What I’m looking for in the Windows 8 Beta

As we race right into 2012, I'm starting to get excited about the prospect of testing the Windows 8 Beta.
I'm looking for very specific things in this latest release of Microsoft's new Operating system.
First, I got myself an ExoPC tablet from the Microsoft store which arrived and looks pretty sweet.
I'm not even going to bother putting the Windows 8 Development Preview on it, I'll just wait for the Windows 8 Beta.

Once I install Windows 8 on the tablet, I'll go over the checklist of Windows 8 features.
I'll do a detailed review of all the features of Windows 8 on this blog and of course I will use those features as my criteria but at the end of the day, there is one metric that will tell me what the future of this Operating System (on tablets) will be.

The 2 year old test

You see I have a 2 year old son.
He loves my Ipad ( he calls it the "pah"). It's sweet. He grabs the Ipad, swipes it open, swipes to his favorite application (Elmo), taps once to run it and taps away at the different letters of the alphabet.
Then, once he gets bored of that, he clicks on the one Ipad button to go to the home screen, swipes to go to another page and then clicks once on his other fave app - Toy Story 2.
Then, sometimes in the middle of that, he'll double click on the button (just like he's seen dad do) and switch between open apps to get to what he wants.

HE's 2 YEARS OLD!
Sorry Microsoft but that to me is the real test. The user interface on the Ipad is so simple a  2 year old can use it and in fact he started using the Ipad at 14 months. I blogged about that here.
Ultimately, Windows 8 has to be easy to use. It has to be stupid simple.
No charms that are hidden, no funny "swipe up left and then right" combos. This is not Mortal Kombat.
It has to be easy enough for grandmothers to use. For babies to want to use. That will be the real predictor for success. When families see that their children are interested in Iphones, they buy them Ipods so they can play their own apps etc.
Believe me I am thinking of getting my kid an Ipod so i can get my Ipad2 back.
If Windows 8 is not smooth and seamless and intuitive, then it's game over. You can't beat something with nothing - it just doesn't work.
The other thing that Microsoft must know about this is that it's all or nothing. There will not be a service pack to fix the major UI issues if they come up. It will either work or it won't and I suspect that within 3 months of using the Beta, we will all render a verdict.
I am reminded that my friend Marc said to me that Android was not innovative because in so many ways, it's a bad copy of the Apple UI. Microsoft get tremendous credit for doing something that is if nothing else original.

Microsoft confirm Windows 8 Beta will be released in Late February 2012

Microsoft have in effect confirmed the Windows 8 Beta release date.

Today in San Francisco, they confirmed that the Windows 8 Beta will indeed be released in February of 2012.
To put this in context, it was revealed as the time when the Windows Store will also make its debut. For more information about the Microsoft Windows Store, head to the overview here.

Windows 8 ARM Notebooks Delayed Til 2013

When it comes to Windows 8 there are plenty of new features to get excited about.

Despite many features to the desktop environment, improvements on speed, and stability it seems that two new features are getting most of the attention these days: the new Metro Interface replacing the Start Menu and Windows 8 ARM processor support.

With ARM support, Windows will now be able to tackle the ultra-mobile market in ways that it only dreamed about in the past.

Up until now (with the exception of NT4 which ran on a few other architectures, actually), Windows has pretty much been stuck as an x86-only Operating System.

The biggest and most obvious reason for the switch to ARM support has to do with tablets. While x86 tablets do exist, they are bulkier, louder, and consume more power than their often cheaper, quieter ARM cousins.
Microsoft understands a cash cow when they see it and weren’t willing to drop the ball to Google and Apple.
Outside of tablets though, ARM has potential in ultra-mobile laptops as well or at least analysts seem to think so.

There is one bring problem with the ARM version of Windows 8, it seems behind on development when compared to the x86 version.

Now it seems that sources are reporting that notebooks running Windows 8 on an ARM processor aren’t expected to hit the market until June 2013.

This source doesn’t say anything about tablets and so it makes you wonder. If they DO launch the ARM/tablet version in late-2012 (alongside the x86 version), why wait until mid-2013 to bring it to notebooks?

This leaves me to think that either the tablet version is behind too and Microsoft just doesn’t want that cat out of the bag yet, or perhaps Microsoft has made a deal with Intel/AMD to keep x86 exclusive for a while longer.

Only Microsoft really knows the reason for sure.

