Topic: Windows 8 -- Getting Started (Read 27585 times)

JimH · « **on:** March 03, 2012, 09:47:18 am »

I installed Windows 8 yesterday. It went pretty well considering it's beta.

Here's the Windows 8 link at Microsoft:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/consumer-preview

Plan on spending around 3 hours watching it download and install.

And it took me another hour of fumbling around to feel like I could probably find what I needed. I'm still getting used to it.

The big change is the Tiles (Metro) interface. You've seen pictures of it. It has big blocks that represent programs or tasks.

This change is abrupt but I like it. It puts things you commonly do, like "People" up front as tasks you can start quickly. You don't have to start a program, locate the contacts, find the information, etc. "Weather" is there, not as a favorite on your browser. I think this is very smart.

This Metro interface looks slightly crude at first, but as you use it, it makes lots of sense. Space is efficiently used. In the old Desktop, there is a lot of blank space and the icons are smallish. The Metro interface will make fat fingered people like me happy. Easy to hit buttons.

The Metro interface should scale well. I can imagine it working fine on a phone, and it looks good on a 46 inch TV.

Missing is the old desktop, but it's there when you need it. It lacks a Start button, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

You can toggle between the two modes with the Windows Key.

Escape returns you from many, not all tasks.

There are a set of very basic task initiators that are hidden on the right side. Fiddling around in the lower right corner with the mouse gets the vertical bar with 4 or 5 icons to appear. On this bar, Search will usually find what you need.

That's all for now. I'm only about an hour into using it, so I'll report back later.

JimH · « **Reply #1 on:** March 03, 2012, 09:51:21 am »

JRiver Media Center needs to be reinstalled after Win8 is installed.

You can then add it to the tiles by finding it in Apps and right clicking it to pin it to Metro (known as Start now).

Right click any tile to get options to unpin or make smaller.

JimH · « **Reply #2 on:** March 03, 2012, 10:41:55 am »

I forgot to say that the install of Win8 went fine but that Win8 didn't support my Realtek network interface. I couldn't find a driver for it, so I installed an old Linksys USB network adaptor that I had in my closet. It worked right away.

JimH · « **Reply #3 on:** March 03, 2012, 10:44:04 am »

Another Windows 8 thread here:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=69819.0

Mr ChriZ · « **Reply #4 on:** March 04, 2012, 05:27:16 am »

Quote from: JimH on March 03, 2012, 09:47:18 am

You can toggle between the two modes with the Windows Key.

You can also toggle by left clicking in the bottom left hand corner. I didn't realize this to start with.
My biggest bug bear at the moment is shutting the machine down. It's quite depressing that they've not taken peoples feedback from the developer preview on board here as loads of people complained it was to complex! Most people end up google searching which is ridiculous!

JimH · « **Reply #5 on:** March 04, 2012, 06:37:07 am »

Quote from: Mr ChriZ on March 04, 2012, 05:27:16 am

My biggest bug bear at the moment is shutting the machine down.

Toggle to the desktop, then hit Alt-F4.

wilfredjg · « **Reply #6 on:** March 04, 2012, 07:38:51 am »

" You can then add it to the tiles by finding it in Apps and right clicking it to pin it to Metro (known as Start n "

Thanks I was wondering how to add to Metro

JimH · « **Reply #7 on:** March 04, 2012, 08:42:16 am »

That's how you add it. Not from the desktop or from Explorer, but from the Apps view in Metro.

If you put your mouse in a "corner pocket", the lower right corner or upper right corner, you'll see a vertical toolbar with 5 icons.

Click on the top one, Search. This gives you a list of places to search. One of them is Apps. Click on Apps. Then find the app you want to pin to Metro, and right click on it. You'll see some actions at the bottom of the screen. One is "Pin to Start".

Start is Metro. Metro is Start.

wilfredjg · « **Reply #8 on:** March 04, 2012, 09:17:52 am »

Thanks Jim

JimH · « **Reply #9 on:** March 04, 2012, 09:34:41 am »

I posted some screenshots to pix01. Larger images are there.

