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Microsoft reveals more multi-monitor improvements in Windows 8 Release Preview (video)
If you’re a multitasking extraordinaire who depends on Windows as your primary computing platform of choice, there’s a good chance you utilize more than one monitor to get your work done — unfortunately, the seventh iteration of Microsoft’s OS didn’t offer as much support in this arena as most display warriors would prefer. The Consumer Preview of Windows 8 offered a few functionality improvements, and with its upcoming Release Preview, Microsoft is focusing on further enhancing the experience. Mark Yalovsky, a lead program manager on the User Experience team, put together a lengthy piece on what kind of goodies we can expect.
Among the highlighted changes is the ability to access the Start, app switching and charms menus from the corners on any monitor, rather than just having these options locked to only the primary display. The Release Preview also improves shared edges and corners so that the flow of cross-display navigation won’t get interrupted by obnoxious corners popping up when you don’t intend them to. Finally, the option of dragging and dropping Metro-style apps (as well as snapped apps) between monitors has also been included in the new build. These enhancements may seem small, but will go a long way toward appeasing those of us who can’t live without more than one screen. For the full listing of feature changes, view Microsoft’s video below and check out Mark’s post at the source.
Microsoft’s Windows 8 Preview event videos now available
Still not satisfied after our minute by minute liveblog of Microsoft’s Windows 8 Consumer Preview event this morning from Barcelona and detailed hands-on impressions? Video of the entire presentation, along with a few demo trailers are available on the company’s press site so you can feel that Sinofsky magic for yourself. One of the preview videos is embedded above, press play or hit the source link to download the 688MB 90 minute long version for repeat viewing (Update: Also available embedded after the break, just in case hard drive prices have cut down your storage space).
Microsoft Windows 8 Consumer Preview detailed impressions
The early days of Windows were inauspicious ones. Sitting on top of DOS, it was hardly a revolution in personal computing — instead it felt like a disjointed platform perched uncomfortably atop a command prompt, ready to come crashing down at any moment. That’s what it was, and often that’s what it did. The early days of Windows required constant jumps from GUI to shell as users ran a wide assortment of apps, only some of which played nice inside a window.
It was over a decade later, after Windows 95, that the operating system would truly ditch its DOS underpinnings and feel like a totally integrated system. Why are we reminiscing? Because we’re reaching that same point again. With the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Microsoft is showing off the most complete version of the company’s most modern operating system, yet in many ways it feels like 1985 all over again — like there are two separate systems here struggling to co-exist. How well do they get along? Join us after the break to find out.
