My experiences with Windows 8 as a consumer

[Legion]

Those tablets really were something, eh? And that 27" screen would have been even better if it didn't have grease on it from everyone else touching it.

Fisrtly I wash my hands.
Secondly it was hot as hell.
Thirdly.. I made sure to touch it first on Saturday.

[Wesley]

Windows 8 at the rAge 2012 expo: A warm welcome

While I was making my way through the awesomeness that was the rAge expo this past weekend, I stopped and spent some time watching people mill through the Windows 8 stand at Telkom's booth, noting their reactions to the new OS and how quickly they adapted to working with the new Modern UI. What I found was surprising, so much so that I went to have a chat with the Microsoft rep managing the booth, Ashley Doherty (sadly, not any relation to Shannon). Now, I've been using Windows 8 on my main PC for the last three months - two of those on the consumer preview, one month on the release preview and for the past week I've had the RTM version as my only boot option, so I'm pretty comfortable with it so far.

Linky

Also, Windows 8 is awesome, guys! Every single performance gripe I've been having with Firefox has disappeared!

[Legion]

Windows 8 at the rAge 2012 expo: A warm welcome





Linky

Also, Windows 8 is awesome, guys! Every single performance gripe I've been having with Firefox has disappeared!

No dude it's way better.
Looking a lot more solid.
I hate sounding like a hypocrite... but yes I do like it.

MARK MY WORDS!, MS is gearing up for something way better... something virtual.
and android device's were part of the trigger.

1 to 2 years from now digital rabbit by the ears.

[D34thByCh01c3]

Windows 8 at the rAge 2012 expo: A warm welcome





Linky

Also, Windows 8 is awesome, guys! Every single performance gripe I've been having with Firefox has disappeared!

My opinion, I think I'll be skipping Windows 8, Windows 7 runs perfectly fine and I don't have a touchscreen to use the Metro interface to it's full potential. Firefox runs fine on Windows 7 for me (Might be hardware related, I'm not sure).

[Wesley]

My opinion, I think I'll be skipping Windows 8, Windows 7 runs perfectly fine and I don't have a touchscreen to use the Metro interface to it's full potential. Firefox runs fine on Windows 7 for me (Might be hardware related, I'm not sure).

Meh, either that, or the near-monthly upgrading of Firefox ****ed with my system of the course of the last year. Seriously, here it flies and loads pages as quick as Chrome, but on my old install it was much slower, even with adverts disabled.

[D34thByCh01c3]

Meh, either that, or the near-monthly upgrading of Firefox ****ed with my system of the course of the last year. Seriously, here it flies and loads pages as quick as Chrome, but on my old install it was much slower, even with adverts disabled.

Only time I actually update Firefox is when I format, quite often actually, and then I just restore a backup created with MozBackup, never had a problem. Actually I have noticed that an SSD has sped up Firefox quite a bit.

[DizzyWorm]

http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/16/3...-metro-options

For people who truly needs the start button and want to avoid the metro style.

[-Bouncer-]

I bought a laptop recently when I was in the US. It's a really decent laptop and I got that pamphlet which said I qualify for a Windows 8 Pro upgrade for next to nothing (think it's like R125). Do I just simply register and then I can buy a Windows 8 Pro key for that price? Windows 8 does look really good and I am interested in trying it out.

[brazed]

I'm not completely won over yet. I've been using it for a little while now, and I'm just not that impressed. Sure the speed is incredible, but the interface feels 'unnatural'. I own both a desktop and an apple laptop, and I prefer mac os to windows8 by a mile. Windows 7 was incredible, and I'm sure win8 will grow on me...but wether or not it grows like a fungus or a fond dream is still up in the air.

ps. Win 8 as a mobile platform will find in nigh impossible to overtake iOS. People tend to forget that iOS doesn't just power iPhones, it also powers iPads and iPods, and with over a 100million iPad users alone, well...MS has to do the impossible to catch up.

[Wesley]

Rumour: No Service Pack 2 for Windows 7

With Windows 8 abandoning the traditional method of Microsoft rolling out service packs for their operating systems, its only natural that the company continues on and cancels any future service packs for Windows 7 users. At this stage its only another rumour spreading around on the internet, but it makes more sense, given that years ago the company announced that future service packs would not introduce new features. Windows 7 didn't receive any new features either, as SP1 contained only bug fixes and patches, suggesting that Microsoft feels the outgoing OS is now feature-complete.

Linky

[Toxxyc]

ps. Win 8 as a mobile platform will find in nigh impossible to overtake iOS. People tend to forget that iOS doesn't just power iPhones, it also powers iPads and iPods, and with over a 100million iPad users alone, well...MS has to do the impossible to catch up.

And you cannot upgrade from an older Windows phone to W8. It's something to do with hardware. W8 is digging it's own grave in that aspect.

[Wesley]

And you cannot upgrade from an older Windows phone to W8. It's something to do with hardware. W8 is digging it's own grave in that aspect.

I'm not familiar with the deeper technical aspects to it, but from what I know the reason isn't actually Microsoft's fault. To share the kernal between the single-core ARM chips in the first-gen phones, the second-gen handsets with dual-cores, the ARM tablets with Tegra 3 and traditional x86/x86-64 processors would have introduced too much complexity into the platform, as well as accounting for the new memory manager in phones that have less than 512MB RAM. At least the WP7.8 update brings a lot of the GUI improvements to older phones, so users won't feel too left out while they complete their current contracts.

Besides, WP7.8 still plugs into the same services as WP8, WART and Windows 8. Its just the apps made available for the platform that might be restricted. Its the same problem with Android handsets, so I don't think there's too much to complain about.

