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Intel CEO Tells Staff Windows 8 Is Being Released Prematurely

An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from Geek.com: "Intel CEO Paul Otellini may be getting an angry phone call from Steve Ballmer today after it was revealed he told staff in Taiwan Windows 8 isn't ready for release. Otellini's comments were made at an internal meeting in Taipai, and he must have naively thought they would never become public knowledge. We don't know if he went into detail about what exactly is unfinished about Windows 8, but others have commented about a lack of reliable driver support and supporting applications. For many who have picked up previous versions of the Windows desktop OS early, this probably isn't coming as a surprise."

269 comments

  1. It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by MnemonicMan · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Aero looks much, much nicer than a flat rectangle that is one color. It's too bad that the window chrome got bashed so bad. Of course a likely reason for it is that tablets will run primarily on battery and Aero might be a drain on that.

    1. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by SJHillman · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think Aero just took a while to get used to. When I first started using Win7, I disabled it. It wasn't until I got some hardware with enough power that Aero's extra resources were negligible that I gave it a chance; I still don't love it, but I don't mind having it on. Whenever Windows does the next big UI change, people will probably wonder why they can't stick with the Win8 design.

    2. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are they still putting the menu names in ALL CAPS? Because if so, I'm skipping that version of VS.

    3. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It takes about 1 day to get used to it. Then try tuning off the all-caps menus in the registry. I would bet money that you switch back them because they are easier to read.

    4. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by fast+turtle · · Score: 1

      I find that some of the Aero features are nice but I don't use the compositing features normally as I don't care for the damn eye candy. Simply put, give me the translucency effects, thumbnail previews of open apps otherwise get the hell out of my way. What I wish MS would do is use the lest needed effects and make it easy for us to add those we want instead of insisting the god damn UI is a game.

      --
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    5. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 2

      I like Aero. I'd love Aero if someone could tell me how to make the active window stand out properly against the inactive ones.

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    6. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by LordLimecat · · Score: 2

      Even with translucency off, the glassy grey of Vista/7 is kind of nice. Honestly, Im debating whether I like it better than translucent.

      The new color scheme looks odd; maybe its because Im used to aero, but I dont get the urge to constantly change things up, if most people are happy with aero.

    7. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "It wasn't until I got some hardware with enough power that Aero's extra resources were negligible that I gave it a chance;"

      Isn't that the crux of the issue? Hardware with power = Hardware drawing power from... the battery. Windows 8 is being built for tablets.

      Keep it simple stupid... why have Aero, when users will enable it then bitch about battery life? better to deal with a little "man this looks ugly, but the battery lasts forever" than to deal with "Windows 8: Destroyer of Battery Life... but I guess it looks pretty".

    8. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

      If you are a multitasker Aero rocks man, try Aero flip or the way you can "slam" one window to one side and instantly make it take up half the screen, perfect for comparing folder or file operations. The resources are frankly tiny on even wimpy hardware, I tried both Aero on and off on my E350 netbook and found it made a whole 12 minutes difference on the battery...big whoop. The only complaint I had was it was obvious MSFT never thought much about the Windows basic UI as there was no themes ever released or any real way to change from the basic grey/silver look which on some of my customers little Atom netbooks it would have been nice to easily pick other colors, maybe a nice black or the nice emerald green like they had on XP.

      That said I have to agree with the reviewer who called Windows 8 Windows Frankenstein as you just have to go back and forth too damned much. i should be able to pick metro and stay in metro or pick desktop and stay in desktop, the switching is just jarring and irritating.

      --
      ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
    9. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by hairyfeet · · Score: 4, Interesting

      That's funny, as I've been working with Windows since 3.11 and you know which look I liked best? Everyone will probably make fun of me but Vista Black was probably my favorite. I just wish i could find an easy way to get the straight Vista Black them on Win 7 without Aero as i have an older system I'm getting ready to switch over and hate 7 Basic and as far as i know nobody ever released a working basic straight black theme for Basic. Everyone I've seen you have to patch theme.dll and even after doing that frankly they just don't work, damned shame as straight Vista Black was frankly the ONLY thing I liked about that OS and being able to keep the look would have been nice.

      That said Win 8? reminds me of Win 3.11 actually. Its way too primary colors, way too "one app at a time" centric, just feels like I'm going back in time. if this is the future of computing can I say no thanks? Are the tablets they are planning to put 8 on sucking THAT much balls when it comes to graphics they gotta go back to Win 3.1? Hell isn't Nvidia up to like 5 cores now on ARM? The whole thing makes me feel like I'm dealing with a Zune flavored cell phone and I didn't care for the Zune UI either, no thanks MSFT.

      --
      ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
    10. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by hairyfeet · · Score: 3, Informative

      Not a problem, go to personalization/color and appearance/ advanced appearance settings and you'll find the old XP desktop color tweaker (I guess they forgot to update it) and you can set the active window to be a different border color if you need it to "pop" out at you, maybe a nice silver or classic grey would make it stand out more. HTH.

      --
      ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
    11. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just because one slashdotter says Aero looks better than Windows 8 doesn't mean the rest of us like it. Heck it doesn't even mean that one slashdotter like it.

    12. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by DarkOx · · Score: 1

      That is the problem with Aero is "its just eye candy" Translucent window boarders are almost entirely useless. Now on limited screen real estate translucent (real translucency not show you a static snapshot of whats behind) inactive windows are very helpful.

      Microsoft was rightly afraid that doing any translucency on the client area of legacy application windows might create some usability issues, at least for apps that deviate for the behavioral norms, but by shying away entirely they turned a tool into a useless gimmick.

      --
      Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
    13. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I'm got a decked-out machine (quad-core i7, 16GB RAM, decent nvidia GTX 570 graphics). I still turn off Aero because it is noticeably faster and I find the eye candy doesn't provide anything *useful* as visual cues or anything else. It's useless ornamentation. The transparency, for example, doesn't actually let me see anything better. I find it makes things harder to see, and once I turned Aero off, it's faster *and* more usable. It isn't merely a question of resources.

      What I expect in Windows 8 is on one hand spartan simplicity (The Interface Formerly Known as Metro) and gaudy (Aero). That's not only jarring, it's dumb. Maybe I can glitz up the former and tone down the latter. More likely I'll just install classic shell and get rid of even more of the Microsoft defaults.

    14. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by ski9826 · · Score: 1

      Well, there ARE some of us using Windows 8 not on a tablet...

    15. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 1

      Doesn't seem to work for me, I'm afraid - all of those window colour options seem to be overridden by Aero, although fonts and window border sizes can be tweaked from there. Thanks though!

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    16. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      The looks aren't the problem with Windows 8 though. It does make sense to have a minimalist UI, the beveled edges and borders don't add much. The problem is that so many things are designed as a full screen app, and the learning curve is a bit steep to figure out how to use it. It seems more oriented to single-tasking users than to professionals.

    17. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by jameshofo · · Score: 1

      Well you have to realize Aero was actually introduced on vista, it was very clunky with a lot of fluf and a everything was done just a little bit differently. I think its completely reasonable for users to complain.

      --
      Good leaders run toward problems, bad leaders hide from them.
    18. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by rsborg · · Score: 1

      If you are a multitasker Aero rocks man, try Aero flip

      Sorry, I just can't stand the Aero flip thing - it crawls on my 2011 business-class i7 thinkpad. Worst part is that I accidentally hit it occasionally when I alt+tab (which is basic, but works fast). Same with Aero peek - it literally takes 2 seconds to effect, and it is quite jarring in it's usage. Only way to remove it painlessly was to disable Aero - which I've happily done for all my Win7 machines (yay, still keeps Aero snap which is the best feature in Win7 IMHO).

      At least when Apple introduced stuff like 10.7's Launchpad, it works relatively quickly on recent hardware.

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    19. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That said Win 8? reminds me of Win 3.11 actually. Its way too primary colors, way too "one app at a time" centric

      That would be pre 3.x

      Windows 3.x is where it started resembling multitasking / overlapping windows etc

    20. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by LinuxIsGarbage · · Score: 1

      On Win 7 I turn off Transparencies, minimize/maximize animations, and set the colour to black and think it looks pretty cool. Especially because Office has a black theme.

    21. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by LinuxIsGarbage · · Score: 1

      think Aero flip is eye candy, and "slamming" can be done with Aero disabled.

    22. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

      Did you turn off desktop composition? Because that can override a lot of the settings. Desktop composition is nice in theory but just tends to suck resources so I just kill it, I'm sure you know where it is under the advanced tab of system. Kill that and you should be able to make the active window any color you want, just to test I made mine puke pink, yep it works.

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      ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
    23. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

      Dude then you need to fire up taskmanager and see what is causing the hang, because my E350 is like a joke compared to your i7 and it does flip just fine. Maybe your GPU drivers are sucking? I'd look and see if there is an updated drivers somewhere. that really helped my E350 when it came to hardware acceleration, it sucked before for acceleration and after ran great.

      Hell I'm typing this on my E350 right now and while playing "Wake Up" by RATM and downloading the latest updates I was able to spin through Aero to the beat of Wake Up, which again if an E350 can do this? Your i7 should be flying low, because wake Up isn't a slow song and I can spin to the beat.

      --
      ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
    24. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You love the auto window use in windows 7, but don't think an os built on automatic windows will be any good. I think if we wait a little while we will see a wealth of programs for maximising productivity and power use. Then again no one says you have to upgrade, nothing really wrong windows 7 (i know i skipped vista because xp was pretty good).

    25. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i'm sorry but how is windows 8, that is built to show a whole screen of programs that are always on "one app at a time" centric?

    26. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by rsborg · · Score: 1

      Dude then you need to fire up taskmanager and see what is causing the hang, because my E350 is like a joke compared to your i7 and it does flip just fine. Maybe your GPU drivers are sucking?

      Maybe you missed the part where I mentioned this was my business-class laptop, it's given to me by work and though I can mess with the drivers it's ... highly not recommended.

      I can understand having to do this in Linux, but why in the world is this a problem in the Windows world? This is a 2011 laptop built for Win7. Why TF does this not work out of the box?

      Perhaps it's just my expectations that Aero performance on an i7 machine with NVidia Quadro-1000M graphics should be *at least* equivalent to a Macbook Pro C2D with NVidia 320M graphics? Shouldn't Aero flip be at least equivalent in performace to say, Expose or Launchpad?

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    27. Re:It is ugly though in Desktop mode. by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

      Uhhh...because it is in Intel's and Nvidia's best interests to get the hardware out as soon as the drivers are functional at all and then they can fix bugs and boost performance with an update later?

      Hell they all do it, look at how many driver complaints you see in the first 6 months after a new APU or GPU comes out from AMD. Its better for sales if they get the "new stuff!" out ASAP and just fix any problems once its out the door. This is why on my gaming PC I prefer to get my high end card closer to EOL than release date, like the HD4850 I've been using for nearly 2 years. Not only does this allow me to get the cards cheaper, so I can afford to keep both boys and myself equal graphics wise, more importantly by that time all the bugs have been fixed, they've squeezed all the performance they can out of the card software wise, so what you'll get is stable and well performing without the "gotchas" like you experienced.

      Sorry I didn't notice that was your work laptop but I'd strongly advise you talk to the IT dept about upgrading the drivers as I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see you get 25% or more performance boost simply by upgrading the software. Yes the RTM drivers are THAT badly optimized for the hardware.

      --
      ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
  2. Re:taipai by GuJiaXian · · Score: 1

    Correct. It should be spelled Taibei.

  3. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by chill · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, the saying "the line between genius and insanity is thin" can probably be modified slightly here to something like "the line between awesome and steaming-pile-of-frustrating-monkey-shit is thin".

    Then your statement makes more sense.

    --
    Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
  4. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by Seumas · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yes, but have you used it on a computer?

  5. I can only imagine.. by Severus+Snape · · Score: 1

    What he thought of Vista when that was released. Microsoft have learned from their past mistakes. It's a good OS, The only major sub-system rewrite has been audio, and driver support is looking pretty good now. I've certainly not had any problems on my 3 machines.

    1. Re:I can only imagine.. by devlil · · Score: 0

      Vista was quite good OS too, it was just the driver support that lacked. They rewrote the whole driver tech so manufacturers had to add new kind of support for Vista and that wasn't ready when consumers tried to use Vista.

    2. Re:I can only imagine.. by Jeng · · Score: 2

      There are a number of programs that I can get to load on Windows XP and Windows 7, but not Windows Vista.

      Vista has a lot more problems than just drivers.

      --
      Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
    3. Re:I can only imagine.. by Unnngh! · · Score: 1

      Your account is just an MS schill account, judging by your comment history. Vista was a steaming pile of crap when it was released. After four years of work on it, MS scrapped anything innovative and rushed for a year just to get *something* out the door. SP1 fixed a lot of the issues but I still have problems with my one remaining Vista box that have nothing to do with driver support. It is just...buggy. Win7 was great, but it sounds like they are once again rushing a Win8 release to get something out the door. I predict a moderate disaster, followed in about 12-18 months by a really solid new release for the desktop.

    4. Re:I can only imagine.. by TheNinjaroach · · Score: 2

      The only major sub-system rewrite has been audio

      I haven't been following very closely, but that's an interesting development. I'm into high performance audio, and noticed a night and day difference when I upgraded from XP to Vista. The new audio system in Vista (and present in 7) runs consistently well with far lower latency settings than previous versions of Windows.

      The big changes in audio for Windows 8 look to be geared towards power savings.. Which sounds like a good thing, as long as it stays out of the way of high performance ASIO drivers.

      --
      I went to eat some animal crackers and the box said, "Do not eat if seal is broken." I opened the box and sure enough..
    5. Re:I can only imagine.. by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

      Did anyone figure out WTF was going on with the HDD thrashing on Vista? I tried every trick I could find on the net, disable indexing, tweak here and regedit there, never could get the damned thing to quit thrashing the hard drive. I finally gave up when SP1 came out and rather than fixing it the thrashing was so bad it killed a nice Seagate a few days after applying SP1.

