Discussion on:

First Look: Windows 8 Consumer Preview simple and slick

Looks incredibly horrible. Like a Mac. If I wanted a mac I'd get one. Actually I just sold one because I hated it.

I cannot understand the point of the Metro interface on the desktop. For me, the desktop is only visible for the couple of seconds following boot. After that, it will always be covered by the multitude of apps I will have open on my dual monitor setup. I then use the task bar and start menu for launching any additional apps. I *never* launch content from or see my desktop again until I shut down.

I will certainly disable this interface if possible, or skip this OS if not possible.

Maybe you should try installing it first before forming your opinion. After 2 hours of using it I fully understand where Microsoft was going with this. It works unless your basing your opinion on the picture alone.

How do you know that haven't? What an A**. I have tried it. I understand where MS is going with it too. It's going to the gutter with the simple minded fools that use it.

After 2 hours of using it you are an expert? After using it a week I think I have a better grasp of where they are going than you. There had better be a lot of interface changes before release or MS will get a big kick in the seat of the pants for this one.

Metro isn't a desktop, why are you comparing it to one...? You could use metro to launch your apps and "only" go back to it to launch your apps just like you do now. Or you could use it to check information from apps without having to open them, etc. Or you could not use it much at all if you prefer, I'm sure they disabled the disabled feature this time because their trying to get information on metro and having everyone disable it doesn't do that

Really? It's not a desktop? Then why are MS and all the media fools touting it as one? Why are we expected to run it on DESKTOP computers. Did you see that? DESKTOP computer. You need to think before you run off.

If everyone disables it that should be a big clue to Microsoft.

will download and take a looksee...was not real thrilled with the developers preview. at all. then again, i don't have a windows phone, so there was no pre-indocternation...

I was 50/50 on the DP and was concerned a bit. After installing this one on my home computer, I'm feeling much better about it.

But I use a windows live account pretty heavily with my phone and that's where the REAL bread and butter is here. I logged in for the first time and my contacts, calendar items and facebook and twitter connections all synched right up.

And I installed it on a 10 year old desktop and it worked pretty well. That's pretty amazing that it breaths new life into extremely outdated hardware.

however, i DID like the windows home server software. i still run that at home. my macbook pro does NOT like to do searches on it. will not do searches on it(but that is a capability the mac boys took out with Lion). will be curious to see if the ability to search network drives is diminished with Win8. if it is, then yes, they are definitely mimicking apple....

This has got to be an April Fool's gag, just a bit early. Somebody tell me they're kidding. And I thought the revised Office interface was bad (2007 and on).
It's reminiscent of the movie "Idiocracy" -- the hospital check-in scene, with all the icon keys (an icon for each possible condition).

VERY appropriate movie. That's because they were all to stupid to handle any way else. They had to have pictures. Seems to be the way MS is going. Pathetic that they feel the need to dumb it down. The more I see it, the more I despise it. I downloaded it yesterday. Haven't installed it yet. Hopefully they left in the ability to disable Metro. Without Metro, Win 8 is an improvement. I don't have a Smartphone or a tablet so I don't need tiles.

Another negative opinion before you even tried it. Give it a chance people. It works. It's easy. But if you go in expecting to hate it and looking for negative you'll find it.

I've had the Developer Preview for some time so I am familiar with the interface. I still hate it. You don't like that statement, too bad. I don't want or need a dumbed-down kindergarten interface between me and what I want to do. I don't want or need tiles that update all the time. I don't do social networking sites so I don't care to see an update every time someone blows his nose. Metro sucks. It's difficult to find things in it. Disable Metro and the OS is fine. My problem is with Metro. I've expressed my opinion on it in various TR articles so feel free to look it up. You will find a lot of other people agree You want it, you can have it. You love it, that's OK with me. I just don't want to be forced to have to use it. As long as they make the normal desktop available without going through Metro or disabling any enhanced features, I'll be OK. If you look closely, I only bad-mouth Metro, not the entire OS.

I echo your comments.......Windows 8 -Metro look = Better OS than Win 7

Absolutely. Windows 8 with Metro as a FULLY optional component (much like Media Center which I actually use every day) would be an improvement over Windows 7. But if I don't want to see Metro (and I REALLY don't) then I should never be forced to do so.

The problem with this is the paradigm will fall apart when you put it in the hands of real users. It looks nice, and will demo very well. Look how easy it is to build a playlist! Great. Now, I want to record my own music with fifteen tracks, each running multiple plugins, and have a tear-away mixer window on my second monitor. Think that'll work on a touch screen? Maybe a touch wall. A finger is way too imprecise to do any "real" work on a single 18" monitor. I love my phone, don't get me wrong, but when I need to get down to business, I abandon that device for something more appropriate for the task.

The problem here isn't that you "can" switch to a regular desktop, or use it with a mouse. It's that now there are two parallel interfaces. That means applications developers need to decide which (or both?) they will support. As you know, the apps make the platform, so if no one builds a Metro app, you're stuck using the mouse. And if the app you need is tiles-based, then you've one foot in that world as well. It's going to fragment the UI.

They're not thinking ahead. A computer and a phone are different devices with different purposes serving different needs through different interfaces. There's a difference, capiche?

Jus thow do you know people haven't tried it. GEEZ I wish I knew everything like you.

That's because people who depend on there PCs to get 'real work' done will chuck this after a week. If for no other reason because they have to learn yet another OS that really doesn't give them anything for the effort.

This isn't an upgrade, it an add-on. Andonce again, they moved the furnature around so I have to go and hunt for system properties. Where the frack is programs and features?

You can unpin all the tiles in Metro if your heart so desire...FYI: W8CP is 50x better than Windows 7 - more like W7 on steroids.

One of the issues with Windows before 8 has been that some specific processes have hogged massive amounts of memory, especially if corrupted by malware. How are we supposed to do process-based diagnostics?

Hit the 'more details' and you'll see a great new world. One of my FAVORITE changes as an IT guy. It's simplified for the basic users (like my mom) but expanding gives us basically the same tool as process explorer used to.

...in the photo gallery. Integrating a Process Explorer/Process Hacker type tool into Windows is a great idea.

ETA: Ah. The "More details..." button is right there at the bottom of the box. I still think it should be a tab at the top, but it's an aesthetics thing.

Looks like a kiosk. I can't get much work done on a kiosk.

Will someone please tell the Emperor that he's not wearing clothes?

Will someone please try this out before complaining about it? I've actually installed it and it works well.

Have a 4 year old Laptop by X-301 2.7 lbs with a 3 cell to keep weight down SSD Drive Windows 7 PRO 64 bits works and very well at that, then add in a W 520 6 mos old ssd Drive same OS 64 bit, cell phones are not laptops.I have found only one that really works the iphone 4S 64GB think some out here need to spend some money but not on a new OS that works very well.Cell phones are not Laptops. Have used it for 24 hours that is the end of my use of it ! Cvn77 I for one, 2nd, NO0000 thank you!

