
Delivering the Windows 8 Release Preview - ghurlman
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/05/31/delivering-the-windows-8-release-preview.aspx
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dkhenry
I hate the fact that there is a windows store. I know this is the bandwagon
everyone appears to be jumping on, but I still hate the idea that software we
buy on computers we own is going through a gatekeeper.

~~~
cryptoz
As a linux user with an Android phone and a healthy fear of Microsoft, I think
the Windows Store is probably the best thing in the world for end-user
computing coming out of Microsoft today. They are catching up to the package
managers that Linux users have taken for granted over the last couple decades.
They are catching up to the centralized update system and offering improved
security.

I haven't owned a Microsoft product in many years, but the store is, to me,
one of the best moves they've made...like, ever. Not sure what possible
disadvantage there is to having it.

~~~
dkhenry
If it were just a package manager then I would be fine. However this is like a
linux distro saying that if any program wants to use X then it will need to be
installed via the package manager and must be approved by their rules, and by
the way you can't install 3rd party apps that compete with our apps.

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podopie
This "my desktop should be a tablet OS as well" situation is boggling my mind.

I'm an avid Apple user, and I'm not a fan of the direction Lion went, and the
continued direction Mountain Lion is going. I use a notebook because I want a
notebook: a keyboard for easy terminal usage and more efficient browser
hunting, a mouse or touchpad for manageable selection tools, drawing, etc. I
don't think I've ever pressed F4 (Launchpad, I think it's called?) on purpose,
especially when Alfred or even Spotlight do the exact same thing much faster.

Windows took this in a stranger direction: let's make it two completely
different experiences, but make the unifier the most difficult thing in the
world to find. I haven't played with this release yet (played with the
previous 8 preview), but if there's an easy switch button (probably is the
Windows key), I'm all ears. Otherwise, let's move on. I'm not quite sure who
they're targeting here.

The Chromebook/box announcement that came recently is, I think, the most
interesting take. Seems like Google's idea was to build Ice Cream Sandwich
with the desktop in mind. But here, we lose real apps. I'll tunnel and use Vim
when I need to, but Sublime is too powerful for me to pass on. If I want to
play Diablo 3 or Portal, forget about it. Then again, Google's looking at a
completely different market than OS X or Windows 8.

~~~
ax
No surprise it's boggling your mind if you haven't used it. If you want to
stay in desktop mode, you can, with the minor exception of having a start menu
that displays more stuff and takes up one monitor worth of space.

Windows key brings you to the start screen or from the start screen back to
the app (or desktop) you were viewing. Winkey + D displays the desktop.

~~~
tehayj
I think the reason why they force their Metro UI on people is to warm them up
to the whole way it works, so that in the long run some people might even buy
Windows phones.

I hope they get it right. Would love to see Windows becoming a true
alternative to Android (if its not such a walled garden as crApples).

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Zirro
The ISO-versions (which appear to be a bit hidden this time) can be found
here: <http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/iso>

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Zirro
I must say that I am a bit disappointed with the decision to include Flash in
this release. Not only will it delay it's death, but it also seems pretty
anticompetitive unless other companies are also allowed to release plugins for
Metro-IE10.

~~~
TazeTSchnitzel
The fact they didn't include Flash was a great feature IMHO. It's sad they've
restored it.

~~~
johnathanhebert
I'm pretty sure that the flash is embedded, and that it will only run on
white-listed sites, which I think defaults to the same list as the
compatibility view... and its purpose is more for flash interactive sites, not
necessarily video since that can be replaced by the video element

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mkup
Still no Start button?

~~~
zabuni
No, in fact, hell no!

[http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows8/microsoft-
windo...](http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows8/microsoft-
windows-8-businesses-143238)

"Related to this second point is information I’ve received that Microsoft has
been furiously ripping out legacy code in Windows 8 that would have enabled
third parties to bring back the Start button, Start Menu, and other software
bits that could have made this new OS look and work like its predecessor. In
fact, I’ve seen that several well-known UI hacks that worked fine with the
Windows 8 Consumer Preview are no longer functional in the coming Release
Preview. And those with hopes that Microsoft would allow businesses, at least,
to boot directly to the desktop should prepare for disappointment. That
feature not only isn’t happening, it’s being removed from Windows Server 12
(Windows 8’s stable mate) as well."

