Why Do I Want W8?

[Barryng]

I am now using W7. It works really well. Why would I want to upgrade my desktop or laptops to W8? Does W8 provide faster boot times (already only 14 seconds using an SSD)? Will Apps Load faster (already near instantaneous using an SSD)? Will Apps process data/video/etc faster? Is W8 more stable (W7 rarely if ever crashes)? Is W8 more secure?

I am not using an iPad so, other than a revised appearance, what is the incentive for upgrading to W8 other than it is just newer?

 

[Darknecron]

From what I have heard, W8 will spell the end of Steam as we know it....I'd keep 7.

 

[Knufire]

I personally don't see a reason to upgrade unless you like the new UI.

 

[h4rm0ny]

I am now using W7. It works really well. Why would I want to upgrade my desktop or laptops to W8? Does W8 provide faster boot times (already only 14 seconds using an SSD)? Will Apps Load faster (already near instantaneous using an SSD)? Will Apps process data/video/etc faster? Is W8 more stable (W7 rarely if ever crashes)? Is W8 more secure?

I am not using an iPad so, other than a revised appearance, what is the incentive for upgrading to W8 other than it is just newer?

Maybe you don't need to. It's very cheap to upgrade though. They're doing a US$15 upgrade offer for recently bought W7 PCs, I think, and US$40 upgrade otherwise (I think). I am personally upgrading as having been using W8 for a couple of months, I find the times I have to dip back into W7 feel slower and a little more annoying. If you're looking for less subjective reasons, it will give you slightly better performance, faster boot times as you say (I have an SSD and W8 has made the 17-18 seconds that I never noticed on W7 before an annoying wait. W8 with an SSD is close to turn it on and you're working). Not sure what else - as more and more software comes out for the new UI, which it will because it runs on the tablets and the phones as well, it will be nice to be able to just download that from the Windows store. I have multiple monitors also, so that's another reason why I like Win8. There are various nice things in W8 that individually are too small to really list (e.g. the revised Task manager, the increased browser window size in the Modern UI IE) but add up to a pleasant experience.

Can't say whether you should upgrade, but it's cheap and there are nice things about it and it's snappier.

Hope that helps.

 

[h4rm0ny]

From what I have heard, W8 will spell the end of Steam as we know it....I'd keep 7.

Well, Valve are upset because the Windows Store makes Steam kind of unneccesary. Games producers can just sell directly through it and still get the benefits of DRM, installation handling, licencing, etc. It's maybe actually better for smaller independent games producers as getting your games up on the Windows store may actually be quicker and easier.

In any case, it doesn't so far as I'm aware, mean that Steam can't run on W8. It just means that Valve are upset that MS are blowing off steam.

(I made a joke there. It is funny. ).

H.

 

[dfonda]

I view a Windows 8 upgrade like a Vista Upgrade(albeit,with better drivers) .... Windows 7 has been outstanding for me. I always have great results installing it. It does more then I need. It has not become outdated yet, the way XP did.

Windows 8 will shine more on a touchscreen device.

My advice don't upgrade.

 

[GoD_tattoo]

I will never recommend W8 to anyone. Especially the average not technical user. After trying it several times for days on end, it will confuse the heck out of the average user. Besides taking away the start menu, the people have to know if they are using an app or the actual program? There are just tons of things an average user will not understand. Try to show someone who could barely use XP or W7 that everything they know is now gone/changed. Horrible decision. Makes the Vista upgrade look like a great idea.

 

[neo668]

I've read in 2 articles on the web that Win 8 will be able to play XBox games. Just insert the XBox game DVD into your computer DVD player and play. How possible is this?

EDIT: Does this mean we will be able to connect Kinect to our computers?

 

[Pinky]

I'm passing. First time in many windows releases... ME being the only other I never bothered with (lucky for me! lol).

 

[(G{in}[AK)TION]]

It just means that Valve are upset that MS are blowing off steam.

(I made a joke there. It is funny. ).

H.

THE PUNS!

anyway, well they are making steam for ubuntu linux. which is why im purchasing a 1tb hard drive for windows 7 and using a 250gb hard drive for ubuntu.

personally, i have tried windows 8 and yes its fast, its always loading things on the fly as you click around, and it even runs steam well. the only problem i have with it is the Metro UI. it took me a while to get around it and i cant even find all the programs i want to use. like remote desktop, disk cleanup, disk defragmentor.

they better make an improvement on metro UI. otherwise im sticking with windows 7 and i suggest you do the same.

