Cannot wait for the Preview release.

By BumpyClock on 02.08.12 9:25am

I feel like Skydrive should be built into the apps, rather than it being it’s own application.

By Caio on 02.08.12 9:48am

I’m pretty sure, it will be built into other apps well. They have provided API – its upto developers to use it!

By StrayMutant on 02.08.12 9:50am

Also just realized Skydrive App is also an app in which skydrive is accessed. (there is an example) ;-P

By StrayMutant on 02.08.12 9:51am

There’s a SkyDrive API for Metro-Style apps. So devs can store the data you use on their app in your SkyDrive, and have it accessible anywhere without the pain of maintaining a large database themselves.

By Sentinel24 on 02.08.12 10:10am

What about non-Metro style apps? I’m not liking this lack of desktop attention Microsoft have been doing thus far with Windows 8. Let’s hope they put more focus onto that side of things before it goes on sale. Most people will be using this on the desktop, weather Microsoft like/want it or not and right now, it’s a junky experience.

By MadusMaximus on 02.08.12 2:40pm

“Most people will be using this on the desktop.”

I’m sorry but that’s just your opinion, not fact. For every person who doesn’t like metro, there are just as many (if not more) that like it and can actually see the potential in it. Metro and the deep inter-app interaction it provides will be a big boon for everybody. All we need is for there to be plenty of Metro apps available. Once there are apps for web browsing, mail, messaging, twitter, music, video, basic photo editing, word, excel and powerpoint (with cut down, but most used features), etc, I don’t envisage “most people” needing to visit the classic desktop much. In fact I think I just described almost every standard home user. But even if they did have classic apps that aren’t suited for metro (and there will still be those), it’s hardly traumatic to tab to the classic desktop, or dock the classic desktop alongside metro. Alternatively have that desktop on a second monitor.

At the end of the day though, if you don’t like it then stay on Windows 7. Nobody’s forcing you to upgrade.

By TCLN Ryster on 02.08.12 3:19pm

Nah. If anything, this might be the last iteration of Windows with a traditional desktop.

There will always be a way to run traditional apps/software (one of the core aspects of Windows is backwards compatibility), but it may be accomplished through visualization or something similar to that. Think of XP Mode in win7.

By sag969 on 02.08.12 4:15pm

Indeed, I somewhat agree, not that Windows 8 will be the last version with the desktop, but that by Windows 10/X desktop usage will be down to under 10% of users, hell might even happen by the time Windows 9 roles around but I doubt the desktop will be entirely missing in that version, I think we’re more likely to see an even more watered down version of the desktop.

By Ukumio on 02.08.12 4:37pm

PC users will always need a “desktop”, and by that I mean an area to run several programs side-by-side, but I imagine even this action could be significantly metrofied.

By lundsh on 02.09.12 12:52am

You can easily run multiple metro style programs side by side. Have you even used the developer preview yet?

By sag969 on 02.09.12 8:24am

No I haven’t. I thought you could only run 2 side-by-side. Also, I’m quite sure you can’t place one above the other. What I mean is that people will want the ability to run several (more than 2) applications simultaneously on screen the way windowed environments allow, with adjustable sizes and positioning for each one.

To metrofy it though, I think the “windows” should be borderless and have an appearance closer to that of tiles. They also should not be allowed to be simply drug around the screen and overlapped (I’ve never found much use for overlapping windows) but instead should fill the whole screen in different configurations depending on how many you have open together. Doing my best to describe my vision here.

By lundsh on 02.09.12 3:47pm

Not going to bother looking for it now, but in one of the engineering for windows 7 blog posts, Microsoft talked about scenarios such as yours when they introduced the Aero Snap feature.

Doing something like what you describe (arranging three or more programs/windows on the same screen if I understand correctly), is something very, very, very few users do. Like less than .0001 percentage of windows users. Just like the fact that 95% of windows users will only run a maximum of 10 programs in any one session.

Having the ability to arrange multiple programs seems like a pretty silly reason to hold onto the tradional desktop. Also, once you use windows 8 you’ll realize that there is a very easy way to snap back to your previous app by just clicking anywhere on the left border.

By sag969 on 02.09.12 4:50pm

Perhaps you misunderstand me- I don’t want to hold onto the traditional desktop. I want to scrap it, but maintain some of its core functionality. And the .0001% is some number you just pulled out of nowhere.

I routinely watch video online while playing a game, and sometimes while browsing the web or editing a document as well. If I had to do all these things full screen and constantly switch between them by swiping, clicking, or what have you, it would get rather frustrating.

I don’t think a very large number of side-by-side programs needs to be supported, because I’m sure as you are that very, very few people put more than 3 or 4 windows together and if they do they’re not getting much out of the experience, but I think supporting up to 4 is reasonable, that way the arrangements are simple and can be made automatically by the OS with some minor adjustments available to users.

By lundsh on 02.09.12 5:43pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOYMCuBbt4E

Multitasking on Windows 8. Pretty much works in the same way as previous versions, just without the whole ‘windows’ metaphor.

By dgtl on 02.10.12 9:00am

Yeah, watch dgtl’s video below. You’ll get a feel for how it works in win 8.

You’re right, you won’t be able to view more than 2 metro style apps at the same time, but I really think that’s an unusual scenario. Also, all the regular tricks (if you’re on a desktop or laptop) still work. You can use Alt+Tab to flip through running program/apps, and use winkey+tab as well – it operates just like clicking on the left side of the screen.

The only real annoyance that I can see coming from this is if you’re using some kind of app (i.e. Facebook) to chat and want to do something else while you’re doing that. The solution will be for those programs to build good metro style apps so you can dock them to the side and keep chatting while using 80% of your screen space for whatever else you want to do.

By sag969 on 02.10.12 10:49am

Yes, I’ve seen this before, and I like how it works, but I just wish there were a way to support at least 3, maybe 4 apps on the screen together. Thanks.

By lundsh on 02.10.12 1:45pm

True.

You will always have the option (especially on x86/64 win8 machines) to use the traditional desktop and place as many windows/programs on the screen as you want!

By sag969 on 02.13.12 1:28pm

so you do two things at a time? so basically all you need is two windows? just like aero snap? and just like how windows 8 has a side by side view for Metro apps?

By akvashi on 02.10.12 12:52pm

if very few users run several app windows on the same screen then why all the fuss about metro ‘tiles’??? i think that just points out the opposite of what is claimed. people want information and work from several places a lot of the time whether its a widget or traditional browser, email, etc. etc. i am a bit sick of moving from app to app every single time i want to view or work on something (android tablet)

By memephos on 02.18.12 12:20pm

Yup, Microsoft need to be focusing on the past.

By OgilvyTheAstronomer on 02.09.12 2:31am

As long as I can easily sync local folders with Skydrive folders I’ll be overjoyed!
Is it possible to purchase additional Skydrive storage?

By groMMit on 02.08.12 12:11pm

I’ve been wondering the same thing. From the way it looks developers and consumers will be utilizing the SkyDrive, it seems MS may want to start selling additional storage in the 100s of GBs.

By lundsh on 02.08.12 2:29pm

They hinted at it in one of their blog posts and if indeed they are planning on it I think we’ll see it some time around October (rumored release of W8 and WP8).

By Ukumio on 02.08.12 4:39pm

so down

By akvashi on 02.10.12 12:54pm