This is absolute garbage for traditional desktop use. Who wants to wait for the stupid corners to appear?
I really thought they would give the option to totally disable the metro interface and go with the traditional desktop only. But its looking more and more like thats not going to be the case.
What a trainwreck after the brilliant windows 7. Ubuntu and OS X here I come!
This is superior to windows 7 in almost every way. Why do you need to disable the Metro interface? What can you do faster with the start menu than you can do on the start screen? Shutdown is the only thing I can think of. Meanwhile, us owners of high resolution displays can actually put that to use when displaying apps (not that I ever use the start menu for anything but searching anyway...which works exactly the same in Windows 8 as in Windows 7)
I agree to an extent. I was actually hoping the Taskdock would be ever present along the bottom and the desktop background would become Metro UI. To me, that would be the best of both worlds. You can click the apps you want on the screen, leave some area for widgets or whatever, and at the same time, see the apps that are running on the Taskdock and, if need be, click start for more complex tasks.
Why would you pull your hands off the keyboard to reach for the mouse (not sarcasm, a question for those who consider themselves a power user)?
As a power user I avoid the mouse whenever possible. The typical windows shortcuts (hit windows logo key to search for a program, file or control panel applet, alt-tab to switch windows, alt-f4 to close an app, etc.) all carry over so that's what I'll be using.
However, for the casual user the missing start button, hidden charms and corner centric mouse-over locations I fear would come across as non-obvious and highly confusing. Although these days everyone understands left click, right click, double click without on screen prompts so maybe it's just a matter of learning the new way of working.
I haven't downloaded the preview yet so I'm withholding final judgement but from a preliminary glance I do wonder if it will be intuitive enough.
Except you can search within the control using the keyboard, which is absolutely faster than waiting for it to open. If you're concerned about speed, launching by search cannot by beat, period.
Searching by typing in Win8 isn't quite the same, though, as you eventually have to reach for the mouse to click on the desired option (in my limited experience so far at least--e.g. type "firewall" and then you have to go to "settings" and click on "Firewall").
Pretty much how I perceive it. It's still going to be the same desktop, but the replacement of the Start menu with the Metro Start screen is a great improvement from a usability standpoint.
Currently, I have all of my apps I want to access quickly on my taskbar. My desktop is clean, and I hardly use the Start menu save for accessing a few applications that I don't use as regularly. Now I can move all of that off the taskbar into the Start screen and also add apps that are developed with live tiles in mind (e-mail and a reddit browser come to mind).
Not at all. With the Win7 Start Menu I can right click files and quickly find their location. I can drag files to other programs. It is compact so I can reach every app and search rest with a single click. All these usability features is not possible with the Metro UI and its start screen.
Having a big 24" monitor and several applications open and quickly shift between them with task bar. Think running OC your pc and running OCCT, IBT, GPUZ, AI suite to monitor temperatures and a text document to note progress. Impossible with Metro UI.
The classic UI in Windows 7 lets the user grow and learn new ways to organize and be more efficient. The Metro UI will hold people back at smart phone level. I love the windows phone and it will be a huge advantage to have access to file system and desktop programs on a Windows 8 tablet, but the Metro UI has very little to offer desktop users.
I want the new explorer in Windows 8 so I can minimize the ribbon and use the quick access toolbar, and the unified file transfer dialogue. Unfortunately these vanish if I enable the classic Start Menu. I hope this has changed in the Consumer Preview. Best of both worlds!
The "4 Corners" thing might work for those using a mouse/trackball as it's easy enough to whip the cursor around the screen and into the corners.
But what about those using trackpads, the Lenovo cursor nub thingy, or other pointing devices that take a lot of effort to move the cursor around a screen? It's bad enough watching those who don't know about keyboard shortcuts try to use a laptop's trackpad in Windows 7 and earlier. I can just image the pain and suffering these people will experience trying to use Windows 8.
Sorry but you're wrong. If Windows 8 does not include at least the option of enabling the standard taskbar and its realtime window previewing on mouseover for running apps, I *will not* upgrade to Windows 8.
I don't care *at all* about whether or not I can utilize every possible square inch of screen real-estate for displaying my running application(s). I care about the ability to quickly and efficiently switch between multiple running application instances. The Windows 7 taskbar supports this far better than any other alternative on the market (mouseover the taskbar icon and a live preview appears for each running instance of that application, mouseover the preview and the associated window is brought into the foreground, click and it becomes the active window). If Microsoft takes it away, I think they will be facing a repeat of the XP vs. Vista debacle where people chose, in droves, to stick with the older OS version.
I thought the Metro interface was the default, but there was still the option to go to the traditional desktop. If not... then I guess I'll be a Windows 7 lifer.
Not me, I upgraded to Vista and then 7 as soon as they hit the market and never looked back. Metro is a substantial change in GUI operation, not just features and performance, whereas Vista and 7 were more evolutionary. Obviously, I'll try it before judging it, but I thought I saw early images and videos of hiding the Metro interface and using a traditional desktop.
No, it's NOT the same old desktop. It's different and many things have been moved around or made difficult to find.
Quick, tell your PC to restart (just because you want to). Win7: Click Windows Circle in bottom left, then over to the Shutdown arrow, then Restart. (Or click start key on keyboard, press right arrow twice, and R.) On Win8, the only place I can find restart is by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del (which would also work on Win7), and then going to the power button in the bottom-right corner.
The start menu in general is completely gone, and in it's place is a start screen that's not nearly as useful in some ways, but possibly better in others. Never mind the whole "delay while we blank the screen out to the start screen and you lose your desktop"....
wow, when you put it like that, it makes it look like win 7 is more difficult than win 8 to shutdown. On win 8 i just go to right corner, click settings, click power, then select restart or shutdown.
3 clicks to restart or just get the control panel gadget with its restart, shutdown, sleep, task manager, control panel, and run buttons. One click away with this gadget.
It looks like they appear right away. I think this is the most logical solution to having the same UI with touch and mouse.
If you really don't want anything to do with the metro interface or any of the apps in the marketplace, then stick with Windows 7. The desktop isn't changing much, and Windows 7 is getting the same level of Skydrive integration.
