Windows 8 Release Preview
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Horse Armour
Member
Which was in turn an update of Windows Vista. It's crazy how MS haven't really updated their OS going on nearly 6 years now.
Most of them seem to think that microsoft will abandon a billion customers and get rid of the desktop in 3 years with windows 9. Yeah...that makes sense.
Apple hasn't updated there's since 2001, that was when OS X first came out.
As for Windows, there's really no need to when the product is as solid as it needs to be. Even at this point, Windows 8 is rock solid.
As for Gabe and Blizzard, I see where they're coming from, however, I think its a bit premature. Windows 8 (minus Metro) is even better than Windows 7 (which I think is the best Windows MS has released).
I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of Metro, and quite frankly, I wouldn't care if it died a horrible death. With that said, I get what MS is trying to do (I just think they're going about it the wrong way).
The way I'm currently using my copy of Windows 8 RP, I don't use Metro at all. I'm using Classic Shell and a script to load the desktop and I'm loving it. Will this work in the final copy, who knows, but for now, its setup perfectly for me.
Jzero
Member
Seriously going into those threads just enrages me.
StudioTan
Hold on, friend! I'd love to share with you some swell news about the Windows 8 Metro UI! Wait, where are you going?
Gabe had lot of nasty stuff to say about the PS3. We saw how that turned out.
True, but the Steam client doesn't run on the PS3 like it does with Windows.
The reason why I said Gabe (and the Blizzard guy) are premature is because we don't know what MS's plans are with Windows outside of Windows 8.
Can't devs simply list their games in the windows store, bypassing steam and having access to even more users? It wouldn't be a replacement for steam's unified update and library service but it could be a very attractive alternative for devs that ends the almost complete dependance on Steam currently.
No, because as of right now, MS is only limiting the Windows Store to just Metro Apps.
The fear is that MS will open it up in the future.
I'm referring to the windows store listing system, not the windows store hosted games.
Also, "fear"? Alternatives are always good. I'd love to see Steam have real competition.
Steelyuhas
Member
Yeah seriously. Not to turn this into Apple vs. MS, but people always bring it up, and what people don't seem to realize is that Apple is doing same thing. Their not doing it in one swoop like MS, but they have been bringing iOS features to OS X for the last few updates, especially 10.8. Full screen apps, by default it's set to only install apps from the Mac Store.
Like MS though, Apple isn't going to strip away the open "desktop" environment anytime soon.
They can list it, but they still have to sell it somehow (i.e. the actual store functionality) and provide support. For desktop applications Windows Store just tells you that such and such application exists and you can download/buy it here. It's basically just an ad.
StudioTan
Hold on, friend! I'd love to share with you some swell news about the Windows 8 Metro UI! Wait, where are you going?
Not true, go to the Games section of the store. Age of Empires Online is listed as Desktop App and when you click on it it has links to the website to go buy it. You don't purchase it directly through the store but it's there.
EDIT: beaten
Wasn't that because he "snuck in" a link for their ARMA 2 sale along with the links?
It's still not delivering the application through the store, that's only limited to Metro apps (for the time being).
That's honestly what I think Gabe and the Blizzard guy are talking about. If/When MS opens the store up to traditional applications, that will have an impact on Steam.
CaptainABAB
Member
Thx - and here I thought I knew all the short-cuts I needed.
SonofdonCD
Member
It's quite amazing. I am mostly a lurker on GAF. Been here for years at this point, but I almost never post and instead just read. But those threads are so infuriating, cause the reasoning for not liking Windows 8 are so flimsy, and for the most part it's just people spewing what another hater said, not something they discovered themselves. It makes me want to post, but it would be ignored and people would go on and irrationally hate some more.
That is what doesn't make sense. Microsoft has never said it themselves, but people always read into things. They think MS will abandon the desktop, even though doing so too prematurely would kill backwards compatibility and ensure that the vast majority of people don't upgrade, including developers. They would kill off any good will they have accumulated by that point.
What MS should and probably are planning to do is give Metro time to mature. Let it become able to do more complex actions, so that eventually it can do everything the desktop can and more. Once Metro is in this position, make sure that all the major developers migrate their desktop programs to the Metro platform. Then and only then would it be advisable to get rid of the desktop. I would not wager that MS is too stupid to understand this. Windows is their bread and butter. Cutting of the ability to run the crazy amount of available programs for the Windows platform with comparatively nothing to replace them with is a fool's errand if I've ever seen one. It would make no sense to take THAT large of a gamble with Windows.
In that thread, they keep on saying the fear/speculation is that MS will do just that, but it is so irrational and unlikely. I just don't understand it.
Today I wanted to install W8RP on an old laptop whose HDD I replaced. Since that old thing won't boot from USB and I don't have a DVD burner I installed Windows XP SP1 and updated it to SP3. After hours of updating I found out that they removed the Windows 8 RP web installer... fuck.
Jzero
Member
How old is it? It should be able to boot from usb.
Ribbon can be expanded all the time. Regardless, the view drop down list can be added to the quick toolbar, staying very similar to W7. Same for the empty recycle bin button and basically any other option (although in the recycle bin case it looks weird to have the button there all the time).
Even if it's not exactly like the old way, it's customizable. That's why Ribbon is good.
The Start Screen is garbage because it's forcing the gimped phone/tablet way on fully functional PCs, taking away functionality from the Start Menu and replacing them with a bunch of colors.
yn-neko hates a cat
Banned
They use the same logic for the Halo games which boils down to Halo 4 looks the same as a game released over 10 years ago.
The general feeling is that if it's Microsoft, illogical statements are allowed with no need to justify one's perspective. I guess thats all fine and well but it really just ends up building up the general pool of ignorance out there.
