Windows 8 or Windows 7?

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Goodjacky

Active member
I will be using my new pc mostly for gaming but I will Occasionally do things like video editing, graphics work and to browse the Internet, I have Already order my pc but I was given to option to amend it and I was thinking of changing it back to windows 7 because I heard a lot of negative reviews for windows 8.

I used windows 7 before and I know where everything is and how to use it to the max capacity but I feel like I will struggle with windows 8.

My pc is a 3570k,gtx 670 with a ssd and 8gb ram so I think the small benefits that I will gain with windows 8 like faster boot time and less ram won't be noticeable.

But windows 8 is the new tech with dx 11.1 and windows 8.1 is coming soon which they might bring back the start button and more.

I just can't decide and I have been thinking about this for days please help.
 
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vanthus

vanthus

Member Resting in Peace
Seems to be a 50/50 thing from what I've seen,some like windows8 and some don't,personally I don't,I would stick with windows7 for now,that's just my opinion though.
 
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steaky360

steaky360

Moderator
Moderator
I'd agree with Vanthus on this in both that its 50/50 and that I personally don't like it, but there are plenty that do! I'd actually say its like marmite, few people think "meh" with Windows 8, you'll either like it or you won't :).
 
C

ChrisByatt

Silver Level Poster
Tom DWC said:
PCS posted this on their Facebook page recently: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...est-product-uturn-since-new-coke-8605776.html

So it looks like Windows Blue (8.1) could improve the usability of Windows 8 on desktops. Which would be great news because aside from Metro it's a faster OS than 7 and with better features.

It will also reduce the need for third party apps to restore a more desktop like experience, which I'm using at the moment.
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I hope they bring a start menu back.. I really hate the metro thing - it's so awful to use on a desktop. They also seem to have moved/hidden so many settings that are useful/easy to find in windows 7. It's still pretty buggy too - last week on server 2012 at work when I used the search box to find command prompt in the metro UI my icons disappeared - even after clearing the search they didn't come back! I could still open apps I just couldn't see what I was clicking on . Had to quit explorer (weirdly there were two explorer processes) and start it again manually. Not good on a server OS!!
 
Blackdog

Blackdog

Bright Spark
Do you have Startisback Chris? Best couple of quid you'll spend. I put it on my mum's laptop after she got windows 8 and it turns it around entirely. I'd recommend it if you're having headaches.
 
Tom DWC

Tom DWC

Moderator
Moderator
ChrisByatt said:
I hope they bring a start menu back.. I really hate the metro thing - it's so awful to use on a desktop. They also seem to have moved/hidden so many settings that are useful/easy to find in windows 7. It's still pretty buggy too - last week on server 2012 at work when I used the search box to find command prompt in the metro UI my icons disappeared - even after clearing the search they didn't come back! I could still open apps I just couldn't see what I was clicking on . Had to quit explorer (weirdly there were two explorer processes) and start it again manually. Not good on a server OS!!
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Ouch, no that doesn't sound good!

I could just about live with the Metro start menu but the killer for me was the Metro search feature. I've gotten so used to Windows key + search + enter I couldn't use Windows without it. On the odd occasion I have to use XP now it just feels completely wrong. While Metro search does the same thing it just takes too long, what with switching over to the Metro UI. I still can't understand how that ever got through QA in terms of productivity!

I've been using this for the past few months*: http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/

As well as bringing back the Win7 menu it can be set to mimic the Metro color scheme and bring back transparency too. Plus it turns off the stupid hotpoint corner things that are way too easy to click by mistake. Also lets you boot straight to the desktop and only go to Metro when clicking start and pressing the Alt key. It crashes explorer from time to time which is a shame but for a few quid it was completely worth it.

Basically does everything 8.1 should do natively with any luck, but I'm not convinced the restoration of the start menu will be like it used to be. It just wouldn't be very Microsoft to do a 100% u-turn!

*EDIT: Startisback as posted by Blackdog above looks ideal too!
 
