Posted on 09/10/2013 7:24:03 AM PDT by Don@VB
I have seen several laptop models I like but they have Windows 8 installed. I need to stay with a Windows OS, but having read poor reviews, it appears Win 8 may become the next Vista. Is it that bad? I like Win 7 but it limits my selection. As always, any suggestions/input appreciated.
I like it. Just took some getting used to and I'm a person who hates change. As another said. "It's good, just different".
The trick to making windows 8 usefull is installing “Classic Shell” it is available for free at sourceforge. This is a very important install. You will hate windows 8 without it.
I like the Intel I5 processor, but so many laptops have AMD. Does AMD have a processor that is on par with the I5??
We’ve been using Win 8 at work for about a year. It works great. There is a desktop which is almost exactly like Win 7. Win 8.1 will give you back the Start menu so you never have to use the Metro interface if you don’t want to. I think all the nay-sayers here are Apple fan-boys just trying to bad mouth Microsoft. Take some time... learn the product. There are lots of Metro apps that give you tips and shortcuts for using Win 8.
Can’t wait to hear the screams and howls when apple releases IOS7 for ipad/iphone next month.
see if Dell has a system with windows 7 pro. bought an all in one with eight, had someone remove 8 and reinstall 7 pro. system in now perfect
If Win 8 is installed then yeah buy that computer. imo many problems in the past are with those computers that get upgraded to a new OS.
...btw the best computer we’ve ever owned came with Vista and I go back to the days of DOS.
We have always used firefox for going on line.
Win 8 doesn’t make any sense without touchscreen. Consider that when buying a new laptop with Win 8. Even though you can run it in classic mode, and get programs to make it like Win 7, you would probably never be as happy with it as you are with Win 7 or XP.
Got 7 and a couple of 8’s here. If I could wave a wand and turn the 8’s into 7’s, I would.
Now I see the new 8’s in stores are touch screen models, and that’s probably even MORE annoying than my 8’s.
I did what I could to make them look more like 7, and they are fast, except...well for instance:
If I want to go to “Paint,” in the old laptop, I’d hit Start, a menu would pop up and there’s paint and it opens with one click.
In Win 8, I have to put the cursor down in the lower left, click, arrive at the new start screen, right click, see the apps icon, click that, scroll across many many programs and find Paint, then click.
Ok, if I used Paint frequently I could put an icon up and get there quicker, but I don’t. Point is, you have to do some extra things to get results you got faster in 7.
It all takes getting used to.
Still, there’s a bigger selection. My HP laptops cost under $300 each and they don’t have issues with other hardware like printers and mice, they get along with them all. They run ancient programs with no problems.
If you can find a decent priced Windows 7, get it.
If not, be prepared to spend a lot of time breaking in the new model with 8. Lots of garbage to uninstall, lots of things to configure — power settings, task scheduler — and in the end it’s ALMOST as good as your 7.
Try to avoid the touch screen models.
Save your nickels for Windows 9. You know it’s coming.
Haters gonna hate.
There’s nothing wrong with Windows 8, it just takes a little getting used to, but once you figure the interface out (and set the start page up the way you like it) it’s actually easier to use than 7. I’ve loaded all the AD and server admin tools and organized them on the start page and it’s great having them all right there and not having to either clutter up a desktop with shortcuts or mouse through a bunch of sub menus off the old start menu.
Oh yeah. Updates from MS. Disable!!!!
You can use online office free at live.com-
A friend of mine has an older copy of ms office. He was having difficulty openning .docx files (req newer msoffice) Installed libre office (free) and now he opens docx and excel xlsx files. You can also open these files in online office (free).
Anyone using PCs for MIDI had better plan their exit strategy as while Win8 handles it, support for it has all but been dropped.
Seems MS wants to push those people to Apple. If I did not have a huge VB/Access application with my MIDI PC I would have switched after Win 7.
Even Win 7 has been slowing down with every subsequent Windows “Update” which I am firmly convinced MS deliberately adds performance slowing bloat so as to make the next OS attractive.
Well if they totally drop MIDI they made my choice. I’ll just have to rewrite about 10 years worth of development in VB/Access for my interface.
Windows 8 is a complete POS. Stay away if you can and stay with 7.
Eight is a PITA to learn and to get comfortable using.
M4L
“Recommending a Linux box to a Windows user without a CS degree is ridiculous.”
I program in a bunch of different Assembly languages for Micro-controllers and use VB for the interface stuff. Best of both worlds, blazing speed in assembly and super quick to build an application in VB. (too bad MS went off the deep end on VB like they are so inclined to do)
Seems the Linux folks went out of their way to make the terms and functionality as confusing as possible and if you need to use any hardware which may not have Linux drivers you are screwed. Linux reminds me of MS Help only encrypted and you don’t have the decoder ring.
I have however, used Puppy Linux to fix and or save files on a dying system a couple of times and a Live CD is easy to create and use without having to know a ton of Linux stuff.
I would get a Mac for final cut. My tower is getting older and showing it. I’ve toyed with the idea of getting a windows based laptop that can stand up to video editing with Avid.
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