Windows 8 Release Preview

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networkn

Networkn
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#638962 11-Jun-2012 14:31

I'll likely get Windows 8 (because I'll need to support it), but I'll buy the addon by the third party to disable Metro. The thing is, I've tried to like it, I've tried to work with it, but it gives me NOTHING of use, doesn't add to MY experience or allow me to WORK better. Metro is a toy, it defies belief it's now in their Server OS as well.

geekiegeek

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#638963 11-Jun-2012 14:33

I haven't tried any of the Win 8 releases as yet, thinking about taking the plunge this weekend. One worry I have is that I run a 27" 2560x1440 monitor and understand that with a mouse there are elements where you hover the mouse in the corners to bring up menus. Sounds like a real pain on big monitor, or have I got it all wrong?

mattwnz

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#638968 11-Jun-2012 14:39

networkn: I'll likely get Windows 8 (because I'll need to support it), but I'll buy the addon by the third party to disable Metro. The thing is, I've tried to like it, I've tried to work with it, but it gives me NOTHING of use, doesn't add to MY experience or allow me to WORK better. Metro is a toy, it defies belief it's now in their Server OS as well.

I think metro would work great on a touch screen for consumption use, but many people will be using it on productive desktops. I think they had to do this, but I think it hasn't been that well implemented, as the transitions between metro and desktop are too jarring and crude. I haven't tried the latest version of windows 8, but did give the previous version a good trial, before going back to windows 7.

networkn

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#638974 11-Jun-2012 14:57

mattwnz: It's a pity MS aren't listening, almost all the feedback I have read is vastly similar to yours but MS have got very applely (Arrogant) and since this is the direction THEY want to go in, we must comply (or so they think). I agree with you that it's very consumer (touchscreen, gaming, photo's, facebook) friendly, but I think as a business user interested in none of that, enhancements to Windows 7 productivity would be far better than putting this interface over the top.

Interestingly MS Employees have said that every major change has got the same response from the public, but I don't agree that this is the same as the W311 to W95 or 95/xp or xp to vista change, I feel this is counter productive.

Personally I like some of the changes (resumeable file copies, ribbon interface at a push, windows x for admin tasks), but Metro is a deal breaker. Also to remotely support it's a NIGHTMARE (VERY SLOW).

I'd have liked to see further work done on UAC and big improvements to the RDP stuff (URL redirection).

For my money I would have enabled metro by default on anything below pro, or if you have a touchscreen, and pro/business disabled.

Batman

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#638977 11-Jun-2012 15:00

from what i'm reading i gather win 7 to win 8 is like XP to vista?

so win7 is the new xp! that will mean a windows 9 within 9 months!

DrStrangelove

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#640955 14-Jun-2012 19:16

geekiegeek: One worry I have is that I run a 27" 2560x1440 monitor and understand that with a mouse there are elements where you hover the mouse in the corners to bring up menus.

I have two 24" IPS 1920x1200 monitors extended and it's not to bad for me. I have to turn my head to look at the end of the right most monitor, but that's just a "fun" factor for me. The right most monitor (Windows 8 Consumer Preview) doesn't have any edge of screen menus, just the first primary monitor.

And in the old version (I can't upgrade) I can have the metro screen on the first monitor, separate from the second monitor which just retains it's 'desktop' view. So one has metro in one monitor and desktop in the other.

However, anything displayed in the first monitor is occluded by the Metro screen, while you have it active.

networkn: I'll likely get Windows 8 (because I'll need to support it), but I'll buy the addon by the third party to disable Metro.

I read that Microsoft is 'hardening' the GUI so that the Metro look and feel is retained, with limited opportunities to go off piste with 'hacks' to retain a Windows 7 feel.

I really like Windows 8 I think it's great. Obviously it's totally unsupportable in a Business environment where a company doesn't trash all their monitors for tablets, but hay I'm not a business manager or have to support it..or invest thousands in training :-)

All my applications have been dragged to the desktop on Win8.

Welcome to the next Windows XP, Windows 7 + IE10.

So... looking forward to Windows 9.

PS. The above considered, I remember having problems moving from a VT240/VT100 terminal to a PC and having to invoke Windows from a bat file using DOS...
I think there is something in that for all of us.

MaxLV

656 posts

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#652906 9-Jul-2012 13:53

Downloaded and installed on one PC as a dual boot option with Win 7. Didn't like the Metro Mode at first, but it's growing on me...

I haven't tried many of my programmes with it yet.

The big think I don't like is having to create an on-line Microsoft account to download and use the pre -installed apps. Seems too much like being locked in to Microsoft's on-line 'aspirations' to me.

I'm thinking about getting one of these touch screens from Jaycar as a mouse replacement.

http://jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=QM3744&keywords=Touch+screen&form=KEYWORD

Don't know if it will work properly but...

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

kfella2000

495 posts

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#656575 16-Jul-2012 17:07

DrStrangelove: Well... that kind of sucks.

Trust me to be the one to post the Win8 update and then have problems.

The Windows 8 Release Preview seems to be getting overly picky on supported architecture ....and it hates me.

I have a Pentium 4 3.2GHz dual thread processor with 3GB of memory.

Microsoft Windows 8 Release Preview says..."NO!!!!"

So, that's the end of my preview then.

Odd really as Win8 worked fine on the last two releases on my P4 3.2GHz processor

Will have a go on my Notebook using VirtualBox but it's not that same as having a discrete bootable Win8 OS.

Did you get the 0x0000005D error code like me? Going by what I have read, in the BIOS under the security tab if your BIOS has one there should be an option to enable NX support or something like that. The BIOS in my computer is too old so it doesnt have that tab so it looks like I wont be able to get windows 8 either. The Consumer Preview version works just fine but release preview wont.