If new technology is gonna be coming to fix stuff that ain't broken, it's just gonna end up like Vista; or even worse.

And here I thought that with age should come wisdom.

What kind of retarded mindset must one possess for him to say "it's here and you better get used to it whether you like it or not".

Apparently you've been...where...for the last 55 years? Frozen under the arctic ice? Perhaps you've never heard of a little concept known as "the market will decide". I bet you were touting your same wisdom when Vista came out, right? "Oh it's here...and you have no choice but to get used to it". Apparently, the sane people prevailed - and did so by voting with their wallets. Microsoft tried to shove a piece of garbage down everyone's throats because they knew there would always be people like YOU who would just bend over and take it, no questions asked. But sanity prevailed, and Microsoft was forced to pull the plug on Vista in record time.

Rest assured, the Windows 9 team is already hard at work cleaning up the epic mess that will be forever known as Windows 8.

Old fogies, indeed.

MS didn't pull the plug on Vista.
Vista was NT 6.0, they just fixed LOTS of horrible bugs which took it to version NT 6.1.
But to cover embarrassment, they called it "Windows 7". Look in Windows Explorer > Help > About.Windows

To 'wake up and smell the roses' .. these are not roses. It's spoiled food growing mold. Sorry, I don't want to 'embrace' it.

Can't find 'processes' so you can evaluate problems? Of course not. Using your computer as a tool rather than a toy is not Microsoft's intention. You're just expected to sit back, relax, and be carried off into la-la land, playing with your blocks.

This is perhaps the worst thing I've ever seen. I deeply resent being treated not only like a child, but an ignorant child. I stopped playing with blocks a long time ago. I have never seen a more cluttered, headache-producing environment in all my days.

I do NOT want everything out so I can see it and being able, breathlessly, to check all my social networking everytime somebody says they've sneezed. How about taking your office and dumping everything out on the floor. Yes, you can 'arrange' it .. but is that the way you want to work?

I can't even imagine the drain on resources to run all this with the constant updating. What is the basic computer going to require now ..8 gb of RAM? To run a 'desktop app' on top of all the cra* and have it be functional doesn't equate.

Sorry Microsoft .. treat me like an adult and one who needs a *work* environment or you lose me.

I've seen a few people complain about the lack of processes tab. I actually think this makes a lot of sense. The UI is geared to be relatively simple and keep the more technical stuff that your average user isn't equipped to deal with out of sight. As for IT pros, the screen shots show the Powershell icons right there. A simple get-process command will give you what you're looking for. And powershell is MUCH more powerful and with a bit of rudimentary knowledge you can customize the output of your commands to show you EXACTLY what you want to see. Microsoft has been pushing Powershell for quite a while on the server side. If you're administering Windows Server 2008 R2 servers or Exchange 2007 or 2010 and you haven't started to learn Powershell, you're already behind the curve. The only real change here is that now desktop techs and help desk people will need to add a bit of rudimentary Powershell knowledge to their toolbox. And if you're in IT and complaining about have to learn anything new, you're REALLY in the wrong field. I can't think of a field that changes faster, and has a greater requirement for constant learning than IT!

This isn't so much simple as it is insulting. This looks just like the colored wood blocks I played with in Kindergarten.

NOOOOO thank you.

Well said, +10

Bouncing/sliding UI courtesy of Michael Bay.

in that case, it would be bouncing/sliding/exploding UI

maybe they'll replace the mouse-pointer arrow with a crayon too.

You sound like a follower with no mind of his own

Metro= the New Microsoft Bob.

Used it for 24 hours and dumped it---too nervewracking for me--love win7 ( and still use XP on my desktop)

There is a learning curve to everything new in life. BTW: It is hard to teach an old dog a new trick.

I think at 62 I "qualify" as an "old dog" and I'm learning this quite handily, as well as keeping up with other trends in IT and society. Just remember when you make rash statements like that, boatov, what Mark Twain said:

"No generalization is worth a dam*, including this one."

Here, here! 8-{>

Yes, these OS developers have spent too much time at playing LEGO! Rename the UI to MS-LEGO as I said in another post.

Yes, I'm an IT professional. So don't insult me, either. There is no logic to a 'one size fits all' o/s. Pair tablets, phones, and other small devices and keep the desktop out of the 'toy' category. Since we're playing with blocks, let's continue the analogy by saying what this is trying to do is pound square pegs into round holes. And it's telling users who still need a device to work in the most efficient way to go pound rocks.

And are they still going to call apps like the Desktop 'charms?' Do I need to go to the Dollar Store and get a bracelet for them? Maybe that's already in the toy box with the blocks. Let me go look ..........

Mmmm - keeping an open mind on "Windows 8" 'till I have had a chance to play, but MS got it right when (way back) they made the basics and interface of NT Workstation and NT server the same, with huge amounts of shared code. (It was the virtual death sentence for Novell Netware). Aiming for a "one size fits all" will be attractive to some, if not many.

Ad hominem adds nothing to the discussion....

What you say sums it up. A 5 year can use it. Great... We now have on OS perfect for beginners and children. Eaglewolf is right... MS is trying to make one OS fit too many platforms. What I do on my desktop is vastly different than what I do on mobile devices. I think desk tops and mobile devices should be able to work together.... I just dont think the same OS is the way to achieve that.

Now is clear. Microsoft is showing an OS easy to use by kids, beginners, and mobile devices fans; but unappealing to the eyes of old-school IT veterans.

But there is something almost certain that will happen (as it always has happened before): The new computers will come with Windows Color Blocks (I mean, Windows 8) pre-installed (as happened with Windows Vista and Windows 7), without option of changing to older versions. If the final product results as bad as Vista, that will be very inconvenient (to say the least).

My point was, things are changing fast in the IT world. We may not like the direction everything is going in but we can not change it. Pretty soon MS will be making their major products for the cloud first, including sharepoint, outlook, lync, etc.... The "dumbing down" of the systems is what the end users want, and they are the ones that push the direction. My guess in about 5 years you will not be able to buy physical copies of software but need to purchase on subscription base only. That is where everyone is heading.

I respectfully disagree. Perhaps you may not be able to change it, but I refuse to insult you believing that. You probably just like it the way it is, or are simply not willing to bother making a difference.

So, people should not be challenged to become better than they are? We should make things so easy that they forget how to think? That way lies the idiocracy we are well on our way to becoming.

Are YOU an IT professional, or some clueless Microsoft sycophant who applauds every idiotic thing the company does, no matter how insanely retarded it may be?

The fact that you actually believe that Windows 8 will be successful because "it will work across all platforms" speaks volumes as to your level of expertise, or lack thereof. That's actually the main thing that will doom Windows 8 to failure. There's no such thing as "working across all platforms". Platforms are DIFFERENT. That's why they're called platforms. You can't have one magic pill to just make "everything work". We have 15 years of proven evidence with Java as to what happens when you try to make something work across all platforms. You end up with something ugly, slow, and laughable.