That will likely be what i do. I like the revised task manager, new file copy functions, and storage spaces, but probably not enough to give up the traditional desktop for a touchscreen UI
I can understand why maybe they wont advertise it since they think Metro is the answer to the universes great mysteries, but all they have to do is include a kill switch for it and then there will be no reservations for anyone. Everyone would be happy.
This ain't the developer preview. Saying that you've tried this software because you've tried the developer preview is akin to saying you've developed a distaste for scrambled eggs after sucking a raw egg from the shell.
Looking for that myself. I will post here if I find an answer to it (I am sure that there is one). For instance I found a way to turn OFF IE10 (which takes over Win8 consumer preview even if you are using Firefox or Chrome as your default browser)
Good riddance. It's backward thinking people like you who will always be stuck in the 90's. Go get a mullet and Billy Ray album, that's where you belong.
He's right. The biggest problem to all you idiots is change, your tiny minds cant handle it. Oh no something isn't in the same place anymore!!
Clear improvements everywhere and you fools bitch about it. Most o you without even TRYING it. Metro works perfectly on a normal desktop, and the usual desktop is still there and does everything Win7 did and more. But Metro has been far better for searching in the rare cases that i've needed to use it. And what else would anyone use the Start menu for anyway? It was a complete mess, Metro is a vast improvement and easier/quicker to find anything.
This is crazy. To hell with Windows then, I'll have to stick with 7 for as long as possible and then go elsewhere. Shiny colored bullcrap tiles - are they meant for mentally challenged or something?
I absolutely hate both Windows Phone and Windows 8. They just keep feeding you useless information in those tiles, distracting and bothering. I only want to see what I need, not some frigging web feeds. I want to have complete control over what's going on and Windows can't give me that any more.
Apple has fanbois. MS has critics. Sometimes I'm not sure which crowd is more annoying. (Actually, I am sure. Nothing is more annoying than True Believer Fanbois. Still, you really ought to use the OS before you start labeling Win 8 a "trainwreck.")
if apple would have released something half as innovative as windows 8 it would have been the greatest thing since sliced bread. You're right. Idiots blindly bash Microsoft without proper evaluation. They cry and complain that it's different than what they're used to. We'll just have to write them off as the blind sighted middle aged IT "professionals"... (aka tech support) that they most likely are.
What's funny is this is released as a consumer preview, meaning it is a consumer-centric operating system. Average consumers care about watching porn, browsing facebook, and listening to music. If windows 8 delivers the best experience in these areas then they win. And seeing the side docking capabilities, they can have their facebook feed on the left, music on the right, with their wank station in the middle.
Is there a delay? When I think of mousing to the corners I'm thinking an implementation like the "show desktop" button in the lower right of Windows 7. Or lower left for start menu. Doesn't take any time at all. Guess you have to leave it there for some time? Can you click?
This scheme seems fine for people on laptops and smaller displays, an improvement over the current Start menu and notification system even... But I wonder how well it'll work on massive 30 inch screens and multi-display setups (3x24" here), Microsoft has a history of ignoring multi-screen functionality and with laptops out & tablets vastly outselling desktops I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being a kludge on larger display areas.
2011 Sales: 487 million smartphones 63 million tablets 29 million netbooks 209 million laptops 112 million desktops
But MS has already shown great multi-display support in Windows 8, so I wouldn't be worried. I'm anxious to try out the preview with a non-touch display and see how it operates. MS aren't big enough idiots to kill off what is their biggest market (business desktops).
Coming from the Developer Preview, Win8 was really fun and intuitive on my touchscreen laptop. That said though, I found it completely the opposite when trying to use the trackpad/mouse, extra steps everywhere to get to what I wanted to do. I'm hoping they've fixed that a bit in this preview but like the comment above, I really wish you could disable the whole thing. Win7 has all kinds of options to make it look more like XP did, why get rid of that.
How do these hot corners work with 2 or 3 monitors? If the primary monitor is in the center?
I know the Windows snap feature doesn't work at all using a mouse on the center screen. Does this mean we'll now have the same issue with the start menu/screen?
Who cares about Aero Snap and the mouse, just use Windows Key+Arrow keys.
Or better, download Winsplit Revolution.
The hot corners do not work on multi-monitor correctly. You need to make your monitors nudged about a bit so you can hit the edge. Or aim for a pixel. Your choice.
Windows 8 is a mess, and anybody who says otherwise has not used it.
As a multi-monitor user, I really hope this hot corner junk can be shut off. As it is Win7 occasionally gets annoying with the "drag to top of screen = maximize" junk when you are trying to arrange / lay out a bunch of windows.
They better darn make it look and work just like Vista/Win7, what I see so far I HATE beyond what I describe. I use computers for work and content creation, everything I've seen so far with Win8 looks like eye candy garbage. I'm officially getting VERY concerned this is going to be the biggest flop in Windows history. Metro is OK for toy tablets and phones, but not even close to OK for the desktop.
Total Commander FTW nothing else to add. Windows Tablet shouldn't be even called desktop OS. Me personally I find Vista with enabled classic shell and TC as perfect combination for anything.
Its been months since I felt any dissatisfaction about my Win7 desktop. Its set up just how I like it, I can launch any program instantly, and I easily switch between and keep track of the dozen or so activities I have going at once. This leaves me little motivation for wanting a change.
Meanwhile, the screenshots I've seen of Win 8, which are almost always Metro, do not look appropriate for a desktop for me. They certainly aren't highlighting any advantages that seem relevant to the way I use my desktop PC. I also have plenty of memories of past Microsoft "upgrades" that were anything but -- hello Vista?
So call me an "idiot" if you want, but I'm going to wait until I've heard convincing details about both a) concrete advantages that are relevant to me, b) lack of any downsides such as compatibility, performance, bugs, etc.
