Building new desktop - Win7 or Win8 ??

J

John

I am leaning toward 7 because it will be a work station (no touch
screen) but what do you people think.

Opinions:




Thx,
John
 
W

Wolf K

I am leaning toward 7 because it will be a work station (no touch
screen) but what do you people think.

Opinions:




Thx,
John
Click to expand...

Basically, W8 is W7 with the Metro interface, but you can avoid that if
need be. IMO, for work, the "standard" desktop is better. Main
advantage: Open programs minimise to the taskbar, so you can open them
with a single click. The "apps" run full-screen. (If there is another
way to run them, I haven't found it yet.)

W8 offers the standard desktop via click-on-a-tile, but you can use
Classic Shell or similar to ensure you boot into the desktop. The "apps"
are available in a separate menu, if you really want them.

I'm testing the "apps" that come with W8. Started with Music. Works OK,
ie, you can navigate to a folder with your music and open one or more
items, or build a playlist, etc. Problem: there is neither window or
visible icon while Music runs. If you want to stop the playback, you
have to exit the app you're in, then invoke Music, which takes over the
screen, right click to get the controls, click to stop, then use Escape
to get back to whatever you were doing. Clumsy as hell IMO. I'll stick
with VLC and RealPlayer, much easier to control.

None of the built-in apps do anything I can't already do by other means,
and mostly better. Weather in particular is pathetic. I have no idea
what provider MS has contracted with to supply weather data, but I get a
much better forecast via CBC's weather page. Camera uses the webcam,
which makes taking photos of yourself easy.

There are pother apps available, but you need an MS account to get them.
Freeware is mostly games. Haven't looked at any of the payware. That's
it so far, will report occasionally as I learn more.
 
P

philo

Basically, W8 is W7 with the Metro interface, but you can avoid that if
need be. IMO, for work, the "standard" desktop is better. Main
advantage: Open programs minimise to the taskbar, so you can open them
with a single click. The "apps" run full-screen. (If there is another
way to run them, I haven't found it yet.)

W8 offers the standard desktop via click-on-a-tile, but you can use
Classic Shell or similar to ensure you boot into the desktop. The "apps"
are available in a separate menu, if you really want them.

I'm testing the "apps" that come with W8. Started with Music. Works OK,
ie, you can navigate to a folder with your music and open one or more
items, or build a playlist, etc. Problem: there is neither window or
visible icon while Music runs. If you want to stop the playback, you
have to exit the app you're in, then invoke Music, which takes over the
screen, right click to get the controls, click to stop, then use Escape
to get back to whatever you were doing. Clumsy as hell IMO. I'll stick
with VLC and RealPlayer, much easier to control.

None of the built-in apps do anything I can't already do by other means,
and mostly better. Weather in particular is pathetic. I have no idea
what provider MS has contracted with to supply weather data, but I get a
much better forecast via CBC's weather page. Camera uses the webcam,
which makes taking photos of yourself easy.

There are pother apps available, but you need an MS account to get them.
Freeware is mostly games. Haven't looked at any of the payware. That's
it so far, will report occasionally as I learn more.
Click to expand...


I agree, once Metro is turned off, Win8 is simply Win7 with slightly
better performance and more than likely less expensive.
 
B

Big Steel

K

Ken Blake

I agree, once Metro is turned off, Win8 is simply Win7 with slightly
better performance and more than likely less expensive.
Click to expand...


Not used, rather than "turned off." And especially if you add a
third-party program to bring back the Start Orb, like the free Classic
Start or, even better the very inexpensive ($4.99 US) Start8.

But basically I agree with both of you.
 
B

BillW50

... Clumsy as hell IMO. I'll stick
with VLC and RealPlayer, much easier to control.
Click to expand...

I thought RealPlayer was history and nobody supports it anymore? Plus I
found it super bloated like iTunes. I find VLC is ok for light duty
tasks, but when the going gets tough, they all except WMP falls flat on
their faces when the CPU gets bogged down. WMP seems to always find a
way to get enough CPU time to keep it from falling like so many others do.
None of the built-in apps do anything I can't already do by other means,
and mostly better. Weather in particular is pathetic. I have no idea
what provider MS has contracted with to supply weather data, but I get a
much better forecast via CBC's weather page. Camera uses the webcam,
which makes taking photos of yourself easy.
Click to expand...

Wow! I like the Metro Weather App. It is nice and clean without the many
ads you see on webpages. I also like the Unit Conversion free App. I've
been looking for such a program as good as this since the 70's. I also
like the news like CNet and stuff in Metro Apps too.
There are pother apps available, but you need an MS account to get them.
Freeware is mostly games. Haven't looked at any of the payware. That's
it so far, will report occasionally as I learn more.
Click to expand...

Somebody said in this thread that you can't have more than one App on
the Metro screen at a time. Was that you? Anyway sure you can. You can
have two Metro Apps on the screen at one time (assuming you have enough
screen resolution). As you can snap an App either right or left. Too bad
the divider isn't adjustable though. :-(
 
W

Wolf K

I thought RealPlayer was history and nobody supports it anymore? Plus I
found it super bloated like iTunes. I find VLC is ok for light duty
tasks, but when the going gets tough, they all except WMP falls flat on
their faces when the CPU gets bogged down. WMP seems to always find a
way to get enough CPU time to keep it from falling like so many others do.
Click to expand...

I wonder if that's a CPU/GPU issue. With VLC, the old laptop chples on
HD-1080 movies, and stutters on HD-720, but is Ok with lower
resolutions. OTOH, this desktop and the new laptop have no problems with
either HD.
Wow! I like the Metro Weather App. It is nice and clean without the many
ads you see on webpages. I also like the Unit Conversion free App. I've
been looking for such a program as good as this since the 70's. I also
like the news like CNet and stuff in Metro Apps too.
Click to expand...

