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Moments ago in Barcelona, we announced the release of Windows 8 Consumer Preview, available to download now for anyone interested in trying it out. We’ve been hard at work for many months now, and while we still have lots more to do, we’re excited to show you our progress with the latest preview of the new operating system. I’m a writer on the Windows team, and over the next few weeks, I’ll be publishing a series of posts here on the Windows Experience Blog about what you can expect to see in Windows 8, tips for navigating the new operating system, and all the great new ways to have fun and get things done in this preview of a brand new Windows.
With Windows 8, the whole experience of Windows has been reimagined. It’s designed to work on a wide range of devices , from touch-enabled tablets, to laptops, to desktops and all-in-ones. We’ve designed Windows 8 to give you instant access to your apps, your files, and the information you care about most so you can spend less time navigating and more time doing what you actually want to do. You can move between Windows 8 PCs easily and access your files and settings from virtually anywhere. We’ve made touch a first-class experience and navigating with a mouse and keyboard fast and fluid. And just like Windows 7, reliability and security features are built in. It’s the best of Windows 7, made even better.
Before you start the download, there are a few things to keep in mind.
The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is just that: a preview of what’s to come. It represents a work in progress, and some things will change before the final release. This means you’ll encounter some hiccups and bugs. One of the great things about widely releasing a preview like this is that it gives us a chance to get a lot of feedback through telemetry, forums, and blog posts on where we can smooth out some of the rough edges.
If you’re used to running prerelease (beta) software, you’re OK with a little troubleshooting, and you don’t mind doing a few technical tasks here and there, then you’ll probably be OK giving the Windows 8 Consumer Preview a spin. If a list of hardware specs is a little overwhelming for you, or you’re not sure what you’d do if something unexpected happened, this might not be the time to dive in.
As with pre-release software in general, there won’t be official support for the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, but if you have problems, please share them with us. You can post a detailed explanation of any issues you run into at the Windows 8 Consumer Preview forum. We’ll be able to look at your input, and you might find some help from other members of the community who have seen the same issues you’ve found. In addition, the Windows 8 Consumer Preview FAQ on the Windows website has information that could help you out and make the Windows 8 experience more productive and enjoyable.
Windows 8 Consumer Preview should run on the same hardware that powers Windows 7 today. In general, you can expect Windows 8 Consumer Preview to run on a PC with the following:
However, there are some additional requirements to take into consideration in order to use certain features in Windows 8. In order to use the Snap feature, you will need a PC with a 1366x768 resolution or higher. If you want to use touch, you’ll need a multitouch-capable laptop, tablet, or display. Windows 8 supports at least five simultaneous touch points, so if your hardware doesn’t, you may find typing on the onscreen keyboard and using certain controls more of a challenge. You’ll also need an internet connection to try out the Windows Store, to download and install apps, and to take your settings and files with you from one Windows 8 PC to another.
For some more information on hardware requirements, check out this post on the Building Windows 8 blog. Also, the Windows Hardware Team tells me they plan on updating the Microsoft Touch Mouse for Windows 8. You can read their announcement and more info on using Microsoft Hardware mice and keyboards with Windows 8 in this blog post.
If you’ve read all of that, and you’re ready to give it a try, then let’s go!
It starts with the new Start screen.
This is where you’ll first see how we’ve reimagined the Windows experience. If you’ve seen what we’ve done with Windows Phone, this might look familiar. From the Start screen you can launch apps, switch between tasks, share content, and check notifications. The tiles show real-time updates—news, sports, and what your friends are up to. You can check your schedule or get the latest weather forecast without searching for information—no need to open an app to see your next appointment or find out if you have any new email. This design style is great on a phone for getting you to the content you want easily and quickly, and extended to the whole screen of a PC, it’s even better.
You can customize this screen to put all of the information you care about in one place, such as the weather, websites, playlists, and your contacts. Your favorite apps are always front and center. Because you decide how to organize and group things on the Start screen, viewing and interacting with content is faster than ever.
When you use the cloud to store your information, it doesn’t matter where you’re sitting or what device you’re using. Your music, photos, files, contacts, and settings aren’t stored on one device, they’re in one place: the cloud. I like to write, and I’m not always in the same place when I do it. With a Microsoft account, I can start a project on one Windows 8 PC and finish it on another.
When you sign in to a Windows 8 PC with your Microsoft account, you're immediately connected to all of your people, files, and settings, including themes, language preferences, and browser favorites. You can connect your favorite cloud services to your Microsoft account, too—services like Hotmail, SkyDrive, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. And you can immediately get to your photos, docs, and other files, whether they’re on SkyDrive, Facebook, or Flickr. When you sign in, even a brand new Windows 8 PC will have access to your files and settings. And if you share your Windows 8 PC, anyone else can have their own personalized, cloud-connected experience by signing in with their Microsoft account.
