts a lot.....yet still use the start menu. How do you launch apps?

I don't do it any differently from 7 - start+type, hit return for things i use infrequently and off the taskbar either with the mouse or Win+1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8..

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=2ee8d...A8F365A0%21141

Win+T is a weird one too - put the focus on the taskbar and then you can move around with the cursor keys.

[aidanjt]

I don't do it any differently from 7...

Aside from a jarring full screen context and paradigm switch.

[Moby-Dick]

upgraded my work laptop to it a few days ago , and Its grown on me a lot. I'll be happier when there are a few more MUI apps for it. If I'm going to use MUI I'd like to try and use it all of the time , and only go back to desktop when I absolutly have to.

[Noxvayl]

The start screen can be moved to another monitor (win+pgup/pgdown) if you like (i did this accidentally) . Agreed on gadgets although I've been using rainmeter for some time instead anyway (even on 7) as MS abandoned gadgets for even 7 some time back.

It is nice to have it separate but unfortunately all metro apps then open in that screen

For me the underlying OS is simply much better and so it makes more sense to approach it with that as a base.

I can understand why you feel that way because you are a programmer but I'm a layman so I can't place value on something I never interact with and don't understand. From my point of view the only difference between Windows 7 and 8 is the interface and I bet it is the same for the majority of people.

[pctech2012]

Think I'll be switching to ReactOS when I next upgrade.

[tombonez]

Downloading the evaluation now, hopefully get it installed tomorrow