Hi,
Just curious about Windows 8 due out. Is it more for touch screen monitors and tablets? Is windows 7 Premium (64Bit system Better?
Jim
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Hi,
Just curious about Windows 8 due out. Is it more for touch screen monitors and tablets? Is windows 7 Premium (64Bit system Better?
Jim
I'm not sure it is to be released until the fall, Jim. But I am sure some of the members who have been beta testing will have a better idea.
Windows 8 includes both UI's
The standard Explorer style you are used to and the new Metro UI for touch devices, smartphones, tablets/slates etc.
You can switch between the two.
I am looking at perhaps later this spring investing in a new laptop would I be better off waiting until fall and getting one with Windows 8? What advantages would windows 8 give me?
1 more than 7. rotflmaoQuote:
Originally Posted by angelize
Sorry Frances. I just couldn't resist that one.
Groooaaann... :D
I have installed the Windows 8 consumer preview version on my Desktop computer, and I can't say I totally love it.
It was designed for use in a tablet so the experience on a desktop isn't great. In a word I would call it awkward.
Perhaps the biggest shortcoming is the lack of a start button. So accessing your programs has to be done via a Metro interface icon or a desktop shortcut.
So If you thought your desktop was cluttered before, be prepared for more chaos in Windows 8 !
Several programs seemed to disappear entirely after installation until I drilled down to the program folder and started the program as Administrator. ( My computer > local disk C > Programs > folder for program you are looking for > locate the program's executable program icon, right click on it and choose "Run as Administrator". ) You will then get a window that asks if it is OK to let this program make changes to your computer. Click on the "OK" button, and the program will finish installing. Hopefully it will create program icons. If not you will have to make them yourself ( as in creating shortcuts ).
If you stop using your computer for a while it will put itself to sleep. Useful for quick restarts. However, if you want to shut it all the way down there is no easily accessible button, you have to use "Control-Alt-delete", then sign out, then click on the power icon in the lower right hand corner, then click "Shut down". ( at least that is the only way I've found so far )
Does this sound "Better" than what you are using now? I don't think so !
- Andy
You can always switch over to Desktop mode and press alt+F4 to receive your shutdown options.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndFarr
But you can also create actual shutdown tiles that accomplish the same effect in Metro.
Within Desktop mode, right-click on the desktop and create a new shortcut.
For it’s “location”, you’ll want to type in the following: shutdown.exe -s -t 00.
Feel free to name the shortcut whatever you want.
Once it’s on your desktop, fire up Windows Explorer and move the shortcut to your C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs directory.
Jump back to your Metro interface and you’ll see your Shutdown button appear as a brand-new tile.
Click once, and off goes your system!
Attachment 87913
More about Metro from M$
To be fair I should say again that this operating system is designed for Tablet computers, not laptops or desktops.
I assume the experience would be much better on a tablet.
Ultimately I expect they will make different flavors of Windows 8 , one for each of the different platforms.
- Andy
Actually no, the OS is designed for all platforms (as mentioned in the M$ video). You can switch modes. See post #3
Windows 8 Consumer Preview works great on the same hardware that powers Windows 7
The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is designed to be used on all PC types for all consumers to try and then give feedback.
Requirements:
Quote:
Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster
RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device or higher
To use touch, you need a tablet or monitor that supports multitouch
Thank you Steve for the tips on setting up the shut down shortcut and tile.
They work perfectly!
That helps a lot !
- Andy
I threw up a little while watching that...Quote:
Originally Posted by sledger
put my fingers all over a screen I am going to be using for work purposes - I don't think so...
so metro is not for me I guess...
That's one of the things that annoys me about my Windows 7 smart phone... The screen is always dirty!
well we are going to have to live with changes if we upgrade, unless MS has a sudden change of heart.. and from the point of view of future sales it probably makes sense....
anyhow I will try it..... don't have to use the fingers..
and for those who find it a bit of a 'shock' here is a useful link from the knowlegable and helpful Mr Bott:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/the-m...10?tag=nl.e539
I installed the Windows 8 Consumer Preview today. Set it up as dual boot on one of my Windows 7 desktops. So far it seems to work very well on that old piece of hardware. There was an issue with the network card but I found the floppy disk with the driver and all is well. :D
For those people experimenting with the Preview you can download a .exe file from StarDock to put a Start Button on the Windows 8 taskbar.
http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/
Installing the Visual Studio 11 beta on the system at this time.
