Hands-On With Windows 8.1 Preview 505
adeelarshad82 writes "Microsoft launched the preview version of Windows 8.1 at the company's Build conference in San Francisco and early signs show that Microsoft heard the criticisms, and has responded with improvements. The new OS includes a number of changes starting with the return of the Start button and the ability to boot directly to the desktop. However, Microsoft hasn't given up on making the new-style tile and full-screen more usable for all users. If anything, the tile-based Start screen has gotten more flexible, with new smaller and larger tile options. Windows 8.1 also drastically improves built-in search, SkyDrive cloud syncing, mail and Microsoft Music."
Microsoft also released a preview of Visual Studio 2013 and .NET 4.5.1, and there's a program that will give developers early access to the PC version of the Kinect sensor. Other tidbits: Windows 8.1 will use a standard driver model for 3-D printers, and it's getting better support for both high-res displays and using multiple displays with different resolutions.
Re:the return of the Start button (Score:5, Informative)
Except that they totally missed the point of what everyone wanted.
Yes, there is a start button there now. But all it does is bring up the start screen, the same as pressing the Windows key. The start menu, which is what most people really want back, is still missing from the OS.
Re:the return of the Start button (Score:4, Informative)
I was actually waiting on 8.1 to see if I would stick with Windows 8 on a laptop I bought. I was hoping for the start menu and an option to suppress metro totally.
Since it looks like MSFT isn't going to let you do those things, I'll be formatting and going back to Windows 7
Re:Good Changes All Around (Score:5, Informative)
Interestingly, apparently Canonical thinks it's something that most Ubuntu users want.
And most of us on Slashdot thought it was a bad idea there, as well.
Re:the return of the Start button (Score:2, Informative)
All it does is pull up the "start screen" The perfectly designed start menu from Win 7 is gone for good.
Microsoft: Fuck you
who needs Windows 8.1? (Score:4, Informative)
You don't need Windows 8.1 to fix the problems in Windows 8.
What you need is three programs:
I had to get Windows 8 for work and there wasn't much choice. I struggled with it until I found those. I don't need Windows 8.1, Microsoft can go to hell.
Re:Games are Cross platform (Score:3, Informative)
"Increasingly", true, and I do try to support cross-platform games and will do so even more in the future, even if I primarily or only play on Windows. But it's still a looong way off from being the norm unless you're willing to restrict your game choices a lot.
Wine would open up a lot of options, but I don't really feel like messing around with it when I can just run Windows and be done with things, especially considering that some of the games I play aren't even rated all that highly on the appdb.
Re:the return of the Start button (Score:2, Informative)
<pedanticdickweed>
How do you know? Are you from the future?
"Windows 8" is just a marketing name for Windows (NT) 6.2 [microsoft.com]. "Windows 8.1" is a marketing name for "Windows 8" SP1, which is likely to share the 6.2 version number. Since 4.0 came out in 1996, and 6.0 (Vista) came out in 2007, that means it can take 11 years to go two full version releases. A simple extrapolation would estimate Windows 8.0 to be released around 2018. A more thorough analysis would note that the length of time between the releases of 4.0 and 5.0 is less than that between the releases of 6.0 and 6.2, thus it will likely take much longer to reach 8.0.
</pedanticdickweed>
Microsoft considers desktop applications obsolete (Score:4, Informative)
It's pretty clear that Microsoft considers desktop applications - and the accompanying Win32 API - to be obsolete. Windows 8 effectively is telling developers "my way or the highway", but seriously, people generally dislike Metro applications. Could you imagine PhotoShop having to be a Metro application?
Microsoft Windows 8 and 8.1 should have been renamed Microsoft Window.
The Start screen, even in 8.1, is effectively keyboard-based for me. I run programs in 8 by hitting control-escape to bring up the Start screen, then start typing the name of the program I want. To search through the icons is just about impossible.
Re:However (Score:4, Informative)
Ironically, launching Control Panel on Win8 is actually faster than on Win7 (by default). Right-click the Start button (yes it exists; it was just hidden by default) or hit Win+X, and select "Control Panel" from the menu that appears. Easy and straightforward.
My biggest gripe with Win8 is the Start search segregation. I don't want to need to use different keystrokes when searching for a "Setting" instead of an "App". Aside from the BS about which is which ("Disk Management" or "Create and format hard disk partitions" is under Settings, but if you type "diskmgmt.msc" it shows under Apps even though it's exactly the same thing), I just don't want to have to deal with switching result pools. This is fixed in 8.1, which is a big enough improvement to make me happy, personally.
Re:Requirements (Score:3, Informative)
If you have a network connection, you MUST connect your log-in with a Microsoft account. There is no option to avoid doing this short of unplugging your landline or refusing to connect to a wifi point during setup.
I can imagine the "net required" aspect is coming in Windows Red.