The age of Windows OS as we all know it is over. . . . . What is Windows 8? It is a small front end put on the only robust OS produced by Redmond since Windows 2000. Why? To compete with Mac and OS X? Nope! Look, MS knows that the trend is away from two traditions, first is the power processor and second is the stand alone computer. First, with the ever increasing use of the ARM processors or the A5 A6 processor family, one thing is ever certain, that unless you need the power in let's say 3d rendering or (gaming), most of the world will do just fine with a very peppy computer so long as the OS doesn't bog down. So make your footprint smaller brings down the cost, which makes manufactures take a look again. Ok, so what do you build with that in mind? Well we saw the first advent of it with those laptops a few years ago that you didn't have to log fully into Windows to jump onto the net or do some smaller tasks. The OS was based on Linux, which traditionally has been a very robust server grade OS until recently where its notoriety was set into motion with.....Yes, Android OS on your phones, and every where else you need a small foot print front end OS. So why wouldn't MS take a good hard look at that and think, hmm, if we can't beat them, why not join them? So, they simply create a beautiful front end that works on all of their devices. Here is the clever thing. Windows 8 is just the precursor to what we will see in the future. if MS is going to do what I think they will do, they have a very good plan. First, create a platform that will run your basic applications and make it minimal enough that it can exist on an inexpensive device, like a Dell Touch screen that has a few gigs of solid state memory or flash, an ARM processor all contained in a neat little iMac/HP all in one looking screen. So here is the kicker, the OS is minimal, like Damn Small Linux which doesn't have a large foot print. It starts up, it is quick and it has immediate access to the internet.
You may be thinking, who will buy this thing that looks more like a client terminal in an IBM workshop? LoL! Why, you and I of coarse. See, MS understands that the cloud is upon us, whether we like it or not. The days of needing 8 terabytes of memory storage at you home are soon to be a thing of the past. So all your content will be nicely saved everyday to a regional server cluster at a location to be announced. Now, Now, you may say, that is all good, but what about all the Software we need to download and use on a daily basis, I mean, I like peppy, but I need to run photoshop or MS Word. Your little client terminal theory doesn't hold any water with only a few gigs of memory, most of which will be used on the front end OS. Ah, now you get it......you see this is where MS already tipped its hat with Windows 8 preview, you recall that little extra software called the app store that is now available? Well, here is where the ingenious part of this who front end pans out. Look, if you sell me photoshop 7, I will as a consumer likely hold on to that license for years before I consider dropping more cash to get the next version, unless it is part of my business. So that essentially takes me out of your stream of commerce. Yes, you pay 300.00 for about three to four years of use, but you may or may not ever buy another version, but what is for certain, the first sting of the cost will haunt you as a consumer for a good while. Now, lets say I asked you to rent something from me and I told you that the upfront cost will not shock your pocket book, but that you had to agree to be on tap for at least a year before you could end your lease agreement, well with no deposit/security down and an automatic renewal if you don't cancel it yourself, that may seem pretty nice. So lets just say it is a reasonable fee of 15.00 per month for the standard version and 20.00 for the professional version: that is 180 and 240 respectively. Hey, now that isn't too bad for a years worth of use. Ok, so now comes the time we all are very aware of in our daily lives, where the time to call up the lessor and say, ok, we are done, I don't want to renew. Then the lessor says terrific, can you take a short survey on why you don't want to end the contract? Ok, next you have to send in written verification or an email to confirm you really are done with the rental. Now for about 60% of us, we may actually go through the hoops, and that is a very liberal number, that leaves 40% who have just taken that 300.00 program and turned it into a program that costs 360 or 480 respectively. So you see that is the best case scenario. So why would MS take that risk with only a 40% return if they are lucky? Number one, because those who have the new machines simply will not be able to load these programs on their little clients. Second, the cost of delivery over the internet is miniscule compared to packaging, shipping and advertising and all the hassle with retailers. MS has effectively cut out all the middle men and has the only means of uploading the software to their customers so the vendors like Adobe will have to play very sweetly with MS. So where will the traditional OS like windows 7 be located? MS will still work on it, but it will likely be more of a server OS which will provide the foundation for the use of the software which will effectively be conducted through cyber space on a virtual machine, (ie., your terminal). That is simply stupid, why on earth would Redmond move from its glorious position as an OS distributor? Because Redmond realizes that this way, they effectively cut out all traditional pirating of all their OS, Office and other software, including all the other software vendors preventing pirating. That is why OS X now has an app store, it promotes more buying and less copying.
So, how does this work with Windows 8? Well look, Windows 8 is sitting right on top of Windows 7. I don't care how much you scream, holler or plead, IBM and every other large corporation using Windows 7 currently is not going to let its employees play with a play screen, which has endless mods and hours of senseless adjustments. Corporate America will not buy Windows 8. So, who is this directed at then? and why make an OS that Corporate America will shun? This is directed as a sort of testing ground for Redmond. Look, your little iPhone, iPad or Android has some pretty cool little apps on it, but it is not as robust as the OS that was used to create it. So why is it that we find ourselves more often than not looking up information on the little devices instead of going to our traditional computer? Convenience! And it is just this convenience that MS is banking on. Once you get used to using your traditional computer like you do you little devices, then you will forget that it was originally designed to be very robust. Heck, for years, folks haven't even known how to take full advantage of their computers or the power they hold, so why would people even care if MS simply cut out that robustness and allowed you to have access to it when ever you really needed it through a small rental fee. That way, they control the issues, if any arise on their side with the software, they simply get a tech at the server cluster to fix it, and cut down on the millions of calls from customers who have problems with their computer with its very often incompatible hardware. Here, MS can run the software on the machines that it was designed to be ran on anyway, and let you log in virtually to do your work and then log out. Oh, yeah, what about the work product, your word doc, or excel spread sheet, where does it go? Easy, you are also renting for a very, very small price 5g 10g or 200g of space from MS on its cluster servers. Think it won't happen? That is what they said about the tablet. That is what they said about the app stores. That is what they said about the Cloud.
Opps, forgot the final words on why corporations would actually like this model:
Now let’s plug Corporate America back into the equasion. How do you make them happy? Well what if you offered a bunch of terminal with only a few custom apps for certain employees and then other apps for others. Corporate America could essentially….. well, do what it is currently doing without all the headache of the darned internal server issues. They would simply stream all content to the cluster servers and avoid the heavy costs of maintaining their own servers. Now, there will be some employees and some information that will still need to remain on the internal server, but in this case the company would choose which employee’s had access to the internal servers and which the external. For obvious reasons, not to mention the constant upkeep of the servers, this will be very appealing to corporations. It is certain that a good portion of the it overhead will be significantly reduced as well as parts and repair. So for companies not needing that secure on site security blanket, this would be very appealing.
