On Tuesday, Microsoft gave developers and journalists a chance to tinker with a developer preview of Windows 8, the latest overhaul of the OS that merges tablet, desktop, and mobile application development.
We've read what the press thinks (click here for PCMag's hands-on with Windows 8 Developers Preview, and more in the slideshow below), but more importantly, how about you developers out there? PCMag wants to hear from you—scroll down to vote in our poll below.
Do you like the touch-centric "Metro-style" design? Or the convenience of "functional extensions" that allow you to quickly snap, scale, and add pre-built functions? Will you embrace the ability to create "active" Live Tiles? Are you having to shell out for a tablet or ultrabook just to test out your future Windows 8 applications?
Michael Muchmore, lead analyst for software and is reporting for PCMag at Microsoft BUILD in Anaheim, Ca., said developer sentiment at the event was generally positive. He spoke to some of the developers attending the show.
"I think Windows 8 is showing a lot of promise in terms of tablet computing and I think it will be a great opportunity for us developers to launch new applications that could reach a big audience," said Douglas Isaksson, a developer at Stockholm-based X5 Music Group. "As a developer, it's awesome that I can do my development on the same machine as the application is for. I think it will have a good chance against the iPad. Windows has a huge installed base. From what I've seen I love the UI and I think customers will as well."
"I thought it looked great, and I was at the development release of Windows 2000," added Jean Johnson, a developer at Sensitech Inc. Johnsaid added that there was "no question" Windows 8 will succeed as an all-in-one tablet and desktop operating system. "There's no differentiation between the two [tablet and desktops] except for the size of the devices. They seem to have done a lot of work on the back end to optimize the performance."
Meanwhile, some reactions on Internet forums are expectantly more cynical, sometimes downright disdainful, of Microsoft's hybrization. But is this anything more than a reflection of the generational shifts between young and old, desktop and mobile developers?
"I realize that the developer preview is not the final build. We might see things that are still under development. But, as of this point the Metro UI is merely a nice 'gadget'. Power users are not going to use or love it in it's current state,. —developer at the Official Windows Developers' Forum.
"People familiar with app programming for Android/IOS will feel at home with XAML layouts for GUI." —@LtSquiggs, a CS major and student programmer, on Twitter.
"This OS is 80% mobile 20% desktop. Highly doubtful this will ever be a viable day to day desktop solution—and that will mean a lot of pissed off and lost users." —from a member of Eight Forums.
"The Metro start menu adds gestures and extra keystrokes to get to anything, even shutting down. It won't work as a paradigm on a desktop in the workplace." —another Eight Forums member.
"Unless you are that ingrained over the XP/Vista/7 desktop-centric way of doing things, the Developer Preview is quite usable as a main OS—on darn near anyhardware that can run XP or later." —user at Neowin.
"Those browser tabs are FRIGGIN HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" —user at Neowin.
"Not sure about the metro-fication of Windows 8. roping devs into a consistent UI is a godsend, but big flat colours aren't my thing" —developer @joshsharp, on Twitter.
For more, see PCMag's hands on with the developer preview and the Samsung testing PC and the slideshow below. Also check out our unboxing of the preview PC and Microsoft: Xbox Live Coming to Windows 8.
Are you a developer's who'd explored Windows 8? Vote now: