Windows 8 Win 8 and me

Customising the Metro. Well, I have now got my old folders going, with known contents. Still a bit to do but here we are so far:
 
Here's a picture of mine, @ the moment w/ Quick Launch employed. View attachment 118

w/ Control Panel+ (GOD Mode) and Links Submit your desktop!-mine-%40-moment.jpg I've Pinned (Taskbar) some items, since the photo... so, now, layout is similar to arrangements on my Windows 7.
 
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Classic Shell gives you the Classic Windows 2000 start menu,and Windows XP start menu. As well as the Windows 7 and windows Vista start menu and has some other themes. Check it out. It also works in Windows 8.

Thanks Andrea. I have never tried the "Classic", but curiosity will make me! But, tell me, are you using the developer or the consumer release.. There is a difference and, unfortunately, most of the "tricks" no longer apply to the consumer.
Unfortunately, because of my particular computer operating conditions, I normally have to try and make the Os's work with the provided (built-in) facilities.. I cannot deny, though, the usefulness of trying out some of the third party compromises. (Keeps you with an open mind - not MS tunnel vision. Lol)

Well in Windows 8 Developers Preview you can disabled the Metro theme and have a Windows 7 start menu. And you can also use Classic Shell with the Metro theme enabled to give you a Classic,Windows XP or Windows 7 start menu.And you can toggle between both the Metro and Windows XP start menu.

but last night I installed Windows 8 Consumer preview and I found this was not the case. On windows 8 CP you cannot disable the Metro theme at all. And Classic Shell does not work at all. And even software like Metro Controller won't disable the Metro theme or give you ANY kind of start menu.

See my post here-http://windows8forums.com/windows-8-beta-builds-leaks/4848-comsumer-preview-download-2.html#post5965

I was not even able to pin most items to my desktop due to a problem with the ribbon in Windows Explorer that froze my mouse. And would not let me right click to send to desktop. Windows 8 consumer preview is NOTHING like the Developers Preview. And so I have had to uninstal it and go back to Windows 7. Andrea Borman.
 
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If MS doesn't have some way to get rid of Metro and go back to a classic type interface like Windows 7 I don't see business showing much interest in it. Imagine having to train a bunch of people who use a computer but really are ignorant of much other that the screen or screens they use. Everybody doesn't live on a mobile touch screen device.
Joe
 
"Windows 8 consumer preview is NOTHING like the Developers Preview. And so I have had to uninstal it and go back to Windows 7" Folks, whilst trying to make sense out of this statement, please try to learn something from it... 1. where in a sense it is true the Beta is nothing like the DP, in fact it is vastly more sophisticated & by far superior to the DP. 2. 'going BACK to Windows 7' should never be in the picture when dealing w/ a Beta OS... they should ONLY be in addition to a current, non-beta OS, in addition NOT, instead!! ONLY as virtual machines or as multi-boot configs or on spare boxes. Ergo, 'going back' never enters into the equation. Regards, Drew
 
Things, Tiles on Start can be moved about, sized, removed... Things on Start can certainly be (also) put to Desktop access or Taskbar or Quick Launch… one can go back n forth Desktop to Start (in real-time) & be working them conjointly… Right side pop-out gives direct path to a plethora or things, w/out going to or looking @ all that may be on Start .... Search is very cool, whether done into Search or the fact that typing anywhere on Start fires Search. It gets really pretty damn cool!

Yes, the basic premise here is human nature, mindsets and the evolution & direction of technology. This scenario/relationship & its by-products is not restricted to IT... "that confounded dang new-fangled contraption" isn't a new phenomenon. But, it takes nothing away from the virtues of Windows 8, be they superficial or deep, obvious or subtle, cosmetic or technical, pizazz or performance. Perception & participation will run the gamut, timelines will be all over the map, rumours & myths will abound.

For some of us it's fun, usable (convenient, helpful & sensible), impressive, intuitive, innovative & exciting. Maybe 'we' will convey a 'truth' w/ accuracy & maybe some of our understanding & enthusiasm will rub off on others... though, actually, I think I'm seeing more ppl singing praises & being able to appreciate Windows 8 than, negatives.
 
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I'm not that keen on the Metro interface as I said earlier. This thread is nearly all about this one feature though.

Does anyone know if there is more under the hood apart from the shell we have to use?
 
I'm not that keen on the Metro interface as I said earlier. This thread is nearly all about this one feature though.