I tried the consumer preview, and the hotspots are horrible with a multi screen setup, because you CANNOT just push the mouse pointer into a corner, you actually have to aim for the few pixels which activate the hotspot. It's even worse when you have Windows 8 running in a VM which does not take up the whole screen - good luck positioning the mouse pointer correctly. Also, organizing all your applications on the metro start screen is annoying (because everything moves around when you want to drag something somewhere else). I'll probably end up simply having tons of desktop icons again, in the places I want, organized like I want. So far I am not impressed, most changes left me wondering "yeah, it looks different now, but how is that better than what we already had?"
In Windows 8 Developers preview you could disable the metro theme. you could also install third party software like Classic Shell to give you a Windows XP start menu both with the Metro theme turned on or off. Also even if you did use the metro theme this was not a problems as it was much more user friendly than in Consumer Preview.
But Windows 8 Consumer preview is completely the opposite to the wonderful Developers preview.Gone is the option to disable metro and none of the registry edits to do this work anymore. and even Classic Shell no longer works in Windows 8 consumer preview,no.
And not only that but the whole OS is a disaster. I could not even pin shortcuts to my desktop due to a problem with the ribbon in Windows explorer that froze my mouse. So I could not right click to send to desktop. Windows 8 Consumer Preview crashes,it is slow and buggy and NOT USER FRIENDLY AT ALL.
So if this is how Windows 8 is going to be I am NEVER going to use it NO WAY.And i cannot use it with the metro theme either.
So,one uninstall coming up. I am going back to windows 7. Andrea Borman.
Microsoft totally removed the Start Menu from Windows 8. Rizonesoft decided to petition Microsoft to at least give us a choice between the old and new interfaces. However, for this petition to be successful we need a few million signatures; this seems impossible, but can be done. Remember; only those who can see the invisible can accomplish the impossible. Petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/bring-back-the...
It seems like Apple must have designed this horrible Windows 8 OS so that it will sabotage Windows permanently and force us to abandon Microsoft and run to Apple. I really cannot believe that Microsoft will be so stupid to design such a frustrating desktop experience for non-touch/tablet users. I am very angry at Microsoft. I will never touch Windows 8. I cannot use Metro, and the Desktop features are the worse that I have ever seen. Poor job Microsoft, extremely poor job indeed.
I don't think killing off the traditional desktop is a bad idea. The desktop has always been an awkward mosaic of files and folders that the user couldn't be bothered to put anywhere else; this is partly because there is usually no better place to keep temporary working files. The desktop is poor from a usability standpoint. It's effectively just a folder view - not making very good use of the default screen of the OS. The start menu and taskbar is where all the actual useful functionality comes from, but it only makes up a small portion of the main screen.
I think it's about time Microsoft's made a launcher to replace the desktop, and the new start menu seems to be a good replacement (a step in the right direction anyway). I'm sure they would have replaced the desktop completely if it weren't for backwards compatibility issues and general user stubbornness. Hot corners is another good idea, though they're not new, not even in Windows. Hot corners simply make use of Fitt's law which is a well known GUI design rule. Bigger buttons are easier to target with a mouse, and conveniently, corners are of infinite width and height, so they're like 4 really big buttons. I cringe when operating systems and applications fail to make use of this prime button real-estate. Microsoft, to their credit, have always been fairly attentive when it comes to optimising interactions with the system functions and controls, thus they normally utilise the corners of the screen appropriately (the start menu, close button, and now the show desktop button as of Win7 are good examples).
It's a shame so many people jump up and down over something which they seem to know little about. Criticising and taking a position on something you don't know anything about (the design rules, the overall intent and direction, the things that have been tried and failed) is only to your own detriment. Open enthusiasm to change is something we need more of. Give it a fair go before embarrassing yourself demonstrating how little you know about the topic on which your criticism is based.
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
60 Comments
Back to Article
n0x1ous - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
This is absolute garbage for traditional desktop use. Who wants to wait for the stupid corners to appear?I really thought they would give the option to totally disable the metro interface and go with the traditional desktop only. But its looking more and more like thats not going to be the case.
What a trainwreck after the brilliant windows 7. Ubuntu and OS X here I come!
hemmy - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
This is superior to windows 7 in almost every way. Why do you need to disable the Metro interface? What can you do faster with the start menu than you can do on the start screen? Shutdown is the only thing I can think of. Meanwhile, us owners of high resolution displays can actually put that to use when displaying apps (not that I ever use the start menu for anything but searching anyway...which works exactly the same in Windows 8 as in Windows 7)n0x1ous - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
in about half a second click start > control panel not wait for some silly panel to pop out of corner as my mouse hovers over it.Fine for those that want it, but I dont understand why they wouldnt give the option for someone to totally disable it.
quiksilvr - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
I agree to an extent. I was actually hoping the Taskdock would be ever present along the bottom and the desktop background would become Metro UI. To me, that would be the best of both worlds. You can click the apps you want on the screen, leave some area for widgets or whatever, and at the same time, see the apps that are running on the Taskdock and, if need be, click start for more complex tasks.hemmy - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
If you are that concerned about efficiency why even bother with the mouse? If you need to open programs and features just type programs and hit enter.n0x1ous - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
yes pulling my hand off the mouse to type programs is much faster than click two buttons in succession (sarcasm)apinkel - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
Why would you pull your hands off the keyboard to reach for the mouse (not sarcasm, a question for those who consider themselves a power user)?As a power user I avoid the mouse whenever possible. The typical windows shortcuts (hit windows logo key to search for a program, file or control panel applet, alt-tab to switch windows, alt-f4 to close an app, etc.) all carry over so that's what I'll be using.
However, for the casual user the missing start button, hidden charms and corner centric mouse-over locations I fear would come across as non-obvious and highly confusing. Although these days everyone understands left click, right click, double click without on screen prompts so maybe it's just a matter of learning the new way of working.
