Windows 8 preview now available...

[CyGuy]

Originally Posted by taustin

No, you're not. I predict that Windows 8 on the desktop is going to bomb worse than Vista or 98ME did. It may bomb as badly as Microsoft Bob did.

I agree. Windows 8 will be a flop like Vista was. They are taking some huge steps backwards, it just doesn't make sense. It is starting to look like Windows 7 will be around for a very long time in the same fashion that XP stayed around for much longer than MS wished.

Same for Windows Phone 8, they really messed that one up IMHO. How in the world could they fail to properly support removable media? They shot themselves in the foot.

[Barty]

I installed the Vista PR because I'd built a spanky new PC with pretty good specs. It was horrible and slow. Yikes. For people who complained about Vista, trust me, it improved a lot by the time it hit retail.

[Jadon]

Originally Posted by CyGuy

Windows 8 will be a flop like Vista was. They are taking some huge steps backwards, it just doesn't make sense.

Just like there are settings and programs one can use now to make one's Windows menu/taskbar/desktop/whatever look and work the way one wants, and not the benighted default way, so will there be ways to make Win8 look and feel the way one wants, and one need never even see the Metro stuff if one doesn't want to. It's inevitable.

[taustin]

Originally Posted by silverraven

But I LOVED Microsoft Bob! Didn't you have a cool room?
S

You, sir, are the reason why software sucks. (Yes, that's a joke. Mostly.)

[wodin]

I'm reminded of an old adage about Microsoft Operating Systems from the pre-Windows MS-DOS days. “Avoid even numbered versions.”

MS-DOS 1.X was pretty good, 2.X didn’t get good until 2.11 came out, 3.X was good out of the box, 4.X sucked, 5 was probably the best, and six… That series carried over to windows regardless of how they diddled the naming convention, and now comes; yup let’s hear it for Windows 8.

[wizwor]

I dunno. I have Vista, 7, and xp on machines I use everyday. All are fine for me. I'll get 8 when I get my next machine(s). 8 is not necessary for most laptop/desktop users. It's microsoft's forray into touch. it's necessary for phones and tablets and the like.

8, mostly, is a new wrapper on 7 with 7 close at hand for those who choose not to touch. it's not a big deal, it's just the next OS.

[Serpentine]

Win 8 and Visual Studio 11 - two products that I could not care less about. After how they asked the users for what they disliked in Vista and recovered with Win 7, you'd think they'd have taken the time to look at other projects going on and see if they were following the same pattern of 'changing stuff for no reason at all'.

Even the word 'Metro' is a poor choice, but at least the warning is on the label.

[VaporPunk]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

I have been using the developers preview for several months now. No need to be adventurous.

Regarding the earlier release, I had heard from a couple of people locally that it really wasn't that stable yet and to wait for the next update or two before playing with it? Any truth to that? Do you see any big changes stability-wise or with the interface? Feed me, my friend, I'm curious! If you have the time, of course.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by VaporPunk

Regarding the earlier release, I had heard from a couple of people locally that it really wasn't that stable yet and to wait for the next update or two before playing with it? Any truth to that? Do you see any big changes stability-wise or with the interface? Feed me, my friend, I'm curious! If you have the time, of course.

It works pretty well. As long as you stay on the desktop you hardly notice the difference (though it is a lot quicker, especially startup and shutdown). I have occasional problems (not knowing how to do something, mostly -- yesterday I couldn't find the cmd terminal), but a quick internet search usually gives me the answer. The only incompatibility I have found is Virtual PC (it doesn't run). And the non-Metro IE 9.0 crashes all the time. Metro IE 10.0 and other browsers run great. Other than that I am happy with it, haven't even given the Metro interface a thorough testing, although my PC is a convertible tablet.

My advice is just try it, just make sure you keep a copy of your old Windows around. I really came to try it out of necessity. My Windows 7 was messed up and restore didn't work.

[VaporPunk]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

It works pretty well. As long as you stay on the desktop you hardly notice the difference (though it is a lot quicker, especially startup and shutdown). I have occasional problems (not knowing how to do something, mostly -- yesterday I couldn't find the cmd terminal), but a quick internet search usually gives me the answer. The only incompatibility I have found is Virtual PC (it doesn't run). And the non-Metro IE 9.0 crashes all the time. Metro IE 10.0 and other browsers run great. Other than that I am happy with it, haven't even given the Metro interface a thorough testing, although my PC is a convertible tablet.

My advice is just try it, just make sure you keep a copy of your old Windows around. I really came to try it out of necessity. My Windows 7 was messed up and restore didn't work.

Does Firefox run on it? Actually, why am I bothering you I should be googling all this...Thanks & Cheers, Hans!

[orlok]

Originally Posted by morantis

I tried it out when the last developer preview. Windows 8 is fully ready to be used on a touchpad screen. The Desktop and Explorer panes are a little hard to find. For me, it was ok, nothing to great, but for someone using a non-Touchpad and being a little non-tech, they may have some trouble finding their way around.

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

Am I the only one who doesn't like this trend to make everything a touch screen?

I think they should alter the interface depending on whether it is being installed on a system with touch-screen or not. I don't like being reminded that it's primary interface appears to be designed for touch. I have also found navigation and just finding damn stuff hard - it took me 15 minutes to work out how to power off the first time... As with all things, familiarity will make it easier (or breed contempt - jury's out on that one at the moment), but right now I'm not convinced.

[lucasfernan89]

Interesting! Can't wait to see it.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by VaporPunk

Does Firefox run on it? Actually, why am I bothering you I should be googling all this...Thanks & Cheers, Hans!

I run Firefox, Opera, and Chrome. But the regular Firefox, I heard they also have a Metro version. Every system is different, so googling won't always give you a good answer.

[morriss003]

If you check the specs, you will see that it takes a very good monitor to get the full experience of Win 8. Personally, I don't want my monitor that close to me Getting all the software, not developed by Microsoft, ported over might be a problem for this OS. I'm not sure yet whether I will get Win 8. I do need to buy another desktop, because my MSI laptop is over 4 years old, and I need a good desktop with a good keyboard and screen on which to write my books. For a lot of us, it will depend on how well Office on Win 8 interfaces with older versions of Office.

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

Everyone knows they'll never do better than Windows RG (Really Good).

Lol!

How come MS still hasn't fixed Search in W7? Bizarre company.