MSDN subscribers have recently started downloading Windows 8 RTM. The development of this system was accompanied by an extraordinary information embargo, which was not usual in the development of previous versions. The main features of the system have been known for almost a year, but the essential details are only emerging these days. Windows 8 can be described as an operating system for tablets that can also be used on the desktop.
Installation
Installing Windows 8 from media is no different from previous versions. The initial setup of the system is treacherous. I almost named my computer “pc-living room”. The boot manager that installs Windows 8 looks nice. But it has the problem that if you choose to run Windows 7 in it, the computer will restart first. If you choose Windows 7 as the default system, it will switch back to the original boot manager from Windows 7. If you run Windows 8, the new boot manager is back.
Internet Explorer
By default, IE sends a Do Not Track header, which is as naïve as sending a password in plaintext. Fortunately, IE 9 can block third-party sites effectively enough. Just press Alt and select Tracking Protection from the Tools menu. Then you just need to select your individual list and click on the allow button. Additional filters can be added online from the same window.
Internet Explorer has one add-on pre-installed – Shockwave Flash Object. It is a modified version of Flash, which Microsoft has gotten rid of the most pressing performance problems. Internet Explorer already has 4 storage – cookies, Flash Player, DOM storage and IndexedDB. The default storage size for temporary Internet files is 250 MB.
If you sign in to the Start Screen in Internet Explorer, don't expect to be logged in when you open the same page in Internet Explorer on the desktop. This is because the storage of cookies is separate.
The download manager is more resistant to the wrong length of the downloaded file. You can now view the source code of the page with the keyboard shortcut CTRL+U. Lighter filtering ActiveX allows browsing the web without degrading the functionality of some pages.
Terminology
Because I have never been more confused about terminology than when writing this article, I decided to dedicate a part of the article to it as well. Metro is a codename for a style of user interface in which the emphasis is on text, which is the main navigation element. The inspiration was the information boards at airports and in the metro, where the name came from. It has found application in Windows Media Center, Zune, Windows Phone and Windows Runtime. However, because Metro means a Makro store in Europe with appropriate legal consequences, Microsoft decided to call Metro-style applications simply Windows 8 applications and normal desktop applications desktop applications. The Metro user interface in Windows 8 is called the Start Screen.
The former .NET Passport, now often called Windows Live ID, has been renamed Microsoft Account.
Hotmail, previously written as HoTMaiL (access to mail via HTML), has been renamed to Outlook.com, which finally looks like a Windows 8 application in a browser window.
User interface
Windows 8 is for Tablet PCs, so it should be viewed as a system that is controlled by a touch screen. Aero doesn't look very good on a small display, but that’s no reason to remove it from the system. However, the tendency today is that applications in windows will not have a frame, but only a shadow around them, as is the case with Office 2013 and Visual Studio 2012. I've gotten used to the missing Start menu from the test versions. It is important to click in the lower left corner with the secondary mouse button (or press Win+X), because then a menu with everything you need will appear. However, to pin an application to the taskbar, you need to know a very unintuitive procedure. On the start screen, you need to select the appropriate tile and press the Pin to taskbar button from the application menu.
Double-clicking on the tab name in File Explorer can make the ribbon not permanently visible in File Explorer. It will just become a richer range of items. I tell myself that it should have been like this a long time ago. It’s easier to navigate and take up less space than a command bar report and a hidden main menu.
System
System Protection, formerly known as System Restore, is turned on by default. Users are often confused as to why their disk space is still disappearing, and when something happens, they still have no idea about the existence of this tool. I have never used this tool. That’s why I always turn it off.
The first run of the Task Manager is a shock, but after finding the More Info command, everything is as it should be.
File content indexing is turned on by default on the system drive. It takes a while to turn it off, because the attribute is set for all files.
What is striking at first glance is the seemingly enabled defragmentation for SSDs. The Drive Optimizer tool is located in the Manage tab of the file explorer. However, after a closer look, you can see that each media has its type listed – whether it’s a hard drive or an SSD. In the case of a hard disk, the fragmentation of the hard disk is listed, and the utility defragments the disk. If it is an SSD, it is stated whether or not it needs to be optimized. The tool then sends the Trim command to the entire bundle. The Trim command is sent to specific areas whenever a file is deleted or moved. The Reclaim process is then performed in the background, unless the volume is busy. Therefore, it is a good idea to resend the Trim command for all areas from time to time.
The ISO image can be mounted as a volume. A special application is no longer needed for this now banal task.
Refs
Windows 8 formatted the partition on the SSD to NTFS – there is no joy from ReFS . There cannot be a SQL Server database on ReFS, which would be quite unpleasant on a desktop. In the file system selection when formatting the disk, there is only NTFS, Storage Spaces work only with NTFS. ReFS is currently a matter of Windows Server only.
CheckDisk
The CHKDSK tool has undergone significant changes for the better in Windows 8. Previously, it was necessary to unmount the volume before the tool was able to repair it. It now tries to do as many operations as possible when the drive is connected. It can isolate the error and continue to work with the file system without any problems. The tool can work with the NTFS file system in this way, and in the case of ReFS, it can ensure even higher volume availability. ReFS does not require CHKDSK to run periodically, but rather uses it as a service that corrects errors in the background.