I haven't downloaded the preview yet so I'm withholding final judgement but from a preliminary glance I do wonder if it will be intuitive enough.
dcollins - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
Except you can search within the control using the keyboard, which is absolutely faster than waiting for it to open. If you're concerned about speed, launching by search cannot by beat, period.JarredWalton - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
Searching by typing in Win8 isn't quite the same, though, as you eventually have to reach for the mouse to click on the desired option (in my limited experience so far at least--e.g. type "firewall" and then you have to go to "settings" and click on "Firewall").augiem - Friday, March 2, 2012 - link
It sure can if you forgot the name of the program but remember its in the utils folder. This happens to me a lot with seldom used programs.Duraz0rz - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
Pretty much how I perceive it. It's still going to be the same desktop, but the replacement of the Start menu with the Metro Start screen is a great improvement from a usability standpoint.Currently, I have all of my apps I want to access quickly on my taskbar. My desktop is clean, and I hardly use the Start menu save for accessing a few applications that I don't use as regularly. Now I can move all of that off the taskbar into the Start screen and also add apps that are developed with live tiles in mind (e-mail and a reddit browser come to mind).
n0x1ous - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
what about quickly getting to specific folders? this is an efficiency reduction for traditional desktop users.For mum and pop media consumers and browsers it won't make a difference but for getting real work done this sux.
damianrobertjones - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
Add them as a shortcut to the metro interface.dcollins - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
Search. For getting work done, search is absolutely the fastest way.cbutters - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
Windows + E?DarkUltra - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
Not at all. With the Win7 Start Menu I can right click files and quickly find their location. I can drag files to other programs. It is compact so I can reach every app and search rest with a single click. All these usability features is not possible with the Metro UI and its start screen.Having a big 24" monitor and several applications open and quickly shift between them with task bar. Think running OC your pc and running OCCT, IBT, GPUZ, AI suite to monitor temperatures and a text document to note progress. Impossible with Metro UI.
The classic UI in Windows 7 lets the user grow and learn new ways to organize and be more efficient. The Metro UI will hold people back at smart phone level. I love the windows phone and it will be a huge advantage to have access to file system and desktop programs on a Windows 8 tablet, but the Metro UI has very little to offer desktop users.
I want the new explorer in Windows 8 so I can minimize the ribbon and use the quick access toolbar, and the unified file transfer dialogue. Unfortunately these vanish if I enable the classic Start Menu. I hope this has changed in the Consumer Preview. Best of both worlds!
phoenix_rizzen - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
The "4 Corners" thing might work for those using a mouse/trackball as it's easy enough to whip the cursor around the screen and into the corners.But what about those using trackpads, the Lenovo cursor nub thingy, or other pointing devices that take a lot of effort to move the cursor around a screen? It's bad enough watching those who don't know about keyboard shortcuts try to use a laptop's trackpad in Windows 7 and earlier. I can just image the pain and suffering these people will experience trying to use Windows 8.
damianrobertjones - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
There will probably be a keyboard shortcutrs2 - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
Sorry but you're wrong. If Windows 8 does not include at least the option of enabling the standard taskbar and its realtime window previewing on mouseover for running apps, I *will not* upgrade to Windows 8.I don't care *at all* about whether or not I can utilize every possible square inch of screen real-estate for displaying my running application(s). I care about the ability to quickly and efficiently switch between multiple running application instances. The Windows 7 taskbar supports this far better than any other alternative on the market (mouseover the taskbar icon and a live preview appears for each running instance of that application, mouseover the preview and the associated window is brought into the foreground, click and it becomes the active window). If Microsoft takes it away, I think they will be facing a repeat of the XP vs. Vista debacle where people chose, in droves, to stick with the older OS version.
nathanddrews - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
I thought the Metro interface was the default, but there was still the option to go to the traditional desktop. If not... then I guess I'll be a Windows 7 lifer.damianrobertjones - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
people said the same when Windows 7 arrived and they stayed on Windows 2000/XP.nathanddrews - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
Not me, I upgraded to Vista and then 7 as soon as they hit the market and never looked back. Metro is a substantial change in GUI operation, not just features and performance, whereas Vista and 7 were more evolutionary. Obviously, I'll try it before judging it, but I thought I saw early images and videos of hiding the Metro interface and using a traditional desktop.B3an - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
The same old desktop is still there. Do you actually not know this?!JarredWalton - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
No, it's NOT the same old desktop. It's different and many things have been moved around or made difficult to find.Quick, tell your PC to restart (just because you want to). Win7: Click Windows Circle in bottom left, then over to the Shutdown arrow, then Restart. (Or click start key on keyboard, press right arrow twice, and R.) On Win8, the only place I can find restart is by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del (which would also work on Win7), and then going to the power button in the bottom-right corner.
The start menu in general is completely gone, and in it's place is a start screen that's not nearly as useful in some ways, but possibly better in others. Never mind the whole "delay while we blank the screen out to the start screen and you lose your desktop"....
loboracing - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
wow, when you put it like that, it makes it look like win 7 is more difficult than win 8 to shutdown. On win 8 i just go to right corner, click settings, click power, then select restart or shutdown.johnpombrio - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
3 clicks to restart or just get the control panel gadget with its restart, shutdown, sleep, task manager, control panel, and run buttons. One click away with this gadget.Spivonious - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
It looks like they appear right away. I think this is the most logical solution to having the same UI with touch and mouse.If you really don't want anything to do with the metro interface or any of the apps in the marketplace, then stick with Windows 7. The desktop isn't changing much, and Windows 7 is getting the same level of Skydrive integration.
n0x1ous - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
That will likely be what i do. I like the revised task manager, new file copy functions, and storage spaces, but probably not enough to give up the traditional desktop for a touchscreen UII can understand why maybe they wont advertise it since they think Metro is the answer to the universes great mysteries, but all they have to do is include a kill switch for it and then there will be no reservations for anyone. Everyone would be happy.
damianrobertjones - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
How about actually trying the software yourself?P.s. At the end of the day people don't really USE the desktop other than to store files or shortcuts.
n0x1ous - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
i have....Ive been using the Developer Preview was released. I was hoping for the Metro Kill switch with the consumer preview.Romberry - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
This ain't the developer preview. Saying that you've tried this software because you've tried the developer preview is akin to saying you've developed a distaste for scrambled eggs after sucking a raw egg from the shell.johnpombrio - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
Looking for that myself. I will post here if I find an answer to it (I am sure that there is one). For instance I found a way to turn OFF IE10 (which takes over Win8 consumer preview even if you are using Firefox or Chrome as your default browser)pc_void - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
"people don't really USE the desktop"I'm using Win8 atm and yeah, the desktop is still there. Its EVERYTHING ELSE that has changed.
