# Windows 8 Release Preview installed



## Semper Fidelis (Sep 24, 2012)

I installed Windows 8 Release Preview on my laptop and it's really cool. The Metro interface is taking a bit of getting used to. The hardest part, believe it or not, was figuring out how to shut down the computer. From an interface standpoint, however, it's actually pretty nice.

It boots up about the same speed (quicker?) than Windows 7 did but is a more secure OS than its predecessors.

I might not have upgraded to a release preview but I was monkeying with my laptop last week and, in the process of trying to get a driver to work the way I wanted, I changed some file permissions on a driver. One of the security mechanisms built into Windows 7 was a TrustedInstaller group and I think that when I changed the permissions (in order to delete a driver file), it made my Windows invalid. Now, one way around that is to do an in-place upgrade where you re-install Windows on top of itself. The only problem is that Windows 7 Pro did not support this. I could still use the computer but I wouldn't be able to get any Windows Updates. It was a problem I could have lived with for a month until Windows 8 was released but I decided to upgrade to the Windows 8 release preview because it will be upgradeable to the full version when released.

Upgrading was "easy". I say that because, once I actually got the upgrade to work, all my programs and settings were easily migrated to the new OS. The one trick was actually getting the upgrade to take. Now before you Mac guys get all smug, let me remind you that when the Mac OS when from 9 to X, whole programs didn't work and the only way to use some favorites was to buy whole new sets of programs. 'Nuff said.

Anyway, the first upgrade attempt failed after going through the whole process and I got a "Page Error in Non-paged Area error". Nice thing was that, once it failed, it completely restored the system to the pre-upgrade condition. Bad thing was that it took an hour to get to this point. I did a bit of research and determined it might be my Norton Security software so I uninstalled that. An hour later, same problem. I did a bit more research and determined that it was Rapport Trusteer that was causing the error and the upgrade went through.

Anyway, very slick OS. I'm actually more than likely going to move to Windows 8 tablets away from iPad in the future simply because I need my tablet or "take with me device" the ability to have full Office productivity. Microsoft is late to the game in the tablet era but they've also had the shackles taken off of them from their antitrust problems in the past and I wouldn't be surprised to see them surprise a lot of people in the future to become a major consumer brand as they were in the past.


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## VictorBravo (Sep 24, 2012)

Semper Fidelis said:


> Anyway, very slick OS. I'm actually more than likely going to move to Windows 8 tablets away from iPad in the future simply because I need my tablet or "take with me device" the ability to have full Office productivity.



Thanks for the hands-on review. My wife has gone to a Samsung Series 7 slate, running Windows 7. She uses it mostly for the superior handwriting technology, but the little slate has more power than my 3 year old laptop. The same thing will be coming with Win 8 shortly.

Windows tablet PCs have always been sort of a fringe product, but I see them coming into their own with Windows 8, at least for those who need or want their standard business applications to run without work arounds.


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## Pilgrim Standard (Sep 24, 2012)

Semper Fidelis said:


> The hardest part, believe it or not, was figuring out how to shut down the computer.


So would you mind giving us a heads up on system shutdown method?


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## Semper Fidelis (Sep 24, 2012)

Pilgrim Standard said:


> Semper Fidelis said:
> 
> 
> > The hardest part, believe it or not, was figuring out how to shut down the computer.
> ...



I'll have to tell you after I'm back at my machine. I fell asleep in front of my computer the night I set it up and I'm a bit groggy on the details.


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## Semper Fidelis (Sep 24, 2012)

I figured it out. You mouse to the upper right and a sidebar appears. You select Settings -> Power -> Shut down.

One other feature I like is the ability to log in using your Microsoft Live IDAllows you to share your desktop preferences across platforms.


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## Jerusalem Blade (Sep 24, 2012)

Semper Fidelis said:


> Now before you Mac guys get all smug, let me remind you that when the Mac OS when from 9 to X, whole programs didn't work and the only way to use some favorites was to buy whole new sets of programs.



Not to betray the Mac camp, Rich, but the same issue arose when upgrading from Mac OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) to 10.7 (Lion), as the latter removed Rosetta and all – _many_ – programs using that had to be upgraded. That was costly!


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## Romans922 (Sep 24, 2012)

Rich, isn't this supposed to be the off OS for Windows? See Pattern: Windows *98*, ME, *XP*, Vista, *7*, 8? [Good in Bold]


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## Semper Fidelis (Sep 24, 2012)

Romans922 said:


> Rich, isn't this supposed to be the off OS for Windows? See Pattern: Windows *98*, ME, *XP*, Vista, *7*, 8? [Good in Bold]



I suppose but a lot of work has gone into this OS. You could argue that the Windows Mobile OS is what Microsoft kicked into the stands so Windows 8 fixes that as well as unifies the experience from desktop to mobile. My next mobile might be a Windows 8 PC. I'm really interested in the Lenovo Ideapad Yoga.


