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Windows 8 preview
Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
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Has anybody tried out the Windows 8 preview? I just installed it in a VM to test out Allegro.cc and the File API for giggles. Type in www.allegro.cc and I get a blank page. :P

Apparently they broke XML rendering.

I realize it's just a preview and I'm using a VM, but the entire thing seems completely directionless, particularly as a desktop OS. RIP, Microsoft.

verthex
Member #11,340
September 2009
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Its possible MS will still be in business 10 years from now, although their market share in terms of mainstream computing maybe over.

Edgar Reynaldo
Major Reynaldo
May 2007
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Karadoc ~~
Member #2,749
September 2002
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I'm downloading it now.

What free VM software do you recommend? If there are no recommendations, I'll try virtual box.

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Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
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I used VirtualBox.

Let me know if the Windows key worked. Something wasn't working under OS X as I couldn't even get out of metro apps.

Edit: Right Alt is getting picked up as the Windows key, so that helps a bit...

Edit 2: I think allegro.cc is blank because I send IE 8 (I think) compatibility hints in the headers due to nothing working right in IE 9. But IE 10 seemingly works differently.

Even when sending the IE 8 header, it reports that it supports XHTML. So it accepts the XHTML page, then pretends it is IE 8, and refuses to render it. IE 9 acts more intelligently, as it must request the page again as IE 8 saying that it doesn't support XHTML.

Or something like that.

Steve Terry
Member #1,989
March 2002
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Is their file search still crap? I really do hope this is the beginning of the end for MS.
Oh, half the reason is I heard IE 10 has once again been integrated into the OS and cannot be removed.

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jmasterx
Member #11,410
October 2009

We installed Windows 8 Developer Preview at my school and I just hate everything about it. I had to install a non Microsoft patch to get the start menu to be normal, I hate the metro apps screen. I also found it difficult just to shut down. I had to go to the Start button, put my mouse all the way down to the bottom of the screen. A menu then pops up, I click settings. Now to my right I see the I/O sign where I can choose to shut down, restart or stand by. Thank you Microsoft for once again having the end user in mind and not your IE / Bing agenda -_-'. Even the beloved BSOD got a cartoon makeover.

Neil Walker
Member #210
April 2000
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A mate has one of those fancy laptop/touchpad hybrids (where you can detach the screen) and he's running Windows 8 in the tablet mode and he has no problems, though I think it's a bit crap running a desktop using a smartphone/tablet interface.

browser seemed ok though, but he never tried allegro.cc

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Arthur Kalliokoski
Second in Command
February 2005
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it's a bit crap running a desktop using a smartphone/tablet interface.

DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS!

They all watch too much MSNBC... they get ideas.

AMCerasoli
Member #11,955
May 2010
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I really do hope this is the beginning of the end for MS.

Yes?, and what do you offer to us?.

Mac?, the super expensive computers, that do the same than the others?.

Or maybe one of the 40.000 version of Linux?. Linux 1, Linux 2, Linux Mandrake, Ubuntu, Musix Linux, SUSE Linux and on and on and on... And be using a VM 90% of the time, in an OS that is not compatible with 85% of programs and you need to learn how to learn to use it?. No thanks. Long live to Windows.

Arthur Kalliokoski
Second in Command
February 2005
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you need to learn how to learn to use it?

You needed to learn to use Windows too. If you think it's "easy", grab some computer illiterate person and ask them to do something or other.

They all watch too much MSNBC... they get ideas.

MiquelFire
Member #3,110
January 2003
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After playing for a bit. I don't like it. Then again, I hate what iPhone did to the phone market. Damn touch screen.

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bamccaig
Member #7,536
July 2006
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I gave in and bought Windows Seven for PC gaming, but I vowed to never buy another Microsoft product again. In fact, after VMware Workstation, I vowed to never buy another proprietary product again. GNU FTW. I really do hope that Windows 8 is an utter failure. Hopefully it will increase the attention given to GNU and get more free software drivers written, which will mean better support for gaming. When I can play modern PC games on GNU then I'll have zero need or want for Windows.

AMCerasoli
Member #11,955
May 2010
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You needed to learn to use Windows too. If you think it's "easy", grab some computer illiterate person and ask them to do something or other.

Well, that may be true, is too late for me to use me as an example, whatever new system I use I know how to do it, I know what to search and where. But something makes me think that if I grab two computer illiterate persons and ask them to do something, the one using Windows will get it faster, but probably I'm wrong.

