Windows 8 Release Preview Now Available To Download 363
MrSeb writes "Microsoft has announced the immediate availability of Windows 8 Release Preview. Unfortunately there isn't a Consumer Preview > Release Preview upgrade path — you'll have to format and perform a clean installation. After downloading the ISO, simply burn Windows 8 RP onto a USB stick or DVD, reboot, and follow the (exceedingly quick and easy) installer. Alternatively, if you don't want to format a partition, ExtremeTech has a guide on virtualizing Windows 8 with VirtualBox. After a lot of fluster on the Building Windows 8 blog, the Release Preview is actually surprisingly similar to the Consumer Preview. Despite being promised a new, flat, Desktop/Explorer UI, Aero is still the default theme in Windows 8 RP. The tutorial that will introduce new users to the brave new Start buttonless Windows 8 world is also missing. Major features that did make the cut are improved multi-monitor support — it's now easier to hit the hot corners on a multi-monitor setup, and Metro apps can be moved between displays — and the Metro version of IE10 now has a built-in Flash plug-in. There will be no further pre-releases of Windows 8: the next build will be the RTM."
Ok, Sherlock, your mystery is not a, uh, mystery. (Score:5, Insightful)
Despite being promised a new, flat, Desktop/Explorer UI, Aero is still the default theme in Windows 8 RP
All right, only they didn't promise the new UI for pre-release versions. They explicitly said it will be in RTM.
is any desktop user going to be upgrading? (Score:2, Insightful)
I mean, seriously? Starting stuff from the stupid Start screen? Cripple the regular version of Visual Studio to only write apps for this screen?
What the hell is wrong with MS? Does it not realise that a desktop is not a tablet?
Re:Posting with it now... (Score:5, Insightful)
look, i'm writing this from a machine running a canonical OS, but if you think people are going to view windows 8 as a reason to go to linux, i think you're in a pipe dream. they're going to view windows 8 as a reason to stick with windows 7.
Re:Ok, Sherlock, your mystery is not a, uh, myster (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm really tired of people spreading stupidity about Win8, and the irrational fear of the future that seems to have gripped the tech rags and social sites I visit. There are legitimate concerns that Windows 8 will be a Vista style flop with changes too substantial to be readily adopted by consumers or businesses. Then there is your inanity.
I will wager you $250 (payable to charity) via longbets.org to put your money where your mouth is. The wager would be that the RTM release of Windows 8 lacks the flattened, opaque interface previewed in a screenshot in the Building Windows 8 blog post on May 18th.
Otherwise kindly shut up.
Re:Linux on the desktop, now? (Score:3, Insightful)
Huh? Active Desktop was awesome. Active X allowed for really power distributed applications that were web based. I'd love to have channels for my phone today. PointCast which is still the best screen saver I ever had kinda like news360.
Re:Ok, Sherlock, your mystery is not a, uh, myster (Score:2, Insightful)
Jesus fucking chris! misinformation everywhere. Maybe if you gave a rats ass you'd be better informed.
The secure boot was only for arm based devices (TABLETS) that will carry windows 8.
I wonder if the anti-MS bias at slashdot will ever die down.
Sometimes this place make fox news look like a legitimate place to get news from.
Re:What? (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm not someone to bash Microsoft whenever they come up. They've had good software and bad software, made good moves and bad moves, and Windows 8 strikes me as solidly in the bad move, bad idea column. I keep thinking they must have something else up their sleeve.
Re:Experiment then refinement... (Score:4, Insightful)
Microsoft does not care if Windows 8 is a dog in the corporate desktop world. That is why the features which people are most unhappy with are entirely features which are great on tablets and other touchscreen devices. They are working on getting Windows 8 right for the mobile space. It is entirely reasonable to think their plan is to let Windows 9 tie that effectively with the desktop. Also, the OEMs are starting to push touchscreen desktops substantially. Once Windows 8 gets some adoption, it wouldn't be surprising to see off the shelf monitors in the consumer / commodity price range pop up with touchscreens as cheap options. IR touchscreens are really cheap to add manufacturer side and fit great with existing LCD bezel design.
I would never say Apple hasn't made a lot of good changes to the backend of OSX, but the UI still feels worn and heavy. Sure, consistency is great, but it just says to me that people use their computers exactly the same way they did 10 years ago, and that is sad.
Re:What? (Score:5, Insightful)
A couple of hours isn't enough time to decide that something is conclusively good, but it is enough time to be convinced that something is crap.