Furthermore, the fact that you actually believe that people will "operate" their computers with hand movements and voice commands is the final layer of icing on the idiot cake. Using voice control has been possible for 20 years already. I guess the fact that it never gained momentum wasn't a big enough clue for you? And don't even get me started on your "hand movement" lunacy.

You need to step back into reality, and come to terms with the fact that just because you see something in a sci-fi movie or TV show doesn't mean it's automatically "the future".

The interface of Windows 8 will go down as one of the biggest flops in Microsoft's history. Wait and see.

sit in the corner 'till you learn how to behave child.

give you 4 or 5 "plus" votes. But 1 will have to do.

... and if Microsoft cares about its bottom line, it never will.

"You like something Microsoft did, you OBVIOUSLY work at Microsoft"

Just because you don't get it, doesn't mean that everyone else is equally stupid. I'm USING it across all platforms. It works better than our iPads that we've been trying to deploy for 3 months now with significant issues. Windows tablet satisfied all business requirements OUT OF THE BOX with no need to buy additional software.

PC interface works well too. You have to open the mind and try it before you'll understand.

Also, I am glad you are the exception to the rule with your really narrow view of how computers will work with Kinect. Here's a nugget for you: Kinect is hooked up in a conference room to a laptop. The laptop is hooked into Active Directory and can see the calendar so it knows who is supposed to be in the meeting. Upon sitting down, Kinect recognizes everybody in the meeting and marks them present. It then begins taking notes of what everybody says during the entire meeting as it can see who is speaking and recognizes their voices, keeping a full transcript of the entire meeting. The meeting ends and before the employees are back at their desk, they've got an email with a link to the transcript on sharepoint of the entire meeting at their disposal.

You need to expand OUT of reality. Living in the box gets boring. Things will change without you and you're going to be that old dog struggling to learn new tricks.

Microsoft has a LOT more software skill than even Sun. And OS is exponentially more complex than a program like Java. Besides, building an OS from the ground up for all platforms does not inherently make it bloated. It may increase the size in bytes of the OS, but the amount of current processing power being used can be directly linked to the specific processes that the OS is calling at one time. If you don't have a touch-capable PC, then the touch code won't be loaded. And so on.

I seriously don't get the Windows 8 bashing going on here. It is an incredible OS to be able to be compatible across all of these platforms and still work well. I do have my pet-peeves, of course, but overall it is an extremely polished OS. There is STILL desktop mode for those who want it. Do not say that it is pointless, because you don't have a start menu - by pinning things to the taskbar and creating Desktop folders you can do basically anything you could do before just as efficiently (if not more so).

The Start Screen really is quite efficient for displaying information, and it isn't that cluttered. I'm using the Consumer Preview right now, and it all works quite well together.

Also, his point about operating devices with voice is quite valid. Stating that we have had the capability for 20 years is not a valid argument, as the general consumer populace would want a command structure that is reliable and accurate. Voice control has only advanced to this level (and even now, not completely so) recently.

Hand commands could very well be useful in many situations. For example, on an HTPC; sitting on a couch and pointing to select a specific show, to play or pause, or to skip to the next episode. NOT for workplace documentation work, but for many other purposes.

Picking at some points (however valid they may be) without looking at the breadth of the various applications for the technology just doesn't work in the end in my opinion..

Kinnect is not for everyone, but in same occupations it will be very helpful. Microsoft is providing a way to create different environments for the industry you work in. For example in healthcare the small tablet form will be the most successful because of size, and capability. Physicians do not like using computers period. They will however like to use tablets to take images of specific soars, and send the image to compare to their image db, while dictating their note in the devices. You may not believe this but it is happening today.

This OS will give a company the ability to use multiple different types of input methods that can collaborate together. Developers are already creating applications to work with the technology. It may not be something people use right away, but the way you think of computers is changing due to small super chips being created today. This is not hard to comprehend for most of us...

That remains to be seen on desktops and laptops. It may run on those tracks, but like a greyhound or a three-legged mutt?

Interfacing through Kinect may work effectively, but no one wants to interact that way through an eight-hour workday. I can hear the workman's comp ambulance chasers already planning their TV ads. "Hi, I'm Doug, and I have repetitive stress injury. If you or someone you know has suffered workplace injuries while using Windows 8..."

to defeat the US attorney in court. A few more curs from the pack will only be a minor annoyance. And the juggernaut rolls on.

Just try it first!

... there should be at least SOMETHING to entice me about it. The way it is, it's going to break everything I use my computer for.

Sorry, but you're asking me to try a frontal lobotomy to see whether I'd like it. No, thanks.

Aesthetically, it's a quantum leap backwards.

"The first full functional OS that works across all platforms" equates to the "Lowest Common Denominator". So I have a big-screen with a desktop graphics processor and I have to use crayon-mode graphics so the OS would be compatible with an iPhone, Blackberry, or Droid?

No thanks.

"The future is here?" I think Microsoft said that about Bob, too.

LOL
Bob, indeed.
That was a classic case of Microsoft "innovation" if I ever saw it.
Honestly, sometimes I feel like Microsoft NEEDS to do utterly stupid things once in a while just to have a chance to regroup and come back to the real world where sane people still live. Windows 8, without a doubt, is a perfect example of that.

I really thought that after the Vista fiasco, they wouldn't put out another lemon quite so quickly. I was convinced that it would be at least 2015 before we saw the next major blunder, but it seems Microsoft was in a hurry.

Agreed.... Well said!!!

I haven't read a single comment of yours yet where you did anything else. No opinion of why you think W8 is good. No support provided for those who are having trouble with W8. Just name calling. That's not going to convince people of the value of the operating system (or anything else).

"Remember this OS will the first full functional OS that works across all platforms. This will work on computers, tablets, and phones, and many other devices."

No it won't. Look at the resources available on a phone vs. a tablet vs. a PC. How well do you think an iPhone 4 would run Windows 7? Imagine trying to manage your corporate file server with a tablet, even. This makes as much sense as replacing every tool in your garage with a single screwdriver.

"Windows 8 will be able to run real apps on small devices."

Because it's a CPU multiplier? The iPhone kernel is based on OS X. Android on Linux. Yet, they still don't run the same apps as the full fledged product. There's a reason for that.

"Microsoft will also soon launch Windows Kinnect that will give people the ability to operate the computer with hand movements and voice commands."

How well do you think that'll work in a cubicle? On an airplane?

"The future is here, if you don't like it well then keep using Windows XP"

I do. My home workstation is XP, as is the VM on my Linux box.

"Or if you want your shortcuts go get a Mac now"

I did. It runs real-time audio software a lot better than Windows does because it has fewer parasitic processes eating away my CPU time in the background. I imagine Windows 8's constant attempts to update my non-existent Twitter account, and telling me the temperature in Redmond, will probably not help with all that.

