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[psxphill]

Originally Posted by Duce

Curious how many of the people that are excited about these things, how many have actually used Windows 8, either on a traditional machine or on a x86 tablet? You can download the RC now and try it, absolutely free, right? Takes a few minutes to setup, and works just fine on any VM out there. The release version won't be much different than the current version.

It's an unmitigated disaster

What is the point in suggesting people download it if you're going to tell us what we have to think about it? I don't know why Microsoft just didn't ask you to test it and save everyone elses time.

I actually quite like it and I've so far only installed it on my netbook.

And you have no idea how different the release version will be.

[Iggy]

Windows Phone,
Windows CE,

Let's hope they both go the way of the Dodo once Windows 8 is released (cause they truely doth sucketh).

[commodorejohn]

Originally Posted by psxphill

And you have no idea how different the release version will be.

We're how close to release, now? And they've already done two preview releases, so it's not like they haven't had ample time to get the message that nobody wants this, and they've just announced their new tablet for their new tablet OS. Do you really think that between now and (supposedly late July) they're suddenly going to reverse their stance and start listening to the naysayers?

[Duce]

Phil - they have told the media, told developers to expect very few changes in the RTM version from what it is now. They have said it repeatedly. Authors writing books and articles on Windows 8 have been told they will be fairly safe to finish up their writing now, as the end retail product isn't far off, as not many significant changes will be coming.

I'm not telling anyone what to think, if you like it, I'm glad for you. For every one person that can make any sense of it, there's a heck of a lot of the rest of the population that find it to be a jumbled ball of nonsensical mess. If you like it, great - in the end, it's just a preference thing.

The concerns about W8 on tablets go a little deeper - they are trying to sell Windows 8 RT tablets as enterprise devices, knowing full well they do *not* support many things that would be required of them in a MS enterprise network (like AD). I find that to be shady as hell. But hey, they offer something called "Management Lite", which gives the end user the ability to add their own apps to their devices, taking the point out of AD networks entirely. Active Directory is ubiquitous in large networks - support should be mandatory. Full support, not just SSP and RSD. If it's a Windows device, admins need to be able to do their jobs via methods already existing.

If I may ask though - is it a good enough product, a fresh enough concept that you are willing to shell out money to buy, say the retail boxed versions to put on your own personal machines? Is it that good of an OS that you will pay $100+ to put Windows 8 your current machines?

That's always been my question, whether people love or hate it, MS *are* going to be shipping it on all new OEM machines soon. It *will* be in widespread usage not far down the road. Are users going to be howling at MS, demanding downgrades to Win 7 from Win 8, just like they did with Vista to Windows XP? Are retail customers going to be compelled to go out and purchase W8 to install on their current Windows 7 rigs?