The source further claims that due to significant challenges, such as vendor reluctance and software support, it will likely be 2015 or later until ARM presents a significant market-share challenge to x86-based laptops.
What is curious about all this is that IF Microsoft has agreed to hold back the ARM version for laptops/desktops from vendors, why?
According to analysts, ARM’s challenges will keep in back from competing for years even when released. Holding it back until June 2013 really seems unnecessary based on this information.
This leads me to think that it is more likely that ARM development is behind and Microsoft is either going to hold back ALL ARM products until 2013, including tablets, or it is working around the clock to make sure that at least the drivers necessary for a few key tablets are ready in 2012.
If tablets get pushed back all the way to June 2013 I personally think that the tablet war will already be won, and Microsoft will in fact be too late to the party.
Keep in mind that nearly all of this is speculation, and we only know so much about the when, where, and how details regarding Windows 8 on ARM.
What we do know is that things are certainly heating up for an interesting battle of the architectures in the next few years.
Qualcomm in particular seems very intent on pushing beyond mobile interests and into the laptop/desktop market as well; even Nvidia seems to have some interest in capitalizing further on Windows 8-based market expansion.
At the other end of the game, Intel (and to a lesser extent, AMD) has been the king of PC hardware for many decades now and they aren’t go to give up without a spectacular fight.
Ivy Bridge in early 2012 and Haswell in 2013 will continue Intel down a path that is slowly put surely improving power consumption while still retaining a good deal of power under the hood.
No matter who wins in the long run, it seems like this is good news for everyone. Major competition like this means that hardware vendors have to push themselves further to deliver cutting-edge and improving products in order to stay competitive.
This can create consumer confusion due to the multitude of choices it brings, but in the end its nice to have options.

Intel Very Happy About Windows 8′s Current Direction

Windows 8 is certainly changing the way Windows works with its new interface, Metro, and its ability to support ARM processors.
It is no secret that the ARM processor giant, Qualcomm, is very excited about the future of Windows thanks to its support of ARM and its move into the tablet market.
Qualcomm hopes to use Windows 8 to move into new markets creating robust Windows 8 laptops and even desktops that use ARM technology versus the current standard of x86.
With Qualcomm’s big push with Windows 8, you might think that Intel would be feeling the pressure from the move. So how does Intel feel about the changes that Windows 8 brings to the table? It seems that they are highly ecstatic about where Windows 8 is going.
According to Intel CEO Paul Otellini, “Windows 8 is one of the best things that’s ever happened to our company”. This seems like an interesting statement, and is it really how they feel or simply a PR move to make them seem unaffected?
Otellini has talked fairly extensively about what he calls “myths” surrounding Intel and Windows 8 .
These myths largely covered the idea that ARM will hurt Intel, that the PC is dying breed, and that the chip giant can’t compete in the mobile market due to x86 architecture just not being worthy due to issues like heat and power consumption.
A lot of these alleged issues that Intel is running to have a strong link to Windows 8. Here’s what Otellini said about Windows 8:
We are very excited about Windows 8. I think it’s one of the best things that’s ever happened to our Company. And it’s a very good operating system, not just for PCs, but we think also will allow tablets to really get a legitimacy into mainstream computing, particularly in enterprises that they don’t have today. A lot of the enterprise managers are worried about security, they’re worried about the difficulty affording their legacy applications over to an Android tablet or to an iPad.
What Microsoft is doing is making that seamless for them. And they have a new experience, which they call Metro, that’s the interface up there. But for Intel-based machines, there is also one button that basically takes you back to your classic Windows experience and that’s a software button essentially.

Metro-Style Control Panel In Windows 8

There are many features in Windows 8 that are worth talking about such as new speed improvements, the Metro interface, and the upcoming Marketplace. One feature that isn’t talked about as much but is equally important is the Control Panel.
With every version of Windows, Microsoft has taken to the Control Panel with new improvements that make it easier to change features in Windows and make it the operating system you need.
In Windows 8, the Control Panel has some options directly viewed in Desktop Mode while also offering a Metro Control Panel, too.

Let’s take a look at just a few features in the Metro panel:

Personalize: This tab is all about customizing the lock screen and User Tile. Right now, you can’t change Metro’s color scheme but in BETA this is supposed to change and this will be the place to do it.
Users: This is pretty much the place to add and change users and user permissions. This also always you to change in the login methods such as classic password, pin,, and the new gesture/picture login system.
Notifications: This option allows you to tweak setting and choose which application should notify when something happens, basically. Each app listed here has a toggle where you can switch notifications on and off.
Privacy: The privacy menu allows you to see how applications use personal information such as location, account picture, your name, and other settings. You can also delete history for applications here as well.
General: I don’t really like the name “General” because it doesn’t seem to clarify how important this tab really is. This is the place you go to tweak touch-keyboard options but it is also the place to Refresh/Reset your PC if something goes wrong. In Windows 8 you can easily reset/refresh Windows to fix problem.
Search: Search in Windows 8 uses global integrated search, a feature that looks even inside of apps to find what you are looking for.
Ease of Access: This feature has probably changed the least and offers tools for disabled or those who have eyesight, hearing problems, etc.
Devices: You will find here a list of all connected devices and the option to remove them.
Sync PC Settings: Using Window’s Live ID you can configure the PC to automatically import major setting when accessing the same account from different Windows 8 systems.
Keep in mind all these features are also fully available in Desktop Mode’s more robust control panel.

