I have tested Windows 8 now for about 1 1/2 year - and recently upgraded all my machines to it (4 stations).
I have the flight sim software running as well and did some basic testing of it all - including the basic workflows in all the tools mentioned below (lacking GMax though):
* ADE - latest Beta (for the test - among other things I did an airport sketch in ADE working on a background image retrieved using FS aircraft positioning as a reference for retrieving and compiling Google maps tiles in SBuilderX. After that, I compiled the airport and deployed it to FSX).
* SDE tools ...
* SBuilderX - lastest release
* Tools from scenerydesign.org - latest release
* FSUIPC - latest release
* FSRecorder
* Fraps (it worked, allthough may be I had to do something special about it ... don't remember)
* Photoshop CS8
* FSX SP2
- temporarily with UIAutomationCore.dll (got rid of that with Windows 7 x64 - just forgot how, but have the note somewhere ...)
- with the Matrox GXM TH2GO on Windows 8, I have an issue running full screen in FSX. Can only do Windowed Mode - but pretty sure I can fix that. I do use an extra display for gauges in some cases for testing, so many times I am using Windowed mode anyway. But that can be something with my software configuration I need to research and fix.
* Prepar3D 1.4
* ESP 1.0
* I also run addons like MyTraffic, Rex Essentials Plus, UTX Europe and so on.
* Thrustmaster software for controls works as well.
So in general no problems with any ...
* Performance: Regarding performance I am going to test the paging using performance monitor and I will also test without the GXM (have 2 GFX and 4 outputs - so that will just work, allthough disabling SLI ... I am trying to maximize the use of the Workstation here beyond FSX gaming ... Windows Runtime apps will benefit from the more independent displays since they run immersive (full screen).
* 3D: Will be testing Gmax and may be Autodesk soon
* App dev: Probably testing the SDK during this spring, i.e. Simconnect.
BTW Reducing storage cost and time complexity in maintaining both P3D and FSX:
The dedupe component has initially been reserved for Windows Server 2012. But during the Windows 8 testing I also got a bit taken up with the idea of dedupe where it may matter and bring value. Especially because I have also started with SSD buying a new laptop in March 2012 - and planing to use SSD's on the flight sim Workstation. SSD's are getting cheaper - but the capacity is still low.
So to simulate the cost effect and value of dedupe, I have used NTFS junctions or symbolic links - and the equality of P3D, FSX and ESP. Those are basicly the same thing - but different releases on the lifecycle with P3D 1.4 being the latest. ESP is a license variant spining off P3D - with P3D now coming into the FSX domain (kind of the opposite story behind the need for ESP licensing). I have initially intersected the Addon Scenery and SimObjects file hierarchies of P3D, FSX (and ESP) to reduce the storage cost and time complexity of installing addons and doing software configuration. I don't really use ESP, but have it there for an older project. But the basic problem seem to be now, that P3D is really the next release of MS FS. So people are currently maintaining 2 installations. MS still has a stake in P3D with Lockheed - however its all about the aviation industry ... and now probably consumers (the legacy) too. Anyway, the linking in the stuff makes it simpler to work with across two releases like P3D and FSX - and Works, because the releases are in different file hierarchies. It also sustains the real fact, that P3D is in fact the next release of FS - with Microsoft behind it as well licensing to Lockheed who has aimed to penetrate the training market in aviation. When i.e. most avsim users realize that, they can start scrapping FSX.
The effect I got across the three deployed instances of FS was a storage reduction around 66%.
But the real deal is a really major time reduction in deploying addons. Because of the inplace deployment, redeployment of 2 digit GB's of addons takes only 10 seconds to 3 instances of FS on HDDs ... because of the file system linking.
The software configuration is not that dynamic yet, however repeating this work you will discover that the titles in the aircraft.cfg's in most cases does not reflect correctly across the UIs for inspecting simobjects in both FSX and P3D. Basicly because that data has not received the proper treatment during construction work. Anyway, in this case the benefit is also low maintenance cost for aircraft, since you will have full reflection in any instance of FS (if you fix and standardize the naming) - while you will only have 1 instance of that particular aircraft object. It just makes it easier to use in this particular situation with still both FSX and P3D around. A particular useful type declaration is to base the role on aircraft range. I.e for instance local, regional and international. I.e. a regional aircraft like the Bombardier CRJs will typically never ditch from 20.000ft - they can always reach an airport, since non-transoceran, i.e. not an international flight. Basic use case.
BTW+ Benefiting from the virtualization of pins in the Start Screen on a dedicated workstation for Flight Sim:
I use the same roaming profile from a Windows Server System across my machines. So at the workstation for flight simulation I get to use the virtualization in the "new desktop" or Start Screen of Windows 8. That practically means - beyond apps generally deployed across all machines - I only see tiles and groups for flight simulation. One of the great new Things in the Start Screen.
Since the Start Screen is a web service (and not a local ressource) you can connect and authorize with the machines you own (so they can update the data), you don't need to use roaming profiles as I ... to achieve the virtualization.
Simply install only the flight sim programs you need on that dedicated PC + uninstall any programs you will typically not use on a daily or weekly basis on that PC. And that will not affect the actual Start Screen appearing on another of your PC's ... great stuff if you're kind of using the same user profile and user data workspace.
BTW++ Regarding the usability of the Matrox GXM beyond gaming after Windows 8 have come around:
The only anoying problem still around is with the Matrox GXM TH2GO. It only seem to support stretching. However, with the new Windows Runtime environment and new multi display support, you would want to run the displays independently to move the WinRT apps around. It's not an issue directly related to FS though. however the multi display support received Development under the hood in Windows 8 - so thinking of disabling the GXM to test FSX and P3D performance in Windowed mode with 4 independent displays using the may be renew expansion in Windows 8.
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