Windows 8 Consumer Preview Date Confirmed

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InformationWeek says that invitations sent out by Microsoft yesterday have confirmed the date for the Windows 8 preview as February 29, 2012.

Microsoft will hold an event in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb. 29 to formally launch Windows 8 Consumer Preview, according to an invitation the company sent to journalists Wednesday. The date and location coincide with the World Mobile Congress, an indication that Microsoft is serious about pushing Windows 8 as a mobile operating system for tablets, as well as for traditional desktops and laptops.
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I can't wait to see what there is to be excited about, but I have a feeling that I'll be let down, just as much as the developer preview.
 
I have a feeling [H] users will bitch about GUI elements that don't follow their set in stone rules.
 
...my guess is this will be a new 'vista' - - a memory hog that is worse that the previous version - - that way, we will be happy when windows 9 comes out - - like we are now with windows 7...
 
The developer preview released last year was interesting, but making a judgment based on their interface design at that state was a tad preemptive. I can at least say that a multi-touch capable touchpad would have made the interface much more useable and that, in that stage, the OS required a lot of mouse gymnastics that felt unfamiliar or just uncomfortable.

The underlying core still appears to be Vista-based in much the same way Windows 7 was mostly a redress and resell of Vista after hardware caught up and developers figured out how to make Windows version 6.x drivers work properly. System requirements aren't really changing and the test platform I used, an old Dell Latitude D620 with a GMA 950, didn't seem to have trouble with it.
 
markqc said:
...my guess is this will be a new 'vista' - - a memory hog that is worse that the previous version - - that way, we will be happy when windows 9 comes out - - like we are now with windows 7...
Click to expand...

It's actually pretty good with memory usage. However, the new menu looks like this:

OriginalSimon.jpg
 
markqc said:
...my guess is this will be a new 'vista' - - a memory hog that is worse that the previous version - - that way, we will be happy when windows 9 comes out - - like we are now with windows 7...
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My guess is you're wrong
 
I got a 64 GB SSD that I pulled out of a test box, will be using it to drop this build on. Can't wait!
 
This is the one thing I don't like about the [H] community... you all are too comfortable in your ways.

It's long over due and it is time to get over your addiction to that old Windows 3.1 Program Manager UI and get with the (modern) program - touch and sensor-first computing is here gentlemen whether you like it or not!

The kids now a days don't care about your low-level problems in C/C++ or ancient GUIs anymore. Learn managed code, HTML5 and WinRT and get on with it old guys!

I'm ready for Windows 8, and if you're not go get an iPad or smartphone first,
 
thenapalm said:
It's actually pretty good with memory usage. However, the new menu looks like this:
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LOL! The Start Screen is so much more powerful than the Start Menu it's just nuts that people complain about it so much. The grouping and semantic zoom and bug fixes should take care of the mouse and keyboard usability issues. You get combined notifications, application launching, pinning of web sites, documents, etc.

People complain about it being like a phone, and sure that's absolutely right. But if your phone has a home screen, why not your laptop of desktop? I have no idea why people are so insistent about have a tiny static list of icons that really isn't anymore keyboard or mouse friendly than the Start Screen and holding PCs back 30 years from current UIs.

Keyboards and mice aren't going away anytime soon but they do not represent the future growth of computing.
 
markqc said:
...my guess is this will be a new 'vista' - - a memory hog that is worse that the previous version - - that way, we will be happy when windows 9 comes out - - like we are now with windows 7...
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I'd rather my programs use all of my ram, and be faster/more responsive, instead of wasting what I paid for and paging to the hard drive. Of course, it'll have to use this efficiently. It isn't like ram is dirt cheap these days, right?
 
Terminus said:
This is the one thing I don't like about the [H] community... you all are too comfortable in your ways.

It's long over due and it is time to get over your addiction to that old Windows 3.1 Program Manager UI and get with the (modern) program - touch and sensor-first computing is here gentlemen whether you like it or not!

The kids now a days don't care about your low-level problems in C/C++ or ancient GUIs anymore. Learn managed code, HTML5 and WinRT and get on with it old guys!

I'm ready for Windows 8, and if you're not go get an iPad or smartphone first,
Click to expand...

Amen! Why the hell do people think that Microsoft is making these changes for the sake of change? Metro is ABSOLUTELY necessary for the future of Windows to keep it relevant beyond the business and productivity world.

I ave yet to see anyone that doesn't like Metro have anything to offer other than a choice to keep the old Start Menu which causes probably more problems than it solves,
 
Terminus said:
The kids now a days don't care about your low-level problems in C/C++ or ancient GUIs anymore. Learn managed code, HTML5 and WinRT and get on with it old guys!
Click to expand...
Why should I write in a managed language when I can get greater performance by solving the so-called "low-level problems"? These technologies are all fine facilities for rapid development, and make the most sense for 90% of all applications, but it's the "old guys" solving "low-level problems" in C/C++ who are delivering applications with the highest levels of performance.
 
wonderfield said:
Why should I write in a managed language when I can get greater performance by solving the so-called "low-level problems"? These technologies are all fine facilities for rapid development, and make the most sense for 90% of all applications, but it's the "old guys" solving "low-level problems" in C/C++ who are delivering applications with the highest levels of performance.
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Indeed, C++ is the way you write Direct X apps with Metro,
 
heatlesssun,

I dub thee "[H]ardcore Metro Evangelist"

I swear every single thread about Windows 8 ends up with you defending anything about the Metro UI. Can you list the hypothetically negative impacts that it may have?
 