      Between that and what I would call "senior moments" where the whole thing would just stop responding, not enough to make you pull the plug, just long enough to notice and irritate, and the damned thing having a brain fart and refusing to see my share drives after losing them until reboot I just had to get away from the thing.

      Before anybody says it it wasn't the hardware as I went back to XP X64 until 7 beta came out and it ran just fine, is still probably purring away but I can't say for sure as i sold it.

      --
      ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
    6. Re:I can only imagine.. by TemporalBeing · · Score: 1

      Your account is just an MS schill account, judging by your comment history. Vista was a steaming pile of crap when it was released. After four years of work on it, MS scrapped anything innovative and rushed for a year just to get *something* out the door. SP1 fixed a lot of the issues but I still have problems with my one remaining Vista box that have nothing to do with driver support. It is just...buggy. Win7 was great, but it sounds like they are once again rushing a Win8 release to get something out the door. I predict a moderate disaster, followed in about 12-18 months by a really solid new release for the desktop.

      Well, I don't use Windows any more myself. We got Vista Ultimate for my wife's computer and it's pretty nice as far as Windows goes (I much prefer KDE 4 myself). Vista's big issues were: (i) UAC, (ii) they rewrote the Audio and Video drivers as user-space drivers with a minimal kernnel presence, and (iii) they made some major changes to Vista between the last RC and RTM releases.

      The UAC was a big thing, but it was mainly pointing out what Microsoft had been telling developers for years - yes, they originally advocated using the Admin account; but they did change that stance long before Vista came out; but it wasn't until Vista came out that developers actually paid attention; Win7 was a lot better in that respect simply because many had already fixed the issues.

      The driver rewrite was big, so drivers couldn't be quickly ported from XP to Vista. But that's not that big a deal in the end. Oddly it made Windows more like the Linux/Unix/Mac model with Xorg/X-Windows than anything.

      The real issue was the changing of the driver interfaces between the last RC and RTM releases - this basically caught many off-guard so drivers just were not as available in RTM as they were with the last RC release. If they hadn't done that, then the rep Vista got would not have been so bad.

      --
      Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away. - Elvis Presley (source: imdb.com)
  6. Is that awsomely good? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    or just awsomely bad.

  7. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've been testing Windows 8 for some while and I must say it's borderline awesome to use.

    Are you using a computer or smart phone?

  8. one bug I noticed in developer preview by tverbeek · · Score: 5, Funny

    Apparently the Start Menu isn't working yet. I can't even find the Start Button.

    --
    http://alternatives.rzero.com/
    1. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by ledow · · Score: 5, Informative

      Someone broke it off and it landed up over here:

      http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

    2. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by Missing.Matter · · Score: 3, Interesting
    3. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by Hillgiant · · Score: 5, Funny

      And it asks me to tap the screen whenever I plug in a USB device. Doesn't do anything when I do tap the screen. Except leave fingerprints.

      Perhaps Microsoft will get into the lucrative (?) microfiber cloth market.

      --
      -
    4. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      woosh!

    5. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It isn't trolling if it's funny. Then it's called "joking".

    6. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by Arykor · · Score: 1

      I wonder if it's related to the bug which has affected Program Manager since XP SP2

    7. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Microsoft would be a good name for a microfiber cloth company, lol

    8. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by jader3rd · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Apparently the Start Menu isn't working yet. I can't even find the Start Button.

      My mom's in town and I ran an errand last night while she stayed at my place. I come back and she's using my Win 8 computer (I left it unlocked) and was in Metro IE (which is odd given that she would have been in the desktop when she started). I asked her if she had any problem using the computer and she said that she did have trouble trying to find out how to go somewhere (browse to a website), but then she right clicked and found what she needed. No big deal. I asked her if she noticed that the Windows Orb/Start Button was missing, and she had no idea what I was talking about. I re-explained a few times and still had no idea. She's been launching pinned programs from the task bar for long enough (~3 years) that she's completely forgotten about the Start Button. While I don't think that's typical, I imagine how since it isn't an issue with my computer illiterate mother, it'll be less of a problem than you think for many.

    9. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by roc97007 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Microsoft would be a good name for a microfiber cloth company, lol

      Perhaps, some day that's all they will be known for.

      --
      Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
    10. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by MyLongNickName · · Score: 1

      You left out the important part. Did she find your porn stash?

      --
      See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
    11. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by tverbeek · · Score: 1

      Yes, if you set up a Win8 computer for a computer-illiterate person who doesn't really use the computer for anything except web browsing and card games, so that all they have to do is click on the icon they want, Metro will be just fine. I've been doing this with computer labs since Windows 2.0. But people who actually sorta know how to use a computer already will have problems, because they'll have to forget what they know... and it will be totally non-obvious what the new way of doing things is.

      --
      http://alternatives.rzero.com/
    12. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by scumdamn · · Score: 1

      I don't think it's quite so much a problem for the "computer illiterate" as it is for power users who use computers quite often. I want a crap load of windows open and accessible via the taskbar. I want my normal icons and crap. I want to arrange more than three windows on a screen and to use multiple monitors easily. Windows 8 annoys me and I'm not a fan of it so I'll just hoard Win7 licenses.

    13. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by DMUTPeregrine · · Score: 1

      That would imply that his porn stash isn't in a truecrypt container. Since this is /., that's a silly implication.

      --
      Not a sentence!
    14. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by Missing.Matter · · Score: 1

      I want a crap load of windows open and accessible via the taskbar. I want my normal icons and crap. I want to arrange more than three windows on a screen and to use multiple monitors easily.

      How does windows 8 prevent you from doing any of that?

    15. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You need some capitalization there. I read that as ClassicsHell, not ClassicShell. Thought maybe it was an app for reading old works that only an English teacher could love.

    16. Re:one bug I noticed in developer preview by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your mother was able to right click and find what she needed. She's already ahead of 90% of the population, so I wouldn't want to use her as an example.

  9. Re:I agree with Intel... by devlil · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why were you beta testing on a production machine?

  10. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Already got your monthly astroturf paycheck?
    S.B, would like to thank you for licking his albanian car. (TopGear UK viewers will know what I mean)

  11. Dunno what beef is - already using 8 in production by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 1

    >> the operating system lacks a wide range of robust applications

    Kudos to Microsoft for not making this a false chicken-and-egg problem. The OS needs to get out there so developers will target it. In fact, any developer worth his paycheck has probably been playing with the OS and maybe even Visual Studio 2012 for months.

    >> PC makers haven’t had enough time to work out kinks with so-called drivers, which connect software to such hardware as printers

    On nos - HP isn't going to have enough time to gen up its usual 500MB driver install for Windows 8?

    We've already flipped half our Windows desktops and laptops to Windows 8. Except for a utility to put the start menu button back, we're not looking back.

  12. Driver support by Murdoch5 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Has windows ever been released with full driver support? Windows 7 still has driver issues, XP had driver issues for years etc.... I'm not sure what his point was if he mentioned driver support.

    1. Re:Driver support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This post actually made me wonder. What is "full driver support"? Do they expect a new OS to have built-in support for every component you could ever think to plug into a computer?

      "Oh no, this install of Windows 8 doesn't autodetect my 1973 tape backup device plugged into the serial port!"

    2. Re:Driver support by tgd · · Score: 1

      Has windows ever been released with full driver support? Windows 7 still has driver issues, XP had driver issues for years etc.... I'm not sure what his point was if he mentioned driver support.

      I've run it on quite a few different systems, of ages going back perhaps 6-7 years. The single driver problem I've run into with the RTM bits is a Bootcamp problem -- the touchpad on my MacBook Air doesn't work and so far I've been unable to cobble together anything to get the drivers to load. Every other device on all of the systems has worked flawlessly. (In fact, my relatively new Core I7 3770 system works far better because a slew of really buggy Intel-originated drivers were replaced by 1st party Microsoft drivers.

    3. Re:Driver support by NatasRevol · · Score: 1

      Cheer up, Sleepy Jean!

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
    4. Re:Driver support by Frankie70 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yes. That's the reason I opt for Linux - full driver support.

    5. Re:Driver support by PCM2 · · Score: 2

      I'm not sure what his point was if he mentioned driver support.

      He didn't.

      The whole article is based on an anonymous source paraphrasing to Bloomberg. There are no direct quotes.

      --
      Breakfast served all day!
    6. Re:Driver support by pclminion · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Are you telling me that every time Linus makes a new point release he makes sure all the driver test cases pass for all drivers in the tree? From reading LKmL, it seems the standard for turning the crank is sometimes as low as "I tried it on two machines and it didn't crash. Let's unleash it on the rest of the world, who will QC it."

    7. Re:Driver support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That maybe MS would finally launch an OS with reasonable driver support?
      .
      .
      Who am I kidding, the author is likely drunk.

    8. Re:Driver support by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 1

      there is the kernel team then there are distro devs its the job of the distro guys to pick out which kernels and which hardware they will support in their distro. (unless use you like gentoo linux or linux from scratch then you the user are responsible for that and the distro guys are more of a source code repository maintainer.)

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
    9. Re:Driver support by LordLimecat · · Score: 1

      Yes, because historically Linux support for wifi, Blackberries, 3g/4g modems, and webcams has been absolutely fantastic, right?

      Someone hasnt worked with linux for very long.

    10. Re:Driver support by higuita · · Score: 1

      Windows drivers for all that hardware isn't also the best thing, many of those hardware stop working when vista was released, even worst will be with windows 8.
      only recente/new hardware have drivers, old hardware that dont have included drivers in windows you are totally F****

      If your hardware driver is in linux, its perfect, if it's not, it's probably a big problem

      --
      Higuita
    11. Re:Driver support by sunwukong · · Score: 1

      You need to install the sarcasm driver -- or just use the Snarkix distro.

    12. Re:Driver support by aztracker1 · · Score: 1

      What's funny, is iirc HP used to contract out the driver development to MS proper, so they could just be included.... That's before HP wanted you to install 200MB of crap, just to get the 2-5MB driver to install...

      --
      Michael J. Ryan - tracker1.info
  13. Re:I agree with Intel... by Foxhoundz · · Score: 2

    "...I was beta testing the release client."

    You don't say...

  14. "Slashdotters..." by MnemonicMan · · Score: 1

    Any caricature is bound to be inaccurate to actual individuals contained within it. Yes, I read Slashdot, yes, I run Linux - typing this on that right now, and yes, sitting right next to me is my other machine which is running Windows 7. Linux is for everything but games, and Windows 7 is for games. I also happen to have an aesthetic streak and like my systems to look good. Custom Xfce theme that looks good on Linux and Aero looks good on Windows 7. I don't fit into the "slashdotter" mold that you have roughly sketched out in your own mind.

  15. Windows releases are ALWAYS premature... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is not news. Microsoft have ALWAYS released new OSes prematurely. Users basically beta test the OS, and then MS goes on an ad nauseum patch release cycle for bugs that have been found. I recall that it took XP at least 2 to 3 years before it was solid. And, let's not forget Vista. That was nothing else than a stop-gap release of underperforming beta software.

    1. Re:Windows releases are ALWAYS premature... by aztracker1 · · Score: 1

      I think that Windows 98, 98SE, 2000 (not ME), and 7 were pretty solid at release... Other releases, maybe not so much.

      --
      Michael J. Ryan - tracker1.info
    2. Re:Windows releases are ALWAYS premature... by rsborg · · Score: 1

      I think that Windows 98, 98SE, 2000 (not ME), and 7 were pretty solid at release... Other releases, maybe not so much.

      You're kidding about Win98 1st edition, right? You might have a point if you replaced it with Win95 OSR2 and/or WinNT 3.5.1

      --
      Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
    3. Re:Windows releases are ALWAYS premature... by aztracker1 · · Score: 1

      95 OSR2 had really broken USB support.. and I didn't have enough experience with NT3.5x, though NT4 was decent, it really didn't get there until SP3 iirc.

      --
      Michael J. Ryan - tracker1.info
    4. Re:Windows releases are ALWAYS premature... by LinuxIsGarbage · · Score: 1

      Any version of Win9x was never fantastic. Substantially better than 3.x, but very poor in the stability department. NT was always much better for stability, but required significantly more resources.

      When home users (and frankly a lot of business users) were migrated over to NT based XP*, machines were powerful enough to handle it and it brought a substantial improvement of stability to the majority of users (as well as better USB support, built in CD burning, network). This (substantial improvement over the previous, to the point of being "good enough"), combined with the fact that it took 5 years before they tried to release the next version, is why XP has had such a stronghold.

      *-Truthfully most of the improvements in XP were present in 2000, which was a significant jump from NT4, but 2000 wasn't marketed towards end users.

  16. Angry Phone Call? Please. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    An angry phone call? Please.

    When are OEMs going to finally realize that this isnt the year 2000 anymore, and that microsoft needs the OEMs more than the OEMs need microsoft? Windows is the dominant OS on a platform that is no longer central to a user's computing experience. Hardware, in the form of tablets and mobile phones, has made computing ubiquitous. People are buying computing devices without a Windows operating system.

    Just wait Ballmer, you can't dish it out anymore. The market is going to give it to you. Hard. In a very uncomfortable place.

    1. Re:Angry Phone Call? Please. by ciderbrew · · Score: 1

      I don't think that is true for office machines. OEMs need to sell those in bulk and get money for support contracts.

    2. Re:Angry Phone Call? Please. by jbolden · · Score: 2

      microsoft needs the OEMs more than the OEMs need microsoft

      I don't think so. Once OEMs start breaking with Microsoft maybe but right now they still are all Windows shops.

    3. Re:Angry Phone Call? Please. by h4rr4r · · Score: 1

      VDI is beginning to kill that off and it will only get worse for HP and Dell on the office desktop front.