 

[markp1989]

I downloaded win8 the day the RTM edition was put on MSDN and tried it out on a spare machine at work.

I dont think I will be upgrading on my main personal machine, gonna stick to dual booting windows 7 and Linux Mint. I am not sure I could cope with Metro for day to day use.

 

[shadin]

If you've ever been using Windows 7 and thought, "Man, this is nice, but it would be way better if it had a half-baked touchscreen interface bolted awkwardly onto it," then upgrade.

If that idea has never occurred to you, then just stay with Windows 7.

 

[Darknecron]

If you've ever been using Windows 7 and thought, "Man, this is nice, but it would be way better if it had a half-baked touchscreen interface bolted awkwardly onto it," then upgrade.

If that idea has never occurred to you, then just stay with Windows 7.

Well said. LOL

 

[(G{in}[AK)TION]]

If you've ever been using Windows 7 and thought, "Man, this is nice, but it would be way better if it had a half-baked touchscreen interface bolted awkwardly onto it," then upgrade.

If that idea has never occurred to you, then just stay with Windows 7.

+1

 

[txus.palacios]

I've tried to force me to like Windows 8, but Metro UI, without a touchscreen, outright sucks. Sorry Microsoft. I am not going to install an iOS-ish system on my 24" IPS panel.

Boot times, even with all the Fast Boot paraphernalia, that my MVG supports since... rev. 1201 I think, Windows 7 seems faster for me. Ok. The fact that it copies the BIOS boot logo as Windows 7 boot logo is neat. But I am going to turn on verbose boot / quiet boot and turn off the BIOS boot logo any way... so...

There is NO performance boost at all or new DirectX that will force me to go Win8, plus, my favourite games, those published by Valve and powered by Valve's Source Engine (Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead 2...) are not going to make it to Win8, and are getting ported to Linux, what I already use as main system.

 

[c627627]

Two things:


1. You can make Win 8 boot into Desktop!!! Therefore given an equal choice b/w Win8 and Win7, why go Win7 when Win8 can be made to be the same as Win7?
http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/classicshell/files/


2. No there is no reason for you to pay $ to upgrade to Win8, unless you have a touchscreen.




* [Always boot into Windows 8 Desktop, bypassing Windows 8 Metro:]
Right-click on the lower left corner > Click on the yellow File Explorer icon > View > Options > View TAB > SELECT: Show hidden files, folders, and drives and UNCHECK: Hide extensions for known file types > OK > Now go to Computer > C Drive > Windows > Right click on empty space > New > Text document > name the file NoMetro > Open it in Notepad and enter the following:
[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=Explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop

File > Save > Rename the file's extension to .scf so the file is now called NoMetro.scf (even if .scf extension is not visible)

Right-click on the lower left corner > Run > control schedtasks

Task Scheduler Library > Create Task… (upper right) > Name: NoMetro > Triggers TAB > New… > Drop down menu > At log on > OK >

Actions TAB > New... > Browse to C:\Windows\NoMetro.scf you created above (even if .scf extension is not visible) > Open > OK > OK

RESTART THE SYSTEM

 

[txus.palacios]

Why go hacked Win8 with ClassicShell if Win7 does the same thing natively?

 

[loler coaster]

Well I installed the 8 consumer preview,and quite frankly I loved it !!! I installed it on a OLD amd system anthlon 64 1.9ghz and it booted in 30seconds .But there is one problem with it that ive noticed it has terrible compatibility issues with older games (gta sa ect..).
but on the other hand when the system died (psu fail) I just shoved the hd with win8 on it into a old intel build and it when i booted it up it automatically configured its self for the new computer in less then 5min and booted up normally.Also I did enjoy the new start menu BUT it was annoying at times and a little glitchy (prob will go away with official release).all in all I wouldn't pay more than 30$ for this os but I would glady take it as a gift or use the download form Microsoft's website.

 

[c627627]

Why go hacked Win8 with ClassicShell if Win7 does the same thing natively?

For people visiting this forum, [if and only] if it's an equal choice b/w 7 & 8:

The cons are spending 10-15 minutes extra during initial setup.

The pros are possibly having slightly faster boot times and the option to take advantage of any Win8 features in the future.


If you are an average user, this is going to be a problem, I don't know if we could recommend Win8 to them.

 

[(G{in}[AK)TION]]

what would happen if we try to install steam on windows 8 then? i tried isntalling it on consumer preview and it worked fine.

is microsoft working on getting steam blocked along wtih some other programs that dont pass microsofts test? or something?

i cant seem to wrap my head around this fully....