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Windows 8 Consumer Preview

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M

MCD

Junior Member
Am I doing something wrong here?

I installed Windows 8 on my HP dm1z laptop and snapping/multitasking on it is fuck confusing.

Why are the apps/software on the edges/corners of the screen instead of left/right? Is this how multitasking supposed to be here? And how the hell do you close an app like IE10?

Feels like I am a baby here using Windows for the first time ever.
 
D

DagsJT

Member
MCD said:
Am I doing something wrong here?

I installed Windows 8 on my HP dm1z laptop and snapping/multitasking on it is fuck confusing.

Why are the apps/software on the edges/corners of the screen instead of left/right? Is this how multitasking supposed to be here? And how the hell do you close an app like IE10?

Feels like I am a baby here using Windows for the first time ever.
Click to expand...

Move to the top left, then down the left edge of the screen and all the open apps will appear there. Then right click on the app and you can close it.
 
W

Windu

never heard about the cat, apparently
i gave up on metro IE, its rough right now. Couldn't figure out how to put bookmarks in there (i guess they probably want you to pin them). Gaf is funky in it. Anyway, chrome works fine.
MCD said:
Am I doing something wrong here?

I installed Windows 8 on my HP dm1z laptop and snapping/multitasking on it is fuck confusing.

Why are the apps/software on the edges/corners of the screen instead of left/right? Is this how multitasking supposed to be here? And how the hell do you close an app like IE10?

Feels like I am a baby here using Windows for the first time ever.
Click to expand...
well you don't need to close the metro apps, they get suspended and barely use any ram. But if you want to you can either drag down from the top while in the app and move it to the bottom. Or a easier way is bring up that side view with the app list and right click.
 
S

SCHUEY F1

Unconfirmed Member
Windu said:
so what is the best game in the store? all i have played is solitare (but with my xbox live id which is cool, wonder if there will be achievements)

your computer is from the future.

try syncing the clock with the internet.
Click to expand...

Fixed. It was supposed to get the time from the net so I just changed it manually.
 
D

dLMN8R

Member
You don't need to close apps anyway, that's the point. The OS handles all of that for you. It'll instantly suspend stuff that doesn't register with multitasking APIs, letting them instantly resume later. If something else needs memory, it'll kill suspended stuff after saving their state.
 
W

Windu

never heard about the cat, apparently
dLMN8R said:
You don't need to close apps anyway, that's the point. The OS handles all of that for you. It'll instantly suspend stuff that doesn't register with multitasking APIs, letting them instantly resume later. If something else needs memory, it'll kill suspended stuff after saving their state.
Click to expand...
its going to take me awhile to get used to that. I still close stuff on my iphone.
 
D

Divvy

Canadians burned my passport
I wonder if custom win 7 themes work on win 8. I'll try it when I install it later tonight. That would go a long way in alleviating the ugliness of aero.
 
I

infinityBCRT

Member
Zombie James said:
Sweet, downloading now at a pretty decent pace. Reading the Engadget preview...

gEBtE.jpg


Ugh, I really, really hope they do something about Aero before release.
Click to expand...

Usually they change the skin just before RTM. But who knows given that metro is the emphasis.

upJTboogie said:
But now instead of having everything in one small place in the corner, there needs to be keyboard shortcuts to do as much.

I haven't found a way to switch user or all those other options in two clicks.
Click to expand...

If you want to be a power user, learn to use the keyboard :).
 
C

ComputerMKII

Banned
So I've tried it for a few hours.

Am I the only one who hates the Metro UI and the loss of the Start button? Is there a way to restore the Windows 7 start button?
 
K

kehs

Banned
dLMN8R said:
You don't need to close apps anyway, that's the point. The OS handles all of that for you. It'll instantly suspend stuff that doesn't register with multitasking APIs, letting them instantly resume later. If something else needs memory, it'll kill suspended stuff after saving their state.
Click to expand...

Does the entire desktop and it's apps suspend as well?
 
D

DagsJT

Member
Also just realised that trying to load the Xonar app does nothing. Which means I can't set the sound to come out of my front panel headphones instead of speakers.
 
R

Rur0ni

Member
dLMN8R said:
You don't need to close apps anyway, that's the point. The OS handles all of that for you. It'll instantly suspend stuff that doesn't register with multitasking APIs, letting them instantly resume later. If something else needs memory, it'll kill suspended stuff after saving their state.
Click to expand...
Very jarring thing to get used to.
 