      People want to be able to get to their work "desktop" anywhere and no one wants to deal with the hardware support headaches nor the power consumption.

    4. Re:Angry Phone Call? Please. by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 1

      don't worry eventually the tech guy will be allowed to install office onto a xp virtual machine that will only have office on it and save to a shared folder and maybe several years down the line install libre office on the host and the problem will go away.

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
    5. Re:Angry Phone Call? Please. by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 1

      dell has ubuntu and widows desktops and i think i saw a redhat server on their site.

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
    6. Re:Angry Phone Call? Please. by h4rr4r · · Score: 1

      The hosts/thin clients are PXE booted and do not have the power to run libre office.

      This is not a problem, this is a feature.

    7. Re:Angry Phone Call? Please. by ifrag · · Score: 2

      Also the fact that Microsoft is working on their own tablet might indicate their level of caring about OEMs is starting to drop.

      --
      Fear is the mind killer.
    8. Re:Angry Phone Call? Please. by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 1

      I was think more along the lines of a small 50-75 people or less business where simply reusing current equipment with minimal upgareds (ram, hard drive, maybe processor) would be the perferd method of breaking with windows while maintaing security (a secure updated linux host could run scans of all incoming traffic with say clamAV and scan files headed for the xp vm that is only used for office until the business could migrate to linux, bsd, Mac OSX(not perfect but better then running a all MS system).

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
    9. Re:Angry Phone Call? Please. by h4rr4r · · Score: 1

      For the great majority of businesses that is a pipe dream. To give an example my company is right now contractually obligated to use software provided by a customer that cannot be installed on anything but XP service pack2. Not only does it fail otherwise, but it will flat out kill and SP3 machine. On reboot you get the BSoD. You can fix it with a repair install, but that is it.

      This is what keeps people on windows, not any desire to be there.

    10. Re:Angry Phone Call? Please. by jbolden · · Score: 2

      Dell has had OS options for decades. They used to OEM a SCO as Dell Unix back before there was a Linux, there was OS/2 at the same time and Xenix before that. The question is does Dell want to transition end users in a massive way to Ubuntu.

    11. Re:Angry Phone Call? Please. by jbolden · · Score: 1

      No question. Microsoft is unhappy with the OEM's and is trying to be supportive of the higher end ones like moving to other ones like Vizio and Samsung. But that's the opposite question.

    12. Re:Angry Phone Call? Please. by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 1

      Will it run in a virtualized environment? I would try running it in several different ones (vmware player, virtualbox(vanilla open source and with oracle addons), kvm, zen, qemu, kqemu, vmware esxi) sadly though that won't always work, fortunately it is getting better though.

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
    13. Re:Angry Phone Call? Please. by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 1

      they are in india and china at least, now if only they would attempt it in the first world western countries

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
    14. Re:Angry Phone Call? Please. by h4rr4r · · Score: 1

      On Windows XP SP2 yes, All of those can host it.
      Which means VDI and still stuck with windows. About 80% of our employees need it. This is not the only program like this.

      This is pretty common for custom enterprise software. It is all terrible.

  17. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by Joce640k · · Score: 2

    Didn't people learn anything from Windows Vista?

    --
    No sig today...
  18. Service Pack by ultimajji · · Score: 1

    Windows 8 will be ready when SP1 comes out.

    1. Re:Service Pack by 0123456 · · Score: 1

      Windows 8 will be ready when SP1 comes out.

      Is that when they put the Start Menu back in?

    2. Re:Service Pack by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 1

      no that is the new code name for KDE for windows. at least thats what I'm hoping.

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
    3. Re:Service Pack by ifrag · · Score: 1

      Is that when they put the Start Menu back in?

      A deluxe feature such as that might be a little too much to give away in a service pack. That will probably need to wait until Windows 9.

      --
      Fear is the mind killer.
  19. Nothing new here by Zontar_Thing_From_Ve · · Score: 1

    A release of Windows not being ready has never stopped Microsoft from releasing it. Nor has it stopped the fools who jump on every beta they put out. I participate on a video forum at another site and every beta that comes out, we have members who jump on it and then bitch about how various things don't work. That doesn't ever stop from them doing the same thing over and over every time a new beta comes out. And the market has never punished Microsoft for any of its mistakes so even if Win 8 is as big of a disaster as I think it will be, it won't matter.

    1. Re:Nothing new here by NJRoadfan · · Score: 1

      Too bad they aren't registered beta testers that can submit bug reports. I was a beta tester for Windows 98, it had some pretty bad show stopper bugs in the RCs. I did my best to report them. Some were fixed, others made it to RTM, but were later fixed in 98SE (which was originally planned to be an OEM Service Release). Anyone remember "WebTV for Windows"? It was a pile of buggy crap. Testers told MS time and time again that it wasn't ready for primetime (no pun intended) in the beta newsgroups, yet they released it anyway. Luckily nobody actually used it, and MS quietly killed it off by the time ME came out.

    2. Re:Nothing new here by neo-mkrey · · Score: 1

      Yes, these early adopters are called 'Beta Testers' and the bugs they find and Microsoft fixes makes the release version better for the rest of us. Instead of insulting them, you should be thanking them.

    3. Re:Nothing new here by bondsbw · · Score: 1

      I'm convinced that some people jump on the beta just to complain about it. "I used it for 15 minutes and it is the $!@#$ most ugly-@#$ buggy $@#% piece of !#@$#@!% horse $#@# I've ever seen!"

      Or, every other Slashdot post on Windows 8.

      --
      All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
  20. Define premature by Missing.Matter · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In all the Slashdot articles trashing windows 8, the one and only criticism ever brought up here is of Metro and the start menu. Windows 8 is stable, uses minimal resources, performs well, features a variety of real improvements to the UI and workflow, is secure, is scalable to hardware even 7 years old (at least), is compatible with almost all software available for Windows 7, is compatible with almost all drivers for Windows 7... for almost all tangible measures of the ability of an operating sytem, it's ready, and has been for a long time. Public betas and pre-releases have been available for over a year now, including a free RTM evaluation, so we've all been free to test and evaluate it on our own machines. And still the *only* complaint anyone here (a place where Microsoft is derided at every turn for stability, performance, and security) ever manages to come up with is their own opinion on launcher preferences. If that's the worst you can come up with for Windows 8, I'd say it's good to go.

    1. Re:Define premature by sbditto85 · · Score: 1

      And still the *only* complaint anyone here (a place where Microsoft is derided at every turn for stability, performance, and security) ever manages to come up with is their own opinion on launcher preferences.

      because people being able to intuitively use an OS isn't that important? windows 8 and gnome 3 FTW!

      but seriously I had the hardest time getting used to windows 8 ... now that I kinda have the hang of it I don't think it is that bad. Just takes some time to figure out how your actually supposed to use it.

    2. Re:Define premature by Missing.Matter · · Score: 3, Informative

      because people being able to intuitively use an OS isn't that important?

      It's important, yes, but if this is in fact something "broken" with the OS, then it's fixable with a short tutorial or old-fashioned experience sitting down and using the thing, which is a lot easier than trying to fix an unstable performance hog like vista (which required several service packs to get right).

      However, it's my opinion from my own usage and watching my friends and family use the new OS that it's not unintuitive to use. Microsoft tells you where to find the start menu and all charms the first time you log in. Installing apps is as easy as going to the marketplace. Launching apps just tap on them. They tell you how to switch apps when you log in for the first time as well. That's pretty much all you need to basically use your computer. If you're familiar with Windows 7, only a few simple instructions familiarize you with Windows 8.

    3. Re:Define premature by will_die · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The UI mess is any easy thing to complain about and one that people instantly see.
      The main problem is what technical or feature reasons are there to switch to Windows 8? I can point to benefits of switching to Vista when it was released but windows 8 is some bug fixes, ms-phone tied in, and a poor UI.

    4. Re:Define premature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yeah, except Microsoft is very loudly and very firmly going all in on the new Metro UI. They've told everyone that it's the future and are dropping old frameworks for developers. They've made it quite clear that the desktop is legacy only and new software should not target it if you want your windows logo certification. .. Except you, and I know, and everyone knows that the above is a gigantic truckload of bullshit and everyone will continue developing software the same way. Microsoft's flagship product, office, is desktop environment only. They've claimed they're going to make it a metro app, but we all know that's a lie because there's decades of legacy code that will never make the transition. They've even ported the desktop environment to arm (WinRT) because of this.

      So what we have here is a stupid clusterfuck. Microsoft is heavily pushing metro, which is unfinished and shitty and not at all ready for prime time. They're even going as far as to break the UI to force you to use it.

      How can you say windows 8 is good to go? It's not just broken, it's intentionally broken.

    5. Re:Define premature by bazorg · · Score: 1

      I've been using Windows since 3.0, so they all look more or less familiar to me. I see this "metro controversy" as a non-issue at a time when so many people own smartphones/tablets and add apps with random UIs on them. so why should familiarity be more important than usability if all websites look different and all apps have their "skin"?

    6. Re:Define premature by tverbeek · · Score: 1

      The main flaw with the scenario you describe is that no one ever pays attention to things like that intro you're talking about.

      --
      http://alternatives.rzero.com/
    7. Re:Define premature by sbditto85 · · Score: 1

      I've been using Windows since 3.0

      crap you got me beat! I've only been using since 3.11, but then again I always exited and went to DOS anyways.

      I see this "metro controversy" as a non-issue at a time when so many people own smartphones/tablets and add apps with random UIs on them. so why should familiarity be more important than usability if all websites look different and all apps have their "skin"?

      But my grandma (who is the person that will eventually have windows 8) only uses her select programs and every time something new happens her brain cant handle it and it requires many phone calls/written down tutorials of how to navigate until she gets used to it. Honestly I'm just selfishly not wanted to have to support/explain that with all my "non-techie" family members because they always call me for anything relating to the computer, regardless if its something I can "fix" or not.

      "yes grandma, click the blue 'e' ... now type in the address bar ... the bar at the to... no the one that says something like 'www.' something ... ahhh screw it I'm just going to install a screen sharing program, be over in a couple of minutes"

    8. Re:Define premature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The first thing I did was hit alt-f4 to that stupid intro.

    9. Re:Define premature by Missing.Matter · · Score: 2, Informative

      The UI mess is any easy thing to complain about and one that people instantly see.

      It's also the most opinionated (least grounded in objective fact), as it's based on personal preferences; and the easiest to fix, as you can a) use the OS without even using the metro UI, b) get used to it and learn how to use it, c) augment it with launchers of your choosing, or d) completely replace it with a different shell

      The main problem is what technical or feature reasons are there to switch to Windows 8?

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_8

      Highlights inclue native iso/vhd support; native USB 3.0 support; fast boot time (my laptop goes from battery out to usable desktop in 7 seconds); native file versioning; integrated family controls; integrated antimalware; greatly enhanced task manager which shows network and disk usage, maintains app history, and manages startup processes; natively estimate data usage over a wireless connection; vastly improved multi-monitor support, with a taskbar that spans both monitors, and multi monitor wallpaper support; new copy/move dialogue, with transfer rate graph and enhanced filename conflict resolution; improved graphics subsystems; logical storage space aggregation from multiple physical storage sources; lower system resource requirements by cutting down on services, which also optimizes battery life....

      I could go on, but absolutely none of the aforementioned features have anything to do with the metro UI, nor do they require you to use it or even acknowledge its existence.

    10. Re:Define premature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can point to benefits of switching to Vista when it was released but windows 8 is some bug fixes, ms-phone tied in, and a poor UI.

      It's funny, people said the same thing about Vista and XP (Vista is just a skin on XP and some bug fixes), and Windows 7 and Vista (7 is just a skin on vista and some bug fixes). In fact they said it about 95/98. We could probably follow the trail all the way back, and by the transitive property we can say that Windows 8 is really nothing more than Windows 1 with bug fixes and a skin.

    11. Re:Define premature by Missing.Matter · · Score: 1

      I guess that's your conjecture, but from the around dozen or so normal users I've sat in front of a new user account, they've watched the video and the very *first* thing they did when presented the new desktop was move their mouse to the corners and found the start button, settings, search, etc.

    12. Re:Define premature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They've told everyone that it's the future and are dropping old frameworks for developers.

      Citation desperately needed. Not from some clusterfuck blogger either, an actual current Microsoft employee.

    13. Re:Define premature by TheRealMindChild · · Score: 1

      You shouldn't have to "learn" a good interface.

      --

      "When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
    14. Re:Define premature by bertok · · Score: 1

      It's not just that they changed things, which they do with every release, but that they changed things for the worse.

      Windows XP to Windows 7 had some pretty major changes -- including the task bar revamp -- but I got used to it. I didn't grumble, I didn't complain, because it wasn't worse, it was just different, and in some ways better. I like the previews. I like the jump lists. Let me reiterate that: it's different, but it's not worse.

      The Windows 8 GUI isn't better in any way that I can see. On the contrary, every change is a change for the worse. Things take longer. More movement is required. More clicks are required. The design is schizophrenic and unpredictable. It splits the OS into two distinct styles, neither of which is remotely complete.