I have installed Windows on a desktop PC, and tablet, and an ultrabook. I used the same USB flash drive for each install. They all run Windows 8 just fine. It may be surprising, but it does work.

I find the ribbon interface in Office 2007 and 2010 is much more logical and easier to teach than the previous drop down menus. However, surprise surprise, those who learnt the earlier versions cannot see the benefit. If Microsoft can pull off an interface that is intuitive to use for the average new user and one that works across all platforms, then good on them. Power users will always survive.

First, I regard Metro as a more radical change from Aero than the difference between the Ribbon and previous Office menus.

Second, you refer to 'intuitive ... for the average new user'. All those 'new' W8 users are existing WXP, Vista, or W7 users, and they're going to bring their learned behaviors with them. There's little intuitive about computer use; it's mostly what we've been taught and assimilated. 'Hot spot' activated menus, for example, violate everything we've been taught about using buttons, links, or some other visibly identified activation area. Without being taught, the average Windows users won't even know to move his cursor into those corners.

I would say that your response supports my original proposition: many people think that the old ways of doing things are better because they are familiar with them even to the extent that for a brand new user the new way is better.
Secondly, you state that "All those 'new' W8 users are existing WXP, Vista, or W7 users.." Where ever does that come from? Perhaps that reflects the narrowness of this forum's target audience. Most of the people I work with do not know even know what an operating system is yet they can use a desktop/laptop ( W7 or osX), a smart phone and a tablet (ios or android) in no time flat to do what they want to do. They pick up new standards and conventions e.g. those required for touch screens (which were certainly not learnt in WXP, Vista). That is what I mean by intuitive. These are the people you see on the bus, the train, the shopping mall and McDonalds operating their smart device. These are the new users. They are what I would call the consumer market. They are not the enterprise market and I think Apple, Google and Microsoft understand that better than most.

I am not opposed to change or true innovation. What I want is form that meets function without all the bugs, flaws, and other crap MS is famous for. I dont want another Windows ME or Vista experience. Seems like Windows gets every other operating system right.... 98 \ME BAD/ XP \VISTA BAD/ Windows 7. Following that previous pattern this does not look good for Windows 8... I hope I am wrong. I just pray they Beta Test the crap out of it before they unleash it on the masses.

True. It was much the same with MSDOS. If I remember rightly the rule was "don't use an even-numbered version". Doesn't bode well for "Windows 8". Has anyone checked to see what version of NT it is? (Still waiting for download to finish).

(except for Nemesis, which was even-numbered).

Now, not only is the UI just a ****** paperish cartoon, Microsoft has gone further to fix stuff that ain't broken. Hohoho, here comes Vista 2

I'm pretty sure I saw this interface on an Atari in 1982. I can see some benefit to 16 color blocks on a 3 inch touch screen but why would I want 5 inch solid color buttons on my desktop? I installed and have been searching the net ever since for a way to configure a usable GUI - no luck so far.

I've been steady falling in love with Ubantu over the past few years. Looks like my last Windows machine will die running Win7.

Windows 9 will be put on an urgent fast track for release after the epic failure that Windows 8 will surely be.

You think Windows 7 was a quick release after Vista? Just wait...you ain't seen nothing yet.

"Windows 7" (NT 6.1) was a bug-fix for Vista (NT 6.0)

that was the point s/he was trying to make. Win9 will be a quickly produced bug fix for Win8. So if you're sticking with NT version numbers, we'll be seeing NT 7.0 and NT 7.1. But then again, are the NT versions applicable to Win8 and beyond?

Windows 9|8.

And be marketed as "One Giant Leap Forbackward."

Windows 7 was a FIX for the massive blunder of Vista.
Just as Windows 9 will be a FIX for the massive blunder of Windows 8.

As for the 6.1 and 6.0 version numbering, what's your point? That's how Microsoft has been numbering EVERY NT-based release for the last 15 years.

Sad...

It's not fingerlicking good, in fact it stinks.........

People Just have to download the Ubuntu Linux released last year to see where MS got the Idea's from. Only different is I am sure Ubuntu runs much better, faster and nicer. It is time for Microsoft to go back indoors to the nursing home bed they belong.

Step aside MS it seems in house innovation is no longer. Keep focusing on building revenue streams from buying and controlling Licenses and Distribution channels such as Googles Android etc. Hey if Apple can hide the fact that they are really a sales and distribution company more so than a everyday innovator something can be said.

As soon as I first heard about the asinine idea of trying to make a desktop look and feel like a tablet, I knew Windows 8 was doomed, just as Vista was. I certainly wasn't the only one sounding alarm bells, but Microsoft seems unable to reverse course once they've started down Stupid Avenue.

I firmly believe that there are two groups of developers working at Microsoft: the morons, and the cleaners. There appears to be some kind of unspoken "rule" coming from the top brass at Microsoft, whereby the moron team is allowed to develop every alternating version of Windows, and then the cleanup team comes along and fixes their mess in the upcoming version.

Windows Millennium Edition - moron team
Windows XP - cleanup team
Windows Vista - moron team
Windows 7 - cleanup team

That means it's the morons' turn for Windows 8.
Therefore, by default, I'll be sitting back and waiting patiently for the cleanup team to give us Windows 9.

Let me guess - you were also impressed by Vista, right?
And at the time, you were saying "in a year, everyone will be talking good about it"?
Yeah...that worked out really well for Microsoft, didn't it?

Got my fill of "HOPE & CHANGE" last time the people around me fell for it. Been paying for it since 01-20-09. Sorry.... you can keep your "CHANGE"

Political commentary? Really?

look around play with it and if you what your desktop look for the little block that marked desktop and click on and you get you desk top. come on guys and gals look around have fun who knows you may like it. hell i did not like win 3.1 but look what winows is now. yes it is a work in progress better now than once a OS is out like it has happen in the past with not only windows but with others as well.peace

Let me first say that I am no fan of the Metro interface! However I think that despite most of us involved in the technical aspects of computers missing the familiar desktop - Microsoft is not looking towards the traditional desktop user. I believe that Windows 8 is aimed at the average consumer who has little if any technical knowledge and just wants it to work - easily, hence the dominance of Apple's iPad and iPhone in recent years. I guess this is Microsoft's attempt to wrest Apple's grip oin the area of the consumer market and this could be a mistake. I doubt that iPads and their Android/Windows 8 cousins will be the death knell of the workstation, although home users will like to use pads due to their simplicity and for the younger generation having instant access to social media is paramount.
That aside, I am really upset that the registry hack to boot directly to the desktop in the developer preview no longer exists and I hope that some keen hacker will discover a way soon - and also bring back the "start" button and associated menus. I therefore hope that Microsoft will see the error of their ways and provide this functionality - if required. Most users will no doubt leave the default settings and boot to the Metro interface.

I will switch to Free BSD before I use this garbage....

