Windows 8 Preview: 23 New Features You Should Know About
Windows 8 Preview: 23 New Features You Should Know About
Posted 05/19/2011 at 9:44am
| by Robert Strohmeyer
31
Comments
Print
Still a year or more from final release, the next version of Windows has been making its fair share of appearances on leak sites in recent months. Codenamed Windows Next, the OS release we’ve come to know as Windows 8 will look much like its recent predecessors on the surface, but looks to be getting a serious revamp from the kernel up.
The rumors are coming in fast but, as with any unreleased software, it’s hard to be certain which of the rumored features will make it into the final product, which will wind up on the cutting room floor, and which never existed in the first place. We’ve taken a look at all the rumors, all the leaked screenshots, and a few screens we’re pretty sure were flat-out faked, and we’re ready to make a few prognostications about what to expect in Windows 8. We’ll approach this category-by-category.
Storage Features
In part because of its massive installed base in the business world, Microsoft has been slow to move on storage trends over the years. While power users have grown accustomed to relying on third-party tools for handling disc images and drive maintenance tasks, the company has been sitting on a new file system for years.
ISO Mounting
While other desktop OSes (Mac OS X, Linux) include the ability to handle disc images as a matter of basic functionality, Windows has lagged lamentably in this area. As recently as Windows Vista, users needed third-party tools to burn a disc image to a CD. And while Windows 7 can now write a disc image, it can’t mount and read one. According to a variety of rumor forums, however, this feature will finally come baked into Windows 8.
ISO mounting won’t mean much to the average user, but power users and system administrators will be able to use it to standardize installations across multiple systems, preserve reliable system images for posterity, and quickly deploy virtual machines. Given the gradual pace of change in recent Windows versions’ support for disc images, this feature seems very likely to see the light of day in the final release.
Probability of actually appearing in Windows 8: 70%
Tweaked Disk Cleanup
To help users manage disk space, Microsoft appears to have revamped the Disk Cleanup utility for Windows 8. Unlike the relatively simplistic tool in Windows 7, the enhanced utility showing up in Windows 8 pre-release builds includes options that let you sort files by size and type. This should make it much easier to reclaim disk space quickly by targeting temporary files and quickly spotting the biggest space hogs on your hard drive.
Probability: 70%
Portable Workspaces
In a move that usurps the role of third-party portable workspace utilities, Microsoft looks to be integrating a new feature called Portable Workspaces into Windows 8. Based on screenshots and videos leaked from an April build of Windows 8, Portable Workspaces will let users create a portable image of their system on any USB drive with at least 16GB of available capacity (16GB drives with 15.7GB of available space don’t appear to work).
From what we’ve seen, it appears Portable Workspaces will create a streamlined clone of your desktop, user settings, and essential apps, so you can plug your USB drive into any PC and boot quickly into a familiar Windows experience. The leaked demos look surprisingly good, and we’d be surprised if this feature doesn’t make it into the final product.
Probability: 70%
History Vault
Image Credit: WinRumors
While Windows XP SP2 introduced a useful file-versioning feature called Shadow Copy, relatively few end users ever realized this feature existed. Even now, in Windows 7, it remains obscure and mostly inaccessible to ordinary users. A leaked Windows 8 feature called History Vault appears poised to bring Shadow Copy into the light of day.
Early screenshots of History Vault look eerily similar to Apple’s Time Machine feature in OS X. We’re not knocking the knock-off. If History Vault’s timed, incremental backups of changed files prove half as usable as Time Machine, it might finally make backup a part of everyday life for users in the real world.
Probability: 70%
WinFS
Since 2003, Microsoft has been working on a new Windows file system capable of detecting and using relationships between various chunks of data on a PC. WinFS (the “FS” stands for Future Storage) incorporates features of SQL relational database servers to intelligently find connections between files and surface them to applications. A common example of this might be a version of Windows Explorer capable of automatically discovering photos of a specific person and displaying them in chronological order.
WinFS was expected to launch as part of Windows Vista in 2006, but never made the final cut due to technical difficulties. Microsoft has made no announcements about the filesystem’s chances of appearing in Windows 8, and we’ve yet to see credible evidence that it’s coming. If WinFS does actually surface in the next Windows, we’ll be surprised and delighted.
Probability: 20%
More like this
31
Comments
Comments are closed on this article
polland
January 10, 2012 at 7:48am
understand.. although my pain is not quite as yours.. i understand how i need to be strong and remind myself how lucky i still am compared to othersOnline Business Listings
caterin
January 04, 2012 at 11:54pm
To help users manage disk space, Microsoft appears to have revamped the Disk Cleanup utility for Windows 8.Phlebotomy Training
pyrilampes
May 25, 2011 at 8:39am
So, Basically,
Now Windows 8 has taken the cue from the third party apps that supported its functionality and put them into Windows, added another proprietary disc format. Added another "are you sure you own this software," fixed some problems, matched features of existing operating systems, promises you have to buy new software again and wants you to pay for it?