      That's not even considering the ridiculous decision to eliminate the start menu:

      -- It breaks 17 years of muscle memory for most users. I thought I used a lot of keyboard shortcuts, but I only realized just how often I actually click the start menu when I tried Windows 8. Worse still is Windows Server 2012, where the "server manager" shortcut is in the same location the start menu used to be! If you're an admin who's used to administering Windows Server, you will be punished with a one minute wait, often.
      -- The new shortcut is a tiny 2x2 pixel area or somesuch. Sure, it's easy to hit it if it's in the corner of the screen, right, because you can just 'snap' your mouse into the corner easily. Unless you have a second monitor to the left of the main one. Or you're connecting over ANY kind of remote desktop that's not full screen. Like a Hyper-V console. Or a KVM. Or VNC. Or VMware.
      -- Just press the "Windows key", right? You were about to tell me that, weren't you? Well guess what, it's not always available. Some keyboards don't have it. Some remote access scenarios don't pass it through. Sometimes I'm connected through 3 layers of remoting, and it's just not going to happen. Now what? Have you TRIED hitting a 2x2 pixel area over three hops with a total of 800ms of latency?
      -- Accessibility is right out the window. Some people have movement impairments, and just can't hold sufficiently still to hit such a small target. Or end up hitting it accidentally when they actually were trying to click a taskbar icon.
      -- Don't even get me started about people with flickering image triggered epileptic seizures. I can't wait until the first lawsuits of users literally collapsing in a twitching heap because of the non-stop full-screen transitions between the traditionally bright desktop applications and the new tiles screen with its dark background. Thankfully I don't have this problem myself, but I've found that in a dark room when using Windows 8 on a large monitor (e.g.: 24" or bigger) my eyes water. The repeated brightness transitions are almost painful.
      -- It hides content. If you want to, say, search for something complex on your machine while referencing something in an application's screen... err... no such luck, you can only search full screen now.
      -- It's enforced, unlike every other GUI transition Microsoft has ever made. I'm sure it's for our convenience, and not to force a new GUI paradigm down our throats just so Microsoft can leverage their monopoly to barge their way into yet another market.

      However, you have a point: the GUI changes are a mere annoyance. I can grit my teeth and get used to it. However, as a developer, I can't help but gape open-mouthed at Microsoft stunningly myopic "strategy". Put yourself in the shoes of a Microsoft Windows developer wanting to write a new full-featured, heavyweight Windows desktop application. Here are the options:

      -- Win32: the assembler of GUI programming. Often referenced on microsoft.com as the "legacy" API.
      -- MFC: Long dead, for masochists only.
      -- WTL: never supported in the first place, requires C++ wizardry, and Microsoft's C++ track record is a joke.
      -- .NET WinForms: Supposedly supported, but has

    15. Re:Define premature by Missing.Matter · · Score: 1

      Why not? Point me to any interface you think is perfect and requires no learning, and I'll show you someone who does not understand how to use it without some training. Even some of the best interfaces have hidden elements. Take iOS for example, lauded for its intuitiveness, yet the app switcher is hidden, and even within the app switcher, controls like screen lock and playback are hidden. Siri functionality is also hidden by holding down the home button. Notifications are hidden by swiping down from the screen. The ability to rearrange apps and group them is hidden by press-holding on them, and the ability to exit that mode where they wiggle is hidden by pressing the home button. I've had to teach people how to use all the aforementioned functionality on iOS.

      Or consider one of the most widely used UI elements, the context menu, which is hidden by a right click and changes depending where you click. Not intuitive. Or the difference between click-drag, double click, and single click. I've had to explain that to people as well. If someone doesn't know that double clicking very vast on an icon engages it, how are they supposed to figure it out? OSX, Linux, even Windows 7 and the now for some reason sacred start menu have hidden elements and require some degree of learning. Windows 8 is no different in this regard.

    16. Re:Define premature by Rhacman · · Score: 1

      It keeps making me wonder if I'm the only person who writes Word / Excel / Powerpoint / Visual Studio / etc. documents with other windows open and visible as references. Yes, I generally run my apps fullscreen if I can but when I want to see several windows at once it is a major benefit to be able to do so. Maybe I'm just the last person not running a monitor setup reminescent of The Matrix.

      I get what Microsoft is doing here, they want to own the smartphone / tablet market and if they unify these platforms with PC by restricing the PC UI by the constraints of cellphones and tablets then apps developed for one apply to all. That's fine if you are developing the next Angry Birds, I just don't get why anyone would want to do serious work with one arm tied behind their back even if they can make do without it.

      --
      Account -> Discussions -> Disable Sigs
    17. Re:Define premature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      -- Just press the "Windows key", right? You were about to tell me that, weren't you? Well guess what, it's not always available. Some keyboards don't have it.

      Ctrl + Escape, bro.

    18. Re:Define premature by jbonomi · · Score: 1

      I've been using the release preview for a while now, and I don't think you need to worry. I don't feel at all restricted in my window management. Windows desktop applications work exactly as they do in Windows 7. Some new applications may be made to work using the tablet-oriented UI instead of/in addition to the desktop UI, but I seriously doubt productivity software will trend towards only providing a tablet UI.

    19. Re:Define premature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It keeps making me wonder if I'm the only person who writes Word / Excel / Powerpoint / Visual Studio / etc. documents with other windows open and visible as references.

      I believe thats why the OS was called 'Windows' in the first place.

    20. Re:Define premature by bmo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      >In all the Slashdot articles trashing windows 8, the one and only criticism ever brought up here is of Metro and the start menu.

      When Metro is the biggest change that the user sees to the OS, isn't that a core criticism?

      >Windows 8 is stable

      So is XP. So is 2000SP4. So is 7SP1. Windows 7SP1 is going to be the new XP. Deal with it.

      >uses minimal resources

      That title belongs to Windows FLP, which boots in 7 seconds and not even a second after hitting enter on your password to get to a desktop. It does not belong to 8.

      >performs well

      Compared to what?
      ,
      >features a variety of real improvements to the UI and workflow

      Marketing nonsense.

      >is secure,

      That remains to be seen. Out of the lists of changes to Windows in 8, none have listed any major changes in security. If there are changes, they aren't ever listed.

      >is scalable to hardware even 7 years old (at least)

      No it isn't. That belongs to Windows FLP and XP.

      >is compatible with almost all software available for Windows 7

      Isn't that to be expected? 7 is only 3 years old. SP1 is 18 months old.

      >is compatible with almost all drivers for Windows 7

      But wait, isn't this article about the Intel CEO complaining about drivers not being ready?

      >it's ready, and has been for a long time.

      Says you.

      >Public betas and pre-releases have been available for over a year now, including a free RTM evaluation, so we've all been free to test and evaluate it on our own machines.

      Yes, and it's like Microsoft has not only ignored any and all criticism of Metro, but went out of their way to disable turning it off.

      >And still the *only* complaint

      No, it's not the only complaint even though you frame it that way. See this current article.

      > If that's the worst you can come up with for Windows 8, I'd say it's good to go.

      I would say that an interface that is as maddening as Metro is on the desktop with no way to turn it off means that it's not ready for prime time.

      It's funny how there were all those ads years ago about how Microsoft was proud of how they took ideas from users to integrate into Office. They don't listen so much now, do they?

      >modded insightful
      >marketing spew

      Well, there's no accounting for taste.

      --
      BMO

    21. Re:Define premature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The main problem is what technical or feature reasons are there to switch to Windows 8?

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_8#Infrastructure. I even skipped past the UI stuff for your convenience. You're welcome.

      Every single time a Windows OS is released, somebody asks the same (and let's be honest, this next word is well deserved) moronic question without spending one microsecond to look it up and gets modded up for it. What is wrong with you people?

    22. Re:Define premature by Missing.Matter · · Score: 1
      A careful reading of my post will reveal that for the most part I did not say it is more secure or stable or what not. For the most part, Windows 8 is very similar to Windows 7. If you want to claim that Windows 8 is overall a terrible OS, you're really claiming the same of Windows 7. As for a couple of your points:

      Windows FLP, which boots in 7 seconds and not even a second after hitting enter on your password to get to a desktop. It does not belong to 8.

      The same can be said for Windows 8. My machine boots in 7 seconds to a usable desktop (no harddrive churning or loading). Don't believe me? http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows-8-Boots-in-8-Seconds-220917.shtml

      Marketing nonsense.

      Features that have benefitted my workflow: enhanced multi-monitor support with a taskbar for both screens, and quick access to start button, app switching, or search/settings from any screen; improved task manager with more detailed process informatin, more detailed hardware information, process history, and startup program options; improved file copy with more detailed support for handling file collisions, grouping all file transfer in a single window, and ability to pause file transfers individually; improvements in explorer such as the re-inclusion of the up directory button in the, and the making more obvious features like show hidden files, show file extensions, and one feature I never knew about (invert selection) but thankfully have learned thanks to its inclusion as a top-level option; native support for mounting ISOs; native data usage monitoring over metered connections; and finally the ability to dock metro applications like news, chat, or music, or browser next to my desktop. Can't tell you how useful this last one has been, and will only improve as more useful apps are available in the store.

      Out of the lists of changes to Windows in 8, none have listed any major changes in security. If there are changes, they aren't ever listed.

      Windows 8 includes smart screen and windows security essentials are both baked into the OS. Yeah, I'd say for the majority of users it's more secure than Windows 7 out of the box. And as much as it's maligned on Slashdot, secure boot does in fact have a purpose other than locking out Linux.

      No it isn't. That belongs to Windows FLP and XP.

      Windows XP scales down better, but not up. Windows 8 has extensive built-in support for hardware not widely available when XP was released including better support for: multi core processors, wifi, SSD, USB 3.0, and bluetooth. However, I have managed to run Windows 8 on a machine from 2005 (Dell 700m) and it performs much better than 7, but not as good as XP.

      But wait, isn't this article about the Intel CEO complaining about drivers not being ready?

      No, you didn't read the article apparently. What the CEO said is unknown and if he said anything at all is a rumor. What the article says about drivers is some unknown and unnamed "others" are talking about lack of support.... for an unreleased OS. From my experience, Windows 7 drivers work fine for the most part, and Windows 8 specific drivers will be released in due time (you know... perhaps when the OS is actually available?) as has been the case with *every* major OS release. That drivers and applications are not available before the general availability of the OS is no indication that the OS is not actually ready.

      No, it's not the only complaint even though you frame it that way. See this current article.

      The article contains nothing except conjecture about what someone might have said, and some vague comments about drivers and nebulous bugs. Well... okay, so pretty much every OS ever has problems with drivers and bugs. You think if they problem were pervasive (as anyone can download the OS and try i

    23. Re:Define premature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >Windows 8 is stable

      So is XP. So is 2000SP4. So is 7SP1. Windows 7SP1 is going to be the new XP. Deal with it.

      I take exception to this list. XP was not stable on initial run; hell, I wouldn't consider XP truly stable until SP2. Frankly, I reverted back to 2000 (which was stable far earlier than SP4, by the way) for quite some time while XP ripened.

      You're spot on with Win7 though; it's been the least offensive OS upgrade I've been through in terms of actual improvement vs. change-for-the-sake-of-change. :p

    24. Re:Define premature by bmo · · Score: 1

      >A careful reading of my post will reveal that for the most part I did not say it is more secure or stable or what not.

      Then why mention them except as marketing fluff? EâoeOur solution is a new fast startup mode which is a hybrid of traditional cold boot and resuming from hibernate,âither they are improved, or they are empty words on your part. You pick.

      >Windows XP scales down better, but not up

      But the context you used was that 8 scaled down to machines that are 7 years old. It clearly does not. I have tested this myself. 8 will run in as little as 768MB, but you can't actually do anything in it with that little RAM. Forget about loading Word.

      >claiming 8 starts in 8 seconds

      From your article:

      >"Our solution is a new fast startup mode which is a hybrid of traditional cold boot and resuming from hibernate,"

      So it's not really from a cold boot.

      FLP does this from a dead cold boot. It is so fast that spamming the F8 key to install drivers that need to be done in safe mode does not work at all and you are left with editing boot.ini or using msconfig to get to safe mode.

      enhanced multi-monitor support with a taskbar for both screens, and quick access to start button, app switching, or search/settings from any screen; improved task manager with more detailed process informatin, more detailed hardware information, process history, and startup program options; improved file copy with more detailed support for handling file collisions, grouping all file transfer in a single window, and ability to pause file transfers individually; improvements in explorer such as the re-inclusion of the up directory button in the, and the making more obvious features like show hidden files, show file extensions, and one feature I never knew about (invert selection) but thankfully have learned thanks to its inclusion as a top-level option; native support for mounting ISOs; native data usage monitoring over metered connections; and finally the ability to dock metro applications like news, chat, or music, or browser next to my desktop.

      As I read that, it's all stuff and more that I have been taking for granted in KDE. Welcome to the modern age of desktops.

      >There are plenty of ways someone as technical as yourself.

      But what about the regular users?

      >a) booting to desktop and just not using it

      There was a way. There was a toggle in the registry that was ripped out, and to /make sure/ nobody ever put it back in, Microsoft went and removed the legacy code in Explorer to make sure. A clickable batch file could have been distributed to users to let them toggle it.

      Also you are repeating the "metro is just the start screen" talking point that you guys use to brush off criticism of Metro, when Metro is so /much/ more than a start screen and is rather an entirely new paradigm for a GUI. I wish you guys would stop doing this, because you are not only lying, but you are dissing your own product to escape criticism. This is bad salesmanship and it makes me want to break things.

      >booting to the desktop

      But once I hit the Windows key, I'm back in Metro

      >third party

      Why do I need a third party application when it was there all along but is now ripped out?

      >shell replacement

      Why not just abandon the OS entirely and go to Linux and virtualize the handful of programs that are needed?

      --
      BMO

    25. Re:Define premature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      metro UI, nor do they require you to use it or even acknowledge its existence.

      Oh, except for maybe, upon boot that's where you natively land.

    26. Re:Define premature by bmo · · Score: 1

      I said:

      Then why mention them except as marketing fluff? EÃoeOur solution is a new fast startup mode which is a hybrid of traditional cold boot and resuming from hibernate,Ãither they are improved, or they are empty words on your part. You pick.

      This is a mis-paste.

