Windows 8 Developer Preview

[Zach]

Agree, Seven is what Vista should have been.

[GWarner]

Glad you were able to get VMWare 8 to work.

A friend is touting Paralells. Now I wonder if it's better than VMWare Workstation...

Didn't Windows 7 just come out? Or is it just as bad as Vista and they need to rush a new OS out?

No, Windows 7 was released last year (2010) and windows isn't even in beta yet so there's at least a year to go before it will be officially released. If MS stays on track with their three years per OS, Windows 8 won't be released until 2013.

[Kuron]

No, Windows 7 was released last year (2010)

Windows 7 was released to retail customers on October 22, 2009.

Many were expecting Windows 8 to be released before the end of the year (2011), but Microsoft Netherlands released some info they weren't supposed to and based on that info the current projections are: Windows 8 beta release in January of 2012, a Windows 8 release candidate in April 2012 and a Windows 8 RTM release in July 2012. Given the progress Microsoft is making as of late, they are right on track.

[GWarner]

Windows 7 was released to retail customers on October 22, 2009.

Holy crap! Where did the time go?

[luis]

Just tried it. I hope this will change substantially.

MS developers must have recently discovered the QUAD. It's a QUAD festival.

The Metro interface is really dull for today standards, seems an experimental concept that could have been born when Windows 95 was in development to try something new for the remote future.

The integration with the win-7 gui is made to make you cry in despair. Every item act like a drag instead of helping.

I was on the desktop and I wasn't able to find the way to do a shutdown.

You have to hover near the start button, a metro-item pops out, you have to select "Settings", then from there "power" and then "shutdown". I repeat. You have to look under settings to shutdown.

If you want to have the list of programs in the start menu back, while using the desktop, change this setting in the registry:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RPEnabled

from 1 to 0

Probably the most frustrating piece of software I saw in the last 15-20 years.

[jack]

that registry trick did not work for me on the x64 version but the utility found here did the trick http://compixels.com/11458/how-to-disab ... art-screen
btw, while the metro interface is still on pressing ctrl-alt-del will give you a screen with a power button and you can restart or shutdown.
my opinion is that MS is on the right track, the metro interface is perfect for tablets and phones but not for the desktop computer.

[Polo]

I was on the desktop and I wasn't able to find the way to do a shutdown.

Glad to know I wasn't the only one

[Kuron]

You have to hover near the start button, a metro-item pops out, you have to select "Settings", then from there "power" and then "shutdown". I repeat. You have to look under settings to shutdown.

Holy crap! Where did the time go?

I can only speak for myself. The older I get, the quicker time sneaks up on me.

[GWarner]

I was on the desktop and I wasn't able to find the way to do a shutdown.

I ran into this too and found a way by logging out.

Makes it look like it's being designed for devices you rarely turn off like cell phones.

Maybe they also assume that people just put their pads and tablets in stand-by rather than turn them off. Since I don't own a pad or a tablet, I don't know if that's a valid assumption or not.

I can only speak for myself. The older I get, the quicker time sneaks up on me.

Sounds like the same thing that's happening to me...either that or I'm having fun...

[Danilo]

Makes it look like it's being designed for devices you rarely turn off like cell phones.

In tablet mode (with metro) you can shutdown on the logon screen. There is an icon
for shutdown on the right side at the bottom.
In the metro Start screen you can log off by tapping on your name on the right top.

There are 2 modes for Windows 8. One is the normal desktop mode for PCs like before,
the second is the tablet mode (thats enabled by default in the developer preview).

As luis said, you can switch modes:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer: "RPEnabled" = "1"
-> tablet mode, ribbons in explorer
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer: "RPEnabled" = "0"
-> desktop mode, normal startmenu, no ribbons in explorer

After changing this registry key as administrator, you should log out and login again.

You may want to use a tool instead: Windows-8-Start-Menu-Toggle

For me the 2 modes of operation make sense. Desktop mode like before
and a new tablet mode. Tablet mode makes sense for touchscreen scenarios,
not only for the tablet you use to surf the internet while sitting on the couch,
its also good for public terminals (in airports, in hotels, internet cafes etc.).

So Windows gets a new UI for this applications, but still has the desktop mode
we are all used to.

Check this youtube video to see little bit how it works with the tablets:
Microsoft Windows 8 for Tablets - Detailed Demonstration

As you can see in the video, tablet users have their apps on the metro screen,
its easy to use for millions of people who are not computer freaks.
This people just want to _use_ this devices for entertainment, communication,
work and play. And if you want, you can still switch to the desktop and have
the full windows on your tablet. Nice.
If you use your fingers with a touchscreen, it makes sense to use ribbons in
desktop mode, because that is easier to use with fingers. The usual menus
would be too small and not good to use with fingers.

I read about plans by MS to do an Office for tablets with an metro style UI, so
tablet users don't need to go to desktop mode and use the 'old style' office.
At the end, ordinary people don't need a full PC anymore. They can do everything
what they want with their tablets. Surf the internet, communicate with other
people by eMail and in communities, write letters with office, make their
tax computation right on the tablet, play games, watch movies, and more.
Everytime, everywhere. No need for a big PC or notebook if you can do
everything with your little tablet and at the same time you have the full
power of Windows on your little device. The OS that hundred of millions
of people are used to, the OS of the market leader... soon also on your tablet.

Some screenshots of the 2 modes:
- Windows 8 Desktop
- Windows 8 Desktop Startmenu
- Windows 8 Explorer, desktop mode (no ribbons)
- Windows 8 Control Panel, desktop mode
- Windows 8 Internet Explorer
- Windows 8 Visual Studio

- Windows 8 Metro, tablet mode
- Windows 8 Explorer, tablet mode with ribbons
- Windows 8 Control Panel, tablet mode
- Windows 8 Metro Weather App
- Windows 8 Metro Piano App

More informations are in the Blog Building Windows 8

[jack]

your CPU speed is OK to run the preview.

[J. Baker]

Well, I'm still on XP here as Vista was crap. Didn't do 7 for various reasons. One being that after installing SP1 on some machines, and I'm talking about new pc's, the pc would restart and give nothing but a black screen. And this was reporting by many users.

Anyway, I will wait again for the final release and see how it goes for 8.

Also, I think when a new OS comes out, it should be faster. Not requiring more ram and higher cpu each time. I find this kind of ass backwards. But it looks like 8 is the first to that.

[GWarner]

I too am still using XP because it works and I see no reason to replace it.

Vista, 7, and 8 don't have anything I really need except maybe they have better support of SSDs. Been thinking about switching to them but wondering if that would be a good idea with XP...