With new touch-based PCs, the things you do with a mouse and keyboard are now easy to do with touch, too. If you’ve gotten used to touch with a smartphone or tablet, you’ll feel right at home in Windows 8. You can switch between apps, organize your Start screen, and pan and zoom to really fly through the things you want to do.
Windows 8 is a full-featured PC operating system designed from the start with touch in mind. But if you type long blog posts like this one, do precise work like graphic design, or even play first-person shooter games, you probably want to use a mouse and keyboard as well. When I’m not using touch, I use my keyboard for everything, so I’m happy that Windows 8 has kept mouse and keyboard as first-class citizens. People work in different ways, and Windows 8 adapts accordingly.
In Windows 8, we’ve built new, fast ways to get around the operating system and do common tasks. They’re called charms. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen or move your mouse to the upper-right corner, and the charms bar appears (you can also use the Windows key + C). The charms are the quickest way to navigate to key tasks in Windows 8. You can go to the Start screen, or use the charms for quick shortcuts to common tasks.
Just like in Windows 7, with Windows 8, you can easily search for apps, settings, or files on your PC. And with the Search charm, searching now goes even deeper. You can search within apps and on the web, so you can find a specific email quickly in the Mail app, or see what a friend has put on Facebook using the People app. You can also get search results from within apps right from the Start screen. If the info you need is on the web, just choose Internet Explorer in your search results, and Search brings the results right to you. Apps designed specifically for Windows 8 can use the Search charm easily, so as you install more apps, you can find movie reviews or show times, opinions on restaurants, or even stock prices (just to name a few), without having to hunt around. If you’re using a keyboard, you can also search right from the Start screen – just start typing, and the results will appear. You can filter results to view apps or settings, or to search within individual apps.
When I read something great on the web or see a picture that makes me laugh, I like to pass it on. The Share charm makes it incredibly easy. And just like with Search, apps can hook into Share easily, so you don’t have to jump in and out of an app to share great content. You can quickly send wise words with the Mail app or share a great photo on SkyDrive. The apps you use most often are listed first for quick access, and you can choose whether to share with just one person, or with all of your contacts at once.
The Devices charm lets you get to the devices you want to use so you can do things like getting photos from a digital camera, streaming video to your TV, or sending files to a device, all from one place. For example, if you’re watching a movie in the Video app and want to share it with everyone in room, the Devices charm lets you stream a video right to your Xbox to show it on your TV.
The Settings charm is the place to go for basic tasks like setting the volume or shutting down your PC. When you’re in an app, the Settings charm takes you to settings for that app, so you can set up email accounts, select options for sound and video, or choose a control setup for games. The Settings charm can also take you right to your PC settings so you can change themes, set up sharing with HomeGroup, or use Windows Update.
If you’re using touch, just swipe in from the left edge to go back to your last app, or keep swiping to go back through several apps. If you’re using a mouse, just move it to the upper-left corner to see your last app. You can also move your mouse down from the corner to see more recently used apps. Or you can try one of my favorite features: swipe in from the left, and then slide your last app out to the left or right side of the screen to snap it in place. Perfect for keeping your music controls up while you work, or keeping an eye on Twitter while you play a game.
So where do you go to get all these great apps? With the new Windows Store, you’ll be able to discover a variety of apps, all grouped in easy-to-find categories. We highlight apps we love, provide quick access to frequently downloaded, high-quality apps, and show you how other people have rated apps. This morning, we announced the winners of our Windows 8 First Apps Contest, and you can download all of these in the Store today.
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All of the apps you’ll see in the Store for Windows 8 Consumer Preview are free. Later, there will also be lots of apps that you can buy. You’ll be able to try many apps before you buy, and if you like one you’re trying, you can get the full version without losing your place or reinstalling anything. The Store will also offer available updates for the apps you already have.
When you install the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, you’ll have several great apps already. These app previews also represent work in progress, but they’ll give you a great feel for what you can do with Windows 8 and how well apps can work together. The Weather, Finance, and Maps apps are all powered by Bing. Check out this post from the Bing team about the great work they’re doing for Windows 8. And our friends in Xbox have made a few great apps as well. The Xbox LIVE Games, Video, Music and Xbox LIVE Companion apps are previews of what’s to come. Major Nelson published a blog post today about what the Xbox team is up to. Definitely worth having a look.
With Internet Explorer 10 Consumer Preview, we’ve reimagined what a great web experience can look like. Internet Explorer is designed to dedicate your entire screen, edge to edge, to your websites. Websites extend over your whole screen, and tabs and navigation controls appear only when you need them and then quietly get out of the way when you don’t. Browsing is as easy as using the rest of Windows. With Internet Explorer 10, the web is crazy fast. Everything you want to do on the web is a swipe or tap away, and it uses hardware acceleration, modern browser standards like HTML5, and the quick core of Windows to make browsing fast and fluid.