Does anyone know if there is more under the hood apart from the shell we have to use?
I think the short answer is no.
They seemed to have moved some things around, making them a little more difficult to find (like the startup tab in msconfig now refers you to taskmanager) and it does seem to perform a little better on older less robust hardware, but I haven't seen any noticeable performance increase on my main PC and I'm not sure what everyone is talking about when they say it is faster. My specs are not the greatest but they are by no means minimal either and 7 seems to perform just as well as 8 if not better.
The main thing seems to be the shell and everyone is in a twist over the missing start button instead of just adapting and realizing they have practically a whole screen of apps in front of them without ever having to click a start button. I think it will take everyone, especially us old timers a bit of getting used to but it seems to be the way things are going so I'm game.
Supposedly they are going to port over the ReFS (Resilient File System) from 8 Server for the Workstation OS but who knows when that will be. And I suppose some of the new Virtualization features might blow some people's skirts up but for the normal, everyday, read my email, surf the web, write a document or two and work on my spreadsheets user I don't think there is a lot to get excited about. I guess we'll see but I suspect if word of mouth doesn't improve you're going to see a lot of users going the "down-grade my OS route" when purchasing new computers, as we saw for a few years with Vista.
Just my two cents.
Regards
Randy
 
I agree with Trouble. The Metro UI is a very good way of accessing all the apps that were normally in the start menu. All it needs is, as i mentioned in another post, a more proper or thorough control panel to make it more customizable(it wouldn't hurt if they would do a settings panel and make the music app more "collection on hard drive" oriented). As for performance, I think it is driver dependent. You may have resources, but being still in development stage, drivers may not work "as advertised". For me win7 is a bit faster in some apps, but win8 is far more fluid. The hardware i'm running on is an AMD Athlon II X3 @ 3.2GHz, with 4GB RAM, and HD5570 1GBDDR3, 1TB HDD. IMHO if they get the UI,Video and Music apps more configurable(with more tweaks and settings), it would be great. For businesses too. It makes switching through different apps more easy, especially when you do work, and you have a ton of programs opened, bugging down the taskbar...
 
Experts Arise!

What has Microshaft done to make Firefox crawl like a baby?

Eh?

They have not just done that. They have taken away our beloved start menu and our right to have a start menu in Windows 8 Consumer Preview.No matter what we do or try we cannot disable the Metro theme or even use Classic Shell in Windows 8 CP. It does not work.

And we cannot pin shortcuts to the desktop either as the ribbon in Windows Explorer froze my mouse. Andrea Borman.
 
Duh! Look at the picture I laboriously posted of my windows 8 desktop. Eh?

I've got shortcuts all over the place. There is no problem putting program shortcuts on the desktop, exactly as we did in all previous versions of Windows.

Since my last post, I've done some digging and I came up with this little blurb!

Mozilla plans to release a concept version of Firefox for Windows 8's new Metro interface in the second quarter with alpha and beta versions to follow in the second half of 2012.

Mozilla announced the Firefox for Metro project in conjunction with its 2012 strategy documentation deluge.

Read more: Coming in 2012: Firefox for Windows 8's Metro | Deep Tech - CNET News

Apparently Mozilla realizes that their Browser is not ready for Windows 8, 64 bit.
Hopefully, soon, they will be.

:victorious:
 
Hey DRwho. I am a great fan of everyone who tinkers with new releases. In fact, I enjoy that more than the conventional use of the machine!
But, just for kicks, if you are going to put shortcuts all over your desktop, do you consider that an advantage to using Metro, which already has those shortcuts?
 
So, it is really the shell and the apps which are going to sell (or not sell) Windows 8. There's a surprise! I am going to try the OS for a week and see how I get on but I suspect that the mini-apps in Google Chrome's browser may well do the job as well, along with desktop gadgets, as the new apps.

It was the 'under the hood' part that really interested me. The old NTFS was going to be replaced in Windows 7 with something that was more secure and which didn't automatically start fragmentation on the drive but it was dropped. If they have given up on it again - well it doesn't seem good value to buy the new OS.

in effect we are being asked to by a front end and then provide an income stream to Microsoft via it apps market place. I hardly think it will be worth the £70 or so the OS is going to cost.
 
There is far more to include, factor in, than, just the overblown focus on Metro Apps...
 
Hmmmm! I think I found a friend.
Thanks Wheels!