I'm still amazed that the hate W8 recieives in general revolves around having the "extra feature" of metro "forced" on them. This is typically followed an immediate leap in logic to the conclusion that nothing for the desktop experience in W8 has really been added since MS only cares about tablets.
Crazy world.
You'd think to. I haven't tried it with Windows 8, but I tried booting from an OpenSolaris stick and from a Sysresccd stick. Both sticks worked fine on my desktop and boot order was correct on the laptop.
I have now asked someone to burn me the .iso. Hope I'll get it soon.
The Abominable Snowman
Member
They are. Pretty sure its been leaked several times as the replacement for Games for Windows Live
Right now the big "fear" is MS is making it easier to get mobile-type and Facebook games and then putting it on the same store as big budget games, making them compete for share.
Now for W8 superiority story time:
Personally, I've been solo booting on W8 since my last HD crash sometime last year. I got a new computer recently, that I'm returning soon (Unrelated) and the switch back to W7 was jarring. W8 is such a huge leap and even though the computer I just bought used a 256GB SSD, It still woke up slower than my 750GB HDD equipped ~3 year old W8 laptop.
It uses somewhat less resources and has less running system processes. Doesn't have any changes specific to gaming (aside from DX11.1?). If you're having some issues with resource usage turn off aero glass. Terribly tacky and useless thing that just eats vram.
brotkasten
Member
This is probably off topic, but I made a release preview iso and am trying to combine some partitions on an older vista laptop. I'm in Computer Management but I'm not sure how to do this. I have a few small partitions and want to combine them to one partition for the release preview. Anyone know what I can do? I have two unallocated spaces and one free space.
Iced_Eagle
Member
So you want to have a single partition of Win8?
Burn the ISO, go into the installer, when it asks if you want to upgrade, select "Custom". Select each partition and select delete. Then, you should have a single unallocated partition. Select "new", and hit ok when it asks which size (it will default to the entire volume). Then install onto the new partition.
That's strange, have you signed in with a Microsoft account, or are you using a local account?
I signed up with my hotmail account. Nothing will download and now half of the stuff I'm trying to search for result in an endless wheel cursor. Not a good first impression.
EDIT: I restarted w8 and now when it starts up in Metro it looks fine, but if I move the mouse or touch a button all of the apps disappear and I only see the background. Only way I've found to fix this is log out and in. This happens every time I start now. Trying to do Windows updates but I can't even search for it as it hangs searching for anything under settings.
EDIT2: Looks like pretty much everything other than the desktop isn't working. Desktop is nice and snappy but then opening things like metro apps lead to the app preview screen icon and stay there. I can only search for apps, everything else hangs which means I can't access updates or anything important tbh. Seems like my laptop can't handle the metro ui or something.
Steelyuhas
Member
I signed up with my hotmail account. Nothing will download and now half of the stuff I'm trying to search for result in an endless wheel cursor. Not a good first impression.
EDIT: I restarted w8 and now when it starts up in Metro it looks fine, but if I move the mouse or touch a button all of the apps disappear and I only see the background. Only way I've found to fix this is log out and in. This happens every time I start now. Trying to do Windows updates but I can't even search for it as it hangs searching for anything under settings.
EDIT2: Looks like pretty much everything other than the desktop isn't working. Desktop is nice and snappy but then opening things like metro apps lead to the app preview screen icon and stay there. I can only search for apps, everything else hangs which means I can't access updates or anything important tbh. Seems like my laptop can't handle the metro ui or something.
Something is seriously wrong. Nothing even remotely similar to that should happen.
I'll try this and report back.
I reinstalled and windows update was working. Currently installing nvidia drivers to get rid of this terrible resolution. One thing I'm not quite liking is when you're in the search, you can view all of the apps without typing but you can't do so with settings/files so I don't even know what types of settings windows has available. Another thing that's jarring me is certain settings sends me to a window in desktop mode while others remain in metro, although that was for some desktop features. I don't know if its possible to access those settings in desktop itself(UAC for example).
Going to try downloading something from the store in a bit.
EDIT: Ugh I can't find video drivers for this machine. It has a 6150 chipset. The release preview driver says its supported but its not working. I'm about to give up on this.
EDIT2: Finally got it all working. What a pain.
Going to try downloading something from the store in a bit.
EDIT: Ugh I can't find video drivers for this machine
. It has a 6150 chipset. The release preview driver says its supported but its not working. I'm about to give up on this.EDIT2: Finally got it all working. What a pain.
Jzero
Member
it happened to me like a week ago but it hasn't happened since.
Steelyuhas
Member
Anyone know how to change the default/primary user on a machine?
Jzero
Member
What do you mean? admin privileges?
Steelyuhas
Member
Can you change which user is defaults to sign in when the machine starts up? Also, is there a way to transfer admin privileges?
Metroid Hunter
Banned
So when the retail version comes out, can I just "upgrade" from this Release Preview and keep all the files intact?
RTM, first week of august. Retail Oct 26th. And it depends on what windows version you are on about keeping the files:
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/...07/02/upgrade-to-windows-8-pro-for-39-99.aspx
Happens to me all the time.
They'll say no offcially, but itll probably be technically possible.
Steelyuhas
Member
Hadn't really used the music app on my previous RP partition because I didn't put my music on that one. I'd done so on this one and tried to use the app. Whelp, gotta install Zune immediately that thing is horrid.
And the same issues that cropped up for a majority of users when upgrading from CP to RP will apper in some form. The reason they don't allow you to upgrade is because system files change, and when things depend on those files they break.
mouse wheel
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