The option to create a local account is in place now. All you have to do is make sure the PC or laptop isn't connected to the internet during the OS installation and you will be prompted to create a local account. This option isn't available if you are connected, and you will be forced to log in with a Microsoft email account.
Disclaimer: I'm not a Win8 / 8.1 supporter and I have no plans to use this garbage. But the info might be helpful to someone.
No, that's not true. All you have to do is enter a bad email address first, then it will give you the option.
Yep!
That worked for me. No problems at all.
As an aside, I did experiment with an install the other day using my MS (Hotmail) account. It worked without any problems. I then attempted to create a local account from within Windows. I was able to do so, and was able to set it as an Admin account. But every second thing you try to do, you must get permission (enter password) from the MS account.
Annoying way beyond words (at least, beyond words I'm allowed to use on here), and totally counter-productive and pointless. It's like a form of UAC, but it is yourself you must seek permission from, not the UAC. And you get stuck with the unwanted and unused Sky-Drive rubbish, whereas when using a local account from the start you never even get to see it if you don't want to. I gave up in disgust, and did the current install using the dodgy email address, and the fault (and I believe it
is a fault) went away.
Strangely, if you do a local a/c install, and THEN create/log-in with an MS a/c, the Sky-drive rubbish comes back, but once logged back into the local a/c it goes away. Do it the other way around, and the local a/c is hopelessly 'nobbled', and is WAY more frustrating than UAC ever was, even Vista's UAC and that''s saying something!
Sorry MS, but, whether this is a bug or whether it's intentional, this is a fail, and I do hope it's rectified in the RTM.
Wenda.