[Jawed]

I've built a new PC with Win8 and it works pretty decently. I think most of the bugs I encounter are video driver bugs or video related memory problems (e.g. an explorer window whose preview on the taskbar is mostly black). This HD7770 isn't officially supported, though Tanks works and it scores 7.4 in WEI (it's something like 2.6 with the Basic Display Driver). I did a back-door driver install and so have no CCC. Gonna try Portal 2 tonight.

Generally I've been using the PC heavily. I have had the screen go blank for about 5 seconds while gaming a few times. Then it comes back - sorta feels like some kind of video driver recovery.

The PC is at 5 days uptime right at this moment. Though the uptime in Win8 is a bit of a lie, as it's the sum of hours switched on, across shutdown-boot cycles. It only resets uptime when you do a "Restart" (as opposed to "Shutdown"). But in my case this is 5 days continuously on.

The desktop theme that's supposed to change the desktop picture every half hour has stopped doing that for a few days now. I guess that's a bug. I'll restart at some point and see what happens to that.

Some software I use that is partially broken would also be broken by Win7. e.g. Office 2002.

I intend to use this install of Win8 until it goes on sale then purchase and re-install (or whatever is required).

I've even been sending feedback on the apps.

[hoom]

For the record the Release Preview is out
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/download

A word of warning: when I went from 7 -> 8 Consumer Preview it migrated my settings & programs no problem but with 8 Consumer Preview -> 8 Release Preview it did a fresh install.

[Scott_Arm]

Is there a release date for Windows 8 yet? I keep reading about the $40 upgrade, but none of the stories mentions a potential release date.

[Dominik D]

It would make sense to assume for OEM to be ready for the "back to school" in US and box/upgrade out on the Black Friday* the latest.

*not the Rebecca Black one though

[hoom]

The more they delay it the better.

I gave up on it, formatted & reinstalled Win7, much happier with my PC again.
Couple of minor features that I miss like desktop rotation alternating between desktops but thats about it.

[Jawed]

October launch, apparently. Wish it was much sooner, e.g. August. Sigh.

[Bludd]

Originally Posted by Jawed

October launch, apparently. Wish it was much sooner, e.g. August. Sigh.

Agreed, the sooner they release it, the sooner we can discard it and start waiting for Win9.

[BRiT]

Originally Posted by Jawed

October launch, apparently. Wish it was much sooner, e.g. August. Sigh.

Agreed. Then the Windows Surface Pro would be out sometime this year instead of early next year. Le Sigh.

[Blazkowicz]

I've had a thought. windows is the better OS for hardware tests (running OCCT, getting voltage graphs..). linux is garbage for this, it can only read a couple sensors from the motherboard, if that. or maybe display some random numbers.

excepting memtest86, which boots on its own, windows is the only solution for hardware diagnostics and linux is unusable. So Windows To Go has me interested! with it I could diagnose PC so it would allow me, ironically, to continue to use and promote linux while getting back the ability to properly fix PCs.

this would cost money though (needed "pro" license undefined) or worse, does it require you to login to an Active Directory server or something to let you use it?
is it available on preview versions?

[Bludd]

Windows depends on kernel mode drivers to access many of those sensors, no? Will those be installable when Windows To Go is running?

[fellix]

http://www.windowsupgradeoffer.com/

Now that's quite an offer there: upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for only $14.99 from your current Windows 7 system. The site only requires you to fill in some personal contact information and details on your PC -- just pick some model from one of the major OEM brands listed. I already tried and it said I was "approved" for upgrade, with further notification to be expected on the release date.

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

Originally Posted by fellix

http://www.windowsupgradeoffer.com/

Now that's quite an offer there: upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for only $14.99 from your current Windows 7 system. The site only requires you to fill in some personal contact information and details on your PC -- just pick some model from one of the major OEM brands listed. I already tried and it said I was "approved" for upgrade, with further notification to be expected on the release date.

Only if you bought a qualifying OEM PC with Windows 7 installed between June 2 2012 and 31st Jan 2013.

So basically if you buy an old stock PC, or are annoyed that you bought a Win 7 PC when you could have had a Win 8 PC, you get to spend $15 to get an upgrade ISO to download.

[Malo]

Well I believe he's saying that it doesn't actually really confirm your ownership of a brand new system that qualifies.

