• How to Bring Back Windows 7 Start Button to Windows 8 Consumer Preview?

    // Gradly // blog, Download, Hack, How To, Metro, Microsoft, Tutorials No Responses

    How to Bring Back Windows 7 Start Button to Windows 8 Consumer Preview?

    How to Bring Back Windows 7 Start Button to Windows 8 Consumer Preview?

    Microsoft ditched the start button orb in their next iteration Windows operating system, Windows 8 Consumer Preview, that was released last week. For those who suffered from the great loss, fortunately, there is a solution to get back the traditional Windows 7 Start menu. Thanks for Gupta from Askvg fro providing this solution:

    • Download ViStart – this is a free tool to bring Windows 7 like start menu
    • The setup bundled with other tools so make sure to opt in/out the installation of such tools.
    • After installation, the Start orb and menu will return instantly.
    • But there is an issue, the start Orb will overlap with Taskbar button.
    • To fix this problem, you have to add a new blank toolbar in Taskbar.
      • First create a new folder anywhere. It might be on Desktop, in C: drive or in any other drive. We have created a folder “test” in C: drive in our example.
      • Now right-click on Taskbar and select “Toolbars -> New toolbar…” option.
      • It’ll open browse dialog box where you’ll need to select a folder. Select the new folder which you created in 3.a. step and click on “Select Folder” button.
      • It’ll immediately add the new folder toolbar in Taskbar. It’ll be added near system tray (notification area) as shown in following screenshot:
      • Right-click on Taskbar and uncheck “Lock the Taskbar” option. It’ll show a placeholder to drag the folder toolbar.
      • Now you need to drag-n-drop the new folder toolbar to the start of Taskbar. Simply click and hold on the folder toolbar handler, drag the handler to the start of Taskbar. It’ll put the new folder toolbar to the start of Taskbar and you’ll see a huge gap between folder toolbar and program buttons.
      • Now right-click on the empty area between folder toolbar and program buttons and uncheck both “Show Text” and “Show title” options.
      • Now you can drag-n-drop the program buttons handler near start Orb to remove the gap.
      • Lock the Taskbar again and now start Orb will no longer overlap program buttons and you’ll get a working start ORB and start menu in Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

  • Windows 8 Consumer Preview Now Available to Download

    // Gradly // blog, Download, Metro, Microsoft, News, Software No Responses

    Windows 8 Consumer Preview

    Windows 8 Consumer Preview

    Microsoft has published the highly anticipated Consumer Preview copy of Windows 8. Available as a public download, the Consumer Preview build includes access to Metro style applications and the over 100,000 changes Microsoft has made since the Windows 8 Developer Preview.

    The Consumer Preview is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Microsoft’s minimum requirements for the Consumer Preview are a 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of free storage space, and a DirectX 9-compatible graphics card — the exact same requirements as Windows 7.

    Find the links below or you can download it from here.

    English

    64-bit (x64) Download (3.3 GB) Sha 1 hash — 1288519C5035BCAC83CBFA23A33038CCF5522749
    32-bit (x86) Download (2.5 GB) Sha 1 hash — E91ED665B01A46F4344C36D9D88C8BF78E9A1B39
    Product Key: DNJXJ-7XBW8-2378T-X22TX-BKG7J

  • XBOX 720 Hardware Specs Revealed! 6 Times More Powerful

    // Gradly // blog, Consoles, Gadgets, Microsoft, Rumors, Sony, Xbox 360, Xbox One No Responses

    Xbox 720

    Xbox 720

    The chipset for the XBOX 360 successor, XBOX 720, was put into production earlier this year, and will be going into mass production by the end of 2012 according to a technology news report by Fudzilla.

    Recent speculation that the new main System on a Chip (SoC) for the Next Xbox (or Xbox 720, if you like) began production is apparently accurate; the SoC did indeed start production in late December of 2011. Sources tell us that the code name for the chip is Oban, and it is being produced by both IBM and Global Foundries for Microsoft.

    ATI 7 Series

    ATI 7 Series

    The report also goes on to add “the power behind the next Xbox will be a PowerPC CPU that is married to an ATI Southern Islands GPU, or modified 7000 series.”. This overall boost in power will make the 720 almost 6 times more powerful as it’s predecessor.

    The Xbox 720 will probably not be announced at this years E3. But the chances are, it will be in stores by Christmas 2013 onwards. Furthermore developer kits will be distributed later this year, so the public won’t be getting it anytime soon.

    The Wii U is still scheduled for release December 2012. However, will Microsoft attach a Blu Ray player onto the new console even if they have to pay royalties to Sony?

    [via nyleveia]