Windows 8; What do you think?

[Cello]

^New logo revealed sometime this past week.​

Have you guys been keeping up with Windows 8 news?
It resembles the Windows Phone OS (Metro or whatever it's called), but even so I find it a little intriguing.

Some info:
-They're trying to integrate more touchscreen/pen functionality.
-The Metro style feature "live tiles" which update frequently depending on what you customize them to display, such as mail or news.
-New authentication method that allows user to sketch over 3 different places on a picture rather than type in a password.
-Personalize a lock screen for your account.
-Windows 8 accounts can be linked with Windows Live IDs.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_8)

Images:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/imagegallery/images/products/windows/windows8/screenshot_startScreen_web.jpg
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/imagegallery/images/products/windows/windows8/screenshot_keyboard_web.jpg
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/imagegallery/images/products/windows/windows8/screenshot_lockScreen_web.jpg

Personally i'm kind of intrigued, but I feel like i'll wait for them to fix the kinks out of it before using it myself, seeing as windows always has their fair share of problems when launching a new OS.

What do you guys think?

 

[Archenoth]

I used it's developer preview when it was released a few months back... And I really didn't like how it was made to be honest... It felt like a touchscreen interface.

• You log in by dragging that last screen upwards then typing in your credentials...
• The Start Menu is multi-teired... If you click it, the entire screen drags to the right to show your programs in a fullscreen stylized menu that you can drag around. I never found a way to edit this.
• Any programs started from this Start Menu are fullscreen and have no way to close them.
• The alternate Start Menu is minimal and appears when you drag your mouse to the bottom right section of the screen (I mean it has not programs)
• You can't edit that either.

I think I'll be sticking with Windows 7 for a while... If Microsoft doesn't fix this, I'll want to just skip this incarnation of Windows downright.

What's up with OSes and trying to make fullscreen touchscreen interfaces recently? We also have GNOME 3 on Linux which seems to like the whole fullscreen things and touch based appearance as well. OSX 10.7 is the only one that didn't go full-blown touchscreen. (It went about halfway)

 

[double trouble!]

I'm not liking it so far.
I'd hate to be like the people who'll hang on to XP forever even though it's out of date, but I think I'll stick with Windows 7.

 

[Legendary Silke]

I think I might take it out for yet another test-drive at the end of the month, when the Consumer Preview is out. :) Who knows, maybe all the bad things in the Developer Preview (that's a pre-beta for you) will have been at least ironed out?

 

[Captain Fabio]

Tried it. Hated it.

I downloaded the developers edition and it just feels blooming horrible. I just hate the layout and it is clearly just taken from the Windows Phones. Don't get me wrong, I have a Windows phone and it is great, but that is it. :/​

​

 

[Gerri Shin]

I've run the dev preview and I must say, unless you are using it on a touchscreen device (Capacitive that is, with multitouch support) Windows 8 is going to blow. Using it in the traditional desktop getting is not only unintuitive, but downright horrible. Metro needs to stay on phones where it actually works quite well.
I do like the fact that they are optimizing it for ARM processors too, it gives hope that maybe down the line we can use it in combination with the Raspberry Pi computers and have a decent internet-on-tv experience.
Verdict: Pass

 

[Hybrid Trainer]

I tried out the developers preview when it was first brought out and I have to say I hated it so much. It seems incredibly impractical for something that was expected to work on a desktop device. Granted it would be perfect for something with a touch scrnee of a tablet computer of some sort but otherwise I have to give it a no from me. The tiled interface may look pretty but I think that being able to see your desktop while picking from these tiles is needed. Maybe if they were to make the background transparent so that you could actually see everything you're doing it wouldn't be so bad.

 

[Shining Raichu]

I heard from my friend that works at an Apple store that they're releasing a new Mac OS soon for MacBooks and iMacs that feels closer to the iPad OS than the current OS. Then I click here and find out Windows is doing that as well - why do they think it's a good idea to emulate their mobile operating systems? The idea of computers is that they are homebase from which everything else springs. If anything, the phones should be developing into the computers, not the other way around...