Clicking in either right hand corner brings up this vertical toolbar (right side):

Clicking in either left hand corner brings up the list of running tasks (left side):

Right clicking on any tile gives you some options (orange bar at bottom):

Here's the Apps screen, where you can right click to get options to pin or unpin to Start (Metro):

In the images above, the beach picture is the tile that represents my desktop. You can click on it to get to the classic Windows desktop or you can hit the Windows key to get there. Same to come back.

JimH · « **Reply #10 on:** March 12, 2012, 07:01:14 am »

More on keyboard shortcuts:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robmar/archive/2012/03/09/windows-8-keyboard-shortcuts.aspx

newsposter · « **Reply #11 on:** March 12, 2012, 10:46:25 am »

Several of the new Win8 keyboard shortcuts usurp established Aero desktop settings/shortcuts........

We'll see how all that gets sorted out.

goatherder · « **Reply #12 on:** March 15, 2012, 07:14:07 pm »

In the longer term, what does j.River plan to do with Metro?

JimH · « **Reply #13 on:** March 15, 2012, 08:10:12 pm »

We're not sure yet. What do you think we could do?

tcman41 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 16, 2012, 06:00:44 am »

Quote from: JimH on March 15, 2012, 08:10:12 pm

We're not sure yet. What do you think we could do?

Tough question, basically the app would be j.river media 17 try and then buy app.

Only other thing would be somehow to jump on the cloud bandwagon, perhaps have a feature in the app that would let one play their media from cloud storage.

Just throwing stuff against the wall, perhaps something sticks

Diverdown1964 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 16, 2012, 08:20:44 am »

At a minimum, I'd suggest a Metro Style app with features akin to Gizmo. I've been meaning to do this myself for Windows Phone, but haven't been able to find the time.

leoric · « **Reply #16 on:** March 16, 2012, 09:16:53 am »

The first idea about MC+Win8 is to have a live tile with playing now track info plus album art.

Listener · « **Reply #17 on:** March 16, 2012, 05:33:54 pm »

Back in the Win 3.1 days, I constructed a folder with icons for my most frequently used applications. I placed a shortcut in my startup folder so that it was opened when I logged in. I've been using a similar folder ever since.

I'd prefer to be using an OS that lets me tailor its behavior to suit me than to accept a restrictive scheme that someone felt was best for me.

Bill

gappie · « **Reply #18 on:** March 16, 2012, 05:48:31 pm »

Quote from: Listener on March 16, 2012, 05:33:54 pm

I'd prefer to be using an OS that lets me tailor its behavior to suit me than to accept a restrictive scheme that someone felt was best for me.

Bill

... that was what i thought when trying 8.. and the same is true for media software... guess im getting old expecting things like that from software.

newsposter · « **Reply #19 on:** March 16, 2012, 06:01:39 pm »

Read an opinion piece somewhere the other day.

The guy was thinking that the only 'rational' explanation for MSFT forcing Metro on everyone like this is that they are running scared of iOS and Android and are willing to forfeit/give-up 100% of the revenue of a Windows upgrade cycle to push their vision of a touch interface on to the world.

JimH · « **Reply #20 on:** March 16, 2012, 06:18:45 pm »

I think their vision of the touch interface is a good one. I can't think of a better one.

goatherder · « **Reply #21 on:** March 16, 2012, 07:26:11 pm »

Quote from: funnyguy1964 on March 16, 2012, 08:20:44 am

At a minimum, I'd suggest a Metro Style app with features akin to Gizmo. I've been meaning to do this myself for Windows Phone, but haven't been able to find the time.

Indeed. At a minimum it should be able to either be it's own remote, or a remote for other j.River installs. Hopefully the enforced design language for Metro Style Apps should make it way less janky looking than Gizmo. I know design was never j.River's strong point but this needs to improve, stat.

Ideally I'd want to never need to go out of the Metro view to use all the key functions of j.River, and I'd want to do it on a slate-sized device. I realise that's not realistic to start with, but media players and controllers really do lend themselves to touch.

wilfredjg · « **Reply #22 on:** March 16, 2012, 09:22:18 pm »

Quote from: goatherder on March 16, 2012, 07:26:11 pm

Ideally I'd want to never need to go out of the Metro view to use all the key functions of j.River, and I'd want to do it on a slate-sized device. I realise that's not realistic to start with, but media players and controllers really do lend themselves to touch.

