Windows 7 or 8??

Ok, so I scored a new high performance SSD (solid state drive) with a 'black Friday' sale. I'm in the process of backing up my system in order to install the new drive (for the OS and apps) as well as another pair of drives (higher performance SAS drives) to take over for the ones I've been using. So, all the drives in my system will be getting replaced. Since I'm not one to try to clone my existing OS over to the new drive (usually doesn't fare so well) I'm going to be installing from scratch (downloading the Windows 7 x64 with SP1 iso now). I have access to Windows 8 too (thank you TechNet subscription), so I could install that here too. I have it on my Windows tablet, and it seems pretty good, on a tablet. Just wondering how many people, with new systems, are using Windows 8 (non-touch screens please) and either like, love, or hate it.

I also have Office 2013 downloaded, and will be burning media of that iso. Trying to decide if I should upgrade to that as well. I know 2010 works well, and don't see any issues with 2013 so far (also have it on the Windows tablet)...

Vote up and lets see what's what.

I have no opinions to share about Win8, but a TechNet subscription is the best money ever spent on computers.

The only thing wrong with the options is that none of them are linux.

KBentley57 said:

The only thing wrong with the options is that none of them are linux.

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Not using that for the main OS on my tower. IF I need to use Linux, I'll fire up a VM (Workstation 9 :rockin and use it. When done, I'll go back to the main system and not worry about it. Everything I need to use runs on Windows. I've not seen the vSphere Client available for a Linux desktop (yet)... Since I'm a VMware admin/IT professional, I need access to ALL the tools native to the OS on my system. To try and run a VM so that I can then administrate my ESXi host is not viable for me.

I couldn't find the none of the above selection.

I run it on a desktop. It runs fine without the touch screen...but I'd install Windows 7 if it were me

headbanger said:

I couldn't find the none of the above selection.

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That's because it's not an option. Looking for feedback on the options listed...

I WILL be installing Windows 7 or 8 on this system. I WILL be installing either Office 2010 (using it now) or 2013 (have it downloaded and the keys already)...

Stay focused people...

BTW, this is definitely a more 'G' rated thread compared with the last one I started.

I was just messing with 8 a little last night at my brothers.
If you have a touch screen, it might be OK. It's a mess though. Everything you knew is out the window.
All the things you learned to make life on the computer easier are no longer pertinent.
I told my sister in law she should order 7 and quit stressing over how 8 works.

If there is a store near by with computers, go mess with a windows 8 computer. Try and do specific things you do every day on your computer.

It did take a bit of work to get the tablet setup the way I could use it. I'm probably just going to install Windows 7 x64 SP1 on the tower... It has plenty of raw power (dual e5345 Xeon's, 16GB RAM, 8800 GTX video card, etc.) so I'm not concerned there. I might be looking to get a more quiet/cooler running video card soon.

One thing I don't like about Windows 8 is they completely took away the Start menu. You can [sort of] navigate either via the apps selection (pull up from the bottom of the screen) but it's still not as good. I use the command window, and run line, for a good amount of stuff, so I needed to put those where I could get them.

windows 8 would be good for a tablet / phone application. they should have never developed anything other than RT. it isn't very strong for anything other than facebook and other mindless tasks. If you are a serious computer user, or using your computer for work or anything that isn't causal browsing it is terrible. The separation between the desktop and the start tabs is terrible. Plus not having a start button in the Desktop mode is confusing. I installed the app to put it back but that stuff i don't want to do on a brand new OS. Did not like it. Period. I hope they never develop an enterprise version... it would be terrible.

45_70sharps said:

If there is a store near by with computers, go mess with a windows 8 computer. Try and do specific things you do every day on your computer.

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This. Sort of.

Since you are using TechNet, I say install 7 as the primary OS and 8 on a sep partition/drive as an option.

I am not a power user by any means but I have learned the hard way to have multiple drives for everything and keep the OS and other software on a dedicated drive away from any other files.

carguy13 said:

windows 8 would be good for a tablet / phone application. they should have never developed anything other than RT. it isn't very strong for anything other than facebook and other mindless tasks. If you are a serious computer user, or using your computer for work or anything that isn't causal browsing it is terrible. The separation between the desktop and the start tabs is terrible. Plus not having a start button in the Desktop mode is confusing. I installed the app to put it back but that stuff i don't want to do on a brand new OS. Did not like it. Period. I hope they never develop an enterprise version... it would be terrible.