Fine then, then where are the required 5 point digitizers required for Windows 8 Certification. Or am I expected to go out and buy a $200 Windows Kinect ?

The interface is sound for the mobile market but something a little more streamlined for desktops is going to be needed.
 
So, in other words we get to find out if you can turn Metro UI off or not.

Microsoft gets to choose if they are going to try once more to use their desktop OS monopoly to force the user to pay microsoft for their vision of "the next big thing" (and only use it in ways that benefit microsoft). Conincidently, doing this pretty much puts microsoft itself in the believers of "the desktop is dead (and will be an afterthought driven by mobile technology).

Or they can give up the whole idea of forced upgrades on the industry every few years.

Scylla meet Charybdis.

*I'm betting that Microsoft will retreat and make Metro optional (or be forced to ship 7 indefintly).
 
I'll just go to the release events like I did for Vista and 7, get my 5 free copies and call it a day. Honestly I care not about the interface. So long as it manages resources more efficiently I'm all for it.
 
I always HATED how I couldn't customize the right-hand side of the Start Menu. There are a few options if you open up Start Menu settings, but you can't truely customize what you put there.

Metro lets me customize everything. I can put things I really need quick-access to all on the screen and not be constrained. I do lament the loss of the "recently opened programs" list, though i only used it rarely.

it also gives me a place to get live information from (I never liked the idea of widgets on the desktop and having to move window out of the way or use aero-peek to see them). Now I can get all that information and more on my start screen. And I can click on one of those tiles to be taken into a related full-blown application if I need more. Makes sense to me.

It looks like multi-monitor support has been improved as well. From what I've read, I could potentially be interacting with metro on one monitor while using the desktop on the one or two. Seems multi-monitor is a great way to use Windows 8, which I'm glad to see, because multi-monitor improvements were few and far between in Windows 7 (aero snap hardly works at all on a multi-monitor system in Windows 7, for example).
 
GushpinBob said:
Yes, it's a real pig on memory. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Memory combining = :D

I run an unusual workload that involves a lot of the same data being loaded into memory and just processed slightly differently - I've been hitting up against the 24GB cap of my i7-970 processor, but didn't want to move to Sandybridge and reduce my core count from 6 to 4, nor did I want to spend the $1k it would cost to convert to Sandybridge-E.

Here's hoping memory combining works well (or doesn't get cut from the final shipping version) - could justify the $100-150 (let's face it, I'm going to get an OEM copy) worth it on its own.
 
CrimsonKnight13 said:
heatlesssun,

I dub thee "[H]ardcore Metro Evangelist"

I swear every single thread about Windows 8 ends up with you defending anything about the Metro UI. Can you list the hypothetically negative impacts that it may have?
Click to expand...

MetroUI is great. But, in my testing with a mouse and keyboard using the Dev. Preview (which in no way was a finished UI), I found it to be slower than the Start Menu. However, using the MetroUI on a touch interface (tablet, WP7), it is a lot faster and easier than the Start Menu. You can use "live tiles", which give you information similar to a gadget, but are direct from the program. The only downside I see is the size of the tiles. They can look too big and/or Tonka like (same gripe as many had for XP-Fisher Price style).

I'll hold my final judgement for the consumer preview and RTM, but the MetroUI is amazingly awesome, once you get used to it. I have to admit I wasn't too sure about it until I tried it for a bit. I've got it on my phone, and on my desktop (WP7 & Win8). It's new, so it's scary at first, and you'll be slower as you figure it out. But, once that initial shock, it's a lot faster and easier to use than the standard Windows UI (which is about the same as it was in Windows 95 - 17 years ago).
 
Ur_Mom said:
MetroUI is great. But, in my testing with a mouse and keyboard using the Dev. Preview (which in no way was a finished UI), I found it to be slower than the Start Menu. However, using the MetroUI on a touch interface (tablet, WP7), it is a lot faster and easier than the Start Menu. You can use "live tiles", which give you information similar to a gadget, but are direct from the program. The only downside I see is the size of the tiles. They can look too big and/or Tonka like (same gripe as many had for XP-Fisher Price style).

I'll hold my final judgement for the consumer preview and RTM, but the MetroUI is amazingly awesome, once you get used to it. I have to admit I wasn't too sure about it until I tried it for a bit. I've got it on my phone, and on my desktop (WP7 & Win8). It's new, so it's scary at first, and you'll be slower as you figure it out. But, once that initial shock, it's a lot faster and easier to use than the standard Windows UI (which is about the same as it was in Windows 95 - 17 years ago).
Click to expand...

I just hope we can configure it to boot into a desktop environment and stay there similar to any previous Windows. I like the sound of the performance benefits to WIndows 8, but there's no way the metro interface is going to help me get work done. Now, on my main desktop where I'm just screwing around sure I'm fine with metro, but I really hope they let me opt out of it for my serious machines.
 
