Windows 8 - Looks really awsome

But, that's precisely what I dislike. I like an empty desktop. From what I could understand, judging by Softpedia's screenshots, is that I can have that as well in Windows 8 Consumer Preview...

Example: -http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/Windows-8-Consumer-Preview-Task-Manager-8.png/

So, I gather that it's possible to have Windows 7ish look... I don't understand the complaints about not being possible?

Anyway, that's all I want. There seems to exist a Desktop Mode functionality, and that's all I want. I'm OK with everything else... except the killswitch.

-edit-

-http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows-8-Consumer-Preview-Desktop-Mode-Windows-Explorer-256057.shtml

 

i take it you haven't tried it yet.

the Start menu has been redesigned for tablets and phones, and they named it Metro.
but someone in Redmond thought it would be a brilliant idea to tack it on top of the Desktop.

unfortunately, that kill switch you talked about does not work on Metro

 

OK. So, there was confusion between the Metro style itself and the Metro (=Start Menu redesigned).

They should have named the damn thing with a different name, gee. All this talk about Metro... ends up being confusing

 

Its easy, as a desktop user see the new Metro as full screen Start Menue with big sortable icons. Im using Win8 like Win7 and loving Metro. Its faster to "see" the aplication you want to launch. Until more aps come with Metro look its no big difference for me from Win7 to Win8 besides Win8 being much faster in all areas (boot, file copy, application launching, less hdd usage).

 

Metro is not only a souped up Start Menu, but a Desktop environment for tablets and such.

if you have fast bandwidth and a stored system image (or virtual machine) you can give it a try, for an hour or 2.

 

For those who have, like me, accidentally removed needed shortcuts via CCleaner, here's an archive containing the needed shortcuts for restore: http://www.eightforums.com/customiz...pc-settings-windows-8-consumer-preview-2.html

 

I know that Metro isn't just the now gone Start menu. And, I know about Metro - the desktop environment. But, it was mentioned, in this thread, that this environment was probably the only one possible in the Consumer Preview; that's not the case, though. As one can see by Softpedia's screenshots.

But, you previously said the Start menu has been redesigned for tablets and phones, and they named it Metro, which I took that not only there was the Metro desktop, but also the new "Start menu", also called Metro.

There's just one Metro. As I thought. I don't care much about the now not-so Start Menu; I care about the desktop environment as I know it, in Windows 7. It's still there; I thought that it was gone for good. It got me concerned.

 

Metro it the UI. Like Aero. IT's the entire UI.

The metro start menu, compared to the aero start menu, is larger and uses "blocks" to represent shortcuts to applications. Th aero start menu used a list.

 

Just read in another forum that the "talk" at MS suggests they will likely bring back the start menu including full support for it. So I'm going back to Dev. Preview and using the registry hack to bring back the desktop.

 

they better be, otherwise they're looking at an epic failure, sales-wise.

i'd love to be a fly on a wall in Redmond right now

 

I expect that would be interesting.

 

Not much likely... even if Windows 8 is as bad or worse than Vista (doesn't seem), it will be pre-installed in practically every new pc, lol.

 

That doesn't mean anything, at all. If I were to buy a new computer, that came with Windows 8, and it was a total mess to the point I couldn't even work with it, then I'd go back to the computer shop reclaim the money I paid for having it. We don't just pay for the machine, we also pay a tax for the system.

So, either I get refunded for the tax I paid or they install me Windows 7 (I have the DVD, but that's beside the point... ). Even if we were at a point with no official support for Windows 7. I still would want it installed or a refund.

As moontan said a few posts behind, the client is always right...

 

Yes, thats the way it should be

 

I don't know that "tax" is the appropriate term when you are actually ARE buying a license as part of your purchase price. Unless anything changes when you buy a new OS from Microsoft you get downgrade rights to a still supported previous OS. People used this a lot when Vista came out and they wanted XP on their new machine. Even if 8 (I thought that was just a code name, I guess we will see) turns out to be a public flop on the desktop, it will be perfectly acceptable to run 7 until the next thing comes out, at which point you can move directly to it or possibly an alternative if something else has succeeded by then. Given the current success of Apple and Google with mobile devices, the last thing Microsoft wants to do it blow it on the desktop.

 

Yeah, which is why I called it tax and not tax. I call it tax because I don't ask for Windows to come pre-installed in the machine. And, many people have no clue they can ask not to have Windows installed on that machine and get a refund for that tax.

If Microsoft wants deals with computer manufacturers, that's up to them; but then they shouldn't force me to pay for something I didn't ask for, at all.

You're actually right! Considering that most people don't know about their rights - that they can demand Windows to be removed and refunded - this is actually pure extortion.

Granted, I don't know how this works everywhere.

 

Uh oh... Evolution, I suppose... We all know that everyone likes to use hotkeys all the time. In fact, I think that there should be no visible options, at all. Let us all use a combination of hot keys, instead.

Damn... What's the hot key combination to do this?

While the Windows 8 user thinks about it, he/she already got a few seconds/minutes older.

I mean, I'm fine with it, but I'm already predicting situations like these Hey, why the **** can't I turn it off?... Oh, you need this hot key combination...... What What's hot?

 

Thanks for that article JR...I think I need a few more like that to explain a few things

And let's hope they're really willing to listen to (and act upon) user feedback on W8....e.g. Do mostly "desktop-people" need the Start menu?

I've found that it doesn't retain the desktop icon config following a reboot, and deletes taskbar icons.
Doesn't seem to want to accept Firefox as the default, and will insist on using IE a lot of the time.
Also, for example, I like to use snipping tool a lot, but can't seem to find a way to enable it easily on desktop Guess there's a keyboard shortcut...but there used to be the (easily accessible) Start menu...hmmm, onwards...but upwards? Not yet convinced about Windows 8 overall.

 

I have gone back to 7 for now. I don't want to be negative about 8, but I don't really like the full screen Metro apps at all and in general, I find it takes more time and searching just to do ordinary things and maintenance on the PC. So I ask myself why do I need this? Answer is: I don't.

I'll stick with 7 until something changes, or until 8 is forced on me in a new computer purchase....

 

Wow JR...thanks a million
I'll take some time, and try to learn some.

 

"Metro breakdown! Windows 8 UI is little gain for lots of pain" : http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/03/03/andrew_does_windows8/