Well, I don't care about TV news on any platform. Too limited. Radio can
do two to three times as much in the same time, and print is even more
efficient. So those apps are irrelevant to me. I do like web versions of
some print media, though. Metro is neither an advantage or a
disadvantage for that.
Somebody said in this thread that you can't have more than one App on
the Metro screen at a time. Was that you
Yes.

Anyway sure you can. You can
have two Metro Apps on the screen at one time (assuming you have enough
screen resolution). As you can snap an App either right or left. Too bad
the divider isn't adjustable though. :-(
Click to expand...

IOW, Metro is severely limited. Thanks for confirming my growing
suspicions. ;-)

IMO, it's a no brainer that if you are running multiple programs there
should be a task bar or "dock" or whatever, so you can switch with a
single click.

So far, only the Camera app is a Nifty New Gadget from my POV.
 
B

BillW50

http://www.real.com/realplayer/search

You and "think" is an oxymoron.
Click to expand...

RealPlayer used to be virtually everywhere you looked. It often came
preinstalled on computers and RealPlayer format was used for anything
audio and video. Some things were *only* available in RealPlayer format
and nothing else. Thank goodness for Real Alternative back then, as you
could dump RealPlayer and all of its problems and flaws.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RealPlayer#Controversies

Then flash became the next big rage for audio and video. And sites were
suddenly dropping RealPlayer like a hot potato. And nowadays, it is
virtually non-existent. And I wouldn't be surprised to hear of some
today who never heard of RealPlayer before. Yet there was a time in
history that you couldn't go far without it being in your face all of
the time. :-(
 
F

FD

B

BillW50

I wonder if that's a CPU/GPU issue. With VLC, the old laptop chples on
HD-1080 movies, and stutters on HD-720, but is Ok with lower
resolutions. OTOH, this desktop and the new laptop have no problems with
either HD.
Click to expand...

If you ask me, I don't think it is a really a fault of VLC and other
players when they choke on limited powered machines. As I think
Microsoft is using undocumented calls to ensure WMP gets enough power to
not choke.

You could cause WMP to choke too by doing such things like to keep
underclocking until it chokes too. But at this point, other players
would long had been rendered useless.
Well, I don't care about TV news on any platform. Too limited. Radio can
do two to three times as much in the same time, and print is even more
efficient. So those apps are irrelevant to me. I do like web versions of
some print media, though. Metro is neither an advantage or a
disadvantage for that.
Click to expand...

Oh I wasn't think along the lines of TV or radio substitution. Although
I guess you could do this too under Metro. Although I don't program
Metro Apps and I don't really know how far they can be advanced to. As
right now Metro is in its infancy. So I am sure they are far from being
what they could be right now. And later, I believe they will only get
much better.
IOW, Metro is severely limited. Thanks for confirming my growing
suspicions. ;-)

IMO, it's a no brainer that if you are running multiple programs there
should be a task bar or "dock" or whatever, so you can switch with a
single click.

So far, only the Camera app is a Nifty New Gadget from my POV.
Click to expand...

Well right now you can have both or one or the other with Windows 8. And
I see this as a good thing. And yes, there are lots of advantages on the
desktop side. And I even use the desktop a lot too. But the Windows
desktop is very mature and Metro is in its infancy. So I think comparing
right now is a bit unfair. Just in a few months or even a couple of
years from now I am sure Metro would be much better. Would you (we)
change your (our) mind(s) by then? Maybe? ;-)
 
N

Nil

I agree, once Metro is turned off, Win8 is simply Win7 with
slightly better performance and more than likely less expensive.
Click to expand...

OK, that's the first reason I've seen that might encourage me to use
Windows 8 rather than 7: the price. Otherwise, I've found no other
advantage.
 
A

Ashton Crusher

I am leaning toward 7 because it will be a work station (no touch
screen) but what do you people think.

Opinions:




Thx,
John
Click to expand...


If it's for others to use and their use is of routine programs over
and over and you want to minimize support questions I'd go with 7. I'd
only use 8 if it was for myself and I wanted to start learning the ins
and outs of 8 just to keep up with the latest OS.
 
B

BillW50

OK, that's the first reason I've seen that might encourage me to use
Windows 8 rather than 7: the price. Otherwise, I've found no other
advantage.
Click to expand...

I don't see the big deal of turning anything off in Windows 8, even if
you never want to use Metro anything. First of all, I normally use
hibernation or Standby under Windows and under Windows 8, it turns on
straight to the desktop. No reason to see or believe Metro is there at all.

If you shutdown last time, Windows 8 boots so much faster than Windows 7
anyway thanks to hybrid boot (I think that is what it is called). Sure
it goes to the logon screen (or welcome screen or whatever you want to
call it). Mine it cruises past that since I have auto logon set. Then it
goes straight to the Start Screen.

Now you can wait or click on that big icon that looks like your desktop.
It doesn't matter, since you should wait anyway because all the the tray
crap is now loading anyway. So you have lots of time for one simple
click to make.

At any rate, all this happens so much faster than Windows 7, why bother
with Windows 7 at all? As all of the complaints is about whether we make
one simple click or not to enter desktop screen. And it isn't like you
have X amount of time to do so or not. Because it just isn't really
important when you actually click on the desktop icon anyway.

If you want to complain about something, complain about how Vista, 7,
and 8 requiring more clicks to do most things than XP did. ;-)
 
G

Gene E. Bloch

I was not extolling the virtues of Real Player. I don't have it on any
of my machines, nor would I recommend anyone using it. I was merely
pointing out that BillW50 was wrong again and the Real Player does
indeed still exist.
Click to expand...

It does indeed.
 
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