File history
In the file properties, the Previous versions tab has disappeared. The function is still in the system. It has moved to the Home tab in File Explorer. File History has been separated from System Protection, and appears to be a replacement for Backup and Restore. However, after a more thorough scan of the system, this tool will emerge in the Control Panel under the new name of Windows 7 File Recovery. However, it’s not just about restoring backups, regular backups can still be set up.
The File History tool looks very usable indeed. It is possible to choose the directories that you do not want to back up. You can choose where you want to save your backup and even recommend that location to other homegroup users. Individual versions can be saved forever (default), for a selected period of time, or until space is needed. Copies of files are stored at intervals of 10 minutes to 24 hours (default is 1 hour).
However, he only searches for file history within his tool. It doesn't search previous versions of files from SkyDrive or Windows 7 File Recovery.
.NET
The system contains only .NET Framework 4.5, so it is necessary to install 3.5, 3.0 and 2.0 if necessary. Applications written for .NET 4.0 run normally on .NET 4.5.
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player is the same as in Windows 7. Who expected the fusion of Media Player and Zune into one program, must keep waiting. However, the Windows 8 Xbox Music app is available. However, you will not minimize it to the taskbar, so you will not achieve the mini mode that Media Player 11 had. The currently playing song can't be rated or added to another playlist. Usable for Tablet PCs, not for Desktop PCs.
SkyDrive
SkyDrive works the same way it does on Windows 7. The advantage is that the folder for files can be moved to a completely different drive than the system one. When you switch between Windows 8 and Windows 7, just set SkyDrive on both systems to the same folder and don't duplicate files unnecessarily. Since SkyDrive is also a photo storage, it’s not a good idea to store a large amount of data on your system drive unnecessarily, which is accessed very rarely compared to system files.
Office 2013 seems to be integrated with SkyDrive somehow. I haven't quite figured it out yet, but when I open a text document from the SkyDrive folder, edit it, and save it, I see Uploading to SkyDrive in the status bar, even though Office should treat the file like any other file on the drive and leave the synchronization to the SkyDrive client.
Gadgets
Desktop gadgets are gone for good. This platform lasted for a little over five years. To some extent, they are being replaced by Windows 8 applications. They have their own live preview, but switching from the desktop to the start screen is very inconvenient. If you have a lot of code written in ECMAscript for your gadget, it can also be used for Windows 8 applications, because they can also be written in HTML5.
Messages
Windows 8 includes two applications called Zprávy. One is a messenger and the other is a feed reader. However, messenger is only supported by MSN and Facebook. Don't look for Skype there, and certainly not XMPP. If you pin this application to the side, it will replace the messenger until you realize that if you drag a file into the window with the intention of sending it to someone, it won't work. Then you realize that you're in Windows 8, you say “Good” and select a file in File Explorer, select Share from the system panel, and a message pops up saying Nothing can be shared from the desktop – how true. You can only generate a link to share a folder on SkyDrive from the web interface.
Windows 8 apps
Windows Runtime apps mediate content consumption. It’s not a feature-rich platform for graphic editors or office suites, but a platform that can compete well with the web. Optimizing a site for devices with small screens means writing the entire front-end from scratch. Writing an application for Windows 8 is much easier. In addition, you can use platform sharing and search to integrate the application into the system. It is not necessary to create an RSS feed and send out newsletters, just provide the application with a live preview. Simply put, the Windows Runtime is a platform for reading, viewing and listening to content and for sharing it with others. Most people don't do anything else at the PC anyway. Except for gamers – they won't buy a Tablet PC for gaming – they'll buy an Xbox or play desktop games and simulators on a PC.
Finally
Windows 8 is an operating system designed uncompromisingly for Tablet PCs. There is a platform for applications that can work together much better than web ones. And Office 2013 will also be available for devices with ARM processors. However, don't expect many desktop apps for Windows RT. Their development must be closely supervised by Microsoft. A single SkyDrive document is easy to view and edit from your Windows Phone, Tablet PC, and desktop PC, and version history is preserved. E-mails from all these devices are synchronized with the Exchange server or Outlook.com. The Windows Store forces developers to ensure that their applications are of good quality, so a Tablet PC user should not ask himself whether he should rather connect a mouse to his tablet.
For the desktop, however, the main hardware is still a large monitor, keyboard and mouse. Windows 8 apps are designed for touch, so it’s not efficient to use them on the desktop. If you have a Windows account tied to a Microsoft account, you must always enter your password to sign in (or get used to doing mouse gestures to do so). The absence of Aero still gives me the impression that I should install a graphics card driver. But I also know people who haven't gotten used to Aero yet and prefer to use the good old gray look from the Windows 95 era. They will certainly praise the form of the Windows 8 desktop. On the other hand, people who appreciate the glass impression of Aero as an element that makes the layout of windows clearer will hardly want to get used to the thick gray window frames again.