Dump Windows 8 Or Not ?

[Greg2013]

Ok potentially getting new laptop tomorrow, it comes with windows 8 pre installed. I keep hearing bad things about this OS giving grief. Should i dump it in favour of windows 7? Please no suggestions of using Linux or Ubuntu, not interested in those at this time. Its for college work but also internet usage,Toshiba something, 8GB DDR3 Ram, 1TB HDD,15.6' screen, thats all i can remember for now.It will not blow your socks off but should suffice me.

[LordEoin]

I'd just leave it as windows 8 and switch it to desktop mode.
Anyting bad i've heard about 8 is related to metro mode.

Windows 7 was hated at the start too, and vista, and xp, 2000 and 98.
Folks loved 3.1 and 95 cos they were cutting edge, but love to hate new windows.
But if it's what comes with the computer, just leave it.

You'll get used to it and it will get better with updates.

[beerfly]

Running win 7 and it's pretty solid. Not a fan of the win 8 metro interface. Even ignoring that it seems like an acquired taste. I'd say give it a shot. Worst case you can install win 7

[Bazza]

+1 beerfly

In my opinion I'd get shot of Win8 faster than herpes; it's truly awful and irritates the sh*t out of you, if you're used to NT4, 98, 2000, XP and 7 (I've deliberately omitted the bad ones e.g. Vista *spit* )

I recently got a new Toshiba laptop with an AMD chip, for around £400. It was an upgrade from my old Acer Vista machine whose hard drive was slowly failing before my eyes (constantly hanging during mundane operations like web browsing, restarting for no reason, blue screening, etc).

If I'd wanted an effing phone interface I'd have bought a Nokia Lumia or something, not a laptop. This OS is the most irritating, restrictive and frustrating thing I've ever had the misfortune to use. The updates haven't improved things much either.

And guess what - it freezes frequently during mundane operations like web browsing, leave it for more than 10 minutes and it restarts of its own accord, losing anything you had open (mostly Beersmith).

My work laptop has 7 on it. Slick, intuitive, easy to use, easy to configure and best of all, STABLE.

It's most likely a case where Win8 is runining a perfectly decent laptop but as things stand I'm ready to reverse the car over the f***er.

(I appreciate I've done nothing to cure the Apple folk of their tremendous smugness with that rant)


-Barry

[eanna]

I've been running windows 8 alongside Linux since release day and I say keep it. The metro ui is crap, especially with no touchscreen, and a bit buggy too but you can ignore it almost entirely. Apart from that I think it runs better than 7, and the 8.1 update is supposed to help hide metro if you want.

[LordEoin]

@bazza - just turn metro off.

[baphomite51]

how do u turn metro off and what exactly is the difference?

[brian_c]

I'd say keep 8, we're all going to be dragged kicking and screaming there eventually, may as well get used to it. 8.1 makes it slightly more tolerable for Windows 7 fans in any case. Personally I think the Windows 8 desktop is enough of an evolution over 7 that I notice what's missing when I use 7 in work.

Here are some tips for optimising Windows 8.1 for the desktop
http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/windows-81-tip-optimize-desktop

Take what I say with a pinch of salt though, I'm of the opinion that Microsoft were shite for years and finally in recent years (from 7 onwards) have started to make good software. Totally opposite the common option, I know. I hated XP with a passion, Vista was more tolerable (I had a high range PC and it ran like a dream), and 7 was very usable but old tech now.  I love my touchscreen 8.1 laptop, my Windows Phone 8 and a Surface 2 is next on my shopping list.

[Greg2013]

Ok well i got the new laptop and am running in desktop mode but every time i move the mouse these two side bars appear over whatever page i am on and its bloody irritating. There is a lot of bloatware on this from what i can see which will be coming off as soon as i burn a rescue disc so i always have a hard copy of the original setup.

Too early to tell yet but it looks ok so far, however only been using it half an hour so far so will have better idea tomorrow. One thing that is bugging me is that i can't find a system update option and no control panel so far.

[Kevco5]

Control panel is in the side bar with you move the cursor to the left edge, could be under settings.

[brian_c]

Right click on the start button, you get Control Panel, Update and all the other power user stuff.

[Greg2013]

Found how to update thanks guys, i guess i have some figuring out to do, nothing is where i am used to it being lol

[Greg2013]

Ok i need some further help(stop laughing CH). First the mouse touch pad has stopped responding but my usb backup works fine.Second the home button on goggle chrome has disappeared somewhere.Teething problems i know but any help appreciated guys.

[johnrm]

Sometimes there is a button just over the touch pad that disables it. Someone's there is a Fn/function key sequence that dis/enables it.
Make/model?

[Greg2013]

Yes i saw that disable button Johnrm but that was not the problem. Somebody else suggested uninstalling the track pad and rebooting to re install it and that worked, at least for now, don't know why it disappeared in the first place though? Same person said uninstall Chrome and re install which i did and then went into settings and was able to get home button back.

As i said i reckon i am bound to have a few teething problems but i think just out of stubborness i will stick with W8 for now until i get used to it and find where everything is. I created a rescue disc on a clean usb stick so i at least have a clean install handy if i need it.Cheers.