Yes I agree a tablet device with touch, and metro is going to be great together with Media Center.

goatherder · « **Reply #23 on:** March 17, 2012, 08:42:11 am »

Quote from: newsposter on March 16, 2012, 06:01:39 pm

Read an opinion piece somewhere the other day.

The guy was thinking that the only 'rational' explanation for MSFT forcing Metro on everyone like this is that they are running scared of iOS and Android and are willing to forfeit/give-up 100% of the revenue of a Windows upgrade cycle to push their vision of a touch interface on to the world.

With desktop sales dwindling and people moving to tablets for a lot of utility computing tasks which they can get their average little heads around better than trying to understand a desktop app, it's inevitable that MS *must* have a competitor. It's supposed to be the common-denominator OS, so it must embrace elements of what the common denominator wants.

But while I like the Metro interface considered in isolation, the too-transitional nature of the OS as a whole is what really gets on my nerves as I use it. It doesn't feel 'whole' if I put it on a notebook, and it doesn't feel 'whole' when I put it on a slate. And while it's most usable on a convertible, it feels even more jarring - compared to infuriating my way (as it were) through the at least consistently bad Windows 7 touch experience - as you constantly whip thru Metro and 'blocky 7' in Windows 8. It just smacks of a completely unfinished product.

I dunno whether it'll look the same on release, but if it does, the only machines I'll put 8 on / buy to use on a regular basis will be convertibles - which I use quite often, but of course haven't set the consumer world alight for the last decade for very good reasons.

If there are a few Metro apps which are worthy of consideration, such as e.g. j.River in Metro, then I'll buy a WOA or Intel slate and use it purely in Metro - but I remain unconvinced whether these will be truly viable alternatives or better products in terms of being that 'uber-iPad' that full-fat Windows on a slate promises to be. The primary advantage of the iPad actually comes from the fact that it doesn't do any more than it does.

I'm a Windows user first and foremost - since I'm not Snooki or some full-of-it blogger who calls his local Starbucks his office - so I realise I'm getting this whether I like it or not, but I just can't help feeling this will be the trainwreck it threatens to be right now. I hope Sinofsky pulls something else out of the bag.

tcman41 · « **Reply #24 on:** March 18, 2012, 06:02:36 am »

Just to remind people, this is an unfinished product, Microsoft has seven more months of tweaking before it it goes gold, give them a chance.

Also keep in mind the general OS user, if they can can download apps, play and manipulate their media, get free cloud storage and be on the social networks than they are happy, smart phones and tablets are ideal for this, thus the new metro interface.

Now, when it comes to business, desktop users or people wanting to upgrade, windows 8 as it stands now could be a dubious choice.

goatherder · « **Reply #25 on:** March 18, 2012, 01:55:28 pm »

Quote from: tcman41 on March 18, 2012, 06:02:36 am

Just to remind people, this is an unfinished product, Microsoft has seven more months of tweaking before it it goes gold, give them a chance.

Not when they call this a Consumer Preview. If they'd called *this* a dev preview, I don't think the outcry will be anywhere near as pronounced.

But yeah, getting back to the important point, jRMC - has there been any discussion among the devs at all on Metro?

jmone · « **Reply #26 on:** March 18, 2012, 03:00:25 pm »

Quote from: JimH on March 16, 2012, 06:18:45 pm

I think their vision of the touch interface is a good one. I can't think of a better one.

I would argue that it depends on the device and intended use:
Remote Control (RC): Touch is great (but buttons work just as well)
Phone: Touch is great for a smart phone, but buttons are better for a "dumb" phone
Tablet: Touch is great
PC: Keyboard/Mouse is great though Touch will enhance the experience and may be great for specific user requirements (eg Digitisation Graphic Tablets etc)
TV/PJ: RC is great, though touch "could" be interesting IF coupled with something like Kinect to be able to read the gestures else I find it highly unlikely TheaterView users will get off the couch to "touch" the TV (and it will not work with a PJ screen anyway) when they can use a RC (which may in itself be touch enabled).

newsposter · « **Reply #27 on:** March 19, 2012, 01:04:48 pm »

True enough, the Win8 'dev' preview was out many months ago.

There are few/little/no UI changes between the old dev preview and last weeks consumer preview. A casual comparisons of libraries in the wow64 directories in the two releases is coming up with only a few changes.

Other than bug/reliability/performance fixes, I think that this may be it.