Seeing that with the "sigfig" financial app kinda explains it all. This looks terrible to me. Juvenile, oversimplified. Task manager looks like Windows 3.11. Making all icons flat really only works if they are all like that and the graphics are inconsistent, with some showing a photo/full color logo and others the vector style art. Is this OS as highly dependent on the internet as it appears to be? Overall it looks sillier than WinMe.

Wow, people sure have a lot of hate going on here. I don't particularly like everything I saw here, but I will give it a chance and look at it. Just like any other big change, there will be some definite changes when the next version comes out.
The "Cross-Platform" statement above is completely correct.
I do want easy access to the registry and I really want my "Start" button.
Looks like I'll have to dig a PC out of the storage room and load this on it, but that won't let me use the touch screen which I am really interested in trying.

It's really ugly, but it appears to be designed for a very small screen and a tiny brain. I doubt that this will catch on for PC users.

While I've downloaded, but haven't had the chance to install, so far, from your images, it looks like Windows 8 is going to be like Win ME, part 3! Meaning, it's going to suck for a LOT of people!

What were they thinking? Have any of the designers coming up with this garbage spent anytime out in the field or even using a computer for anything other than games? Who comes up with this garbage? What crazy mindset would conceive of the use of a computer to be akin to the use of a mobile phone?

Look, if apps cluttering a desktop was such a great idea then Google's Gears and the sidebar in Vista and Win 7 would be a favorite feature, but it isn't. It gets in the way of what we do ourselves. With what we want to use and who we want to share the data with. This is just a means to get traffic, personal data and control, nobody needs this garbage on a computer. What total nonsense? Have any of these GUI designers ever done real work on a computer or research?

All this time waiting for hardware to mature to the speed and quality it is now and all MS does is gum it up with OS's that do everything but maximise PC efficiency and power.
What a stupid road they are heading down....

This looks like the old TI99-4A. How can this be better and more intuitive for the end user. Instead of empowering the end user, they're trying to dumb him/her down. This is going to be another Windows ME. Here today, gone tomorrow.

It looks like the group that developes the next Windows operating system doesn't talk to the group that developed the previous operating system.

MS needs to keep rolling out products that appeal to the next generation. More and more, I like things comfortable when using and change generally mean moving away from that comfort zone to try something new. I can see Windows 8 working accross all platforms but they will need to have 8 different versions. Anyway, Windows 8 is so 27 seconds ago.

WE ARE MICROSOFT!! See all the ideas others created and we "licensed from under"!

Which MICROSOFT program would like to buy now?

In my humble opinion this is just continued proof of the decline of a once great company. I have visions of KODAK, and other corps that lost touch with their consumers and faded into distant memory.Is this the start of the chiseling of the tomb stones of Microsoft. Will Bill Gates return to try and fix his lost empire? Only time will tell. Rest in peace Microsoft.I am sorry but you just don't get it anymore.

It is two separate platforms and your favorite W7 apps will not work on the tablet, no cross compiler, no emulator. On install, I had networking issues, W7 and XP see each other fine and share disks, 8 seems not to do that (although I only did it for a few hours.)

I will wait until I can make it look more like 7.

I tried the last beta, and it was so horrible I spent 3 hrs fighting it, threw the .iso disk in the trash, reloaded my customized Win 7.

After deleting all the stupid blocks, hoping to get that desktop to simply go away so I could use the regular one, I soon found that some applications would load their Icons in either but not both "desktops". The big touch-blocks soon repopulated, where will they put them all?

Even getting out of the O.S. was a pain to navigate.

If they are seriously bent on doing this self-damaging intro, they will sell a lot of Macs and I see a big, --no huge, --no,... "epic", upturn in the use of "Assisted Linux" O.S.s like Ubuntu. I use 11.10 with some customization for about 2/3 of my computer use, have to go back to Windows for some applications, but it gets better by the week, and soon Wine will be fine. That will turn the page for me.

The Windoze planners will soon be seen like the guy with the new but disfunctional gun, and bandaged foot... "It shoots low and to the left".

BruceH

A long overdue paradigm shift to new technology fro XP. You want to stay with the mainframe and unix/linix, have fun. I'm going with the new stuff.

I agree with the kindergarten blocks. Seems Microsoft is getting desperate here. I did not buy Vista, and won't buy this either

Your a techn site,how about using some?Really!! I have to keep clicking?Why ? Don't you know how to make a slide show?

I'm switching to Linux. Microsoft is trying to jump on the Apple train. Microsoft is continuelly pulling back the flexibility or its systems for more graphics and streamlining; its like they are intentionally trying to hide the technical aspects of the operating system from the consumer... as Apple has always done. I fear this will mean the end of microsoft... rather than sticking with what they know well, which happens to be the largest market nitch for computers, they are trying to take Apples market. They'll fail at this, all while alienating the large population of techies who have been loyal to MS over the years...

I guess it isn't a big deal, the OS isnt nearly as important as it used to be...Linux should work fine for me the next decade.

OMG, could they dumb it down anymore? Is the audience for Windows now 12 year olds? This could spell the end of Microsoft...

Definitely not feeling the new look. And not liking the new feel. I am reasonably sure I'll stick with Windows 7 and I've been on the "cutting edge" of new windows installs since Windows Chicago Beta (Windows 95). But I think I'm going to let them keep this one.

It's my phone with a keyboard and mouse. I wonder if you need to Jailbrake or Root it? Maybe Format it? Might make supporting them easier as people kinda know how to use their phones.

Simple and slick? These are adjectives I hardly need in an operating system that is, what, almost 30 years old? I don't need simple I need function. I don't need slick I need reliable, stable and fast. Why doesn't Microsoft spend their millions (if not billions) on doing something like, oh I don't know, instant boot?
Those tiles are absolutely useless to users who don't give a rat's patute about social networking. I'm not going to just boot up the OS and sit and stare at the tiles to see who's talking and what email I might be getting, or how much the temperature is changing from minute to minute.
And my God!, what a colossal waste of space Metro is! I have rarely maximized any window in any version of Windows over the years. The last thing I want is to not have the choice anymore. And the way to get to the Start screen? Put your mouse over the bottom left corner of the screen! How un-intuitive is that? And most of these apps don't even have a close button. You have to put your mouse over the top left corner of the screen. Simply ridiculous. And you know what is even more ridiculous? Shutting down! If you're on the desktop, you have to mouse over the bottom left corner to get to the stupid Start screen. (Oh, and make sure that once the little icon appears that you don't mouse over it too far or it'll just disappear.) Then you have to drag the Start screen up to reveal the login screen where you can finally click the shut down icon. But then of course, you have to confirm that you want to shut down. Inane!

In the first 15 minutes of use my right arm got tired because of all the back and forth between my keyboard and my mouse. I'm with @spawnywhippet, as soon as the OS is up and running I'm at the desktop until it's time to shutdown for the day.

