Official Windows 8 Thread

[artistmode]

Im newly registered, "Hello Videohelp forums!" I know this is not officially a computer focused forum however I know some of the most innovative users etc. hang out here so... I see a cornucopia of Windows8 threads. Id like to recommend an official Windows8 navigation or thread (provided that I have not overlooked an existing similar option).

[mammo1789]

And the point of this is? ( Just kidding of course ) and welcome to the forum

[El Heggunte]

As long as the goal of the thread is bash Windows 8, it'll be OK

[MJA]

can't wait to install win8 on my TouchPad .lol

[usually_quiet]

I have read the reviews and I'm not sure I will like the new Windows 8 desktop. I may want to go back to Windows 7.

I am hoping Microsoft offers the kind of deal they offered for Vista right before Windows 7 was released, a free upgrade to Windows 8 with the purchase of Windows 7, within a specified period of time.

[yoda313]

I'm not sure I will like the new Windows 8 desktop

I haven't dived to deeply into it but I thought I saw it mentioned that windows 8 will have a throwback option to go to a more normal desktop. It won't be just this "tile" stuff they are pushing.

Did I misinterpret that? Or have they removed it? Or is it something else?

[jman98]

I haven't dived to deeply into it but I thought I saw it mentioned that windows 8 will have a throwback option to go to a more normal desktop. It won't be just this "tile" stuff they are pushing.

Did I misinterpret that? Or have they removed it? Or is it something else?

Take this with a grain of salt, but the only review I read blasted it for being too much like iOS and claimed that you could not use another desktop with it. Unless this changes to provide a more normal desktop for those who want it, this is why I believe Win 8 will be another Vista and Windows will rush out a Win 9 that has a desktop choice.

[yoda313]

Take this with a grain of salt, but the only review I read blasted it for being too much like iOS and claimed that you could not use another desktop with it. Unless this changes to provide a more normal desktop for those who want it, this is why I believe Win 8 will be another Vista and Windows will rush out a Win 9 that has a desktop choice.

Hmm now I'm more curious. It must have been an early cnet article on it before the win 8 betas were out. I might go hunting for it now.

Could this be a case for a super duper tweak ui for win 8? Or I guess if its not in the code of the os at all then there is nothing to tweak huh?

edit - Here we go:

[img]
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Technology/Pix/pictures/2011/9/13/1315929439379/wi...esktop-460.jpg[/img]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/sep/13/windows-metro-microsoft-tablet-apps

Tap the tile called Desktop, and a Windows desktop which looks a lot like Windows 7 appears. There are changes here too, like a new ribbon toolbar in the Explorer file manager, but they are relatively minor. The biggest change is that if you tap the Start button, you get sent back to the Metro and its tiles. The old Start menu has gone.

I thought there was a desktop option in win 8. Granted this particular article is from September of last year but if its there in one of the trial versions I have to imagine this will still be an option when it goes gold (or do they say "plantinum" now when a software/os is released? )

edit -

http://cnettv.cnet.com/windows-8-beta-unifies-desktop-tablet-people-like/9742-1_53-50120705.html

Heres a cnet video review showing a win 8 beta from 2-29 of this year. At the 3:40 mark (give or take a second) it shows the desktop button where it shows a more "traditional" desktop view without the tiles. So it looks like there is a normal view option in win 8.

[Ethlred]

Someone, several someones, created mods for The Developer's release that enabled the older start menu and shut off the Metro screen.

MS in it infinite wisdom blocked this for the more general beta release. I booted it once so far. Can't stand Metro. Its ugly on a desktop, noneintuitive, and requires extra mouse clicks to get anything done without a touch screen.

They clearly expect tablets to be the future and are doing the same silly thing they did with Vista. Forcing the developers to do what MS wants by wrecking the OS for the users.

In Vista MS had a developer problem. Developers in XP had consistently ignored MS standards that would have let people use XP as a user and only log in as an admin when needed. That was partly MS's fault as they seem to have set those standards after they figured out that XP had security issues and not at the beginning.

And to force the developers to behave they created UAC and DELIBERATELY overdid it even after the beta tests made it clear people HATED it. Just plain stupid of them to not listen to the users. So for Windows 7 they fixed the stupid issues that they never needed to have if only they had listened.

Now they are doing another WE CAN'T HEAR YOU and don't bother shouting because Metro is the future so shut up and like it.

Well I don't like it as I am using a desktop. If they don't start listening they will have another Vista despite all the good work they have done otherwise to improve the OS.

Ethelred

[artistmode]

I agree with a lot of what was said here Im not a Windows fanboy but I like 8 more than 7(its just plain faster) so far no issues. I use the "traditional desktop all the time, its pretty seamless to switch back and forth now that ive had it installed for a couple weeks the new desktop is fine too, just takes a short time to adjust to it.

[yoda313]

@artistmode - do you use a, lets call it a hack, to get the start button back in the desktop mode? I've seen something about there not being a true start button in the desktop mode. It looked like there was an equivalent to the start button but not the same thing.

How big of a deal is that? Do you use it differently at all?


By the way this is more out of curiosity. My newest os is an oem vista on my dual core pc. I don't plan on upgrading in the near future. But I like to stay up on the latest.

[artistmode]

@artistmode - do you use a, lets call it a hack, to get the start button back in the desktop mode? I've seen something about there not being a true start button in the desktop mode. It looked like there was an equivalent to the start button but not the same thing.

How big of a deal is that? Do you use it differently at all?


By the way this is more out of curiosity. My newest os is an oem vista on my dual core pc. I don't plan on upgrading in the near future. But I like to stay up on the latest.