I do predict the rapid release of at least one third-party shell that fully restores Aero to a Win8 machine.

There are already several shells for Win7 that mimic Metro.

Quote from: goatherder on March 18, 2012, 01:55:28 pm

Not when they call this a Consumer Preview. If they'd called *this* a dev preview, I don't think the outcry will be anywhere near as pronounced.

But yeah, getting back to the important point, MC - has there been any discussion among the devs at all on Metro?

DwestSeattle · « **Reply #28 on:** March 19, 2012, 02:49:18 pm »

Two quick questions on windows 8 related to media that hopefully someone can answer.

1) I have my files stored on a Synology 1TB NAS box, and windows 7 will not index those files, nor will it allow me to add the network location to the "My Music" or "My Video" Libraries that are the default/native place the OS uses. This is an annoyance in Windows 7. have they addressed this in Windows 8? Can I add network locations to default content-type libraries and have them indexed by the OS for quick search?

2) I'm considering buying a couple nettop type computers to run JRiver and serve up all sorts of media to a couple TV's in the house. Should I still go with Windows 7 for this and upgrade to windows 8 only once it is officially commercially released, or should I just start running the consumer preview windows 8 now?

JimH · « **Reply #29 on:** March 19, 2012, 02:54:23 pm »

1. Don't know.

2. Win7. I don't think Win8 is ready for active duty.

dynamohum · « **Reply #30 on:** March 19, 2012, 04:23:44 pm »

Installed it on my PC running a dual screen and found it annoyingly hard to get the tile pop up from bottom left corner. Same with getting the strip on right bottom corner. Toggling between metro and "legacy" desktop is easy enough with the windows key, but all in all for me this Metro interface is a big step backwards for 'classical' desktop machines. I'm sure it'll all make a lot more sense on a touch screen.

I don't know... between Apple moving the iOS look and feel into OSX Lion, and Microsoft seemingly in a schizophrenic mind about how to do desktops I don't feel comfortable with either direction. I'm all for progress, but for now Windows 7 is all I could need on a keyboard driven desktop PC. At least Media Center works just as well as before

.

jmone · « **Reply #31 on:** March 23, 2012, 03:59:04 am »

I'm feeling older than JimH.... I just don't get Win8 new UI. Fine for big finger and a phone but really on a desktop???

phalanthus · « **Reply #32 on:** March 24, 2012, 03:59:54 pm »

Quote from: dynamohum on March 19, 2012, 04:23:44 pm

Installed it on my PC running a dual screen and found it annoyingly hard to get the tile pop up from bottom left corner. Same with getting the strip on right bottom corner. Toggling between metro and "legacy" desktop is easy enough with the windows key, but all in all for me this Metro interface is a big step backwards for 'classical' desktop machines. I'm sure it'll all make a lot more sense on a touch screen.

I don't know... between Apple moving the iOS look and feel into OSX Lion, and Microsoft seemingly in a schizophrenic mind about how to do desktops I don't feel comfortable with either direction. I'm all for progress, but for now Windows 7 is all I could need on a keyboard driven desktop PC. At least Media Center works just as well as before .

+1

i guess i am a dinosaur !

Imatation · « **Reply #33 on:** March 25, 2012, 10:50:03 am »

If you’re having compatibility trouble with a driver or app you can right click the executable and choose “troubleshoot compatibility” then choose “this program worked in earlier versions of windows” and “this program requires additional permissions” then choose windows 7, and then test the program.

I was able to get the Asus driver and control app for the Essence STX sound card among others to work fine like this.

Why the start button withdrawals, the only way the start button has changed is that it now takes up the whole screen, what’s the big deal?

kimdh08 · « **Reply #34 on:** April 09, 2012, 05:55:45 am »

Do you have plan to support touch-optimized theater view?

I'm satisfied with MC17 theater view on MSI windpad (touch tablet windows 8 installed).
But when i play movie or music, feel difficult to navigation(fast forward, rewind, etc)

Most of players based on Android support touch navigation such as drag right(fast forward), drag left(rewind), drag up (volume up), etc.
If MC17 supports this way, I'll be very happy with MC17.

tcman41 · « **Reply #35 on:** April 10, 2012, 01:25:30 pm »

Quote from: kimdh08 on April 09, 2012, 05:55:45 am

Do you have plan to support touch-optimized theater view?

