Windows 8

[Rick Sutliffe]

If this post is not appriate for this forum, please reassign or delete it.
I am just curious. I have owned a couple of copies of Windows 8 Professional since the release date, but wanted to get a feel for Windows 8RT on my Surface before committing to installing it on my desktop and laptop pcs. I consider myself a heavy pc user and use my computers for various work and recreation related things a good portion of everyday. I used to travel with a laptop and an iPad, but now feel OK with only the Surface for business trips, so I guess I'm fairly OK with the RT version of Win8. I am comfortable with Windows 8 RT on the Surface, but can't convince myself to make the committment and upgrade my office and home pcs, partly due to the lack of a touch screen on the other pcs. I have Windows 7 Pro on my other computers. Part of my concern is that I go all the way back to Windows 3 and have welcomed and used each introduction of an upgrade and each one was an improvement based on the same Windows look and feel. I'm aware of the desktop option on Win8, but it feels significantly different on Win8RT. This upgrade to Windows 8 seems so very different, that I feel a little concerned. I'm very comfortable with Win7, so, my question is, how many of you have upgraded to Win8 on your home or business pcs and if you have, how do you feel about your decision?

 

[ArnoldC]

No turning back. We have our servers running on Windows Server 2012 too, and they look like Windows 8, at least on the Start screen.

I do have Windows 7 on my Acer S3 still to run really old applications, i.e., Photoshop CS3, that I only use sparingly. CS3 won't run on Windows 8 anymore. So, check your application inventory and determine if they will run properly, or at all, on Windows 8.

ps.

Disclaimer:

I've been running Windows 8 since Developer Preview, and I have been very comfortable with 2-finger gestures on my Acer's touchpad. My Wacom even supports 1-finger gestures. Having said that, an upgrade to the Wedge mouse that supports gestures will make one "at home" even without a touchscreen, IMO.

 

[Sin]

I have Windows 8 on my old Dell Mini 9 and it runs well. I also upgraded my wife new laptop to Windows 8 and she is really liking it. My wife decided to switch to Windows 8 after seeing me using it on my netbook. She really like the Metro apps. The interface is different without a touch screen but it nothing as bad as most of the "reviewers" claim. The split between the Metro and the legacy desktop is not really that hard to wrap your head around. No chance of me using Windows 8 at work for a while, we just started switching from XP to Windows 7. We do not switch quickly at work. I don't retreat having move my home computers from Windows 7 to Windows 8.

 

[Afy]

Windows RT will not work on a PC. Windows 8 or Pro will. I have it on my XPS 15, and use a microsoft touch mouse. No issues what so ever. Go for it.
My only issue is I keep forgetting I am using the laptop and keep trying to swipe the screen.

 

[Rallicat]

So, I've got a Windows 8 Desktop machine at work (no touchscreen, upgraded from Windows 7), and a Surface RT.

I find myself just naturally using the interface that makes most sense for each device. On my desktop machine, I spend all day on the desktop, I almost never see the start screen. I have my most frequently used apps pinned to the taskbar, and the only time I ever briefly see the start screen is if I need to launch a program that isn't pinned (in that regard I guess I just simply view the start screen as a launcher).

On My surface, the start screen is more than a launcher, it's the main home screen I use, and I stay in that Metro world whenever I use it!

So, I guess my message is, don't believe the scaremongering ... Use Windows 8 the way you want to use it, and I promise you Windows won't put up a fight!

 

[Russ]

Rick --

Like you, I consider myself "a heavy pc user." Some of my friends marvel at a guy living alone who has so many computers, but most of them have their own reasons for being.

My first test for any new OS is: Will it allow me to do something that the old one will not (presumably something I want to do)? I have not yet found that "something" that would prompt a move from Win7 to Win8 on a desktop. My main reason for the upgrade to Win8 was that I just like to try new stuff (except women).

I am running Win8 Pro on two of my desktops: as primary OS on my shop computer, and in a BIOS select boot mode on my "main" computer in the living room, along with Win7 Ultimate. When a couple more of my favorite programs are optimized for Win8, I will probably make it the primary OS on that system. The system in my office is Win7 Ultimate, and will so remain for the foreseeable future. My other systems are running Win7 Ultimate or Pro, with a couple of them having XP drives in case I want to revisit history. My laptop is Win7 Pro, and I will likely not change that. I am enjoying Win8-RT on the Surface, and am looking forward to full Win8 on the Surface Pro as soon as it's available.

