windows 8.1 or windows 7

hbillsmith wrote:
I've been running Windows 10 tech review for 3 months and it has all the improvements that win7 users wanted in win8. It is easy to use and as others said will be a free upgrade from both win7 and win8.1

I've had Macs and Apple ipads also. I still dont get why anyone would be loyal to Apple. The reason they have free support stores is because their products are so restrictive and massively unintuitive. The reason they cost so much more is because they have to recover for free support stores.

Windows all the way. Whatever rev you choose, you will be fine.

This is turning into a bashing thread again and will likely get shut down thanks to these types of comments. If you are a windows lover, fine, but we dont need snipes about what you do and don't get about why people choose Mac over PC or visa versa. Thats frankly not your business.

As far as your comment snipe the Apple Store, once again incorrect. The Apple Store is a relatively new idea compared to how long the company has been around. And I'll bet you also had no idea that Microsoft has copied that idea to a T. And they're not even a hardware company.

When DW and I needed new laptops to replace our Windows 7 machines, we searched around till we found Windows 7 machines. We didn't want the learning curve.

I've been running Windows 10 tech review for 3 months and it has all the improvements that win7 users wanted in win8. It is easy to use and as others said will be a free upgrade from both win7 and win8.1

I've had Macs and Apple ipads also. I still dont get why anyone would be loyal to Apple. The reason they have free support stores is because their products are so restrictive and massively unintuitive. The reason they cost so much more is because they have to recover for free support stores.

Windows all the way. Whatever rev you choose, you will be fine.

I went from XP straight to Win 7 Professional and just ordered my third laptop with that OS. I have no regrets and originally went the Pro route so I could have the Virtual XP mode if needed, but that has not been an issue. I have no experience with the various flavors of Win 8, but just based on the initial reviews when it first came out I just didn't want to mess with it and would have been happy to stay with XP if that had been an option. I've been working with every flavor of OS from DOS in 1984 to present except for Win 95, Millenium, and Vista and of course Win 8/8.1. Heck my favorite was Windows Workgroup 3.1 with XP a close second :p

I don't think I would ever consider going to the dark side since IMO that means loosing all control and having what you can and can't do dictated to you so it's basically Apples way or no way.

Larry

I would go with a Win 7 computer. I have a new laptop that came with Win 8.1. The day I started it up I got a message from Microsoft that said Win 8.1 would soon be discontinued and replaced with "Win 8.1 Update" and I must update now. (Yes that is the actual name of the OS that is now supported - Win 8.1 update.) This was before the announcement of Win 10 which has yet to happen other than in Beta testing.

The Win 8.1 Update put back a few familiar features from Win 7 including a Shut Down button. The first thing I did with the new laptop is tweek it - only with Windows settings - to not have to log in every time the OS starts and to open directly to Desktop bypassing the annoying app screen. The app screen is nothing more than a glorified Start Menu and if you stop all of these apps from connecting to the internet and delete most of them what you get is a full screen start menu with all of your installed software - not just the mostly useless Microsoft apps. With the computer set up like this - especially on the desktop, it is no different from Win 7. But you have to stand on your head to get it there.

I have experienced a few problems - when it wants to update it updates and I have found no way to turn this off - and it will not shut down until the updates are complete once started. I also wanted to back up the hard drive with Acronis and Win 8.1 would not work with the version of Acronis that I have (it could not find the laptop's hard drive) and apparently only works with the newest Acronis version. I had to find new back up software just for the laptop. Installing printer drivers was not as easy as Win 7. Screen resolution on the laptop is limited and if you have trouble seeing small fonts there is no way to just set the resolution to a easily readable font without losing half the screen. The touch screen can be bypassed. My laptop has a touch screen but I don't use it unless the mouse is being a pain.

All and all I would stick with Win 7 - it is all there and you don't have to jump through a circus hoop to get it to work the way you are used to. And apparently Win 10 is going back to Win 7 in its interface - chalk up another MS mistake with Win 8/8.1- like Windows Millennium and Vista.

AllegroD wrote:
FWIW ...

2. Please do not base a decision on the forth coming Win 10. It might be a free upgrade but that is looking like for the first year only. After that you will be likely be paying anual dues to continue with Win 10/11/12/13 etc. Have not seen the pricinig yet but appears that you will just be renting.

Win 10 upgrade will be free forever if you upgrade within the first year. If you wait to upgrade after the first year then you will have to buy the OS. No annual fees for Win 10.

Future versions might follow a subscription model but that remains to be seen.

Everyone seems to think that there is a huge learning curve when going to a Mac. I went over to the dark side 4 years ago and yes, there is a difference. But if someone as old as I am can learn the system, anybody can. Biggest change is learning that you don't delete in Mac, you send it to trash :)
I think there is a bigger learning curve to the Windows OS. Its changing a lot between every new upgrade...7 to 8, 8 to whatever comes next. In four years I've upgraded my Mac OS and really never noticed a change. Programs still work as they always did. I have to admit, I partitioned my HD so i can run both, Mac and Windows but the only time I go to Windows is for the Family Tree Maker. :)
Then best think I can say for Mac is that its over 4 years old and as up to date now as it was when I bought it and I have no reason to get a new one. With a PC I could seldom get over 2 years out of one without it pooping out.

Altern wrote:

bgant4 wrote:
Getting a new computer. Which operating SYSTEM SHOULD I get? Windows 8.1 or windows 7.

Neither. Do yourself a favor & buy a Mac.

Hmm.. let me see.. For $200-$300 I can buy a really screaming fast system board plus a quad core Intel processor, bunch of memory, 1TB HD, BluRay BURNER and a nice looking case plus 850W power supply.. $130 for Win7 OEM OS, $100 for a 24" monitor.. All told $530 "invested" into a system that will beat the pants off any $2000 "Mac" and run 99.9% of the software ever available..

A $2000 "Mac" nets you a very old antiquidated "business model" of highly proprietary hardware, firmware which is NOT available for you the consumer to purchase or repair.. Not to mention every time a new proprietary OS is released your HARDWARE is ALWAYS OBSOLETED and therefore a expensive doorstop in one or two years.

I CAN buy every NEEDED part to build or repair a PC, not so with the world of "Macs".

I CAN buy every part for a PC very inexpensively, forget about that for "Macs", those parts are only available from Apple and if you can get them they WANT the old parts back.

"Macs" are also NOT "impervious" to virus, malware, nor is the OS code "perfect".. It has many flaws and security holes, you just don't realize it..

Isolating yourself on the "Mac Island" gives you a false sense of security that is not real.. Give the PC users a break and quit pushing the "mac" thing..

8.1 and if you don't like the interface, download "Classic Shell" and make it look like whatever version of Windows you want.

Its important to stay up to date with your OS and patches that come out, same with Java, IE and Chrome....etc.

pianotuna wrote:
--snip-- I really wish that computers would stop evolving, and that they were worthwhile fixing, instead of being a "throw away".

Thats because we're all old and come from a fix it rather than toss it mentality. Technology as it is today didn't evolve anywhere near as fast in the 'old' days, and we all did fine.