Windows 8: Ready, set, preorder

[jimbo45]

Hi there
vmware workstation 9 plus the relevant version of vmware player work fine for creating W8 VM's --I've tested running a Virtual W8 Enterprise x-64 (from Technet) on a W7 X-64 Host -- working fine.

I'm running it now on a Linux openSUSE 12.2 HOST and it's also working fine. The VM will run either on Linux or Windows hosts without change.

Agreed for gaming etc a VM might not be sufficient but for a lot of other stuff including Multi media the latest version of vmware works fine on Windows 7 / 8 (and also on openSUSE 12.2 KDE desktop)

cheers
jimbo

 

[Night Hawk]

I haven't gone after the latest VM Player version quite yet but will be for the other new OS being looked over as well as still having the RP on a VBox VM presently. Now I am starting to hear other complaints from people running the retail 8 Pro about not being able to keep one app running when going to open another one.

Once the Win key is used since they haven't opted for Classic Shell or other some program like playing NetFlix on a second monitor will simply stop in an instant. What a contrast to what has been seen in 7 when going to run four VMs simultaneously and the only problem seen was simply not having enough physical memory installed and not an OS problem itself when seeing the "out of resources" error come up prior to building the present case that is.

 

[mfx]

I wish I never done it - nightmare update I need to rollback to 7

 

[DavidE]

My understanding it is possible to downgrade from Win 8 to Win 7 ?
If someone buys a pre-built now with Win 8 and wants to downgrade to Win 7 what does that mean?
Do they have to buy a Win 7 license, or is it a "No Cost/Freebie" downgrade option?

I just did a search and found this for HP, which i find "interesting".
HP urges consumer customers not to downgrade new PCs to Windows 7 - Computerworld

Sounds like it may be a free downgrade, but at your own risk and may not work ?!

It'll be interesting to see how the "OEM/mass market" accepts W8.

If anyone does buy a pre-built with W8 and downgrades to W7, can you post your experience?

I'm helping some people now looking for a new PC, and I'm not sure what to suggest...
W8 is not for me, but other folks love it...

 

[Phone Man]

Its a new world and you have to be careful with what you buy. When articles refer to Windows 8 it makes a difference what version. For example from that article.

Only Windows 8 Pro comes with downgrade rights; the consumer-standard Windows 8 does not.

It looks like a lot of vendors are offering Windows 8 as the default and Windows 8 Pro is optional. Since all the pre releases have been Windows 8 Pro we all assume every one is talking about the Pro version and it makes a difference. Some vendors will still offer Windows 7 on new systems and can do so for 2 more years.

Jim

 

[Layback Bear]

What happened to the good old days when you did a little research and picked which Windows you wanted and just walked into a store and bought it? Took it home and installed it and went on with your life.

 

[Phone Man]

What happened to the good old days when you did a little research and picked which Windows you wanted and just walked into a store and bought it? Took it home and installed it and went on with your life.

No in the good old days you walked into a store and bought a new ribbon for you typewriter.

Jim

 

[Night Hawk]

The fast to downgrade from any version to an older one is to simply "Nuke The Drive" as Long as... note you can find the device drivers for board and everything else are to be found. In the case of.. Brand Spanking New OEM machines the drivers won't even be writtern for any previous version as is all too common for laptops already as well as OEM desktops and of course Tablets. Netbooks. etc.

In order to boost their sales years back once Vista was out Dell introduced the choice of OSs which shows they wanted to be flexible in that area. HP and others will be once any new version goes on a new system no other older version will run in order to sell the newest and latest all in one.

Anyone finding 8 a headache by chance after "replacing 7" with an 8 install by the way? I think you now must realize that trying 8 out on a separate drive at least to still keep 7 on would have been the best move for some rather then trying to find a way back to 7 from 8 when not having any 7 media or MS options!

Without a second Windows version on the second drive here boy that allows me to look at some other options without a fuss. I won't have anything tied up in them to begin with like time, money, softwares, etc.!

 

[PaulGo]

Windows 8 UI 'strategic mistake,' argues design guru

Jekyll and Hyde operating system is weak on tablets, terrible on PCs, says usability expert



Microsoft's decision to put two user interfaces (UIs) inside Windows 8 was a strategic mistake that fails novice and experienced computer users alike on both tablets and traditional PCs, a usability expert said Monday.
"That was the true strategic mistake, that they could do 'one Windows' on both tablets and PCs," said Jakob Nielsen, a usability expert with nearly 80 U.S. patents to his name. Nielsen, half of the consulting firm Nielsen Norman Group, was formerly a top-level engineer with Sun Microsystems, and has a Ph.D. in human-computer interaction.


Windows 8 UI 'strategic mistake,' argues design guru | Microsoft Windows - InfoWorld

 

[Night Hawk]

He called it right! You don't put a Tablet gui on a new Desktop OS! You develop a new Desktop touchscreen capable gui if you want to see touchscreen support improved on even further. MS simply took a shortcut and called it the next new version!

 

[indianacarnie]

Very interesting article. Thanks for posting it. I agree 100% of course, as I've made known in other posts on this subject.

 

[Night Hawk]

It was detailed but a fair assessment. The designer works with the desktop platform even if that's with a totally different company entirely. He understands what does and what doesn't work.

The Big Goober MS made with 8 is of course the most obvious by not following suit with the working success seen with 7 to trash the OS instead when putting everything into work on the Tablet platform. And 8 will continue to see negative feedback as a result.

One thing I could add here is that if there hadn't been a "7" and I was still running Vista and ran into 8 I would be still be running the older of the two! At with Vista you had options like choosing between the Classic or Aero style as well as disabling the side bar if not wanted. With 8 however... 3rd party tools?! says a great deal unfortunately.

 

[Layback Bear]

Thank you PaulGo. Very nice read. He read my mind.
Windows 8 UI 'strategic mistake,' argues design guru | Microsoft Windows - InfoWorld

 

[Night Hawk]

One of the best points there was pointing out that the user wants to feel as if they are in control not being controlled when going into the unusable gui factor as well as hidden rather then visible functions. And here's the other big point made about people rushing to adapt this?

He also rejected the notion that because users adapted to the shift 17 year ago from DOS to Windows 95 that they will gladly do the same this time with Windows 8.


"The difference is that then they took something really bad, DOS, and added something, Windows, on top of it that was much easier to use," Nielsen said. "This time they're taking the standard GUI [graphical user interface] that has a lot of usability and discoverability, and making a U-turn by hiding features."


The result is a user adrift from the hard-won experience gained through years of time spent working with Windows.


"With Windows 8, you don't feel in control," said Nielsen. "One of the biggest goals of user interface design is to give people the feeling of mastery or control. This is a big, big change. Users have become familiar with the idea that the 'mouse is me,' but Windows 8 largely discards that. People feel a loss of control, and feel insecure in relation to the machine.


"That's the failure, and the missed strategic decision," Nielsen said.

Degressive instead of "Progressive" like 7 was to Vista! You would think MS would have learned to follow suit with what has been found to work in order to avoid the next "Flop"! They went off elsewhere to work on Surface RT instead and... we know the rest!

And now for the sales results following the first month since Windows 8's launch date! The news is not so happy for ...

Windows 8 brings zero 'pop' to consumer PC sales

U.S. notebook and desktop sales down 21% in Windows 8's first month, says NPD, showing the new OS hasn't moved the meter

By Gregg Keizer
November 29, 2012 03:16 PM ET

Full report