Windows 8 looks like it was made for a child!

[cyphyr]

Nearly bought an iPad once, got right up to the point of being told I HAD to use iTunes and had a sudden revulsion at being told what to do. I'd already parted with plastic so getting my re-fund was problematic.

Its like they want to control how users use their products so much, that you cant really use them at all. Apple has gotten really bad at this, its kind of scary.
If MS gets it right, they will have a big advantage in the tablet market.

It's apples business model, control everything and make it look "cool" and don't you mean Apple have got really good at it, lol

Richard

[mhall]

If you are running an x86 tablet with the full version of Windows 8 on it, you will be able to run any piece of software that you can run currently in Windows (assuming you have the hardware for it.

I'm with Matt on this one - I'm actually excited for this new OS and the tablets that are coming. Sure, not a heck of a lot of wizz bang improvements have been made on the desktop, but MS is pulling off (or trying to pull off) a huge shift in direction and capabilities. One of the things I like about the tablets supporting a full version of Windows is that, I write the ordering/viewing/production software for my business and it is web based ... but not online - it runs on local servers. These tablets can run a web server on them and become mobile viewing/ordering tools for me, which I hoped the iPad would be able to do ... but it never lived up to it.

Also, in addition to all the tablet stuff, there are a number of improvements in the underlying OS that are nice to have ... (I've been following the Building Windows 8 Blog for a while now)

A new Task Manager (yeah, not amazing, but a handy feature and definitely about time for an update).
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/10/13/the-windows-8-task-manager.aspx

Improvements to multi monitor support (again, not breathtaking, but handy)
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/05/21/enhancing-windows-8-for-multiple-monitors.aspx

A new file system (ReFS) which will debut on server and move to the client OS.
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/01/16/building-the-next-generation-file-system-for-windows-refs.aspx

Including Virtualized Storage in the OS level file system.
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/01/05/virtualizing-storage-for-scale-resiliency-and-efficiency.aspx

Vastly Improved CHKDisk and disk health handling (this would have saved me a big time headdache earlier this year).
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/05/09/redesigning-chkdsk-and-the-new-ntfs-health-model.aspx

File History (I believe very much like TimeMachine)
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/07/10/protecting-user-files-with-file-history.aspx

Support for VMs built in to the consumer OS.
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/09/07/bringing-hyper-v-to-windows-8.aspx

Native Support for reading ISO and VHD files
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/08/30/accessing-data-in-iso-and-vhd-files.aspx

And then some other improvements to Explorer interface, copying, file collision, etc. Robust USB 3 support, native IPv6 support, secure boot environments, etc.

So, yeah, all of the eye-candyish stuff has been dedicated to Metro and the dual use of the OS on a tablet and PC ... but you still get an improved Windows 7 experience ... and the upgrade is only going to be $40, which is a pretty big drop for and MS operating system.

I think this will be a very big deal for MS. Hopefully they can pull it off. I hope they don't build too big a wall between data from Metro apps and desktop apps - I don't want to be forced to pull up full screen metro apps to check email, look at a calendar, etc. when using the tablet at the desktop docked to other displays. But it would still be great to use those Metro apps when on the go.

As for the start screen ... I won't miss the Start Menu - I don't use it. I pin the few regular applications I use to the task bar, and for the rest I use Launchy (www.launchy.net) - a free, open source app launcher that indexes your applications, allows you to include web shortcuts etc. Much faster than any other launcher I have used.

[Oshyan]

...but you still get an improved Windows 7 experience...

Except with a very clunky system for switching between Metro and desktop, and no proper Start Menu. This is a huge difference. Yes, you can use things like Launchy, but many people won't know about alternatives like that for one thing, and for my part, even though I have apps like Everything and Find and Run Robot (FARR), I still use and like the Start menu. Being able to hide it as an option is one thing, even having it turned off by default, but gutting it out so you have to use hackish 3rd party tools to even get a fraction of it back is awful.

Let me be clear: I too am excited about fully functional tablets being available *and* finally a Microsoft OS on a tablet that is not a clunky half-step from Desktop windows. The problem is I absolutely do not want nor need any of the Metro changes on the desktop. I have no problem with them using the same OS on both systems, in fact I think that's generally a good thing as far as compatibility and whatnot go. I just think they should have made Metro a totally separate shell, only accessible on tablets by default. Advanced users could change their shell, just as we can do now, and have access to the tablet stuff on the desktop if they wanted to. But it should absolutely not be the default, it's an inefficient (space-wise and movement-wise), clunky, difficult UI on a desktop system with mouse and keyboard, plain and simple.

- Oshyan

[Matt]

Maybe they are just trying to get maximum feedback for Metro by limiting the desktop capabilities in the Preview, without any firm plans to keep it so restricted when it finally ships....

[Oshyan]

Wishful thinking I'm afraid...

- Oshyan

[jo]

The version I have is the Release Preview so I presume that's pretty closed to final. It still seems very clunky and unsure of what it is. Two steps to log in is a pain from the start. I couldn't find a way to go straight to the desktop instead of Metro then desktop. Odd terminology like "Tap to do this", I guess you can't say "click" if you don't have a mouse but it seems incongruous if you don't have a touchscreen. Stuff basically hidden until you mouse to a certain part of the screen. I have the Dock hidden on OS X but it was shown by default so I know it's there and it's easy to bring back. The funny thing is that you can activate certain things in OS X by mousing to the screen corners but I turned it off ages ago because I don't like it. Now that's the standard way to get to lots of stuff in Win 8, yay. Finding apps is a pain. You can search for them but the screen for picking them is a real mess. There are so many things which show up that are irrelevant, especially if you have Visual Studio installed it seems. Masses of helper tools and such I've never used. The ribbon type stuff on Windows is way too busy with masses of options.

Win 7 was the first version of Windows I didn't mind using and thought it was pretty close to OS X aside from Windows-isms I've never liked. Win 8 seems like a step backwards. It may get better if you spend time with it I guess, customise it or perhaps it figures out what you change in ribbons and such, but it's definitely not a good first impression.

The only thing I quite like is the new UI theme is a bit more streamlined. Not a clear win but some things are improvements.

I think tablets are cool and have their uses and all, if I could afford one I'd get an iPad, but I don't get Win 8 and the tablet stuff. Ok I'm sure there will be x86 tablets but even Microsoft is going with ARM and Windows RT is not a full Windows 8 environment. So they're making their desktop OS all tablety but not actually using it on their own tablet? Hrmmm.

I think to be useful for doing stuff I do in my spare time (not that I have much of it at the moment), like writing for a website, which is not just messing about then a tablet wouldn't be useful unless it had a stand, a keyboard and a decent sized screen. Which kind of makes it a laptop :-). I see a tablet as a toy, quick reference (web) or media presentation (pictures, slides, video etc.). That doesn't cover all I do though.

Regards,

Jo