Windows 7 or 8

[givetoget]

Hello, We just bought a PC a couple months ago. It has windows 7. The place said we could update to windows 8 if we want. My ? is has anyone used both and what did they prefer. Pros and cons . The sales person at store said windows 8 seemed to complicated. Any and all advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Whoaru99]

I haven't used W8 but I have seen it. It is considerably different and as I understand there is no option to change the interface layout back to something resembling a previous version.

If you can, go someplace that sells computers and take a test drive.

[upnorth]

I agree the user interface has changed dramatically and not sure if you can customize or roll it back. It really seems to be more of a tablet style interface to me. But I have not had the chance to really look at it. Like Who mentioned go someplace where you can take it for a test drive first.

[jac714]

I have both, if you have a touch screen then go with 8 if not I think 7 is the better interface.

If you go with 8 there is a learning curve, this is especially true if you are doing a lot of custom configuration stuff.

[Whoaru99]

Not to mention that Windows seems to be somewhat of an "every other one is OK" deal. ME sucked, XP good, Vista sucked, W7 good, W8 ???

[itchmesir]

W8 is aimed more towards the tablet market than it is towards the home pc market.. Seeing as that's where MS and other companies believe the way of the home PC is going.. The fam went in on a computer for my step-dad for xmas.. I do NOT like Windows 8.. and I hope I never have to use it.. I'll pay to have any future computer purchases to be rolled back to Win7 if it comes down to it.. It was nothing but headaches trying to set it up.. and i couldn't find jack for customizations to change something as simple as the touch pad on the laptop

[givetoget]

Thanks everyone for the help and advice,I think I will stay with the 7 version.

[MN Mike]

Thanks everyone for the help and advice,I think I will stay with the 7 version.

I think you have made a good choice. We've run Windows 8 for sometime now and I'm posting this on a Win 8 tablet, so far I don't think much of Win 8, maybe that will change in time but it is a steep learning curve and best suited for a touch screen device IMO.

Mike

[Pinusbanksiana]

I like windows 7 except lately I have an issue with it not waking up after it hibernates or sleeps. Need to boot it each time because it is freezing. Only issue I have had though.

[upnorth]

Try reading a few of these, you may find a solution.

Web search

[Nick Kuhn]

My brother had that issue but running a few of the Windows updates took care of that for him.

[Shack]

Preferably I would recommend Windows 8 to anyone looking to upgrade. It is not designed specifically for tablets but for touch screen in general and is geared more for new style applications than anything. There is no issue though running it on a laptop or desktop and I have grown to prefer it over Win 7 after using it now since its inception from beta.

[delcecchi]

Shack, you are one of the few I have read that recommends 8 over 7 for normal PC uses without touch screen/tablet/etc.

[aanderud]

Between win7 and win8, I'd say pick the computer that's the best buy for you, and use whichever OS it comes with. While I don't see the need to fully downgrade the OS to windows 7, I will say there's no reason to upgrade to windows 8 either. (again, I'm speaking from a laptop/desktop configuration, not a tablet).

For normal desktop usage, there's absolutely no benefit to windows 8 over 7. In fact, most people who use windows for more than instant messaging and facebook will opt to totally disable the new user interface in windows 8 (they call it 'metro') and boot to a desktop that looks just like windows 7. In the release candidates, microsoft allowed this via a registry tweak. In the new version, you have to download a third party app. I've opted to use "classic shell", which not only skips the 'metro' UI but also adds back in a start button for ease of use.

The two OSes (Win7 and Win 8) use the same kernel, meaning that any low level operation will be essentially the same between the two OSes. Seems like any win7 drivers out there pretty much work on win8.

To me, it is It is surprising that after 3 years since the win7 release, they opted for such a small functional change (kernel-wise, at least) -- yet in 2013 they're slated to release the next version of windows, which WILL have a new kernel (and thus will need new drivers, and will be expected to function slightly differently than today's OS).

[Jeremy airjer W]

I have played around with windows 8 on a couple of occasions. Being a person that mostly uses tablets (iPad) and android based phones for everything I really like the layout/presentation of 8. Whether or not it is a better product I can't comment on.

I will be buying a new pc in the near future along with a touch screen monitor (I have my eye on the new acer) I am looking forward to windows 8. I know that there will be a much steeper learning curve once the product is in my home but the ergonomics (assimilation may be a better way to describe it) just makes sense to me.

This will be a huge difference since I will be upgrading from windows vista!

[givetoget]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. With all the help and info I think I will stick with 7.

[Shack]

Shack, you are one of the few I have read that recommends 8 over 7 for normal PC uses without touch screen/tablet/etc.

Yeah, I am slightly different from the normal user though LOL. I am actually a huge Unix and Ubuntu guy more or less but anticipate radical and drastic changes for the most part. BA is right and Win 8 is basically an enhanced GUI switch over and really I just find the interface more appealing than the enhanced Win 95 feel I have been using for so many years with 2000, XP, Vista and Win 7. Once you get the learning curve down the interface of Win 8 wen used on a laptop/desktop does have it's subtle benefits IMO. But you have to want the change and yes, if you do not like drastic change then Win 8 is not going to be something you will want to change out Win 7 for.

[Pinusbanksiana]

My brother had that issue but running a few of the Windows updates took care of that for him.

Tried that and it seemed to work for a little bit last night, but not working again today. I may have to bring it in. That other post, no links showed up.

[delcecchi]

BTW, I have an old laptop I want to put ubuntu on. How should I set up the disk? I can't find anyplace with good advice as to the volumes or mount points or whatever. The first time I ended up with too small a primary and now have to fix it.

[Shack]

delcecchi let's start another thread for this as it might pose useful for others.

I might even have an archived tutorial for you on how to do this and with pics.

[Meat-Run]

Santa brought me a HP with the new W8 and I'm really not happy with the new format but it's just taking me longer to get used to it. I think it's better suited for a touch screen computer/hand held units, more or less it gets in the way and I select the "desktop" and work from there.

MR

[Jacques1]

Hello, We just bought a PC a couple months ago. It has windows 7. The place said we could update to windows 8 if we want. My ? is has anyone used both and what did they prefer. Pros and cons . The sales person at store said windows 8 seemed to complicated. Any and all advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Yeah he says right. Window 8 has lot of extra features but sometime seems that little bit of complicated.

[motley man]

There are a lot of problems with windows 8 and they are coming out with a new set-up for it. It's a pain in the !## and you can not access any maintenance such as defrag, and other areas.

[upnorth]

Just my opinion(and that of a fair amount of my IT colleagues) , but Windows 8 is a tablet OS. It is the most miserable OS from an PC administration point of view that microsoft has put out yet. I am hoping this goes the way of Millennium and Vista and quick.