Try Out Some of Windows 8’s Lesser-Known Features This Weekend
The Windows 8 Developer Preview is out for all to try, and there are all sorts of hidden little features in the new OS. As you're playing with it this weekend, here are some that we recommend checking out..
We'll be talking more about the big stuff next week (like the new Metro interface, the new version of Explorer, and more), but as this week draws to a close we've already noticed a lot of cool little Windows 8 tips pop up around the net, so we decided to share them with you all at once.
If you have a Windows Live ID, you're probably using that to log into Windows 8 (though of course, you can always make your own local account as well). However, by default, you have to log in every time you boot up your machine. If you find this tedious and unnecessary, you can easily edit your preferences to automatically log in to Windows 8. Similarly, you've probably noticed there's no "Hibernate" option in the shutdown menu. It's there, you just have to reveal the Hibernate button by digging into Windows' new power settings.
While the Metro interface may be touch-oriented, it still has some pretty handy new keyboard shortcuts you can use to control it (though they'll work on the desktop too). If you don't like the new Shut Down menus, you can create your own shortcuts for shut down, reboot, and others, and create your own Metro tiles for them. Or, better yet, stick them on the desktop, since the Shut Down function is now a few annoying clicks away.
And, speaking of the traditional desktop, if you'd prefer to turn Metro off entirely, you have a few choices. This registry tweak will bring back the old Start menu, as well as the old, ribbon-less Explorer and the old Task Manager. If you like the new Explorer, though, you can ditch the Metro UI and bring back just the old Start menu using a small utility called MetroController.
Of course, the Metro UI isn't the only thing new in Windows 8. The desktop may look pretty similar to Windows 7, but its got its own little enhancements too. The taskbarjumplists come with some enhanced privacy options in Windows 8, and if you're using dual monitors, you'll notice that the taskbar stretches across both monitors by default. Of course, you can turn this off just by right-clicking on the taskbar, going to Properties, and unchecking "Show Taskbar on All Displays". You'll also notice it now supports dual-monitor wallpapers if you go into "Appearance and Personalization" in the Control Panel.
Windows 8 also has some nice things going on behind the scenes. We've seen that the Blue Screen of Death has become a little more friendly, and Windows also has some nice, updated malware protection built-in. Possibly most exciting is the new method for installing drivers—now, devices can only install one piece of software when you plug them in, which will (hopefully) lead to less bloatware with your drivers (printers, anyone?). And, lastly, Internet Explorer 10 can run in 64-bit mode, you just have to enable it manually in the Internet Options.
Windows 8 Will Be a Tough Sell for Businesses
Microsoft held its first major unveiling of what's in store with Windows 8 at the D9 conference this week. Windows 8 looks bold. It looks slick. It looks impressively innovative. But, it also looks like it will be a major battle to convince business users to embrace it.
To be honest, I think that Windows 8 looks awesome. Despite my repeated pleas to Microsoft to abandon the concept of Windows on a tablet, and instead adapt Windows Phone 7, Windows 8 looks like it will be a very capable tablet platform. Perhaps that could be because Windows 8 looks more like Windows Phone 7, or the Zune interface than it does the Windows 7 I know and love.
What Microsoft demonstrated with Windows 8 is a distinct departure from the Windows OS that drives 90 percent of the PCs in the world. Businesses will be reluctant to rush too quickly to embrace Windows 8 because of the culture shift it represents, and the possible drag on productivity as users acquaint themselves with the conventions and features of the new interface.
Users abhor change. And, if it is a change they don't like or don't understand, they automatically throw it into a pool called "change for the sake of change". It doesn't matter that the ribbon interface in Microsoft Office is more efficient and intuitive than the traditional file menu bar, it hasn't stopped a significant segment of Microsoft Office users from whining about the ribbon interface. Users averse to change don't care that Jump Lists in Windows 7 save time and help make them more productive, they don't comprehend why they need to learn something new.
That is how Windows 8 will be perceived. I have no doubt that the changes Microsoft is introducing in Windows 8 will make the operating system better. Once users get through the initial learning curve of adapting to the Windows 8 interface, they will be able to navigate the OS more quickly, work more efficiently, and get more done. But, many will stop at that initial learning curve and instead bemoan why Microsoft had to change things that worked perfectly well for them in Window 7 / Vista / XP.
One of the selling points of Windows 8 is that it actually uses fewer resources than Windows 7 and will not require new hardware. But, I beg to differ. It may not require new hardware to run and be functional, but in order to take advantage of the touchscreen features that seem to define the Windows 8 interface, new hardware will be required. Without new hardware that embraces the unique qualities of Windows 8, it seems like a less compelling move.
Perhaps some businesses will be more likely to make a switch from Windows XP to Windows 8 because the OS is so dramatically different that it creates more of a value perception. Companies that feel apathetic about moving to Windows 7 because they feel that Windows 7 is nothing more than Windows XP with some extra eye-candy, may find the complete revamp in Windows 8 compelling.
But, I am going to go out on a limb and say that companies that feel that way will be few and far between. The vast majority of customers will either feel that they haven't yet gotten their money's worth out of the investment in migrating to Windows 7, or they will be scared off by the completely new user interface in Windows 8, and the flashy "consumer" feel of it all.
Personally, I can't wait to start using Windows 8. I'm just not sure businesses will be as anxious to make that leap.
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Microsoft has officially unveiled some key new features of its forthcoming operating system. The next-generation OS, which may or may not be called “Windows 8” (its “internal code-name”), delivers a completely re-imagined user interface, with a heavy emphasis on touch-based functionality that takes a hefty helping of inspiration from the Windows Phone UI.
One of the first major design changes from previous Windows versions is the completely overhauled Windows Start menu, which has been replaced with a colorful tiled design that evokes the Exposé screen of Firefox, or other similar quick-screen-navigation features found in most new web browsers. Rather than web pages, however, the new Start screen shows both static program icons and widgets, called “live tiles,” which provide constant notifications and updates. Windows 8 also allows users to access all the files on their computer in the same visualized way that programs are accessed, which helps make the OS easy to navigate with touch alone.
Since Windows 8 is obviously designed with tablets in mind (but can be used with a standard mouse and keyboard), users switch from application to application by swiping left and right in a similar fashion to mobile phone OSs, like Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android. Apps included with the OS, like a weather app, a stock ticker app, and a built-in news app, all take advantage of the entire screen. Fortunately, Windows 8 still allows for multitasking, and multiple apps can be viewed simultaneously on the same screen simply by dragging and dropping the app window onto the main screen.
Windows 8 also takes advantage of current web standards, like HTML 5 and JavaScript, and is optimized to work with Microsoft’s upcoming web browser, Internet Explorer 10.
Overall, Windows 8 looks like a step in the right direction for Microsoft, as it tries to compete with the touchscreen powerhouse of Apple’s iPad line and its iOS software. Windows 8 is still far from complete, however, and it is not yet clear when the software will be publicly available, though some guess a fall 2012 time frame. Check back with Digital Trends soon for the latest Windows 8 news.