      It should read "Then why mention them except as marketing fluff? Either they are improved or they are empty words on your part. You pick"

      --
      BMO

    27. Re:Define premature by will_die · · Score: 1

      There are free and microsoft provided tools that read iso/vhd. No reason to switch for that.
      USB 3.0 is still not that common that the need to install additional drivers is a pain. In another 3-4 years this would be a feature vs win7 but not currently
      anti-malware is one thing I would first shut-off because of the problems it has and the way it does protection.
      The new task manager is alot nicer but another thing that can already be duplicated with existing microsoft provided software.
      The multi-monitor support is primarily cuteness, not like Vista where you had improvements in what could be done with the multiple montiors vs the previous versions.
      The new copy/move dialog boxes looks nicer but they are still using the windows 7 system where that information is not correct and as microsoft has acknowledged that it was added back in to show users that something was happening.
      The graphics system is cute but not anything people have really been clamoring for, if they had come out with a DirectX 3D 12 with alot of new features it would of been of worth once games started coming out to use it.
      Other features you mention don't come into play unless you are using a tablet and there windows 8 does have alot of features worth while vs Windows 7 . Why I would use a Windows 8 tablet vs an Apple or android tablet is something else.

      Besides you skipped the biggest thing that microsoft is pushing, the Microsoft store integration
      The features are not bad, if a new service pack came out from Windows 7 with all of them I would be downloading it when the final version was released on MSDN and have it installed but as Windows 8 they are just not reason to switch. There are no features that scream you will want this unlike Vista.
      The storage, backup, and the replacement for VSS are nice and I would consider putting on my parents computer but compared to what is there verses Windows 7 there are not major.
      I am in the process of replacing my 5 year old desktop and maybe going with windows 8 with classicshell but it just not worth it.

    28. Re:Define premature by aztracker1 · · Score: 1

      I don't think WPF as a concept is dead... XAML is pretty much the same between WPF and Silverlight as an example... Personally, I like shoehorning as much functionality into the browser as a general application environment.. AppJS, Chrome Apps, etc are making this an even friendlier environment moving forward... Yeah, I know JS can be an exercise in masochism, just the same, it's fairly consistent, cross platform by nature, and not tied to the whims of OS changes (for the most part). You can scale from phone to full screen, and to top it off, you can release updates to everyone accessing a web-server driven environment (deployed apps are a bit different). Of course, this has been my mindset for years... it's finally at a point where most applications can be done in-browser.

      --
      Michael J. Ryan - tracker1.info
    29. Re:Define premature by Missing.Matter · · Score: 1

      Then why mention them except as marketing fluff?

      To say an OS is not finished is to imply that the product is deficient in one or more of the measures by which judge operating systems. Windows 8 is at least as good as Windows 7 in the aforementioned areas, and in many aspects better as I've outlined, with the only hotly contested aspect being user interface. It's well worth noting this, since the user interface is the most subjective and personal element of an OS (i.e. what works for one person might not work for the next (you and me) whereas poor performance and resource usage is the same no matter who you are). Basing the readiness of an OS off subjective criticism like this is not productive.

      It clearly does not. I have tested this myself.

      My experience contradicts yours. I've tested Windows 8 on a Dell 700m I bought in 2005 with a 1.6 Ghz Pentium M and 1GB RAM. It installs fine and works better than Windows 7 on that machine. XP works better than both, but the extreme example of installing Windows 8 on such old hardware demonstrates it's very versatile.

      So it's not really from a cold boot.

      When I press the power button on my dead and powerless desktop PC, I have a completely working desktop in 8 seconds. I don't care what hacks and magic is going on behind the scenes; the perception for me and all users is that it boots in 8 seconds. That you're splitting hairs on this point is pretty disingenuous. Even if we look at cold boots only Windows 8 performs better on the same hardware: Windows 8 boots in 23 seconds compared to 34 seconds for Windows 7 on that machine. The big difference is for Windows 7 it boots in 34 seconds every time. For windows 8, it boots in 23 seconds once, and boots in 8 seconds thereafter unless I have to install an update.

      As I read that, it's all stuff and more that I have been taking for granted in KDE. Welcome to the modern age of desktops.

      I was under the impression this discussion was with respect to Windows. That's great KDE has all those features. I'm partial to gnome myself. But it doesn't change the fact that compared to Windows 7, it's hard to say Windows 8 offers nothing more than a different UI.

      But what about the regular users?

      From my experience, regular users (parents, sister, friends, girlfriend, various other relatives) enjoy the new interface and find it much more appealing than the desktop for their daily activities like facebook, youtube, internet, email, chatting, music, etc. As for the general population, that remains to be seen. However, if there's one thing Slashdot has taught me it's that this is a terrible place to take the temperature on how the general population will receive a technology product.

      There was a way. There was a toggle in the registry that was ripped out, and to /make sure/ nobody ever put it back in, Microsoft went and removed the legacy code in Explorer to make sure. A clickable batch file could have been distributed to users to let them toggle it.

      You can still boot to desktop in RTM. I use Start8 to do so. There will probably be more in the future.

      Also you are repeating the "metro is just the start screen" talking point that you guys use to brush off criticism of Metro, when Metro is so /much/ more than a start screen and is rather an entirely new paradigm for a GUI.

      Yes, metro is more than a start screen and I enjoy some of the various aspects of the apps and the interface. But I was under the impression you would like to use absolutely no metro at all. In my day to day on Windows 8 I spend 99% of my time on the desktop, where I launch and use apps. I have several less commonly used apps pinned to my start screen, which I open once in a while, and I access the rest of my apps in the all apps list. At this level of usage my metro exposure is r

    30. Re:Define premature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Repeating my username which is already at the top of every post, down into the body of my post is purely my own retarded narcissism.

      --
      BMO

    31. Re:Define premature by bmo · · Score: 0

      >My experience contradicts yours. I've tested Windows 8 on a Dell 700m I bought in 2005 with a 1.6 Ghz Pentium M and 1GB RAM. It installs fine and works better than Windows 7 on that machine. XP works better than both, but the extreme example of installing Windows 8 on such old hardware demonstrates it's very versatile.

      I'm going to give up here and call you an asshole, because 1GB > 768GB.

      This does not contradict me at all.

      Good day, sir.

      Arguing with wintrolls is less productive than sitting on the can.

      --
      BMO

    32. Re:Define premature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wait, it took Windows a decade to support what Linux could do back when I first used it literallly 11 years ago (about ISO mounting)? And virtual hard drives are effectively sparse block files, something that's probably a basic POSIX mount functionality. The mind boggles. And USB 3.0 has been supported... ever since there's hardware for it?
      I could go on but really, what?

    33. Re:Define premature by pjfontillas · · Score: 1

      Mod points! My kingdom for some mod points!

      I have had my fair share of Windows problems and even though the changes in Windows 8 aren't revolutionary or ground-breaking they are much welcomed. Just about every feature you listed is possible with Windows XP, 7, and even Vista; but they required knowledge of how to properly configure Windows, get rid of all the crap you don't need, and then properly install and configure the third-party applications that handled features the OS now natively provides.

      I got to the point where I came up with a list of must-have apps and configs for any family member or friend asking for help "fixing" their computer. I had to keep my list and software library up-to-date, or rely on a website like "i use this" to take care of that. And I have lists for Windows, Mac, and Linux OSes; nobody is perfect.

      UI mess aside I welcome such improvements in an OS like Windows 8.

      --
      Life. Is. Good.
  21. Ya that seems kinda funny by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Driver support ALWAYS lags because some companies are lazy. The big guys, Intel, AMD, nVidia, all seem to have drivers out on time and Windows 8 is no exception. You can get 8 drivers from them, life is good. However more specialty companies often lag badly. There's no Windows 8 drivers for any pro audio interfaces I can find, but that's no surprise I remember that it took M-Audio the better part of a year for Windows 7.

    There's just never going to be good driver support for a new OS on account of companies not wanting to bother. Even if the drivers don't need any changes, just testing and re-certification it can take time or just not happen at all.

    1. Re:Ya that seems kinda funny by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 1

      Of course there are no new drivers!

      Why would you buy their new and improved "Ready for Windows 8!" kit if your old-but-perfectly-functional kit worked just as well?!

      --
      Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
    2. Re:Ya that seems kinda funny by Missing.Matter · · Score: 1

      I don't have any graphics drivers for my system, but installing the Windows 7 drivers in Windows 7 compatibility mode worked fine. This should work for a great majority of drivers. My dual graphics card on my laptop are working in Windows 8. On my tablet PC, the digitizer, thumb strip, and wwan card are all working, which I usually have a problem getting drivers for.

    3. Re:Ya that seems kinda funny by Murdoch5 · · Score: 1

      Oh I agree, it doesn't matter what OS you pick, Linux, Apple or Windows. Driver support will always be in development, however I think to call it out as a sign of being released premature is wrong, I could easily pick out the same flaw in Linux, but I wouldn't say the kernel is released premature.

    4. Re:Ya that seems kinda funny by h4rr4r · · Score: 1

      This is how I got quite a few free printers and scanners. They don't work with Vista + but my linux machines like them just fine.

      This is why drivers made by someone other than the hardware maker is the way to go.

    5. Re:Ya that seems kinda funny by ifrag · · Score: 1

      but that's no surprise I remember that it took M-Audio the better part of a year for Windows 7

      I have an M-Audio Firewire audio box that still doesn't have fully working drivers for Windows 7, at least if you consider working _not_ blue screening every few minutes. Apparently if you don't have a TI chipset for Firewire you can pretty much forget about that device ever working in Win 7. But the crazy part is I had this 100% stable working in Vista, no issues at all. Seriously screwed up lack of giving a shit on their part.

      --
      Fear is the mind killer.
  22. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Ugg... stop it with the shill accounts, Microsoft. They're too transparent for anyone to take seriously.

  23. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by somersault · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well, it seems that Microsoft didn't.

    --
    which is totally what she said
  24. Re:i feel bad for all the poor and unsuccessful .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Romney, I thought I told you to get off the computer and get Ohio back in your pocket! Those jobs won't outsource themselves you know!

  25. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by joaosantos · · Score: 0

    They didn't learn anything from either Vista and Millenium so they will probably not learn much from 8 too.

  26. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by ByOhTek · · Score: 3, Funny

    They don't let you use forks and knives when you eat, do they?

    --
    Self proclaimed typo king, and inventor of the bear destroying coffee table (patent not pending).
  27. I don't see adoption happening by Rooked_One · · Score: 3

    Its like windows vista... Its a "lets dip our feet in the water" sort of pull.

    I would say its *very* preemptive to release it so shortly after people have just gotten used to Win7 and Win2008 R2. After playing with win8 and win2012, there's no way I can see either as any sort of viable OS. Trying to get people to use either is a very long jump - maybe its a long jump to see how much win8 will be used on tablets.

    Win2012 is, to me, a disaster. There's no start button - instead you must mouse down to pixel 0,0 where there's nothing to indicate "hey - start button here" and when you do discover it, its like being given a camaro, only to discover that the V-8 has been pulled out and rigged with a 4 cylinder. There's also another hidden bar for "charms." Why all the hiding?

    Hyper-V has improved a little, and there are some administrative functionality that, if you know how to get to, might be useful...

    I just think its too soon - people are comfortable with Win7 and more importantly, have gotten comfortable with Win2008 R2, and how to manage each. Big corps are just now adopting Win7, and people tend to take their "work" home with them. They have gotten comfortable with the new OS, and IT people are stubborn.

    And, lets face it - VMWare beat Microsoft to the VM punch, and that's where most small and medium, and especially large enterprises. Sure Win2012 is now manageable by one workstation, but we've been managing servers with RDP and VMware's native console passthrough for a long time.

    I'm sure lots of other people have their opinions, so lets see those.

    1. Re:I don't see adoption happening by Missing.Matter · · Score: 1

      There's no start button - instead you must mouse down to pixel 0,0 where there's nothing to indicate "hey - start button here" and when you do discover it, its like being given a camaro, only to discover that the V-8 has been pulled out and rigged with a 4 cylinder. There's also another hidden bar for "charms." Why all the hiding?

      The first time you log in to you user account, you are given a short graphical tutorial which explains "Move your mouse into any corner" and shows what happens when you do this to the top right (the start button and other charms appear). If you follow this advice and move your mouse into any corner you will find among other things: two start buttons, a search menu, a settings menu, a start button, and an application switcher.

    2. Re:I don't see adoption happening by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 2

      Because pixel hunting is fun! Hey, they give you hints, what more do you want?

    3. Re:I don't see adoption happening by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Just because the intro shows you how to do it doesn't make it a good UI design.

    4. Re:I don't see adoption happening by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And when you forget? This UI is anti-discoverable, doing the opposite of what 25 years of UI design best practices recommend, by hiding features in arbitrary places, and making you guess where they are.

    5. Re:I don't see adoption happening by Missing.Matter · · Score: 1

      It's not pixel hunting. There are exactly two things you have to remember. Right give you start, search, settings; left gives you app switching. That's it, and most people can get by with 80% of the functionality they need.

    6. Re:I don't see adoption happening by PCM2 · · Score: 1

      The first time you log in to you user account, you are given a short graphical tutorial which explains "Move your mouse into any corner"

      But this is Windows 8 and I'm using a touchscreen like Microsoft told me I wanted to! Now I has a sad.

      --
      Breakfast served all day!
    7. Re:I don't see adoption happening by rsborg · · Score: 1

      There's no start button - instead you must mouse down to pixel 0,0 where there's nothing to indicate "hey - start button here" and when you do discover it, its like being given a camaro, only to discover that the V-8 has been pulled out and rigged with a 4 cylinder. There's also another hidden bar for "charms." Why all the hiding?

      The first time you log in to you user account, you are given a short graphical tutorial which explains "Move your mouse into any corner" and shows what happens when you do this to the top right (the start button and other charms appear). If you follow this advice and move your mouse into any corner you will find among other things: two start buttons, a search menu, a settings menu, a start button, and an application switcher.

      This becomes a real fun on a VM or RDP client that doesn't comprise the entire server window. Like fun as in walking over glass shards kind of fun.

