[anniebrion]

Microsoft officials finally confirmed today that Windows 8 is on track to be released to manufacturing by the first week of August and to be available by late October.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33642_7...icrosoft-says/

[Blackjack Davy]

Bah. I'll stick with Win7 thanks all the same.

Sounds like another Vista.

[anniebrion]

Originally Posted by Blackjack Davy

Bah. I'll stick with Win7 thanks all the same.

Sounds like another Vista.

Cool, I loved vista

[IvanIV]

The early Vista installations were on underspecced hardware, so they were slow. That's how Vista got its bad name. There should be no performance problems with W8 when compared to Vista/W7. It's all just drama about the start screen, that nobody has to see too often if they haaaaaate it so much.

[cnbcwatcher]

Looks like Vista part 2 is on its way then I'll stick with what I'm already using.

[anniebrion]

Originally Posted by cnbcwatcher

Looks like Vista part 2 is on its way then I'll stick with what I'm already using.

As I said before, I loved Vista until W7 replaced it, I had a powerful PC that could handle it, W8 will use less resource than W7 so it should fly when installed no my beast of a PC

[Zack06]

I understand why Microsoft are so desperate to get this out there, but I do think they will suffer the consequences of rushing this OS. The main idea is a great one, but some of the decisions they have taken have been nothing short of bizarre, I just think there are too many radical changes in one release, and the bulk of consumers (who usually hate change) will react badly to this.

I'll definitely be running it as soon as it goes gold, but it seems they've thrown the simplicity and understatement of Windows 7 out of the window (pardon the pun ) and gone for this experimental release featuring nonsensical changes like renaming Windows Explorer to File Explorer (why?!) and hiding the Start button away, making simple operations more complicated.

I think this will do OK in the tablet sector as no doubt MS will give it the biggest push possible, but for the majority of the Home PC/Corporate sector, I just don't see this catching on at all. Microsoft have gambled away the familiarity of Windows in pursuit of its competitors. I feel like the Metro in Windows 8 could have easily been achieved in a new separate OS based from Windows CE, instead they've compromised on a massive chunk of their market. I hope this risk they've clearly taken with Windows 8, because their failure would be pretty ugly otherwise.

[Daedroth]

Wasn't October the release month for both Vista and 7? If so, then it'd make sense to release Windows 8 then too.

Originally Posted by Blackjack Davy

Bah. I'll stick with Win7 thanks all the same.

Sounds like another Vista.

Yet another misinformed person jumping on the hate Vista band wagon.

[cnbcwatcher]

Originally Posted by Daedroth

Yet another misinformed person jumping on the hate Vista band wagon.

Loads of people hate Vista though, me included.

Originally Posted by anniebrion

As I said before, I loved Vista until W7 replaced it, I had a powerful PC that could handle it, W8 will use less resource than W7 so it should fly when installed no my beast of a PC

Maybe it depends on the user or the computer. The Vista users whose computers I've had to fix aren't the most knowledgeable in the computing department

[Stig]

The haters are so irrational, most of them are dismissing Windows 8 before even seeing it.

[barky99]

I'll be ignoring windows 8 (unless I get a windows 8 tablet/phone) .... seem to remember reading the thinking around win8 (despite a desktop version being available) was that it was not really for desktop/laptop use and true successor for windows 7 desktop would be windows9 ... might just have been speculation?

[stevensdrs]

Originally Posted by Stig

The haters are so irrational, most of them are dismissing Windows 8 before even seeing it.

Perhaps so, but I tried the beta version and it was the spawn of the devil, so my informed choice will be to stick with W7, Vista and XP which all work perfectly on my numerous PCs.

[Zack06]

Originally Posted by Stig

The haters are so irrational, most of them are dismissing Windows 8 before even seeing it.

Well I've used every build of Windows 8 publicly available (including leaked builds before the Beta), and I do think Microsoft is treading on thin ice with this release.

[noise747]

Originally Posted by anniebrion

As I said before, I loved Vista until W7 replaced it, I had a powerful PC that could handle it, W8 will use less resource than W7 so it should fly when installed no my beast of a PC

It did not fly on mine, it was a bit quicker at some things, but it certainly did not fly.

Start up was no faster, true getting to the Metro may have been a bit faster, but getting to the desktop is another click so that slows things down.

i noticed very little different to be honest and my machine is not that slow.
AMD Phenom II 3.5Ghz quad core, 8Gb of corsair XMS3 ram, sata 3 120GB corsair force 3 SSD. The only slow bit is the graphics card, a old Nvidia Geforce 9400GT.


shut down takes the same amount of time as windows 7 and I mean a proper shut down not what MS wants us to to do all the time.

