• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Windows 8 / RT |OT|

Upsidedown Fuji

Upsidedown Fuji

Member
At $39 I couldn't resist. I actually had to buy it at 3,300 yen because it detected that I was upgrading from Japan. I also didn't want to fall into any complications doing the 15 dollar deal as my region already complicated things by giving me the Japanese upgrade page... I'm also not willing to lie about when I purchased my system even if it isn't verified. Anyhow it wasn't all too bad but after downloading the ISO and doing a fresh install I found that the ISO that was downloaded was UK English. UK GAF will no doubt chuckle at me seeing this as a problem but I'd prefer US English as I am from the US. I can't help it. XD

My question before I click activate and lock in my product key for good is, will I be able to install a US English version if I acquire a different ISO of the same version? Or am I stuck with UK English? At least it isn't Japanese as I'd have to pay for an upgrade to Enterprise and I really don't want to fork out that kind of cash just to be able mess with the MUI settings.

Defence? Defense? Favourite or Favorite... I just grew up preferring the ones on the right.
 
C

clav

Member
Upsidedown Fuji said:
At $39 I couldn't resist. I actually had to buy it at 3,300 yen because it detected that I was upgrading from Japan. I also didn't want to fall into any complications doing the 15 dollar deal as my region already complicated things by giving me the Japanese upgrade page... I'm also not willing to lie about when I purchased my system even if it isn't verified. Anyhow it wasn't all too bad but after downloading the ISO and doing a fresh install I found that the ISO that was downloaded was UK English. UK GAF will no doubt chuckle at me seeing this as a problem but I'd prefer US English as I am from the US. I can't help it. XD

My question before I click activate and lock in my product key for good is, will I be able to install a US English version if I acquire a different ISO of the same version? Or am I stuck with UK English? At least it isn't Japanese as I'd have to pay for an upgrade to Enterprise and I really don't want to fork out that kind of cash just to be able mess with the MUI settings.

Defence? Defense? Favourite or Favorite... I just grew up preferring the ones on the right.
Click to expand...

Just change the display language now available in every Windows 8 copy.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/02/21/using-the-language-you-want.aspx
 
M

MCD

Junior Member
Upsidedown Fuji said:
At $39 I couldn't resist. I actually had to buy it at 3,300 yen because it detected that I was upgrading from Japan. I also didn't want to fall into any complications doing the 15 dollar deal as my region already complicated things by giving me the Japanese upgrade page... I'm also not willing to lie about when I purchased my system even if it isn't verified. Anyhow it wasn't all too bad but after downloading the ISO and doing a fresh install I found that the ISO that was downloaded was UK English. UK GAF will chuckle at this problem I am having but I'd prefer US English as I am from the US.

My question before I click activate and lock in my product key for good is, will I be able to install a US English version if I acquire a different ISO of the same version? Or am I stuck with UK English? At least it isn't Japanese as I'd have to pay for an upgrade to Enterprise and I really don't want to fork out that kind of cash just to be able mess with the MUI settings.

Defence? Defense? Favourite or Favorite... I just grew up preferring the ones on the right.
Click to expand...

My Retail Windows 8 Pro is UK as well and here is something for you:

igvX38uDYt5Z5.jpg
Click to expand...

Yup, you don't need Ultimate or Enterprise to download OS/User interface languages anymore.

:)
 
Upsidedown Fuji

Upsidedown Fuji

Member
MCD said:
My Retail Windows 8 Pro is UK as well and here is something for you:



Yup, you don't need Ultimate or Enterprise to download OS/User interface languages anymore.

:)
Click to expand...

I just got the notification for the update. It's like MAGIC. Friggin' impressed here! Thanks for the quick reply. I am so stoked. This is going to keep me up ALL NIGHT.
 
C

clav

Member
The Abominable Snowman said:
So how are all these people getting SmartGlass? I Cant find it in the store. Theres like a ton of people elsewhere touting their SmartGlass.
Click to expand...

My Windows 8 computer detected a Xbox on the network and automatically installed it.

