Discussion on:

The evolution of Windows 8 is about to take another leap forward

Have you been using Windows 8 to do ordinary work? What has been your experience? Does the Metro UI get your way? Are you finding effective Windows Apps?

Professionally I expect to ignore it until at least the first Service Pack, and potentially skip the version entirely. Personally I expect to buy a new W7 system within a few months of that version being discontinued.

What's my experience? I don't see enough benefits to be gained on the equipment I support or use to make it worth the trouble. Yes, Metro got in my way. I don't know if I could effectively find Windows Apps because I made no effort; I was primarily interested in how it behaved with the apps I already have to use and support.

I've got the CP installed on my Slate and it's been solid. Metro is great for on the couch and the desktop is still there for all of my traditional apps. I'm a consultant with about 30 clients so I stay pretty busy and I haven't run into any issues with it besides some device incompability (Verizon Pantech UML290 LTE Modem) but that's just because the software's in beta and not really a limitation of the software itself. I use this thing with Bria, my bluetooth headset and our Voip system to stay in touch. I run our Instant Messaging software, use the native metro mail client, a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, a mini-hdmi to vga adapter to connect to onsite monitors or my 14" usb monitor. Of course, you could do all of this with a laptop but it's insanely convenient to have a single device for work, home and everything in between. Windows 8 for that purpose is amazing...a true value for someone caught in between wanting a tablet, a laptop or a desktop. Again, invididually, each of those devices, apart from a tablet because the slate is essentially a tablet, can be more effective for other purposes but again, if you want 1 device, Windows 8 makes it happen. Now, on a desktop or a laptop, the main benefit from 8 apart from storage spaces, SkyDrive and some performance improvements is that I can use the Metro apps I'm familiar with from my slate on my desktop now and don't have to scavenge for slate just so I can use one app. The one's I constantly have to hunt for are weather, calendar, etc and yes, you can use desktop widgets or the web but it's just nice and easy to have the app with you everywhere. It's just convenient.

As a user of a ASUS EP121 I was excited to put the CP on the machine. Aside from a few driver woes I was able to get everything up and working, and perfectly stable aside from the occasional IE Freezing (which is quickly fixed with a launching of the task manager).

However, as excited as I was to get METRO on the machine and have a true touch-friendly system, I am now finding myself in the desktop environment almost 100% of the time.

Metro IE 10 is a pleasure to browse with, but it only takes 10 min of browsing before I hit a page that has some incompatible JavaScript or Flash and I am immediately opening on the Desktop. So now I just start and stay there.

I agree that the Metro apps that are available are boring and useless. Cut the Rope was fun, and the Pinball game was fun for a little bit, but other than that it is totally worthless. That said there are only something like 88 apps available in the store, so that either bodes terribly for MS, or they have closed the stores submissions for the time being (I think that is true according to Mary Jo Foley).

I'd like to see an app that brings to life the Courier features that were touted in its' video. I know Tapose exists on iPad but who wants to write with their FINGER? An app like this could be the breakthrough app that MS needs to drive its' tablet to consumers. Something that includes handwriting recognition, pen + touch support (meaning palm rejection), and web-calendar-maps access could be the killer app.

It is also worth noting that because the ASUS EP121 doesn't support "snap" that I get no advantage to having the metro apps. Maybe on a tablet that had snap I could imagine I might keep an email app open on the side while I went about my desktop experience, but then again it also may make the real estate of the screen too small.

I've had the win8 beta for a couple of weeks now and I'm having problems with IE 10. When I open up the browser the pages look distorted. I also have Firefox but have no issues at all with this browser.

I've used it. It sucked.

I could write more, but it's all been said before.

Metro doesn't require an exorcist, all you need to say is 'no.'

Pass.

I've been using it since it's first release back in September 2011 as well. I don't think people
understand this approach by Microsoft giving the end-users a taste of what will be coming.
As for the Metro interface, it is only an experiment by Microsoft. I believe they are trying to
repeat the success they had with Windows 95(a). BUT *I* cannot see anyone NOT liking the
new search function(s). it is truly incredible. The only thing I can see them now only needing
to do is give during install the choice of Metro or not. I, myself see Metro having more fun on
a tablet, or smartphone's interface, BUT this is the direction that Microsoft is pushing the desktop area, sales records will bear this out as a smart, or a misdirection that Microsoft has went.