For me, the touch screen only makes sense on a tablet (or equivalent convertible). I do not want to reach out and touch my monitor. That's why keyboards and mouses were invented. I've had an iPad1 since they came out, and am very comfortable with the touch screen, although I found the device itself mostly useless, except as a reader. With my acquisition of the Surface RT, the iPad will soon go to my daughter. The Surface RT is an equivalent reader, plus it will actually do stuff.

Except for the infamous missing Start button, Desktop mode in Win8 feels very much like Win7. So much so that I sometimes forget which OS I'm in. Plus, if you really do miss the Start button, there are a couple of inexpensive apps that will put it back.

In summary, I do not see a compelling reason to move from Win7 to Win8 on a desktop system. Beyond that, it's whatever suits your fancy.

Take care,
Russ

 

[TeknoBlast]

I didnt mess with the W8 preview, I usually wait for MSDN to release the final product, which is about a month before the public gets it. Once I got it, I upgraded my home PC from Windows 7 to W8. Since then I loved it and dont regret it. I would say about 90% of my applications work. The 10% are games from Origin and Steam that I need to test out. Even though my desktop is not touch, I was able to navigate through W8 with just a mouse and KB without any issues. I dont see how people have difficulties with Windows 8 on a non-touch screen desktop.

Then I have an old Sont Vaio laptop that has Vista and decided to upgrade to Windows 8. Wll that turned out to be a bad thing. The laptop ran really slow after the upgrade, so I reset the laptop to factory settings.

I felt confident in upgrading my desktop and dont regret it.

 

[compnovo]

I am running Win8 Pro (with WMC) on my desktop at home, started with the "betas". Initially I experimented with Start8, a very nice five buck utility for bringing back the Win7 style start menu, but went back to using the Modern UI last week. I have become so accustomed to using the MUI with my Surface that it is now second nature on the desktop, even with mouse and keyboard (I've long used the Win key short-cuts anyway).

The other three PCs in our house (my wife's desktop and netbook, and our media center PC) continue to run Win7. Unlike myself, my wife does not like "change for change's sake" and prefers to stick with what she knows. Win7 is an exceptional OS so it's hard for me to argue with her. I upgraded because I always do, computers are my hobby, but I kept Win8 because it's cleaner and faster than its predecessors.

 

[jnjroach]

I've upgraded all of m machines to Window 8 and Office 2013, being able to use native multi-touch across RDP was the clincher for me, so I use my Surface RT as my primary compute interface for all of my work machines and servers...

 

[yeewiz]

I bought a Win8Pro upgrade when it first came out and was contemplating installing the upgrade shortly. Using Win8 on my Dell laptop isn't going to be a problem after my experience with RT. The only thing that prevents me from pulling the trigger is FLOPS, Fear of Loss of Printers and Scanner. I have 3 trusty oddball lasers, Konica Minolta magicolor 2300, OKI MC160n, and HP 4L, on my network and I dread the anxiety of having to get printing and scanning to work when I push the button to install. And if I can't get printing/scanning working, then I dread having to buy a new multi-function laser.

 

[Rick Sutliffe]

yeewiz-
I have similar concerns and I love the acronym FLOPS (never heard it before), so after taking into account all the information and advice related to my post, I've decided to bite the bullet and install Win8. But, I'm going to hedge my bet somewhat. I'll clone my main drive (Intel 300GB SSD) onto a spare 300GB 10,000RPM WD Raptor drive and perform the upgrade on that drive. That way I'll be able to experiment with Win8 over the weekend and make the final decision in time for next week's work week. I'm looking forward to it.
Thanks to everyone for the help.

 

[Russ]

I'll clone my main drive.

Rick --

I always do upgrades on a cloned drive. It's hard to re-cross a burned bridge.

My guess is that you will like the new system and never look back.

Of course, we will expect a full report next week.

Good luck and take care,

Russ