Will Windows 8 be as "ready to go" as Win7 was?

[EastCoasthandle]

It's clear that Win8 is coming although no announcement date has been made yet. However, with win7 a lot of people went from the pre-release version to the RTM/retail version without issue and have been enjoying win7 ever since. I have to wonder if win8 will be as smooth of a release as win7? I read an early report that the video card drivers (although available) wasn't up to par yet, for example. And it's not clear if they will repeat the same pre release OS to retail OS as they did with win7. Turns out there was very little changed between those versions (although you still needed to activate a key, some minor updates, etc).

 

[Frick]

It's not due for release until what? The second half of 2012? And the pre-beta version avaliable now seems to be pretty darn stable. I didn't run it much but it worked fine. Drivers could be an issue (as you say) but I don't think there will be much problems. The problem people will have is the transition to the Metro design.

Windows 7 was a good release because it's an updated version of Vista, basicly.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

It's not due for release until what? The second half of 2012? And the pre-beta version avaliable now seems to be pretty darn stable. I didn't run it much but it worked fine. Drivers could be an issue (as you say) but I don't think there will be much problems. The problem people will have is the transition to the Metro design.

Windows 7 was a good release because it's an updated version of Vista, basicly.

Well I'm not going to agree with you about win7 being an updated version of vista. But will say that when MS gave everyone the opportunity to get the latest build just before release for free was a great way to get feedback and allow the opportunity to try it before buying it. That's how many were convinced that win7 was better. I can only wonder if they will do that again with win8? With win7 we already had good gpu drivers, etc and gaming was no problem with the pre release of win7. The only issue I recall back then was that punkbuster but that was resolved after release. It didn't happen after release but before release. Which showed us how good that pre retail build was.

 

[Frick]

Seeing as how the RC's was a great sucecss I'm pretty sure they will follow up on it with Win8. I'm convinced the biggest problem is "converting" people (or maybe "teaching" them is a better term) to the Metro UI. I think it's fine, but it takes some time to get used to and for that RC's is awesome.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

Seeing as how the RC's was a great sucecss I'm pretty sure they will follow up on it with Win8. I'm convinced the biggest problem is "converting" people (or maybe "teaching" them is a better term) to the Metro UI. I think it's fine, but it takes some time to get used to and for that RC's is awesome.

I read that they are suppose to be announcing something in January 2012. I hope they let us have a release candidate similar to win7 as well.

 

[Athlon2K15]

Ces

 

[EastCoasthandle]

Yeah at the 2012 International CES. It's from the 10th-13th but I read no specific date of when MS would announce, if they announce it at all.

 

[newtekie1]

It is Windows 7 with a few added features(Metro UI), and AFAIK, Win7 video card drivers worked just fine with Win8 before there were official drivers.

Win8 is going to be just like WinXP MCE, it will be as polished as the base OS being essentially identical to the base OS, but have a few features tacked on to make it more useful.

In the product development cycle, think of it like this:

Windows 2000  | Windows XP  | Windows XP MCE
      ||            ||             ||
Windows Vista |  Windows 7  |   Windows 8

 

[Frick]

I think there were some trouble with drivers. At least I had trouble with drivers when I ran it (the reason I didn't use it for long, it was slow and weird).

 

[Drone]

Seeing how dev prev version works I'm totally sure that 8 is gonna be much better than 7. I'd even say that people/companies who use XP could switch to 8 when it's out and just skip 7.

People who just got to 7 maybe could skip 8 and wait for 9, I dunno...

 

[EastCoasthandle]

Well, the UI is going to take some getting use to in win8. It not like vista or win7. There are a lot of things changed around. But here are some of the things I found new with win8:

Metro UI
WDDM 1.2
No xp/vista/win7start menu
Windows Store (supposedly)
Cloud Integration and synchronization

Fully integrated antivirus. Win7 does have windows defender which auto switches on (after a few reboots) if you don't have an antivirus. Look for the svchost.exe (secsvcs) process in task manager if you don't use an antivirus and didn't disable it yet. Which can be done through the options section of windows defender.

Full reset function deletes everything and reinstalls (need admin account)
New Recovery Feature
Revised F8 options
Refresh function installs a clean copy of win8 but keeps your files, favorites, pined stuff and applications. Suppose to be combined with Safe Mode
Improved cold boot and shutdown times
I read that win8 uses less memory then win7. But that needs to be tested.
Revised Windows Task Manager (looks good) [
Multi Monitor Support

I'm sure there is more but that's all I found so far.

 

[newtekie1]

The UI in 8 us almost identical to Win7, including the Start Menu...once you turn off Metro UI.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

The UI in 8 us almost identical to Win7, including the Start Menu...

The UI layout from the F8 key function when booting up, Start Menu, safe mode to the Metro interface is going to be different. Even the windows task manager will get a ui update. So it's not identical at all to win7.

 

[newtekie1]

The UI layout from the F8 key function when booting up, Start Menu, safe mode to the Metro interface is going to be different. Even the windows task manager will get a ui update. So it's not identical at all to win7.

Task manager just looks like Resource Manager, so not really a change, just a swap. Maybe a combination.