Internet Explorer is a leader in protection against malware and phishing, and it will help keep you more secure when browsing the web. SmartScreen Filter identifies scams and sites that are known to be malicious and warns you when your security might be threatened. And the privacy controls in Tracking give you choice and better control over where your personal info goes on the web.
No one likes to have computer problems, but sometimes things go wrong. With new options to refresh your PC, Windows 8 makes it simple to go back to a fresh installation of Windows without losing your personal files or settings, or any apps you’ve installed from the Windows Store. You don’t have to get out an installation disc or burn DVDs to back up your photos, videos, or music. Just start the process, and Windows will do all the work and get you back in action.
Windows Defender in Windows 8 provides anti-malware protection to monitor and help protect your PC against viruses and other malware in real time. If your PC becomes infected, Defender will automatically detect and attempt to remove the malware so your PC stays up and running. And if you have other antimalware or antivirus software you want to use, Windows Defender will back off quietly, so you can use the option you like best.
We’ve had a lot of fun reimagining how Windows looks and behaves, but we’ve been careful to stay true to the core features that have made Windows great for decades now. The familiar Windows desktop is still around, and we’ve made improvements to make it better than ever. We’ve added easy access to networking features, file management, and search with the ribbon. We’ve updated Task Manager and improved Control Panel. All the stuff you know is still here.
You can work with your mouse and keyboard, pin apps to the Windows Taskbar, and right-click to get to everything you’re used to. (To get back to the Start screen, just move your mouse to the lower-left corner of the screen, or press the Windows key on your keyboard.) Most importantly, if you install the Windows 8 Consumer Preview on your laptop or home office PC (or any other x86-based PC), you won’t have to retire all of the desktop apps you like to use, so if you have games you like to play, or you use Microsoft Office to get things done, you can still do it all in Windows 8.
Here’s a look at Windows 8 Consumer Preview in action from Jensen Harris, Director of Program Management for User Experience on the Windows Team.
If you’re a developer and your app isn’t in the Store today, now is the time to start building apps. The Windows Dev Center provides you with free developer and design tools, code samples, technical docs, and expert help from the community so you can get started on getting your apps out worldwide with the Windows Store. Once you’re running the Consumer Preview, download Visual Studio 11 Express Beta – your free tool to get started building Metro style apps. It includes the Windows 8 SDK, Metro style templates and easy access to Windows 8 APIs. Also take a look at the Windows 8 Developer guide for an in-depth look at powerful new options for developers.
If you’re an IT pro, visit the Springboard Series for Windows 8 on TechNet learn about Enterprise key features. Start with Explore Windows 8, your one-page guide to technical overviews and frequently asked questions about AppLocker, BitLocker, Client Hyper-V, DirectAccess, hardware device management, the Windows Store, Windows To Go, and more. If you need support to help you test and evaluate Windows 8, make sure to visit the Windows 8 Consumer Preview IT Pro Forums on TechNet.
If I went into detail about every new feature and improvement we’ve put into the Windows 8 Consumer Preview in this post, you’d never actually get around to trying it out yourself. So stay tuned over the next few weeks as I go into more depth about some of the cool things we’ve done. In the meantime, go ahead and give Windows 8 a try, and play with the apps that are included. Remember, the Windows 8 Consumer Preview forum and the Windows 8 Consumer Preview FAQ can give you help, as well as a place to leave feedback. I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you see, too, so you can leave comments here as well. We hope you enjoy the new Windows!
Kent Walter Windows Team
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How to download?
Windows 8 FTW!!!!!
its fast, fluid and beautiful :)
Is there really a point to hide start?
Bring it back and I might consider
adorable
I like how in the second video, they're careful not to demonstrate scrolling the metro UI with a mouse because it's such an awful experience that they clearly haven't fixed. Horizontal scrollbar? Really?
What will the upgrade path be if we install the consumer preview? Will it be like Win7 were there's not a direct path from the beta to the release, or will we be able to update from the consumer preview to the release?
I like MS, i LIKE Windows :)
Download and testing...
Good work. I am currently downloading.
Can someone confirm the score of nontroppo.org/.../Hixie_DOM.html in IE10 with this CP release?
Is there a more complete hardware requirement list available? I am thinking of trying to run this on my HP Touchpad, if possible.
@TDNBondi - Steven Sinofsky posted more detailed information on his blog this morning. Have a look: blogs.msdn.com/.../running-the-consumer-preview-system-recommendations.aspx
Ah, the answer is no, you can't upgrade from preview to release, per the link posted by Kent - just migrate settings.
this is so great! .. i'll definitely buy this! cant wait for the final version! i only have 2 wishes, please bring back the Start Button in the Desktop, and please bring back the circle logo from the previous Windows.. i just don't like the new logo, the square one ..