Search for it in the store. Load the store app. Windows Key C -> Search: Xbox SmartGlass
 
L

LukasTaves

Member
Stumpokapow said:
I'm one of those "most people".

Here's why I like the Desktop and Smart Menu paradigm better:

1) I like being able to see my running applications at the same time that I launch new applications. I don't want my application launcher to be full screen. The degree to which this inconveniences my workflow varies; in some cases, I'm only using one application, and it's no big deal. But in other cases, it's more of a big deal. No tablet UI is able to do this, in part reflecting the fact that tablets are not interested in enabling multitasking in any real way, because they are consumption devices.

So, and this is probably the first major criticism of Metro/W8; it's designed primarily for tablets. Not just because of gestures--which can mostly be compensated for by learning keyboard shortcuts--but also because Metro, both the Start Screen and the applications, are designed for singular, full-screen focus rather than multitasking. Side-snapping mitigates this a little bit versus some tablet UIs, but it is not a substitute for the full desktop multitasking experience which has existed since Windows 95. The desktop of course still exists here, but the Start Screen interrupts that flow.

2) Visually, I don't like the circuit switching involved in switching rapidly from desktop to Metro to desktop to Metro and back. So if I'm using primarily desktop applications, I want to stay as fully in the desktop environment as I can. Do you have a Mac? Try to use a Mac at the same time as you're using a PC, switching back and forth between the two. Even if you're good at both OSes and know your work-flow on both, it's still visually arresting and requires a more active focus to deal with than simply using one at once.

This is one of the criticisms people talk about when they say the OS is "disjointed". They deprecate alt-tab but the Metro task switcher doesn't play with desktop applications. Metro apps are not supposed to be closed when you're not using them, but Desktop applications are. Metro apps are searched and shared through charms; Desktop applications are searched with an app-specific context and sharing is generally not required because desktop applications don't have the silo model of dealing with file or content inputs... so you can use system-wide copy-pasting or drag-and-dropping.

3) You identify the start screen as having the benefit of keeping your desktop clean. This is true. However this is also true with the W7-style start menu, based on how you've identified how you use it. In W7, you can press Win Key, and then type the name of the application you wish to launch. So if your desktop wasn't clean before, that suggests you're ascribing a benefit to the Start Screen that already existed in the Start Menu.


I don't think Metro is an unbridled disaster, and with Start8 being an effectively 100% acceptable restoration of the Windows 7 Start Menu it's not a reason to ignore W8 even if it was, but the criticisms about and against it remain as true now as they were in the CP.
Click to expand...

Those are valid points, but usually what i see, is that people dislike it for changing the workflow without trying to use it to see if the changes can actually improve their workflows.

For instance. I work with kind a few programs opened at the same time (chrome, onenote, visual studio, word, and sometimes excel)... But it's usually like this: I need to open then, i open, use and leave it opened until i need to use again...

Until W8 other than that, there were messengers... I needed to be available on at least 3 different chatting networks: Google Talk, Skype and Msn messenger. So i either had to have all those clients opened taking away my precious taskbar space, or i would have to use one of those single multi network clients... With W8 i can have all the official clients for whichever network i desire, and while i will be available and will be notified of incoming messages, i will only pay the loss of screen state when i need to. When i receive a message, i usually switch to the full screen app to respond. If the conversation goes longer than expected, i can dock it so it doesn't interfere much with workflow, and once the conversation ends, i'm a snap away of being again fully available on all those networks not having to leave those clients opened even when no one is talking to me.

And yes, the start screen is visually disruptive of the desktop, but that can be a good thing too. I pinned custom tiles for people i follow on facebook, for a few different news topics, i have a todo app which lists my todos and reminders... With the press of a button i can get all my work behind and enjoy a little break while i checkout the news, my friends on facebook, or even plan my next actions looking at my calendar and my todos... It's a great thing to be able to break from the work every once and a while...

