Windows 8 comments

Internet Explorer Consumer Preview 10:

• Generally slow
• Rendering takes some time to catch up to scroll location on an average page (msn.com)
• Nice minimalist look and feel

Windows 8 touch integration:

• Keyboard sounds like a WP7 keyboard
• Keyboard layout is nice and has a lot of options like resizing, changing layout for thumbs typing, handwriting recognition, etc.
•  Handwriting recognition is good and works much like Windows 7... but slower. I find that I can write too fast and overwhelm the recognition system. When this happens, it creates more errors in what it thinks I wrote.
• The keyboard takes up about half of the screen, so if you use overlay mode the keyboard blocks the view of anything under it. Using the block mode to pin the keyboard to the desktop will force the text window to fit in the other half of the screen.
• Auto-correct is much less aggressive than it would be on a phone. Type "lke" won't change to "like" or suggest anything. "wont" will add the apostrophe though (in won't) but only if you add the space after it.
• double-tap on the text input zooms in. Nice touch.
•  Will need a screen with no raised bevel edges in order to use the Win 8 edge navigation. My EeePc has slightly raised edge and my finger can't register close enough to the edge to make the navigation kick in.
• It seems like Windows can't figure out whether or not to select or position the cursor or to focus. Touching a word (to edit) sometimes does nothing, and sometimes it places the cursor where I want it. Not sure if that's lack of cpu or a focus confusion.

Some of the issues I am having is a lack of power. This Atom cpu is just too slow for this version of windows. I'm also sure that the release versions of Win 8 and IE10 will be more refined.

Intel GMA500 Driver on Windows 8

So like many people with Intel Atom based netbooks, I wanted to try Windows 8. I was running Windows 7 Home Premium on my Asus EeePC T91MT. This netbook is underpowered out of the gate, and the Windows 7 touchpack is cool, but not terribly useful. Touch is definitely an afterthought in Windows 7. For this netbook to be useable, all graphical prettiness must be turned off (especially Aero). The Atom 1.33Ghz CPU is a dog and the Intel GMA500 is even worse. I don't expect much out of a graphics chipset, but it won't even play Minecraft with all options on low.

But this is not an Intel bashing session (even though I could say a lot more)...

I heard that Windows 8 is faster on older hardware, especially the Metro touch system. I installed it and it's true. The Metro UI is neat and pretty intuitive as well as fast.

But this is not a Windows 8 review...

If you want to run a Windows 8 app, you'll need a minimum resolution of 1024x768. Without it, the apps refuse to start. As of March 2012, there are no Windows 8 drivers for the Intel Atom GMA chipsets. When you install Windows 8 on a Win 7 netbook, the basic Microsoft driver is installed.

Default resolution...? 800x600.

I believe it's stupid for Microsoft's basic default driver to default to a resolution that disallows its apps to run. Seems a bit shortsighted. Just sayin...

Windows Update finds no drivers.
I download the latest from Intel (Oct. 2010 driver) - Can't install (OS not supported).

Here's the solution.

1. Download the latest driver
2. Go to the desktop (touch top-left corner)
3. Open the Screen Resolution properties box
4. Click on Advanced Settings
5. Click on Adapter Properties
6. Click on Driver tab
7. Click on Update Driver
8. "Browse my computer for driver software"
9. Select the folder you unzipped the driver to
10. Click "Next"

The screen may flash a time or two, and you may need to reboot, but when it's done you should be able to select your recommended resolution and 1024x768 even if the display recommends lower (mine recommends 1024x600).

Apps load and you can now play with Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

Enjoy.