Do WIN 7 or 8 upgrade current OS or replace?

[715]

I have nothing to add except a rant.  We bought a new laptop for my wife last Christmas for editing videos and, dreading dealing with its only available operating system, Windows 8, we didn't even unpack it until the day before yesterday.  After playing with Windows 8 (and now 8.1) for a couple of days I can safely say that I am glad that there isn't one of those big shredders that tree surgeons use accessible because I would have throw this Win8 laptop into it.  I despise Windows 8 (and 8.1).  I despise the way it is supposed to work and I've already run into many problems and bugs where it doesn't work.  For example, I was in Metro and did something that forced the Desktop up.  There was an obvious dialog window with a white box asking for input.  The rest of the window?  Completely black.  No text, no icons, just blackness.  The window didn't even have a title.  The "Start" screen (Metro) has all kinds of automatically updating tiles for things we have considerably less that zero interest in, like Sports.  The stupid laptop even comes with EA Origin and Wildtangent games preinstalled (although that is probably Toshiba's fault, not Microsoft).  I managed to setup up a local account for my wife without having to create a Microsoft online account, but then Skydrive failed even though I never accessed it nor would want to.  My wife likes to play Spider Solitaire (hey it's no more stupid that flying cartoon planes around).  Spider solitaire has been available with Windows since Win98.  Not in Windows 8.  You have to download an "app" from Microsoft's App store and this app forces you to look at advertisements while you play solitaire.  Isn't that what I really want from an operating system?  Constant advertisements?  Then there's Media Center: was included with Windows 7; costs $99 extra with Windows 8.

My desktop runs on XP and will need to be upgraded before XP support ends next April.  I definitely see Linux in my future except then I would lose programs I use like Visual Basic, Mathcad, and, I suspect, Aces High.

[Chalenge]

LOL so you don't understand the way the app store works and the requirements it places for the EULA. Fine. Just as in Apples app store they have the possibility to remove malicious applications after the release date if the app contains a hidden malware or the author updates it in a malicious way.

What exactly is the 'scary' scenario for you with the 'kill switch' and what do you think MS would gain from erasing your pr0n? You can always dual boot to linux if MS scares you.

You really should spend some more time learning the English language. How you arrived at this conclusion is beyond reason.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

You really should spend some more time learning the English language. How you arrived at this conclusion is beyond reason.

How YOU arrived to the opposite conclusion is beyond reason. Why would MS care about your apps when it has a billion other users? The kill switch is for app store applications which MS needs to control. Simple as that.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

no what I asked is how they can fit windows 8 in a tablet.


semp

Easy since all surface pros come with Windows 8 installed.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

I have nothing to add except a rant.  We bought a new laptop for my wife last Christmas for editing videos and, dreading dealing with its only available operating system, Windows 8, we didn't even unpack it until the day before yesterday.  After playing with Windows 8 (and now 8.1) for a couple of days I can safely say that I am glad that there isn't one of those big shredders that tree surgeons use accessible because I would have throw this Win8 laptop into it.  I despise Windows 8 (and 8.1).  I despise the way it is supposed to work and I've already run into many problems and bugs where it doesn't work.  For example, I was in Metro and did something that forced the Desktop up.  There was an obvious dialog window with a white box asking for input.  The rest of the window?  Completely black.  No text, no icons, just blackness.  The window didn't even have a title.  The "Start" screen (Metro) has all kinds of automatically updating tiles for things we have considerably less that zero interest in, like Sports.  The stupid laptop even comes with EA Origin and Wildtangent games preinstalled (although that is probably Toshiba's fault, not Microsoft).  I managed to setup up a local account for my wife without having to create a Microsoft online account, but then Skydrive failed even though I never accessed it nor would want to.  My wife likes to play Spider Solitaire (hey it's no more stupid that flying cartoon planes around).  Spider solitaire has been available with Windows since Win98.  Not in Windows 8.  You have to download an "app" from Microsoft's App store and this app forces you to look at advertisements while you play solitaire.  Isn't that what I really want from an operating system?  Constant advertisements?  Then there's Media Center: was included with Windows 7; costs $99 extra with Windows 8.

My desktop runs on XP and will need to be upgraded before XP support ends next April.  I definitely see Linux in my future except then I would lose programs I use like Visual Basic, Mathcad, and, I suspect, Aces High.

There are very easy fixes for your problems:

1) Install classic shell
2) Stop using the lame metro apps they're buggy and suck
3) Download a free solitaire from the gazillion options on the internet: Google or for example http://solitaire.vegard2.no/
4) Forget media center, download VLC or any other of the gazillion alternatives.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

I do not want the responsibility, for the potential nightmares people could create if they made one error in what I would say to do.  Every Windows computer is different and has a different set of requirements.  What works for me may work for most people, but if one person got burned by a recommendation I made, then I would incur that liability.  I chose not to have to deal with that.