Arthur Kalliokoski
Second in Command
February 2005
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if I grab two computer illiterate persons and ask them to do something, the one using Windows will get it faster

Some things that MS has decided to make easy will be easier, such as putting a video file into an email (ActiveX) or running a CD inserted into a drive (AutoRun), some things are harder, such as fixing broken files in the system directory ("You don't have permission to do that" even when you're administrator) or turning off AutoRun.

They all watch too much MSNBC... they get ideas.

kenmasters1976
Member #8,794
July 2007

My nephew installed Windows 8 in his laptop. I think it may work for tablets and other touch enabled gadgets, but for desktop users it just doesn't feel right. In the end people will get used to it, I'm afraid.

Some things that MS has decided to make easy will be easier...

I totally agree. Somethings are even a lot easier on Linux; for example, setting up a network connection between two computers. And I'm not a Linux user.

Evert
Member #794
November 2000
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the super expensive computers, that do the same than the others?

This again?
There are no cheap Macs. That's not the same thing.
Actually, I compared the Mac Pro's to other workstation solutions the other day, and they look pretty good. Too bad I don't want a Mac for a workstation.

As for Windows 8, what I saw of it looked horrible. Not how I want to operate my computer.
But I wasn't going to get it anyway.

Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
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I don't understand the touch component of a desktop OS. Do people actually want to reach out and touch their screen? How is that an improvement over a mouse?

I realize a certain subset of computer users would find touch screens to be easier. Particularly older people often struggle with the hand eye coordination needed to use a mouse. But as I am not physically challenged, why in the world would I want to reach out and touch the monitor every time I wanted to scroll something when I can just use mouse wheel or a trackpad?

Bob Keane
Member #7,342
June 2006

I won't try anything after WinXP Pro. I think the reason MS is going to touch screen instead of a mouse is because computing in general is moving toward cell phones and Kindle books. Sad day for computing.

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weapon_S
Member #7,859
October 2006
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jmasterx said:

Even the beloved BSOD got a cartoon makeover.

Am I the only one picturing Clippy showing up? "Huh, your computer froze , huh? Let me Bing the the solutions for you.

PLEASE WAIT

"

Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
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Bob Keane said:

I won't try anything after WinXP Pro.

Windows 7 is very nice, in my opinion. I wouldn't write that off.

The Windows Preview looks like nothing more than removing the start menu from Windows 7 and replacing it with the HTML 5 UI. So you're constantly going back and forth between two completely different interfaces.

They already tried side bar and desktop widgets, but nobody wanted them. So now they are doing the reverse: treating the entire useful desktop as a widget. And I agree with the comment that "people will get used to it" but that doesn't mean it's a step forward.

Quote:

computing in general is moving toward cell phones and Kindle books. Sad day for computing.

I'm not against that movement. Anything that makes computers easier for the average person to use is good, IMO, as long as it doesn't come with unnecessary DRM. However, I could not see myself as a "power user" using something like iOS for the workstation and actually enjoying it.

Mark Oates
Member #1,146
March 2001
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I haven't used it, but the implied touch-screen-on-your-desktop is silly.

On tablets, the reviews have been surprisingly positive.

The way I see it, there isn't really much that can be improved on the desktop until there is a substantial voice control interface. Once voice really works, then we can start to clean up all the cluttered and annoying menus, buttons, options, sliders, categories, etc.

A combination of voice, gesture, eye tracking, and touch could realize some natural interfaces.

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Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
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I haven't used it, but the implied touch-screen-on-your-desktop is silly.

I thought you'd be all over this new-age nonsense. :o

Quote:

On tablets, the reviews have been surprisingly positive.

But is that because nobody is actually running classic Windows applications? A touch screen, icon based navigation that launches full screen apps is nothing new for tablet devices. I would expect it to be popular, assuming it is responsive and looks good.

I'm just being grumpy about the whole "let's have a single OS for the desktop and tablet" idea.

Mark Oates
Member #1,146
March 2001
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I thought you'd be all over this new-age nonsense. :o

Well if it doesn't make sense, it doesn't make sense. Who would want to sit with your arms out like superman all the time? :P

We have a long way to go until an OS is designed "the way it should be." I still feel like were driving crankity-shaft steam engines made out of coal-soiled iron.

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MiquelFire
Member #3,110
January 2003
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I hope VB's guest add-ons are updated soon to support Windows 8. I want to see how this thing fails with multiple monitors.

---
Febreze (and other air fresheners actually) is just below perfumes/colognes, and that's just below dead skunks in terms of smells that offend my nose.
MiquelFire.red
If anyone is of the opinion that there is no systemic racism in America, they're either blind, stupid, or racist too. ~Edgar Reynaldo



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