Archive for the ‘Windows 8’ Category

My First Week with Windows 8

Dienstag, November 6th, 2012

Upgrade
The weekend after the official lunch of Windows 8, I decided to upgrade my (very) old DELL notebook (Inspiron 6400). The first thing I did was downloading the Upgrade Assistent:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/upgrade-to-windows-8 (english)
http://windows.microsoft.com/de-DE/windows-8/upgrade-to-windows-8 (german)

Using the assistent makes the upgrade very easy. The only things you need is a credit card and a DVD (if you want to create an installation DVD). The assistant found two programs that were known to be not compatbile. But the assistant already knows that there were updates for these programs. Therefore I updated this software first and launched the assistend again. After answering the question what I would like to keep (nothing, settings or programs and settings), the assistant offers you a Windows 8 version (At the moment Windows 8 Pro for €29,99). You have to type in some personal information and you credit card number and you get your key. Than the assistant starts to download the binaries. At the end you can decide if you want to upgrade now, cretate a DVD image or a USB stick. A I decided to create a DVD… After the image is finished (and maybe burned on a DVD) you can start the upgrade with an icon on your desktop… Some times later… My old DELL needed more than an hour… The installation starts to ask you the first questions for the personal settings (e.g. colour scheme) and for your Windows Live ID. This is the ID Windows 8 needs for logging on to SkyDrive, Outlook (Hotmail) and xbox. My personal opininion is, that Windows 8 (for personal) use is senseless without connecting to the Microsoft cloud services.

I am not a gamer. I use my PC for mailing, writing, and browsing in the internet. For these things Windows 8 Comes with all I need (OK. I still have my Windows Live Mail for storing mails on my disc).

If you are missing the Media Center you should install it soon, because at the moment it is for free:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/feature-packs (english)
http://windows.microsoft.com/de-DE/windows-8/feature-packs (german)

Like it or hate it: The new Modern UI
I found some posts in the internet about the new user Interface (formerly known as Metro), were the people wrote that they hate the new design, bad graphics and they would like to have the old start button back. I can not follow them! I like the new desing. It is simple and clear with interactions inside some tiles. This design is perfect for me at home. It shows all information and I can open fast my appps. At the left side you can switch between the open apps and at the right side you have an app-sensitve menu for seeking, sharing, devices (e.g. print on a printer) and settings. At the moment I have not a touchmonitor but even with the mouse I am able to use Windows 8 and the apps I need. And „old“ apps opens on the desktop that is now also in app.

I am starting to like Windows 8 …

The Cloud is dead

Sonntag, Juli 22nd, 2012

Two days ago there were two german online articles, who said that Microsoft searches for unwanted content on SkyDrive and disables the Live IDs without any warning.

http://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/webwelt/article108348396/Microsoft-sperrt-unangekuendigt-Nutzer-Konten.html

http://netzpolitik.org/2012/skydrive-microsoft-durchsucht-nutzer-daten-in-der-cloud-nach-agb-verletzungen-und-sperrt-accounts/

The Microsoft Code of conduct has many rules fot the use of their services:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-live/code-of-conduct (english)
http://windows.microsoft.com/de-DE/windows-live/code-of-conduct (german)

For public content it is OK. But for my private files that I do not share?

Pictures of your family at the beach? Forbidden! Pictures of Titians Venus of Urbino (1538)? Forbidden! Pictures of Michelangelos David? Forbidden!

„depicts nudity of any sort including full or partial human nudity or nudity in non-human forms such as cartoons, fantasy art or manga.“

Your CDs (MP3…) Better not!

„includes content that is protected by intellectual property laws, rights of privacy or publicity, or any other applicable law unless you own or control the rights thereto or have received all necessary consents.“

Pictures of a party? If you asked each person on the pictures…

My problem is not that it is not allowed to share special content with the whole world. That is OK. But it is also not allowed for my pesonal, private files or files that I share only with specific persons.

But the main topic is, that I am not able to trust a company that scans, analyzes and censors my files. And maybe delete my account. They offers me a disk in the cloud but my files are not safe, because they read them (maybe automatically) as often as they wants to do.

Therefore the cloud is dead and I am not sure at the moment if I will use Windows 8 or Windows Phone 8, because Microsoft will tell me to use the censored cloud.

Surface. The new hero!

Dienstag, Juni 19th, 2012

Is this the new Apple-killer? I really hope so…

http://www.surface.com

Surface

Next phase of testing

Freitag, Juni 1st, 2012

At the moment I download the ISO image of the Windows 8 Release Preview and then I will refresh my test client…

Windows 8 Release Preview

<Windows>+x in your Windows 8 PC?

Freitag, März 16th, 2012

Do you miss the startmenu on the desktop in Windows 8? Maybe <Windows>+x may help you a little bit.

Windows 8 …

Freitag, März 9th, 2012

Maybe an interesting Windows 8 post

http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/windowsexperience/archive/2012/03/08/getting-around-in-windows-8.aspx

Progress bar in Windows 8

Freitag, März 2nd, 2012

Sometimes I think, that developers has too much free time 😉

copy_progress.JPG