~~~
huggyface
It is the server change that really pounds home how completely screwed up
Microsoft is now. They're so committed to their tablet operating system -- so
desperate to bet the entire company on it -- _that they're forcing it on their
server operating system_. It really trumps even my worst expectations of
Microsoft's Apple-initiated insantiy.

~~~
tinco
Why would you need a start button on a server system? What kind of system
administrator are you?

~~~
drivebyacct2
... a Windows sysadmin?

~~~
tinco
... without a keyboard?

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iamadesigner
I dislike the direction Microsoft is going with this "open dialog" scheme.

"We’ve talked in depth about building Windows 8, including the features, the
designs, and the background behind these. We’ve done so in over 70 posts
totaling over 500 pages if printed out and 34 videos totaling over 90 minutes"

It's like, if you asked people what they wanted in a car, they would have said
a faster horse.

This is going to a huge kitchen-skin, designed-by-a-committee disaster.

~~~
streptomycin
They managed to turn a file manager into something like
[http://cache.lifehacker.com/assets/images/17/2011/08/xlarge_...](http://cache.lifehacker.com/assets/images/17/2011/08/xlarge_ribbon-
explorer-windows-8.jpg) when something like
[http://www.muktware.com/sites/default/files/images/applicati...](http://www.muktware.com/sites/default/files/images/applications/Nautilus_0.jpg)
would work just as well. Yuck.

~~~
hackinthebochs
People who talk trash about the ribbon simply have no idea how average people
use their computers. There is immense value for most people by having
available functions _in your face_. If an option is hidden, only the most
adventurous users will ever find it. UIs should be functional first and pretty
second.

~~~
streptomycin
I thought it was pretty well established that average people don't like a huge
number of buttons and widgets and colors and icons shoved in their face,
particularly if most of them are rarely used. People get confused and
overwhelmed easily.

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ioanpopovici
LOL! This is the first version of windows where I had to google how to shut
down my virtual machine. I felt like a complete idiot! Easy to use? Come on...

Every time I see it I picture my father in front of a computer running windows
8, scratching his head :))

~~~
felixthehat
Exactly this! Win+i is the shortcut btw ;)

People are going to bitch and moan about this - with good reason - forever.

My other peeve is that you can type in to Win7 search start menu for
everything, but in metro start menu, you type 'sound' for example, it doesn't
appear, you have to select 'settings' first.

Otherwise, love the new design, super snappy too, but that could always be the
fresh install smell.

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gouranga
I'm going to give it an honest unbiased try over the weekend on a desktop
touch screen Sony I have lying around. Im hoping that it's better than the
consumer preview.

This is the moment i choose my future platform.

~~~
recoiledsnake
Current hardware may not fully support the Windows 8 touch experience. Why
color your experience with old hardware?

More details here:

[http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/03/28/touch-
hardware...](http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/03/28/touch-hardware-and-
windows-8.aspx)

I'm personally looking for something like the Ideapad Yoga,

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6jnrRRAcZc&hd=1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6jnrRRAcZc&hd=1)

My 5 year old Sony ultraportable still runs well with Windows 8, but have to
move on. Might get a Windows RT tablet(maybe Nokia's) along with it, but I
barely use the HP Touchpad with Android I have, so that's there.

~~~
gouranga
It does support the full experience. Look up Sony vpcj1.

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malkia
I just installed Consumer Preview (March 1 2012 version) day ago, will install
this one today.

My first observation - to code/debug any Metro apps, you need two monitors.

~~~
felixthehat
Definitely! Although, I've found <http://www.splashtop.com/win8> to be really
useful for testing apps on an iPad

~~~
malkia
Oh! That's wonderful idea :) - I've been running splashtop on all of my
devices + machines. Didn't thought about it though!