T

t-ramp

Member
ReturnOfTheRAT said:
The 5MB Windows8-ConsumerPreview-setup.exe is in downloads. After launching that, it goes through the process of giving you a key and downloading the full preview. There isn't an accompanying 2+ GB file there.
Click to expand...
Oh, sorry. I just downloaded the ~3.3GB .ISO directly, but I'm trying the other method to see what happens.

My C:\Users\Tyler\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WebSetup\Download folder is getting rather large...
 
T

Troll

Banned
dLMN8R said:
You don't need to close apps anyway, that's the point. The OS handles all of that for you. It'll instantly suspend stuff that doesn't register with multitasking APIs, letting them instantly resume later. If something else needs memory, it'll kill suspended stuff after saving their state.
Click to expand...

I like to close them just to de-clutter the list. I had a pinball game open that I knew I would never touch again so I just closed it.
 
V

vio

Member
So i installed this on my PC and...yeah the whole metro and desktop blend, it doesnt blend at all. I can imagine it is good on a tablet but PC users are screwed with this one.
Hope windows 7 is good for next 10 years lol.
 
J

jagowar

Member
My impressions:


This will be amazing on a tablet... this completely embarrasses ios and android on tablets.
Multitasking works very well (again better than ios or android)... the splitscreen view is awesome.
Some of the apps are amazing but some are in a very beta state still (particularly the bundled apps like email, messaging, music, video)... the music app in particular does not work very well. Can't see any way to get zunepass to work in the music app.
If implemented well the contract stuff is going to be a killer feature... but if it ends up being like wp7 it will not be very useful.
Having everything tied to my live account is a very welcome new feature.... syncs everything across all my computers and auto logs into the services (xbox live).

Using this on a keyboard/mouse is definitely going to take some getting used to.... its a very different way of thinking about how to use a computer.
 
M

MCD

Junior Member
Messaging app is confusing a bit, like, I always want to see who is online and who isn't but here you need to "add" people to see them.

And why Windows Defender (AKA the new Microsoft Security Essentials) hidden under the Action Center? I think everyone should know that they have built in protection from viruses etc.

Overall, I could see myself loving this on a tablet and even a desktop PC but a laptop with no mouse? Eww.
 
T

t-ramp

Member
ReturnOfTheRAT said:
The 5MB Windows8-ConsumerPreview-setup.exe is in downloads. After launching that, it goes through the process of giving you a key and downloading the full preview. There isn't an accompanying 2+ GB file there.
Click to expand...
Look in C:\WindowsESD, maybe. It looks like the installation files are there for me.
 
M

MCD

Junior Member
Another thought: Why is Windows Update not a Metro app? Would have made everyone's lives easier.

And you gotta love how there is still an old ass link for installing updates for other software like Office (this link is soooo Vista lol).
 
T

The Friendly Monster

Member
Really not feeling this so far, just staying in the desktop basically.

It's totally a halfway house, and I'm not sure I like where they're going (Metro) anyway.

I like the new copy file stuff, that's about it.
 
Z

zou

Member
Copernicus said:
These metro apps need a sense of hierarchy. I have no idea what portion of the app I'm in, or in the case of messaging....that I left and am now in messenger.

Also accessing the options with jamming the mouse to the top, then right clicking, only to have the option bar appear in the bottom? wtf.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's my main issue with metro apps as well.

I set up two mail accounts, selected one. Trying to get back was a bitch. Navigating back doesn't work and there doesn't seem to be a single, visible UI element that can be used to either navigate back or display a list of accounts. Going back to the start screen also didn't change things (which I guess makes sense, but still). So far the only solution I found is getting that options bar at the bottom and clicking accounts. Anyone got an alternative?

Also, what is it with the ugly aliasing in metro apps? The account list is an ugly, blurry mess.

But yeah, my biggest problem with metro is that it's damn confusing figuring out where you are and how to navigate around. Also, it feels like I'm flying blind once I'm in a metro app.
 
T

t-ramp

Member
MCD said:
And why Windows Defender (AKA the new Microsoft Security Essentials) hidden under the Action Center? I think everyone should know that they have built in protection from viruses etc.
Click to expand...
I don't mind it being hidden, but I definitely agree on the second part. Seems like you just have to assume you're covered unless you go into the Action Center. There should be some notification or something... I dunno.
 
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