So... I'll use them when I have to.

Phew, good.. I was worried there for a moment that you'd be stuck. What kind of "job" would require an unreleased OS anyway I wonder.

Many developers' jobs, including applications and drivers.

This will not be another Vista. Vista was a feeble attempt to put something out after the long-in-the-tooth XP was showing its age compared to newer OSes and since it had been so long since a new Windows roll-out people were excited, then dissapointed.

Now, with Windows 7 holding the banner of "good Windows" and XP sitting down for retirement people are not going to be jumping with excitement nearly as much. There will be wary eyes looking and checking it out.

Not only that, this is the first volley into a new UI concept that will bring tablets, pcs, phones and Xbox closer together and build on that familiarity. Of course the first version is going to be rough but I don't think they are betting on Windows 8 re-inventing Microsoft.

Windows "9"? That's the one to watch; from Windows 8 bug fixes, and lessons learned from feedback with Windows 8, it is bound to improve on 8's bold changes and make the rest of it work.

because PC sales fell through the floor when Vista was released, right? Well no people bought what was in the stores the next time their old machine died. We had to help some people who got 64 bit early on but the 32 bit version never presented any problems.

"I don???t think the inclusion of the Metro UI is that big of a deal for desktop users."

Other than the fact that for enterprise users it add 2 more worthless steps to get to the desktop.

How about devolution? Most home users will laugh and giggle at 8 and say "how cute". For IT 8 is just another step backwards.

from the metro tiles screen desktop is one click away, or you could just hit the windows key on your keyboard and type de

IT will love 8, each user will get a a dashboard showing the programs they use. End users in companies with their own tech support will never need to go past that point. Are you familiar with executive dashboards?

How will that differ from previous versions of Windows, when each user had a desktop, Taskbar, and / or Start Menu showing the applications they use?

That Metro for that purpose is just another launcher and wont really cause any problems because of that...not that its necessarily superior to the current methods.

"Windows Key"???? You mean you will be *required* to have a "windows keyboard" to use Win8??? No wonder I couldn't get anything to work on it when I tried it in VirtualBox; I use a classic Model-M keyboard, and have no intention of changing that.

That used to be the equivalent of the windows key.

Which is one more click than Windows 7. Most developers try to reduce the number of clicks instead of increase them.

Bill

Most users can now just click on the application they normally use.

Or search for files, register files, make shortcuts, run programs, switch programs, run multiple programs at once, tile programs, manage running programs.

I agree that W8 is mostly usable. However, there are two major issues. One is that that Hyper-V replaces Virtual PC (XPMODE) and requires that you PC has SLAT was well as hardware support for Virtualization. This will prevent upgrade for many existing W7 systems. The second is that the W7 Hyper-V tools will not load on W8 (by design) and the W8 Hyper-V tools will not connect to any existing Hyper-V installations.
Also, the "Metro Screen" instead of a the "Start Button" is not a step forward, but one that makes use less friendly. There are work arounds, but really something that MS should have not forced on the existing users. It is the "Vista" approach showing it head again.

I too have been using Windows 8 since the Developers Preview and now the Consumer Preview. I have partitioned my hard drive to dual boot either Win7 or Win8 and this has worked great for me. For the most part I like the improvements Microsoft has made to the OS but I would make some changes if I could. At this point I too skip metro (mostly) and move straight to the desktop.