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Isn't it MS's development plan to always play leapfrog with a POC OS so that the Win9 (facelift for Win7) will come out looking revolutionary?

carguy13 said:

windows 8 would be good for a tablet / phone application. they should have never developed anything other than RT.

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My working theory is that since they haven't been competitive in the phone market, they are trying to merge the two so that people will start buying windows phones when it gets to the point of people running the same thing at home. Sort of gambling a lot on the market they have cornered to get an edge in a market they don't do well in.

GilaMinumBeer said:

This. Sort of.

Since you are using TechNet, I say install 7 as the primary OS and 8 on a sep partition/drive as an option.

I am not a power user by any means but I have learned the hard way to have multiple drives for everything and keep the OS and other software on a dedicated drive away from any other files.

Click to expand...

That's a good option if you are interested in running windows 8. It would save some headache and if 8 becomes the standard you would have a head start.

When Windows NT came out, I had a system that was running NT, IBM's OS2, Windows.... must have been 95 and dos. Multi boot and I would play with all of them.

I'm not interested in that stuff now. I just want one system that works and I don't have to mess with to get it to do the things I need.

I've been using Win8 since July I think, like it, and would recommend putting it on your SSD. It's pretty much Win7, but the desktop is now a separate app. Once you log in, just click the 'desktop' app, and it's a pretty similar desktop experience. The task manager is nicer, and it ships with hyper-v.

One thing to look into is that the life of most (all?) SSDs will decrease the more you write to them, move the more write intensive directories (user directories, temp, recycling bin) to a regular hard disc.

GilaMinumBeer said:

Isn't it MS's development plan to always play leapfrog with a POC OS so that the Win9 (facelift for Win7) will come out looking revolutionary?

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yeah, but i think the new lead developer is doing away with that. she is combining the two teams.

GilaMinumBeer said:

This. Sort of.

Since you are using TechNet, I say install 7 as the primary OS and 8 on a sep partition/drive as an option.

Click to expand...

Ummmm, no. IF I'm going to run another OS on a system, I'll simply make a VM for it via VMware Workstation. OR run it on my ESXi host server. Not about to go down the multi-boot rabbit hole.

45_70sharps said:

My working theory is that since they haven't been competitive in the phone market, they are trying to merge the two so that people will start buying windows phones when it gets to the point of people running the same thing at home. Sort of gambling a lot on the market they have cornered to get an edge in a market they don't do well in.

That's a good option if you are interested in running windows 8. It would save some headache and if 8 becomes the standard you would have a head start.

When Windows NT came out, I had a system that was running NT, IBM's OS2, Windows.... must have been 95 and dos. Multi boot and I would play with all of them.

I'm not interested in that stuff now. I just want one system that works and I don't have to mess with to get it to do the things I need.

Click to expand...

Really wasn't looking for a discussion on corporate policy and why they are doing what they're doing here...

m_stodd said:

I've been using Win8 since July I think, like it, and would recommend putting it on your SSD. It's pretty much Win7, but the desktop is now a separate app. Once you log in, just click the 'desktop' app, and it's a pretty similar desktop experience. The task manager is nicer, and it ships with hyper-v.

One thing to look into is that the life of most (all?) SSDs will decrease the more you write to them, move the more write intensive directories (user directories, temp, recycling bin) to a regular hard disc.

Click to expand...

The decrease was part of the issues earlier with SSD's. I believe the newer models (like the one I have) have worked out that issue. Since I'll be using a pair of Seagate Constellation SAS drives for the additional storage (500GB each) either mirrored or striped (not sure which yet) I'll have a decent amount of space. I'll be using my SAN/NAS for more things with this though. The SSD I picked up is a 256GB model, so it will easily hold the OS, my apps, and items that will benefit from the performance of the drive.

Anyone using Office 2013 yet??

I had the windows phone, hated it. Windows 8 for PC is built on a lot of the same idea's.

Sticking with windows 7, I like it thus far and have zero interest in changing it.

what was the problem with the windows phone?

carguy13 said:

what was the problem with the windows phone?

