Windows 8 RSS Feed

First look at Windows 8.1

ÐarkÎce — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:40:14 +0000

Microsoft has posted a new video giving us the first look at the upcoming changes in their latest operating system based on user feedback.

Among the main changes shown in the video are the new tile sizes (larger and smaller than currently allowed), new start screen colours and patterns, the ability to show the desktop wallpaper on the start screen and up to four apps snapped side by side depending on your screen size.

See the official blog post[blogs.windows.com] for more information.

Also of note is the Windows 8 preview page[www.microsoft.com] on the Microsoft site, which will no doubt change as the release of Windows 8.1 nears.

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ÐarkÎce — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 18:41:14 +0000

Consumer Preview hits 1m downloads

ÐarkÎce — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 19:37:40 +0000

After only a day of being publicly available, the Windows 8 Consumer Preview has reached a staggering one million downloads!

You can see the official announcement on the official Building Windows 8's Twitter page:

"One day later...one million downloads of the consumer preview"

https://twitter.com/buildwindows8/status/175296911966875649

Top features of Windows 8 Consumer Preview

ÐarkÎce — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:49:14 +0000

Gizmodo and Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows have listed their top five and 8 features of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview. The features are listed below, but detailed explanations about the features, how they work and why they were chosen are available on their sites.

Gizmodo Top Five:

1. Internet Explorer 10
2. Semantic Zoom
3. App Bar
4. App Management and Switching
5. Charms

http://gizmodo.com/5889122/the-five-best-new-features-in-windows-8-consumer-preview

Supersite for Windows Top 8:

1. Touch Me, Baby
2. Metro-Style Apps That Actually Work
3. Your Choice of Hardware
4. Respect: Windows Desktop Improvements
5. Mouse and Keyboard Actually Work
6. Cloud-connected
7. Installing, Upgrading, Repairing, and Refreshing
8. Windows Store

http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows8/windows-8-consumer-preview-top-8-features-142395

First Hands On Preview of Windows 8 - CNET/Lifehacker/Gizmodo/WinSuperSite

ÐarkÎce — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:37:16 +0000

Windows 8 Beta: Hands-on with Microsoft's tablet-friendly OS - CNET

Over at CNET you can find their review of the Windows 8 Developer Preview with a detailed look at some of the new features including screenshots and if Metro will become successful.

"Microsoft pulled back much of the scaffolding and secrecy surrounding Windows 8 today at Mobile World Congress. I've been using the Windows 8 beta (download), officially known as the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, for the past week, and it's by far the most integrated and capable operating system Microsoft has ever put out."

First Look at What’s New in Windows 8 - Lifehacker:

There's an excellent article on Lifehacker detailing some of the new features of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview with screenshots.

"Microsoft released the Windows 8 Consumer Preview today, complete with a new tablet interface and some enhancements to the traditional mouse-and-keyboard desktop. Here's what it looks like."

http://lifehacker.com/5839777/first-look-at-whats-new-in-windows-8

Also, have a look at their video "This Is What Using Windows 8 Actually Looks and Feels Like" which gives an excellent demonstration: http://lifehacker.com/5889345/this-is-what-using-windows-8-actually-looks-and-feels-like

Windows 8 Consumer Preview Hands On: No Going Back - Gizmodo:

An in-depth article about the brand new Windows 8 Consumer preview - complete with many screenshots - has just been posted at Gizmodo. It's a great read if you want to find out more and is more comprehensive review than Lifehacker.

"We never thought we'd be this excited by Windows again, but it's sooooo good!

"Windows 8 is a radical departure from anything Microsoft has done before. When you try it for the very first time, it feels a bit like stepping out onto ice. It is so slick as to be slippery. Commands and icons and apps and menus glide on and off screen and things zoom in and out of its Metro interface in a near vertigo-inducing fashion. Getting your feet beneath you is tricky."

http://gizmodo.com/5889001/windows-8-consumer-preview-hands-on-no-going-back

Windows 8 Consumer Preview: Welcome to the Windows 8 Consumer Preview - Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows:

Finally, there are many detailed articles over at Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows about the Developer Preview and whole galleries of screenshots! Well worth the read.

http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows8/windows-8-consumer-preview-windows-8-consumer-preview-142335

Over 100,000 changes in Windows 8 Consumer Preview!

ÐarkÎce — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:56:21 +0000

Microsoft is holding a big press event at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, Spain to help promote the launch of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview. During the event, which was covered by Engadget, Steven Sinofsky, the leader of the Windows team, the software giant announced that they have made over 100,000 changes for the Consumer Preview version compared to the Developer Preview which launched back in September!

The press event went through a number of features in Windows 8, from the personalized lock screen (with items like a calendar and battery rating) and of course the new Metro interface. Windows 8 will come with its own video store where people can download movies to rent or purchase. It will also come with a number of apps including Amazon's Kindel eBook reader and more.

You can check out the live feed from the event to see more of Windows 8. The final and commercial version of Windows 8 is expected to launch sometime before the end of 2012.

Live Feed: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/29/live-from-microsofts-windows-8-press-event-at-mobile-world-cong/

Windows 8 Consumer Preview Now Available to Download!

ÐarkÎce — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:59:38 +0000

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is finally available to download!

You can either download the ISO images in 32-bit or 64-bit versions, or the brand new Consumer Preview Setup exe (links below). The Setup will decide which version of Windows 8 is right for your system and which of your apps are compatible with Windows 8, allowing you to perform an upgrade and then provides you with the product key and offers any tools you may need to create an ISO or bootable flash drive.

If you only want to dual boot or install a fresh copy however, you can simply download an ISO image which, again, both come in 32-bit or 64-bit versions.