Using this with mouse is just cumbersome. Try to swipe the app from the top all the way to the bottom with a laptop trackpad, with mouse on a 24" LCD or stop in the corner on a multi-monitor setup without moving to the next one. Plain pain.
At last! Downloading it right now, unfortunately only at 173 KB/sec :'(
Anyway, as soon as I get home I'm installing it :P
I will download it right after closing from work... Can't wait to get hands-on
I have installed windows 8 developer preview in samsung slate. Is it possible to upgrade from Developer preview to consumer preview.
we need torrent link for W8 :P i know MS servers is doing well but not great with all geeks downloading it
@ChrisAverage - I feel you. It took me some getting used to as well. Touch is super natural, of course, but if you're using a mouse, you can use the wheel to go side to side, and Ctrl+wheel zooms out to let you move around more quickly too. Once you get used to it, it really is a pretty snappy way to do things.
@subbiah - From the B8 blog this morning, here are Grant George's comments on upgrading from Developer Preview (short version: yes, you can do it): "For those of you who have already been running the Windows 8 Developer Preview, you can install the Windows 8 Consumer Preview using the migrate option (just keep personal files), but not the upgrade option (keep personal files, apps, and settings)."
heyy guysss... happy a lot as it is released... have been waiting for this since i heard abt it....
well as far as moving on to metro style apps... I am using hp pavillion dv6 have multi touchpad so not a big deal for me to use these apps....
but I have a doubt that is this windows 8 CS compatible with hp apps and softwares came with windows 7 such as hp simple pass tool for fingerprint test, hp on screen utility, hp power manager & lot....
waiting for reply
thanks in advance :)
WINDOWS - AMAZING LIKE EVERYDAY :)
The pictures on Windows 8 look great in this display. But let's see how easy this is on my PC. That's the real test. http://www.geekchoice.com
With Xbox live games, would that mean we can play RDR on pc too...? with the game on demand
Are the United Kingdom going to be added to the Live apps as I cannot use my Zune pass or Xbox etc?
"The apps affected by this issue include Xbox Companion, Xbox LIVE Games, Music, and Video. Note that the Windows 8 Consumer Preview Apps are only available in the following locations:
• United states
• Japan
• Germany
• France"
Metro on tablet=Yes, Metro on Desktop=No, Metro is still default on desktop=Yes, Customer happy=No.
If you are looking for a good installation guide that goes through all the steps and shares the product key required to install the Consumer Preview, check this guide: www.7tutorials.com/how-make-clean-installation-windows-8
Thank u - Kent...
I get a blue screen of death on day 1 testing. Can Microsoft make a better Blue screen for that... it looks boring... make it looks like a broken window(s) will be cool
I am looking forward to trying it out, unfortunately I am 0 for 4 on installs as I keep getting a VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE error and I am not sure what is causing it. This is a fresh install on a blank harddrive.
Maybe I'm missing it, but where is the option to configure a hidden WiFi network? I loaded it on a tablet and my home network is hidden.
Nevermind, it was relocated... sorry about that. I had hunted for awhile and kept missing it, once I posted here it was right in front of me. I hate when that happens!
COOL!!!
"Internet Explorer is the only browser today to dedicate your entire screen, edge to edge, to your websites"
This is just blatantly false.
Wonderful
Just installed as a 2nd OS on another HD (RAID0) and am dual booting.
Works nicely but have yet to explorer all options.It picked up all peripherals nicely and supplied the drivers.
It seems very quick on an Intel 2600K with 4gb of Ram(64bit version) faster than W7 or maybe less programs
running in background...so far.It already updated itself once. Miss the Start button took a minute to find that main screen
@ willisvt - Thanks for pointing this out. That should have been qualified further and wasn't. Fixed it. :)
My favorite tablet OS!
@Windows Team, congrads for //build'ing this new OS.
@Nathan, on IE10 dev preview it talkes some thousands milliseconds (compared to safari which takes 100ms!)... I dont think there would be significant improvement for this kind of micro-benchmarking.. IE team is still just fair enough 8-)
I have a huuuge Problem with this beta at the Moment - the charms don't work on my Desktop PC - if I move my mouse to a hot Corner the whole System will freeze, it seems to be under heavy fire from somewhere, i don't know what causes this… it works perfectly on my Laptop and my Desktop is far more powerfull… could someone give me an idea?
Hi - i have upgrade my windows 8 developer preview to consumer preview. In Developer preview visual studio itself install the necessary registry keys for installing New apps/Packages. But in consumer preview i dint find visual studio and when i tried to install the package developed in developer preview, i cant install the same in consumer preview.
