Are You Still Using Windows 8 Developer Preview?

There was lots of hype coming up to Microsoft’s Build conference which was held in September this year. We knew that we would all be getting out first real look at Windows 8, but the main reason we were so excited was because it was rumoured that the first developer preview of Windows 8 would be made available to us all. Our wish came true, and every Windows enthusiast immediately started downloading it.

In fact it was so popular, that over 3 million copies of the developer preview have been downloaded to date. I think it’s fairly safe to conclude that all the people who downloaded the developer preview went and installed it, but the question is:

Are you still using the Windows 8 developer preview?

Are You Still Using Windows 8 Developer Preview?

 

[ADRz]

From what I have seen on my part, I know many of my mates use Desktop gadgets like Calendar and Clock even on their notebooks with small screens really. They could have the Clock gadget even display their names which is fun and I would expect power users to use the All CPU Meter like I do. And there's even a fun and simple Desktop gadget called Piano which is much less of a hassle than the Piano app you see on the WDP's Metro. I suggest you guys try that. One of my closest mates, recently got his new Toshiba netbook and it even has a Desktop gadget that acts like a Wifi radar which is looking great for us.

If I am not wrong, I think they call that new bar on the side of Windows 8's desktop the "Charms Bar" but from what I saw, I think it only displays the same four functions that you see when you click at the left bottom side of the Windows 8 Start Button. You get Settings, Devices, Share and Search and it doesn't have yet the ability to have Metro app tiles pinned on it.

I use gadgets a lot. Not only do I have the clock, calendar and weather, but I use the Pandora gadget, a gadget for NPR and BBC steering, and one for the Dilbert cartoons. I also have a very useful gadget for Wifi networks and analysis. I find these gadgets very useful and great time savers. The stupid Metro interface takes the whole screen to display much less of this information.

However, this is the wrong discussion. Win8 is not a desktop OS and nobody should even attempt to make it so. Win8 is a mobile OS. Microsoft's own PR is talking about "breaking away from the desktop". Thus Win8 looks and behaves like a mobile OS. According to Microsoft, "desktop users will need to adapt"

So, guys, start adapting and do not try to convince anybody that Win8 is an efficient desktop OS. It is not, and it is not going to be.

 

[Jav]

The stupid Metro interface takes the whole screen to display much less of this information

Actually metro can easily display more information using same or even less space (due to ignoring visualisation and focusing on content) compare to traditional gadgets.

The problem is that this is still a Developer Preview, hence there are not many metro apps that take advantage of live tiles.
And it seems like people have wrong idea of Metro. Its not squares or full screen apps. The idea of metro is to focus on content and thus bring you all your needed information in clear (usually typographic form), easily readable form.

And live tiles are created to make sure that you will never actually have to open the app itself, You can just get required information "at a glance". Thus in most (almost always) one won't open the app and see whole screen app.

It is hard to illustrate it in Windows 8, right now, due to the lack of apps taking advantage of TRUE metro (live tiles)
However one can clearly see it in WP7.



This is just one app taking advantage of live tiles (Though this is not be the best implemention, but it still works for my illustration). As you can see it is giving the required information using less space then both iOS or Android. One could argue that other platforms will give you it in more visually pleasant way. But the point of metro is to provide information in a clear way, not visually active way.

What I am trying to illustrate here is that Windows 8 metro apps should aim for the same usability. Thus they would easily be able to display required information in more clear way while using less space comapred to traditional gadgets as seen on Vista, Windows 7 or KDE plasma. In some way similar to gnome conky but with more visual clarity and consistency.

There is already some progress of achieving it in Windoows 8 as you can see from mail, weather and news apps in the screenshot:



However they are still unfinished and feel raw. It doesn't yet achieve the level of interactivity (seamlessness) I am trying to illustrate, hence the reason for Developer Preview, so developers can build those apps. Hopefully till the time we reach beta there will be enough apps that will take advantage of metro, live tiles and toast notifications.

EDIT: Even Rainmeter themes emulating Windows 8 Metro can already show potential of the design:



As you can see from tiles like weather, mail, player (Pandora if you want...), system Storage (that could easily be CPU as someone here mentioned), moon phase and etc. Admittedly this is not Windows 8, but it still can show the potential of the design which could be better but in no way worse than classic gadgets.

