Surprises in Windows 8When I first heard the "Windows 8 won't
play DVDs" rumor a few days ago, I immediately assumed it was
bogus. But actually, it's true, strictly speaking. In order to
save on software licensing costs (about two bucks per copy),
Microsoft has decided to eliminate DVD playback support on the
basic version of Windows 8. The "codec" required to play a DVD
movie is patented, and every device that wants to (legally)
include DVD playback must pay a licensing fee. Windows Media
Center won't be included, either. To get DVD support and Media
Center, users will have to buy Windows 8 Pro or download Media
Center Pack.
Microsoft's rationale is that more Ultrabooks and tablets are
being made without optical drives, and it would be unfair to make
everyone pay for things that only some can use. That does make
sense, and it should be noted that Windows 7 Starter and Home
Basic editions didn't support DVD playback, either. I wouldn't
worry too much about this surprise; vendors will be sure to
bundle Windows 8 Pro with any computers that feature optical
drives. But I'm pretty sure the difference in cost will be a lot
more than two bucks.
One alternative is to download the free VLC Media Player, which
offers DVD playback capability. VLC is a French company, and
skirts the patent licensing issue by claiming that software
patent licenses do not apply to them, since French law does not
recognize software as patentable. So does that make it legal for
citizens of other countries to download VLC? Hey look... a
butterfly!
On the plus side, Windows 8 users will finally be able to capture
a screenshot and save it to a file directly. In previous Windows
versions, the PrtScn key would capture a screenshot to the
Clipboard, and one would have open a graphics program such as
Paint, then paste in the image in order to save it. But in
Windows 8, just press Windows key + PrtScr to capture the shot
and open a dialog that allows you to save the data in a PNG file.
Did you know... you can download the Windows 8 Consumer Preview
for free, and try it out on your computer or tablet? Read more
and get the Windows 8 free download link here... Refresh and
ResetOne really cool surprise is the Refresh function built into
Windows 8, which restores your computer to a designated state of
your choosing. The System Restore function in earlier versions
does much the same, but System Restore Points may be lost if your
machine runs out of space in which to store them. The Refresh
function creates a permanent Restore point that mirrors your
ideal system configuration. By default, it's the factory
installation of Windows 8 and OEM software.
But you can also get your system just the way you like it --
remove crapware, install the apps you do want, make sure there's
no malware, customize the settings, themes, wallpaper, etc. --
then create the restore point for the Refresh feature. So if
ever find that your computer is bogged down with unwanted
software, toolbars, or malware, just click Refresh and you're
back to good in about 8 minutes. All of your documents and other
personal files will be preserved in a Refresh operation.
A related new feature in Windows 8 is Reset, which will return
your system to its "factory fresh" state. Unlike Refresh, a
Reset will wipe out your files and any software you've installed.
Reset is more drastic, but it's just the ticket if you want to
wipe the proverbial slate clean, before selling or donating your
computer. (You'll have to buy your own pine-scented dashboard
hanger, though.)
More Surprises in Windows 8Administrators, geeks and tweakers
will be pleasantly surprised by the new, faster access to system
management tools baked into Windows 8. A whole menu of system
tools is just a right-click away from the main menu.
Mozilla and Google, however, are not so happy. They charge that
Microsoft is trying to lock competing browsers out of Windows 8
and its table-focused derivative, Windows RT. Windows 8 will
support three application types: Metro, classic desktop, and
Metro-enabled desktop browsers (MEDB). A MEDB browser need only
be installed once and it will run in Metro or traditional desktop
mode. But Windows 8 will only allow your default browser to run
in both modes, and of course the default browser will be Internet
Explorer.
Yes, you can designate another default browser such as Firefox or
Chrome, but we all know how lazy some users are. Furthermore,
Windows RT will not give non-IE browsers access to APIs (software
interfaces) that are necessary for optimal performance, placing
them at a serious disadvantage compared to IE. There may be
another anti-trust dustup in store on these issues.
Let's end on a happy, money-saving note. According to unnamed
sources inside Microsoft, users will be able to upgrade to
Windows 8 Pro for only $15, if they buy a Windows 7 PC after June
2nd. And unlike discount offers in the past, this time the
upgrade to the Pro version of Windows 8 is available no matter
what version of Windows 7 you have.
We are still months away from the final release of Windows 8.
More surprises are sure to come.
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