By the way iso burning has been an option you could install in XP. lookup dvdburn.exe and cdburn.exe I am not sure, but cdburn.exe was also available in windows98...
Caboose
May 25, 2011 at 9:00am
proprietary disc format? You mean WinFS? That'd be a file system. Disc Format would be more along the lines of Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, CD, SACD, etc. and I'd be very surprised if WinFS actually sees the light of day in Win8.
ISO Burning though is built in to the OS and isn't a 3rd party add-on. That's like saying that DVD movie playback has always been an option since Win98 (when using $app)
pyrilampes
May 25, 2011 at 11:07am
Still Propriety and probably not compatible with other systems out of the gate.
Actually there are two ways to say it... Mine is just better.
Disc format could be a file system, or it could be a string(not very usefull)
Just to let you know, once you put partitions on a disc, you have to "Format" the Disc. Hence a disc format.
listing the other formats of discs is educational as well as way off the point.
ISO Burning was not a third party add-on, but a Microsoft supplied tool for the OS that was not released for unspecified reasons. And Playing a video codec has nothing to do with writing files to a disc but playing the files stored on the disc.
cprtnic
March 11, 2012 at 8:13pm
No sir. WinFS would definitely be a file system for a DISK, not a Disc. Disc format is DVD, CD, Blu-Ray, etc.
NeroCafe
May 23, 2011 at 2:26pm
NOOOO! Not MORE of this Genuine Advantage crap! it has sneaked into my system twice, and said that I don't have a legal compy of Windows, which I DO, and I then have to remove it. It's so ANNOYING!!!
Caboose
May 24, 2011 at 8:52am
Have you contacted Microsoft? If you are using a legit copy, contact Microsoft and get it cleared up. Its not rocket surgery! Instead of bitching and complaining about it, actually do something to get it resolved!
Yeesh!
tylerjgarland
May 21, 2011 at 5:32pm
I still find it funny for the facial recognition login feature. Now I can hold a photo of someone I dislike, login to their system and wreak havok.
frizzly
July 25, 2011 at 10:05pm
with touch screens becomeing more common, I would rather see finger print analysis for logins
tonymus
May 21, 2011 at 8:26am
Good article, thanks for the heads up!
As a business user, I think the Modern Reader might save me from buying Adobe Acrobat Standard for my computers (yes, I know it probably won't write files, but Reader has enough issues, including security ones, for me to want to use Standard). The full system restore might be interesting, also.
But, if Microsoft wants to make Windows exciting again, they really need to take a look at their software. Their home user software is lacking the "juice" of Apple's offerings. They need to get out more games (Flight would be a good start), make iLife-style programs available from their app store, and come up with new uses for their computers so users don't become bored with them and move onto slates or phones (iOS, especially). And, why does Microsoft consistently let itself get out-marketed by Apple?
A new OS is nice but, from a user's standpoint, it doesn't DO anything...
Caboose
May 24, 2011 at 8:54am
So you'd rather spend a few hundred dollars on Acrobat Standard instead of using one of the other multitude of free PDF readers out there?
Remind me to never take financial advise from you ever!
steve771
May 20, 2011 at 8:03pm
Here's another thing to know (like you didn't?). It's another M$ money grab!
Hey, M$ operating systems are like Star Trek movies... only every other one is worth anything.
Caboose
May 24, 2011 at 8:45am
Really? You're spelling Microsoft with a dollar sign? Did the supposed Rapture take us back to 2001 or something?
tonychow70
May 20, 2011 at 12:06am
There is one thing I really want Windows 8 include: total uninstall.
In most time, when we uninstall some app from Windows, there were lots of leftover folders, files, registry keys, sometime devices and drivers. Even Revo can't 100% make them clean. So I want Microsoft can add a feature maybe call: Installation monitor, that can monitor all the apps installation, and when I don't want use them anymore, this monitor can notified me after uninstall, which leftover files and registry keys or the other thing belong to this app and I can safely remove them.
Kaze
May 19, 2011 at 4:45pm
What I want in Windows 8 is:
1) Native Multiple Desktops like Mac OS and Gnome/KDE/LXFE etc have had for years.
2) A better user account management system, meanining that the administrator can totally control who sees what and when. It should be easy to determine what goes into the default user profile on which all limited users are built, plus it should be easy to *hide* drives or folders that the limited user should not have access to (should not even see that they exist, let alone interact with them in any way.