Any idea
Thanks in advance,
Subbiah K
You've got to FIX THE DESKTOP EXERIENCE!! The Metro touch stuff is cool, a little quirky, but forward thinking. #congrats. However, as the manager of 7000 desktops in a corp environment I am freaking out about the direction the desktop with keyboard and mouse is going. It is a complete regression since Win8 developer preview. If you don't get this cleaned up and fixed then Win8 will be another Vista flop in the corporate world. Let me say that again... WIN8 WILL BE ANOTHER VISTA I could write a small book on the issues here.
My users range from tech savy to plant workers and truck drivers. Like all of us, the start button is baked into our DNA. Heck, it evens makes sense to us to click start in order to shutdown. If you don't know where to go, click on "START" and all your problems are solved. What once took one click, now takes some mouse gymnatsics to hover in that weird 1/4 inch area next to the clock that used to be show desktop. (try hovering there with multiple monitors -- talk about extreme dexterity). Once you hover, then the magical charms appear on the right side of the primary screen. Now you see a familiar looking start button, but SURPRISE!!! It doesn't take you to "all programs" -- it takes you to the touch optimized Metro start screen. Talk about poor decision making.
Trying shutting your computer down with a mouse.
Try launching a CMD prompt.
How can I make the desktop the default UI? I'm not going to deploy metro desktop to my users as the default screen. I would rather deploy a slew of ipads and I'm no ipad fan that is for sure.
How do you pin a program to your task bar now?
..and WHY isn't the trashcan on the start bar? Having it as a desktop icon has never made sense because you have to move windows around just to get to it.
Please allow us to disable Metro for desktops and laptops. It's great on my phone but it really doesn't belong on my desktop. The Start Menu was possibly the greatest part of Windows and now it's gone :(
HOW DO YOU DOWNLOAD
Hi!!! Can I install W8 Consumer Preview on Windows Virtual Machine (Win 7) or Windows Virtual PC (Win XP)?
Does anyone know the song used in the consumer release video? Super catchy.
Windows 8 might be an improvement, but the Metro UI is absolutely terrible for PC use.
And, with no way to disable that abomination of a UI, I will not be using Windows 8.
Rethink what you are doing, Microsoft, before it is too late.
Loving it so far!
@shrippen - Please visit the forums on Microsoft Answers here go.microsoft.com/.../p and explain your issue there. Thanks and appreciate your feedback!
I really dislike the separation between "Apps", "Settings", and "Files" with the new search. In Win7, I can just start typing, and use the arrow keys to move between results of any type. In Win8, I have to click the type of result I want before I see any results in anything other than Apps. Even if there are 0 results in Apps.
Great interface for a Tablet or Smart phone. Really stupid interace for desktop or laptop. NOT anything I would use. Not professional or for business use. Give me a way to hide the Metro Interface.
I have used Windows since Windows 286 and this is the first time I feel Microsoft has really let down the business community. Time to consider looking at alternative OS solutions.
Face it MS, your way too late to the Tablet market and this won't help.
I have been running Client and Server developer Preview and it is fantastic for such an early version. I completely disagree with those that say MSFT has let down the business community. If you are so busy looking to the past, you will never see where this new interface can take you and I know because I work directly in the large scale MSFT enterprise world. Great job MSFT
Cross your fingers.... Installing on a HP Slate 500. It's going to be nice to have touch and mouse in one device.
@vinay sen
It's fast , but hideous for a desktop. Pay close attention to the install!!! Microsoft is gathering a lot of personal information by default unless you choose Custom install and turn it all off.
Appears that you have to have a Windows Live account or it won't install. ?? What's up with that?
Every time I changed something simple like Font size , I had to log out????
Can't find a way to see ALL of my installed applications like the old Start Menu. There is NO way I would be scrolling through several hundred apps with the Metro Interface!!!
Metro may look great on a small, limited RAM tablet or Smart phone, but I DO NOT WANT it on my desktop. Really Microsoft? Is this all you could come up with? I've used Windows since V2. I have to say that a Mac is starting to look better now.
Would you mind allowing a combined Fahrenheit / Celsius view in the Weather area? It's helpful for those trying to convert. I'm always surprised when weather apps never allow both to be shown at once.
I love 8 :)
Now, see, @GGRussell, I'm completely opposite you. I start with DOS 1, and I grew up Windows starting with 1. I lived through PocketPC, Windows Mobile and all of it. I cut my teeth as an MCSE on WinNT. And I LOVE this version. I cannot tell you how fast I want the old desktop meme to DIE DIE DIE. It's tired, archaic. If I could force my users to the Metro UI exclusively I would in a heartbeat.