It looks like a motorola Zoom or Windows phone OS. I don't work on a desktop because I need simple hands free mobile apps in the car or on the go. I want Engineering CAD/Analysis/real MSOffice document or media creation applications that don't need to be on the net all the time. Looks like privacy will be gone. Everything runs from the cloud including your install and backup and you will be nickel and dimed to death on apps you really need or spammed with advertisements for free apps you don't need on a desktop. I agree, the graphics look like they are for kids not real working people. The first thing I will ask after upgrading is how to jailbreak it so I can do real work.

The interface reminds me of the Compaq interface on windows 3.1, part windows part glorified menu driven dos. At the time it was a progression in the right direction, but now it looks old and unappealing. I really think they should give this more thought than they did with the Vista Fiasco. Maybe they intentionally screw up every other OS so they can remind us of how bad things could be.

I download and installed it last evening ( yes into a dual boot arrangement ) and have to say that is is different enough that I felt I had bought a Mac or was using Linux. "Joe average" user will HATE all the changes to where and how things work. PS they did not so much do away with the "start button" as Win 8 now has a "smart screen" ( were all the kindergaden blocks are ). However my "back" button on my mouse does not always go back to where you came from and how to close programs ( IE ) is NOT apparent. Needless to say, I played with it for awhile, but when I had real computing to do I booted back to Windows 7 and can't see using Windows 8 much. Can someone explain to me any compelling reason to upgrade from Windows 7? My biggest laugh came when Win 8 goes through you system and tells you what "apps" ( when did programs all become apps? ) will work with windows 8 and Microsoft's own Security Essentials is NOT compatible, what a joke.

Ever

After the nearly unusable Ribbon interface on Office, this looks like it might be tollerable. Better than Unity, anyway, though I'd still prefer Gnome 2.6/Cinnamon.

After all these years, Windows STILL doesn't support multiple desktops out of the box, a critical feature for me.

Seems like MS now understands that the old-timers are on their way to extinction.
Must be a MS Strategy Plan for bridging the phone-pc user gap in 2025.

Hopefully it is configurable, so I can stay with the ol' DOS-interface until 4ever

Looks like an 8 year-old designed it. Oops, maybe it is a program for 8 year-olds...

I don't understand why the interface is de-evolving. Back in 1981, I could understand why I was in the minority. 30 years have passed and now we're making big, colorful buttons for people to push?? I'm at a loss for words. It's insulting to those of us who know who to use computers, and it does nothing to teach those who don't.

It brought up horror visions of Microsoft as a terminally senile person in an institution, needing diapers and being spoon fed...

Hopefully it doesn't suck as bad as the dev preview.

See if anyone has been benchmarking Windows 8 yet.

Windows 3.1 -- Sucked
Window 95 -- ok
Windows 98 -- good
Windows ME -- double sucked
NT (Not Tested) line
Windows NT 3.1 -- Sucked
Windows NT 4.0 -- Better
Winodws 2000 -- flakey many still used 98
Windows XP -- Good
Windows Vista --Sucked
Windows 7 -- good
Windows 8 --- doesn't look good so far

Microsoft wanted to make it easier on the user, however, with Vista/7, some things were so buried, made it almost imposible to use. With 7 and Windows 2008, they have a very stable OS....but they can not keep re-inventing the UI. People don't change that quick.....and that goes double for the enterprise.
The computer is a tool....not a dress one must change to keep up with fashion. MS is trying to force what is hip.....
Apple is making it big because of a simple to use UI....that became hip..... Shoot, sometimes things are so well developed, the OS seems it is reading your mind. Apple must have studied human behavior to pull it off.
Even with Microsofts Windows 7, Apple is making huge strides in its desktops and laptops. That says something.......

Makes absolutely no sense at all. Is it just your presentation, or is that what Windows 8 REALLY looks like? DUMB!!!

...if the name was SOMETHING ELSE than Windows 8. Maybe it should be Windows Metro, Windows Colors, Windows CB (Colored Blocks), etc. It's as inconsistent to the previous Windows numered version that is almost a joke.

It's like some video game company made an action game called Godzilla, and later releases a strategy video game called Godzilla 2 (wait, someone already did that).

The real test of this interface isn't whether the techs and geeks on this site like it or not. It's not even whether the home user likes it or not. It's whether the business users accept it or not.

IMHO, Vista failed in large part, because the huge, installed business base could not or would not use it. While 7 is making some inroads, XP is still has the lion's share of the businesses. Even though that's changing, many IT departments are waiting on upgrading to see if 8 is really a usable improvement.

If it isn't, if it doesn't work and play well with the many, various, and very expensive 3rd-party programs that businesses use, the upgrade dollars will go to 7 and 8 will likely die on the vine.

This is just ridiculous. Microsoft can't expect to have anyone take them seriously about this. What a joke.......let's hope they polish this up considerablly before the RTM version comes out.

Assuming for a moment that we'll be able to select UI options as in previous Windows and shut off Metro in favor of a normal desktop, how much is having all that unused glitz in the code going to weigh down system performance? Unlike the average email and online shopping user, most of us use our operating systems to run actual applications. How much sooner will Windows 8 suck the resources out from under apps like Solidworks or MATLAB compared to Win7 or XP? Are we going to get another repeat of the debacle that occurred when AutoCAD users saw an 80% performance loss from the initial release of Vista?

You must be kidding, this is ten steps backward. I wasted a lot of time down loading this junk.

I feel like I need nappy time it's so dumbed down...

This is ridiculous! Let's just keep adding to the dumbing down of America - good grief!

I guess the guy who painted the Patridge Family's bus is now the lead designer at Microsoft.

I am SOO glad that this new OS is going to be just like the Xbox Live dashboard, and I'm also happy that everything is becoming a phone with all these pointless apps. Which by the way, I'm kidding, I am NOT happy with this preview, and I hope that this isn't even released on shelves because it is just embarrassing. My heart breaks to see the road society is going, it's just depressing. I thought it was bad enough that the Xbox dashboard d a phone layout, for God knows what reason, but reading and seeing that an Operating System....first of all, is going to be just one giant phone....No thank you, I will go as far as to tell people not to buy this product, because of how bad of an idea and a waste of time it is.seriously Microsoft, do us all a favor and 1.) Trash this project and avoid losing all your money, and 2.) Go back and change the Xbox Live Dashboard back to it's starting layout, or the second one, because those were great, what you guys got going now, is complete garbage.

Dear Microsoft, The phone has already been invented. Please stick to computers that can actually do some real work!

Is there any way to get the durn thing to do rounded corners?? The Metro interface looks like you could poke yourself on all those sharp edges!

Steve G.

I can't believe they're actually going forward with this interface. And worst yet is your presentation of it here in this photo article. Did you actually have to show the screen "How are you planning on using this...?"?

MS is in a panicky to follow Google and Apple.Its inter phase MS believes will open up the consumer market still further which it believes will leverage more revenue.It appears not to be focused on Enterprise where windows 8 my not cut the mustard.

