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[jmone]

So Vista/Win7 brought us a new audio stack (WASAPI) - any video/audio goodies in Win8 quality wise?

[Vincent Kars]

The only thing I have heard is that MS might decide to offload the audio.
This might yield new third parties solutions.
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?4141-Audio-Offloading-in-Windows

[Osho]

There is a rumor circling among tech blog sites today that the Windows Start button (the one at the lower left corner usually) is going to be removed. This may keep your HTPC more locked down with family members/visitors not being able to do anything except what's on the task bar.

I am not sure how this is going to play out and whether I will love/hate it - but that's a major radical change in the UI.

Osho

[MrHaugen]

It's no rumor. It's a fact. Only substantial bad feedback will make them turn I think. As long as you have other means of launching a panel with apps and settings, I do not mind.

Yes, it might provide the ability to lock things down a bit more. I would still prefer to enable Theater View lock-in mode though. But that would require database changes, access lists and user selection in Theater view One day perhaps..

My biggest hope though, is that Win8 will run smoothly on pads with Intel CPU's. this will open up big possibilities with MC and Theater View and true touch experience on small units. I would invest in one for my Bathroom and Kitchen at least

[Scolex]

I don't like the whole idea of the start menu button being removed. How will you access all of your programs? Winkey? I am maybe in the minority by a large degree but I have icons on the desktop disabled/hidden and even if visible there are very few. If the start menu were gone I would have to navigate to apps/shortcuts via explorer which is a major PITA IMHO.
If they are doing away with the start menu button to lock things down more I disagree even more as that is the end users responsibility and all it takes is to add a user account with limited resources and a strong password for the admin/power account.

I vote for: Make Windows run more stable and add features but leave the GUI and file placements alone I am tired of relearning where to find things all the time.

[MrHaugen]

There will of course be easy ways to trigger a start menu lookalike with apps and settings. They just want to make this more intuitive and good looking for both PC's and Pads. As well as giving similar experience as their phones gives. What I have read said that there will be a activation point for the app launcher in one of the corners? I don't think anything will be locked as default. Why would it? But the possibility of this option is certainly bigger now that the button is gone.

UI's have to evolve. I would hate to still have the Win 95 user interface because a small percentage are have problems adapting to changes

[drmimosa]

I think the removal of the Start Button is a pretty interesting choice by Microsoft.

The Start Menu, which provides more-or-less equal real-estate to file browsers, programs and system settings, is becoming more and more obsolete. On my computer, I just want to click on a button and launch a program. I pin 8-10 programs to the Taskbar, and can't remember the last time I used the Start Menu for something other than changing settings or running a cmd script.

That said, there is a big disconnect between how consumers want Microsoft OS upgrade to work, which is change hands seamlessly in the background without a lot of grief to the user, and how Microsoft upgrades usually work, which is to throw a bunch of "new" ideas and formats at users in a new smorgasbord version of Windows, all two years too late to make a real difference...

Windows 8 seems to be MS's attempt to address a life or death question: What is the real purpose of the Windows operating system in a brand new hardware market dominated by mobile devices?

(sorry to hijack the thread btw, none of this is HTPC news...I heard a rumor, however, that in Windows 8 WMC will be completely replaced by JRiver Media Center 18)

[JimH]

I posted my experience here:

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=70545.0

[JimH]

I think the Metro / Tiles interface is meant to serve the same purpose as the old Start button.  I think it will work.

The Windows key brings up the Metro interface in Win8.  In Win7, the Windows key brings up the Start menu.

I like it.  I especially like how well it should work for different size screens.  Phones, Tablets, Touch Screen TV's.

[fooze]

I tend to agree Jim. Throughout my computing time my desktop has always been one of the least used parts of the UI. Winkey+R, baby.

[Van G]

New RAID system in Win8 is supposed to be like UNraid with some added features. Real potential to Combine DMR and DMS into 1 box.