 

[ADRz]

The stupid Metro interface takes the whole screen to display much less of this information

Actually metro can easily display more information using same or even less space (due to ignoring visualisation and focusing on content) compare to traditional gadgets.

Believe me, I fully aware of what Metro does in its "Start Screen". I am still not interested. There is really not much more usability there than in the gadgets of the Win7 desktop. If "Metro" could have been integrated into the desktop, then it would have been just a change of programming paradigm, but it is not. '

In any case, what "Metro" does is done much better by ICS. However, you do not have to even go there. You can run all of the Android apps in the Win7 desktop. Just sign up for the Bluestacks "Apps Player" beta.
Run Android on Windows with BlueStacks :: Android on PC :: Android Player for Windows | BlueStacks

As you would see, the "Apps Player" is also compatible with the Win8 start screen, if this is your type of thing. I still prefer running them at the desktop but you can see here how the concept works in Win8

BlueStacks promises 400,000 Android apps for Windows 8 (hands-on video) | The Verge

But I much prefer buying an ICS tablet, anyway, if I ever going to buy a tablet.

 

[Coke Robot]

From what I have seen on my part, I know many of my mates use Desktop gadgets like Calendar and Clock even on their notebooks with small screens really. They could have the Clock gadget even display their names which is fun and I would expect power users to use the All CPU Meter like I do. And there's even a fun and simple Desktop gadget called Piano which is much less of a hassle than the Piano app you see on the WDP's Metro. I suggest you guys try that. One of my closest mates, recently got his new Toshiba netbook and it even has a Desktop gadget that acts like a Wifi radar which is looking great for us.

If I am not wrong, I think they call that new bar on the side of Windows 8's desktop the "Charms Bar" but from what I saw, I think it only displays the same four functions that you see when you click at the left bottom side of the Windows 8 Start Button. You get Settings, Devices, Share and Search and it doesn't have yet the ability to have Metro app tiles pinned on it.

I use gadgets a lot. Not only do I have the clock, calendar and weather, but I use the Pandora gadget, a gadget for NPR and BBC steering, and one for the Dilbert cartoons. I also have a very useful gadget for Wifi networks and analysis. I find these gadgets very useful and great time savers. The stupid Metro interface takes the whole screen to display much less of this information.

However, this is the wrong discussion. Win8 is not a desktop OS and nobody should even attempt to make it so. Win8 is a mobile OS. Microsoft's own PR is talking about "breaking away from the desktop". Thus Win8 looks and behaves like a mobile OS. According to Microsoft, "desktop users will need to adapt"

So, guys, start adapting and do not try to convince anybody that Win8 is an efficient desktop OS. It is not, and it is not going to be.

The term "desktop" can be many things. It can be called a PC, it can be called an non-mobile computer/PC, it can be Desktop View, it can be Windows itself.

Speaking of gadgets and apps, we haven't even begun to see what developers have thought of. Live Tiles are a whole other beast to design for. The Windows Phone's live tiles display information at a glance. I bet there will be apps that have just the tile displaying the relevant information. A Pandora app could do the same as a desktop gadget, and when launched, run a comprehensive app.


From my time with Windows 8, I'm glad features of a mobile device have finally come to the PC. I enjoy faster startups, I like the fact that I don't have to always kill apps after I launch them, they just suspend. I love how a feature of Windows Phone displays information from different sources without me having to actually open the app up.

 

[Coke Robot]

The stupid Metro interface takes the whole screen to display much less of this information

Actually metro can easily display more information using same or even less space (due to ignoring visualisation and focusing on content) compare to traditional gadgets.

The problem is that this is still a Developer Preview, hence there are not many metro apps that take advantage of live tiles.
And it seems like people have wrong idea of Metro. Its not squares or full screen apps. The idea of metro is to focus on content and thus bring you all your needed information in clear (usually typographic form), easily readable form.

And live tiles are created to make sure that you will never actually have to open the app itself, You can just get required information "at a glance". Thus in most (almost always) one won't open the app and see whole screen app.

