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Windohs 10

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,192
19,158
Canaderp
Anyone try it out yet?

Starting it up in a virtual machine as I type this, though I've heard this beta is quite horrible.

I also could not get it to start with VirtualBox. Seems okay in VMware Player so far..
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
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I'll get it spun up on a VM here in the next week, but given that it's just a feature-incomplete technical preview, I would expect lots of problems.

I have mixed feelings about the re-introduction of the Start menu... I like the way they chose to compromise but I didn't see anything wrong with the Start screen other than a lot of complaining about change - rarely did I ever see a complaint that seemed to have any actual functional problem.

I do like the windowed Metro apps, though. The full screen Metro apps work nicely on tablets or phones or whatever, but on a desktop, it's rather jarring to be thrown out of the desktop environment. Those aren't in the technical preview, though.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,573
24,191
media blackout
BV - i agree regarding the start menu. i'm fine with it being replaced. however, now that i'm running win8 at home, i don't feel that the full screen metro UI is the best replacement, especially with larger monitors and a desktop environment. the full screen aspect of it feels too abrupt.
 

dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
9
looking for classic NE singletrack
BV - i agree regarding the start menu. i'm fine with it being replaced. however, now that i'm running win8 at home, i don't feel that the full screen metro UI is the best replacement, especially with larger monitors and a desktop environment. the full screen aspect of it feels too abrupt.
Totally agree. My main complaints (wishes?) for the metro UI are:
1) More widgets. Make it like the notification panel on my Android. Quick snapshot of who emailed me, who messaged me, any updates to FB, etc.
2) Make it instantaneous. Right now when you click it there's a slight delay (and the tiles load left to right instead of all at once).
3) Make the background translucent instead of just showing the desktop. Make it seem like something's just overlapping your current screen, and it'll just feel better.

But overall I don't understand the W8 hate. My desktop's been rock solid with it, although my laptop refuses to load 8.1.....
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,192
19,158
Canaderp
I also agree with the Start Menu being replaced, I'm okay with it. But the grouping and sorting of the programs and apps on the actual current start screen seems rather odd. It seems to take quite a while to find what I'm looking for. Searching usually solves this....BUT, searching takes time.

Aren't the metro apps already able to run in their own windows on the desktop?

The other cool feature, though not really new, is the ability to have multiple "screens".

One thing that I would like to see, is the ability to pin different programs/apps to different task bars on multiple monitors. I absolutely LOVE that when using multiple monitors, you have the option to have more than one task bar; but it seems dumb to only be able to pin things to one of them.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,192
19,158
Canaderp
Oh hey whaddya know, you're right. Trying that out just know is probably the 3rd time that I've used any of the "apps".

What's just as annoying is using Windows Server 2012, which forces you to open the app screen to log out. Whoever let that through the screening process is an idiot. Luckily R2 fixes that with a start menu button.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
Yeah, the Windows 8 / Server 2012 non-R2 are horrendous when using remote desktop. I really don't understand who could have possibly thought that a server OS, which is probably primarily interacted with via remote desktop, should use the so-called "hot corners."

Installed the Windows 10 preview on a virtual machine today. I have to say... I liked the Start screen but I think the new start menu is kind of a nice compromise. And I love the windowed Metro apps.