I use my computer for business and I'm on it for hours every day. The interface is important and this is flat out ugly. It looks like it was made for pre-schoolers.
I don't really care how much of an improvement there is in the technology (if any) if i have to look at something all day I just don't like.
It looks like a big windows mobile phone screen. I thought that was what is was at first.
No interest whatsoever in this and no chance of spending a dime to upgrade to it.
I'm happy with 7, I can wait for 9 or even 10 until they give us what we want and will pay for.

Have I been excited about the latest Windows release. Windows 95 was ground breaking at that time and much different than Window 3.1. eMail was THE killer app, that was instantly usurped by the Internet.

Microsoft is sticking the company's neck out there with "Metro" . . . I hope its a success! They are trying to make computers a device nearly everyone can use; not just the technically literate.

I still don't get it. If they were to take out the desktop and make this OS solely for tablets, it looks like the iPad might finally be having some serious competition. However, how the **** is this supposed to work on a desktop computer??? It's one thing to make more simple, another to make more stupid.

Looks like Microsoft's still playing catch-up with Apple i.e. iCloud or continual updating of desktop icons. Then again, they are also leveraging the learning curve that all of us WinTel iPhone users had to endure.

What do you enter?

Nevermind, google found me one.

I still don't see a way to turn off metro and use the computer like a desktop. I don't even see a way to access your files anymore.

Oh, right click to show your programs, no where does it explain that.



Oh, hover over the right hand side, choose settings, then power.

I swear, this is getting stupider and stupider.

"There is a problem with PC settings. Refreshing your PC might help fix it."


LOL!

This is the glitchiest system I have ever seen. Windows 8 is years from being completed.

Is Microsoft kidding, this is the most childish interface I have ever seen. Just like the DOA Windows 7 Phone. It has to take a lot of resources to have this silly interface. Steve Jobs must be smiling because Microsoft continues to dig itself a deep grave. I'm buying Apple stock and iwait for iPad3 and iPhone5.

It's just ugly. I've used Windows for years, now I want a Mac. Microsoft have disappointed us before and they're about to do it again. "Innovation" in MS-speak means arriving late with a sloppy-copy of someone else's work.
Did MS team up with Fisher-Price for the UI design? (again).

Using Virtualbox to install and google to search for serial tried 3 no joy

You get the serial # on the web page that you got your download

Try that more often. Assuming your goal is to show people W8 can be useful, and that your goal isn't just to harrass people.

When are people going to get it.....it doesn't matter how much bling,bloat or whatever, that MS puts into its OS....it's still the #1 hacked program around, it has to many vulnerabilities.....it doesn't matter what they do to try to fix security...it's the #1 target of every hacker, because it's the easiest to break into.....there's to much bloat in their coding, it boggs the system down, it's way too expensive for anyone to afford and you practically have to have a degree to use it. When you do use it, it needs constant attention as far as maintenance is concerned, every time it's in use, the file system is fragmented and scattered thru out the hard drive, then becoming so slowed down that nothing works correctly because the hard drive is having to search everywhere just to run 1 program and thus it all becomes disfunctional.....don't waist your time or money on Windows.

The other issue is Licensing and cost....I've given up on Windows, it's to costly and to much of a headache, so I've switched to Linux, it's free, free to use, is more secure, you don't need to defrag the hard drive, and to top it off, I've never had to install a virus program...ever. With Linux, you can install it on as many PC's, Laptops (Yours or your friends)...if you're knowledgeable, you can even tweak it and redistribute, there are forums to get help if you're having a problem...there's lot of people who know quite a bit about the different distros of Linux.....

I think it's built for tablet in mind, whatever it's, it's good for home where HTPC is going to benefit from the "big" button and slicker view interface.
But, I would like to see this interface being disabled by default for professional and enterprise version where the professional workspace is much needed.
Of course, by looking at the preview of some of the features, it's definitely a welcome to improve on the users' experience, looking forward the final release.

Why??????????????????????????????????

This looks like the interface my kids Play School toys had 25 years ago.

Maybe I can look at the consumer release now, and hope it's better than the dev I had such a bad experience with. Seems I'm having to spend a lot of time disabling "improvements" to try to get back to an efficient O.S. interface!

How to disable Metro in Windows 8:
Open regedit and navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
change RPEnabled to 0
Content provided by myITforum. Read the rest: myitforum[dot]com/myitforumwp/2011/09/14/disable-metro-in-windows-8/

Jury is still out on this. Will we get the app's, will change be accepted, or are expectations unattainable.

I wonder exactly how that feature works. Could be wonderful or a nightmare.

If you can shrink down the size of the giant blocks maybe it wouldn't be so bad but then I'd want it the size of an icon. Or how about just the icon?
Oh wait, that's how it was...

This sounds soooooooo bad. I'm keeping my lovely Windows 7, so thanks, but thanks. That's it with Microsoft, they do one good one bad, expect Windows 9 to be better than this rubbish.

I already own a mobile phone with stupid apps that I do not need hanging out of it. An interface that is ugly and a pain in the ass to use. Why the hell would Microsoft foist this piece of junk into a computer operating system. What a disgrace.

The more I see of this stuff the more glad I am that I formatted windows and threw away my disks. Go with Linux. It's free, it does everything you want, it doesn't need an anti-virus/firewall/spyware scanner, it has several different desktop interfaces (it fits you, not the other way around) and yes you can play Retail DVD's in it. Several Distributions support Wi-Fi (I'm using Linux Mint 11 64-Bit right now and the Wi-Fi works great). People stop walking down the Primrose Path just because it's pretty. There are better ways and a lot of them don't cost a bleeding fortune unlike both Micro$oft & Apple. BTW some linux Distributions has had "App Stores" so to speak for years, and they're free. Not cheap crap for free, programs that actually work. Give LibreOffice a whirl with you M$ Office files, Burn one data DVD with K3B or music disc with Brasero and see if you still pine away for Windows or Mac.

Food for thought. Bon Appatite.

Why comment on something you haven't even tried out. BTW: Linux is no angel.

Mark,

This was MUCH more informative than the CNET (17 slides) version that came in the same TR photo galleries email. AND (! ! ! ! !) you kindly provided a link to get the Consumer Preview to try.

Thanks!

Looks like a box of crayons puked all over the screen caps.
W7 and rainmeter - it ain't broke don't fix it

oh if i could do this or that .You know if you would look around and play with it maybe you would not be bitching so much all of the things you ask you only have to look it not like it cost you anything in the first place.smaller blocks,where is the control panle,and settings .come on you all clame to have experties on computers but none of you can do or find this stuff. i proble have the least schooling than any of you but i am able to find ,and do all theise things .did not cost anything so try what you want and if you break it so what install it again.i dont get it.

* How do I add a tile for an application I've installed? I installed Office 2010 as one user and the tiles appeared, but I don't see them when I log on as another user.

* How am I supposed to shut it down?

* When I push the cursor to the bottom left hot-spot, the button for the Start desktop appears. When I attempt to move the cursor to that button, it goes away before I can click on it.