      --
      Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
    8. Re:I don't see adoption happening by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can probably explain the 0,0 coordinates part - as GNOME 3 (excuse me if got it wrong and it was Unity or something) already proved - hitting specific corner in a VM using a mode where mouse input is not captured by guest is virtually (pun not intended) impossible, making the most user-friendly and tightest guest integrating modes basically unusable. This is probably MS way to saying - you can run all your CentOS (look, it even has a hyper-v support) on your Windows Server 2012!
      And the best part is that this is so subtle that they will never get called out on this. Excellent!

    9. Re:I don't see adoption happening by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mac OS X here I come - new fleet of iMac's soon to be released, and new terror-tower to take the place of the steel
      cage that's outlasted them all.
      While I don't like everything about Mac OS - it has many more capable and usable features, is amazingly stable, doesn't crash, is intuitive yet has hidden gems, usually improves with age and simply outlasts every PC I've owned in the same time frame.
      If I HAVE TO - I can easily dual boot to a W7 install - but why do I need to?
      and now with Windows 8 coming out, further forces me into a world (M$) that is like the smartphones I loathe.

      UGH -
      Can't wait - no more strange hangs in X64 mode, or when I dump more RAM in, or upgrade my video card - or
      forget to turn off Windows Updates because their patches tend to hose things, etc, etc....

  28. Typo in summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For the record, it's spelled Taipei, not Taipai.

    1. Re:Typo in summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, it's spelled

      台北

      . ...but of course Slashdot doesn't display Chinese characters properly since it's coded by open source retards who are stuck in the 90s.

  29. Re:I agree with Intel... by ByOhTek · · Score: 1

    That happens on beta tests, if you don't want to take the risk, get the hell over it.

    That's one reason I only beta tested it on a VM.

    --
    Self proclaimed typo king, and inventor of the bear destroying coffee table (patent not pending).
  30. [Balmer] can only imagine.. by ByOhTek · · Score: 2

    Inventing a throw-a-chair-over-the-telephone device.

    --
    Self proclaimed typo king, and inventor of the bear destroying coffee table (patent not pending).
  31. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by ByOhTek · · Score: 1

    ... Don't install Windows Vista?

    --
    Self proclaimed typo king, and inventor of the bear destroying coffee table (patent not pending).
  32. Oh stop crying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just install classic shell from sourceforge and be done with it. I know it's a piece of crap but for support people it's a needed evil to learn this new garbage in order to keep a job.

  33. HINT: by geekoid · · Score: 2

    He knew perfectly well it would be leaked.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    1. Re:HINT: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, you think maybe he's setting the stage for disappointing Q4 results and buying futures for 2013-Q2 in the post Service Pack 1 for W8 era?

      Comments here are mostly about personal preferences in the UI with the exception of battery life and clock inaccessibility or improvements to Hypervisor.

      I have yet to see anyone commenting on the single biggest target of Windows8 which is the "Post PC" world of the tablet. Are you all asleep at the switch or am I dreaming when I repeat the mantra of the market that supposedly drove Windows8 in the same direction as Apple when they tried to 'unify' the experience of desktop and tablet under a single umbrella?

      The tablet isn't dead already, is it? Or did someone wake up and decide that it's just a consumer stepping stone to the W8 Smartphone?

  34. Coming up -- DLC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not ready yet? Gold masters have been made?

    DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT AT RELEASE DATE!

  35. I've forced myself to use it for over a month.... by HerculesMO · · Score: 5, Interesting

    And I can say it's great, and it's terrible.

    The great -- it's really, really fast. Boot times are under 10 seconds to completely usable, apps launch fast, and IE10 is really not as bad as I thought it might be. The snapping of windows to side by side and whatever work really, really well, and I find myself more productive by seeing my email snapped to the side and then browsing or whatever.

    The bad -- the experience is really jarring. Most of my time is spent in the "desktop" which is a complete carryover from Windows 7. I would have thought that Microsoft would have taken the effort to re-skin that in a way better than they have (see here: http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/24/2822891/windows-desktop-ui-concept), but they didn't. It's a complete lack of effort. Not to mention, that things like battery life remaining, the time, are hidden into the OS and don't make appearances anywhere.

    The ugly -- Media Center. Fuck man, that's probably the best app in Windows, and could really kick the crap out of the Apple TV or Google TV if it was properly developed. With Windows 8's API structure there could be a lot of integration here, making media center the "hub" for entertainment on the PC. So if you wanted Netflix, or Amazon, or whatever - you'd have to integrate it into Media Center. But they just booted it out because people weren't using it. Of course they weren't... when you treat it like a third rate product, it's going to get third rate attention.

    Also ugly -- control panel. There are two of them in the OS. One is the 'desktop' version which remains unchanged from Windows 7, and then there's the Metro one that lets you work on settings for "Metro". Additionally multi monitor support with "hot spots" is a nightmare. I have two monitors and at work, I have 3. Trying to get into the bottom right or left to click on the start menu is extremely difficult, and in a remote desktop window, even harder. You can't use shortcut keys in remote desktop, but I've gotten used to using Windows Key + C for the charms bar, but realistically it's annoying.

    All in all it's a mixed bag. Microsoft needs to step up development to complete the UI experience because right now it's a joke. The OS itself is fundamentally better too, in terms of speed, stability, resource usage, sleep/hibernate, etc. However nobody's going to care if it acts like a fucked up monster to play with. Most people will adapt, as they always do, and it's not terribly hard to get used to. But if you want to compete in a world of where Apple makes design a #1 priority, and people VALUE that, then you have to fix the UI experience in Windows. It's not all about usability.

    --
    The price is always right if someone else is paying.
  36. Intel displaying weakness by TheSkepticalOptimist · · Score: 1

    The only problem is that Intel's platform to support Windows 8 in a tablet platform is pre-mature. Smashing desktop or laptop CPU's into a tablet will probably result in poor battery and crippled performance and Intel is still struggling to find a foothold in the mobile CPU market. Intel is going to be put front and center in direct comparisons with iPad and Android tablets and even ARM based Windows RT tablets and I think Intel is expecting unfavorable comparisons because Microsoft is forcing Intel into a market they are not quite ready to participate in. As Intel is suffering considerable loss in the post-PC era, any lack of consumer confidence in their ability to produce a good tablet platform will result in significant decline in Intel's market share.

    Intel is spreading FUD to slow the adoption of Windows 8 while they struggle to prepare a mobile CPU platform. This speaks of a company that is lacking in confidence and perhaps has jumped the shark and are unable to compete in the post-PC era. Windows 8 may just shine a light on how slowly Intel has moved towards a mobile platform and obviously Intel is afraid of this.

    --
    I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.
    1. Re:Intel displaying weakness by PCM2 · · Score: 1

      As Intel is suffering considerable loss in the post-PC era, any lack of consumer confidence in their ability to produce a good tablet platform will result in significant decline in Intel's market share.

      If Intel is weak in tablets, as you claim, shouldn't the fact that Intel is not suffering losses, "considerable" or otherwise -- it earned $2.8 billion in profits last quarter -- be evidence that maybe we aren't really in this "post-PC era" of which you speak?

      --
      Breakfast served all day!
    2. Re:Intel displaying weakness by HerculesMO · · Score: 1

      My honest reaction to that is Windows 8 is actually the *best* tablet OS out there, bar none. This is coming from the owner of an iPad, Nexus 7, Windows phone, and iPhone 4s. Once the apps reach a critical mass (which I expect, won't take too terribly long given the codebase), you'll see the Windows tablets being the best things there are on the market.

      I agree with you in terms of Intel pushing the FUD because they aren't ready for a tablet OS -- it's true. But conversely, Microsoft is failing to make a good desktop OS and making a fabulous tablet OS. A step backwards overall, I'd say.

      --
      The price is always right if someone else is paying.
    3. Re:Intel displaying weakness by LordLimecat · · Score: 1

      This speaks of a company that is lacking in confidence and perhaps has jumped the shark and are unable to compete in the post-PC era.

      This company that has jumped the shark is the largest designer and producer of micro-gadgets in the world, has 100,000 employees (roughly as many as Google and Apple COMBINED), and made a cool $12bn last year.

      You might want to simmer down and a bit and reconsider the idea that Intel is somehow struggling, especially when they are absolutely dominating the desktop, server, and laptop markets, and their chips are rapidly approaching the low-power territory.

    4. Re:Intel displaying weakness by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Intel is spreading FUD to slow the adoption of Windows 8 while they struggle to prepare a mobile CPU platform. This speaks of a company that is lacking in confidence and perhaps has jumped the shark and are unable to compete in the post-PC era. Windows 8 may just shine a light on how slowly Intel has moved towards a mobile platform and obviously Intel is afraid of this.

      Hold on there a minute the next generation atom 22nm processors will not have Intel built linux c compiler support so what is really going on is Intel this time around is really giving Ballmer a blow job in to make up for the fact that their native processor support for high servers is better with Linux.

      Face it they have to suck up to MS this time by dropping Linux kernel support in the Atom line because if they want MS to use their Atoms for Surface at instead of an Arm based system they will need to make damn sure that MS Surface tablets with Atom processors will not run Android ....ever!

      I think this is what this is all about Intel's 22nm Atoms are most likely not ready for Windows 8 so Intel is crapping out fud because they are scared stiff about losing the consumer market show completely and becoming a only server hardware provider.

    5. Re:Intel displaying weakness by UnknowingFool · · Score: 1

      Intel is behind ARM when it comes to mobile devices but I haven't heard them spread any FUD about Win 8 yet. In fact, only last year, Intel was telling everyone that Win 8 on ARM would not be backwards compatible with Win x86/x86-64. MS all but called Intel a liar. Then six months later MS confirmed what Intel previously stated.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    6. Re:Intel displaying weakness by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      Intel already has a mobile platform prepared - they've shipped a couple Android phones based on it already. Its battery life is comparable with ARM.

  37. Conflict of Interest May Be Simple FUD by buckhead_buddy · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Windows 8 Tablets with Intel processors will not arrive this year, unlike the ARM-based RT tablets due to surface before this year's holiday purchase season.

    The marketing fire for Windows 8 will hotly blaze but most of the focus will be its advantage as a touch based tablet interface. You won't see the Today show demoing a mouse based computer for the masses.

    Perhaps Otellini doesn't want market interest to be piqued until Intel tablets can benefit? Perhaps he's just positioning any teething pains of moving to this new OS to be blamed on the ARM cores? Certainly Intel doesn't lose the business of folks who choose to stick with mouse based Windows while biding their time.

    I have no doubt there will be plenty of teething pains with Windows 8 (a major GUI inert ace change affects both user expectations and code integrity), but just remember that Intel has gains to be made by casting FUD around the early, non-Intel tablet release of Windows 8, too.

    1. Re:Conflict of Interest May Be Simple FUD by pavon · · Score: 1

      Nearly all of the Win8 tablets that will be available at launch are running Intel chips, including those from Lenovo, Dell and HP.

    2. Re:Conflict of Interest May Be Simple FUD by buckhead_buddy · · Score: 1

      You may have more current info than I do; I'm not trying to be manipulative. I'll admit I have a bit of trouble keeping up but I think there are close to 35 known tablets announced for ARM Based, Atom Based, Ivy Bridge Based, and Haswell Based tablets.

      * Windows RT Tablets based on ARM chips - downside: zero backward compatibility

      * Windows 8 Atom Based tablets - downside: used today in low cost / low performance mobile products

      * Windows 8 Ivy Bridge Core i5 Based tablets released in Preview already to developers - downside: high performance but eats power and has required active cooling.

      * Windows 8 Pro Haswell Based tablets - downside: won't be ready until approximately 90 days after October 26 release of other Win 8 products.

      The disastrous situation for Intel is if people give up on Windows 8 before Haswell is on the market in products like Microsoft's Windows 8 prototypical Surface Pro product. Lowering expectations of the market that "Yes, there are bugs in this software" and "No, it may not be completely intuitive to transition to."

      It does seem Otellini might be trying to alter people's Win 8 expectations with FUD. Not to "sabotage" Windows 8 reception (on Intel chips at least), but to give it some breathing room until they can bring their A-game to market.

      But I must admit, I have a hard time keeping up with the half-announcements and turnabout-changes to the announced products, prices, and schedules of release.

  38. Re:I agree with Intel... by binarylarry · · Score: 0

    Haha you use windows

    --
    Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
  39. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by Naatach · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It has some definite elements of awesome, but it's interface is such a turd that it's hard to look past that. I've been developing a Windows 8 class for Support staff. There's been so many times when I exclaim "Cool! That should have been in Win7". Then I have to go back to that duct-taped construction paper and glue start screen and the mystique fades away. After using it for a few weeks, I don't hate it as much as when I started, but I still wouldn't load it on my personal machine.

    --
    There may be no "I" in team, but there's also no "F" in way.
  40. No OS is ever truly an OS by Code+Yanker · · Score: 1

    until SP1.

    1. Re:No OS is ever truly an OS by Jeng · · Score: 1

      To complete the fractured thought you have posted.

      No Windows OS is ever a truly completed OS until at least the first service pack, and some need more than one service pack.

      --
      Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
    2. Re:No OS is ever truly an OS by Code+Yanker · · Score: 2

      In the history of software, I can think of no major OS releases that hit the market without major issue, much less something as high-profile as a new Windows version. Not Windows, OSX, iOS, Android, Solaris, or pick-your-flavor of Linux. The larger your scale, the more beta-testers just don't cut it anymore. You can take Apple's approach and strictly control the hardware that your software can run on, but you can always fuck that up to. You always have to wait for the first round of updates (or in Apple's situation, a free carrying case for every user) and hope that fixes it.

    3. Re:No OS is ever truly an OS by jones_supa · · Score: 1

      until SP1.

      That wasn't the case with Windows 7. Service Pack 1 was mostly just a wrap-up of the updates released so far. By the way, I wonder if SP2 is around the corner?

