Windows 8?

[cube_b3]

To buy or not to buy?

It looks like Windows 7 is officially gone.
You can not walk in to WalMart or Office Depot and expect to pick up a laptop with Windows 7.

So should I go for it or wait for a better update.

Reviews for Win8 have been mixed and users have said it is a little messy and a lot of features will be streamlined, removed or retooled in the future. So It is best to stick it out with Win7 for 2013 and wait for a proper upgrade or successor.

[BlueCrab]

To be honest, once you get the thing to boot to the desktop and restore the start menu in some way, it's not all that horrible. There are plenty of tools out there to give you a start menu back and make it boot to the desktop.

That said, there are rumors flying about that Microsoft will be restoring the start menu and allowing boot to desktop without any 3rd party tools with the first service pack or some upcoming update. You might want to wait for that, in that case.

[pixel]

I like Windows 8, mainly because I got it for ~$25 when it first launched.

But I never used the start menu, mainly because I used OS X until 2010. The boot times are faster than Windows 7. A default install has much improved support for dual monitors (a big plus for me). I haven't noticed any compatibility issues over Windows 7.

If you don't use the start menu except for searching, the differences are negligible. And actually, there are a few benefits for upgrading, but your mileage may vary.

[JuddWack]

I installed off an upgrade and was having a lot of problems. They seemed to get worse after I installed a Start menu replacement, but I can't be sure that was the reason. Also boot times were REALLY bad.

Then I did a fresh install. Boot times are sick, even from a full shut down its just a few seconds on a higher end i5. I was having some crashing problems at first, always when returning from hiber sleep or whatever the fuck it is now. I haven't seen that in awhile so upgrades must have fixed it up.

I agree with pixel, I never use the new start except for searching. I barely even notice it. I like W8.

[cube_b3]

Yup, I do not tinker with my OS.

So best to wait it out they will most likely do an overhaul by August and I will probably grab something on Black Friday.

EDIT 1: Googled a tutorial. Certain features have regressed, the right click was such a simple beautiful feature.
In W8, when we right click the App options are displayed at the bottom of the screen instead of just opening a scroll menu right in front of the icon.

[Stryfe]

Why would a pre-installed OS even come into consideration when buying new hardware. Many of the PC/laptops being sold these days don't even include an Windows install disc, and opt for a restore partition. I don't even need to say how that can lead to future problems like HDD failure, etc.

Custom build your PC/laptop, and buy an used copy of Window 7 online. And then there is always Linux...

[Juan]

Many of the PC/laptops being sold these days don't even include an Windows install disc, and opt for a restore partition. I don't even need to say how that can lead to future problems like HDD failure, etc.

To be fair I've seen some that have a backup program that lets you burn that image.

+1 on trying Linux, it's all I use since I don't do much gaming nor have any needs for a particular windows-only app.

[melancholy]

Windows 8 is a great OS that's hidden behind a inefficient start screen. If you are using a tablet, it's fine. But on a desktop, it's pretty useless. If the whole thing was integrated more, I think it would be better, but the divide between start screen and desktop is jarring.

[cube_b3]

Well I don't touch tablets (Okay, I try not to touch tablets).

[DaMadFiddler]

[|darc|]

Windows 8 isn't terrible. I'd prefer Windows 7, but Windows 8's issues aren't bad enough to actively avoid using the operating system.

[Jeeba Jabba]

Windows 8 isn't terrible. I'd prefer Windows 7, but Windows 8's issues aren't bad enough to actively avoid using the operating system.

Pretty much. And if you're a gamer/hardware nut, Windows 8 is far better optimized (especially for SSDs). However, you're gonna need to make extra effort to remove their Metro horribleness--which isn't hard (Start8), but on principle alone you shouldn't be paying full price for something you need to change the face of. Hopefully the rumored update does indeed make Metro optional.

[RyoDC]

I think I'll stay with win7 for a couple years until microsoft will disable it's support.

[cube_b3]

If you have a good machine with Win7 stick with it.

I wonder when Microsoft will release WinNex.

It is pretty weird Microsoft has started releasing New Os's pretty fast.

