Windows 8 consumer preview

[DefectX11]

Anyone tried it?
I just installed it on a tablet- sexy. Just plain intuitive, easy to use, and... sexy.

I highly suggest you try it, be it on a desktop or laptop. Its best on a tablet (x86, I haven't tried ARM), but I've seen it run just fine on a non touchscreen PC.

I would put up a pros and cons list but right now it's still a beta so it's not really applicable. I can say that it's a whole new realization of windows, so your desktop is NOT your main screen. In fact, your desktop is an app in the "metro UI" app launcher that looks a lot like Windows Mobile 7. It's also not too ram hungry- 2GB ran it just fine, no lag when launching apps and running games.

I'd say you should try it if you've got an extra PC laying around, or if you dual boot/boot camp. It's really worth it, plus some experience working with it is helpful if you plan to buy it as it comes out. I already know I will.

 

[vskid3]

The consumer preview isn't available for ARM (at this time). So....

For those that don't have an extra machine to experiment on, you can run it in a virtual machine or install it to a 16+GB USB drive (just like a live linux distro).

I have the 32 and 64 bit isos downloaded, just haven't gotten around to setting them up.

 

[J.D]

Windows 7 hasn't even been out for 3 years yet...

 

[Zero]

Windows 7 hasn't even been out for 3 years yet...

Windows has always released on a 2-3 year schedule generally. The main exception being the move from Windows XP to Vista.

 

[XCVG]

I hate to be the downer here, but Windows 8 Consumer Preview is the worst operating system I have ever used. It's extremely schizophrenic and counterintuitive, in addition to just plain ugly. I know you don't want to hear a long rant from me, so I'll leave it at that.

 

[DefectX11]

I hate to be the downer here, but Windows 8 Consumer Preview is the worst operating system I have ever used. It's extremely schizophrenic and counterintuitive, in addition to just plain ugly. I know you don't want to hear a long rant from me, so I'll leave it at that.

Its a discussion, I'd be interested to hear what you don't like about it.
I can see that some people are going to hate it- Microsoft is really making a radical new thing, and some are going to want to stick with the original XP style computer. I can say that I could find files easily in XP, and Win 8 makes it harder.
Like OSX Lion- they hid the OS files and a lot of others to make it more "consumer friendly" I suppose. I hated it, because now I need to use the "go to folder" function.

 

[Noah]

I just don't think Metro UI is a replacement for a desktop. As for me, I downloaded the developer preview a while back, with the tools, and I won't be coding at ALL for Windows 8. I doubt I'll even upgrade. Windows 7 Professional has support until 2020, so I'm assuming a "Windows 9" will be out by then, maybe they'll ditch the metro UI.

 

[ttsgeb]

I hate to be the downer here, but Windows 8 Consumer Preview is the worst operating system I have ever used. It's extremely schizophrenic and counterintuitive, in addition to just plain ugly. I know you don't want to hear a long rant from me, so I'll leave it at that.

Its a discussion, I'd be interested to hear what you don't like about it.
I can see that some people are going to hate it- Microsoft is really making a radical new thing, and some are going to want to stick with the original XP style computer. I can say that I could find files easily in XP, and Win 8 makes it harder.
Like OSX Lion- they hid the OS files and a lot of others to make it more "consumer friendly" I suppose. I hated it, because now I need to use the "go to folder" function.

Although I have to (ugh) spend more time to get a real good impression, what I have tried of Windows 8 is terrible. The new interface is *Can'tSayThisOnTV*ing terrible. I can go from Windows XP to Windows 7, even to Windows 3.x and Android 3.x Honeycomb. I try Windows 8 and I have no *Can'tSayThisOnTV*ing idea how to use it. Interestingly, I have a similar problem with iOS- maybe there's a trend there. The new Metro UI is ugly, inflexible, and actually rather cumbersome to use. It basically throws away twenty years of interface development- it wouldn't be that hard to make Windows work for touch devices and still keep a similar look and feel. In addition, much of the OS feels disjointed and disconnected, like a file manager that feels separate (MAJOR step backwards) and two distinct environments. It's just a developer preview, but many of the issues are fundamental problems that won't be solved.

Which is a shame, since the core OS isn't bad. I am very much a hater of Windows 8, I'm sure others actually like it. While I will keep my opinion of those people to myself, I will say this. Windows 8 is definitely a Base Breaker- that is, very polarizing to its fanuserbase. I should also mention that although reception from tech sites has been largely positive, everyone I have talked to IRL that used Windows 8 hated it.

Noah, I wouldn't get your hopes up about ditching the Metro UI. Knowing how MS does things, it's only going to be more engrained in the OS by then.

Personally, I've been running the Dev Preview as my main OS for several months now, and I love it. I may be biased as a WP7 user, but it seems to be rather nice. When navigating exclusively in the start menu/metro UI, it brings a brand new feel to my computer, and whenever I want I can easily switch over to the older style desktop. My main gripe is that IE in the metro UI runs separately from IE in the desktop, greatly increasing the "Schizophrenic" feeling that XCVG talks about.