One thing that has me a bit befuddled at the moment is that even after using my Windows Live account to signin to the new install, not all of my settings flowed down to the desktop. In particular, it tried to set my mail up with an Exchange server, which I don't have, but I don't see an obvious reference to my actual Live account. It lets me add my Gmail account. I'm probably missing something way obvious, but it seems more of my configuration that my WP7 device uses should have flowed through.
I'm ultimately looking for that completely ubiquitous settings and information flow.
How many days i can use Windows 8 beta ...Is it expire?
So far very good...very fast and smooth
After testing the Developer Edition and now seeing the BETA - I am still tossed at Windows 8 and sort of peeved by some of its strange user interface (UI) functionality.
- MS fixed the desktop issues like scrolling the desktop tiles left and right without grabbing the scroll bar, just touching the edge of the screen.
- They made closing open apps easier "on most apps".
- I like the Online Profile Integration for computer log-in and my Windows Online Account. It makes for a more Cloud'ish integration and I can see the day when I'm logging into any PC with my "Cloud Profile". This breaks the tether to a single PC and that's cool!
MS did a lot since Dev. Edition but... and this is a big BUT, they are making a radical departure from traditional "familiar" User Interface Windows that has taken many years to get used to for even techs not to mention the average user. Each revision from Win 95 to Windows 7 has been a steady granular increase in speed, security and looks / UI. They could incorporate some of these new features like the Ribbon Bar in Win 8 to Win 7 and really make Windows 7 a lot better while maintaining familiarity. But if we were to place our parents on a Windows 8 machine they would GIVE UP. I even gave up when trying to find my network setting to change my WiFi connection to "connect even if the network is not broadcasting its name (SSID)".
Launching programs vs. apps is lame. I launch a program and I'm back on the traditional desktop. I launch an app and I'm in a new "non-multitasking world" with the whole screen in that app. Why!?
Overall Windows 8 is awesome - on a tablet or a smart phone - but they need one feature on install for laptops and desktops [traditional Windows OS? or Touch Screen?] or even forced into touch screen if technology is detected then the option to depart after install.
Bottom line... this "hybrid" is LAME! MS just created the BETA version of the Chevy Volt OS. Like the Volt this current version will have lots of ideas, exposing the lack of market research and ultimately will discover no demand.
Please add the Start button back to the Window 8 Desktop. We've had the start button since Windows 95. We need it back.
How Do You Get The Apps To Work???
Please add the Start button to the Windows 8 Desktop. We need it.
Love to try it but my Kaspersky Antivirus does not work with it, so did not install it.
Everything looks good other than the background older UI. My parents and any user that is not tech savvy will not be able to use this. I understand its a "beta" version but my parents won't. I guess "apps" are what are about to be the "norm". If this is completely wrong let me know but I'm super excited to have this new version of windows. I've been a devoted customer of windows only because I've grown up poor and couldn't afford apple products.
Since the desktop is now essentially an app with a tile, it would be great if we could create multiple virtual desktops, each with it's own tile. It would also be great if the desktop tiles showed a preview of the windows that are open, or icons of the apps currently open.
And please bring back "Pin to Desktop", even if it's only allowed from within the desktop itself. You arelady have "Pin to Taskbar", so it's can't be dificult.
Please add a notifcation bar at the bottom or top of the screen, so that it shows exactly the same info as the lock screen, including a clock.
I absolutely love this new version! However, along with changing one's meme comes the inevitable learning curve--which I'm FULLY willing to engage (unlike a number of folks whining for the archaic meme). One issue that I think I've discovered, though, is setting up the Hotmail account on Win8. When I established my Windows Live account, hence my default address, I did NOT use an actual Hotmail account. I used my email account that I host on my own server. This works beautifully with Windows Live and my Windows Phone 7 device. However, Windows 8 will NOT let me set it up as my Hotmail account---it says "unable to connect", throwing the cursor to the email address block of the setup.
Anyone else having problems with meeting the requirements? I have a core i7 2600k running at 4.4gig and it is telling me my cpu isn't fast enough.
here is a link to a screen shot I took.
i44.servimg.com/.../wi10.png
What is a security program for windows 8?
Let the excitements begin!
All we need now is a "Windows" branded tablet with a detachable keyboard.
Takes some getting used to. I am comparing things like mail, weather and readers on my Xoom to the Win8 Metro apps. They have a long way to go to reach the same level of convenience as on the Xoom. But, with some more work.
OTOH, I do have Windows desktop - which Xoom doesn't have directly (although Android OneNote, EverNote and QuickOffice provide adequate support for things that can realistically be done on a tablet).
I am using an Asus EP121 tablet, which is a tablet that MS apparently uses for some testing. After install of Windows 8 Bluetooth, HDMI, screen rotation buttons and such don't work. Since MS has used this beast - are Win8-compatible drivers arround somewhere?