Interesting that Stardock did this Bill. I guess they are anticipating the flood of complains from people who will feel lost without the Start button. But, it really isn't necessary. MS didn't remove it to piss people off. There's good reason for it not to be required.
You see the reason there is no Start button on the taskbar in desktop mode is because the Metro screen IS the Start menu.
The first Metro screen has all your install program shorcuts and an the quick pick tiles for common tasks.
All of these can be moved around or removed as you like.
To get to your programs list as you used to see in your Windws Vista and 7 Start menu, just left click the Metro desktop and click the 'Apps' icon on the bar that slides up from the bottom.
You can add a tile for any program that isn't on the Metro Start screen by right clicking the program's .exe in Windows explorer and choose 'Pin to start'..
To get to other stuff move the mouse cursor to the top-right edge and the 'charms' will fly out.
Pressing the 'Settings' charm will give you other computer settings (including the shutown button which gives you the familiar shutdown options).
When you are in normal Windows desktop mode, tap the Start key on your keyboard to jump back to the Metro Start screen.
The Start key also acts as a jump-back key. For example if you are viewing your installed apps and programs screen in Metro, hitting the Start key will jump back to the Metro Start screen, hit it again will take you to the normal Windows desktop then back to Metro if you tap it again.
I'm growing quite accustomed to the Metro UI and all the other changes, they seem quite intuitive, especally to smart phones users, which is the point.
Also, I have installed many of my regular programs on Windows 8 including Xara Web Designer and Designer pro without any problems.
W8 CP boots very fast even on the older hardware (with a slow 5400 IDE 80GB hdd).
I think anyone curious about it should at least try it for a while to get used to it, the consumer preview expires in January 2013, by which time it will have been released a few months.
Microsoft are betting their entire Operating System business on Windows 8, I don't think they are doing so on a whim. They have done their market research and must be pretty confident that this is the future.
So far, it's a pretty slick OS.
So give it a go I say :)
It is interesting about StarDock. I haven't spent much time with Windows 8 yet but as you say the start button is not necessary. I have been able to get around and find all the things I have needed so far.
I just got back home so starting to explore Visual Studio 11 beta and find out what it offers for creating metro style apps.
This is quite informative post for me. As i haven't any idea and haven't read anything about Windows 8. Thanks!
Windows 8 offers some added information about the fonts installed by the OS. The forum software has reduced the size of my .png and made it a .jpg so you may not be able to see the details. Before installing Xara Xtreme 5 there were only 144 fonts installed by Windows 8.
This is completely untrue. Win8 works equally well on a desktop or touch-enabled computer/tablet. The desktop environment is about as different from Win7 as Win7 was from WinXP. i.e. mostly the same. The only time you have to deal with the touch-friendly side of things is with the new Start Screen, which has replaced the horrible Start Menu from Win7. For me, that happens about once a week so there is absolutely no reason to be put off.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndFarr
I would not recommend trying Start8 until you have spent some time using the standard Start Screen. I tried it out and it ruined the experience. I uninstalled it after a few hours.Quote:
Originally Posted by Soquili
Anyway, I installed the Developer Preview on a netbook last year and it was transformative - the machine went from the typical clunky netbook experience to being a useful computer. I found myself looking for excuses to use it instead of my regular machine, rather than kicking myself for having wasted money on it. So I jumped at the Consumer Preview and installed it over Win7 on my primary machine. The process was smooth and it kept all my settings from Win7, right down to the smallest detail. All my hardware is still working, no problems with device drivers, and all my software continues to work well, too. I spent 10 minutes or so customising the Start Screen, exactly as I had done with the Win7 Start Menu when I bought the machine. I also created the custom shutdown and restart icons and put them on my desktop and Start Screen.
From that point on it has been an overwhelmingly positive experience for me. Most of it is as close to Win7 as Win7 is to WinXP, so it is not the entire new interface that you might think it is. Once you are in the desktop, the only hint that it is not Win7 is the missing Start button. But once you start to work with it, you realise that there are a lot of changes and that they are all for the better. Because it kept all my desktop shortcuts and applications pinned to the Taskbar, I almost never have to use the Start Screen which makes it easy to forget that it is a new OS. But I find myself looking for excuses to go and use some of the Metro apps just for the hell of it. The Reader app, for example, is an excellent alternative to Adobe Reader. It is very basic but it lets you read PDFs without any clutter. I like it. I like the email app too, it is much better than checking Hotmail in my browser. IE 10 on the Metro side is less successful but the full desktop version is also available and it works as you'd expect (although I use Firefox).
