Windows 8 - is it any good?

[Schrödinger's Cat]

I've an 8 year old Evesham desktop box which I'm looking to replace. It only has 512MB of RAM but still just about manages to run Windows XP though I don't often log into XP since the machine dual boots with Xubuntu (a minimalist version of Ubuntu - current Ubuntus won't run on it) and I usually log into that. However, even Xubuntu grinds to a halt at times, much to my annoyance.

Microsoft support for XP ends next April so that's another good reason to replace it.

Most (if not all) desktop boxes for domestic use offer Windows 8 which I'm not particularly keen to spend money on - especially as no-one seems to like it and it's supposed to be difficult to dual boot Windows 8 and Linux.

I intend to carry on using my existing monitor so I won't be using the touch screen aspects of Windows 8.

So does anyone have anything good to say about Windows 8?

My alternative is to go for something like a Dell Vostro business desktop running Windows 7.

I run Windows 7 on one of the laptops and I'm pretty happy with it - but am I just being an old stick-in-the-mud? Any thoughts?

[zoomy]

Hi ther, I do not have any experience of Windows 8. I currently have Windows 7 so I do not know but would be interested to find out if it is any good. What computer will you buy and where from ?

I normally buy stuff from E-buyer but bought my last computer (a Zoostorm 16GB ram, I terabyte etc) from Amazon. Apart from their useless delivery service, they seemed OK.

[Bryn]

A very much needed free update to Windows 8 is due to be released in couple of months. I currently use a third party program which offers something like the Windows 7 interface. I find that I mainly use this Acer 5740 which had Windows 7 installed, rather than my faster HP Envy job which came with Windows 8. I also made the mistake of buying an extra Windows 8 upgrade kit with the intention of putting it on the former. I might eventually do so if the free update works out o.k. on the HP Envy. I still use an aging Acer t\ravelmate 4020 (running XP SP3) for some things, including audio DVD burning and for running several programs which fail to run under Windows 7. When XP support ends, I will simply keep it isolated from networks (including the Internet).

[Resurrection Man]

General consensus is that Windows 8 is not very good and that 7 is far better. You could always bite the bullet and go Mac.

[Bryn]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57599990-75/windows-8.1-is-ready-gets-released-to-manufacturers/

http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/24/4652054/microsoft-windows-8-1-rtm

[Frances_iom]

Windoze 8 has been panned by most - it looks as tho 8.1 will hit the release soon and appears to meet some of the criticisms.
However unless you like the Ubuntu and Win8 idea that touch screens are the way to go then I suggest getting a laptop (eg low end ACER) which will come with Win8, goto into BIOS and 'turn off' the UEFI in favour of the older BIOS (actually this really just switches the same Bios but removes the need for a signed loader which can stop easy installation of Linux) , easiest then to swop out the harddrive and put in a new one (they are cheap enough) and install MINT 15 (32 or 64 bit) - WINE will run most of the older Windows programs than ran under XP - the only problem with Linux is it appears difficult to arrange dual boot with Win8 tho apparently this is possible, with Win7 this was fairly easy as long as you first fixed Win7 to free up space then install Linux into the freed up space (you can get back about 50% of hd capacity) - trying to put Win7 onto a Linux system doesn't work as Windoze system assume they will be the only system

[johnb]

Although all bricks and mortar retail outlets such as PC World will only sell you PCs running Windows 8 it is fairly easy to buy PCs and laptops which are either running Windows 7 or Windows 7 installed through the downgrade rights of Windows 8 (these come with the Windows 8 DVD but are running Windows 7). Just do a search of, say, the Misco website.

If you are used to Windows XP it would be very easy to transfer to Windows 7 as much of the look and feel of the OS is very similar.

I will probably buy a new laptop in the next twelve months and I will almost certainly get one with Windows 7 installed through the downgrade rights of Windows 8.

[cheesehoven]

I have a friend who works in IT who warned me off Windows 8. I too was in the market for a new PC about 6 weeks ago, so I went for a refurbished model with windows 7 on his advice. I'm glad I did, after years of using XP, I found Windows 7 very intuitive and a good improvement.

[David-G]

I bought a Windows 8 Samsung laptop in January. It took me a lot of effort and about two weeks, but I finally managed to lick it into shape so that in most important respects it looks and feels like a Win7 machine. I now virtually never see the tablet-like features of the OS. Windows 8 does start up very fast, and awake from sleep very fast, and I benefit from that. Overall I am very pleased with it.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

imac 27" £1700

PC [small form] and monitor [24"HD] £550 [of the sh1t and shovel spec with Windows 8]
Software Office £100
32 LED TV £270
Terrestrial TV Hard Drive 1TB Box £190
CD Rip box 2TB storage £450
USB/DAC £140

Tot £1700

Try Mac .... no ta ....

[gurnemanz]

Another thread here

[Resurrection Man]

imac 27" £1700

PC [small form] and monitor [24"HD] £550 [of the sh1t and shovel spec with Windows 8]
Software Office £100
32 LED TV £270
Terrestrial TV Hard Drive 1TB Box £190
CD Rip box 2TB storage £450
USB/DAC £140

Tot £1700

Try Mac .... no ta ....

Viruses and Trojans FOC

[An_Inspector_Calls]

For what it's worth, when I upgraded an old XP machine I went for W7 Professional. Buying the Professional pack gives you not only the ability to back-up to a remote NAS (or any external storage for that matter), but also gives you a free option to Windows Virtual PC running XP. This means any application not supported by W7 but stable on XP can be run on the virtual machine. This works well for me.

As is usual with MicroSoft a lot of the upgrade features are really nothing but eye-candy. However, at least W7 does, at last, sort out file sharing across you local network; XP was a pain in that area.

I thought W8 was primarily aimed at tablets and the like, with a lot of development effort being put into working with touch-screens?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

viruses and thingiies ... just run a good utility

in a few months W8 will be fine ....the new release will be out and the different approach will feel less strange, I am purchasing on the recommendation of an IT savvy engineer concerning W8

[Schrödinger's Cat]

Thanks for all your comments and for the link to the previous thread discussing Windows 8.

I really don't want to go down the Windows 8 route since it seems to be a total miscalculation by M$ - one OS to fit all hardware and it certainly doesn't seem, to me, to fit a desktop set up. In addition there's the problem of getting dual boot Linux/Windows working under UEFI.

I'm pretty happy with Windows 7, although I log into Xubuntu just as frequently, so I'm planning to get a Windows 7 box to replace the current XP/Xubuntu one.