I don't need no stinking desktop.
BUT, I do know others who use ONLY the desktop.
In any case, now that I removed all the crap and set it up how I like it, win8 isn't so bad.
crispbp04 - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
Good riddance. It's backward thinking people like you who will always be stuck in the 90's. Go get a mullet and Billy Ray album, that's where you belong.n0x1ous - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
yes, choice being taken away is backward. Just the opposite. Its fine if they want to go all metro on everyone, just give the option to turn it off.not that difficult. More choice isnt backwards, being forced into something that doesnt work for traditional computing is backwards.
B3an - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
He's right. The biggest problem to all you idiots is change, your tiny minds cant handle it. Oh no something isn't in the same place anymore!!Clear improvements everywhere and you fools bitch about it. Most o you without even TRYING it. Metro works perfectly on a normal desktop, and the usual desktop is still there and does everything Win7 did and more. But Metro has been far better for searching in the rare cases that i've needed to use it. And what else would anyone use the Start menu for anyway? It was a complete mess, Metro is a vast improvement and easier/quicker to find anything.
Booster - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
This is crazy. To hell with Windows then, I'll have to stick with 7 for as long as possible and then go elsewhere. Shiny colored bullcrap tiles - are they meant for mentally challenged or something?I absolutely hate both Windows Phone and Windows 8. They just keep feeding you useless information in those tiles, distracting and bothering. I only want to see what I need, not some frigging web feeds. I want to have complete control over what's going on and Windows can't give me that any more.
Romberry - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
You haven't used the software and you're already bemoaning it? Brilliant. Check the extensive write-up -- see http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/windows-8-consumer-... -- and screenshot gallery -- see http://www.zdnet.com/photos/windows-8-consumer-pre... -- that Ed Bott posted today before that bemoaning gets out of hand.Apple has fanbois. MS has critics. Sometimes I'm not sure which crowd is more annoying. (Actually, I am sure. Nothing is more annoying than True Believer Fanbois. Still, you really ought to use the OS before you start labeling Win 8 a "trainwreck.")
crispbp04 - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
if apple would have released something half as innovative as windows 8 it would have been the greatest thing since sliced bread. You're right. Idiots blindly bash Microsoft without proper evaluation. They cry and complain that it's different than what they're used to. We'll just have to write them off as the blind sighted middle aged IT "professionals"... (aka tech support) that they most likely are.What's funny is this is released as a consumer preview, meaning it is a consumer-centric operating system. Average consumers care about watching porn, browsing facebook, and listening to music. If windows 8 delivers the best experience in these areas then they win. And seeing the side docking capabilities, they can have their facebook feed on the left, music on the right, with their wank station in the middle.
coolkev99 - Friday, March 2, 2012 - link
Is there a delay? When I think of mousing to the corners I'm thinking an implementation like the "show desktop" button in the lower right of Windows 7. Or lower left for start menu. Doesn't take any time at all. Guess you have to leave it there for some time? Can you click?JKflipflop98 - Sunday, March 4, 2012 - link
People hate and fear what they don't understand. It's just that easy.Impulses - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
This scheme seems fine for people on laptops and smaller displays, an improvement over the current Start menu and notification system even... But I wonder how well it'll work on massive 30 inch screens and multi-display setups (3x24" here), Microsoft has a history of ignoring multi-screen functionality and with laptops out & tablets vastly outselling desktops I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being a kludge on larger display areas.n0x1ous - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
agreed. I run a 22 inch 1680 x 1050 flanked on both sides by 19 inch 1280 x 1024 screens and I its going to be a disaster on it.Spivonious - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
Don't know where you get your facts.http://androidcafe.in/2012/02/06/more-smartphones-...
2011 Sales:
487 million smartphones
63 million tablets
29 million netbooks
209 million laptops
112 million desktops
But MS has already shown great multi-display support in Windows 8, so I wouldn't be worried. I'm anxious to try out the preview with a non-touch display and see how it operates. MS aren't big enough idiots to kill off what is their biggest market (business desktops).
tonyn84 - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
Coming from the Developer Preview, Win8 was really fun and intuitive on my touchscreen laptop. That said though, I found it completely the opposite when trying to use the trackpad/mouse, extra steps everywhere to get to what I wanted to do. I'm hoping they've fixed that a bit in this preview but like the comment above, I really wish you could disable the whole thing. Win7 has all kinds of options to make it look more like XP did, why get rid of that.pixelstuff - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
How do these hot corners work with 2 or 3 monitors? If the primary monitor is in the center?I know the Windows snap feature doesn't work at all using a mouse on the center screen. Does this mean we'll now have the same issue with the start menu/screen?
piroroadkill - Friday, March 2, 2012 - link
Who cares about Aero Snap and the mouse, just use Windows Key+Arrow keys.Or better, download Winsplit Revolution.
The hot corners do not work on multi-monitor correctly. You need to make your monitors nudged about a bit so you can hit the edge. Or aim for a pixel. Your choice.
Windows 8 is a mess, and anybody who says otherwise has not used it.
