Windows 8 Release Preview Discussion

[Vice]

It kind of feels like MS are trying to make the desktop environment a more closed and regulated environment?

Definitely. I believe in-fact that WinRT apps have to be sold through the Microsoft web store. I don't believe they allow side loading of those wares. And of course on ARM you can't even install Desktop software you're limited to WinRT apps only.

[Pas]

This Metro interface is ridiculous for desktop usage. It may be great for phones and tablets but is far from it for desktops. Removing the Start Button and Menu is another huge fail for MS. As for the folks who say "Metro is fine, just type in ...", I point out Windows is supposed to be a Point & Click OS. If I wanted to use my Keyboard to open apps, I'd install DOS again. I admit Win8 seems to be quicker than Win7 but it will be the first OS from Microsoft I won't purchase. 'Tis a sad day.

[dafin0]

I want to ability to have more than just one app fully open when using Metro instead of having everything full-screen while it clearly isn't needed.

maybe just use a desktop program? choice is good a good thing :woot:

i do get what you're saying but with other options available it doesn't seam like a big deal (to me) but each to there own.

[neo1911]

No one finds the text rendering worse than Windows 7? Come on!!!! Hide your fanboyness and speak up!!!

I tried tweaking cleartype settings but it just makes the jagged text dark/bold and does not apply any anti-aliasing what so ever.

I am using Microsoft's WDDM v1.2 driver for Nvidia Geforce 330M mbp graphics.

[dafin0]

No one finds the text rendering worse than Windows 7? Come on!!!! Hide your fanboyness and speak up!!!

I tried tweaking cleartype settings but it just makes the jagged text dark/bold and does not apply any anti-aliasing what so ever.

I am using Microsoft's WDDM v1.2 driver for Nvidia Geforce 330M mbp graphics.

in the CP i did notice problems with cleartype but in the short amount of time i've used the RP i have not noticed it. ill have a better look tomorrow, for now im off to bed.

[Dot Matrix]

I would submit feedback on the apps that are doing this, then. I know they're produced by MS but they're obviously incomplete still and I'm sure they'd value the feedback. I've already sent some choice words in about the Live Essentials replacements.

The metro apps are no WLE replacements. Essentials remains quite "essential".

[Harrison H.]

update...was able to dig a lot out of the windows.old folder but a pain in the &$&*$&*%$* If they don't get the upgrade assistant fixed so it moves files and settings forward that are compatible when you upgrade by the rtm, the average joe who does not know better will be ^*&^*&^ when they try an upgrade

If you read their FAQ you would know that this was limited to Windows 8 Dev/Consumer Previews to Release preview. Windows 7 upgrades to Windows 8 function like every version prior (you can keep everything, just the files, or nothing - your choice).

[Eric Veteran]

I want to ability to have more than just one app fully open when using Metro instead of having everything full-screen while it clearly isn't needed. Not everyone has a sub-17-inch screen or suffers from poor eyesight.

Then choose the same desktop app you've been using for whatever's irking you? They haven't gone away. All I've seen you do is complain about whitespace on things like the Neowin home page. You do know that's a site-formatting issue that can easily be solved by clicking "Settings" and "Use expanded width" on the front page?

[PGHammer]

maybe just use a desktop program? choice is good a good thing :woot:

i do get what you're saying but with other options available it doesn't seam like a big deal (to me) but each to there own.

That's precisely it.

It's like "I only want ONE sort of application!"

Never mind that nobody (not even Microsoft) is forcing you to use a WinRT application in Windows 8. In fact, other than games, I don't use any. At all.

However, a lot of what the detractors *miss* from Windows 7 I don't miss. The lack of a Start menu is rather easy to deal with - the much better robustness (in terms of both speed and stability) is certainly easier to deal with. And needing fewer (far fewer, in fact) third-party utilities? Absolute BLISS.

Quality WinRT apps will likely come in the future - however, unlike the detractors, I'm not in any hurry, as Win32 makes for one heck of a fallback position.

[nyolc8]

The weather app live tile not working for me... Tried uninstall it, unpin-pin, everything... but I don't get weather tile working. Just the white sun icon on that blue background.

[scumdogmillionaire]

Installed on a VM, then on a laptop that my wife uses last night. I removed the CP from it about 3 hours in because you couldn't print from the Mail app or IE. That seems to be fixed (devices show up in the device list anyways)

Much more impreseed with the RP. Feels fast, and somehow a little more natural even though not much changed. Tiny little tweaks must have made the difference. Not caring much for the CP (I still had it installed on a VM and would mess with it maybe twice per week) I can say I'm really liking this so far.

I figured out how to clean up the start screen with naming the groups, so this is much better. And actually I hated the way immersive IE had no favorites, only the pinned sites.... getting used to that in their own group as well. I just won't have as many. 300 favorites aren't favorites -- they're bookmarks and I should deal with them differently.

No video calls in messenger app messes me up. Have to install WLE or Skype I guess? I wonder if they're just planning on dealing with video via Skype or something? Same thing with Photo App. No editing or anything, so Essentials will still have to be installed. Is there going to be a seperate wave of updated essentials apps for the desktop?