I'm not saying it's perfect and that everyone must use and like this otherwise they are wrong. But most of the people i know that were dismissive didn't even tried to work with it... And most, once they did ended up loving it. (And just to be clear, based on your arguments, i don't think you are one of those :p)
 
Upsidedown Fuji

Upsidedown Fuji

Member
I skimmed the thread and got the idea I could do a clean install but apparently it rejects my key and tells me it can only be used for an upgrade. Did I misread something, miss a step, or do I have to reinstall my previous version of windows and start again/call Microsoft?
 
C

Cronen

Member
Upsidedown Fuji said:
I skimmed the thread and got the idea I could do a clean install but apparently it rejects my key and tells me it can only be used for an upgrade. Did I misread something, miss a step, or do I have to reinstall my previous version of windows and start again/call Microsoft?
Click to expand...

I upgraded from W7 to W8. However, I then had some issues and then did a clean install. In the settings of W8 you can choose to "reinstall W8 and delete files".
 
D

Dead Prince

Banned
Upsidedown Fuji said:
I skimmed the thread and got the idea I could do a clean install but apparently it rejects my key and tells me it can only be used for an upgrade. Did I misread something, miss a step, or do I have to reinstall my previous version of windows and start again/call Microsoft?
Click to expand...

you did this through desktop's Upgrade assistant?
 
N

Nymerio

Member
Stumpokapow said:
I'm one of those "most people".

Here's why I like the Desktop and Smart Menu paradigm better:

1) I like being able to see my running applications at the same time that I launch new applications. I don't want my application launcher to be full screen. The degree to which this inconveniences my workflow varies; in some cases, I'm only using one application, and it's no big deal. But in other cases, it's more of a big deal. No tablet UI is able to do this, in part reflecting the fact that tablets are not interested in enabling multitasking in any real way, because they are consumption devices.

So, and this is probably the first major criticism of Metro/W8; it's designed primarily for tablets. Not just because of gestures--which can mostly be compensated for by learning keyboard shortcuts--but also because Metro, both the Start Screen and the applications, are designed for singular, full-screen focus rather than multitasking. Side-snapping mitigates this a little bit versus some tablet UIs, but it is not a substitute for the full desktop multitasking experience which has existed since Windows 95. The desktop of course still exists here, but the Start Screen interrupts that flow.

2) Visually, I don't like the circuit switching involved in switching rapidly from desktop to Metro to desktop to Metro and back. So if I'm using primarily desktop applications, I want to stay as fully in the desktop environment as I can. Do you have a Mac? Try to use a Mac at the same time as you're using a PC, switching back and forth between the two. Even if you're good at both OSes and know your work-flow on both, it's still visually arresting and requires a more active focus to deal with than simply using one at once.

This is one of the criticisms people talk about when they say the OS is "disjointed". They deprecate alt-tab but the Metro task switcher doesn't play with desktop applications. Metro apps are not supposed to be closed when you're not using them, but Desktop applications are. Metro apps are searched and shared through charms; Desktop applications are searched with an app-specific context and sharing is generally not required because desktop applications don't have the silo model of dealing with file or content inputs... so you can use system-wide copy-pasting or drag-and-dropping.

3) You identify the start screen as having the benefit of keeping your desktop clean. This is true. However this is also true with the W7-style start menu, based on how you've identified how you use it. In W7, you can press Win Key, and then type the name of the application you wish to launch. So if your desktop wasn't clean before, that suggests you're ascribing a benefit to the Start Screen that already existed in the Start Menu.


I don't think Metro is an unbridled disaster, and with Start8 being an effectively 100% acceptable restoration of the Windows 7 Start Menu it's not a reason to ignore W8 even if it was, but the criticisms about and against it remain as true now as they were in the CP.
Click to expand...

All valid points, and it's clear that the interface would work even better with a touch screen. The people I've talked to though are mostly people who tried it for like one day, if they even tried it themselves. And these people are not really what I would describe as advanced pc users. They use their PC for some browsing and maybe the occasional steam game. The only thing they can come up with is that it's shit and you shouldn't use it and should feel bad for even having it installed. I heard one guy today complain that metro is shit because the tiles are so big and he can't use it because of that.

