Upgrading to Windows8

[Karen F]

I now have Windows 7 on my desktop and laptop. Is it a good idea to
upgrade to windows 8. Just looking for some opinions on this. Thanks.

 

[philo]

I now have Windows 7 on my desktop and laptop. Is it a good idea to
upgrade to windows 8. Just looking for some opinions on this. Thanks.

I've tried the evaluation version of Win8 and it looks like it's mainly
designed for either tablet PC's or PC's with touch screen monitors.
If you do not have a touch screen monitor there is nothing about Win8
that seems to have any advantage over Win7...and it may possibly do no
more than add a lot of confusion.

I did find Win8 to be pretty good on resources though

 

[Bob Hatch]

I now have Windows 7 on my desktop and laptop. Is it a good idea to
upgrade to windows 8. Just looking for some opinions on this. Thanks.

OK, my opinion. No. Not yet and maybe not until Windows 9.


--
I do not carry a gun hoping that
I'll be able to shoot someone, anymore than
I carry a jack hoping I'll have a flat
tire.
Me.

 

[Jason]

OK, my opinion. No. Not yet and maybe not until Windows 9.

....or at least until Win 8 SP1...

 

[Peter Jason]

...or at least until Win 8 SP1...

I made the mistake of blowing $50 on Nero12
because it is for the explosion of new platforms
for mobile devices. And I don't need these.

Maybe Win8 has been rushed out for the same
reason.

 

[Paul]

I now have Windows 7 on my desktop and laptop. Is it a good idea to
upgrade to windows 8. Just looking for some opinions on this. Thanks.

The only reason to acquire Windows 8, is if you plan on
helping others deal with Windows 8.

This link is apparently to an Upgrade Assistant. It can check
the computer and installed software, and tell you whether
Windows 8 is for you or not. (5.2MB)

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?linkid=259439

If your computer didn't support NX (No Execute) in hardware,
you might be denied an installation. Also, the graphics on the
computer have to be good enough, to run what little special
effects exist. My FX5200 card doesn't have a Win8 driver,
so I can't use that (there's an image, but it is blurry).
That tool can at least tell you whether there is a drop-dead
issue as to why Windows 8 will not run.

Paul

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I now have Windows 7 on my desktop and laptop. Is it a good idea to
upgrade to windows 8. Just looking for some opinions on this. Thanks.

It was the best of ideas, it was the worst of ideas.

 

[dweebken]

I now have Windows 7 on my desktop and laptop. Is it a good idea to
upgrade to windows 8. Just looking for some opinions on this. Thanks.

Well,

my wifi printer/scanner now only half works (it'll print a page and a
half then die in the bum), and the scanner only works through the USB
cable (not over Wifi like it used to in Win 7)

My Logitech universal remote won't communicate to the PC. Logitech says
this is known to them and they're working on it.

It took me ages to work out how to use the start menu and
add/remove/cofigure it. Takes quite a mind shift, and makes you move the
mouse lots more then I ever had to do before.

My Toshiba Fingerprint scanner sort of works with the Toshiba driver but
has strange artifacts on the pre-login screen.

Had to update heaps of programs to newer versions, some free some for a
fee. Zoner Photo Studio won't upload to Facebook now (used to be fine
under Win 7) but otherwise seems okay.

My Seagate home backup drive - the seagate desktop doesn't work, but I
was able to manually confrigure the attachments to the LAN disks anyway.

Haven't tried my VHS capture ports yet.

YMMV, but expect a big learning curve and expect some things won't be
the same as before, and expect some things just won't work.

If this scares you, then don't do it. It's not for the faint-hearted.

Cheers

 

[Chris S.]

It was the best of ideas, it was the worst of ideas.

But...Tis a far, far better thing I do, than I have ever done before.
Chris

 

[Steve Hayes]

I now have Windows 7 on my desktop and laptop. Is it a good idea to
upgrade to windows 8. Just looking for some opinions on this. Thanks.

Let other people be the guinea pigs, and wait at least until Service Pack 1
comes out.

 

[Ken Blake]

I now have Windows 7 on my desktop and laptop. Is it a good idea to
upgrade to windows 8. Just looking for some opinions on this. Thanks.

My view is that you're going about this backward. A change of
operating system should be driven by need, not just because there is a
new version available. Are you having a problem with Windows 7 that
you expect Windows 8 to solve? Do you have or expect to get new
hardware or software that will be supported in Windows 8, but not in
7? Is there some new feature in Windows 8 that you need or yearn for?
Does your job require you have skills in Windows 8? Are you a computer
hobbyist who enjoys playing with whatever is newest?

