Windows 8....urgh

[Arthur]

gshaw likes this!

Even more impressive is that data stored in memory or transferred over the network also gets deduplicated...

Memory deduplication allows identical pages in memory to be shared. In normal desktop usage, this doesn't happen too often—most of the information stored in RAM is different, as it all belongs to different applications. But that's no longer the case when running multiple virtual machines; each virtual machine will have its own copy of the operating system, applications, and so on, and these will tend to be identical across the virtual machines. Sharing that memory allows the host to reclaim hundreds or thousands of megabytes of memory. (Source)

Windows Server 8 can dedup files within a VHD file. So If you have some VHD files with all a Windows Server 8 installation on it identical files will be deduped to save storage! This will also happen when you copy a number of files between two Windows Server 8 host the network stack will do dedupping as well. (Source).

[localzuk]

That sounds good for Remote Desktop Services too then!

[Arthur]

New blog post from Microsoft on the design of the Windows 8 Start screen...

blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/10/04/designing-the-start-screen.aspx

In Windows 8, the Start screen is not just a replacement for the Windows 7 Start menu but a bringing together of several different ways of navigating your machine. Even in Windows 7, people who are proficient with Windows are already replacing the Start menu with the taskbar for their frequently used desktop apps.

For people using mostly desktop apps, the Start screen complements the functionality of the taskbar. Using both together, you have instant access to your most frequently used apps combined with a more powerful way to launch your less frequently used apps (through search or by grouping items on the Start screen). And, for Metro apps, Live tiles transform the Start screen into a dashboard that helps you stay up to date and connected in a high quality experience substantially improved over the notification tray. The new experience offers a way to more efficiently launch apps, stay connected to the most relevant information from apps, and find the things you care about. It also lets you launch and switch quickly between your apps and specific locations within those apps all without sacrificing performance or draining the battery of a laptop or tablet PC.

[RabbieBurns]

i don't like the fact they are removing the start menu.

granted, i don't use it to drill down through all program, then find the program I'm looking for, but I do have all my most used apps pinned to the start menu. If theres something i want to run thats not pinned, i just type in the the search bar. Eg just type Word and it launches word.

I normally have so many windows open at once that pinning apps to the taskbar is not an option as it takes up way too much space.

[Arthur]

If there's something I want to run that's not pinned, I just type in the the search bar. e.g. just type Word and it launches Word.

You can still do that.

I don't like the fact they are removing the Start Menu.

Think of the Start screen as a full screen Start Menu with bigger icons.

[Gatt]

I kinds think of the Start Screen as a waste of time when not using a touchscreen device like a tablet or WM7 device...
It's whole appearance looks like something from Fisher Price!

[RabbieBurns]

yeh for sure. on a tablet or phone the full screen start screen is fine, but on a desktop you dont want something taking over your whole screen just to run an application

[Simcfc73]

Currently we use XP an the start menu is divided into subjects with their programs listed... how is the fisher price menu going to handle that? I appreciate we have to move with the times but this is supposed to be a business product not a ipad competitor.

[Dos_Box]

AFAIK the Metro interface will be optional. It's just this preview release was intended to get devs working on Metro apps and to give Joe Public a view of what it is like. It isn't even in beta, so please don't panic.....yet.

[bondbill2k2]

I dont see why its replacing the start menu, IMO this should be an optinal replacement for the desktop not the start menu and have stack style icons for the start menu and the ability to scale how large each icon it, this would still work well on a touch device and better on a desktop then the current previews.

I wonder if they will ship win8 with Kinect support?

[CyberNerd]

I wonder if they will ship win8 with Kinect support?

It's been in the linux kernel since may

[Dos_Box]

Well, it looks like Microsoft are taking the feedback on board: Win 8 haters are just scared of change, say MS bosses ? The Register

[Dos_Box]

And I show a 5.2MB Windows 8 update showing on the Preview Edition now.

[Arthur]

I'm looking forward to this Metro app...

[Arthur]

the Metro interface will be optional.

Probably not...

Microsoft has informed us that the rules laid down at Computex were "guidance" rather than actual system requirements, so the final behavior of the operating system may simply be to use the Start screen for everyone, even low resolution users. The developer preview already acts this way. This makes a Start screen opt-out arguably even less likely.

Experienced Windows users may find Windows 8 a bit of a shock. There will certainly have to be some adjustment to the new interface. But once they are over this shock, there should be benefits in the long run. The data and rationale for the Start screen makes a strong case that it really is a faster, more effective way of using the interface. And the underlying change—the greater purity in design, the willingness to not provide every possible option and alternative—should result in a user interface that's more predictable, more consistent, and more efficient. (Source)