:cool:

PS: I'm resisting change as much as I can, with the idea in mind, "how can I set up a Windows 8 PC for one of my old customers and not have them throw it at me?". I had to do the same thing with Windows 7. The classic shell pretty much takes care of that. Of course it doesn't work on Win-8. :crushed:

So far I've gotten this far:
My current Win-8 desktop:
W8Desk.jpg


Except for the missing START button, replaced by my Quick Shutdown icon, it looks pretty much like
Windows XP. That icon does work, by the way, and just one click has the PC shut down in about five seconds.
By the way, that's the "City Lights" theme, from the MS Theme Store. It changes to a new city every five minutes.
There are daytime and nighttime views for each of several cities. It sure beats the crap out of that drab Metro screen.
 
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That looks great but it also looks like a lot of work to achieve. It seems to me that this sort of stuff is what Windows 7 did by it self in the Start Menu whilst Windows 8 only provides the Metro Interface for it. If this is way forward, I think I'll have to check up what 'forward' means.
 
Mike listed many of the Features that are W8 specific here in the Forum. It is extremely technically advanced. Much is Enterprise related. I will put a couple links here to info about the OS. Though, not sure there is much point if or to ppl who care to see something as bad & silly no matter what. Some ppl will fight & balk @ Win8, tooth & nail simply cus it's different & therefore a bit unfamiliar. Hell, I ,too, thought, @ 1st, how do you maneuver w/out the old Start Menu... after a couple days I discovered, quite nicely & easily, actually. There are things (manipulations) 8 does that really are damn cool. One can arbitrarily bash things, like Metro Apps & Microsoft or have a different approach. Some Apps could take or leave, some are cool & or can be useful & have value. After using Win8 for only 4 days (not counting a few months w/ the DP) I've come to find it a quite pleasant, pleasing & impressive experience. But, all the bells & whistles should be the overwhelming focus... the effects of what is beneath the surface is what makes Win8 great. Running it on the same box as my Win7 cannot help but notice it is faster & uses less resources. It's actually easy & fun to use the way it is. Yet, certainly, some will cling to this or that, refuse & bash change, try to make something do, look & be what it is not. Just possibly it can be appreciated for what it is on its own merits. My own, the Desktop is done pretty much same as my Win7 is... can go from it to other things & places w/ speed & ease, it's simple to find & get to things & SEE them... Ribbon puts tasks & destinations @ one's fingertips & understandable.... having all the applications (not the Metro Apps) spread out on the screen for you w/out any drilling down & having to know where to dig for something... the damn thing gets likable quickly. Yes, we will see ppl condemning it... some do this w/ everything MS does or offers but, I'm seeing more ppl praising & excited over Windows 8. No, it's not all about MS making money from Apps or the Store... it's more about having something light, fast, easy to use (yeah, it actually is), something that has broad compatibility & multiple devices application & is simply in step w/ what is in the marketplace today, what ppl are coming to expect & computing of the future. Anyway, I know enough not to tell ppl what to think or feel cus no matter what... specs, Features, subjective opinions or test data ppl w/ love or hate something or warm up to it @ their own pace & in their own time.

10 hidden features in Windows 8 | ITworld
Windows 8 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Features new to Windows 8 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Regards,
Drew
 
Drew, I'd be the last one to tell you that "You're Wrong!" because for one man with one computer and an opinion, you're probably right, at least within your own realm, but.........

I'm not one man with one computer and an opinion. I'm a professional computer tech with hundreds of customers and hopefully getting more all the time, that someday will take home a new computer, probably with a NON-Touchscreen monitor and wonder "What the heck is this?".

At that point, I'll need to do SOMETHING to give them a computer that they can actually sit down to and DO something, if it's no more than playing some Solitaire or checking their email.

I've always been able to do this, from the early days, when Windows 95 first came out, to now and Windows 7.

I can make a Win-7 computer run much faster and still look and act like XP Classic.
I can also activate Windows Mail on Win-7 to work just like Outlook Express 6, which is what my older customers want.
They, like most of the rest of the world, like continuity, not drastic change.

So obviously we're traveling down completely different roads toward different destinations. So both our approaches are correct, for where we're headed. Eh? (Comprende Amigo?)

Long diatribes with lots of reference links may be just what some folks need, but for me (and a few other old timers), they just give me eye strain.

Anyone else going out to celebrate St Patric's day on the 17th? Meet ya at Beef O'Brady's
The first pint is on me!

O'Shadow :cool:
 
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