 

[samjc3]

I hate it. Its EVIL. It would be fine on tablets, or netbooks, where all you do is browse the internet and play some stupid games. But for a desktop, its seriously a pain in the ass. It doesnt lend itself to a big monitor at all, and it is a disorganized mess to boot. With that said, it runs damned fast. (but then I would expect nothing less, running a tablet OS on an i5 2500k @ 4.3ghz + SSD + 560ti)

 

[XCVG]

My biggest issue is the scizophrenic feel of the OS. It's not smoothly integrated at all- it's like they just threw Metro over top and said *Can'tSayThisOnTV* it. When I launch Explorer from within Metro, it ejects me to the desktop. When I want to use control panel, I have to go to the desktop. When I open Task Manager, I'm ejected to the desktop. Add to that the fact that app switching works as well as a screen door on a submarine- you have Metro apps that don't even show up on the taskbar, which isn't even shown when you're in Metro. Only alt-tabbing will allow you to move between Metro apps and normal apps without horribly obvious seams.

The Metro UI itself is terrible. It's huge, ugly, and cumbersome. It doesn't match the awesome feel of Ice Cream Sandwich or even made-for-morons but still reasonably slick iOS. Every single app I've tried, as well as the main interface itself, is very counterintuitive. I can't figure out how to close apps short of using the task manager. There isn't even a way to shift them out of the way like ICS. Throwing all the apps on the homescreen is a bad idea, especially when the icons are so massive. Half the apps are going to eject you to the desktop, especially ones you install later. I'm left wondering if the Metro Start Screen is supposed to be the home screen with the desktop as an alternate environment for certain things or if the desktop is supposed to be the home screen with the Start Screen as a really flaxty app launcher.

Sure, you could use the desktop- except it's MUCH WORSE than Windows 7. Clear, easy to use icons have become hovering pixel hunts. Windows Explorer has been trashed. First, it uses the godawful ribbon that Microsoft feels like putting on EVERYTHING now. Second, it feels very poorly integrated, like a separate app. This is purely psychological, but a major step backwards in my opinion. You've lost the convenient start menu and now are forced to either dump your icons in folders on your desktop (old style) or use the Start Screen, which won't work very well when you have a hundred apps all designed for non-Metro Windows.

What pisses me off the most is that they didn't have to go to such extreme measures to make a "tablet-friendly" Windows. And even if you insist on keeping your *Can'tSayThisOnTV*ing Metro, there are a few simple things that could be done to make it vastly easier to use. All programs have the capability to run in windowed or fullscreen mode over the desktop, with standard minimize/maximize. The taskbar stays on the bottom throughout the entire OS and shows all running apps. Replace pixel-hunt hovering with buttons.

Ideally, I would go even further "backwards". The Start screen dies in a fire. Keep the Start menu and desktop. Desktop now has multiple screens that can be cycled between, like Android or iOS. Metro style gets thrown out the window in favour of something less ugly. Windows Explorer gets restored to Windows 7 state or even before that. And most importantly, stop trying to hide important options because it doesn't make things easier to use. It makes them *Can'tSayThisOnTV*ing impossible to deal with.

The thing is, Windows 7 is already far ahead of the game, something that Microsoft doesn't recognize. Look where Android is heading. Quick, easy multitasking? Check. Notifications and status bar? Check. Pen input? Check. Productivity apps? Checkmate.

Don't believe me?

Also, WTF IS WITH THE FISH?

 

[ttsgeb]

You bring up a lot of good points... They seriously need to clean up the seams between the two, and there are some options that just shouldn't go...
Using the OS for the Desktop environment works fine, but as soon as you try to use the Metro UI, with how they have it implemented, things get pretty crazy.

But, most importantly, WTF are you talking about with the fish?

 

[bic]

I'm not interested unless it includes the Flying Windows and 3D Maze screensavers, and the Hotdog Stand color scheme.

 

[XCVG]

On booting, there is a fish logo in the middle of the screen instead of a Windows logo. I guess the Windows logo is out of style.

 

[DefectX11]

Lot's of hate wafting around here on Windows. I like it, with a couple exceptions, there are some things I don't care for.
Like the fish. What's with that? Do they seriously feel the need to copy Apple and use animals in their OS?

 

[Noah]

Windows 8: Ocean Tuna
Windows 9: Trout
Windows 10: Salmon

 

[Antome]

What is the difference between consumer and developer preview? Anything?

Using the developer preview at the moment, with metro removed of course. Its only ever going to be useful for non desktop devices.

 

[Σigma]

It's a shame the opportunity M$ squandered here. They could've done something like this to the normal desktop:
http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/24/28228 ... ui-concept

...

 

[Prog]

That looks like GNOME with Windows icons.

 

[Noah]

Better than the metro UI...

 

[Prog]

DOS is better than Metro UI.