ARM Tablets Running Windows 8 to Drop the Desktop App?

Do you remember how back in September there was a big debate over whether Windows 8 ARM tablets would have the link (otherwise known as an app) to the desktop in the Metro user interface?
And as a matter of fact, on the demos of the ARM tablets running Windows 8, there was a Desktop app. So naturally we expected that would be how it is.
But now, according to Paul Thurrott, a co-host of a Windows 8 podcast, it seems that Microsoft is dropping the link to the desktop which means that ARM tablets that run Windows 8 will only be able to support Metro apps (which was kind of how it was before except for a few selection of desktop apps that could run on both x86 and ARM.)

If Microsoft follows through on this idea, it essentially means that there will be different versions of Windows for each architecture: x86-64 and ARM.
This would be a good choice for Microsoft if they are trying to market ARM based tablet as the better one of the two, and as of now, ARM based tablets are better than Intel ones.
They have better battery life, they are lighter, faster, etc. They are also cheaper. And as I said before, there are barely any x86-64 apps that can work on ARM.
Steven Sinofsky, head of the Windows 8 division of Micrsoft, even said, “”We’ve been very clear since the very first CES demos and forward that the ARM product won’t run any x86 applications.”
Microsoft did show Microsoft Office running on an ARM based laptop back in January at CES, but I don’t know where they’re going with that.
There doesn’t seem to be a reason to make a whole desktop user interface for ARM based tablets, especially since not many developers see a market for point-and-click ARM apps and therefore aren’t recompiling their apps for ARM.
I can’t see a market either. ARM is all about mobile, no one really wants to use traditional desktop apps while on the go, it’s just too complicated.
Though I’ll admit, I was hoping for a a version of Mac OS X on the iPad before it came out and not just iOS (or iPhone OS as it was called back then.) That would have differentiated the iPad from let’s say and iPod Touch.
It’s what Microsoft is doing now. Microsoft isn’t just taking their phone operating system (Windows Phone 7.5) and making it bigger, they are taking what works well in their phone operating system, making it more tablet oriented, and combining it with their desktop operating system.
Now that’s a good operating system, and that’s why I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to take the desktop app away. Not to mention how confusing it would be adding on another option to Microsoft’s usual options that they have for Windows (Starter, Basic, Premium, Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate.) Of course in this case it makes sense, there’s no market for desktop ARM apps.

Windows 8 Beta Coming In February

For those of us that have actively used Windows Developer Preview, we’ve come to find some features of Windows 8 (such as speed of startup) refreshing and worth messing around with the pre-BETA. Other features like Metro aren’t bad but certainly could use some improvement.
Luckily, Microsoft has told us numerous times that they have heard our complaints and that the Beta will introduce many of the fixes we’ve been waiting for to make the experience as good on laptops and desktops as it is on a tablet.
At this site, and many other places, we’ve speculated closely that the much anticipated Beta would arrive in January, around the time of the CES. Now reports are coming in that supposedly it will be shown off at CES but the BETA won’t reach consumers until late February.
As far as the final launch date? It is still expected in 2012, but likely not until late fall. This basically means that a projected RTM version would arrive around June.
This might seem a little optimistic with the BETA arriving so late, but we can at least hope.
Exact feature changes in the Beta have yet to be confirmed and it seems that Microsoft has still yet to nail down the exact features, according to sources.
While the end of February is a LOT longer than I personally hoped to have to wait, I suppose if it means a better experience and shows us something that looks a lot closer to the final experience, it will be worth the wait.
Windows 8 is destined to make some big changes in the market with its support of ARM and its introduction of the Metro interface.
With the new changes, it is understandable that Microsoft doesn’t want to rush this product to the consumers.
If Windows 8 doesn’t set out to deliver the experience that Microsoft is touting it can (a great OS for conventional and unconventional computing devices) it could seriously hurt Redmond’s chances of staying competitive the in vastly growing mobile sector of the market.

Windows 8 beta: new features to expect

Zooming live tiles, managing Metro apps and more

The developer preview of Windows 8 that Microsoft put out in September is very obviously a work in progress; in particular the Metro start screen and charms interfaces.

Here's what we know will change in the next milestone (we expect that to be the beta release and we expect the Windows 8 beta launch to be at the CES 2012 show in January).