Windows 98 > XP was like 5 years.
XP > Vista like 3 years
Vista > 7 like 2 years
7 > less then 2 years.

[|darc|]

If you have a good machine with Win7 stick with it.

I wonder when Microsoft will release WinNex.

It is pretty weird Microsoft has started releasing New Os's pretty fast.

Windows 98 > XP was like 5 years.
XP > Vista like 3 years
Vista > 7 like 2 years
7 > less then 2 years.

What? You have your timeline all mixed up.

Windows 3.1x - 1992 (first widely used release of Windows)
Windows 95 - 1995 (3 years later)
Windows 98 - 1998 (3 years later)
Windows Me - 2000 (2 years later)
Windows XP - 2001 (1 year later)
Windows Vista - 2007 (6 years later)
Windows 7 - 2009 (2 years later)
Windows 8 - 2012 (3 years later)

It's always been 2-3 years. The jump from Me to XP was really short because Me was a simple release not much different than 98, just to be a final release of the 9x-kernel series, and XP soon came out as the first in the consumer desktop NT-kernel series operating systems. The jump from XP to Vista took forever because Microsoft was going through a security crisis in the early 2000s and prioritized its attention on hardening Windows XP's security.

[cube_b3]

I would like 5 years ideally.

Windows ME and Vista are largely considered mistakes, which meant a new OS was required asap.

I think Windows 7 was amazing and should have basked in the limelight longer.

Now I hope Windows 8 gets the patches and tweaks it deserves and is the latest for 5 years.

[|darc|]

Not going to happen; Microsoft is planning on doing what Apple does on OS X--releasing cheap OS upgrades very often. Windows Blue, the next version of Windows, will be released later on this year.

[cube_b3]

Apple sucks I own a iPhone 3G and I am almost completely not allowed in the App store.

Nothing is compatible with my phone, I can understand how software that requires more processing powers won;t be compatible but simple software's like Viber and Skype, which I had on my phone at one point are no longer compatible!

You have to google old versions, download them on your pc, transfer them with iTunes.

Simple tasks are turned into tedious chores. Microsoft is copying a very arrogant company.

[|darc|]

Apple sucks I own a iPhone 3G and I am almost completely not allowed in the App store.

Nothing is compatible with my phone, I can understand how software that requires more processing powers won;t be compatible but simple software's like Viber and Skype, which I had on my phone at one point are no longer compatible!

You have to google old versions, download them on your pc, transfer them with iTunes.

Simple tasks are turned into tedious chores. Microsoft is copying a very arrogant company.

Dude, the iPhone 3G will be 5 years old in June! And how is it Apple's fault Microsoft (who owns Skype) doesn't support iOS 4, which is 2 versions old now? Please name another mobile platform for which 5 year old phones are getting any support. Apple is actually the strongest of any of the mobile platforms in that regard. Besides, the iPhone 4 is completely free if you sign a contract. Because of that, unsuprisingly, somewhere around 1-2% of iPhone users are still on the iPhone 3G. Why would it make business sense for anyone to still support it?

[melancholy]

Apple sucks I own a iPhone 3G and I am almost completely not allowed in the App store.

Nothing is compatible with my phone, I can understand how software that requires more processing powers won;t be compatible but simple software's like Viber and Skype, which I had on my phone at one point are no longer compatible!

You have to google old versions, download them on your pc, transfer them with iTunes.

Simple tasks are turned into tedious chores. Microsoft is copying a very arrogant company.

Dude, the iPhone 3G will be 5 years old in June! And how is it Apple's fault Microsoft (who owns Skype) doesn't support iOS 4, which is 2 versions old now? Please name another mobile platform for which 5 year old phones are getting any support. Apple is actually the strongest of any of the mobile platforms in that regard. Besides, the iPhone 4 is completely free if you sign a contract. Because of that, unsuprisingly, somewhere around 1-2% of iPhone users are still on the iPhone 3G. Why would it make business sense for anyone to still support it?

Pretty much. Try following the Android scene for a while, and then come back and try to tell us how crappy iOS is.