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  • Windows 8.1

    The time has come for a new OS, been using XP since it's release, have never had a problem, sadly with MS withdrawing support in April I'm forced into making a move, going to have a new box built at the same time.

    I've had a quick run down on 8.1, seems everything is there just that accessing things is a bit different.

    Would like to hear opinions from experienced people who have been using 8.1 for a while, regarding ease of use, stability, speed, likes and dislikes etc.

    To the Apple people who I'm sure are itching to try to convert me, I will be sticking with MS, it's always worked very well for me.

  • #2
    Don't even think about it if you don't have a touchsceen.
    Stick with Win7.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Yelta View Post
      To the Apple people who I'm sure are itching to try to convert me, I will be sticking with MS, it's always worked very well for me.
      It's just that a Mac would be so much BETTER and so much more FUN and so much more LOGICAL and is so USER FRIENDLY..... and..... and...and

      I'm not itching, Yelta ;-D ;-D;-D;-D

      p.s. I use both Mac and Windows......... Mac wins, hands down.......

      Now for the Punch and Judy......;-D

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      • #4
        MS has already acknowledged the failure of Win 8/8.1 and plans to release Win9 in April 2015. Though it does not really help in your decision. No XP Support for a year can be a risk, as any holes they find in 7/8 can possibly be used on XP. Atm im supporting a company with 600+ users migration from XP to Win7 and they have completely scrapped 8 mainly due to poor functionality. Though I have to say you don't really need a touch screen for Win8. It's more about learning the new functionality, which will be irrelevant come Win9. So I'd just stick with Win7 for 5+ years.

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        • #5
          Yep...

          I agree. Win7 Pro is still available commercially and is way more friendly and intuitive to use. I've got Win8 Pro installed as a dual-boot o/s but after testing out over the past few months, I'm sticking with Win7 Pro until something MUCH better comes along.

          And, as for switching over to an Apple system? Well, this is not even conceivable after being an MS o/s user for the last couple of decades. Way too much software on hand that will never work outside of a PC... If I do ever make a switch, it will be to a Linux kernel of one flavour or another.

          Mal.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by foana View Post
            MS has already acknowledged the failure of Win 8/8.1 and plans to release Win9 in April 2015. Though it does not really help in your decision. No XP Support for a year can be a risk, as any holes they find in 7/8 can possibly be used on XP. Atm im supporting a company with 600+ users migration from XP to Win7 and they have completely scrapped 8 mainly due to poor functionality. Though I have to say you don't really need a touch screen for Win8. It's more about learning the new functionality, which will be irrelevant come Win9. So I'd just stick with Win7 for 5+ years.
            Link to acknowledgement please? The release of 9 isn't an acknowledgement in itself, unless you consider the release of 8 to similar acknowledge the failure of 7 (same time frame: 3 years).

            Yelta, 8.1 will be fine for you if you're prepared to learn, or you're already using keyboard search for everything you do in XP. If you don't want to learn, 7 is a better pick, as it's easier to setup to work like XP.

            8.1 pros: faster, more secure, more stable, some handy new features.

            7 pros: better backup (particularly if you get the pro version), traditional interface, well-tested.

            Most businesses will use 7, because it's now well-known and proven environment. Business IT is typically fairly conservative though, and once they're on 7 it's likely they won't upgrade again for another 2-3 versions (probably Win 10, if we get one).

            FWIW, I use both 7 & 8 on a daily basis. I'm starting to miss some of the 8 shortcuts in 7, but really there's not much to complain about with either.

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            • #7
              Oh, and as for Apple, it's worth pointing out that they support their OSes for about 3 years. XP is on it's 13th year of support. :P

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              • #8
                Originally posted by fruity View Post
                8.1 pros: faster, more secure, more stable, some handy new features.
                Definitely not faster with the app's I use day to day...
                A lot of those so-called features are also downright annoying...

