Windows 8 consumer preview

[tzmueller]

Has anyone installed Windows 8 on their W series thinkpad? I installed it yesterday on my W510: model is 4319-2RU.

Everything worked after installing. I did need to download the graphics driver for Windows 8 off Nvidia which installed no problem.

The touch screen works really well with Windows 8. Haven't seen any issues yet. Windows 8 seems very snappy (as it should on this machine).

specs:

multitouch screen
Quadro FX880m
120 GB SSD
8GB ram
Fingerprint reader
Core i7 820qm

This is my test machine so I am going to try it out for a while and see what tools work and don't work. I will leave Windows 7 on my W520 main thinkpad.

I am going to see if ThinkVantage System Update actually will work on Windows 8.

Edit*

Needed to install the .net v3 from the control panel. System Update goes through the install but then says unsupported operating system.
Wonder when Lenovo is going to update System Update.

[Neil]

I've been using the Developers Preview for a little while now, and get the same unsupported OS deal with System Update. I figure Lenovo will catch up sometime after the public release of Win8 as I don't see any reason to earlier.

BTW, I have Metro disabled on my setup, but I've read that the Windows 7 style desktop is not available in the Consumer Preview, is that right?

[davidhbrown]

Win8 CP does have the regular windows desktop; I've been using it in a virtual machine to test IE 10. My W520 doesn't have a touchscreen anyway... but I've got a google news alert looking for mention of the Yoga so I can order one of those as a "spare" computer

[tzmueller]

The desktop is there but the Start menu is long gone.

I am kind of liking Windows 8 with the W510 touchscreen. Although (as I am sys admin) I will wait to see how many apps work with the metro desktop.

I have Windows 8 running in Vmware as well and you just don't get the real feel of it when its virtualized. IMO you need to use it on a actual desktop/laptop with a touch screen.

[mgo]

Yep...Windows 8 running now on my W500 with a SSD. Faster than Windows 7 when run on the same SSD! Some confusion with new menu commands, but I'm gradually getting the hang of it. I discovered an old Vista ATI driver (7vd541ww.exe) that I use for the display port video output to my external monitor. Much experimenting there, until I learned that Net Framework 3.5 needed to be installed first, then the ATI driver. Now...happy digital external monitor!
On Screen Display and Ultra Nav work well, too.
And yes, Lenovo System Update will not run on Windows 8. (Gotta download and install things manually.)
By the way, I also installed Windows 8 on the W500 using and older Western Digital 5400 rpm drive. It is still pretty snappy, even with the mechanical drive.

[Alejandro Audisio]

Touchscreen....? Is this an option for all W series machines...????

[http302]

Touchscreen....? Is this an option for all W series machines...????

It was an option on W500 and I believe on the W510. Was never made available on the W520 (per tabook).