It is hard to illustrate it in Windows 8, right now, due to the lack of apps taking advantage of TRUE metro (live tiles)
However one can clearly see it in WP7.

View attachment 3137

This is just one app taking advantage of live tiles (Though this is not be the best implemention, but it still works for my illustration). As you can see it is giving the required information using less space then both iOS or Android. One could argue that other platforms will give you it in more visually pleasant way. But the point of metro is to provide information in a clear way, not visually active way.

What I am trying to illustrate here is that Windows 8 metro apps should aim for the same usability. Thus they would easily be able to display required information in more clear way while using less space comapred to traditional gadgets as seen on Vista, Windows 7 or KDE plasma. In some way similar to gnome conky but with more visual clarity and consistency.

There is already some progress of achieving it in Windoows 8 as you can see from mail, weather and news apps in the screenshot:

View attachment 3138

However they are still unfinished and feel raw. It doesn't yet achieve the level of interactivity (seamlessness) I am trying to illustrate, hence the reason for Developer Preview, so developers can build those apps. Hopefully till the time we reach beta there will be enough apps that will take advantage of metro, live tiles and toast notifications.

EDIT: Even Rainmeter themes emulating Windows 8 Metro can already show potential of the design:

View attachment 3139

As you can see from tiles like weather, mail, player (Pandora if you want...), system Storage (that could easily be CPU as someone here mentioned), moon phase and etc. Admittedly this is not Windows 8, but it still can show the potential of the design which could be better but in no way worse than classic gadgets.

Love it, my argument exactly.

 

[Coke Robot]

From what I have seen on my part, I know many of my mates use Desktop gadgets like Calendar and Clock even on their notebooks with small screens really. They could have the Clock gadget even display their names which is fun and I would expect power users to use the All CPU Meter like I do. And there's even a fun and simple Desktop gadget called Piano which is much less of a hassle than the Piano app you see on the WDP's Metro. I suggest you guys try that. One of my closest mates, recently got his new Toshiba netbook and it even has a Desktop gadget that acts like a Wifi radar which is looking great for us.

If I am not wrong, I think they call that new bar on the side of Windows 8's desktop the "Charms Bar" but from what I saw, I think it only displays the same four functions that you see when you click at the left bottom side of the Windows 8 Start Button. You get Settings, Devices, Share and Search and it doesn't have yet the ability to have Metro app tiles pinned on it.

I use gadgets a lot. Not only do I have the clock, calendar and weather, but I use the Pandora gadget, a gadget for NPR and BBC steering, and one for the Dilbert cartoons. I also have a very useful gadget for Wifi networks and analysis. I find these gadgets very useful and great time savers. The stupid Metro interface takes the whole screen to display much less of this information.

However, this is the wrong discussion. Win8 is not a desktop OS and nobody should even attempt to make it so. Win8 is a mobile OS. Microsoft's own PR is talking about "breaking away from the desktop". Thus Win8 looks and behaves like a mobile OS. According to Microsoft, "desktop users will need to adapt"

So, guys, start adapting and do not try to convince anybody that Win8 is an efficient desktop OS. It is not, and it is not going to be.

How did you live with xp?!

 

[Mike Lonewolf]

CokeRobot said

How did you live with xp?! [/end-quote]

Awwwwwwwwww come on YOU just HAD to love the crashes, the quick infections, the weekly re-installs of the O/S, and applications...it was FUN!!!!

 

[Vertex]

How did you live with xp?!

XP feels better running older games and still requires less resources than Windows 7.

Well I don't really think that the post was directly related to Windows XP. Windows 7 is there to save the day and its still some time before it becomes considerably obsolete. Windows 7 is still very good for the likes of Desktop users and their needs as of now.

We all agree that Windows 8 has to be further developed or redesigned to suit the tastes of more people like ADRZ and me who are desktop fans.

 

[Mike Lonewolf]

Vertex said:

We all agree that Windows 8 has to be further developed or redesigned to suit the tastes of more people like ADRZ and me who are desktop fans.

I have a real cool desktop fan if you want to buy it, connect directly to the top lip/edge of any desktop

 

[Coke Robot]

How did you live with xp?!