ZPrime - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
As a multi-monitor user, I really hope this hot corner junk can be shut off. As it is Win7 occasionally gets annoying with the "drag to top of screen = maximize" junk when you are trying to arrange / lay out a bunch of windows.p05esto - Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - link
They better darn make it look and work just like Vista/Win7, what I see so far I HATE beyond what I describe. I use computers for work and content creation, everything I've seen so far with Win8 looks like eye candy garbage. I'm officially getting VERY concerned this is going to be the biggest flop in Windows history. Metro is OK for toy tablets and phones, but not even close to OK for the desktop.ypsylon - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
Total Commander FTW nothing else to add. Windows Tablet shouldn't be even called desktop OS. Me personally I find Vista with enabled classic shell and TC as perfect combination for anything.brucek2 - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
Its been months since I felt any dissatisfaction about my Win7 desktop. Its set up just how I like it, I can launch any program instantly, and I easily switch between and keep track of the dozen or so activities I have going at once. This leaves me little motivation for wanting a change.Meanwhile, the screenshots I've seen of Win 8, which are almost always Metro, do not look appropriate for a desktop for me. They certainly aren't highlighting any advantages that seem relevant to the way I use my desktop PC. I also have plenty of memories of past Microsoft "upgrades" that were anything but -- hello Vista?
So call me an "idiot" if you want, but I'm going to wait until I've heard convincing details about both a) concrete advantages that are relevant to me, b) lack of any downsides such as compatibility, performance, bugs, etc.
strawnlawpc - Friday, March 2, 2012 - link
Windows 8 and Beyond:By Eric J. Strawn.
The age of Windows OS as we all know it is over. . . . . What is Windows 8? It is a small front end put on the only robust OS produced by Redmond since Windows 2000. Why? To compete with Mac and OS X? Nope! Look, MS knows that the trend is away from two traditions, first is the power processor and second is the stand alone computer. First, with the ever increasing use of the ARM processors or the A5 A6 processor family, one thing is ever certain, that unless you need the power in let's say 3d rendering or (gaming), most of the world will do just fine with a very peppy computer so long as the OS doesn't bog down. So make your footprint smaller brings down the cost, which makes manufactures take a look again. Ok, so what do you build with that in mind? Well we saw the first advent of it with those laptops a few years ago that you didn't have to log fully into Windows to jump onto the net or do some smaller tasks. The OS was based on Linux, which traditionally has been a very robust server grade OS until recently where its notoriety was set into motion with.....Yes, Android OS on your phones, and every where else you need a small foot print front end OS. So why wouldn't MS take a good hard look at that and think, hmm, if we can't beat them, why not join them? So, they simply create a beautiful front end that works on all of their devices. Here is the clever thing. Windows 8 is just the precursor to what we will see in the future. if MS is going to do what I think they will do, they have a very good plan. First, create a platform that will run your basic applications and make it minimal enough that it can exist on an inexpensive device, like a Dell Touch screen that has a few gigs of solid state memory or flash, an ARM processor all contained in a neat little iMac/HP all in one looking screen. So here is the kicker, the OS is minimal, like Damn Small Linux which doesn't have a large foot print. It starts up, it is quick and it has immediate access to the internet.
You may be thinking, who will buy this thing that looks more like a client terminal in an IBM workshop? LoL! Why, you and I of coarse. See, MS understands that the cloud is upon us, whether we like it or not. The days of needing 8 terabytes of memory storage at you home are soon to be a thing of the past. So all your content will be nicely saved everyday to a regional server cluster at a location to be announced. Now, Now, you may say, that is all good, but what about all the Software we need to download and use on a daily basis, I mean, I like peppy, but I need to run photoshop or MS Word. Your little client terminal theory doesn't hold any water with only a few gigs of memory, most of which will be used on the front end OS. Ah, now you get it......you see this is where MS already tipped its hat with Windows 8 preview, you recall that little extra software called the app store that is now available? Well, here is where the ingenious part of this who front end pans out. Look, if you sell me photoshop 7, I will as a consumer likely hold on to that license for years before I consider dropping more cash to get the next version, unless it is part of my business. So that essentially takes me out of your stream of commerce. Yes, you pay 300.00 for about three to four years of use, but you may or may not ever buy another version, but what is for certain, the first sting of the cost will haunt you as a consumer for a good while. Now, lets say I asked you to rent something from me and I told you that the upfront cost will not shock your pocket book, but that you had to agree to be on tap for at least a year before you could end your lease agreement, well with no deposit/security down and an automatic renewal if you don't cancel it yourself, that may seem pretty nice. So lets just say it is a reasonable fee of 15.00 per month for the standard version and 20.00 for the professional version: that is 180 and 240 respectively. Hey, now that isn't too bad for a years worth of use. Ok, so now comes the time we all are very aware of in our daily lives, where the time to call up the lessor and say, ok, we are done, I don't want to renew. Then the lessor says terrific, can you take a short survey on why you don't want to end the contract? Ok, next you have to send in written verification or an email to confirm you really are done with the rental. Now for about 60% of us, we may actually go through the hoops, and that is a very liberal number, that leaves 40% who have just taken that 300.00 program and turned it into a program that costs 360 or 480 respectively. So you see that is the best case scenario. So why would MS take that risk with only a 40% return if they are lucky? Number one, because those who have the new machines simply will not be able to load these programs on their little clients. Second, the cost of delivery over the internet is miniscule compared to packaging, shipping and advertising and all the hassle with retailers. MS has effectively cut out all the middle men and has the only means of uploading the software to their customers so the vendors like Adobe will have to play very sweetly with MS. So where will the traditional OS like windows 7 be located? MS will still work on it, but it will likely be more of a server OS which will provide the foundation for the use of the software which will effectively be conducted through cyber space on a virtual machine, (ie., your terminal). That is simply stupid, why on earth would Redmond move from its glorious position as an OS distributor? Because Redmond realizes that this way, they effectively cut out all traditional pirating of all their OS, Office and other software, including all the other software vendors preventing pirating. That is why OS X now has an app store, it promotes more buying and less copying.