[Dot Matrix]

No one finds the text rendering worse than Windows 7? Come on!!!! Hide your fanboyness and speak up!!!

I tried tweaking cleartype settings but it just makes the jagged text dark/bold and does not apply any anti-aliasing what so ever.

I am using Microsoft's WDDM v1.2 driver for Nvidia Geforce 330M mbp graphics.

Nope. Did you update your drivers? Text rendering looks fine across my machines.

[EmbraceNext]

The first time I downloaded the Release Preview from the Release Preview page and started the install it showed the vista boot screen when booting and then showed the same screen as you have. (can you confirm this?)

I re-downloaded the ISO and now it shows a black boot screen named 'Windows'. This time it goes directly to 'Enter the product key' window.

I downloaded both ISO's from the same page. :s

[edit] I'm installing this in vmware fusion.

Yeah I checked my first download and it was just 2.1GB. I wonder how that even worked. Anyway, redownloaded and it is 3.4 and now installing fine.

Thanks!

[nelsona]

Can anyone confirm if their music app is/is not displaying lossless WMA files? Mine was not showing any lossless files but once I switched to the AAC folder music showed up. :(

[neo1911]

Nope. Did you update your drivers? Text rendering looks fine across my machines.

Yup. Both Microsoft and Nvidia drivers have same text rendering. It looks particularly horrible in the Metro control panel.

[Seketh]

Yup. Both Microsoft and Nvidia drivers have same text rendering. It looks particularly horrible in the Metro control panel.

It seem to be an issue on your end, don't have any problems here.

Try to use an earlier Windows 7 driver, and install in Windows 7 compatibility mode if necessary. On my girlfriend's laptop, for example, all ATI 12.X drivers result in massive graphical corruption in games.

[Active.]

At this point, some of MS's UI decisions seem positively comical. For example the zoom buttons in the lower right corner in the Metro photo viewer:

Note that you have to target the exact position of the buttons and can't just throw the cursor into the corner or the bottom edge...

[Calum Veteran]

It would be nice if when you read an article instead of taking you to a new page the square you click simply expands to the articles size. Alternatively the article could be surrounded by similar articles or previous articles on the same event. It could even show more information about stuff in the story such as small bios on the people and companies involved, their stock prices and recent information on the companies financial situation. There is too much room there for it to just be wasted like it is.

Those are great suggestions! Even though the apps may be incomplete, this is the Release Preview, so we don't know how many or few features Microsoft plan to add. All of the Metro apps developed by Microsoft seem to be somewhat bare (in terms of features and presentation), to me, and that might be a problem (I'm not sure). I do like how most of the Metro apps look, but I don't feel the suggestions you offered in that post would take away from a great, simple Metro look.

[Dot Matrix]

Ugh. Why is Windows 8 still compressing desktop wallpapers?

[Calum Veteran]

I honestly don't know what to do with Metro in combination with my 27-inch screen @ 2560 x 1440. It's just one big waste of screen estate. The amount of empty space filled by a single solid color everywhere is just staggering and all the white just hurts my eyes. Is there any way to actually make use of screen space my iMac offers? And by that I don't mean increasing everything in size so it fills for the sake of filling.

Woah, that's seriously how it looks for you? :/ And obviously, because it's the Metro interface, you can only show two apps side-by-side, despite all of that room? :/ Hmm, I'm not sure what to think, after seeing that. I enjoy how the Start Screen could keep me up-to-date with notifications and the latest news, but perhaps all of that space that is evident when using or showing apps on the screen could be used for something.

Any fans of Windows 8 care to explain to me why such white space isn't a problem, and could any of you who dislike Windows 8 suggest how the space could be utilised effectively, please? I honestly don't know what to think, which is why I'm asking :)

[edgarf28]

How do I install a language pack? (lp.cab)

[ady199]

Does anyone know how I can remove the desktop watermark?

Thanks in advance

[Brandon H Supervisor]

this should be the key that is used to enable WMC

MBFBV-W3DP2-2MVKN-PJCQD-KKTF7

[Vice]

Ok so I tried snapping Metro apps side by side but when you do that the app with the least amount of space on the screen is severely limited. For example in the stocks app you can read news article in full view but if you snap that to the side you only get current stock trends and nothing else. And due to the way Microsoft has designed this for tablets they don't expect you to have a screen large enough to have two metro apps truly side by side (each taking up 50% of the screen) so instead it's this 25 / 75 split and there is no way to change that?

I wouldn't really consider this multitasking. It reminds me of the gadget toolbar where you would have something on the screen on the side that simply shows you information that you don't interact with. I am genuinely curious where Microsoft sees this going in the future, will Windows 9 fully eradicate the desktop in favour of Metro? They seem to be pushing that idea on ARM Tablets where desktop apps are not allowed to be run unless they are Microsoft ones.

I guess only time will tell how far they are willing to take this concept.

[Active.]

I'm starting to get really curious how the general public will react to this.