Might try Windows 8 out.

Hi guys. I was wondering if it is a good idea to try the Windows 8 Pro.

It's on a Phenom II X4 2.6Ghz with 4GB RAM machine.

The reason why I want to try is because I can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for 3,300yen (about 37.44 USD) now.

Do you think it's wise to upgrade from Windows 7 Pro if I do Perl development?

Edited by stingraze 2013-01-23 8:43 AM

Perl won't matter, the Windows core is much the same.

It is whether you can live with the UI that you have to decide.

My two cents...having used XP, Win7, and Win8 for a while...stick with Win7 unless there is just something you absolutely want or love about the interface of Win8.

Go ahead and buy it since it is cheap...I did for only $15. But I'm not using it any longer. I'll keep it for another machine in the future...but I preferred the XP mode and compatibility of Windows 7...32bit mode versus the x64 Win8.

Big post on our experiences here: http://www.hpcfactor.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=16815&start=1&highlight=windows+8&highlightmode=1

Thanks for the input, C:Amie and Rich.

I think I will stick with 7 thinking about compatibility issues.

Maybe I will buy the retail package of Windows 8 soon, but when I can afford to, since it's not a necessity now.

Driver compatiblity in 8 is very good, especially out of the box. If a program was written for XP SP2+ you'll have no problem really with the app.

Oh really? That is great to hear. But Windows 98 / Me programs won't really work that much will it?

I want to try using an helicopter flight simulator program I bought in 2001. lol

No, limited chance there, especially on 64-bit. You do ahve Hyper-V in Windows 8 though (the XP Mode replacement). You can install a down-level OS in that and use it.

As I said; it is love hate between the UI. You either want to use it or you don't. The core is pretty stable.

My 2 cents after my experience machine wise.

If you have windows 7 on a desktop that's multi use, then no, upgrading really just makes navigating around the system more annoying. Perhaps a touch screen monitor "might" change that.

Now if you have a laptop (touch screen or not) & you do basic tasks on like web surfing, checking social things, listen to music, etc, full screen & don't really need or use much of anything needed in the desktop side, the tiles can be handy, in windows 8. if your touch pad can use gestures even better.

Thanks for the input.

If I were to use Windows 8 with touch mode, I would love to use Leap Motion (https://www.leapmotion.com/) , lol, since I think it's pretty cool.
I don't have a touchscreen laptop or desktop at the moment.

I like traditional touch screen, but Leap Motion seems to make things even cooler like the UI in Minority Report.

I see. I think I will stick to 7 for now then.

I agree with thcrw739 in that Win8 is great when you have simple use for the computer. But even if you use desktop mode a lot I don't think Win8 gets in the way too much. In the other thread I posted how to have a sort of "Start Menu" without 3rd party s/w or any weird hacking.

However, very soon you will find many apps only on Win8. Sure there will still be desktop apps, but they will probably be limited to complex apps that work better in desktop mode; everything else will just be on Win8 sooner or later.

With that in mind I think it's best to take advantage of the low upgrade pricing that ends before February. If you want to upgrade afterwards, it will cost a lot more.

The other day I went to a computer store (FutureShop) and they put all Windows 7 computers on clearance (almost half price), no doubt trying to rush them out before the cheap Win8 upgrade ends. When it ends they will not be able to sell any Win7 PCs even on clearance prices.

I am in the process of upgrading all my active computers to Win8 too. Just finished upgrading the 2nd desktop, which is running on a single core 1.6 Ghz Turion with 2GB ram. It's not as smooth as my dual-core desktop, but still surprisingly good. I am going to upgrade two more laptops today, before it's too late.

BTW as I noted on the other thread, I bought the DVDs for my first upgrade, for CDN$70, which comes with both 32b and 64b versions. So for all my other computers I can upgrade with the online offer CDN$40, and use either version with the license. For the 2nd desktop I used 64b first but there were some hardware compatibility issues, so I reinstalled to 32b. License works on both, even after I activated it on one and activate again with the other.