Nope no hack. Its just an option in the OS. The switch from "Apps" to desktop is almost seamless.

[yoda313]

Nope no hack. Its just an option in the OS. The switch from "Apps" to desktop is almost seamless.

Actually I was referring to the start button itself. is it still available or is it hidden or something different now?

[artistmode]

Nope no hack. Its just an option in the OS. The switch from "Apps" to desktop is almost seamless.

Actually I was referring to the start button itself. is it still available or is it hidden or something different now?

Its kind of a hidden' menu that appears on the right of the screen when you hover the mouse over that area. The button itself just returns you to the desktop/ programs menu.

[yoda313]

Its kind of a hidden' menu that appears on the right of the screen when you hover the mouse over that area. The button itself just returns you to the desktop/ programs menu.

To the right instead of the left? It's always been on the left ever since win 95 - at least the default mode that is.

So it doesn't really function like the start button anymore? How do you shutdown and reboot and all that jazz? Do you have to switch back to the tile mode?

[artistmode]

Its kind of a hidden' menu that appears on the right of the screen when you hover the mouse over that area. The button itself just returns you to the desktop/ programs menu.

To the right instead of the left? It's always been on the left ever since win 95 - at least the default mode that is.

So it doesn't really function like the start button anymore? How do you shutdown and reboot and all that jazz? Do you have to switch back to the tile mode?

No its all divided up as a 'series of options' so to speak.
Flyout menu'/ settings / power / shut down.

[yoda313]

Hmm I wonder if you could easily make a shutdown button and be done with it? Not that an extra click or two is that big of a deal.

Thanks for the insights artistmode.

[artistmode]

Hmm I wonder if you could easily make a shutdown button and be done with it? Not that an extra click or two is that big of a deal.

Thanks for the insights artistmode.

Command line maybe. Yeah it takes getting used to.

No problem.

[lordsmurf]

I'm more interested in Server 2012.
I tend to adopt server versions far earlier than the desktop versions.

I have some beta copies for dev, but not had time to install on test boxes.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Here's a little bad news for HTPC users, Windows 8 won't include WMC. You will have to buy a add-on pack to get it. No price yet for Pro Pack or Media Center.

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/microsoft_explains_windows_media_center_upgrade_...ums_word_price

Come on Microsoft, it should be included with the Pro version.

[johns0]

Now a windows 8 sticky,keep the comment friendly.

[artistmode]

Here's a little bad news for HTPC users, Windows 8 won't include WMC. You will have to buy a add-on pack to get it. No price yet for Pro Pack or Media Center.

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/microsoft_explains_windows_media_center_upgrade_...ums_word_price

Come on Microsoft, it should be included with the Pro version.

Wow, greed prevails again. Microsoft has a funny way of raining on the parade before it even begins.

[artistmode]

Now a windows 8 sticky,keep the comment friendly.

Sweeeet.

[jman98]

Here's a little bad news for HTPC users, Windows 8 won't include WMC. You will have to buy a add-on pack to get it. No price yet for Pro Pack or Media Center.

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/microsoft_explains_windows_media_center_upgrade_...ums_word_price

Come on Microsoft, it should be included with the Pro version.

Wow, greed prevails again. Microsoft has a funny way of raining on the parade before it even begins.

It's a shame that Microsoft is so big that they can literally do anything and get away with it. I expect Win 8 to fail big time just like Vista did, but it doesn't matter because in the end Microsoft will just get Win 9 right and all the sheep will buy it and forget how they got screwed over in 8.

[El Heggunte]

BTW, could anyone confirm (or infirm) that Windows 8 does NOT include a DirectShow DVD Navigator?

[yoda313]

This kind of reminds me what they did with the first xbox (the xbox 1). It could play dvds but only if you got the "official" dvd adapter and remote. I don't think it was able to do anything with dvds without that adapter.

The weird thing is for the xbox 360 they kind of trumped the ps3 a little even though they don't have a bluray drive (yet). They do have a built in ir port so it can use regular remote controls. For the ps3 you have to get the nyko bluwave remote usb dongle to do that. Kind of a flip flop of the xbox/ps2 generation consoles. Of course you could get the "official" sony bluetooth remote but the thing is a beast and totally nonergonomic and not intuitive.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Windows 8 on a tablet(Windows RT) will only allow IE, all other browsers are verboten:

http://blogs.computerworld.com/20153/microsoft_will_cripple_chrome_and_firefox_on_wind...does_it_matter

Another reason to pass on Windows 8.

[Ethlred]

So much for my thinking that MS investing in Barns and Noble was a good thing. There is no way I am using a crippled OS on a tablet. It is really stupid if MS does this as they are going to have a very hard time in the tablet market as it is.

Ethelred

[Hoser Rob]

I suspect a number of people think they're going to get full Windows functionity on a tablet with windows 8. It just ain't going to happen. Tablets aren't as powerful as laptops or desktops.

And some think they're going to be able to load old software onto the tablet and then use it with touch screen capability. Dream on.

Having to buy all MS tablet apps from their web store is going to rankle some. They're definitely taking a risk with all this.

But they aren't totally stupid. Corporate buyers aren't happy with Apple and Android devices because they don't have the tools necessary to integrate the devices into their networks. Win 8 does, and that's why they've been eagerly awaiting it.

Meself, I think I'll end up running Linux. Most of the programs I run are Linux ports anyway. They don't need 3rd party codecs that screw up your registry.

[El Heggunte]

Hmmm, if I am the first one to mention the following:

"Microsoft Announces Availability of Windows 8 Release Preview" <== clicky

certainly it's because the news have no actual importance at all