Last Updated: March 9, 2012 4:15 PM

First published: Feb 29, 2012

Windows 8 Consumer Preview

OOBE

Boot

33.7 seconds - event viewer diagnostic-performace on W520 with Seagate 1st gen XT ST93205620AS 320GB hybrid drive

Metro

no non-full screen mode Metro app? only snap left/right as narrow window. not very appealing for multitasking, have to use multiple windows scenerio

charms bars going to be confusing for new users, power (shutdown, restart) is hidden inside settings, not top level

cannot have multiple apps on different monitors?

name group only in small view

no semantic zoom with keyboard and mice without scroll wheel? only click on lower right to show small icons?

can only name group in small view?

group gap not adjustable?

property from bottom can be confusing. only metro app can be smaller/larger

close by dragging from top to bottom or in task switcher, right click and close

Mouse/Keyboard

Win+Z - app bar

Win+I - settings charm

Win+C - charms

etc.

http://www.windows8news.com/2011/09/16/windows-8-keyboard-shortcuts/

http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows8/windows-8-consumer-preview-windows-key-keyboard-shortcuts-142358

Win++ - magnifier not listed

didn't get Win+J Swaps foreground between the snapped and filled apps?

didn't get Win+., Win+>. didn't snap to left/right, but cycle through those instead

Store

Internet Explorer

no plugins

Mail

Calendar

Windows Reader

XPS and PDF. No thumbnail preview scroll list of all pages?

Multimedia

Weather

Finance

Remote Desktop

how to set desktop size before start?

t

SkyDrive

needs switch from local to Windows (live) login

Camera

options, settings wording usage not consistent


Messaging

needs Windows (live) login

People

needs Windows (live) login?

Maps

bing brand?

Games

accessories not Metro

Tools/Utilities not Metro

Common Tasks

Search

search for settings?

apps - the list show all metro apps? can become quite long

files

Misc

external monitor(s)

- now called second display, under right side, device, at least Windows P still opens the charms bar

- task bar on both screens now

- 1920x1080 internal + 1920x1020 external - default duplicate mode keep setting to 1680x1050, why?

Windows To Go

- no simple tools to make Windows To Go USB boot drive? no Portable Workspace creator? only in Enterprise? still have to go throug Windows 7 WAIK ImageX, BCDBOOT?

52 minutes 29 seconds for 64 bit to image on W520/USB 3, 68 minutes 30 seconds for 32 bit to image on T410/USB 2 using 32G B Corsair Voyager GT USB 3.0

- product key (To Go), after entered wrong digits, even after correction, error message didn't refresh

- 64-bit Windows To Go failed to configure during preparing stage on W520. "Windows Setup could not configure Windows to run on this computer's hardware"

need to scan and repair when trying on T420s, and then failed with different error "Windows could not complete the installation. To install Windows on this computer, restart the installation" also.

- 32-bit starts ok on T420s, quite slow. takes a long time on Getting devices ready stage, over an hour?

no Sleep option

Third Party

Cut the Rope

settings charm different color background?

Vimeo

crashed once

wordpress.com

cannot actually post to blog, only re-blog, follow and read the ones listed


Classics

start

only right click with few items, no start menu

only work in corner, hard to get to if have three monitors and start page in middle?

explorer

Task Manager

Control Panel

system

Windows Experience Index (WEI) rating goes to 9.9 now. instead of not available, refresh now before run WinSAT, just said unavailable.

file history

windows 7 file recovery

(aka Windows backup)

Language

add languages control panel completely new

No handwriting input method IME, Microsoft Quick (traditional chinese) or Microsoft Pinyin SimpleFast (simplified chinese)?

 

Microsoft Pinyin SimpleFast 2012 15.0.8250.0 (Harbin Institute of Technology), help still says 2010

Help

much less color

Themes

panorama wallpapers?

http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/6/2849766/microsoft-windows-8-themes-new-features

Windows Update

3/8 NVIDIA driver update crashed on install, won't install again and then disappeared fromlist.

Misc

Tools

- Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool (to build bootable USB setup drive), needs .NET 2.0, which needs .NET 3.5 framework (2.0+3.0 via WU) (64-bit bootsec cannot be created from 32-bit)

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool

- ISO setup needs SN from FAQ http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/faq

 

References

Visual Studio 11 beta

Windows 8 server beta

reviews