From what I've read, I really don't expect much more in the Release Preview for the desktop. However, I do expect to see significant improvements in the Metro APPS. I do agree with you that the metro apps don't have much going on at this stage. They appear to be mostly consumption oriented and are very much beta software. Even some don't work much at all. For the desktop, I do like the ability to search more categories in the system, however, I haven't figured out is how to default search to 'files' or a combination of areas rather than 'apps'. A change there would be nice but I'm not expecting it. I am also disappointed in what I'm hearing about "Windows-to-go". I was hoping to be able to use that feature in the Pro version (at home) but it looks like it will only be available in the Enterprise edition. I'm also hearing that the Window-RT (WOA) will not be any easier than an IPAD to manage in the Enterprise. That would be disappointing, but I'm not clear if that's totally true at this point.
I've been a long time Microsoft fan, but there have been products which they start and then abandon after some time even though there is seems to be value in them. Just one simple example is Microsoft Money.
I'm expecting that Microsoft and Windows 8 will be a success.

doesn't the search default to looking at everything and you pick apps or files to narrow it down?

I don't know where to find the filters I used in XP. I haven't figured out how to filter by date, size, or to search for hidden files. Yeah, an F1 would probably tell me, but I get too frustrated to remember to hit it. Maybe next time...

The moment i need to skip a gui to get to my daily bussiness i have had it.
I am a desktop user and will stay that for a long time to go.
But i dont mind... i will stay on 7 and wait for the next Windows.
If that one is just an enhanced Windows 8, and basically the same, i will stay as long as possible to 7 or didge MS and go Linux. Big chance Windows 7 is my last MS OS.

The only reason I ever install any of these later Windows versions is to learn the products in order to support unfortunate Windows users. For the last handful of Windows programmes that won't run properly under Wine I use XP. Heck, I would still be using Win2K if I could. 2K/XP do everything I need MSWindows for, and Linux does everything else.

I think it's great that MSFT is taking some bold moved with their desktop. Whether or not consumers like the new UI remains to be seen but I can opine this: there had better darn well be a "Windows 7" experience option for new users who just aren't ready to tackle Metro yet but still need to buy a new PC after its release. That's a full desktop with fully functioning Start button, menus, etc.- not some downloadable hack.

Also - beyond the "explore Windows 8" movie they will probably have in the OS there should be a bonafide CBT (computer-based training) course tucked into the release that users can run through to get schooled on the new way of doing things. To leave it purely to IT depts. and other IT pros is just alienating the home and small biz user market.

Maybe it's just me, but I've never touched a tablet or smartphone, so I had to look up answers for every basic function of the Metro UI. So personally, forcing Metro is a nuisance, and the missing Start Button is problematic. My biggest use of a PC is for video and audio editing, so I need a system that's easy from a "traditional" point of view. Our 10-year-old god-son said "looks like the X-Box" and delved right in, so for those already familiar with touch it looks like a natural.

Yep, xbox users and smart phone users are right at home. Who are the most likely candidates to go for a new consumer level ARM tablet? Those same two groups.

If you need the start button use the one on your keyboard. I find it interesting that people are baffled by the lack of an entry field on the screen and feel uncomfortable without one. You don't normally walk into a room an say "I'm going to talk now" and wait for the talking stick. You just talk. Just start typing. With Windows 7 and now 8 you keep feeling that things are the way they should have been from day one.

is a lot of the same complaints that happen during every major UI change. I have had the CP on my machine for some time and have to admit that I too hated the MetroUI when I first used it. If all you ever do is switch to the desktop when it loads, then of course you aren't going to know how useful the Metro UI can be. Once you learn how to add the shortcuts to the MetroUI, you don't even need the desktop. Actually, the desktop is nothing more than the MetroUI - a collection of shortcuts. For all you naysayers, I would suggest that you actually USE the MetroUI before you bash it.

As for the apps, I agree most of them are toys and games, but that's how Apple apps got started too. Microsoft took the cue from Apple with the Microsoft Store, but I think that it works amazingly well and will be the distribution model of the future for consumers (probably not so much for enterprise). Now, if they could come up with a way to make a "local" Microsoft Store for the enterprise, how nice would it be to just let your users install the software they want from your "corporate" store that contains approved software?