Blackdog

Blackdog

Bright Spark
Yeah Tom they are more or less the same program I think. In the mean time if you're unable to pick this up then windows key + x takes you a startup menu of sorts (even from the metro screen. Here's a wee video on de-sucking windows 8

[video=youtube;CfODwWeP9MI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfODwWeP9MI[/video]
 
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A

agtrinity

Bronze Level Poster
I hate the windows 8 metro interface and I stuck with windows 7, but now I would suggest going windows 8

Here is why: windows 8 does perform better, and it will get ongoing support to make it better, I would guess within a few months it will have all the things people liked about windows 7 - just better - and it will also have apps etc that add more functionality

Unless you're getting windows 7 for free vs paying for windows 8, I'd go 8 currently
 
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ChrisByatt

Silver Level Poster
I would but I can't really go installing stuff on a server sadly :( Thank god I'm still using 7 on my work pc and at home. And Mountain Lion on my mac mini (drool). The trouble with 8 is Microsoft obviously thought that once they'd "perfected" the operating system with 8 everybody would buy their surface. Oops, WRONG.

And the other thing is, when I buy an operating system, I don't want to go around looking for things that make it just about usable!
 
nathanjrb

nathanjrb

Prolific Poster
I'm going to stick my hand up for Windows 8 too.

As I have this in both tablet and desktop form I can say that it definitely feels a million times better on tablet.

That said - I simply found the desktop took a bit of getting used to. I now actually fly around the metro interface - and the corner gestures don't bother me at all.

The only thing that does bother me with 8 is the way it can't seem to decide what it wants to be. For instance you have the IE metro app, and the IE desktop program - I mean what's the point in that? If I open a video or a photo, it defaults to the metro app unless I change it. Very annoying when you're trying to work on the desktop an it keeps opening stuff in Metro.

All that aside though - the boot times are immense, the new Microsoft cloud log on is brilliant (life between the desktop and tablet is just stupidly easy), it's faster an immensely personal.

I would argue that the bonuses more than out way the negatives.
 
Rakk

Rakk

The Awesome
Moderator
I'm going to have to make this decision soon as well, problem is without trying Win8 I can't tell, from everything I've heard I think I'm going to hate the metro interface and it'll drive me up the wall, but without trying it it's kinda difficult to tell, yes, I realise Win8 is speedier and less heavy on RAM usage but if I hate how it works then I'll not be happy :)

I often game on my main screen and often use the start bar to bring up other bits and pieces for my second screen, now I can do this and still see 90% of my gaming screen with the start menu on screen, but if the metro thing will take up my whole screen obscuring my game that just will not do, its an MMO so yes I can use multiple windows without minimising my game window.
 
SmokeDarKnight

SmokeDarKnight

Author Level
I want to say i like windows 8, with the use of my Nexus 7 tablet i get the touch screen gestures and with Start8 i get the start menu back. Before i had the tablet i had the metro switched off completely and it worked exactly like 7.
 
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ChrisByatt

Silver Level Poster
SmokeDarKnight said:
I want to say i like windows 8, with the use of my Nexus 7 tablet i get the touch screen gestures and with Start8 i get the start menu back. Before i had the tablet i had the metro switched off completely and it worked exactly like 7.
Click to expand...

How did you switch metro off? It was only a registry option in the pre release version..
 
Blackdog

Blackdog

Bright Spark
nathanjrb said:
The only thing that does bother me with 8 is the way it can't seem to decide what it wants to be. For instance you have the IE metro app, and the IE desktop program - I mean what's the point in that? If I open a video or a photo, it defaults to the metro app unless I change it. Very annoying when you're trying to work on the desktop an it keeps opening stuff in Metro.
Click to expand...

This baffles me, why on earth would they differentiate these? Ive seen ludicrous examples of somebody browsing, opening an IE link and having to start up a new instance of the browser just to get something done. This is madness. As you say the core mechanics of the OS lead to faster operation, and hopefully the usability will come.

Startisback is three dollars, I can't argue with three dollars.
 
Boozad

Boozad

Prolific Poster
I'll stick with 7. Had a brief foray around 8 (about two hours) on the father-in-law's new laptop and hated it. Maybe I could get used to it but I doubt it, I love 7 and am enjoying it more than I did XP when I upgraded from 98. I just hope Microsoft keep support for 7 alongside 8, there's no reason why both systems can't co-exist.
 
vanthus

vanthus

Member Resting in Peace
Boozad said:
I'll stick with 7. Had a brief foray around 8 (about two hours) on the father-in-law's new laptop and hated it. Maybe I could get used to it but I doubt it, I love 7 and am enjoying it more than I did XP when I upgraded from 98. I just hope Microsoft keep support for 7 alongside 8, there's no reason why both systems can't co-exist.
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Windows 7 will be supported for years yet. :)
 
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