  41. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... Don't install Windows Vista?

    The first rule of Windows Vista is: You do not install Windows Vista.

    The second rule of Windows Vista is: You DO NOT install Windows Vista.

  42. Re:Dunno what beef is - already using 8 in product by h4rr4r · · Score: 1

    n fact, any developer worth his paycheck has probably been playing with the OS and maybe even Visual Studio 2012 for months.

    Because all developers are windows developers?

  43. Re:i feel bad for all the poor and unsuccessful .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wow, so you think you are living the good life because you can afford a Mac, and considering how you are bragging about it I take it that you can barely afford a Mac and it is the pinnacle of your life.

    Congratulations, your life is all downhill from here so you might want to just kill yourself now while you are happy.

  44. Re:Dunno what beef is - already using 8 in product by jbolden · · Score: 1

    I agree and more importantly solving the chicken and egg problem for multiple input types. Between hardware, OS and applications someone had to go first. I think Windows 8 is exciting with where Microsoft is trying to lead.

  45. And, by Lucas123 · · Score: 1

    The sky is blue, bears crap in the woods, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. It's not like he's revealing something unusual for Microsoft. When has a Windows OS release ever been fully baked?

    1. Re:And, by LordLimecat · · Score: 1

      Windows 7. Windows Server 2003.

  46. Is it really? by kennycoder · · Score: 1

    I consider myself a windows power user that uses its features and shortcuts as much as possible because I like a responsive OS. Windows 7 had it all.. fast stable and snappy. Now I've been using windows 8 rtm for some time and it's even faster. I don't get all this whining about metro ui. Just remove all metro apps and you are good to go. Same ol windows.. just a fullscreen start menu. Mine has a desktop shortcut and weather widget. That's it. And it not that bad anyway. Search works way faster. OS boots WAAY faster on a normal HDD (pretty much the same on an SSD). I do a lot of web development in php, .net with several DBs including mysql, postgres, sql server and everything works seamlessly. I just don't get everybody complaining as you are being forced to use the metro ui with everything. It's just a god damn "eye candy" with some adjustments for touch devices. Don't like it, don't use it... it's not like a fullscreen start menu with lots of personalization screws up your experience with the OS. It seems to me that almost everybody who's bashing windows 8 or haven't used it or are simply doing it for the lulz. Get over it, it's a good and stable OS and it's here to stay. And it has nothing to do with Vista.. i had to suffer with it a lot.

    --
    Fucking a fat girl is like riding a scooter... it's fun 'til someone sees you.
  47. Re:Dunno what beef is - already using 8 in product by pclminion · · Score: 0

    No, not all developers are worth their paychecks. Ooooh! Burn!

  48. The driver model changed very little by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 2

    A good deal of Windows 7 drivers work, however most companies aren't updating their support for 8 yet.

    I realize it isn't an issue for geeks but it is for normal users. They go and have a look at what their hardware supports, don't see Windows 8, and say "Oh it won't work."

    I also get rather annoyed since it is just laziness on the part of hardware companies. MS releases test builds of Windows plenty early. That is how the companies I listed manage to have Windows 8 drivers out. There really isn't an excuse for not having support. They are just lazy about it

    Some companies purposely don't do new drivers, to try and make people buy new hardware. HP is famous for that one.

    1. Re:The driver model changed very little by Murdoch5 · · Score: 1

      A company shouldn't have to build new drivers, the OS should be able to load legacy drivers.

    2. Re:The driver model changed very little by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Exactly. This is why I run Linux.

    3. Re:The driver model changed very little by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 1

      You get right on designing that. Show me an OS design such that you never need to change driver model.

    4. Re:The driver model changed very little by aztracker1 · · Score: 1

      That's just funny... depending on the hardware, Drivers are one of the things that binary compatibility is nearly impossible... This is true of every OS out there... try loading a 5+ year old driver on linux with a current kernel... Most likely it needs/needed patching to even compile. It's when a kernel/OS update breaks 3/4 of the programs you use that is really irritating.

      --
      Michael J. Ryan - tracker1.info
    5. Re:The driver model changed very little by LinuxIsGarbage · · Score: 2

      Windows 7 32 bit can run Vista-32, XP-32, and 2000-32 drivers. Win7-64 can load Vista-64 drivers, and I believe XP-64 drivers. I think Windows 8 can even run XP/2000 drivers. The only major limitation is XP video drivers won't give you Aero or DX10 or higher.

      Win98 could run WDM (which ultimately extended right into 2000 and higher), Win95 VxD files, Windows 3.1 drivers, and even DOS real-mode drivers. GRanted this led to some of the notorious instability with 9x

      That legacy driver support is better than Linux, where kernel ABI changes every month.

    6. Re:The driver model changed very little by Murdoch5 · · Score: 1

      I can pick out truck loads of drivers which don't transverse between Windows releases. Lets start with the big one Printer Drivers, RS-232 Drivers, CAN drivers, Sound Drivers, PLC drivers ...... should I keep going? Windows doesn't really support driver transverse, infact the only one's I can think of are I/O and Video. If you really want to call out Linux then fine but at least also note the fact that you can easily adapt the driver and get off running in a matter of hours, on Windows you need to wait to a possible release by the manufacture. Nice try thou.

  49. All I read was by scourfish · · Score: 1

    something about a Microsoft and a premature release. I'm sure there's an antiquated internetjoke in there somewhere.

  50. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by beachcoder · · Score: 1

    A little too obvious. Is anyone anti-shilling yet?

  51. Re:Dunno what beef is - already using 8 in product by h4rr4r · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah, the ones who work on windows and windows software.

  52. I like Win8 but can't get one thing... by gtirloni · · Score: 1

    I'm a Linux user and from what I've seen about Win8 and by running the release preview on a virtual machine... it looks pretty nice for tablets and smartphones. So much that I'm probably getting a Nokia with Win8 as my next phone.

    What I don't get is why they don't provide the same experience level of the Win7 desktop environment to desktop/laptop users. Just keep it there and let people switch between then. Sure, some apps will be for the new Metro interface.. others will be exclusive for the desktop interface (Photoshop and stuff?) but whatever... provide users with a decent migration path.

    I don't get why they have to go GNOME3 on this....

    --
    none
    1. Re:I like Win8 but can't get one thing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      What I don't get is why they don't provide the same experience level of the Win7 desktop environment to desktop/laptop users.

      Not sure what you mean. Just hit the desktop tile and you are back into Windows 7+.

  53. Re:I agree with Intel... by hobarrera · · Score: 1

    Well, most OS's include their own hardware drivers, so it's microsoft's fault for not providing any drivers, and forcing you to use third party drivers.
    Also, aren't the nvidia drivers MS-certified?

  54. Re:Dunno what beef is - already using 8 in product by thereitis · · Score: 1

    We've already flipped half our Windows desktops and laptops to Windows 8. Except for a utility to put the start menu button back, we're not looking back.

    What types of users and how many? How much training was needed?

  55. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Pretty lame nobody at MicroSoft thought to register an earlier UID.

  56. Re:Dunno what beef is - already using 8 in product by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We've already flipped half our Windows desktops and laptops to Windows 8. Except for a utility to put the start menu button back, we're not looking back.

    I'm guessing that's probably a total of 1-2 machines . . .

  57. Maybe it's just Intel that's not ready? by AMDinator · · Score: 1

    Funny- it's Intel's driver for my PRO/1000 GT that's been occasionally causing my desktop to crash and reset when going into standby, according to the minidumps. Maybe it's just Intel that's not ready for Windows 8? Win8 Pro RTM x64 from MSDNAA.

  58. Re:Dunno what beef is - already using 8 in product by JustNiz · · Score: 1, Informative

    >>> In fact, any developer worth his paycheck has probably been playing with the OS and maybe even Visual Studio 2012 for months.

    Uhh no. Microsoft isn't the only platform in the world you know. Its not even the most popular platform in the sw development jobs market any more.

    Many developers never use Microsoft platforms at all, so dont even notice Windows 8, much less want to waste time learning it. Personally I actively avoid development jobs for any Microsoft platform as its always been a relatively bad experience.

  59. Can we tag an article as "troll"? by Bugler412 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Been running the RTM version for over a month on reasonably current hardware machines from multiple vendors, desktop, laptop, tablet/laptop hybrids. Zero instability, zero driver issues, everything works. You can bitch all you want about the metro UI, and the disconnected nature of dekstop to metro switching. Some or much of that bitching is completely and absolutely justified and I agree justified. But the OS is objectively better in a lot of other areas than Win7. If you don't like it, don't buy it, the market will make it's opinion known. But younger users more accustomed to iPhone or Android when exposed to Win8 next to some of it's competitiors in my experience have 100% unamimously thought that Win8 is "cool" and expressed a real interst in running it on at least touch enabled hardware. But inflating UI bitching into some larger issue with the OS is just immature trolling. Much like what we see every time a Linux distribution switches out the default GUI.

    1. Re:Can we tag an article as "troll"? by HyperQuantum · · Score: 2

      What do you mean, "If you don't like it, don't buy it"? It will be shovelled down people's throats whether they like it or not when they buy a new PC.

      --
      I am not really here right now.
  60. Re:taipai by kumanopuusan · · Score: 1

    no, it should be spelled like this

    --
    Use of the words "good", "bad" or "evil" is almost invariably the result of oversimplification.
  61. Re:i feel bad for all the poor and unsuccessful .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    u jelly bro?

  62. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by LordLimecat · · Score: 2

    Care to give some big examples? Im currently at a loss as to why I would stick Win8 on my work laptop, which I use for testing, coding, documentation, virtualization.

    If there are useful workflow / productivity improvements, Id love to know about em; so far all I got was "you need to relearn how you relate to your desktop" which isnt terribly appealing.

  63. Re:I've forced myself to use it for over a month.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The interesting thing about the media center is that in my windows 7.5 phone is is exactaly like this, a hub to all media prograns.

    I like metro and can understand why MS don't made a kick ass metro media center.

  64. Re:i feel bad for all the poor and unsuccessful .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Naw, it's just funny when someone thinks they are better than someone all because of an item they went to a store and bought.

  65. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by ifrag · · Score: 1

    3rd Rule of Vista: If a driver says "stop", times out, or blue screens the up-time is over.

    --
    Fear is the mind killer.
  66. In other news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This just in... Water is wet.

  67. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by phantomfive · · Score: 2

    I've been testing Windows 8 for some while and I must say it's borderline awesome to use.

    That's because you are a troll who created a brand new account exactly to write that comment.

    I think the Start Menu in Windows 8 is especially hilarious. Microsoft redid the Start menu in Vista, and people complained. Then they ran some surveys and found people don't use the Start menu anymore.

    So they took it out completely. Brilliant, isn't it?

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  68. Re:taipai by GuJiaXian · · Score: 1

    Let me clarify (and you're right, I should have been more clear up front): When using the Pinyin romanization system, it should be spelled Taibei.

  69. It may have to do with Intel based tablets by ninjacut · · Score: 1

    Not sure what this is about, but after using Windows 8 for over 5 months now I don't see anything that is of concern. Everything that worked on Windows 7 work on Windows 8 without any issues. The new UI is good, and overall the OS is very snappy and quick performer. All that complains about learning curve are wrong, pick the basics in 5 minutes and you are done. All my machines run RTM now,It is a must upgrade for all Windows users for sure. Intel always had power issues to manage, which are more critical on tablets. That may be one of the areas of concern, but it has nothing to do with PC users.

  70. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

    It sure is...if your screen is 1366x768 or less, and if its touch enabled. Everywhere else? Its sucks big hairy balls. I could list all the royal PITA moments I had with that OS but why bother when this article appropriately entitled Windows 8, yes its THAT bad sums it up better than I ever could. the only thing I'd add is that their "desktop mode" is frankly a crippled ribbon happy joke compared to the feature rich desktop of Windows 7.

    So while I'll buy a couple of copies, simply because at $40 a piece for Win 8 Pro they are giving it away and I hope either Start8 or Classic Shell will give me an ersatz Win 7 Pro for $40 I can say if they offered both Win 7 and Win 8 at the same price? I doubt seriously they'd get enough takers of Win 8 to even bother. Yes its THAT bad.

    --
    ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
  71. probably just sour grapes from intel by slew · · Score: 1

    Back when vista was released, intel was co-releasing core2duo and core2quad desktop chips
    Back when win7 was released, intel was co-releasing the core-i7 chips

    From intel's point of view, microsoft is 'jumping-the-gun'. Haswell isn't going to be released until summer and microsoft is gearing up for a christmas refresh, so they can't draft any Win8 refresh pull when haswell becomes available.

  72. Re:I've forced myself to use it for over a month.. by yakumo.unr · · Score: 1

    I've been using it for maybe a month since trying it and being really impressed with the startup times. I've finished installing everything I used on win7 and more (vs2012 for example) and it's retaining it's impressive speed.

    I haven't tried multi monitor yet, but I had thought about that problem, metro really is pretty awful, I don't mind it when I tap the windows key and start typing to find the program I want, but I don't use it for anything else, and it annoys me if something causes it to come up.

    The only real problem I've had is sometimes that search box doesn't clear.
    so
    [winkey] ecl (enter) (eclipse)
    [winkey] note (enter) (notepad++)

    and it ends up with "eclnote" which doesn't hit any search results.

    how the hell did that get through beta testing?? admittedly it's sporadic, but seriously why is the search box not cleared every time metro pops up?

  73. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by Grishnakh · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They're idiots. People DO use the start menu, they just don't use it very often, but when they need it, they want it to work like they expect.

    On my car, when I check the oil, it's really simple: there's a dipstick right in the front when I open the hood. Do I check the oil often? Certainly not. But when I do, I know how to do it, and it's simple; I don't want some car company coming up with some weird-ass procedure for checking the oil just because I don't do it every day.