[GeometriX]

And you cannot upgrade from an older Windows phone to WP8.

Kind of a key difference there. W8 /= WP8

@brazed: I don't really see MS as trying to compete with Apple on this front, though. Well, not actually making an attempt to compete, at least. If they do want to compete, then they're going about it the wrong way. Windows Phone 8, Windows RT and Windows 8 are all different operating systems, designed for different hardware. The problem with this is that developers then can't push out an app to all three platforms. It's daft, if you ask me.

WP7 has had a long enough road to get to where it currently is, and now they're starting it all over again, on three entirely new platforms. I read that W8RT doesn't even have a Twitter or Facebook app yet.

[GeometriX]

At least the WP7.8 update brings a lot of the GUI improvements to older phones, so users won't feel too left out while they complete their current contracts.

Try telling that to a WP7 user. Oh, wait, you are. I do feel left out, and there's not a chance I'll go for a new WP device, to go through the whole process I've gone through all over again. WP7 is good where it is now, but now we'll have to start again from scratch if we move to a WP8 device. Can't even carry across your paid-for apps.

Besides, WP7.8 still plugs into the same services as WP8, WART and Windows 8. Its just the apps made available for the platform that might be restricted. Its the same problem with Android handsets, so I don't think there's too much to complain about.

It doesn't. WP7.anything uses a different kernel to WP8. The 7.8 updates will be entirely cosmetic, and app developers will have to design two seperate apps if they plan to support both WP7 and WP8.

It is certainly Microsoft's fault for not thinking forward and designing two completely unique OSes within the space of two years. They went in with WP7 as a demo for Metro, but touted it as their new big thing, only to drop it now in favour of a mobile OS that's actually not a pain in the arse to develop for. They should've gone this route from the beginning and not wasted everyone's time.

[Wesley]

Try telling that to a WP7 user. Oh, wait, you are. I do feel left out, and there's not a chance I'll go for a new WP device, to go through the whole process I've gone through all over again. WP7 is good where it is now, but now we'll have to start again from scratch if we move to a WP8 device. Can't even carry across your paid-for apps.

I feel your pain, but then again I do remember seeing your tweet about wanting to get a Galaxy Note 2 ;-) I'm quite sure you can carry your apps over, though, considering that all the apps on the market have to be re-compiled to work with WP8, meaning one shouldn't have to buy them when you're moving over. I don't know how the compiler Microsoft uses will achieve this, though, and whether or not it breaks a few things in the process. Do you have a link I can visit to read about the paid-for apps story?

It doesn't. WP7.anything uses a different kernel to WP8. The 7.8 updates will be entirely cosmetic, and app developers will have to design two seperate apps if they plan to support both WP7 and WP8.

I'm aware that the changes are cosmetic, but I'm talking about the default services the OS plugs into. There'll still be Facebook and Twitter integration, there's still going to be mail coming in and Skydrive access and shared photo streams - all of which, AFAIK, were made available first on WP7 (I don't actually own a WP device, but was looking at the Lumia 610 before realising the year was almost at its end). Most of the things that matter to people buying those first-gen phones will still work without a hitch and I think its hugely contrary to the company's efforts to woo people to the new platform to make it impossible to migrate over to it without facing a few deal-breaking issues. I really hope they don't stuff it up.

They should've gone this route from the beginning and not wasted everyone's time.

I guess we could say the same about a lot of controversial decisions companies have made lately, no? AMD with socket FM1's year-long life, Intel with LGA1156, Nokia with the 808, the Lumia 610 and 510 and the list goes on. I feel that WP7 was like Vista in a lot of ways - bringing in new stuff and new services and setting the stage for the type of OS and experience the company really wanted to offer to consumers.

I think the entire tech industry is actually following Intel's Tick-Tock model - release something as a "Tock" to test the waters and get people interested and invested in the product, with the "Tick" improving the original idea and making things better all-round. Mark my words, WP8's successor will be here and changing everything again (arguably for the better) in two year's time.

[The_Furry_Cat]

I will stick with Windows 7 for as long as possible... until M$ releases a better PC focused OS. Windows 8 is crap.

[Wesley]

Windows 8 Live launch coverage

Today Microsoft is launching its latest baby, Windows 8, to the world from a special event held in New York. I'll be bringing you up to speed with all the reveals and possibly even some new details, if there are any left. Make sure you stay here on NAG Online and keeping hitting that F5 button!

Linky

[Wesley]

From my launch coverage:

And I have to add that, as a long-time Windows user, gamer and computer enthusiast, I was one of the largest supporters of sticking to Windows 7 after I first heard about 8. While your mileage may vary, I've certainly found that this is better, for me, than Windows 7. And you really should give it a try, learn how Modern UI changes the way you do things for the better and see for yourself why its better. It may not be better when it comes to outright performance, but the way it approaches connectivity, the cloud and social networks isn't anything I was ready for.

In fact, its everything I've been waiting for. But this is more than just a software launch. Its a services and hardware launch, a sign of a change in the course that Microsoft is steering itself along and a change of how the industry works and operates. There's no going back now.

[Toxxyc]

Kind of a key difference there. W8 /= WP8

Yeah yeah yeah you understood what I meant, so it was good enough! :P

[Bonezmann]

I just bought my upgrade key for Windows 8 for a mere R125 for the special promotion thing someone mentioned earlier in the thread. R125 for Windows 8 is reasonable enough to warrant an upgrade on my laptop.

I realized though that Windows 8 doesn't support my printer (Lexmark X3650), it scans but it just won't print. Hopefully Lexmark will release Windows 8 drivers and I'll be super happy.