I'm developing on windows and I'm almost exclusively in the desktop. The only times I'm opening up metro is for checking my gmail/hotmail or using the messaging stuff and oping applications that I don't have pinned to my taskbar.

I can absolutely understand not liking it because it fucks with your usual workflow but some of the stuff people say about it is absolutely ridiculous.
 
Upsidedown Fuji

Upsidedown Fuji

Member
Never mind, I figured it out on my own with a little Google footwork. I followed the steps in this thread on the hardocp forums here. I had to run this "slmgr -rearm" in command prompt in admin mode. It seemed to do the trick. Now it's reading it as activated. I can sleep easy now.
 
T

The Abominable Snowman

Member
claviertekky said:
My Windows 8 computer detected a Xbox on the network and automatically installed it.

Search for it in the store. Load the store app. Windows Key C -> Search: Xbox SmartGlass
Click to expand...

I couldnt find it just searching "Smartglass" or "Smart Glass", so I guess I'll try "Xbox SmartGlass" when I get home. Pretty crazy that it doesnt automatically detect or even do a openended search.
 
S

surly

Banned
Emperor Bohe said:
Shit I was about to install it on a vaio, now imscared
Click to expand...
I fixed the brightness issue. Sony Vaios can be a pain in the arse because to get the hot keys working again after a fresh Windows install, you have to install a bunch of Sony apps/services in a certain order: -

1. Sony Shared Library
2. Setting utility Series
3. Vaio Event Service
4. Vaio Control Center
5. Sony Utilities DLL

You can get all of these files from Sony's website. I had to use Vista versions as only those and XP versions were there for my particular Vaio. I also read that it's advisable to reboot after each of those stages - I don't know if that's true, but I did it anyway.

Either way, after I completed step 5, all of the hot keys worked again and I am now able to adjust the brightness via Fn + F5/F6, even though it still says "unavailable" next to brightness in the Charm Bar which I assume is a driver-related issue (even though I have the latest graphics drivers).
 
D

Dipswitch

Member
I finally got secure boot enabled last night. Turned out to be a lot more effort than anticipated - as in 'Remove your external video card, set a bunch of stuff in the UEFI bios and re-install Windows 8 on a brand new partition'. Royal PITA.

Got it up and running however, albeit with some initial instability headaches. Seems to be running ok now though. Glad I researched it now, rather than waiting until I had Win 8 it configured "just so" and then having to blow everything away.

I found this guide quite useful in case anyone is thinking of going down the same path.
 
A

ashbash159

Member
What's the best Twitter client to use?

I'm using MetroTwit at the minute, it seems pretty featureless.

Also, when I click on a link within the app, it opens in Chrome Metro and not Chrome Desktop. Any way to change this?

Edit: Same problem when using Mail. For fucks sake this is the worst part of Windows 8.
 
A

Alucrid

Banned
Is there any way to remove the text from the default live tiles? I want to keep weather, pictures and desktop but don't want them to say that.
 
V

verbum

Member
dk_ said:
What firewall are you guys using on Win 8? After using Comodo Personal Firewall on Vista for a bit, I just want to know if there's something better.
Click to expand...

You should have a good router at home and work. The router should have a decent firewall built in, if not get a router that will upgrade to one of the open source router firmwares (DD-WRT or Tomato).
For roaming in open wifi spots, Win 8 should be fairly secure if you are logged in as a user and not as an admin.
 
R

Rebel Leader

THE POWER OF BUTTERSCOTCH BOTTOMS
verbum said:
You should have a good router at home and work. The router should have a decent firewall built in, if not get a router that will upgrade to one of the open source router firmwares (DD-WRT or Tomato).
For roaming in open wifi spots, Win 8 should be fairly secure if you are logged in as a user and not as an admin.
Click to expand...

Win 7 too? Also I do wonder why I keep seeing this on neogaf.
 