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## VictorBravo (Sep 24, 2012)

Semper Fidelis said:


> I'm really interested in the Lenovo Ideapad Yoga.



My only concern with that, and with other Windows RT devices, (like the lower cost MS Surface coming soon) is that it doesn't look like you can run legacy software. At least it's not clear to me. You'll have to run Office 2013 and whatever is sold by MS Store.

I'm holding out for either the MS Surface with Win8 Pro, the Lenovo ThinkPad X230 Convertible Tablet running Pro (adding an SSD), or going with the Samsung Series 7 Slate. All of those would run my legacy applications, like Adobe Creative Suite, billing software, document management software and miscellaneous applications I find vital for my work.

After playing with my wife's Samsung Slate, I find it to be one of those "why didn't I get something like this before?" devices. The handwriting recognition on Onenote is quite good, and the speed of the SSD is unlike anything I've ever seen. I'd toss out all my paper pads and have a complete trial notebook with exhibits, briefs, and everything, all in a tablet.


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## Moireach (Sep 25, 2012)

It'll be very interesting to see how successful this OS will be and their tablets. I'm a Mac user and for me this OS looks like a huge improvement. They've totally changed their style (they knew they had to). For me Mac was smoother and (crucially) gesture based and very customizable, and more minimalistic in general. Windows 7 was mouse driven, and for me that wasn't as easy and smooth to use. And in general apps were cluttered. They usually had more features, but features that the average user doesn't need. Windows Live Mail was just so ugly compared to Apple Mail for example. 

But everyone's different and Windows 7 is perfect for the majority of people. Younger people will flock to Windows 8 though. Windows 8 solves a lot of the problems people like me had with 7. All of a sudden Microsoft are coming up with an OS that is actually attractive to look at, the apps are very minimalistic and leave you alone, and it's at least more gesture based, with the potential to become a lot more so. A huge move to many of Apple's general principles in their software.
So for people like me it's a huge improvement (I'm not switching back though  ) But I'm still very surprised to hear Windows users giving it the most criticism. 

But my prediction is that within 5 years, the vast majority won't be able to even dream of going back to an OS like Windows 7. And that it's bound for success, above all because of it's consistency across devices.


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## Semper Fidelis (Sep 25, 2012)

VictorBravo said:


> Semper Fidelis said:
> 
> 
> > I'm really interested in the Lenovo Ideapad Yoga.
> ...



The Yoga isn't an RT device. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## VictorBravo (Sep 25, 2012)

Semper Fidelis said:


> The Yoga isn't an RT device.



OK. I got the RT info from Googling the Yoga. Some of the stories from August speculated that it was to be an RT device, But I see after looking more closely at other stories, it's billed as a full blown computer.


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## ClayPot (Sep 26, 2012)

VictorBravo said:


> Semper Fidelis said:
> 
> 
> > Anyway, very slick OS. I'm actually more than likely going to move to Windows 8 tablets away from iPad in the future simply because I need my tablet or "take with me device" the ability to have full Office productivity.
> ...



I have installed Windows 8 Consumer Preview on my Samsung Series 7. It's a much better experience than Windows 7. Pretty easy to install too. You might want to try it.


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## Shawn Mathis (Sep 28, 2012)

I have the Lenovo x220 tablet with win 7 premium. I got it because I can write notes in Onenote or mark up Word docs and pdfs. Excellent handwriting recognition as well. The machine is well built. 

I then installed win 8 preview on the partitioned drive. So, I have a dual boot. I like win 8 with my touch-screen. It works much better than 7 with hand input and just as well with pen input. You still get the desktop experience if you wish (it is now an app on the homepage). The boot up time is incredible: half the time of my 40 second win 7. When you log in, it instantly loads the homepage (I think that is what its called). It is quite reverse compatible (loaded an old bibleworks). There is a learning curve. Google it if you wish to see it up close.

The ultimate? A touch-screen plus digitizer tablet of about 10-12" with basic hardware input/output (who needs three usb ports?) with solid state hard-drive and Win 8 pro with built in keyboard (like Surface...which I don't think has a digitizer). [For those not in the know: the digitizer allows for fine-control via pen input---ever try to write with a stylus on your tablet? No fun. Digitizer makes it fun and very functional].


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## VictorBravo (Sep 28, 2012)

Shawn Mathis said:


> Surface...which I don't think has a digitizer



The reports I've read about the Surface Pro is that it will come with a Wacom digitizer. The RT version is supposed to come out soon (without digitizer), but the Pro version is set to come out in Spring 2013--I'll guess we'll just have to wait to see....


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