 

[Cello]

If anything, the phones should be developing into the computers, not the other way around...

I can't believe I haven't noticed that sooner. Makes a world of sense.

Well, judging by all the feedback on this thread i'm glad I didn't keep my hopes up too much with Windows 8.
I guess they're just trying to market more towards the audience who wants more of streamlined look rather than performance.

Can't say i'm not once of those people since I can't stand an ugly OS, but honestly people on the web develop good enough themes for Windows. Windows should stick to making their OS not make me feel like a pampered idiot.

 

[Hybrid Trainer]

I heard from my friend that works at an Apple store that they're releasing a new Mac OS soon for MacBooks and iMacs that feels closer to the iPad OS than the current OS. Then I click here and find out Windows is doing that as well - why do they think it's a good idea to emulate their mobile operating systems? The idea of computers is that they are homebase from which everything else springs. If anything, the phones should be developing into the computers, not the other way around...

Slightly true, although quite irrelevant to the topic. Windows 8 is mostly aimed at people who own touch screen monitors. Sure it's based off their mobile operating system but it's a key element in keeping your house style to help people connect a product with the company.

 

[Tsutarja]

I currently have a desktop running the developer preview right now, and so far, I think that this is as close as a typical Windows OS can be (for now, assuming the rest changes to be like a smartphone).. The start menu is a bit confusing and does look like a smartphone/tablet interface, but overall I like it as it is.

 

[TheAppleFreak]

I tried it; once you disable the Metro interface (which I didn't, since I actually like Metro) it's just a faster 7 with a Ribbon bar. Even that can be disabled.

I'm using the dev preview on my netbook, but once the Consumer Preview comes out I'm installing it on there and my gaming PC.

 

[Legendary Silke]

Have they mentioned a Consumer Preview release date yet?

Consumer Preview is February 29.

 

[Kano Shuuya]

Tried it. Hated it.

I downloaded the developers edition and it just feels blooming horrible. I just hate the layout and it is clearly just taken from the Windows Phones. Don't get me wrong, I have a Windows phone and it is great, but that is it. :/​

​

This.

I like my phone OS to stay on my phone, and not be the thing that operates my entire computer. I like computers better than phones for a few different reasons, one of them is definitely because their OS is different from that of a phone. -w- Whomever came up with the idea to change the Windows design so much is.. just.. wow. Do not want. Usually I'm excited for new OS releases, but in this case.. I'll keep 7. Heck I only just got it finally about 6 months ago, maybe less.

 

[ɯιɳɳҽσɳʂɯσɾԃ]

I hate the new logo. It just looks like a window. Nothing special. And it's so bland. I liked the other one better.... Anyway, I really like the new Metro-GUI and Windows Store. It's kinda like Microsoft is making an iTunes-like store for Windows 8. So, everything with Windows 8 seems great to me! Can't wait 'till Consumer Preview!

 

[Legendary Silke]

Speaking of the Consumer Preview...

The links are now up!

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/iso

 

[Ziddy]

Windows 8 looks really cool imo. It looks more something I would want to use on a tablet though as opposed to my home computer.

 

[quilzel]

I installed the consumer preview, but I killed my installation about 10 minutes later when I tried to install a driver for my wifi adpter. :/ Gonna give Linux another shot at running on my desktop (Linux doesn't like my wifi card either) if not back to 7 for me.

 

[Legendary Silke]

Quickly, is it possible to update from Metro or do I need to get an ISO of the image? Just curious as I don't want to have to burn another disc, although I could install the 64 bit version, but I don't think my PC supports 64 bit OS. I'll stick with 32 bit for now.

There's an executable installer version, too. Initialbdownload is very small, and it downloads only what's needed, but it's best for one computer.

windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/download

 

[twocows]

You guys know you can just switch back to the old interface, right?