Downloadable 'trial' version with product key. Seems initially to be not much different from 7 but mouse into the corners.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/iso

If anyone wants to try this it might be worth installing onto a blank, formatted HD and removing the main one to protect the present copy of windows.

I think we did have a thread on it ages ago, but might as well make this the official one now. I'd like to try to see what the explorer improvements are like on it but don't really have a spare PC I can use to play around on.

Install virtual box, and create a virtual PC

That's what I did, and I've had a play, this is what I thought:

Quote from: XEntity on March 08, 2012, 18:23:21 PM
Install virtual box, and create a virtual PC

That's what I did, and I've had a play, this is what I thought:

Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.

W7 vista ?

Rather different to Vista, although it certainly is a lot more complex than it could be. That's mostly caused because it's intended to be for multi-platform use.

There's a video explaining some of the 'features' in Win8, although the Microshaft employee in it looks like he's had a rod fixed to his back from the way he's positioned. Might have even had it shoved up his ass and into his skull 

It seems that rather than click the close box you grab the app and drag it to the bottom of the screen to close, possibly even more obscure than hitting the red X.

Are you all trying it with regular explorer or are you playing with the new interface? I'll be turning the new one off right away.

The new interface is the start menu? Not sure you can disable it TBH (W7 Vista sounds about right, it'll probably be more reliable though)

Windows 8 - Windows for touch screens (good luck if you don't have one!)

I've read a lot of criticism along the lines of you can't make a tablet optimised OS and a Desktop tablet and they need to choose, yet everything I have seen of it suggests it works fine.  Although I'm not entirely convinced with the desktop experience, I'm impressed with the tablet experience.



This seems to explains it very well, only 8 minutes of your time you will never get back.  Skip to 3.35 to get to straight to non touch interface.  They've borrowed a trick from OSX Corner Gestures, which I personally use a lot.

Yeah I don't like it, I hate trying to drag stuff across my screen using a touch pad, it's not one movement to get from one side of the screen to the other it's multiple, unless you have a massive touch pad, I expect it will be better with a mouse but using it just feels klunky, and TBH I don't think I want "apps" on my laptop, I want programs!

Looking forward to trying it. I have a 3M touch screen I got for free from a neighbour who saved it from a skip, don't really use it nowerdays as it's not natural lifting my hand up to touch the screen, so i'm wondering how my older tech works with the new OS

That said nothing can beat XP for the interface/arsedness factor. It was perfectly balanced and the most important thing it had immediate network settings access with a simple right click of the systray icon.

Quote from: M3ta7h3ad on March 09, 2012, 00:17:15 AM
That said nothing can beat XP for the interface/arsedness factor. It was perfectly balanced and the most important thing it had immediate network settings access with a simple right click of the systray icon.

I agree, windows 7 just made everything more difficult to find and do (apart from search), windows 8 has made this worse!

Quote from: XEntity on March 09, 2012, 00:28:09 AMI agree, windows 7 just made everything more difficult to find and do (apart from search), windows 8 has made this worse!

but... you can make windows 7 look/interface just like XP ?

I always do it.... switch profile to windows classic mode, and then turn off all the extras / adjust for best performance (no matter the spec of the pc)

there should be an option to default everything like this for work/office machines.... where productivity outweighs pretty every time

Yep, that was my point here with Windows 8, you can switch off all this fancy social/touchscreen desktop crap that casual PC users will love and productive users will hate and revert to 'classic' mode, but you'll still get all the new kernal improvements like the staggered multiple file copies with pause/resume.

Quote from: Cypher on March 08, 2012, 23:55:21 PM

That's Mister Stiffy...

Quote from: XEntity on March 09, 2012, 00:16:11 AM
and TBH I don't think I want "apps" on my laptop, I want programs!

Strange, you already use apps every day. Perhaps you need a  ...

Balls... they've made Explorer bloody office. :|

need: address bar
Rest: bunch o' crap.