I'd recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone, you just need to go into it with an open mind and be willing to embrace change. After just a few days you will have to drag me kicking and screaming back to Win7.
Actually, it is not completely untrue, it is partially untrue. Yes it works well enough on either platform but it is clunky anyways, but one needs to remember it is a beta and bound to change for the better when it gets released.Quote:
Originally Posted by BONES
Just so you know my feeling on the new OS, I removed it from my spare drive after playing with it for a few weeks but decided it's not an OS that I would use unless forced to. It may be to my own personal preferences of not wanting to really dig into a new OS.
Another thing to remember, it's really 2 OS's in one so it will be more bulky in some ways. You can't have extra guis without that.
Anyway, would I recommend this OS? It's not for me but it is workable so I think it does get a pass.....
In what way clunky Ed? Performance?Quote:
Originally Posted by Karateed
I find it works faster and smoother on hardware which made Vista seem like it didn't want to get out of bed in the morning.
As for the two UIs being two OSes, not really. Metro and Aero UIs belong to the one OS, the Metro UI is really the new Start menu which has been changed to be mobile and touch device friendly.
Switching between the two is smooth and seamless by tapping the WinKey (Start key) on your keyboard.
When working in Aero, if it weren't for the ribbon bar in Explorer, you'd hardly know you weren't working in Windows7.
The OS has (according to engadget) recently been released in Taiwan on some HTC phones.
I agree with sledger, Windows 8 runs faster on an old machine that I also have Windows 7 installed. If you don't want the full ribbon bar on Windows Explorer you can minimize the ribbon and Explorer looks very much like Windows 7.
I like the ribbon bar :D
It is growing on me so it is open most of the time. ;)
Somebody doesn't like it..
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-sourc...-arrival/10275
The main addition to the desktop environment in Windows 8 is the task bar now exists on multiple monitors, and the icons on the task bar on each monitor match up with the windows that are positioned on each monitor. I think that made sense. Apart from that, the missing Start Button and mandatory updates (in America), I think it's a lot like Windows 7 which is a good thing.
Window 8 has some unique features such as "kill switch", "Tile based desktop start screen", "Touch panel for touch screen : I-pad's and phones".
All these features are unique and new in Window 8.
As window 8 is specially designed for I-pad's and window phones it doesn't means that window 8 will not provide[edit: link removed] and can not be use on PC's and Laptops.
Window 8 has both Graphical user interface to use and it can use on both I-pad's and PC's as well.
As window 8 is specially designed for I-pad's
I think Apple might have words to say about that!
I think you mean Tablets.
I guess, it's a bit like calling all vacum cleaners "Hoovers".
Lame spammer can't get his terminology correct. ;))
LOL, I even managed to skip the link. Doh!Quote:
Originally Posted by sledger
spam link removed
lynda.com has an intro to windows 8. I think it's accessible to non-members.
http://www.lynda.com/Windows-tutoria.../100467-2.html
Just tried it out on a laptop with a high end i5 processor and 8gb ram and I have to say it runs great, I might try it on a three year old laptop I've got with 2gb ram and an average amd processor and see how it does. Not tried it on a touch screen but I've got to say that this might be even better than the great os that is windows 7.
Runs much MUCH better than Vista Business on my spare older dual core AMD Athlon II X2 250 with 2Gb ram.
Though I have managed to crash the display driver a few times running certain video apps :D
I think that WIN7 is better, even my computers are still using XP,WIN8 on the system that is too high.
I think cloud computing is still quite expensive and pushing Skydrive... well, we'll see how Windows 8 plays out.
I really can't be bothered with windows 8 yet, I used xp for quite a few years, and I have only just got used to windows 7. To be honest the vast majority of people don't have time to mess about paying for/upgrading to new software. Also, if its not broken don't fix it!! Well, as long as the majority are not forced to upgrade soon. People have enough expenses to worry about, including out of date hardware.