Windows 8 Release Preview ready for download • Hacker News Board

Re: Windows 8 Release Preview ready for download

#91

Post by drcube » Fri, Jun 01, 2012, 1:26 PM UTC

Negitivefrags wrote: post #46

lubos wrote: post #3

This OS might be the biggest Microsoft flop ever. There are just way too many fundamental changes which are not proven to be actually better. I would rather see new Metro UI as another full-screen app to see if it can stand on its own before they go all-in with it. Something similar to what Microsoft did with Windows 3.10 which was basically another DOS program. I guess, Microsoft is being run by different folks toda…

To call Windows 3.1 "basically another DOS program" is to call Linux "basically another GRUB program".

No, it's more like saying "GNOME is basically another Linux program". Which is true.

Re: Windows 8 Release Preview ready for download

#92

Post by emehrkay » Fri, Jun 01, 2012, 3:30 PM UTC

dpark wrote: post #89

emehrkay wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That looks pretty cool. I wonder how easy its going to be for people to discover the gestures because they seem to be so different than Android/ios. That swipe from the edge is going to be a hard one to learn/commit to muscle memory. it looked like that kid wasnt really doing that stuff on his screen.

Why is "swipe from edge" hard to learn? This is one of my favorite things about Windows 8, because in hindsight it's so obvious. Disclaimer: MSFT employee

I doubt that the average android/ios user even attempt that gesture. Is what Im saying.

I feel that doing all of the touch gestures with a mouse is a bit much, especially pull down from top to close.

I still havent seen a better solution to multitasking/app management than webos.

Re: Windows 8 Release Preview ready for download

#93

Post by dpark » Fri, Jun 01, 2012, 4:17 PM UTC

emehrkay wrote: post #92

dpark wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is "swipe from edge" hard to learn? This is one of my favorite things about Windows 8, because in hindsight it's so obvious. Disclaimer: MSFT employee

I doubt that the average android/ios user even attempt that gesture. Is what Im saying. I feel that doing all of the touch gestures with a mouse is a bit much, especially pull down from top to close. I still havent seen a better solution to multitasking/app management than webos.

Discoverability is a much different issue than learnability. I don't know how discoverable edge swiping is, but it seems really easy to learn.

I doubt that discoverability is going to be a major issue, though, because edge swiping will get a lot of exposure through ads, and through any in-store use as well. It's such core functionality that every Windows 8 touch user will have to learn it in the first 2 minutes. If nothing else, they'll turn to the person next to them and say "how do I get back to the start screen"?

As for closing metro apps, there's not really any need in general. Just go back to the start screen. You can also close apps in the app switcher on the left, but the current app isn't in there if I recall correctly, and it's still not necessary in general.

Re: Windows 8 Release Preview ready for download

#94

Post by kijin » Fri, Jun 01, 2012, 8:40 PM UTC

drivebyacct2 wrote: post #42

kijin wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Developing for Metro might be amazing, but developing on Metro is a non-starter. After all, Visual Studio is not a Metro app (yet). Since most "hackers" will spend most of their time on the traditional desktop anyway, they see little reason to upgrade from Windows 7.

And? No one is saying you should develop in Metro. No one is saying "Avoid desktop mode". It's there for a reason. It is there for people who need desktop mode, who need true, all-the-time window-ized multi-tasking. Then there are the people who buy iPads, iPhones, Androids, WP7 and others by the millions . The majority of users do not produce content. Windows 8 is an effort to bring them an easy to use tablet experi…

The $15 upgrade is only for people who buy a new Win 7 PC between now and the end of the year. If you already have a PC, it will be more like $100 for the Professional edition.

Don't get me wrong, I'm trying Win 8 right now and I like certain aspects of it. I don't think it breaks anything important, either. But when I'm in desktop mode, the experience doesn't feel all that different from Win 7. Ribbon in Windows Explorer? I don't care. One-click wipe? I don't think I ever messed up a Win 7 install. Other changes are rather distracting (oversized window titles and excessive color saturation in various UI elements) but I could get used to it. But the bottom line is that it doesn't feel like it's worth $100, especially since I'm not in the business of making Metro apps.