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I don't want to derail this thread, but just a few points;
The apps were stored in a single long list. The micro SD card slot was present but didn't work at all until a year later when an update was present, and you had to wipe the entire phone when you inserted a card for it to work(If it would work, which wasn't guaranteed). The app's available were promised to be numerous soon after launch, but are still sparse compared to android and apple. Lots of services and features are not supported on the windows phone. Skype, Pandora, etc. My phone finally stopped charging shortly after a year (As did 5 others for people I work with) so I was able to switch over to android. The phone was purchased as a business phone and the whole office has been plagued with problems since day 1. There are zero backgrounds, you can choose out of around 8~10 profile colors, and that's the extent of customization. Custom ring tones were NOT an option until a year after launch. Now to even set a ringtone from a MP3 is very difficult.

I could go on and on, I dealt with all the trouble shooting for my office, so I got the brunt of frustrations from everyone.

I'm still running XP because I like it. my wife runs 7 and likes it.

I was only partially kidding about the linux option. I'm fortunate enough to not to be required to use windows, and haven't for a few years. There are a few things lacking, but I have alternatives to any windows program for the first part. It sounds like you could have any multitudes of VM's anyways, why not just run them all?

I don't use windows often, but when I do, I use Windows 7.

KBentley57 said:

I was only partially kidding about the linux option. I'm fortunate enough to not to be required to use windows, and haven't for a few years. There are a few things lacking, but I have alternatives to any windows program for the first part. It sounds like you could have any multitudes of VM's anyways, why not just run them all?

I don't use windows often, but when I do, I use Windows 7.

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My VMware ESXi host runs several servers. A mix of Windows and Linux in fact. On my main system, I'll be installing the OS fresh onto the new C drive.

Looking like I'll just stick with Windows 7 (x64 SP1) for the native OS. I'll have to see what I have for VM's under Workstation. If I need them (still) I'll just copy them off to my NAS/SAN. Otherwise, I can always make them again later.

BTW, I did try running just Linux for the main OS on a system. But since there are a few key items not available for it, it lost out. I'm not going to run a VM just so that I can use the software to manage my ESXi host. Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of IT service providing companies are going that route and giving their engineers Crapple laptops. They have to run VMware Fusion in order to run any of the tools they need in order to do their job. Seems really F'd up to me. Especially when you can get a much higher spec/better laptop from one of the major brands for less money (and with a better warranty). But that's all for another thread.

We've Windows 7 on desk and lap top. We've got it on some work PCs too. We like it.

My Windows phone has 7.5, which sure looks a lot like the 8 demos I've seen. This is a touch screen phone. I like it.

Touchscreen, Win8.

Everything else, Win7.

I've got 7 on a laptop (very cool ultrabook) and Vista (yes, Vista) on my main PC.

I have the opportunity to upgrade the Vista machine to 8, but I think I'll pass. It means I have to re-install all my apps. Argh.

I'd jump from Vista to 7 in a heartbeat. I actually had to remove Vista from my system and run XP until 7 came out. SO much better than Vista was (the abortion OS).

I need to see what apps I have that are updated to run on Windows 8 (for no extra cost). If a few key apps are not ready, then that seals the deal for me.

At least with dual monitors, I could run a Windows 8 VM until everything else has been updated to work with it (properly).

Golddiggie said:

I'd jump from Vista to 7 in a heartbeat. I actually had to remove Vista from my system and run XP until 7 came out. SO much better than Vista was (the abortion OS).

I need to see what apps I have that are updated to run on Windows 8 (for no extra cost). If a few key apps are not ready, then that seals the deal for me.

At least with dual monitors, I could run a Windows 8 VM until everything else has been updated to work with it (properly).

Click to expand...

Vista has been much, much better than XP. Actually, I run a lot of PCs and laptops around the house. Most are running 7. I like 7 a lot, but I have not real problem with Vista. I run 3 monitors on the Vista machine.

I had some issues with Vista (inherent to the OS), which is why I couldn't stay with it. Could have been solved with later updates, but since this is my main system at home, I needed it stable. Windows 7 has the stability I need and enough stuff runs on it (that I also need) to keep me going.

I can only fit a pair of 24" LCD's on my desk. Not really looking to go to wall mount just to wedge another display in there. Besides, my video card only has the two digital (DVI) outputs on it.