No, I don't want to just blindly try the Asus Win7 drivers. I tried that with BT with no joy. Some of the others might cause trouble.
I don't know of any "formal'" feedback path. Without feedback I don't see how consumers can be of much "help" in reporting problems.
SOS! Can anybody help me? The Windows apps do not work. When I click on the store, the email app or just the weather app - there appears just the full screen modus with the symbol but nothing more .... I am also logged in with my microsoft ID account .... Thank you!
windows 8 is nice and runs stable but it cant find driver for my coprocessor.
The only problem I have is that when going to the "Store" for apps, I know there are not many right now, There isn't a way to search for them. Also some apps will start and then just stop other than that its smooth and it doesn't have a "Windows" feel to it
Downloaded and installed Win 8 CP and cannot access the Store App- just goes back to the Start screen- in fact all the apps do that- do I need to enable something?
Ok...
I have installed this...
My thoughts so far...
Booting from an SSD, 14 seconds...
Windows 7 did it in 11 seconds...
It took 2 mice and 2 installs before it would recognize my mouse... On a system that previously and happily ran everything from Windows XP through Windows 7, 4 gigs of ram and an SSD... AMD 64
Only after I setup the system with my email do I find it now uses my personal name associated with that instead of the private Id I prefer to use... Who was the bright spark behind that?
I hate the Metro UI and if there's no way to avoid it, I will stick with Windows 7
I will never have a touch screen interface... not unless they make them as big as my 40" screen... and even then I won't be able to reach the top without standing up....
Do I choose, Big ugly primary colour squares on my monitor or large flashy picture of an attractive lady or a fantastic space or scifi wallpaper..?. Decisions decisions...
As far as I can see, you've taken everything that looked tasteful and classy about windows 7 and made it look like it was redrawn in a kindergarten class.... I don't need a full screen to do things... in letters 1 inch tall....
I don't even like the look of it...
No Start Button, Orb or whatever, just some fuzzy area in the bottom left corner that brings up those f***ing squares again... Try scrolling through a few dozen huge square on a big monitor with a mouse... No thanks... Yes, I'm sure I can resize them but the thing is, I shouldn't have to....
So installing stuff.... looks like fun... let's see how that goes...
Well, it went alright... if a bit slower than doing it in Windows 7.... Where is it? Oh yeah, scroll several screens over through the brightly coloured squares....
Oh look I can move it.... or pin it... the simplistic little icons tell me what to do.... Were these icon designed by the same guys who make road signs that idiots can understand?
I hate how every APP seems to have a lame splash screen when it starts for the first time ... with a big primary colour that fills my screen... How clever... (Insert sarcastic tirade here)
So far, I am very very underimpressed.... If I wanted a touch screen cellphone lookalike I would have bought a touch screen cellphone... Wait, I did.... It's an Android....
Look I realise that you are really looking to find bugs and problems... Well, seems to me that the Metro Interface is the biggest bug and problem you have....
As for me, I am so very glad I didn't even try to install this on my main computer....
this is my current win7 layout.
imageshack.us/.../win75.png
i'm using custom skins using rainmeter to get a metro-like UI that is friendly for pc users.
on a pc, it is a hassle to have to scroll horizontally, so i don't think the metro ui would be that great.
i'm gonna go ahead and wait on upgrading for now. i've got a windows phone, and it's great on the phone.
not so sure about on pc though.
I installed this on my every-day Thinkpad. Figured I'd learn to to love it or at least get used to it. The restore disk is starting to look inviting, already. When this is available on a thinkpad tablet, I'll be one of the first to get it, but so far it doesn't seem to be an improvement for a laptop. I'll give it and me a while. Have the same laptop still running Win7 so for a while, when I get frustrated because there are tooooooooo many steps to do something simple, like find a file and read it or just shut it down, I won't un-install it just yet. Please, put the start button back! Please!
how to disable the Metro?
Metro is not very friendly
Where to find "manage wireless networks” in Windows 8 ?
How to modify the wireless profile after being auto-detected by Windows 8 ?
where to find the off button and reboot?
Previously, they were shagovovy available in the Start menu
Why so much complicated the lives of users deststop?
@jjbowles fully agree,
And then even if the old start button would come back.... Do we really need to start a PC to this non-corporate metro UI and manually switch to the old desktop? for jjbowles that would mean about 7000 minutes every day wasted time which is a lot.
In the blog I see "he familiar Windows desktop is still around"... Still around.... does that mean something like "Keeping you pleased now but we probably will trash the old desktop once you bought win8 and do some automatic update" ??
ok, I'm sick and tired of reading the negative posts here. Wake up, people! This is 2012 and a time for something with forward thought. I'm impressed with the progress we have here. No other device right now will allow you to use desktop apps on a tablet. This does. I even enjoy the metro on the desktop... With the live tiles, everything is up and in front of you to see.
