Microsoft just released Windows 8 RTM (Release To Manufacturer) today. This is the version this is given to the manufacturers and will be shipped to consumers. This means that I had higher expectations from this release. When I first boted into Windows, I noticed the new blue logo (yes, the colored flag is not the logo anymore). The interface is completely Metro - feels like a Windows Phone device. The first startup screen asked me to login with my Microsoft Account (Hotmail/Windows Live Passport) and then I got an SMS asking me to confirm the association with Windows PC. I clicked on the link and confirmed the computer. After a few minutes, my desktop was setup. The first thing you see is the Start screen with Live Tiles and Apps. This version also has the Windows Store (which is separate from Windows Phone Store). There are a few apps published, I downloaded Box and iHeartRadio from the Store and was able to login and use the apps. I also used Connect with Facebook and the app worked as a mobile app would. The Desktop is similar to the old Windows desktop with a few UI changes. But the Windows 8 focus lies on Tiles and the tablet functionality.
To summarize with a few bullet points, here are a few things that bother me about Windows 8:
- Too much focus on Tablets, it needs to be still catered to primarily PC/Desktop users
- Horizontal scrolling on PCs dont work. Tiles screen scrolling for PCs should be rethought
Here is what I expect to be able to do with Windows 8:
- When I login with Hotmail/Microsoft account, my tiles should be synced (including position), I should see all my installed apps (with my user data and settings) and it should feel like my PC
- Apps such as Finance should have all my Watch list items synced across devices using Hotmail/Microsoft account
I think this is a step in the right direction and Windows is really becoming a more polished and smoother experience.
And if you dont know yet, the release date for Windows 8 is October 26th, 2012.