P

Phinor

Member
The Abominable Snowman said:
I couldnt find it just searching "Smartglass" or "Smart Glass", so I guess I'll try "Xbox SmartGlass" when I get home. Pretty crazy that it doesnt automatically detect or even do a openended search.
Click to expand...

SmartGlass actually doesn't exist for some users and I've yet to figure out why. I for one simply can't find it no matter how I try to search for it. I've had my X360 online in the same network for 20 odd hours since installing Windows 8 and that has not done anything either.

If I try to open SmartGlass through Games/Forza Horizon, Windows 8 tells me that "No apps are installed to open this type of link (xboxsmartglass)" and gives a link to "Get xbox smartglass" from the Store. But again, that link only re-directs me to Store front page and SmartGlass doesn't exist in the Store.
 
K

ksdixon

Member
Is there going to be a FB Chat, Outlook.com Chat or Windows Live Messenger metro app that I can snap to a quarter of the screen and have IM conversations with people?

The People App and Mail app don't seem to be what I'm looking for, unless I'm misunderstanding how to use them.
 
Jzero

Jzero

Member
lilsting10 said:
Is there going to be a FB Chat, Outlook.com Chat or Windows Live Messenger metro app that I can snap to a quarter of the screen and have IM conversations with people?

The People App and Mail app don't seem to be what I'm looking for, unless I'm misunderstanding how to use them.
Click to expand...
Of course there will be some eventually but who knows how soon.

I really do hope they update the messaging app though. It's bad but it could be better with Facebook integration.

I want to be able to see my Facebook notifications like you can on Facebook's own app.
 
S

Steelyuhas

Member
lilsting10 said:
Is there going to be a FB Chat, Outlook.com Chat or Windows Live Messenger metro app that I can snap to a quarter of the screen and have IM conversations with people?

The People App and Mail app don't seem to be what I'm looking for, unless I'm misunderstanding how to use them.
Click to expand...

The Messaging app has FB chat and Windows Live Messenger.
 
K

ksdixon

Member
Steelyuhas said:
The Messaging app has FB chat and Windows Live Messenger.
Click to expand...

WOW I feel like a fucking dumbass. I 'thought' I'd seen an IM metro app way back in the Consumer Preview, but I totally over looked it in the past 10 or so minutes I've spent farting around looking for it.

Thanks man.
 
E

Emperor Bohe

Member
why won't anything install from the store? I click install and then it just sits there and nothing happens. I've already updated everyting via windows update. it's weird because it worked for a bit when I first installed Windows 8.

edit: after not working for an hour, it decides to work seconds after I made this post =/
 
E

Eaten By A Grue

Member
Just an FYI, you need to have the File Indexing service on if you want to use File History feature. It took me days to figure out what my problem when File History would not start.
 
K

ksdixon

Member
lilsting10 said:
WOW I feel like a fucking dumbass. I 'thought' I'd seen an IM metro app way back in the Consumer Preview, but I totally over looked it in the past 10 or so minutes I've spent farting around looking for it.

Thanks man.
Click to expand...

Been using the messenger app snapped to 1 quarter of the screen since I posted this last message. Being able to talk to my Window Live Messenger contacts without having to have it installed; and my Facebook friends without having to have a FB tab open for FBChat is just awesome.
 
E

Enco

Member
I'd like an official FB messenger app.

I don't trust FB enough to tie my Live account to it and you have to be online to use it I think which sucks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Microsoft rolls out Windows 24H2 update
2
80
5K
Mister Wolf replied
Windows 11’s new gamepad keyboard lets you type with an Xbox controller
4
469
Magic Carpet replied
Microsoft Build will detail ‘next generation’ of Windows on Arm and new AI features
2 3
100
8K
StereoVsn replied
[The Verge] Microsoft is now in a handheld gaming PC race
2
79
6K
MisterXDTV replied
Microsoft says it’s starting to test ads inside the Start menu on Windows 11
2
65
4K
Badlucktroll replied
Top Bottom