XP feels better running older games and still requires less resources than Windows 7.

Well I don't really think that the post was directly related to Windows XP. Windows 7 is there to save the day and its still some time before it becomes considerably obsolete. Windows 7 is still very good for the likes of Desktop users and their needs as of now.

We all agree that Windows 8 has to be further developed or redesigned to suit the tastes of more people like ADRZ and me who are desktop fans.

I'm just making fun of how some people actually lived without desktop gadgets, there weren't any until vista and BAM, we must have our gadgets...

 

[Vertex]

I'm just making fun of how some people actually lived without desktop gadgets, there weren't any until vista and BAM, we must have our gadgets...

Well you must not downsize what Desktop gadgets do for "other" people like me.

 

[CB]

I like desktop gadgets which are able to self-refresh. (as some I find do not)

 

[Mike Lonewolf]

Personality I find them of no use to myself.

 

[johnpombrio]

I like desktop gadgets which are able to self-refresh. (as some I find do not)

Usually mousing over the gadget works. I have a local weather one that does not automatically refresh but I end up mousing over it anytime I am on the desktop. Habit I guess...

 

[johnpombrio]

I tried it when it first came out. Metro leaves me cold - but then, I'm an old-school desktop guy. The "legacy" desktop view was OK, I guess, but the start button just brings you back to the Metro start screen. Hopefully they'll have a real start button in the beta, but as it is now, Windows 8 offers me less than nothing.

I IMMEDIATELY ditched both Metro and changed the Start key to its old iteration on Win7. Took me like 4 minutes to Google it and got rid of both of them permanently. I have not looked at Metro for 6 months now, I donno if it is still there, heh.

 

[johnpombrio]

I love Win8. It boots so much faster than Win7 that I got rid of my SSD drive as I no longer saw that much difference in booting up or running programs. I immediately got rid of Metro (yuk) and changed the Start key back to the way it runs on Win7.( Google it).

Compatibility is absolutely perfect with Win7. I have found only ONE product (Quicken Turbo Tax 2011) that refuses to run, everything else runs flawlessly. Of course, I have kept upgrading my hardware to something built in this century so that helps

As for buying Win 8 when it releases, I have a subscription to Microsoft Technet ($199/year) which gives me 2 10 computer activations per product (20 computers altogether). When Win 8 comes out, I will have multiple RETAIL licenses for all the various versions of Win8 to test in my computer upgrade sandbox. Good deal all around.

 

[CB]

I like desktop gadgets which are able to self-refresh. (as some I find do not)

Usually mousing over the gadget works. I have a local weather one that does not automatically refresh but I end up mousing over it anytime I am on the desktop. Habit I guess...

Agree with you, just wonder why the gadgets of metro apps in WDP do not self refresh. I do have to click it here and there to have it up to date

 

[Reydeoros]

Well fellas.... I hate to be the only negative person in this conversation.... Even though I like windows 8 very much... In fact so much that I will never look back... I do have an issue with the restart sequence.... shutdown seems to be working ok... However the Start-up leaves much to be desired.... My PC takes a very very loooooong time to start-up, so much that in many occasions I think its not going to .... then right about then I get the ugly looking beta fish (lol) I never experienced that with 7 nor Vista?????

 

[johnpombrio]

Well fellas.... I hate to be the only negative person in this conversation.... Even though I like windows 8 very much... In fact so much that I will never look back... I do have an issue with the restart sequence.... shutdown seems to be working ok... However the Start-up leaves much to be desired.... My PC takes a very very loooooong time to start-up, so much that in many occasions I think its not going to .... then right about then I get the ugly looking beta fish (lol) I never experienced that with 7 nor Vista?????

That is not just a Windows 8 issue, I have heard of this in Win7 as well. I remember something about it due to your computer searching the network for something that is missing, but just a guess.
For instance, Google windows 7 taking forever to startup and the first reply is, as always, these forums which is why I came here in the 1st place!

 

[Greygoose]

I am still using it as a dual boot with Vista. 32 bit. Happy with a couple of niggles Media Player and slow close down. Will take these problems to appropriate forum.