I'm satisfied with MC17 theater view on MSI windpad (touch tablet windows 8 installed).
But when i play movie or music, feel difficult to navigation(fast forward, rewind, etc)

Most of players based on Android support touch navigation such as drag right(fast forward), drag left(rewind), drag up (volume up), etc.
If MC17 supports this way, I'll be very happy with MC17.

+1, anything happening yet with MC in regards to windows metro?, just wondering

NiallW · « **Reply #36 on:** April 20, 2012, 03:45:11 am »

Hi all,
I'm a Windows Media Center user currently but as Microsoft recently announced that Media Center won't have any Metro interface I'm in the market for a new PVR software.
I'm using Win8 daily and it's pretty good. I find I don't go into the Metro UI very often but can imagine that once there are lot more apps available I'll be in there a lot...

My hope is that I'll be able to use Win8 Metro UI as my 10ft UI on my TV, allowing me to make use of Apps and also have an App for my recorded TV. It'd be awesome if JRiver Media Center could make a Metro app I could use for all my PVR functions... that's the dream, and presumably a big market waiting to be tapped!

JimH · « **Reply #37 on:** April 20, 2012, 06:14:33 am »

Welcome to the forum. I'm running Win8 and MC17 works on it. There are still some problems but we won't look a them for another month or so. MC17 can be shown as a tile in Metro. I think you right click on it under Applications and pin it.

From a tile, you could have MC launch directly to Theater View. That's our 10 foot app.

There may be an opportunity to make separate metro tiles for audio, video, etc.

What else would you expect.

NiallW · « **Reply #38 on:** April 20, 2012, 10:53:58 am »

I'd really love it if there was a Metro App that was a complete replacement interface for MC, allowing me to stay within the Metro UI while using all the PVR functionality.
Theatre View ported to be a Metro App.

That's the vision for Windows 8 anyway... immersive full screen applications, like Theatre View UI, should be built within Metro not as desktop applications that steal full screen view. If MC was a new application being written from scratch with Win8 in mind it would be a no brainer to go that route, just a question of how hard it is to port over and how long you wait before doing it.

Badge01 · « **Reply #39 on:** April 28, 2012, 06:09:24 pm »

I just went through downloading Windows 8. I reinstalled Media Center 16. I have had several problems. The audio icon shows it is off. I try and turn audio on and it can't find a audio device. I have an existing sound card and USB DAC installed. I have also had Media Center freeze up using the menu's at the top of the page. I have yet to get my music hard drive to download into Media Center. Other than that everything is fine ?

Badge01 · « **Reply #40 on:** April 29, 2012, 11:49:47 am »

Thanks for the input Rill. Yes, I think I have greatly surpassed my skill level by installing Windows 8. I have played with it a bit more and I am becoming more comfortable navigating. I did get my USB music hard drive to link up with Media Center. I am still experiencing "not responding" messages and slow recovery when I use drop down windows in Media center. I have accessed both control panel and device manager. Both my USB DAC and sound card show up. Both show that they are working properly. Further attempts at audio playback result in a no audio device installed message. When I try to play a selection in Media Center, I get a message the resolution is not supported and to try changes in DSP studio. I have changed the resolution several times. I get the same message even with 44k

Badge01 · « **Reply #41 on:** April 29, 2012, 09:15:33 pm »

I tried Windows Media Player. Same deal. I am going to try removing the sound card and try another slot. A guy at another site said he had the problem and that fixed it. Yes, 8 is faster.

JimH · « **Reply #42 on:** May 03, 2012, 06:59:21 pm »

Quote from: Badge01 on April 29, 2012, 09:15:33 pm

I tried Windows Media Player. Same deal. I am going to try removing the sound card and try another slot. A guy at another site said he had the problem and that fixed it. Yes, 8 is faster.

The manufacturer of the sound card might be able to help. It could be a driver problem.

Mr ChriZ · « **Reply #43 on:** May 04, 2012, 08:44:47 am »

This is interesting:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/05/04/windows_media_dvd_playback_dead/

Hope this doesn't cause problems with MC.
Seems to be working fine with the consumer preview.

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Author Topic: Windows 8 -- Getting Started (Read 27585 times)