If the answer to one or more of those questions is yes (and your
hardware is adequate for Windows 8), then you should get Windows 8.
Otherwise most people should stick with what they have. There is
*always* a learning curve and a potential for problems when you take a
step as big as this one, regardless of how wonderful whatever you're
contemplating moving to is. Sooner or later you'll have to upgrade (to
Windows 8 or its successor) because you'll want support for hardware
or software that you can't get in 7, but don't rush it.

 

[Stan Brown]

I now have Windows 7 on my desktop and laptop. Is it a good idea to
upgrade to windows 8. Just looking for some opinions on this. Thanks.

You're not asking the right question. The right question is, "If
Windows 7 does what I need, why would I even think about changing
operating systems?"

At best you'll lose some time to stay in the same place, not to
mention the kearning curve. At worst you'll find that something you
absolutely want to do can no longer be done in Windows 8.

 

[Stan Brown]

I've tried the evaluation version of Win8 and it looks like it's mainly
designed for either tablet PC's or PC's with touch screen monitors.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Windows 7 support touch screens?
I don't have such a screen, and I remember 2.5 years ago when I
bought my computer being annoyed because I read that Win 7 supported
them. But maybe I'm remembering wrong.

 

[Stan Brown]

It was the best of ideas, it was the worst of ideas.

Isn't that from "A Sale of Two Titties" by Darles Chickens?

 

[Mellowed]

I now have Windows 7 on my desktop and laptop. Is it a good idea to
upgrade to windows 8. Just looking for some opinions on this. Thanks.

I upgraded from Win7 to Win8. Since it is now on, I'll leave it for a
while. But, I don't recommend the upgrade. My Office 2000 is not
compatible so I'm now using Libre Office. The Win8 start menu sucks so
I use Start8 to give me the Win7 desktop.

Now, some things seem faster. Bootup, shut down, IE10 might be faster,
but IE10 on my system has a problem with YouTube videos. The videos
work fine with Firefox and Chrome, but not IE10.

There are probably hidden reasons to use Win8, but if all is well with
your Win7 you should leave 'well enough' alone.

BTW, I have Vista on my Desktop and Win7 was on the Laptop. I upgraded
the Laptop since if Win8 went kaaput it was no big deal to reinstall
Win7. I would only do the desktop if I a disk image stored as a backup.

 

[Stefan Patric]

I now have Windows 7 on my desktop and laptop. Is it a good idea to
upgrade to windows 8. Just looking for some opinions on this.
Thanks.

No.

If you're satisfied with W7, why upgrade? New doesn't always mean better.

Stef

 

[..winston]

"Paul" wrote in message

If your computer didn't support NX (No Execute) in hardware,
you might be denied an installation.

What is PAE, NX, and SSE2 and why does my PC need to support them to run Windows 8?
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/what-is-pae-nx-sse2

 

[..winston]

From MSFT's perspective Office 2000 was not supported on Windows 7 (only 2003 and later).

--
....winston
msft mvp


"Mellowed" wrote in message I upgraded from Win7 to Win8. Since it is now on, I'll leave it for a
while. But, I don't recommend the upgrade.

 

[..winston]

If Win7 works fine for you, no reason to change.
If Win8 provides features you can't accomplish on Win7 or need due to Win8's improved synchronization with its online services
(e.g. SkyDrive, Hotmail, etc.) then investigate to determine its value.



--
....winston
msft mvp


"Karen F" wrote in message
I now have Windows 7 on my desktop and laptop. Is it a good idea to
upgrade to windows 8. Just looking for some opinions on this. Thanks.

 

[Bob Henson]

I made the mistake of blowing $50 on Nero12
because it is for the explosion of new platforms
for mobile devices. And I don't need these.

Maybe Win8 has been rushed out for the same
reason.

I like the conspiracy theory for Windows 8. Microsoft can't force people
to give up XP and hence prise more money out of them, so it has made
Windows 8 completely unusable on a desktop or laptop. That way it is
obvious that there is nothing else for the XP users to wait around for,
so they will upgrade to Windows 7. Microsoft doesn't care *what* they
buy, so long as they buy.

The theory doesn't look quite so good when you realise that there is now
nothing for Windows 7 users to look forward to or upgrade to. Unless
Microsoft really want to go downhill fast, my guess is that Windows 9
is not far away, and it will be a full desktop/enterprise version. This
way they at least stand a chance of selling Windows 8 to a few toy
computers users and mobile phone users in the meantime.

--
Bob
Tetbury, Gloucestershire, UK www.galen.org.uk


I can't see the point in the theatre. All that sex and violence. I get
enough of that at home. Apart from the sex, of course. - Baldrick -
Sense and Senility