                Mal.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by foana View Post
                  MS has already acknowledged the failure of Win 8/8.1 and plans to release Win9 in April 2015. Though it does not really help in your decision. No XP Support for a year can be a risk, as any holes they find in 7/8 can possibly be used on XP. Atm im supporting a company with 600+ users migration from XP to Win7 and they have completely scrapped 8 mainly due to poor functionality. Though I have to say you don't really need a touch screen for Win8. It's more about learning the new functionality, which will be irrelevant come Win9. So I'd just stick with Win7 for 5+ years.
                  Thanks foana, that's the sort of info Im looking for.

                  The reports are not saying 8 is a failure simply that sales are slower than they had hoped, only 25 million sales so far I would imagine a lot are going for mobile devices rather than desk top machines, it's a totally different market than it was 10 years ago, desk top suits my needs just fine.

                  Not prepared to stick with XP unsupported for the next 12 months, as far as touch screen is concerned I really don't see the point of it on a desk top machine, my current box is well over 5 years old so I really do need to act pretty soon.

                  Don't feel inclined to spend on an old OS, Windows 7, as I said in my original post, have had a brief run through on 8, seems everything is there, just a matter of learning to do things a little differently, I imagine there will be a reasonably priced seamless upgrade to 9 when the time comes.

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                  • #10
                    Thanks Dimal and Fruity, valuable insights.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Dimal View Post
                      Definitely not faster with the app's I use day to day...
                      A lot of those so-called features are also downright annoying...

                      Mal.
                      Which apps? It is faster to boot and faster to launch most applications. Obviously there will be exceptions.

                      As for new features, I was referring to things like Storage Spaces & the new Winkey shortcuts. Can't see how they'd be annoying. ;-)

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                      • #12
                        Yeah, so "failure" might have been a bit harsh, but all you need to do is a google search to read the myriad of articles alluding to it. Win8 was MS trying to combat the vastly expanding market share of tablets which is currently killing PC sales. Not because Windows 7 is a failure. The problem is existing PC users/environments don't want a fancy new way of doing things. And thus poor uptake and bad sales. MS have refused to bring back the functionality of previous OS and so Win9 is a thing that has to happen.

                        If history repeats itself, you will get offered a cheap upgrade to Win9, though that is usually only offered months before the next OS is released.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by foana View Post
                          Yeah, so "failure" might have been a bit harsh, but all you need to do is a google search to read the myriad of articles alluding to it.

                          If history repeats itself, you will get offered a cheap upgrade to Win9, though that is usually only offered months before the next OS is released.
                          Yep done that, my take is that a lot of the criticism is coming from those who are pretty computer illiterate, incapable of learning how to use a new OS or are simply resistant to change.

                          I'm sure I can (make do) with 8.1 until 9 shows up.

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                          • #14
                            I can certainly see that a lot tech pundits are rubbishing the UI (and rightly so, in some respects). But I don't know that MS considers it a failure. Their sales so far have been actually pretty good.

                            IMHO, calling it 'Windows' was a mistake. People have certain expectations of what Windows is, and Win8 doesn't fit those expectations.

                            If they'd just called it something else completely, there would be very little (justifiable) criticism over the UI - it could then be compared to other touch UIs like iOS or Android.

                            Either way, it doesn't take long to get used to at all, particularly if you forget about clicking your way through everything and start searching from the keyboard.

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                            • #15
                              I agree, it should have been rebranded. But I guess it really comes down to how you define failure, or even if MS would admit it. Generally they are trying to make profit via sales, and if sales are bad it may indicate that a product is failing.

                              "NetMarketShare, an Internet statistics portal, estimates that total share of Windows 9 to 10 per cent, significantly lower than competitor Android. Its predecessor, Windows 7, continues to enjoy increase in sales. However, Windows 8.1 has an even lower adoption rate of only 3.6 per cent as of mid-January.Another industry researcher, TechMarketView, said that corporate clients are still purchasing more Windows 7 PCs, while "Windows 8 is not getting a look-in from the corporate users and the consumers I've spoken to all say they appalled by it," said TechMarketView Chairman Richard Holway."

                              Windows 8 Suffers from Poor Sales, Bad Customer Feedback - International Business Times

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