*edit* If you don't have the DVDs you will only be able to download one version of the installation, which corresponds to the Windows version you were ordering from. So if you are currently using 32-bit Windows, you can only upgrade to 32-bit Win8.

Edited by takwu 2013-01-28 6:58 PM

Or just get the ISO for the other architecture from somewhere else

In my view sharing protected installation media shouldn't be seen as piracy as the media is unusable without a license (although by the number of recent DCMA's Microsoft has issued on the subject you may think it was), sharing keys, keygens and crackers should of course be held as such.
Unprotected media (CD's, DVD movies etc) again, different story.

I thought about getting the cheap upgrade for about 15 seconds... then I remembered the UI, App Store and "microsoft account". I'm not lining Microsoft's pockets for what I find to be at best misguided decision making.

Computers aren't really computational devices any more, we are living in an age of Consumptors. Windows 8, iPad, Android are all the hallmarks of the change from 'doing' to 'consuming' on the PC. There is nothing wrong with that in my view, but some of us still want to do and not consume. Some of us also don't want to mix the two together. The companion device has in essence become the device itself.

As much as OS X and earlier Mac OS releases have always driven me up the wall with the way they do things I have always consistently maintained that I dislike looking at its UI, it's drab, grey little boxes and constant need to click things to change context. Windows 8 for me falls into the same category now as OS X, it's like someone let a teenage girl loose in the paint section of a DIY store and then got a tattoo. The new flat explorer interface looks dated, the coloured boxes on the start screen are garish and tacky, I don't want to sit and look at it any more than I want to look at tattoos.

Simple truth.

The DVDs actually say "Do not lend or make illegal copies", but of course just because it says so doesn't mean you can't... It's a grey area which I avoided by buying one set, and use them on multiple computers that I own, with separate keys. They cost me an extra $30, so it wasn't bad... Now if my friends want to borrow them, I would hesitate just because of what it says on it

You may not like the UI, but that's not enough reason to avoid the entire platform. The Windows Store and Microsoft Account does not hurt... If you want to remain anonymous just don't put your personal info in the account. So they have your Windows license, name and purchase history in the store; that's it, big deal? BTW you can use Windows 8 with a local account, but I'm not sure if you can access the store.

Windows 8 desktop mode has all the functionality of Windows 7, minus the Start Menu. And it's really quite separate from the modern side, so you aren't really mixing the two. You can stay in desktop mode all day "doing" things, and switch to modern to "consume" when you want.

However, if you don't get Windows 8, you won't have the option to get any of its apps. The way I see it I am paying $40 to add compatibility to many new but cheap apps on my old computers, extending their life quite a bit. If I don't, these computer will have to be replaced much sooner, by something running Windows 8, RT, Android, or *gasp* iOS.

BTW for those who didn't notice, I purchased an Android tablet not long ago, and it has replaced my old laptops for many tasks (and games). With the Win8 upgrade, the laptops will be used once again, for the times when an Android tablet simply doesn't cut it (in either s/w or h/w form factor, or both).

I agree with Chris for the most part, the ease of consumption is the first thing you will see, but the other stuff is still there, production, creation, etc... you just have too hunt for it. Like i said if you want to click and go windows 8 ( i guess Linux & other OS's offered the same earlier, but we are talking stability here with that familiar friend) BUT if you want front end, you want windows 7.

With the recent leaps and bounds of Linux, especially ubuntu, I'm seeing a clear division in the future for my devices: Windows * for desktop (or at least for the family laptop) and Linux on anything lesser. The netbooks I nurse along have efficient, limited capability--which pretty much sums up Linux. Faster boots, swifter responses, less virus hassle, etc, and unable to do bigger things, especially HPC and Outlook/PIM stuff.

I fought against this dichotomy, but speed trumps on smaller devices. I haven't yet played w/ a Win8 tablet, but for the price, I'm hoping for something quick.

Chris, I know your feelings about Linux, but you have such a tinkering mind, I would love to hear of you elbows-deep in a Linux console. The world would be a better place

Jake