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Sunday 1 April 2012

Windows 8 Consumer Preview Review (a Critic’s View)


Common User as a Critic

It’s about a decade since I been the user of Microsoft Operating systems and its products. And whenever any new product or operating system is announced I am among the first ones who try to get a hand to it, so you can understand my interest towards it. Being the end user i think we user are the best critics not the ones who are paid to write so decided to write the review.
 When windows 8 consumer preview was announced I got excited and downloaded it. Excitement was this much that without any backup (which I regret now) of my windows 7 upgraded it to Windows 8 Consumer Preview



Installation: Windows 8 Consumer Preview got installed easily, not much steps was needed to do from user. So you can say the installation got full marks for being easy and smooth.

First view:  After installation I had to provide the color scheme for the metro interface. And when the window loaded properly a metro interface, just like windows phone, appeared. Here and there I was looking at a new thing trying to check each icon displaying on the metro interface, there was no start button (which is kind of windows identity), then started to look for all applications that were installed prior to upgradation but didn’t found any, and then was happy to see a desktop button clicking it displayed a proper desktop which made me feel like home. And there also “no start button “kind of felt angry at you because we are used to it very much. But when mouse is put to the bottom left corner metro interface view button appears. Again thought to give it a try. Then I found the trick of right clicking and seeing all the application and program menu. Now I knew the whole difference of Windows 8 Consumer Preview and Windows 7 and that is the metro interface. What….? For only this I took the risk of upgrading my win 7 to win 8 CP…? At that moment was pretty much disappointed.
My old apps which were installed prior to upgrade worked fine. The problem was for some hardware compatibility. My usb Tv device which was totally compatible with Windows 7 had problems in sound and video, my internet device which is of Qubee didn’t got recognized by Windows 8 Consumer Previw, had some problem with my graphic card which is nVidia 7300.

The Good: 
·         Metro interface gives simplicity and ease of use only if you get used to it.
·         Major apps and needs all in one window, messages, emails, movies, music all is there
·         Gives a new look to your operating system
·         Notification bar is there to get notified for any personal likings
·         Closer to tablet operating system giving simplicity

The bad:
·         Same windows 7 just got a new wrapper
·         Quite difficult to get to use to it
·         Good for tablet not for PCs
·         Hardware compatibility problems especially with Usb ones
Not a big change or new innovation which was expected from a new OS

Conclusion
This is just a beta or consumer preview of the windows 8 so a lot more good can be expected from the final version. As a common user I don’t recommend others to upgrade your system to this beta version. And if the windows 8 same as its preview I won’t even think of leaving my windows 7, so if Microsoft want user to choose Windows 8 they should do much more then metro interface. The complexities is the thing for which we like windows not the Apple’s Mac OSX (and also the Mac is expensive: p) so we like to keep it that way, windows are complex and giving much more options not like a tablet or cell phone OS and if Microsoft is going to give us simplicity like that then forget it because we for that we do have android and iOS. Anyway it’s an effort to get in the fast moving lane of tablets and interactive PCs, wish Microsoft best of luck.

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