F8 I haven't really played around with, but I wouldn't care about it either, as it isn't something a lot of people will ever deal with.

The Start Menu is identical to Win7, as is almost every other UI aspect.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

Task manager just looks like Resource Manager, so not really a change, just a swap. Maybe a combination.

F8 I haven't really played around with, but I wouldn't care about it either, as it isn't something a lot of people will ever deal with.

The Start Menu is identical to Win7, as is almost every other UI aspect.

You aren't making much of point with that reply then. The UI isn't identical regardless if you like the changes, agree with the changes or not.

 

[Easy Rhino]

windows 8 will be ready out of the gate. do we know if windows 8 will have a performance boost to things like games over windows 7? what about security enhancements? will it include things that will not be added to windows 7? as an end user those are the two things i care about. i turn the UI off anyway.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

windows 8 will be ready out of the gate. do we know if windows 8 will have a performance boost to things like games over windows 7? what about security enhancements? will it include things that will not be added to windows 7? as an end user those are the two things i care about. i turn the UI off anyway.

I'm not sure if any of that can be answered fully until we get to the release candidate. By then the graphic drivers should have improved. Although I don't recall that being an issue for the win7 beta.

The only security enhancement that I know of so far is the improved antivirus program. It also suppose to be more UEFI friendly. Here's a link about it.

 

[Captain.Abrecan]

The UI layout from the F8 key function when booting up, Start Menu, safe mode to the Metro interface is going to be different. Even the windows task manager will get a ui update. So it's not identical at all to win7.

Looks the same to me. Nothing to see here

 

[Drone]

Task manager just looks like Resource Manager, so not really a change, just a swap. Maybe a combination.

F8 I haven't really played around with, but I wouldn't care about it either, as it isn't something a lot of people will ever deal with.

The Start Menu is identical to Win7, as is almost every other UI aspect.

The old task manager is still there.

I don't really care about F8 options but I like reset and refresh functions.

If Microsoft finally kills start menu I'll only feel better.

 

[Frick]

The old task manager is still there.

It's a bit improved though.

 

[newtekie1]

You aren't making much of point with that reply then. The UI isn't identical regardless if you like the changes, agree with the changes or not.

Task manager just looks like Resource Manager, so not really a change, just a swap. Maybe a combination.

F8 I haven't really played around with, but I wouldn't care about it either, as it isn't something a lot of people will ever deal with.

The Start Menu is identical to Win7, as is almost every other UI aspect.

What changes? Have you even bothered to use the OS before commenting on it? Have you even disabled Metro UI, like I said?

So what you are trying to say is that this:

is not at all identical to this:

Am I getting that correct? Those two aren't at all identical? Are you blind?

Edit: Heh, I just noticed even Task Manager goes back to the old style when Metro is disabled...

 

[Drone]

It's a bit improved though.

They only replaced chart colour (green is now blue). Basically old taskmgr.exe is the same in xp, vista, 7 and 8. Maybe in final version they will totally ditch old task manager and leave only the new one.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

Looks the same to me. Nothing to see here
http://www.winsupersite.com/content/content/141184/taskman_02.jpg;pv42d5744523aec733

LOL, yup it look exactly the same as Win7's/vista/xp UI layout.

What changes? Have you even bothered to use the OS before commenting on it? Have you even disabled Metro UI, like I said?

So what you are trying to say is that this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/newtekie1/Win8Dev.png

is not at all identical to this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/newtekie1/Win7.png

Am I getting that correct? Those two aren't at all identical? Are you blind?

Edit: Heh, I just noticed even Task Manager goes back to the old style when Metro is disabled...

Your point is moot. Win8 doesn't use the same UI as win7/vista/xp. Making specious claims that you can revert win8's metro back to win7 is still moot, lol.

So other then saying we can revert metro back to win7 UI what point are you trying to make other then be specious about it? We already know that you don't have to use metro ui if you don't want to. The point being is that it's still there. Which makes the UI layout different. Your partner Captain.Abrecan made it obvious clear when he inadvertently posted a pic of the task manager trying to say it's the same as win7, LOL.

Thanks

 

[newtekie1]

LOL, yup it look exactly the same as Win7's/vista/xp UI layout.




Your point is moot. Win8 doesn't use the same UI as win7/vista/xp. Making specious claims that you can revert win8's metro back to classic is still moot, lol.

It does look exactly the same, in the areas where people will be using it the most. Metro will be an option to be turned off, and likely will be turned off by most desktop users, because it is rather useless for desktop users.

So the UI is almost identical.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

It does look exactly the same, in the areas where people will be using it the most. Metro will be an option to be turned off, and likely will be turned off by most desktop users, because it is rather useless for desktop users.

So the UI is almost identical.

So you can't address the fact that it's possible to revert Metro to classic (xp/vista/win7, etc look) that will allow people to use the win7 UI interface, that's laughable. You are simply being argumentative by shoe horning an officious comment through specious means. IE: win8 looks exactly like win7 (but failed to mentioned you are using win7's ui instead of metro). But even the task manager couldn't fully prove that point.

LOL