While you can upgrade your system to the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, only upgrading from Windows 7 will be treated as a full upgrade. Upgrading from XP or the Windows 8 Developer Preview will only save your user accounts and files, but you'll lose your Windows settings and programs (so you may want to dual-boot or install it in a virtual machine instead).

There's an excellent official blog post about the Windows 8 Developer Preview which details everything you need to know about the OS from hardware requirements, how to use the OS and new features and how to use them; plus many screenshots and a new official video 'Meet Windows 8' showcasing many of the new features!

Official Blog Post - Introducing Windows 8 Consumer Preview: http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/windowsexperience/archive/2012/02/29/introducing-windows-8-consumer-preview.aspx

Meet Windows 8 on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=aebfjzdLxJA

Downloads:

Consumer Preview Setup: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/download
ISO Download: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/iso

Windows 8 accessibility features detailed

ÐarkÎce — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:53:23 +0000

Norberg first writes about how Microsoft has added accessibly features to previous products, including Magnifier to increase the size of text and graphics for people who have low vision, and Narrator which allows users with visual impairments to continue to work with applications. For Windows 8, Microsoft has added improvements to Narrator feature. The improvements include reading out what a user selects more quickly and adding more languages and voices.

"Right out-of-the-box with a new Windows 8 tablet, you will be able to press the Windows logo key and Volume Up to launch Narrator and walk through the setup of your machine. Whether you’re blind, have low vision, or are fully sighted, you’ll be able to start experiencing a Windows 8 tablet from the moment you get it."

Windows 8 will also use Narrators improvements to allow users to explore text on a web page via Narrator and Internet Explorer.

"As a start, we updated our accessibility foundation with support for industry standards. By supporting standards from the Web Accessibility Initiative, Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA), HTML5, and XAML, it is easier for developers to code accessibility into their applications and for the ATs using UI Automation to consume the information that makes accessibility scenarios work on Windows 8."

App developers for Windows 8 Metro interface can make their programs more accessible using existing standards. They can also test them via the Windows SDK tools to make sure they have features such as Narrator support, High Contrast mode and more. When they are ready to sell their apps via the Windows Store, app developers can label their programs as accessible which should allow users with disabilities to quickly find and use the app.

For Windows 8-based touch screen devices like tablets, Microsoft is developing a new version of Magnifier. Norberg writes:

"When you start Magnifier on a touch-enabled device (in the Ease of Access panel, set Magnifier to start when you press the Windows logo key + Volume up), you will immediately notice a border that appears around the edges of the screen. We know you will need to access all areas of the screen, so we made it easy to move the Magnifier around the screen using these borders. Simply drag your finger along the border to move Magnifier in that direction. When the border disappears, you are at the edge of the screen."

Microsoft is also working with third party companies who are developing other software programs to add users with disabilities. Microsoft admits that it is still developing a number of these features and will continue to improve and add to them in future builds before Windows 8 is officially launched.

Info from Neowin.

Analyst: Don't expect retail Ultimate version of Windows 8

ÐarkÎce — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:47:23 +0000

Computerworld.com reports that according to NPD's Stephen Baker, sales of Windows 7 Ultimate were small compared to the Home Premium and Professional versions of the OS. As a result, the new Windows 8 SKU list may show that Microsoft will not bother offering an Ultimate version of Windows 8 to the public.

It's still possible that Microsoft could produce an OS that might be the equivalent to Windows 8 Ultimate. However, Baker says he expects that if Microsoft does offer such a SKU, it won't be sold as a separate box product. It might be released as a version that would be pre-installed on high end PCs, such as gaming rigs.

Microsoft will almost certainly offer owners of previous versions of Windows a way to upgrade to Windows 8 when it is released. However, Baker says he doesn't believe Microsoft will follow the lead of Apple, who announced earlier this month that the upcoming Mountain Lion version of OS X would only be available to previous Mac owners via download and not in a retail box version.

Baker states, "The [Windows] ecosystem is very different from Apple's, so no, I don't think they would go to that extent."

Info from Neowin.

Brand new Windows Logo for Windows 8!

ÐarkÎce — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:26:00 +0000

As part of its planned redesigns for the upcoming Windows 8 operating system Microsoft looks set to completely change its legendary logo, according to pictures leaked by Chinese site CN Beta.

The multi-colored flag design has served the company for 22 years, and was first featured alongside Microsoft’s Windows 3.1 operating system. The iconic logo has undergone many changes since those days, with some more successful than others. There is no denying that the current flag design is perhaps one of the most instantly recognizable logos in the world. That said, the planned change ties in well with Microsoft’s “Windows reimagined” marketing and looks like it will complement the Metro interface perfectly.

http://s13.postimage.org/w50hkoxyf/2012_02_15_image_2.jpg

If the slides are to be believed, the new logo to be unveiled with Windows 8 has returned to a dark green monotone 2D design with angled rectangular more window-like boxes. While at first glance it appears a significant step away from previous designs, it's actually quite similar to the original Windows 1.0 logo that debuted back in November 1985.

The Verge has since confirmed with sources familiar with the matter that it is authentic and will debut alongside the Windows 8 release later this year.

They also divulged that the new logo will appear on the “Windows” button of ARM tablets, as well as in the new Charms bar, and will feature throughout the multiple interfaces of Windows 8. It is said to be the "first of many changes to the way the Microsoft markets Windows and its brand identity throughout 2012."

Microsoft is not the first company to move from a multi-colored design to a simple monochrome alternative. Apple changed their iconic rainbow "bitten" Apple logo to a simple monochrome version back in 1998.

Info from techspot.com