The Metro UI, as used in Windows Phone, Windows 8 and the new look for Xbox, is based on modern design and Bauhaus, typographic style and the efficiency of transport signs, according to the Windows user experience design director Samuel Moreau.

That won't change, and neither will the sharp corners and solid colours of the tiles on the Start screen; a look that Alice Steinglass, the group program manager for the core user experience team, defines as "clarity of spacing, solid edges and backgrounds and rectangles". But you won't be stuck with the green background.

Busy photographs might not work when they're covered in tiles and the background is going to have to stretch across many screens' worth of icons. Plus using bold flat colour for clarity and legibility is one of the principles of the Metro design style: "It's about clean, clear, crisp information, bold use of colours, bold visuals for a bold design" Moreau explains.

"It's about reductionism and a focus on function and making function beautiful. So while there will be options for customising the background in the beta, we expect that to be picking different colours or simple background looks."

That still won't be the final look for Windows 8, on the Start screen or the desktop. As Windows chief Steven Sinofsky has pointed out on the Building Windows blog "those details of the visual styling come later in the engineering process".

The Windows 8 beta will have more functionality for organising the Start screen. Instead of having to make a group by dragging an existing tile out of a group, you'll be able to make new groups, give them names (if you want - you don't have to name every group) and rearrange the order of groups without dragging individual tiles around. Drag a group and all the tiles in it will move together.

Zoom and scroll

Groups are key not just for putting tiles where you can easily find them but for moving quickly through a lot of pinned tiles. In the Windows 8 beta you'll be able to pinch with your fingers or use a single mouse click to zoom out and see more tiles and groups on screen at once.

This doesn't just make the tiles smaller, it collapses them into a group that you can treat as a single item, so you can zoom out, scroll to the group you want quickly and then click on a tile to launch a program quickly. 

SEMANTIC ZOOM: Zoom out and tiles get smaller, simpler and easier to parse as a group

This semantic zoom isn't in the developer preview but it's the same principle as in the Build conference app; when you zoom out from the list of sessions, you don't get smaller icons for the sessions - you get the time slots and days instead. The same thing could happen in the game explorer; you'd go from groups of tiles to large icons for the category of each group. 

 IN DETAIL: A sample Metro app with tiles for individual games…

ZOOM OUT: …and you see the categories rather than tiny illegible tiles
Microsoft calls the gap between groups of tiles speed bumps; the idea is that this makes it easier to swipe through the Start screen and stop at a specific group without shooting past.
We're expecting a way to customize speed bumps to make it easier to virtually divide the Start screen to navigate quickly.
There will definitely be improvements for scrolling through the Start screen tiles with a mouse. It doesn't work to treat the mouse like a finger, Moreau says, but there will be a way to scroll without going down to the scroll bar at the bottom of the screen and dragging it along.

Search and switch

Some of these are features that just weren't stable enough to put in the developer preview of Windows 8, but there will also be changes and new features based on feedback from users.
Instead of being one long alphabetical list, the App screen that you can look through for programs you haven't pinned to the Start screen will also be organised into groups in the Windows 8 beta, with the same program group names you'd see on the Start menu in Windows 7.
That way, the uninstall utility for a program will be with the program it's designed to uninstall rather than at the end of the list with six other anonymous uninstallers, and you don't have to remember the name of the tool for organising images that comes with Microsoft Office; you can just look in the Office group.
You'll see the Apps screen as soon as you click the Search charm, even if you're coming from the Windows desktop, to make it obvious what you're searching through by default.

APP GROUPS: The list of all the installed programs will be arranged by groups, not alphabetically
Updates and notifications are a big part of making Windows 8 feel alive and live tiles can use the background notification service to show you updates like new headlines or the number of unread emails even when the Metro app isn't running and taking up memory.
User experience head Jensen Harris said at Build that there wouldn't be "a junk drawer of notifications to clean up" and that "if a notification is suitably important that there's a problem if the user misses it, [the app can] change the live tile".
But enough testers have suggested that the updates could make the Start screen feel too busy and distracting that there will be an option to turn off notifications.
And if you haven't mastered the card shuffling gesture for dragging the next Metro app on screen then dragging the icon back off screen to flip quickly through all the open apps to get the one you want, there will be a way to specifically close Metro apps without having to open the Task Manager or just waiting for them to get suspended, so you don't have to flip past the ones you know you're done using.
The Windows 8 beta should also have many of the apps missing from the developer preview: Windows Media Center, DVD Creator and the Windows 7 games. We might see the Metro-style Windows Live apps and the option to upgrade a PC from Windows 7 rather than do a clean install as well, or we might not get those until the release candidate.