Windows 8 Consumer Preview

[Shieldmaiden]

I'm tempted to give this a shot. I've never tried any of the Windows pre-release versions before.

[AntonThaGreat]

Dooo eeeettt. Release Preview seems a mit more solid and refined than Consumer Preview. Plus it expires January, so you don't have to worry about anything for a while.

Max Payne 3 not working in Win8 has been the only time something hasn't actually worked anyway, and that's Rockstars fault (LA Noire doesn't work either). Everything else is solid. You'll get to experience the next direction Microsoft is taking Windows in for yourself and see what all the hubub is all about.

It's really easy as well, just download the installer, launch it and it will automagically upgrade your system to Win8.

[Suave Peanut]

There's also a link to download the full ISO if you just want to test without losing your current Windows.

[Shieldmaiden]

Well, I did it and my computer hasn't blown up.

[AntonThaGreat]

Originally Posted by BigJonno

Well, I did it and my computer hasn't blown up.

Congrats, let us know what you think.

[fitbabits]

Windows 8 will cost you $40.

[Dukefrukem]

Yeh that's a good deal. I am skeptical on the driver compatibility though when upgrading from XP and Vista.

[fitbabits]

Originally Posted by Dukefrukem

Yeh that's a good deal. I am skeptical on the driver compatibility though when upgrading from XP and Vista.

Vista should be more or less okay, but going from XP to 8 via in-place upgrade is going to result in SO MANY called to Microsoft Premium Support. Hey, maybe that's the plan to recoup the losses?!

[PathMaster]

The only issue I have on my XP laptop I tried with Win8 was the graphics driver, everything else was fine. The fix? Use the Vista version of the driver instead of XP's.

[fitbabits]

Originally Posted by PathMaster

The only issue I have on my XP laptop I tried with Win8 was the graphics driver, everything else was fine. The fix? Use the Vista version of the driver instead of XP's.

Nifty.

Now, if only Microsoft would include a more non-tablet option for the OS (an option to display a proper Start button and desktop, for example...). I like the idea of Metro for tablets, but absolutely not for everyday work on a desktop or laptop.

[MagGnome]

Is there no way to boot straight onto the regular desktop? I might upgrade for $40, but I don't want to see Metro every day.

I think we've covered this before, but I can't recall.

[J Arcane]

The only reason I'm willing to put up with 8 is for Windows RT. I like the idea of keeping the ARM chip while having an Office capable OS to use on it, instead of Android.

It just depends on how locked down regular desktop mode is. If they allow people to make non-Metro apps for RT, I'm in. If not I may as well just buy a regular laptop and stick to Windows 7.

[MachEnergy]

Originally Posted by MagGnome

Is there no way to boot straight onto the regular desktop? I might upgrade for $40, but I don't want to see Metro every day.

I think we've covered this before, but I can't recall.

http://www.howtogeek.com/108349/how-...-in-windows-8/

There you go. But the more you try to avoid it, the less you'll get accustomed to it. You might be surprised at how you feel if you just give it some time.

I hated the WinXP start menu and would ALWAYS set it to the classic style for a good couple of years, but eventually I gave up trying to force Windows to stay old. Now, when I go back to Win98, I can't fucking believe I fought for that instead of accepting XP's new way. Just food for thought.

I use Win8 every single day, and I love it. I rarely see the Metro screen, because I don't reboot all that often, and I have all my frequent apps pinned to the task bar just like in Win7. It's a rare occurrence that I even need to see the Metro UI.

[Panthera]

Originally Posted by MagGnome

Is there no way to boot straight onto the regular desktop? I might upgrade for $40, but I don't want to see Metro every day.

I think we've covered this before, but I can't recall.

Metro's just a better start menu. It doesn't really affect your desktop experience that much.

[MagGnome]

Thanks for the feedback. Of course I could end up loving Metro. I haven't used it, so I can't say for sure. I think it looks cool, but it also looks like it wouldn't work all that well for a mouse. Perhaps that won't be the case. Either way, $40 for an upgrade is very tempting.

I have a couple of questions. Again, these may have been covered in a previous thread, so I apologize in advance if that is the case.

1)The $40 upgrade is download only. How will this work if I want to do a clean install down the road? I assume that I will need to back up the download, and then when I want to do a fresh install I will need to install Windows 7 and then the 8 upgrade? Or does MS attach that upgrade to an account so that I can re-download it? I haven't bought anything digitally from MS outside of the Xbox, so I'm not sure what their setup is like.

2)What are the major improvements/differences in Windows 8 over 7? The Metro interface is an obvious one, and I know that they've changed the file copying interface as well. Any other big changes that would push me to upgrade?


Edit - I know I can download the preview version, but I'd rather not mess with that.

[fitbabits]

Originally Posted by MagGnome

Thanks for the feedback. Of course I could end up loving Metro. I haven't used it, so I can't say for sure. I think it looks cool, but it also looks like it wouldn't work all that well for a mouse. Perhaps that won't be the case. Either way, $40 for an upgrade is very tempting.

I have a couple of questions. Again, these may have been covered in a previous thread, so I apologize in advance if that is the case.

1)The $40 upgrade is download only. How will this work if I want to do a clean install down the road? I assume that I will need to back up the download, and then when I want to do a fresh install I will need to install Windows 7 and then the 8 upgrade? Or does MS attach that upgrade to an account so that I can re-download it? I haven't bought anything digitally from MS outside of the Xbox, so I'm not sure what their setup is like.

2)What are the major improvements/differences in Windows 8 over 7? The Metro interface is an obvious one, and I know that they've changed the file copying interface as well. Any other big changes that would push me to upgrade?


Edit - I know I can download the preview version, but I'd rather not mess with that.

1) You can (and probably should) burn the ISO to a DVD for installation or reinstallation at a later date.
2) It's new. Also shiny.

[Shieldmaiden]

For that price, I'm definitely upgrading. Going from Vista to 8, the difference in start up speed has been incredibly noticeable. Getting around the lack of start menu has been pretty much like Mach described his 98-XP change. It feels bloody weird, but I've been finding better ways of doing stuff I used to use the start menu for.

[MachEnergy]

New stuff I like:

• more robust file copy interface (no more failing an entire copy job because of one bad file near the beginning)
• super detailed and useful Task Manager
• really fast bootup and general operation
• pretty
• works so much better with my touch monitors than 7 does
• better multimonitor support (displaying taskbar icons ONLY in the window in which they are open *LOVE THIS*)
• more integration with microsoft platforms (eg. xbox 360 stuff)

[MagGnome]

Thanks for the response, Mach. Touch support and multi-monitor support don't do anything for me on my current setup, and hopefully the Xbox Live stuff isn't intrusive and is easy to disable, but other than that the changes sound great. Faster booting, for example, would be very nice. I was skeptical of Windows 8 until quite recently, but it sounds like a good upgrade over 7.

Edit - Speaking of touch support, any recommendations on good touchscreen monitors? I don't think I'll be buying one anytime soon, but I'd be interested in seeing how much they cost.

[MachEnergy]

Originally Posted by MagGnome

Edit - Speaking of touch support, any recommendations on good touchscreen monitors? I don't think I'll be buying one anytime soon, but I'd be interested in seeing how much they cost.

I got this when it was on sale for $229 and really like it. It has built in speakers, takes an HDMI cable, and has a kickstand. Great as a desk monitor, and easy to carry for portable Xbox goodness.

My first multitouch was this, which I loved at first, but then the USB port broke and Acer wouldn't fix it under warranty. So now it can't be touched. It's like we've been married for 30 years. I paid $380 for that back in '09 and now regret my purchase.