Windows 8 Dev build

Links to two Metro developer forum threads filled with discussion about WinRT/Metro interprocess communication (IPC):
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Fo...e/thread/0005b94f-8409-4804-88c5-e2f5fcce460a
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Fo...e/thread/895cf468-31e0-4e2f-aab1-ae90933610d1

Basically not all the existing Windows APIs are available. For example there's no way load dynamic DLLs (all DLLs have to be packaged with the app), hardware access is more limited (no way to use MIDI in/out for example) and interprocess communication is more limited (most ways of doing IPC are blocked, including TCP connection to localhost).

List of usable existing APIs (only these can be used): http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/apps/br205757.aspx

Hour long talk about porting existing Win32 code to WinRT/Metro: http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/BUILD/BUILD2011/TOOL-789C
 
Rodéric said:
How big installed ?
Click to expand...
I'm running the 32-bit version in VirtualBox -- the windows folder alone is 7.3GB, and 9GB total on the boot drive, after fresh install without extra applications.

A quick tip for VirtualBox users - select any IntelPRO NIC adapter, otherwise the OS will not recognise your network connection.

There are some updates for the OS already in Windows Update.
 
Installed it and tried to use it inside VMware 8.
Microsoft REALLY seems to push new start screen, because even in "Desktop" there is no Start Menu anymore (couldn't believe it until I saw it). There are hot corners that are terrible to use with the mouse and within a VM (can't blame MS for that).

Apparently MS has decided that unifying the look of phones, tablets and traditional computers is really the most important thing to do. Can't really blame them for trying: Win7 is really a fine OS to stick with until the dust settles a bit.

Installed Visual Studio Ultimate within Win8, but on startup it gave errors, couldn't even make a blank project. Tried Repairing, same result.
 
going to give this a go at the weekend has anybody played any games yet (how is the performance?)? also has anyone here made a metro app yet (please provide a link?)?
 
Does Win8 use Win7 drivers? I'd imagine it does but want to make sure. I'm thinking of wiping my TabletPC and sticking Win8 consumer BETA on there, but wouldn't want to have to try to track down drivers for everything that I'd need. :p

Can't say I'm keen on the start menu going away. And I can't imagine many professions would be keen on it either. I'm wondering if Win8 Professional or Server will have a start button as an option.

Regards,
SB
 
there will be third party software to add the start button back. I once used some that killed the start button (but it's still here as clickable hot corner or with win key). I remember the trick with windows 95 where you could *close* it, have it selected and press alt-space then use some of the options. you couldn't get it back without ctrl-alt-del restarting. very funny.
 
Honestly I don't know what's the fuzz about. Do you really navigate through Win7 start menu or do you type in the name of the program you want to launch? If it's the latter, what's the problem with typing the same thing in a different place? :)
 
Start menu is nice for when you have no clue what was the app called that you want to run but remember it's icon. That happens disturbingly often with me :)

Though KDE4 has solved it by searching both from the app name and it's metainfo. I guess MS can copy that functionality to make it somewhat better..
 
Dominik D said:
Honestly I don't know what's the fuzz about. Do you really navigate through Win7 start menu
Click to expand...

yes of course I do
start -- games -- Battlefield: Bad Company 2
much quicker that typing

What am i going to type ?
"BFBC2Game.exe"
I had to look that up, am i expected to remember the exe name of all of my programs ?
what about programs with commandline switches
we are not in dos any more
 
Davros said:
What am i going to type ?
"BFBC2Game.exe"
Click to expand...
In KDE4 you'd probably do something like alt+F2 to open up a run dialog (or win+r) and type bfb or battle and will be given a list of stuff to run that matches that. No need to type full name. Obviously if you have all the N+1 versions of BF installed simultaneously then using mouse to select from the list generated after typing those things will be faster than typing the full name.
 
Davros said:
...
yes of course I do
start -- games -- Battlefield: Bad Company 2
much quicker that typing

What am i going to type ?
"BFBC2Game.exe"
I had to look that up, am i expected to remember the exe name of all of my programs ?
Click to expand...

Couldn't you just search "Bad Company 2"? Don't all of these exes have meta-data for titles etc? Shouldn't you get results as you type?

Doesn't Windows8 have some kind of App view that shows you all the icons for your executable programs?

Davros said:
...
what about programs with commandline switches
we are not in dos any more
Click to expand...

I'm confused.
 
Dominik D said:
Honestly I don't know what's the fuzz about. Do you really navigate through Win7 start menu or do you type in the name of the program you want to launch? If it's the latter, what's the problem with typing the same thing in a different place? :)
Click to expand...

I generally don't drill down, but I use it for many common things. Properties on computer - device manager, access to management console, access to control panel and various other things that I've pinned to start menu (prefer pin to start rather than pin to taskbar). Occasionally I do have to drill down for things that I use maybe once a year and hence don't remember the name or even part of the name.

Recent applications are handy for things I use semi-frequently but not frequently enough to actually pin. And there's a nice convenience to just clicking start and having it available without having to start typing in the name.

The search in the start menu is my catch all for starting anything that I haven't pinned or isn't in the recent applications list, and I absolutely love it. It is not however, a replacement for the pinned applications and recent apps list however.

I realize you can do some of that stuff with the tiles interface, but I'm not keen on that for regular desktop use. Without the start menu, my ownly option would be pin to taskbar, something I avoid at all cost.

Davros said:
yes of course I do
start -- games -- Battlefield: Bad Company 2
much quicker that typing

What am i going to type ?
"BFBC2Game.exe"
I had to look that up, am i expected to remember the exe name of all of my programs ?
what about programs with commandline switches
we are not in dos any more
Click to expand...

Actually you can just type in "Battle" and it should list it. "Bad Co" should list it as well. Or "comp" or any other sequential combination of letters and spaces from the name of the application not the name of the executable.

That's the beauty of the search system in the start menu. You don't have to know the name of the *.exe. Any part of the name will start populating the start menu results. Oh, and if you know the *.exe name or even just a part of it, that works also. :)

Really it's a fantastic system. It's just not as fast or a convenient replacement for what I personally use the start menu for. :)

Regards,
SB
 
No really, but it will display applications with greater priority.

Win8 apparently fixes that (at least they claimed on the development blog). They say that the search results will be given categories,
 
Davros said:
yes of course I do
start -- games -- Battlefield: Bad Company 2
much quicker that typing
Click to expand...
How about putting it on a superbar then? That's what I do for the one-click access. I save two clicks with this amazing hack. ;)

Silent_Buddha said:
I generally don't drill down, but I use it for many common things. Properties on computer - device manager, access to management console, access to control panel and various other things that I've pinned to start menu (prefer pin to start rather than pin to taskbar). Occasionally I do have to drill down for things that I use maybe once a year and hence don't remember the name or even part of the name.
Click to expand...
Sure, I pin some stuff to start menu as well. What I do with Win8 is... pin them to the start screen.

I mean: I'm not saying this is a perfect desktop SKU. It isn't. But there's one out there for sure and this is as good for touch devices as it gets IMO.
 
I know it's lazy, but I wish Microsoft would just post a VMWare that we can download and test. This kind of consumer preview is so old-fashioned. ;)
 
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