I wish we could easily scroll through the star page... Maybe up-page / down-page or something. Oh well. Its been very fast and fluid thus far. I love it though. Something Iget excited to work with.
I'd prefer the regular screen to be default, and have the new one to be an option, but that's just me. Either that or a setting to where you can pick one or the other. I've already discovered an issue. I use robocopy (in a batch file with a very fancy for loop passing variables from either command line and / or an *.ini file) with all versions windows. It works just fine on all versions of Windows before. With this new preview Win8 it's not working. It seems to want to copy all files regardless of switches. It thinks all files have been modified, even if they've not been touched in years.
@Nathan,
There is still a performance nightmare in IE when dealing with live-DOM manipulation !!
In nontroppo.org/.../Hixie_DOM.html benchmark, the data collected from various browsers:
Apple Safari 5.0.5:
172ms
Google Chrome 14:
319ms
Mozilla Firefox 10:
886ms
Internet Explorer 9:
44430ms
Internet Explorer 10 Developer Preview (v: 10.0.8102.0):
41185ms
Internet Explorer 10 preview 5
21988ms
...a bit improvement from IE team but still Safari is ~200 times faster than IE10 in DOM manipulation test
IE team closed this critical bug report as Won't Fix.. connect.microsoft.com/.../a-dom-manipulation-test-ie-performance
Too bad for the competition, don't you think?
Hi, @davidvillegas Virtual Machine installation is possible but not on MS Virtual PC. The same error still continues www.kodyaz.com/.../windows-8-installation-error-hal_initialization_failed.aspx
just update the taskbar... dropping a file on a taskbar item to open with not pin to ... and middle click to close the program not open program instance...
Please, can both Win-7 and Win-8 be installed on the same computer thus allowing either to be used?
If so how?
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i really love this windows 8! .. im so glad that they did not forget laptops which doesn't have any touchscreen capabilities.. i thought it was suitable for tablet PCs but now, since they showed us that it can also be great for laptops, i will definitely buy this OS .. big thumbs up for Microsoft! ..
Great OS! Experience in working with Win 8 is amazing!
Certainly no where near as refined as W7 was when it dropped. Performance is very low across the board.
Actually getting more unstable the more it is used. Bsod's now when I try to run WEI, on webpages. Just gonna turf this till a better build drops.
Windows 8 will be a fail, just like Vista. There's no sense to mix Metro UI with normal desktop. Metro UI is clearly for touch interface. not for traditional desktop PCs... It's also a shame, that we have Metro style app and desktop style apps, which work&look totally different!
You have to kill Metro UI from the desktop version and Aeoro desktop from the touch version.
having problems with my graphics drivers Ati radeon hd 4200 other than that like it so far
my toshiba laptop shuts down on its own... want to go back to vista factory settings, and it´s not working, not a happy camper...
Windows 8 needs some help. First, there should be an easily accessed point on the start menu for the control panel, how to log on/off users, and to restart/shutdown the pc. It took me OVER AN HOUR to find this information. I dont need to have instant access to Microsoft's cloud drive or app store on the start menu. Things like this should be a tile on the start menu which would then open up for these OPTIONAL things. The start menu should be for things immediately needed for ALL users.
graphics drivers please for ati they are a big graphics company lol grrr I like it. but if I need to revert back <----- staving college student, and my astronomy program needs graphics drivers to work good, how to I go back to 7.
OK had a look at it and it's cool but it doesn't work well on my netbook, so now how do i get my Windows 7 back and is it possible to do it having to completely reinstall it and other software?
@Willie Rogers, security essentials is merged with windows defender and for the first time windows will be shipped with a pre-installed antivirus known as "windows defender" (which is a composite of anti-virus, malware, yadayada).
If you don't like it due to any reason, you can install the antivirus of your choice. In that case the built-in antivirus will be disabled..
but, I would suggest you to give the native one a try due to its unbelievable performance! That's what they showed in //BUILD keynotes last year .. when the guy opened a folder in Windows Explorer with 1200 pictures (with thumbnail view) and the folder open swiftly.. he said that not only the thumbnails were generated this quickly but also the antivirus scanned all 1200 pics!
I'm sorry, but I don't quite feel it right: I'm certain Metro UI is absolutely innovative and functional on a touchscreen-based device, but when it comes down to old-fashioned (sort to speak) PCs and Workstations, well, switching back and forth between Metro and Aero is just annoying. AND a waste of time.
I think MS should instead give the user the possibility to CHOOSE whether to use Metro or not.
After all, change could mean/have meant improvement on Aero, since on a purely graphical level it's still quite inferior to Apple's Acqua...
After all, just read the presentation above: the word "swipe" is repeated far too many times for non-touchscreen devices.