  74. MSFT to fall behind GOOG by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

    As of today, Google has reached 97% of Microsoft's market cap. After Google passes Microsoft IBM won't be far behind. Ballmer effect. Thanks Steve.

    --
    When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    1. Re:MSFT to fall behind GOOG by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      If they just got rid of Ballmer, MSFT could recover.

      Mind you, the local chair makers would be sad.

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    2. Re:MSFT to fall behind GOOG by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      I fully appreciate Steve Ballmer. He couldn't happen to a nicer company.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
  75. Re:i feel bad for all the poor and unsuccessful .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, that's what all the downscale people say. I provide a lot of value to society and so I am rewarded for my contributions. Deal with it, nerd.

  76. Re:I've forced myself to use it for over a month.. by jbabco · · Score: 1

    Hmmm... tried that. Clears for me. I'm using Ultimate build 9200.

  77. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by hairyfeet · · Score: 5, Informative

    I have used it on several, I'll be happy to list specs and give a review of each.

    First up is a EEE E350 netbook, here? It is actually okay. Not great, but its okay, as with the bobcat dual core and a 12 inch screen you're not gonna run more than one app at a time and their hack boot (hybrid sleep) actually shaves about 20% off the boot time. Can't tell any difference on battery life, still around 5 hours watching videos or a little over 6 surfing, not bad but not really any different than what I was seeing on 7 as far as battery life.

    Next up my test for older systems, a Pentium 4 3.6GHz with HT box I had sitting in the corner KVM'd into my shop monitor which is a 1600x900 20 inch...yuck. Oh the performance was okay, it again booted a little faster than Win 7 but the constant switching between metro and desktop sucked and the metro UI just doesn't work well on a large screen, especially once you go past around 12 programs installed. The whole thing quickly fills up to become this large multi-page mess.

    Finally we have my personal system, an AMD 6 core on a 22 inch 1600x900 monitor...again with the yuck, I like to game on this as it has 8Gb of RAM and an HD4850 GPU and once i started loading up my games again metro became seriously messy, I'm the kind that don't allow more than a couple of icons on my desktop and having this huge shotgun blast of a start screen was irritating. Again the hybrid boot was a little faster but seeing as I only turn this system off when its storming doesn't really sway my opinion and the Metro apps just suck, no way to easily multitask and there was some I even had to use Task Manager to kill because they just didn't want to stop, really beta quality crap which considering this was RP didn't make me feel good about it.

    Final verdict? the only one where it felt like the equal of Win 7 was on the netbook, which considering its roughly the same size as a large tablet shouldn't be surprising. I said it before and I'll say it again, Win 8 is a tablet and cell phone OS that has been shoehorned by MSFT onto the desktop to try to get people "used" to their tablet UI in the hopes people will buy it over Android and iPad. Will it work? I seriously doubt it, but thankfully Win 7 is supported until 2020 so we have plenty of time to kick back and see how Win 9 comes out. Hopefully MSFT will do as reviewers have suggested and just split metro off for tablets and leave Win 9 with a functional desktop UI instead of this mish mash.

    --
    ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
  78. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Replace "Windows" with "" and you wouldn't claim that the poster was a shill.

    You are showing your massive biases.

  79. We will serve no WINE before it's time by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    We will serve no WINE before it's time.

    It's time, gentlemen.

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  80. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by jones_supa · · Score: 1

    Then they ran some surveys and found people don't use the Start menu anymore. So they took it out completely. Brilliant, isn't it?

    Maybe, but what they just did was to transform it into a clunky full screen version. Not very brilliant solution, that.

  81. Win 8 testing or the MSFT Bob experience by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 2

    I've been testing Windows 8 for some while and I must say it's borderline awesome to use.

    I agree.

    It's the best thing since Microsoft B.O.B.

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  82. Re:I agree with Intel... by jones_supa · · Score: 1

    How did it happen? It's very rare that software destroys hardware.

  83. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by hairyfeet · · Score: 0

    Insightful? For a post that just says "Ur a shill!" with ZERO proof? Really? If one shows evidence of shilling, such as linking to that person's UID showing a pattern of posts all putting the same buzzword bingo posts for company X or against company Y? then YES, pointing out that they could be a shill or a troll is warranted and insightful. But I have to agree with The Reg which has banned posts that say shill without proof, as it always ends up "You don't like the things I like so u must be teh shill!" which is just pointless.

    Hell maybe the guy really LIKES Windows 8, ever think of that? I knew a guy that liked WinME, met a nice little old lady that just loves her WinVista laptop, hell I've met people who actually enjoy sitting through "The Room" and don't see why "The Phantom Menace" is all that awful. Doesn't mean those are good products, just means in a large enough group you'll find somebody that will like it, no matter whether everyone else thinks it sucked. I personally like a nice thin layer of mashed potatoes on a meat lovers pizza, it gives a nice creamy texture while absorbing the flavor of the sauce, it just means we all have differing tastes.

    One shouldn't raise the shill card unless they have something other than "U like what I no like!" as "proof" of shilling.

    --
    ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
  84. Re:Dunno what beef is - already using 8 in product by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Developers should refuse paid work based on ideology? Some of us have families to support and don't just live on the MIT campus in a tent after they kicked us out of our office.

  85. Re:Dunno what beef is - already using 8 in product by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The OS needs to get out there so developers will target it. In fact, any developer worth his paycheck has probably been playing with the OS and maybe even Visual Studio 2012 for months.

    Any developer worth their paycheck does not care about any particular operating system.

  86. Angry phone call from Ballmer? by AngryDill · · Score: 1

    I think that, with Intel recently announcing that it will be making processors that only work with Windows (and by sheer coincidence, AMD making a similar announcement as well), ol' Steve-O will find a way to forgive him.

    -a.d.-

    --


    I'm Erwin Schrodinger and I approve of this message, and I do not approve of this message!
  87. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by jbonomi · · Score: 1

    I must be especially tolerant of it for some reason. I have been using the release preview on a 1920x1080 desktop for a while now, and I don't miss 7 at all. I guess my interaction with the start menu has always been minimal, relying on the search function almost 100% of the time. That still works fine for me. I haven't noticed any trouble in using the desktop interface either, and I appreciate the changes to explorer.

  88. Re:Dunno what beef is - already using 8 in product by aztracker1 · · Score: 1

    I would say that web application dev with MS tools can be really nice... as long as you understand web development, and how html/css/js work together... Most .Net web devs struggle to get the square peg of their third party commercial ui library into the round opening of the rest of their web app.

    --
    Michael J. Ryan - tracker1.info
  89. This has probably already been said but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When is it ever ready? Pre SP1 always feels like beta to me (when it comes to non-server OSs from Microsoft.)

  90. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by Jeng · · Score: 4, Informative

    The shills create a new account for each story and they tend to drop that account rather fast.

    For proof, check the posting history of the person being accused of being a shill.

    He has only posted in this story and that account will never be used again.

    Also he posted the very minute that the story was available to post in even though that account is not a subscriber.

    This is the common MO of shills on /. , new account, only posts in this one story, first post at the same time story was available to post in. You see that situation and you will know that that person is a shill.

    --
    Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
  91. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by TemporalBeing · · Score: 1

    3rd Rule of Vista: If a driver says "stop", times out, or blue screens the up-time is over.

    But then you wouldn't have listened to the first two rules.

    --
    Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away. - Elvis Presley (source: imdb.com)
  92. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by mcgrew · · Score: 1

    I spotted a typo: that's spelled "awful," not "awesome."

  93. Re:I've forced myself to use it for over a month.. by jbolden · · Score: 1

    I think the desktop is meant to be a carryover from Win 7. I think the idea is that Win32 becomes a legacy environment feeling more and more like a guest operating system on Metro. This pushes application developers towards supporting Metro directly.

  94. Re:I agree with Intel... by sudden.zero · · Score: 2

    I believe it is a flaw in the Windows 8 power management schema, because of how the incident occurred. When I first installed Windows 8 I noticed shortly after that my monitor would go to sleep after 5 minutes regardless of what the power management settings, bios settings, or any other settings were set to. I posted to the Windows 8 forum, followed all the suggestions by the forum moderators, and none of them fixed the issue. A couple of days later my computer shut itself off out of no-where, which had never happened before with this box, but I figured that is Windows for ya. I powered it back on, and it shut itself right back off again. So, I opened the case up and went to check things out. When I checked to make sure the video card was seated properly it was so hot that it burned me. So, I unplugged the monitor from the video card, put a glove on that I keep close by for when I am soldering, and unseated the video card. Then I plugged the monitor in to my on-board card and powered my machine back up. After that I had no issues with anything including the monitor time-out issue. Oh and by the way. The ticket that was created about my issue is still open on the Windows 8 forum so, as far as I know this issue has not been fixed.

  95. Re:I've forced myself to use it for over a month.. by yakumo.unr · · Score: 1

    it does most of the time, I can't find a way of causing it, it just happens a few times a day at least.

    x64 pro Microsoft Windows [Version 6.2.9200] from msdna

  96. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by dbIII · · Score: 2

    There are people in my workplace that refuse to use the start menu and instead get people with a clue to pre-fill their screens with icons. They then spend 30 seconds or so at a time trying to find the right icon on their desktop each time they go to start something.

  97. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

    I wouldn't be able to come up with any big examples, but there are small things like that new copy dialog with pause/resume, or the fact that it can now stretch the taskbar across several displays. Ribbon in Explorer is actually pretty handy, at least compared to Vista/7 toolbars.

    Technical feature wise, the only big thing I can think of is the ability to run Hyper-V on it (on a client OS version, as opposed to a server).

  98. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

    Screen resolution actually doesn't matter, only physical screen size and form factor do. I mean, if it's a 10" tablet running at 1920x1200, it's not really any different from the same tablet running at 1366x768.

  99. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

    But don't you see that THAT is also evidence of shilling and would thus constitute the basic proof which I dared to get modded down for asking for?

    Lets be honest, show me ONE person, just one mind you, that went to all the trouble to make an account at some forum and made only ONE post? You can't because other than shills that doesn't happen. I remember why I quit lurking and made an account, there was an argument about file systems of all things and I must have put in 5 posts on that thread within 30 minutes, just going back and forth arguing the merits of various systems for various roles. Now THAT is how someone normally makes an account, because there is a subject they feel passion for being discussed or some topic on which they believe their view has some merit and they will be placing more than one post arguing it.

    So while you deserve your informative mod for pointing out their MO I would argue that if someone wanted to scream "shill!" they should have at least linked to his UID because that very MO makes a true shill easy to spot. On the other hand I've seen far too many times someone try to be shut down by the peanut gallery screaming "U R teh Shill!" when a simple click on their UID would see their history of posting various comments on various topics so all that is proven is the person has a view going against groupthink. As I said I've met people that liked Vista and WinME, doesn't make them good OSes, just means there is always somebody that will like a product if you put enough people together.

    That is why I think like The Reg that /. should ban posts that just scream "shill!" without a shred of proof. Link to their UID, if its only the one post? there is your evidence, if they only post buzzword bingo on posts about one company? there is your evidence. hell its not like actual shills are hard to spot even without the screams, their posts read like buzzword bingo of marketing drones, not how ordinary people talk.

    --
    ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
  100. Re:Dunno what beef is - already using 8 in product by Brewmeister_Z · · Score: 1

    HP driver support for older hardware that is still viable is pathetic. I cannot get a working NVIDIA driver since the control freaks at HP won't let NVIDIA release them directly and I have had poor luck forcing Vista/Win7 64-bit drivers to install and then actually work in Windows 8.

    This HP laptop I am using has the touchscreen requiring a stylus and the tracking to the touch point is always off so going to the corners does not work at all so I have to use the mouse or touchpad. That is a big UI failure for this hardware. I suppose Windows 8 could be good... maybe when they do the first first service pack and/or re-release as Windows 9.

    --
    I Cater to the Needs of Stupid People. - from a coffee mug Christmas gift
  101. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by Jeng · · Score: 1

    Yes, all too often fanbois have been called shills, but the posts that happen at the very same moment that one could post, those are always shills.

    No one goes and creates a new account to post in a story and writes the entire post in under a minute.

    --
    Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
  102. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    USE YOUR BRAIN MAN!

  103. Re:Been testing Windows 8 by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

    Uhhh..I've gotten several FPs, not because I gave a crap, but because a story popped up that I was interested in and just happened to be the first one to post.

    So again the better metric is look at the poster's history, if they only have ONE post, and don't bother to follow up or post on another topic? There is your proof. if they ONLY post on articles about product Y with glowing reviews of product Y? Then again THERE is your proof.

    But if we don't have standards we end up with EVERY thread being filled with "Ur a shill!" such as what I'm looking at right now on the AMD thread, somebody said having integrated graphics isn't smart and got called an Intel shill for saying so. Since integrated graphics have to share system memory while dedicated graphics do not then there IS merit to his belief, but because we have ZERO standards for using that word, unlike the reg who bans posts that throw that word with zero evidence, then frankly the word gets used too much and becomes meaningless, like troll has now become "I don't like your tone mister!" instead of what it originally was, a poster that wrote posts designed to piss people off to see how many hits they could get.

    Maybe its because I've always been a George Carlin fan, but he said we should value words and not let the meanings get twisted and it seems to me troll and shill are quickly becoming 'I disagree with you!" instead of what they SHOULD be, which is kinda sad.

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    ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
  104. Re:Dunno what beef is - already using 8 in product by JustNiz · · Score: 1

    Maybe but I wouldn't know, as I'm apparently one of the few developers left who dont work on web apps but write actual software in an actual programming language rather than just hack scripts in html/css/js

    I don't know the first thing about web apps or nor do I want to. Mostly I just dislike the whole "everything needs a browser to run" paradigm, but also If you tried to web-ise any of the aircraft cockpit systems we make it could be fatal. Literally.