Windows 8 Dev build

[Silent_Buddha]

Yeah, even Windows 7 has the favorites available in the start menu if a user wants it there.

Regards,
SB

 

[UniversalTruth]

Sometimes large drifitng clocks are an issue of your cmos battery so you might want to check or replace that. I haven't had those extreme drifting clock issues since switching to higher quality motherboards.

Which laptop motherboards qualify for this description and can they be put in my Acer Aspire 7720-6395 ?

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Which laptop motherboards qualify for this description and can they be put in my Acer Aspire 7720-6395 ?

If you are having that problem with a laptop, then you may or may not be able to change the CMOS battery which would likely correct the issue.

Regards,
SB

 

[UniversalTruth]

Windows 7 Service Pack 2 is Win8

Given that Windows XP still receives updates a decade after its launch, I would be honestly surprised if they don't release a new major update pack for Windows 7.

Just received several new October updates, no Service Pack 2 yet.

 

[Svensk Viking]

I just hope Win7 gets DX11.1

I don't know how greatly DX11.1 can improve gaming performance, but it would probably get used more if it was on Win7(and Vista too)

I simply don't want to get Win8

 

[Silent_Buddha]

There's no reason it won't. The only time when MS hasn't backported DX is when the cost of doing so was prohibitive due to differences in the underlying OS architechture. In this case Win8 is a derivative of Win7 which is a derivative of Vista with no changes in the graphics rendering stack. Unlike the XP -> Vista transition where the graphics stack changed quite radically.

Regards,
SB

 

[AlexV]

In this case Win8 is a derivative of Win7 which is a derivative of Vista with no changes in the graphics rendering stack.

Approximately, but not entirely true. WDDM1.2 != WDDM1.1 != WDDM1.0 != WDDM (the Vista one). It's just that whilst the changes introduced in Vista were rather discontinuous in nature (moving memory management to the OS, f.e.), the ones introduced in subsequent versions were more tame / less visible.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

True, I should have stated that changes were relatively minor in comparison to the break between XP and Vista. Ooops. Or perhaps minor isn't even the right word.

Regards,
SB

 

[hoom]

For the record its out.

First call to our helpdesk I know of from a Win 8 customer: Has been upgraded by a PC tech/friend -> LAN port not working with some sort of padlock icon on it...

 

[swaaye]

Ok I installed Win8 on my desktop. Got in on that $15 upgrade deal.

It's ok. The Metro tile-based UI is just ridiculous on the desktop. It reminds me of the horror of modern Ubuntu. After playing with that for a few hours, trying to understand how it is supposedly better, I installed that Classic Shell app to get a Start Menu again. I also got the Gadget restore app so I can have my All CPU Meter, Simply Weather and Network Monitor, and now it looks like Win7. So I'm now wondering why I am bothering with Win8.

Is it faster? I can't really tell. The UI generally seems like it might be a touch faster on an aesthetic level. Win7 and Vista are awfully fast on a SSD too though. One can also make the 7 and Vista UI faster by turning off some of the prettyness animations that only serve to make it feel slower (I always turn off the window minimize/restore animation).

However, the little file copy speed graph is neat, and I like the new task manager I think. And it appears that Win8 has SSD optimization in its defrag utility that acts like the various SSD vendor utilities (manual TRIM).

 

[UniversalTruth]

The Metro tile-based UI is just ridiculous on the desktop.

Especially the complete removal of Windows Aero and any sort of windows transparency. This alone will freak me out given that the feeling would be like using Windows 95 but back then they lacked graphics power to run it, now they lack it too because of the choice to unify UI for shitty smartphones and state-of-the-art performance wise desktops.
Not to mention those ridiculuos one-colour Start screen backgrounds. lol

Is it faster?

It surely is but if I have to sacrifice something else, then no, thank you. Next time.

 

[msia2k75]

Especially the complete removal of Windows Aero and any sort of windows transparency. This alone will freak me out given that the feeling would be like using Windows 95 but back then they lacked graphics power to run it, now they lack it too because of the choice to unify UI for shitty smartphones and state-of-the-art performance wise desktops.
Not to mention those ridiculuos one-colour Start screen backgrounds. lol



It surely is but if I have to sacrifice something else, then no, thank you. Next time.

Absolute deal breaker for me.

 

[swaaye]

I couldn't really care less about translucent windows. I'm only really interested in the utility of the OS and UI and I'm not sure how Win8 is better there.

I'm pondering trying it on a Atom N450-based Netbook and seeing if it's fast. I also have a Athlon Neo notebook that it might be interesting on. But frankly I'm unsure of whether I want to actually use Win8 on there instead of the XP that's on it.

 

[Arwin]

I do like Aero, can't help it. I've always thought that the Win8 UI could use a bit polish and shine ... I actually think the 360's dashboard is starting too look pretty decent, and the Windows 8 version does have some potential to grow. I think they should probably allow stuff to get special Windows 8 desktop skins that just look nicer.

It'll get better, only question is how fast. I think in this case, it will be much faster than ever before actually. They're laying a good foundation, that has room for growth, but the foundation has to be very good first because there is more serious competition than ever before.

 

[Davros]

The public preview that you can download (works for 90 days iirc), would I be able to install that in a vm

 

[Blazkowicz]

Last time I used Aero I was trying to read "important" stuff, just a quick look at a friend's laptop to check it's updated and antivirused plus a check of a couple websites. But there was a lot of text from another program seen through the title bar. I found it confusing to have all that stuff displayed (this was on Vista).
So to me (even if just me), good riddance.

 

[UniversalTruth]

I don't know if you know but if you dislike Windows Aero for some reason, you have the option to turn it off in Windows 7. In the new one no one asks you, no one gives you options. Nothing- what they say...

 

[Arwin]

The public preview that you can download (works for 90 days iirc), would I be able to install that in a vm

Yes, I think so.

 

[Davros]

How do graphics work the last time i used a vm it was with xp so the s3 trio emulated by the vm didnt matter, but afaik win 8 needs a dx 9 card ?

 

[Arwin]

How do graphics work the last time i used a vm it was with xp so the s3 trio emulated by the vm didnt matter, but afaik win 8 needs a dx 9 card ?

These days I think VM can bring your GPU into your image .. not 100% sure. I do know I ran Windows 8 preview on Oracle VirtualBox no problem (I chose that option because I found a tutorial, or even a ready made image, not sure)