Windows 8 RTM Stock App Previews

By LightShadow
in Microsoft (Windows)

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Neowinian

Danijel

Posted
Posted

Some Store pictures

http://i50.tinypic.com/28a467c.png

http://i48.tinypic.com/154f3fd.png

http://i50.tinypic.com/34ybjew.png

http://i45.tinypic.com/2rz86ww.png

http://i45.tinypic.com/2mqui3o.png

This is the RTM Store loaded in Release Preview Store app by some URL trickery (with help of Fiddler2) so the only things working are homepage and search. It doesn't let me view details about apps or install them. It just says that the app is no longer available. But I managed to extract screenshot URLs by sniffing HTTP traffic (again, Fiddler) from XML files the Store app requestes from the MS servers.

There are some errors in the homepage (the little square after the category name) but I guess that's due to the fact that the RTM Store is running in the Release Preview client.

This is the search URL:

https://services.apps.microsoft.com/search/6.2.9200-1/615/en-US/m/US/c/US/il/en-US/cp/10005001/query/cid/0/pf/1/pc/0/pt/x64/af/0/lf/1/s/0/2/pn/0?phrase=SOMETHING

It returns an XML of Store results.

Grand Master

Dot Matrix

Posted
Posted

They're fine on a tablet. Not so much something I would want to have running on my desktop.

Better get used to it. This is where much app development will be. For better or worse.

Grand Master

PGHammer

Posted
Posted

The games look stunning! Thanks for the screenshots.

A lot of the WinRT games over the previews (I mentioned PinballFX2 in the Consumer Preview, and that was a straight XB360 port) are OMFG in a way that few casual games outside of PopCap have been historically - it's why I'm waiting to see what more experienced casual-game developers (including PopCap) do with it.

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Anthony Tosie Veteran

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  • Veteran
Posted

I hate the fact that the music and video apps are basically just hubs to sell Microsoft's media like Zune is on the Xbox 360. All I want are Metro apps to play my files -- I don't mind if they also include a store, but don't make the store the focal point.

  • Dashel, BoyBoppins and 赛博朋克
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The Dark Knight

Posted
Posted

I hate the fact that the music and video apps are basically just hubs to sell Microsoft's media like Zune is on the Xbox 360. All I want are Metro apps to play my files -- I don't mind if they also include a store, but don't make the store the focal point.

+1

They are being very stubborn and bull headed with a lot of things in Windows 8. Making everything Social without a way to revert. Displaying full length side advertisements in apps. Removing the Start Menu altogether. And many more.

Grand Master

.Neo

Posted
Posted

Better get used to it. This is where much app development will be. For better or worse.

I honestly don't see companies like Adobe switch their apps to Metro anytime soon. Hell, not even Microsoft can be bothered brining their larger apps over. Office 2013, Microsoft Visual Studio 2012, etc. all run on the desktop. Of course you're probably right when it comes to smaller day-to-day apps.

Grand Master

Dot Matrix

Posted
Posted

+1

They are being very stubborn and bull headed with a lot of things in Windows 8. Making everything Social without a way to revert. Displaying full length side advertisements in apps. Removing the Start Menu altogether. And many more.

If you were on yesterday, you would have seen that +Brandon Live left a reply to a user about why the Start Menu died, and why it won?t be coming back.

You can go read it here: https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1081755-do-you-like-or-hate-windows-8/page__st__435__p__595048551#entry595048551

Proficient

Beyond Godlike

Posted
Posted

Unfortunately high levels of social integration is something you see back on both Mac and PC. It's something I always found more useful on a phone. On my Mac / PC not so much.

I dont want that much social integration cause i know ill use it.

I like the look of Win8, and i got a new MSI GT60 and get a free upgrade to Win8, so once drivers are available ill totally try it!

Grand Master

Calum Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

They're fine on a tablet. Not so much something I would want to have running on my desktop.

Is that due to the lack of features, the overall look, or both? I really like how these "immersive" apps look and function on a desktop PC with a large screen, when space is used effectively.

Ok, I'm not seeing any big improvements yet. They better be putting out an update a week so there is something useful by general release. The clock is ticking.

