Windows 8 public beta released

[VectraMan]

I installed it in Virtual Box last night (and now Virtual Box 4.1 supports GPU acceleration it was quite usable).

I don't know what they're thinking. You can understand them wanting to stay relevant, but the combined tablet / desktop OS just makes no sense. The only reason I can see for wanting it is to develop software for Metro, but they could have solved that problem some other way. Do a tablet OS based on Windows underneath, that's fine. Do an improved desktop OS ( I kind of like the ribbon in Explorer), fine. But why put the two together?

I found I'd end up in the desktop, then have no idea how to get back to Metro and with no start button couldn't run anything. Then somehow I'd end up back in Metro, and have no idea how I got there or how to get back to the desktop.

This sort of thing sounds like a much better approach to getting Windows software onto a tablet.

[Sysman]

What I would like to see now is a powerful windows 8 laptop with a removable screen like the Asus Transformer.
--> Lifting off the screen shifts it into a low power mode <--
Keyboard section includes extra battery power, possibly extra hard disk bays and the majority of the external connectors.

I like that idea.

[Sysman]

Downloading at the moment.

Slowly.

It failed on the first attempt because I'd allocated less than 2GB to the VM that Win7 is running in (base Win7 is quite happy running with a lot less in a VBox VM as long as you don't fire up anything heavy - in fact doing the Win8 download it's ticking over at ~650 MB used).

Will probably end up agreeing with the rest of you about the interface.

[d000hg]

I found I'd end up in the desktop, then have no idea how to get back to Metro and with no start button couldn't run anything. Then somehow I'd end up back in Metro, and have no idea how I got there or how to get back to the desktop.

Dunno how you get from Desktop->Metro, but when you're IN Metro, "Desktop" is presented an app you can launch.

[Sysman]

Downloading at the moment.

Slowly.

And now it's "Getting files ready".

Is this thing going to overwrite my Win7 installation?

[Sysman]

A positive review of Windows 8

Sounds like it could do with a decent tutorial though.

[Sysman]

Now it asks if I want to install straight away, on another partition, or leave it until later.

Need to close the bugger down to add a new disk, so choose the later option.

Now WTF did they put it?

Ah: C:\WindowsESD\setup.exe seems to do the trick.

Now it wants the product key it gave me in Phase 1. Just as well I copied and pasted it into a text file, isn't it?

[d000hg]

What I've read claims W8 is nice on a tablet, a bit of non-event on the desktop, and a mess when the two try to overlap.

If everyone sticks with W7 on the PC but W8 gains traction on tablets, that's probably a success.

[Sysman]

"Your product key works!"

Why the exclamation mark?

Not enough faith in the original one you gave me?

Oh, and did I mention I got some dodgy security certificate presented to me during Phase 1?

[Sysman]

EULA; License expires 15-Jan-2013

Something for the paranoid:

12. SAMPLE APPLICATION CAPABILITIES
The apps may automatically be granted access to certain data and hardware on your system. The system access granted to these apps may include:
· Your Internet connection, which may include incoming connections from the Internet;
· Your home or work network connection;
· Your pictures, videos, music, and/or documents libraries, including the capability to add, change, or delete files;
· Removable storage;
· Your Windows credentials, to access a corporate network; and
· Software and hardware certificates or a smart card, used to identify you in the app.
By accepting this license agreement and using the apps, you consent to their use of any or all of these capabilities. You can view which capabilities an app uses in the “Control system access” section of the app’s Settings. You may also uninstall any of the apps at any time.

Additionally, some apps may request access to:
· Your webcam;
· Your microphone;
· Your location; or
· SMS messaging.
For each of these capabilities, you will be prompted to grant access to the app the first time you run it, and can disable the use of any of these capabilities at any time in the app’s Settings.