So, how does this work with Windows 8? Well look, Windows 8 is sitting right on top of Windows 7. I don't care how much you scream, holler or plead, IBM and every other large corporation using Windows 7 currently is not going to let its employees play with a play screen, which has endless mods and hours of senseless adjustments. Corporate America will not buy Windows 8. So, who is this directed at then? and why make an OS that Corporate America will shun? This is directed as a sort of testing ground for Redmond. Look, your little iPhone, iPad or Android has some pretty cool little apps on it, but it is not as robust as the OS that was used to create it. So why is it that we find ourselves more often than not looking up information on the little devices instead of going to our traditional computer? Convenience! And it is just this convenience that MS is banking on. Once you get used to using your traditional computer like you do you little devices, then you will forget that it was originally designed to be very robust. Heck, for years, folks haven't even known how to take full advantage of their computers or the power they hold, so why would people even care if MS simply cut out that robustness and allowed you to have access to it when ever you really needed it through a small rental fee. That way, they control the issues, if any arise on their side with the software, they simply get a tech at the server cluster to fix it, and cut down on the millions of calls from customers who have problems with their computer with its very often incompatible hardware. Here, MS can run the software on the machines that it was designed to be ran on anyway, and let you log in virtually to do your work and then log out. Oh, yeah, what about the work product, your word doc, or excel spread sheet, where does it go? Easy, you are also renting for a very, very small price 5g 10g or 200g of space from MS on its cluster servers. Think it won't happen? That is what they said about the tablet. That is what they said about the app stores. That is what they said about the Cloud.
Have a good evening.
strawnlawpc - Friday, March 2, 2012 - link
Opps, forgot the final words on why corporations would actually like this model:Now let’s plug Corporate America back into the equasion. How do you make them happy? Well what if you offered a bunch of terminal with only a few custom apps for certain employees and then other apps for others. Corporate America could essentially….. well, do what it is currently doing without all the headache of the darned internal server issues. They would simply stream all content to the cluster servers and avoid the heavy costs of maintaining their own servers. Now, there will be some employees and some information that will still need to remain on the internal server, but in this case the company would choose which employee’s had access to the internal servers and which the external. For obvious reasons, not to mention the constant upkeep of the servers, this will be very appealing to corporations. It is certain that a good portion of the it overhead will be significantly reduced as well as parts and repair. So for companies not needing that secure on site security blanket, this would be very appealing.
crispbp04 - Friday, March 2, 2012 - link
I approve of this message.jbm - Friday, March 2, 2012 - link
I tried the consumer preview, and the hotspots are horrible with a multi screen setup, because you CANNOT just push the mouse pointer into a corner, you actually have to aim for the few pixels which activate the hotspot. It's even worse when you have Windows 8 running in a VM which does not take up the whole screen - good luck positioning the mouse pointer correctly. Also, organizing all your applications on the metro start screen is annoying (because everything moves around when you want to drag something somewhere else). I'll probably end up simply having tons of desktop icons again, in the places I want, organized like I want. So far I am not impressed, most changes left me wondering "yeah, it looks different now, but how is that better than what we already had?"abhishek6893 - Saturday, March 3, 2012 - link
Well does Microsoft gives the option to revert back to the same Windows 7 looks in Windows 8?andreaborman - Saturday, March 3, 2012 - link
In Windows 8 Developers preview you could disable the metro theme. you could also install third party software like Classic Shell to give you a Windows XP start menu both with the Metro theme turned on or off. Also even if you did use the metro theme this was not a problems as it was much more user friendly than in Consumer Preview.But Windows 8 Consumer preview is completely the opposite to the wonderful Developers preview.Gone is the option to disable metro and none of the registry edits to do this work anymore. and even Classic Shell no longer works in Windows 8 consumer preview,no.
And not only that but the whole OS is a disaster. I could not even pin shortcuts to my desktop due to a problem with the ribbon in Windows explorer that froze my mouse. So I could not right click to send to desktop. Windows 8 Consumer Preview crashes,it is slow and buggy and NOT USER FRIENDLY AT ALL.
So if this is how Windows 8 is going to be I am NEVER going to use it NO WAY.And i cannot use it with the metro theme either.
So,one uninstall coming up. I am going back to windows 7. Andrea Borman.
Rizonesoft - Sunday, March 4, 2012 - link
Microsoft totally removed the Start Menu from Windows 8. Rizonesoft decided to petition Microsoft to at least give us a choice between the old and new interfaces. However, for this petition to be successful we need a few million signatures; this seems impossible, but can be done. Remember; only those who can see the invisible can accomplish the impossible. Petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/bring-back-the...JohnUSA - Sunday, March 4, 2012 - link
It seems like Apple must have designed this horrible Windows 8 OS so that it will sabotage Windows permanently and force us to abandon Microsoft and run to Apple.I really cannot believe that Microsoft will be so stupid to design such a frustrating desktop experience for non-touch/tablet users.
I am very angry at Microsoft.
I will never touch Windows 8.
I cannot use Metro, and the Desktop features are the worse that I have ever seen.
Poor job Microsoft, extremely poor job indeed.
Wardrop - Monday, March 5, 2012 - link
I don't think killing off the traditional desktop is a bad idea. The desktop has always been an awkward mosaic of files and folders that the user couldn't be bothered to put anywhere else; this is partly because there is usually no better place to keep temporary working files. The desktop is poor from a usability standpoint. It's effectively just a folder view - not making very good use of the default screen of the OS. The start menu and taskbar is where all the actual useful functionality comes from, but it only makes up a small portion of the main screen.I think it's about time Microsoft's made a launcher to replace the desktop, and the new start menu seems to be a good replacement (a step in the right direction anyway). I'm sure they would have replaced the desktop completely if it weren't for backwards compatibility issues and general user stubbornness. Hot corners is another good idea, though they're not new, not even in Windows. Hot corners simply make use of Fitt's law which is a well known GUI design rule. Bigger buttons are easier to target with a mouse, and conveniently, corners are of infinite width and height, so they're like 4 really big buttons. I cringe when operating systems and applications fail to make use of this prime button real-estate. Microsoft, to their credit, have always been fairly attentive when it comes to optimising interactions with the system functions and controls, thus they normally utilise the corners of the screen appropriately (the start menu, close button, and now the show desktop button as of Win7 are good examples).
It's a shame so many people jump up and down over something which they seem to know little about. Criticising and taking a position on something you don't know anything about (the design rules, the overall intent and direction, the things that have been tried and failed) is only to your own detriment. Open enthusiasm to change is something we need more of. Give it a fair go before embarrassing yourself demonstrating how little you know about the topic on which your criticism is based.