Windows 8 Consumer Preview

[Crittias]

Anyone played around with the newest version of Microsoft's OS? I'm installing it on a virtual box right now. Curious what initial impressions are around here.

[PathMaster]

Posting this from it now actually.

[J Arcane]

I loathed it.

[MalReynolds]

downloading as we speak hope to try it out

[PathMaster]

I am getting a hang of it I think. They definitely changed things around, but some of the improvements are worthwhile.

Want to change my current window, mouse to the upper left corner. Most recent window/tab appears. If I want something else I just start moving down the side, and they appear.

Metro/Start is always in the bottom left. Charms bar is always on the right. Volume change looks terrific and is seamless on this laptop.

Performance wise, this is a Centrino Duo, 1.8 Ghz, 2 GB of Ram and it is flying. Used about 10GB on a spare HDD I had lying around.

Only real complaints, won' let me go beyond 1152 res. My default on this lap is 1440 wide. And the UI is sensitive when it comes to the UI. Small movements are all that is required. When changed windows, just get the mouse in the corner and wait for the little windows to pop up and click. No need to actually move the mouse and click the window like I would assume you would do.

[boratika]

So, I guess programs are now called apps. I don't love this. But I suspect this is in no small part due to Apple's trying to trademark "appstore" and Microsoft (among others) taking exception to this. And this is part of their showing how it is a generic term.

Originally Posted by PathMaster

Only real complaints, won' let me go beyond 1152 res. My default on this lap is 1440 wide. And the UI is sensitive when it comes to the UI. Small movements are all that is required. When changed windows, just get the mouse in the corner and wait for the little windows to pop up and click. No need to actually move the mouse and click the window like I would assume you would do.

Resolution seems to be quite the sticking point (at present). You can't access the store if you are using a lowly 720p display (or less).

[MagGnome]

Do I dare ask what the "Charms bar" is?

[Dualonymous]

I tried the dev previews and couldnt stand it, no interest in trying consumer preview.

[PathMaster]

Charms bar is I think going to be mostly geared towards Tablet and maybe phones. Moving the mouse to the far right side and corners produces a small sidebar with Search, Share, Start, Devices, and Settings. That movement also produces the time and date along with some taskbar icons towards the left bottom corner in a large easy to read font.

[MagGnome]

Originally Posted by PathMaster

Charms bar is I think going to be mostly geared towards Tablet and maybe phones. Moving the mouse to the far right side and corners produces a small sidebar with Search, Share, Start, Devices, and Settings. That movement also produces the time and date along with some taskbar icons towards the left bottom corner in a large easy to read font.

Thanks for responding. I get what it is now, but "Charms bar"? Really Microsoft?

Originally Posted by boratika

So, I guess programs are now called apps. I don't love this. But I suspect this is in no small part due to Apple's trying to trademark "appstore" and Microsoft (among others) taking exception to this. And this is part of their showing how it is a generic term.

Ugh.

This is sounding worse than Vista. I haven't heard one positive change yet for regular Windows users. I get that they are chasing the tablet market, but pushing the same OS to desktops and laptops as well is a terrible idea. I've heard that Apple is headed in the same direction with Pussy Cat or whatever the next OSX version is called.

[muddi900]

The dev preview reminded of Final Cut X; they took a product that was useful many users in multiple capacities and made useless to most of them.

[PathMaster]

I can't see to find a way around my display driver issue. ATI/AMD apparently do not have ANY drivers for vista/Windows 7 for my card. Which is odd, since this laptop is Vista compatible!

[PathMaster]

There, fixed my driver issue. I actually had to grab the Dell Vista driver. Worked like a charm though.

[muddi900]

Aren't you the guy who said, 'There would be a definite way to switch over.'?

Apparently the consumer market is more important to Microsoft than previously expected.

[MagGnome]

Originally Posted by Krispy

Change is bad.

Yeah, that's exactly what I said. Good job.

[Doogie2K]

So you're saying I should stick with Windows 7 for another five years and see how Windows 9 turns out? Gotcha.

[Bad Buddha]

When I was at my interview yesterday (Was that just yesterday?!?) one of the sys admins said that a couple of the IT folks had downloaded it and were messing around with it.

Seeing as it appears to be leaning heavily on the Metro construct, it is probably trying to entice the tablet market. I don't think that is a good thing for a mainstream PC OS.

[PathMaster]

I understand this criticism, but all the Metro UI is a glorified Most recent/used App list. That is all. You can still access the rest of the list from the UI and even sort them. It 'is' different and a big departure, but it is not as bad as some are painting it.

[MagGnome]

There you go.

[PathMaster]

How succinct of you both.

Ars has an article up some of the new UI features.

Another neat feature, that on the face will turn some off, is the ribbon UI from Office is now in Explorer. You may groan, but it makes changing settings like folder options a breeze. You can change files metadata right in the folder now as well. Can defrag as well as cleanup from any folder.