Microsoft BUILD: Windows 8, A Pre-Beta Preview
by Brian Klug & Ryan Smith on September 13, 2011 12:05 PM EST- Posted in
- BUILD
- Windows
- Microsoft
- Windows 8
- Trade Shows
We’re here in Anaheim, California at Microsoft’s BUILD conference. As has become tradition (or at least as much as possible), Microsoft has been holding major developer conferences for their new OSes roughly a year ahead of launch. In 2008 developers and the press got their first in-depth look at Windows 7 at Microsoft’s Professional Developers Conference (PDC), and here in 2011 BUILD is doing much the same for Windows 8.
As it stands Windows 8 is still in its infancy. The build in Microsoft’s demos is 1802, a pre-beta and not feature complete version of the OS. Microsoft needs to balance the need to show off Windows 8 to developers with a need to keep it under wraps until it’s done as to not spook end-users. The result of that is the situation at BUILD, where Microsoft is focusing on finished features while unfinished features are either not in the OS or are going unmentioned. For comparison, at PDC 2008 the Windows 7 interface was not done yet, and Microsoft was using the Windows Vista interface in its place.
Today the show kicks off in earnest with a keynote that begins at the same time as this article went live, followed by some mega-sessions for developers covering the biggest aspects of Windows 8. Yesterday was a pre-show day for press, with Microsoft spending most of the day running the press through a similar series of presentations, focused more on the end-user than developers.
At the conclusion of the press sessions we managed to get some hands on time with a tablet PC development platform running the same build of Windows 8. We haven’t had the chance to give the platform a full working over – not that it would be prudent in its pre-beta state – but we did want to give you a rundown of what Microsoft had to share with us and what we’ve seen so far. Microsoft’s tagline for BUILD is that “Windows 8 changes everything” and while Win8 is not a massive reworking of the Windows kernel, it is a major overhaul of nearly everything else. Certainly based on the pre-beta build on display, you will be using Windows 8 significantly differently from Windows 7.
The big thing with Windows 8 is Metro, which we’ll go more in-depth with in a bit. Microsoft classifies Metro as a style, but in reality Metro is a new version of Windows from the API on up. Metro is the Windows Shell, Metro is an application design paradigm, Metro is a user paradigm, and Metro is the future of Windows application programming. Metro is everywhere – and for ARM it is everything - and it will make (or break) Windows 8.
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UMADBRO - Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - link
Nah, they are fairly arrogant over there too. If you want to stay firmly rooted in the past, then dont upgrade. Otherwise, adapt and move on. Simple as that.UMADBRO - Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - link
Good luck. All I hear on here is the gnashing of teeth, because ,*gasp*, people might have to try something new. I can already read the reports of people collectively croaking, still clutching their copies of Win 3.11 in their cold, dead hands.Seriously, give it a goddamn shot before you automatically decide you hate it, you close minded asshats.
Exodite - Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - link
What's your angle?Serious question, as I find it inconceivable that a mere user - let alone someone that's actually never used the discussed software - are so adamant about defending it to the point of absurdity and personal attacks.
Needless to say I have a theory myself but I'd rather hear it from you.
UMADBRO - Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - link
I just dont get why people wont even give something new a chance before they absolutely hate it. Its just retarded, IMO. Give it a chance. If you dont like it afterwards, then thats fine. At least you tried it.Personally, I have the dev version downloaded and am going to keep an open mind when I give it a shot. If I dont like it afterwards, I wont hesitate to let people know why I dont, with an actual reason why, instead of going around blaring "Herp its stupid derp I dont like it" and not having ever booted it up one time.
UMADBRO - Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - link
And please, pray tell your "theory" as Im not really defending it as much as letting people know what I think of them for being narrow minded.frozentundra123456 - Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - link
I have to say I hate this interface too. Why does microsoft seen to want to make everything look like a smart phone (or a cash register at McDonalds!!).This touch interface might be OK for a laptop or tablet, but I cant imagine sitting at your desk and using it on a separate monitor. It would be like doing a continuous series of sit-ups as you move closer to the monitor to touch it and back away to read it, not to mention finger prints everywhere.
Unless you can easily turn off this interface and go back to a conventional desktop, this would be a deal breaker for me as to buying a computer with this OS.
TEAMSWITCHER - Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - link
There has been much mobile OS development in the last 5 years with iOS, Android, WebOS, MeeGo, Symbian, RIM, etc. A lot of design ideas for touch screen OS's have already been copyrighted, trademarked, or patented. Microsoft bought a scrappy little company called Danger that made the Metro UI, and it may be the only thing they can do now that wouldn't infringe on the IP of established players.Microsoft has a big problem here. Desktop power users won't use the Metro GUI because it would just slow them down. And new Windows 8 Tablet users (running ARM processors) can't run applications from the existing Windows universe. Microsoft is trying to leverage the broad appeal of Windows in the mobile market, but this is pretty weak leverage.
Finally, that touch interface looked like a complete failure. How many failed swipes to open/close a fly-out menu can a human being endure? Be careful Microsoft, this is starting to look a lot like Vista!
cjs150 - Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - link
"It would be like doing a continuous series of sit-ups as you move closer to the monitor to touch it and back away to read "You have got it. MS enters personal fitness market!
Belard - Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - link
I hope MS already knows how to handle this...The mouse wheel should fly the tiles left to right. Sure the wheel is pointed in the wrong direction - but its not hard to figure out and besides - a HOR. mouse wheel won't work. Even Logitech's wheels that have side to side scrolling just sucks.
Anyone with a rotating monitor (or manual rotate your whole monitor) can try this. Go to an image site that has normal up and down scrolling. Make your browser long up and down.... then use your wheel to move the whole page of photos (pretend they are tiles).
Or turn your head to the side.
Sladeofdark - Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - link
the interface looks hideous just like phone 7 does. i just dont get it.. its like they HAVE to mess up every other OS. i can see how the metro tile theme could be good for old people , or my older brother whom is not tech savy. But it should not be the MAIN way of using the OS. I hope it doesnt make it like Aero really didnt "make it" into vista.. but Vista was still garbage. gosh.. this love hate back and forth thing is bad for my heart lol.