Hi there
thank goodness --for the moment you can get the benefits of W8 with a DESKTOP presented after boot (although metro is there too of course) --but it starts in the desktop. The trick is to use W2012 SERVER !!!.
Read the remark on the installation choice if you are goung to try it -.
Note using a server as a desktop OS is a bit fiddly to configure --worthwhile once you've done it --but remember SOME of your programs might not work because you are on a server. Most "Normal" ones will. Acrinis backup won't --it wants the server version --but just use the stand alone bootable version !!
For screenshots I've got them in this thread over at W7 forums --I installed it as a VM on W7 -- didn't want TWO "Preview" os'es running on top of each other. !!
You can download W2012 server --doesn't need any keys --expiry same as W8 Release preview.
Here's the link second post in the thread.
note ist time I tried it failed --hence the title of the thread !!!!! but after a bit of fiddling it's fine and install time around 10 mins on a decent laptop (8GB intel I5 Sony VAIO)..
Hi there
doesn't quite work like that -- it's a SERVER so you get the Manage my server at start. (You can disable the automatic start of this application if you want) and then you get a desktop with just Windows explorer, Manage my server and the Power shell icons on the quick start ribbon.
Control panel is still in Metro but you don't need to use it very often -- you can do most things with "Power shell" (the improved command line interface) or the Manage my server application.
Don't forget that this server can be installed WITHOUT a GUI so you boot up into the command shell directly -- or a minimal guid which just has the Manage my server application and of course the Power shell.
A myriad of new commands have been added to the power shell command line so I.T Admins I'm sure will love it.
The full gui I'm sure was only added for people to test on VM's etc. It might not even survive when this product is actually released to Final.
I installed Server 2012 in VMware and installed it with GUI. It's definitely a break in UI design where it used to look like a dead horse of Windows 2000. I got the visual animations going so it didn't seem bleh.
It's interesting though, PC Settings obviously isn't there and it's the quintessential example of how the Start Screen can compliment the Desktop since Desktop Apps are only pinned to it, much how I use it. I don't know though, in a VM, it didn't feel exceptionally snappy and it seems like it would take more effort to configure it to get it more like the client OS.