DrStrangelove

368 posts

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#672897 15-Aug-2012 15:35

kfella2000:
DrStrangelove: Well... that kind of sucks.

Trust me to be the one to post the Win8 update and then have problems.

The Windows 8 Release Preview seems to be getting overly picky on supported architecture ....and it hates me.

I have a Pentium 4 3.2GHz dual thread processor with 3GB of memory.

Microsoft Windows 8 Release Preview says..."NO!!!!"

So, that's the end of my preview then.

Odd really as Win8 worked fine on the last two releases on my P4 3.2GHz processor

Will have a go on my Notebook using VirtualBox but it's not that same as having a discrete bootable Win8 OS.

Did you get the 0x0000005D error code like me? Going by what I have read, in the BIOS under the security tab if your BIOS has one there should be an option to enable NX support or something like that. The BIOS in my computer is too old so it doesnt have that tab so it looks like I wont be able to get windows 8 either. The Consumer Preview version works just fine but release preview wont.

Yerp.

I had a bit of a 'tool around' and didn't find a quick fix to the 0x0000005D error when using a non-NX processor. Creating a bootable USB didn't help.

If one looks at the coreinfo information for the Dell Dimension 4600i, there is more missing (the -) than present (the *) and NX support is one of those missing.
Coreinfo v3.05 - Dump information on system CPU and memory topology Copyright (C) 2008-2012 Mark Russinovich Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com

Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.20GHz
x86 Family 15 Model 3 Stepping 4, Genuine Intel
HTT             *       Hyperthreading enabled
HYPERVISOR      -       Hypervisor is present
VMX             -       Supports Intel hardware-assisted virtualization
SVM             -       Supports AMD hardware-assisted virtualization
EM64T           -       Supports 64-bit mode

SMX             -       Supports Intel trusted execution
SKINIT          -       Supports AMD SKINIT
EIST            -       Supports Enhanced Intel Speedstep

NX              -       Supports no-execute page protection
PAGE1GB         -       Supports 1 GB large pages
PAE             *       Supports > 32-bit physical addresses
PAT             *       Supports Page Attribute Table
PSE             *       Supports 4 MB pages
PSE36           *       Supports > 32-bit address 4 MB pages
PGE             *       Supports global bit in page tables
SS              *       Supports bus snooping for cache operations
VME             *       Supports Virtual-8086 mode

FPU             *       Implements i387 floating point instructions
MMX             *       Supports MMX instruction set
MMXEXT          -       Implements AMD MMX extensions
3DNOW           -       Supports 3DNow! instructions
3DNOWEXT        -       Supports 3DNow! extension instructions
SSE             *       Supports Streaming SIMD Extensions
SSE2            *       Supports Streaming SIMD Extensions 2
SSE3            *       Supports Streaming SIMD Extensions 3
SSSE3           -       Supports Supplemental SIMD Extensions 3
SSE4.1          -       Supports Streaming SIMD Extensions 4.1
SSE4.2          -       Supports Streaming SIMD Extensions 4.2

AES             -       Supports AES extensions
AVX             -       Supports AVX intruction extensions
FMA             -       Supports FMA extensions using YMM state
MSR             *       Implements RDMSR/WRMSR instructions
MTTR            *       Supports Memory Type Range Registers
XSAVE           -       Supports XSAVE/XRSTOR instructions
OSXSAVE         -       Supports XSETBV/XGETBV instructions

CMOV            *       Supports CMOVcc instruction
CLFSH           *       Supports CLFLUSH instruction
CX8             *       Supports compare and exchange 8-byte instructions
CX16            -       Supprots CMPXCHG16B instruction
DCA             -       Supports prefetch from memory-mapped device
F16C            -       Supports half-precision instruction
FXSR            *       Supports FXSAVE/FXSTOR instructions
FFXSR           -       Supports optimized FXSAVE/FSRSTOR instruction
MONITOR         *       Supports MONITOR and MWAIT instructions
MOVBE           -       Supports MOVBE instruction
PCLULDQ         -       Supports PCLMULDQ instruction
POPCNT          -       Supports POPCNT instruction
SEP             *       Supports fast system call instructions

DE              *       Supports I/O breakpoints including CR4.DE
DTES64          *       Can write history of 64-bit branch addresses
DS              *       Implements memory-resident debug buffer
DS-CPL          *       Supports Debug Store feature with CPL
PCID            -       Supports PCIDs and settable CR4.PCIDE
PDCM            -       Supports Performance Capabilities MSR
RDTSCP          -       Supports RDTSCP instruction
TSC             *       Supports RDTSC instruction
TSC-DEADLINE    -       Local APIC supports one-shot deadline timer
TSC-INVARIANT   -       TSC runs at constant rate
xTPR            *       Supports disabling task priority messages

ACPI            *       Implements MSR for power management
TM              *       Implements thermal monitor circuitry
TM2             -       Implements Thermal Monitor 2 control
APIC            *       Implements software-accessible local APIC
x2APIC          -       Supports x2APIC

CNXT-ID         *       L1 data cache mode adaptive or BIOS

MCE             *       Supports Machine Check, INT18 and CR4.MCE
MCA             *       Implements Machine Check Architecture
PBE             *       Supports use of FERR#/PBE# pin

PSN             -       Implements 96-bit processor serial number

Logical to Physical Processor Map: ** Physical Processor 0 (Hyperthreaded)

Logical Processor to Socket Map: ** Socket 0

Logical Processor to NUMA Node Map: ** NUMA Node 0

Logical Processor to Cache Map: ** Data Cache          0, Level 1,   16 KB, Assoc   8, LineSize 64 ** Unified Cache       0, Level 2,    1 MB, Assoc   8, LineSize 128

Logical Processor to Group Map: ** Group 0

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