* How do I close Metro apps?

* How do I add a tile for an application I've installed? I installed Office 2010 as one user and the tiles appeared, but I don't see them when I log on as another user. - Phones do not support multi user environments.

* How am I supposed to shut it down? - Start --> Settings --> Shutdown

* When I push the cursor to the bottom left hot-spot, the button for the Start desktop appears. When I attempt to move the cursor to that button, it goes away before I can click on it. - There is also a start menu at the top right, hover your mouse there and a side bar on the right appears.

* How do I close Metro apps? - There is a sidebar on the left, hover your mouse over the top left, then drag your mouse down to about the middle of the screen until the bar turns fully black and extends to the bottom of the screen, you can then right click the app and choose close. If you don't let the bar fully extend, it disappears before you can right click it.

Also, apparently to access your files you have to search for them, that's the only way in metro.

If that's really what you have to do to close a program or access files I'll skip this OS. Maybe I'll use the next windows OS they release.

Win+E still pulls up Explorer, or whatever MS is calling the file management tool in this version. Incidentally, whatever it's called, it doesn't show up in Task Manager.

And this isn't a phone, it's a laptop.

So it must be a phone.
See, it not only looks like windows 3.1, it acts like it. No start menu, requires program manager, extensive use of shortcut keys, no user separation.

... how sane people would even consider accepting elaborate workarounds for things that should be simple one-click deals (as in click, shutdown).

Man, this is a sick OS!

You're right Sarai, you're right. I won't say anything else until I try it, downloading now. I've only got access to some dinosaurs to install it on so I'll have to take that into account but I plan on giving it a week "with" the new interface and not try to disable it first thing.

One thing we do need to keep in mind. Average users are probably going to love it. I have some clients with the Windows 7 phone and they loooove the interface. I don't know how much we can affect the outcome of the product at this point, Microsoft didn't seem to change much from the developer preview, so at least I'll get a jump on what clients are monkeying around with.

I neither have nor want either of them. It remains to be seen how much 'average users' are going to love it on a desktop or laptop.

The interface reminds me of the iPad / iPhone interface except with 1980's graphics.

I have been far above the ranks of a casual user with/on computers since the DOS 3 days and I have kept up with all the MANY changes on a level far above a keyboard puncher. Why does that matter? Well, maybe if I eke out a teeny pedigree I won't be attacked by the two posters who have slammed those posting negative remarks, and I really prefer not to be cursed at. Save the cursing for your facebook page (hope your employer isn't viewing it) and for the fun hours with your homies. This is a public forum, and Tech Republic is a "go to" sources for PROFESSIONALLY posted information.

I have NOT downloaded the "customer preview" as the release coincided with work and I can't afford down time "playing" with a new OS that may or may not work with other software. BUT rest assured I have been reading pre-beta test articles since the "get go". I think the tablet device, smart phone addicts and casual home users will LOVE Win8 once they LEARN the new navigation. Businesses are another matter, they will calculate the cost of the down time of the learning curve, the cost of blocking access to all the social network features, and how ready is the REST of the computing world? Is Adobe ready? CAD? ERP? Put some "meat" in the comments and verbalize how effective the OS behaves with the combined tablet and keyboard mouse interface. Does the swipe feature work with the mouse running CAD or Photoshop? How has the always on Metro Apps affected back-ups, automatic updates and virus-malware scans?

This looks like some college kids 1st attempt at creating a new OS interface. It feels so crude. And that fish on the desktop... really? What's the point of that? The tiles and childish icons seem like a major step backwards.

I'd be delighted. On the other hand, maybe the term 'fish' will be come synonymous with W8, and we can hijack the slogan previously used by opponents of the Miami Dolphins:

"Squish the fish!"

Dont like too much. looks like is made for Children

MS comes out with a new OS every, what, few months now? And the retarded yuppie moron "edumacated" executives have the MS dealer on speed dial for the new Suite installations so that everybody else in the world has to spend big bucks as well just so we can read their childish mouthings in the next generation of Word (whose files is not backwards-compatible).

What happened to "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"?? Oh, yeah, ooops, sorry, I forgot that every version of Windoze is broke and needs fixing. How could i forget that? Windoze 95 was - and still is - the longest running beta software ever in the world, and MS made big bucks from that too. So here we go and buy the latest MS Bloatware like the good little Billy Gates sheep we all are.

My approach? I will make sure my OS and softeware works as best it can for me, and for as long as it can, and if after a while I can't read your Sooper-Dooper-Scooper version file two years into the future I will either trash it, find a way to convert it to text - or send you an email telling to to send me all text files in future.

I'm at the stage right now where I WILL NOT either buy or use any new Microsoft software for a minimum of two years, while the rest of you suckers upgrade and then work out the bugs for Old Bill's "perfect" programmers at your own expense.

After that I MIGHT consider taking my chances with the gaping security holes that still remain after they are done screwing with it.

Does anyone wonder why Billy Boy is a multi-Billionaire? Think on it no more, because you folks are STILL giving him chunks of your money for what amounts in electronic terms to broken old rope.

I don't understand the offer. Is the offer for me to download Windows 8 and if so, how much will it cost me to download Windows 8?

Oh my goodness.

What are we in the second grade, it looks like an inteface for kids. This tells me that windows 8 is for smat phones and tablets not for the desktop!

Day 1...almost uninstalled. Day 7 like the new interface more than 7 or XP.

I can just imagine everyone sitting in front of theirs PC Screens (I have 4 of them) with a physiotherapist standing behind them massaging their shoulders. Anyone who thinks that Windows 8 is brilliant must have rock in their heads.
As it is menus are disappearing making difficult to:
1) know what features are available, 98% of our clients do not like the office ribbons!
2) manage and configure these features as most of the tablets do not show the options unless you start typing the "Correct" data in that first field, which often means that you can't prepare the necessary data, an example is when connecting to an exchange account it different on each device.
I windows 8, Windows explorer which was never great was at least functional is now next to useless, it now has "Ribbons" whoopie!!
No more "Start" button! No more installed program list. Every time you want to do anything you have to have a Microsoft account, talk about a corporate nightmare.
Furthermore, Windows 8 is not mouse friendly and who's the idiot that thought that having Xbox live, music, skydrive in the work environment is a good thing?

I welcome your ire!

Did anybody see or notice that on the Desktop the fish is the same I think as on last years UBUNTU!!..lol

The level of vitriol in some of these comments is hilarious. I'm not sure what everyone is so upset about, but when people who can't spell try to rip on something, it is pure comedic gold. That said, some of the opinions on both sides of the argument have been helpful and informative. I've been using the Consumer Preview for almost a week, and I'm liking it more than I thought I would. I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate on my other laptop, but prefer messing around with Windows 8.

That is SO ugly! I do hope they are not going to actually release those ugly square icons. Did they take Windows 3 look due to lack of imagination? Or was it lazy programming, since squares are easier?