Wumpus said:
So, in other words we get to find out if you can turn Metro UI off or not.

Microsoft gets to choose if they are going to try once more to use their desktop OS monopoly to force the user to pay microsoft for their vision of "the next big thing" (and only use it in ways that benefit microsoft). Conincidently, doing this pretty much puts microsoft itself in the believers of "the desktop is dead (and will be an afterthought driven by mobile technology).

Or they can give up the whole idea of forced upgrades on the industry every few years.

Scylla meet Charybdis.

*I'm betting that Microsoft will retreat and make Metro optional (or be forced to ship 7 indefintly).
Click to expand...

Exactly, like how they were forced to release DX10/11 for XP. That showed 'em!
 
Ur_Mom said:
MetroUI is great. But, in my testing with a mouse and keyboard using the Dev. Preview (which in no way was a finished UI), I found it to be slower than the Start Menu. However, using the MetroUI on a touch interface (tablet, WP7), it is a lot faster and easier than the Start Menu. You can use "live tiles", which give you information similar to a gadget, but are direct from the program. The only downside I see is the size of the tiles. They can look too big and/or Tonka like (same gripe as many had for XP-Fisher Price style).

I'll hold my final judgement for the consumer preview and RTM, but the MetroUI is amazingly awesome, once you get used to it. I have to admit I wasn't too sure about it until I tried it for a bit. I've got it on my phone, and on my desktop (WP7 & Win8). It's new, so it's scary at first, and you'll be slower as you figure it out. But, once that initial shock, it's a lot faster and easier to use than the standard Windows UI (which is about the same as it was in Windows 95 - 17 years ago).
Click to expand...

I'm not hung up about the usability. I find its appearance quite ugly. As far as UIs go, I've found Metro to be ugly since when they first announced WP7. I can grasp UIs quite well but I need something that soothes my eyes just in addition to providing functionality.
 
CrimsonKnight13 said:
I'm not hung up about the usability. I find its appearance quite ugly. As far as UIs go, I've found Metro to be ugly since when they first announced WP7. I can grasp UIs quite well but I need something that soothes my eyes just in addition to providing functionality.
Click to expand...

I think its how the desktop part and the metro part look nothing like each other and totally disconnected. They need to make one look like the other, or just make metro not look like XP for children.
 
Ok, why are so many [H] users here taking a rock-hard stance from this change? I'd rather have a dynamic homescreen that at least give me a simplified and unified info at a glance than either a static or messy/not unified homescreen. Seriously, I can't wait to see how many will remain with Windows 7 a year after 8's commercial release.
 
DeathPrincess said:
They need to make one look like the other, or just make metro not look like XP for children.
Click to expand...
I'm not seeing the connection. XP made generous use of rounded corners and rounded edges throughout the UI, along with icons that had a distinctly cartoonish edge.

Metro is all about clean lines and hard corners, with simple high-contrast icons and a HEAVY emphasis on typography. I personally see Metro as minimalist and classy, while also displaying generous quantities and multiple layers of information without looking cluttered.

They seem like polar opposites...
 
Unknown-One said:
I'm not seeing the connection. XP made generous use of rounded corners and rounded edges throughout the UI, along with icons that had a distinctly cartoonish edge.

Metro is all about clean lines and hard corners, with simple high-contrast icons and a HEAVY emphasis on typography. I personally see Metro as minimalist and classy, while also displaying generous quantities and multiple layers of information without looking cluttered.

They seem like polar opposites...
Click to expand...

The horrid solid green/blue scheme and my first PC asthetics.

4bd8921c6f696_23477n.jpg


There are no options to make it different colors...or make it look nice...it just looks like ass right now.
 
DeathPrincess said:
The horrid solid green/blue scheme and my first PC asthetics.

4bd8921c6f696_23477n.jpg


There are no options to make it different colors...or make it look nice...it just looks like ass right now.
Click to expand...

Everything you just said describes Windows XP perfectly...
 
(Darn, no edit...)

From leaked screenshots, Metro has quite a few customization options in the Consumer Preview. It sounds like you're making complaints based on the very limited Developer Preview.

The Developer Preview is known to be missing the customization panel entirely (and other major chunks of Metro UI). The consumer preview is looking for more complete.
 
Unknown-One said:
It looks like multi-monitor support has been improved as well. From what I've read, I could potentially be interacting with metro on one monitor while using the desktop on the one or two. Seems multi-monitor is a great way to use Windows 8, which I'm glad to see, because multi-monitor improvements were few and far between in Windows 7 (aero snap hardly works at all on a multi-monitor system in Windows 7, for example).
Click to expand...

Windows key + Arrow keys.

That is all.
 
With the new preview of 8, you have a lot more customization as far as the MetroUI is involved. Colors, tiles, etc.. They aren't going to force you to use their way or no way.
 
tazeat said:
Windows key + Arrow keys.

That is all.
Click to expand...
That's what I meant by "hardly works"

You can't really use aero snap with a mouse if you have multiple monitors, only the keyboard shortcuts work to snap to monitor boundaries.
 
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