I'm curious as to what specific features you deem missing in any of the apps. I'm not suggesting you're wrong in complaining; I'd just like to know what you'd like to see :)

Grand Master

BajiRav

Posted
Posted

I honestly don't see companies like Adobe switch their apps to Metro anytime soon. Hell, not even Microsoft can be bothered brining their larger apps over. Office 2013, Microsoft Visual Studio 2012, etc. all run on the desktop. Of course you're probably right when it comes to smaller day-to-day apps.

I guess they are at least trying with OneNote MX but I agree things like Excel just won't make sense as a simplified app.

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LightShadow

Posted
  • Author
Posted

To be honest I'm really waiting for 3rd party music/video apps, Xbox Music and Video seem to heavily focus on the store and not on your own content. I mean they even open up to the store and you have to scroll to your own content.

Hopefully we get some 3rd party players soon, I mean I believe VideoLAN didn't rule out VLC for 8.

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Anthonyd

Posted
Posted

To be honest I'm really waiting for 3rd party music/video apps, Xbox Music and Video seem to heavily focus on the store and not on your own content. I mean they even open up to the store and you have to scroll to your own content.

Hopefully we get some 3rd party players soon, I mean I believe VideoLAN didn't rule out VLC for 8.

Use media player, it's like VLC when it comes to play music.
Grand Master

Brandon Live Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

It does sound familiar. You guys keep parroting this but it just doesn't hold up to me. We had DOS and we could load Windows if we needed it. It wasn't until Windows matured that 95 was able to absorb it and force the change. Beyond application support, we could do the majority needed without leaving it.

Actually the analogy is pretty good. Win95 introduced support for two different kinds of apps in the same overall environment (Command-line apps and GUI apps). You could launch either kind from the start menu, but they ran in very different execution environments with different UX.

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Anthonyd

Posted
Posted

Actually the analogy is pretty good. Win95 introduced support for two different kinds of apps in the same overall environment (Command-line apps and GUI apps). You could launch either kind from the start menu, but they ran in very different execution environments with different UX.

Will you be renamed to Brandon Outlook? :)
Grand Master

.Neo

Posted
Posted

Is that due to the lack of features, the overall look, or both? I really like how these "immersive" apps look and function on a desktop PC with a large screen, when space is used effectively.

I can't stand full-screen apps on my 27-inch screen for the exact reason the vast majority of apps don't utilize a 2560 x 1440 workspace fully. Which isn't exactly surprising considering most of the time there simply isn't enough content to fill it with. There's just no reason why I would need a full-screen mail client, contacts, calendar, browser etc. Hell, it rarely happens I have to "maximize" a word processor. Again, there's simply not enough content to warrant the need. Beyond that, the apps seem really basic functionality-wise. More on the level of Windows Phone rather than Windows. Looking at any of the Metro apps you see a lot of non-functional empty space.

Grand Master

Dashel

Posted
Posted

Actually the analogy is pretty good. Win95 introduced support for two different kinds of apps in the same overall environment (Command-line apps and GUI apps). You could launch either kind from the start menu, but they ran in very different execution environments with different UX.

Except by the time Win95 hit, most apps weren't in DOS because they allowed prior versions of Windows to coexist while it developed new Win16/32 apps. The point is, Win95 users didn't spend 95% of their time in DOS or Win3.1 mode nor did MS force us to launch Win3.1 to access DOS.

I know you are too young to have used it at release, but Windows has always had a CLI, that didn't start with Win95. The parts aren't a unified whole like they were in Win95. They feel too different, like DOS and Win3, with faster 'OS switching' and the mandate. Or like conjoined twins. (Metro on the left)

post-5317-0-67132500-1343927130.jpg

Experienced

Wyn6

Posted
Posted

I honestly don't see companies like Adobe switch their apps to Metro anytime soon. Hell, not even Microsoft can be bothered brining their larger apps over. Office 2013, Microsoft Visual Studio 2012, etc. all run on the desktop. Of course you're probably right when it comes to smaller day-to-day apps.

Adobe needs to. Maybe that would knock out some of the malware that comes in via their stuff. And, MS said earlier that the Office Team didn't actually have time to do fullblown Metro apps AND stay on schedule for release.

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