Windows 8 discussion

Mictlantecuhtli, did you install the latest version of the video driver for your computer? (not the one that comes with windows, or from the windows update).

metro uses hardware acceleration and the blur might be from a faulty driver.
 
For all those Start Button Lovers:

Want a Windows 8 Start Button? Open source to the rescue!

classic_shell_options.jpg
windows_8_start_button.jpg



I haven't had time to try it yet, so I'll let you guys know about how it goes whenever I can check this utility.
 
I have just got the real Enterprise (we are under Software Assurance) version, and have upgraded my not very old pc to windows 8 now... been using it for about a week, and to be honest I am very pleased with the changes.
The start menu is a non issue actually, since the only time I use it in windows 7 is to search for something, like a program or a document/mail etc. What I get with the metro start menu is just a bigger result pane, so to speak, which is really not bad at all.

It took me exactly 20 minutes to upgrade the machine, which is really bloody fast (i7 with Intel 320 SSD/8GB Ram) and the only 2 programs it ordered me to remove before it was able to upgrade was MSE (weird, but seems to be build into win8) and Total Commander (works fine after install).

The things I like better than before would be, better jumplist control, and the file explorer is better, both in regards to view-ability and customization. Also the pc is overall definitely not slower, rather the opposite.. and lastly reboots are bloody fast (12-18 seconds).

Would like to hear from someone who have been testing storage spaces, it sounds interesting enough for personal use.

So overall my experience is great, so far :(
 
The start menu is a non issue actually, since the only time I use it in windows 7 is to search for something, like a program or a document/mail etc.
Click to expand...

Exactly, a non issue, which has been constantly been drum beaten on the pretext that the new UI 'discourages' multitasking. I think anyone who knows/use Alt+Tab, would never have any issues with multitasking.

@DV
Windows 8 has a better scheme for the prioritization of memory allocations made by applications and system components. This means that Windows can make better decisions about what memory to keep around and what memory to remove sooner

What the granular prioritization of memory does is that it allows Windows 8 to grab resources from running apps and re-allocate them without impacting responsiveness. This is made possible through enabling programs to allocate memory as low priority, which tells the OS that it can be used for more stringent needs, if they come about.

Another example of RAM usage optimization is related to resolving the issue of duplicate content through memory combining. Windows 8 combines redundant copies of memory for certain apps, freeing up RAM.

“Memory combining is a technique in which Windows efficiently assesses the content of system RAM during normal activity and locates duplicate content across all system memory. Windows will then free up duplicates and keep a single copy,” Karagounis said.

“If the application tries to write to the memory in future, Windows will give it a private copy. All of this happens under the covers in the memory manager, with no impact on applications. This approach can liberate 10s to 100s of MBs of memory (depending on how many applications are running concurrently).”

Another way that Windows 8 reduces memory usage is by consolidating frequently accessed portions of RAM. As much as tens of MB can be freed up on an average computer just because the next major iteration of Windows does a better job at re-consolidating memory that’s referenced less frequently, providing additional RAM resources to other programs that might need them.

- Bill Karagounis, Group Program Manager of the (Win8) Performance team.
Click to expand...

In addition to above blog/newspost contents, I remember reading somewhere that they have also reduced number of services running at the start-up, and move many services from 'Auto Start' to 'Manual Start' which can also increase boot speeds.

For more details check this article.
 
Only problem I have had with Win 8 so far, would be that my computer doesn't want to use a accelerated OpenGL mode with Win8, when it worked fine on Win 7

~Alex
 
Ok, after installing Win8 again today and testing Nvidia driver 306.97 I finally figured what was causing the blurriness and wrong colors... I like to set FXAA on from global settings and DWM (Desktop Window Manager) isn't compatible with it. I can't set an exception for it as it says it's not supported by the application (I'd think that's what the exceptions are for), so I had to disable FXAA from global settings.

Anyway, back to Win7.
 
Yeah, I like Windows 8, but for this desktop, I'll stick with Windows 7... for now, Windows 8 has been removed
 
I read that there is going to be a discount to those who are using Win7 and/or pre-order Windows 8. But what about those who are using Windows 8 preview? I haven't seen anything about it. Does anyone have any info on that?
Thanks.
 
Thanks.

Found a bit of an answer on Windows blog (http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/...-8-pro-and-pre-order-windows-8-pcs-today.aspx)

It's in the comments. Fella "Jarhead1407" asks:
Please, someone help me out. I have a PC with ONLY Win8 RP (no underlying Win7 or earlier license), can I use this upgrade edition and successfully upgrade to Win8? I've heard you need to have an underlying previous license. Please help!
Click to expand...
and Brandon replied:
@Jarhead1407 - you should be fine. The Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant will take you through the process. Thanks for testing Windows 8!
Click to expand...
The price isn't mentioned, but I am guessing that it will be the same as upgrading from Win 7.
 
Since the upgrade path is artifically restricted to disallow the preview versions (which is lame if you've spent a lot of time using it and have things you'd like to keep) I looked into a way to make it work. I found out we can upgrade to that $40 version by changing the cversion.ini file. Located at <installation media>:\sources\cversion.ini, change the two numbers from 8508 to 7100 and save and close the file.

Sources:
http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/sql-server/upgrading-windows-8-rp-to-rtm/
http://www.the-fays.net/blog/?p=207
 
I installed the Windows 8 upgrade adviser on my Windows 7 Pro PC and it took me to the $39.99 Windows 8 Pro download
 
Tmagic650 said:
I installed the Windows 8 upgrade adviser on my Windows 7 Pro PC and it took me to the $39.99 Windows 8 Pro download
Click to expand...
Likewise. Just did a Win8RP (no previous OS installed) to Win8 Pro upgrade for a customer. Once the ISO was set up on the USB drive it took ~ 60 min all up including optimizing for SSD (reduce page file, turn off drive indexing, system protection, prefetch/superfetch etc), all drivers, disabling unneeded services, setting up system maintenance, migrating files since it was a clean install (fonts, Favorites etc), and installing some basic programs (CCleaner, MBAM, VLC etc). Pretty straightforward. No muss, no fuss.
 
Windows 8 is nice but I you have to travel more with my cursor to do some things and it's annoying if you use laptops touchpad. Also if I'm in browser (fullscreen) I have to minimize it first to open I.e. My Computer and W8s start screen makes it harded to multitask because it's fullscreen. Also when I want to shutdown in Windows 8 I have to hover mouse in the upper or lower right corner, click settings, click power and then click shutdown while on Windows 7 I just open Start menu and click Shut Down. Log off button in Windows 8 is separated from Shut down, Sleep and Hibernate options which makes no sense.
 
g4mer said:
Also when I want to shutdown in Windows 8 I have to hover mouse in the upper or lower right corner, click settings, click power and then click shutdown while on Windows 7 I just open Start menu and click Shut Down. Log off button in Windows 8 is separated from Shut down, Sleep and Hibernate options which makes no sense.
Click to expand...
Really?
All I do is press Alt+F4 then press Enter for shut down - no mouse involved. You'd also find Hibernate, sign out, switch user and restart though the same two keyboard buttons.
 
dividebyzero said:
Really?
All I do is press Alt+F4 then press Enter for shut down - no mouse involved. You'd also find Hibernate, sign out, switch user and restart though the same two keyboard buttons.
Click to expand...
Yes there is a shortcut, but that still doesn't change the fact that they made some things harder to find and you have to click and travel more to get to some options. Search is also harder because you have to go in corner, click search, type something like mouse, click Settings and click mouse. On 7 I open Start type mouse and hit Enter.
 
In Win8 you just start typing at the Metro screen and it live searches what you're typing
 
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