If I can figure it out, then anyone else can also figure it out.

OK fair enough. So what are the technical reasons why you think Windows 8 couldn't be made as fast or faster than Windows 7 since they're largely the same operating system?

[guncrasher]

There are very easy fixes for your problems:

1) Install classic shell
2) Stop using the lame metro apps they're buggy and suck
3) Download a free solitaire from the gazillion options on the internet: Google or for example http://solitaire.vegard2.no/
4) Forget media center, download VLC or any other of the gazillion alternatives.

or install win7 and you wont have to deal with any of the problems.  why buy win8 and spend time and effort to fix it to make it look like win7?   benchmarks or no benchmarks the average user wont see any improvement with win8 over win7.

mrripley the problem isnt that we dont want to get out of "our comfort zone" as you have put it many times.  the problem is that win8 sucks big time.  and we shouldnt have to spend time to fix it, that should be microsoft's job.


semp

[MrRiplEy[H]]

or install win7 and you wont have to deal with any of the problems.  why buy win8 and spend time and effort to fix it to make it look like win7?   benchmarks or no benchmarks the average user wont see any improvement with win8 over win7.

mrripley the problem isnt that we dont want to get out of "our comfort zone" as you have put it many times.  the problem is that win8 sucks big time.  and we shouldnt have to spend time to fix it, that should be microsoft's job.


semp

Nah, Win8 doesn't suck at all. It's a great OS. What does suck is the new user interface and the metro apps. But those can be bypassed very easily, in fact it takes about 2 minutes to install classic shell. If that's too much then I don't know what to say anymore.

[guncrasher]

Nah, Win8 doesn't suck at all. It's a great OS. What does suck is the new user interface and the metro apps. But those can be bypassed very easily, in fact it takes about 2 minutes to install classic shell. If that's too much then I don't know what to say anymore.

like saying, "naw that car doesnt suck, what sucks is the the body and the transmission."



semp

[MrRiplEy[H]]

like saying, "naw that car doesnt suck, what sucks is the the body and the transmission."



semp

If the body and transmission were 0 dollar cost 2 minute replacement job, yes.

[guncrasher]

If the body and transmission were 0 dollar cost 2 minute replacement job, yes.

true but how long did it take you to learn how to do the replacement?  or you gonna tell me that you instantly knew about classic shell when you installed win8?  or did you spent some time researching?

so the two minutes is actually perhaps an hour or two?



semp

[2bighorn]

Heil Win 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MrRiplEy[H]]

true but how long did it take you to learn how to do the replacement?  or you gonna tell me that you instantly knew about classic shell when you installed win8?  or did you spent some time researching?

so the two minutes is actually perhaps an hour or two?



semp

Yes I read about classic shell a few years before Win8 was released. And when it was released, all internet forums were full of advices on how to disable the metro start screen using it. After classic shell a dozen of other alternatives appeared, most costing a few bucks to deliver much the same thing.

Anyone who asks or bothers to find out, will find the info they need. It's not 1980 anymore where the most information you got from computers was going to watch Matthew Broderick plug in his ancient modem in wargames lol.

[guncrasher]

Yes I read about classic shell a few years before Win8 was released. And when it was released, all internet forums were full of advices on how to disable the metro start screen using it. After classic shell a dozen of other alternatives appeared, most costing a few bucks to deliver much the same thing.

Anyone who asks or bothers to find out, will find the info they need. It's not 1980 anymore where the most information you got from computers was going to watch Matthew Broderick plug in his ancient modem in wargames lol.

in other words it doesnt really take 2 minutes to fix win8.  but it takes perhaps hours of research to fix win8 to make it look like win7.   that is if you really know what you are looking for.   

so tell us again why buy win8 and spend some time in research to make it look like win7, when you can just buy win7?


semp

[MrRiplEy[H]]

in other words it doesnt really take 2 minutes to fix win8.  but it takes perhaps hours of research to fix win8 to make it look like win7.   that is if you really know what you are looking for.  

so tell us again why buy win8 and spend some time in research to make it look like win7, when you can just buy win7?


semp

NO all it took for anyone using AH was to write 2 lines of text to this forum and BAM there, they had the solution they needed. The same task could be achieved in mere seconds by using Google.

I'm not telling anyone not to get Win7 unless they happen to play BF4. But if someone got a copy of 8 with their new computer, it would be dumb (IMO) to spend extra money towards 7.