3) Easier skinning of the entire OS. Adding stuff like logonscreen customization, wallpaper customization per desktop, placement of start bar per desktop etc. should all be elegantly and natively implemented.
4) Move the Users folder painlessly. I don't want my users folder on my SSD, I want it on my 4TB Raid10 partition. This should be easily done with no need for any simlinks and whatever. My SSD should remain for programs and programs only, and I should be able to do this without any hassle, and specially without having to specify each and every folder manually which is both idiotic and, more importantly, time consuming.
That's it really. I don't want nor need any of the other crap.
aarcane
May 19, 2011 at 1:24pm
Hey, they're finally figured out that we want to be able to change our product key sometimes. you know, like when we accidentally use our dumb brother's generated key instead of our legit key, both of which are stored on the network in a file called "keys.txt" in different folders. yeah, that's why we want to change keys.
What I really want is per-user licensing, as well as per-system licensing. I want to be able to buy a copy, and use it on any system I own, so long as it's for my own use. Household systems shared by many users, should still get the per-system licensing. I'd also like an account through microsoft that I can sign in to to activate my windows 8 on my new system automatically. That'd be nice. Or at least some good family-friendly volume licensing. our house has ten people in it, and just as many computers all of which need windows and office, many of which are running xp or vista, because volume licensing is too expensive.
frizzly
July 25, 2011 at 10:18pm
how about getting some flash drives and setting up multiple virtual enviroments then booting each computer with a flash drive. then all you have to do in instal and save your programes and files on the computers HD. now you have multiple installs from one copy. by definition this would be within the EULA becouse you only installed it once and used the software in its intended fasion. 8-)
TommM
May 19, 2011 at 11:25am
With the exception of the System Reset option, I don't see a thing here that I need to have or even want. Especially the damn ribbon menu system which I detest as well as most of my tech friends do too. Unless some other unbelievable, must-have addition comes through, looks like I'll be hanging on to Win7 for a long, long time.
Forte125
May 19, 2011 at 11:23am
I wouldn't put money on integrated cloud storage. Microsoft sells so many licensces of Windows that the amound of data they would need to provide is massive. Hopefully they will include some new API's that allow third parties like Dropbox to provide more integrated cloud syncing.
CPPCrispy
May 19, 2011 at 10:45am
What I would want in Windows 8 is the ability for Windows to read and write to other file systems such as ext3.
ThomFrost
May 19, 2011 at 10:17am
i dont know from what i have seen and heard from here and other places not sure i will switch to win8 when it comes out. this may change when it comes out and i can play with it a bit at the store.
i still say that microsoft is being stupid by putting all this stuff in windows. a os is suppose to get you to what you want to do and then get out of the way. more and more microsoft seems to want to involve its os in every part of everything i do. microsoft has this stupid me too thing going. they look at osx and linux and see all the extras included and say me too. osx and linux has to put this stuf in so people will see the value of installing the os. all this junk that microsoft puts in windows is just more vulnerability that hackers and viruses can exploit, and more code that has to be maintained.
all this bloat is why microsoft got caught with their paints down with netbook and now tablets. if windows wasn't so bloated they could had with a few changes port it over to the new tablet systems.
let apple pretty up their os and put all the junk on it just let me do what i want to do and just get out of my way.
Caboose
May 19, 2011 at 2:28pm
The thing is though, Apple includes features x, y and z but Microsoft doesn't. Then when it comes time for someone to buy a computer and they compare the two, and see that OSX has features x, y and z and Windows doesn't, and said user would use those features, that could be a deal breaker for some. This way though, you have to install less stuff to be able to do what you want. I'd rather not have to install a PDF reader, or Virtual CloneDrive. I'm happy that I don't need a large disc writing app anymore w/Win7 and use ImgBurn for 80% of my disc writing (15% is the windows utility and the last 5% is Nero 9).
Connect with MaximumPC
Featured Content
The gang discusses the GTX 690, Trinity, Ivy Bridge, Amazon, big-box stores, MMOs,...
This month's issue
Feature
Build a PC On Any Budget
Feature
Cloud Services Showdown
How-To
Encrypt Your External Drive
Build It
Upgrade an X58 Rig
Most Commented Articles
Latest Max PC Tweets
- maximumpc: Want to work at Maximum PC? Our Online Managing Editor, Alex, is moving away, so we need a new one. http://t.co/9Z7JCh0E1 day 4 hours ago
- maximumpc: Fraps 3.5.2 fixes lots of bugs, so if your motto, like @PCGamer's, is "always be frapsing," you should pick it up http://t.co/3DW3WUI01 day 7 hours ago
- maximumpc: Google Chrome Becomes World's Most-Used Web Browser, Kinda http://t.co/Xqgscmrp2 days 1 hour ago