Unix for OS, Lotus Notes for email and Lotus Symphony for office type apps. No Microsoft required.

At work, our workstations are xp, I run 7 on my work laptop, and am testing 8 for the migration of the work stations. I like 8, I can really appreciate what they are trying to do with it. For a desktop, it's ok but for a tablet I can see where it has the potential especially if you are out in the field.

I say move to 8. If the Windows tablets catch on like I hope they will, it will be the standard OS. I'm not an MS fan by any stretch but I do want to see it succeed so that there is more competition in the tablet market.

If you are worried about not having the start button or how they moved all the programs around and need programs at your fingertips, try out launchy.

shelly_belly said:

Unix for OS, Lotus Notes for email and Lotus Symphony for office type apps. No Microsoft required.

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For me, that's a recipe for FoF...

I left Unix/Linux off the choices for a reason you know... I also left off the Lotus/IBM software for a reason. Neither is a viable option for me.

Peter_h; I actually want the same functionality I get from the Start menu. Not just pulling up applications via key commands. There are apps that I don't use very often, so they're not in the taskbar, or have an alias on the desktop. Currently, I just dig them up via the Start menu. They're easy to locate there, so it's no issue. Besides, I do use keyboard commands while in some applications, like Photoshop, that I don't want to worry about being detected by something else.

Since this is a desktop/tower system, and not a tablet, I'm leaning towards going with Windows 7. I do hope that Microsoft releases an update, patch, etc. that will at least allow us to get back the GUI functionality present with Windows 7. I think that lack of functionality is seriously hurting the adoption of Windows 8 for businesses/corporations. To have to train users for a completely new interface isn't all that viable for a lot of companies.

Peter_h said:

At work, our workstations are xp, I run 7 on my work laptop, and am testing 8 for the migration of the work stations. I like 8, I can really appreciate what they are trying to do with it. For a desktop, it's ok but for a tablet I can see where it has the potential especially if you are out in the field.

I say move to 8. If the Windows tablets catch on like I hope they will, it will be the standard OS. I'm not an MS fan by any stretch but I do want to see it succeed so that there is more competition in the tablet market.

If you are worried about not having the start button or how they moved all the programs around and need programs at your fingertips, try out launchy.

Click to expand...

to me needing an after market addition to the OS means that it's not complete. it should be convenient and comfortable right off the shelf. if it's not i see it as a crappy product. no matter who makes it.

Golddiggie said:

I had some issues with Vista (inherent to the OS), which is why I couldn't stay with it. Could have been solved with later updates, but since this is my main system at home, I needed it stable. Windows 7 has the stability I need and enough stuff runs on it (that I also need) to keep me going.

I can only fit a pair of 24" LCD's on my desk. Not really looking to go to wall mount just to wedge another display in there. Besides, my video card only has the two digital (DVI) outputs on it.

Click to expand...

Yea, you need another card. Needs to be same manuf. I don't think I could cope with less than 3 with what I do. I'm going to 4 soon.

I should be able to fit a pair of 27-30" screens on my desk, if I wanted to. Issue I have is that they cost big bucks if I want to have the same, or a higher, resolution of what I have now (1920x1200 per display). As for adding another video card, I don't even think I have a slot open/available to use. The current video card takes up two slots. IF I trim that down, I could squeeze another card in there.

carguy13 said:

to me needing an after market addition to the OS means that it's not complete. it should be convenient and comfortable right off the shelf. if it's not i see it as a crappy product. no matter who makes it.

Click to expand...

Actually I would recommend launchy with any OS. It's just a great program, period.

Peter_h said:

Actually I would recommend launchy with any OS. It's just a great program, period.

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Don't see a valid need for it, for me at least. I'm not so pressed for time that I can't go to the Start menu for those things. When in programs, I already know the key commands for things I use often enough.

There is no, "Use win7, because there doesn't seem to be a reason to "upgrade" to 8 unless you have a tablet".

On the other hand, 8 is very cheap right now...

i wonder why? ...you get what you pay for.

Cost isn't the issue right now since I get it through TechNet.

for several technologically advanced people cost isn't an issue. i'm just saying that's a good way to gauge a product... especially a Windows OS. When was the last time you saw a Windows OS for that cheap, w/o some kind of discount or promotion?