[fellix]

Windows 8 Tells Microsoft About Everything You Install, Not Very Securely

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

You can turn it off.

[Sxotty]

Originally Posted by fellix

Windows 8 Tells Microsoft About Everything You Install, Not Very Securely

Well that article actually doesn't say that. It says they might do it insecurely, but the author wasn't sure. It says the default is to check if applications are safe or not. You know what I would certainly approve of that for the majority of users. I have to spend time helping family who install stupid things on a semi regular basis. Though lots of it would probably get through the smart screening process anyway since it is BS like 49 different toolbars etc...

[Davros]

ooh, its just like steam then

[Blazkowicz]

it's like they want to scare the users into using the app store.
this security measure isn't really wrong per se but if it's about warning on running unsigned app then the message should just tell that. they thought the user was smart enough to understand signed/unsigned when it was about drivers.

as windows is the OS of choice for running thousands of freeware, old games etc. you might see this warning a lot if you don't disable the thing. even legit, open source software may not be signed (how much does it cost?)

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

I've just spent a couple of days playing with Windows 8, and I can't really see the point. Metro is constantly pushed into your face in a most annoying way. So you spend a lot of time in the desktop anyway. I just wanted to be able to disable Metro (or make it completely secondary), and get the start button back.

There's a reason it's been a staple in Windows for the last 17 years - it's one place you can go to and find whatever you want from the beginning. Instead, Win 8 there's constant messing about to find what you're after. It's just quicker to use the explorer to go through the file system to find what you want, if you can remember what it's called.

I found things like searching for the apps you want in Metro is clunky, with stuff not being found, but with duplicates of stuff all over. It's like someone opened everything on the start menu/program files and then listed it all out at once. Nested and collapsible program groups have been abandoned in favour of just throwing everything at the screen at once, and then removing that functionality from the desktop view.

The upgrade install doesn't really work. It takes hours (more than four, instead of about 20-30 mins for a fresh install), and stuff that is supposed to work, then doesn't, and needs re-installing anyway. Some stuff still has compatibility issues. After the upgrade, stuff that was working after a clean install (like the weather widget or online music shopping portal) isn't working after an upgrade. Yes, upgrading a Win 7 installation successfully seems to have broken Microsoft's own Win 8 online shop/metro apps.

It makes no sense to me to force a tablet/smartphone GUI onto a desktop where it's not needed and doesn't work that well, and then remove the start menu to force people into Metro. Really, they need to put that start menu back, unless MS are expecting us to make all our own shortcuts and program groups for everything and put it on metro where it will just drop us back into the desktop.

I'd be happy with Windows 8 as an incremental upgrade at a reasonable price, if MS reinstated the start button/menu and if it didn't have Metro/appstore constantly getting in the way, but I'm not interested in an OS that makes things harder to use than the one before it.

[fellix]

No JIT for Windows RT

Windows 8/ARM only allows sandboxed apps from independent
developers. These only have access to the WinRT API, but not the
full WIN32 API. Yes, the WIN32 API _does_ exist on W8ARM, but only
Internet Explorer and system processes get access to it.

The WinRT API does not offer the equivalent of VirtualAlloc() or
VirtualProtect() with the ability to make code executable at
runtime. But JIT compilers absolutely require this functionality,
which means there'll be NO INDEPENDENT JIT COMPILERS for W8ARM!

The Internet Explorer process on W8ARM has special privileges and
is the only one allowed to run a JIT compiler to speed up JavaScript.
No other browser will be able to compete on performance with IE on
W8ARM.

[Gubbi]

Originally Posted by fellix

No JIT for Windows RT

So exactly the same as iOS then.

Cheers

[UniversalTruth]

Guys, do we know when to expect Windows 7 Service Pack 2 and what to expect with it? Will it coincide with w8 launch?

[Davros]

Windows 7 Service Pack 2 is Win8

[Blazkowicz]

no, it's NT4 Service Pack 17
I got to use NT4 for a few hour-long sessions a decade ago, it's awesome how much it was tight. running on 32MB ram.

[Davros]

I only had a time limited version of NT 3.51 (got it free with a pc magazine)
had to make sure the date never exceeded 1 june 96

ps: how would metro work on a pc with 400+ programs installed ?