[noise747]

Originally Posted by Zack06

Well I've used every build of Windows 8 publicly available (including leaked builds before the Beta), and I do think Microsoft is treading on thin ice with this release.

Not that I disagree with you, but why do you think that?

I do think the different GUI may put people off, certainly ones like myself who just want to get into the desktop and do what I want to do and not bother about silly time wasting applications.

i want to write a email i will use my Email client, If I want to use hot mail I use my browser, if I want to write a letter i use my word processor, i want to browse the net, i will use my choice of browser, not Internet Exploder.

i can then close the software down when I am done, not allow windows to keep them in the back ground for no reason.

[LifeOfBryan]

Originally Posted by Stig

The haters are so irrational, most of them are dismissing Windows 8 before even seeing it.

I've seen it and it looks like something for the kiddies on their tablets and laptops.

Can't see a use for it on a standard home PC.

Looks cheap and childish with it's coloured buttons that do all these things for you that no one ever wanted.

[LifeOfBryan]

Originally Posted by noise747

Not that I disagree with you, but why do you think that?

I do think the different GUI may put people off, certainly ones like myself who just want to get into the desktop and do what I want to do and not bother about silly time wasting applications.

i want to write a email i will use my Email client, If I want to use hot mail I use my browser, if I want to write a letter i use my word processor, i want to browse the net, i will use my choice of browser, not Internet Exploder.

i can then close the software down when I am done, not allow windows to keep them in the back ground for no reason.

I agree totally with that.

As I said it's looks like it's meant to appeal to the teen market not any serious PC user.

Like you, I want to boot to the desktop and I'll take it from there. I don't want to rearrange my photo album or sync my sound collection with my Ipod as I don't do any of those things as I'm over 21.

[Zack06]

Originally Posted by noise747

Not that I disagree with you, but why do you think that?

I just think that they have taken too many risks and have completely overestimated what the majority of users would want from Windows. The touch based UI is great, but not for desktop/laptop users who just happen to make up almost all of the PC market. There will be a backlash, and I think MS should expect this.

I'm not sure that this will replicate the success of Windows 7. If users want apps, then they can do so on smartphones which can be taken anywhere. I don't really think Metro apps bring any additional functionality to desktop and power users except for pretty bright colours.

I also think having all the default applications as Metro programs will put off many users who just want to use the Desktop app but will find things constantly switching back and forth just to open a pdf file or play a song. Microsoft should have included an option where Metro is the default, or where Desktop and ONLY desktop apps are the default so that the user can use Metro to the minimum, but personally I think Windows 8 has been a ploy to try and get the Metro/WP8 UI familiar to encourage sales, so I guess I can see why they haven't done that, but unfortunately, I don't see great things for Windows 8 as a result.

[deivu74]

Day one upgrade for me. I love the Windows 8 Release Preview.

[Helbore]

Originally Posted by Zack06

I understand why Microsoft are so desperate to get this out there, but I do think they will suffer the consequences of rushing this OS.

It's hardly rushed. Three years is the standard release cycle for Windows. It was only the cycle between XP and Vista that was so pronounced - and that only happened because the Longhorn project ended up in such a mess they rebooted the entire OS and started again.

We can expect Windows 9 to be out three years after Windows 8 is released.

[psionic]

A version of Windows 8 that runs from a flash drive is going to be made available too. Windows 8 To Go

[deivu74]

Originally Posted by psionic

A version of Windows 8 that runs from a flash drive is going to be made available too. Windows 8 To Go

That's only for Windows 8 Enterprise users, I think?

[psionic]

Originally Posted by deivu74

That's only for Windows 8 Enterprise users, I think?

Details are sketchy at the moment. But mention plugging it in to a machine running XP. http://www.techradar.com/news/comput...ia-usb-1088416

[rtavy73]

didn't mind vista, but it was a bit slow and resource hungry,
windows 7 is really good
windows 8 is really good too,
you don't have to use the Metro.
I have a desktop tile and that's the first thing I press then its looks like windows 7.

been using 8 since the RC version came out on a laptop and a netbook and it does take a good week of using and changing setting to your preference to get the best out of it.

boot up times are faster I have a SSd in both computers and it was fast in windows 7

if your happy with 7 stay with it, after all it's a really good OS.
but for me I like windows 8 and I will be getting it when it comes out in october

[LifeOfBryan]

Can you just not insert a start up program in windows 8 to boot the desktop?

And will there be a Metro (whatever this is?) emulator for windows 7. So that you can run all your teeny apps?