Re:the return of the Start button (Score:4, Informative)
Why not just give windows 8.1 a try. While it doesn't suppress the metro screen completely I see no reason why you would have to use it now if you didn't want to. You can boot directly to the desktop which is basically windows 7. Plus you get all the new feature that windows 8 offers. Also the new Metro screen looks quite nice actually, though the metro apps don't seem to get any love with this update so blah.
If I were you and still rocking windows 8 I would check out 8.1 it looks pretty nice. I've been using window 8 as well for awhile and I must say outside of the metro stuff it's very nice. But that's personal preference so all the power to you.
Re:the return of the Start button (Score:5, Informative)
That's the phrase everyone has wanted to hear, including myself. Microsoft may have backpedaled, but that was the right thing to do.
This is so disingenuous that it qualifies as an outright lie.
Re:the return of the Start button (Score:5, Informative)
Start -> All Programs was a complete disaster -- lets put a hierarchy of everything installed on your computer in a small non-resizable popup menu. Sorry that was just awful. For anything you need the start MENU for, the start screen is a LOT better.
Certainly, instead of a tidy, hierarchical, collapsible interface that only takes up (maybe) a third of the screen, let's make it a mandatory full-screen, scrollable (and scrollable and scrollable) interface instead, with gigantic, cryptic, space-wasting, two-tone icons instead! Brilliant!
You're one of those people who prefer to keep all their filing in a nice big pile right on their desktop, aren't you? Sure, you have to reach around the pile every time you want to use the phone, or grab your stapler, but hey, all your papers are 'at your fingertips'! No more need to open those pesky filing cabinets, or flip through individual folders!
What I *especially* love about the start screen is how it pretty much makes my family wallpapers useless. On Windows 7, I put the shortcuts around the edges of the desktop, then I can see the wallpaper subject (and smile) every time I go back to the desktop. With Windows 8...well, I don't have many photos of my family where the important parts (faces) are pressed right against the top, bottom or either edge of the shot. Yes, I could put a photo widget in the start screen...then be constantly annoyed at the need to scroll past it to get to my shortcuts.
No, ClassicStart and Start8 have pretty much saved Microsoft's ass on this release. If I were them, I'd be asking for a reward or something...
Re:Requirements (Score:2, Informative)
If you have a network connection, you MUST connect your log-in with a Microsoft account. There is no option to avoid doing this short of unplugging your landline or refusing to connect to a wifi point during setup.
I can imagine the "net required" aspect is coming in Windows Red.
Quote from MS website for anyone who cares:
"In order to use Windows 8.1 Preview you must sign in to your PC with a Microsoft account. The option to create a local account will be made available at the final release of Windows 8.1. "
Re:Still no Start Menu - Pass! (Score:5, Informative)
If you're concerned about productivity "FULL STOP", why the fuck are you opening programs using a mouse anyhow? Win key -> type a few letters of a program name -> Enter, and you can launch anything on the system faster than you can find the item you want even in the Most Commonly Used section of the Start menu. If you have menu animations turned on (which I'm guessing you don't, but most people do) you can be launching a program before the menu finishes drawing itself.
This has existed since Vista. It took a step back in Win8, when "Apps" and "Settings" Start search results were segregated, but it was still usable there. On 8.1 they're integrated again. If you're still launching programs with the mouse and yet claiming you're only concerned about productivity and that's it, you're frankly a liar. You're just whining They Changed It And I Don't Like It like so many other people.
Alternatively, set keyboard shortcuts (possible since at least Windows 2000, still possible on Win8) for the programs you use most (for example, Ctrl+Alt+I to launch your favorite web browser, Alt+Shift+C to launch your development environment, etc. and whatever). That's faster still, once you memorize them, although it won't work on other peoples' computers.
Yes, let's discuss working with other people's computers, shall we?
You know what's installed on your computer. My parents (and some other family members), on the other hand, don't. Trying to provide the obligatory phone support for them with a Windows 8 interface was, shall we say, a wee bit frustrating on both sides of the conversation.
"No, Dad, just drag your finger onto the touchpad from the corner. Nothing? Maybe you were too fast, try again a bit slower...oh, you think you opened something by accident? *sigh* Okay, what does the screen in front of you look like now? Hmm, what color is the background? Okay, lets try that Alt-F4 thing again, but remember, hold down the alt key and only press the F4 key once this time...you did it? You're back at the screen with the boxes now? Yes, you can let the alt key go..." etc., etc., etc... Until I installed ClassicShell on their computer, that is, now they (and I) love it :o)
Re:the return of the Start button (Score:5, Informative)
Things that have improved:
-the dialog has an expanded mode which shows a real time copy speed graph
-the time estimates are based on total transfer history as opposed to instantanious speed
-conflicts have more/better/safer options (replace all, replace if newer, etc)
-copies to the same destination are grouped together even if you drag and drop a few different times
That's all from the top of my head.