Topic: Windows 8 Consumer Preview...

[spyder9]

I played with W8 at a Best Buy last night.  Very fast and smooth on the new hardware.  Windows RT tablet is amazing too.  Perfect for work.  Just needs more apps.     

That said, I did not like the touch screen laptops, for I never felt compelled to use the keyboard.  Waste.  The GUI is their biggest change since Windows 95 debuted, IMO.  It will take time for me to adapt.  GUI feels "hollow".  The screens will need customization, which is what W8 brings.   Overall, I think its innovative and Microsoft needed to do this to stay on top of Apple and Google.  I did not come away disappointed.  On the contrary, it made me consider Apple as another viable option for my future computing.  I checked out a Macbook Pro to compare W8 to Mountain Lion.  It's GUI left me with the same "WTF" look on my face.     

[Gordon]

here's a hell of an update from my post in march.  I wrote this a few days ago.  I've since changed the start menu option to start8. cost $5 and works great.  you can boot to the desktop but still easily access "metro apps".  lots of other great features as well.

I've also ditched the dual boot and went all win 8 on my laptop!  I honestly thought I would hate it but I'm impressed.  that said I've spent most of the time in the desktop.  I do have and use some metro apps.

I got the $40 upgrade version from Microsoft.  I planned to set up a dual boot on my laptop with windows 7.  since it's an upgrade another version of windows HAS to be on the partition you are installing win 8 on.  so I had to install another win 7 on the second partition to then "upgrade".  kind of a pain but it worked great and I now have a dual boot system.

I went in with an open mind and it's not that bad.  like it or not this is the future of OS's.  hell even chrome now has "apps" when you open the browser.  that said first thing I did was get the start menu for the desktop back using ViStart, got google search and chrome for "metro".  Still figuring my way around "metro" but it's not that hard with a keyboard and mouse.  obviously it would be better as touch but it's not bad.

what I do like about "metro" is having news, weather etc right there as soon you start.  you can easily uninstall or hide any of the apps that come with it and add others.

some other things I like better:

it's fast!

windows explorer!  I like the menu options within a folder a lot.  most everything you would need to do with a rightclick is right there above you.

the task manager is way better.  way more useful information.

battery life on laptop seems better with the same power settings.  that is probably due to lack of aero.

I honestly don't know what all the fuss is about!  you can easily go to and from the desktop that we are all familiar with.  yes the start menu is gone but that is easily fixed.  you are not locked into using their apps for everything.  simply install what you want on the desktop portion.  that said I do think the "metro" ui is useful in it's own way.

[Gordon]

oh and damn shutdown and startup is fast!    faster than my ssd in my win 7 build (boot and shutdown I mean, not drive speed itself).  I had read this and didn't experience it on dual boot.  now that it's single boot (on a 5400 rmp hdd) it's insanely fast.

[spyder9]

Gonna give it a test drive on my old Dell D400 lapper.  It beats all the min reqs.  If I like W8, I'll update my desktop too, but coupled with an SSD upgrade.  My desktop is a Dell Core2Duo Q6600.  Turns 6 years old in three weeks.