The MetroUI seems to only be useful to people who run one app at a time. Someone who will have multiple browser, terminal, mail, etc. applications open all at the same time will find it much more difficult. Especially if you need to copy data between applications all the time. Or if you want to look at information on one window while working in another. Nope, doesn't matter how much you look at it, the design is still unusable for anything resembling heavy-duty work.

well, I think, and I know Windows 8 is a great OS. It works quite well and I never experienced a BSOD since the DP. CP is much better, exept one can`t install any game with this OS. Punkbuster doesn`t work at all. Hope this will be fixed in next realize. I understand why people don`t like Metro UI, it`s becouse they don`t understand the concept. Metro is a brand new tech, brings completly new aproach to OS. Desktop is nothing but another application in this OS. And I find it fine. Way to go Microsoft.

I've installed it on my work laptop and can say it's generally been quite solid in performance, very slight compatibility issues overall with some minor tools, IE 10 Beta has some issues with certain sites but the compatibility button fixes that. I've only really had 2 major issues, one being Skype, the current version is not compatible with Win 8, even with all the compatibility options on!

the Other major issue, and this is mainly for the IT Techs, is the Windows VPN client and I'm not sure if these are bugs or just the way it works now, but I have been having some major issues connecting to 2003 and 2008 PPTP servers if there is a proper firewall in place, even with all the required ports and protocols open (telnet to the server successful) it still won't connect, windows 7 no problems, take it to a network with a standard home router/firewall then it works, the errors are mainly 619 but you could see other error codes without changing any settings, just disconnect and reconnect!

oh another thing is I've had to completely re-do the Metro UI, I followed the guide on this site, the standard layout is completely unworkable, I think a 2 year old put it together! now it looks a lot more professional and the applications are easily accessed in proper groups! not just jumbled up together. having said that I do 99% of my work on the Desktop, I also created my own version of the Start Button with the main functionality of the original, put a lot more shortcuts on the taskbar and learnt a few more command for the CMD and Run. I've also removed a lot of the stock apps, haven't installed any new ones and changed some of the extension links to open in more usable programs, e.g. all pictures now open in the preview and not the default image viewer, which is designed for a touch screen.

In short, it takes some effort (a few hours) to get the system in a workable state but once there it's a good performing platform, with some interesting new features. If you're used to working with Linux then you won't mind the extra effort but if you're lazy then you'll probably hate it!

I went through a lot of hassle getting hardward working on two HP Pavilion notebooks, one came with XP the other with Vista and there weren't any OEM specific support files for their hardward or updated drivers and chipset file. It took far too much time to ge the bulk of items working and still many OEM specific buttons don't work due to no support.
I am on a T520 Thinkpad now which came with full Win 7 support and files and I'd have no intention in going that root again. Especially at the high upgrade cost MS charges for what?

Get the OS when you buy a new machine (its include and no extra cost) otherwise upgrading is NOT viable if the hardware is not supporting if from whoever built the machine and extra cost. For those that do try it out I'd seriously recommend having another system to continue on to allow you to work effectively until you get Win8 and everything you need working. Many people kill their systems and don't have driver for the add on peripheral and only then realize that they assume it would work and be available. Well, this is the real world and it ain't so. I see that happen over and over with many MS release. In the least get a good Image backup of your boot drive (or buy another drive for the new windows, you can swap back in a few minutes of dispare) so you can return back fairly easily.

Be sure whats down the hole that you're jumping into!!! Could be crocks in there. LOL

If your Pavilion's were built for XP and Vista, its likely the hardware is pretty old. I wouldn't expect a pre-release to have drivers for hardware of that age. I think you'll have a better experience with Win8 if you try it on something newer.

I've been using the CP since it came out. I really like it. I love the picture passwords feature..different and quick. I was very pleasantly surprised that the old machine I put the CP on ran well (It was a Vista-level machine). My experience in the past was that I needed new hardware, and this time was pleasantly different. I'll probably pick up a new machine anyway, because I want a camera, touch screen, USB 3, etc.

I found the Metro UI different at first, but right away liked the way I can "see underneath" the apps. Before I have to go searching, I know exactly which applications have new activity, which lets me prioritize. To another users point, its nice that searching, settings, and the Metro Screen (Kind of a visual Start Screen), are accessible in the same way from every screen. And I really like the way that whatever I'm focusing on gets all of my attention. Best New Windows release in a long time.