Windows 8 or 7. Which would you choose?

My first PC was a DOS based machine. My second was a Windows 95 machine. I did not like the W95 machine because I didn't trust the drag and drop function to move files and folders. I wanted to type in a command so I knew exactly what the computer was doing. After a while I started to trust the fact that drag and drop worked. Then I got a Windows 98 machine and wished that it was like my old W95 machine. I cursed it because it was different but eventually grew to like it a lot. Then I got a Vista machine and decided that I would love it no matter what. I was wrong. Vista was a mistake, lots of problems with it. Then I got a Windows 7 machine that has been bullet proof. Last year I bought a W8 machine. I learned on day 1, hour 1 that all I needed to do to make it like my W7 machine was to click on Desktop on the Metro screen. Problem solved. I never got rid of the Vista machine and last year needed a second Desktop for my wife to use at our winter home in South Texas while I took the W8 machine to our summer home in NY. I reloaded the factory image on the Vista and did all the Windows updates. It has also been bullet proof since then. Every version of Windows has been an improvement over the last version and the problems that each and every version has get fixed. I would never make an effort to buy last years model of anything and W7 is already over 4 years old.

Simplygib wrote:


There was a time when I was on the bleeding edge of computer technology because I wanted to be.......

Me too.

When I see statements like the above - I chuckle and think about the "bleeding edge".....like business apps with IBM 1401, 7094, 360, etc.
And *90* column round-hole punched cards.
Shirt and tie *required* at Douglas Acft.
"Rank specific" ID badges for grunts through big shots.

Then, on to scientific apps at System Development Corp. (SDC).
Wore whatever you wanted - shorts and Hawaiian shirts = fine!
Everybody had the same type of badge/ID - all with 'Secret' Clearance minimum.
No way to tell the pres of the company from the janitor - w/o knowing their names, LOL!

The first week I was there, somebody points to a group of guys and says - "There's Jules Schwartz!"
Me - OK, so where's his brother Herbie?

"No, no! Jules Schwartz - you know the 'creator' of JOVIAL."

.... As in - "Jules Own Version Of The International Algorithmic Language".

Was still going strong in 2010 !!

Besides the "modern stuff" early "bleeding edge" at SDC was a first gen computer with floor to ceiling banks of drawers chock full of vacuum tubes - a second gen computer with a building built *around* the computer (pd for by IBM) with oil filled (for cooling) core - which was the first time-share computer.

BTW - that 1st gen computer was still in use at the time (late 60's) by the AF as part of the Western Defense Sector for NORAD.
It's console was later used for 'gee whiz' on the deck of the Star Ship Enterprise. Beam me up, Scottie!

So I moved on to be a shift supervisor for a DPF&G service center with a room full of UNIVAC 1108 stuff. Great pay and perks!

But, said enough of all this and decided putting wet stuff on the red stuff would be lots more exciting.
Only regret - why didn't I do that sooner?

Sure glad I did - made me "jovial" - - 'cause personal computers came along and all you folks inherited the next generation of fun and games!!..:B

.

Simplygib wrote:
I'm still using XP, but given the choice between 7 and 8 I'd definitely go with 7, just because it requires the least amount of retraining. It's familiar.

There was a time when I was on the bleeding edge of computer technology because I wanted to be, and was required to be (two decades in IT - first as a programmer and later in PC and network technical support). But with every new change in software a part of me always sympathized with many of my several hundred users who only wanted to get their jobs done, not be forced to deal with the distraction of incessant software upgrades.

After retiring 5 years ago, I found myself resisting new technology. Like those users, I only want to be able to get on my computer and do what I need to do, not mess with the OS, tweek the UI, etc. I did that for years until a little switch flipped in my brain, and I'd had ENOUGH.

When XP no longer works maybe I'll go to UBUNTU or whatever else I figure I can use for the next few decades.

X2.... Been in the same boat for 30 years and now Ubuntu 12.04 fits me best but I still have another system running Windows 7 Professional for those in the family that like the comfort zone.

I'm still using XP, but given the choice between 7 and 8 I'd definitely go with 7, just because it requires the least amount of retraining. It's familiar.

There was a time when I was on the bleeding edge of computer technology because I wanted to be, and was required to be (two decades in IT - first as a programmer and later in PC and network technical support). But with every new change in software a part of me always sympathized with many of my several hundred users who only wanted to get their jobs done, not be forced to deal with the distraction of incessant software upgrades.

After retiring 5 years ago, I found myself resisting new technology. Like those users, I only want to be able to get on my computer and do what I need to do, not mess with the OS, tweek the UI, etc. I did that for years until a little switch flipped in my brain, and I'd had ENOUGH.

When XP no longer works maybe I'll go to UBUNTU or whatever else I figure I can use for the next few decades.

I'm in IT, and part of my job is to stay current, no matter how ugly things turn... so, Windows Server 2012 R2 for me. This is the server version of Windows 8.1, and has a few useful features that I find useful, such as deduplication, Storage Spaces and ReFS.

Windows 8.1 has some features under the hood that are decent, but is it worth the UI change for other people. Not really. Stuff for me is one thing, for others, the UI change and other items can get in the way.

mikestock wrote:

strollin wrote:

mikestock wrote:
7. Had 8 and reverted to 7. No regrets. Windows 8 does not include some benefits like Windows Media Player. I use WMP to interface my tv adapter.

A common misunderstanding. Win 8 and 8.1 both have WMP, what they don't have is Windows Media Center which is now a pay extra for ($9.99) feature of Win 8 Pro. IMO, a small loss since WMC is horrible. Try installing XBMC instead. XBMC is free, has more features and also works on non Pro versions.

Lots of people don't like WMP either and install VLC instead.

Will this work with a tv adapter and allow you to record tv programs. That was the only reason I wanted to keep WMC. There were several other problems I ran into with W8. Most were small, but I could never find any redeeming features with W8 that seemed important to me.

Yes, you can but it does require setup. Check out the XBMC website here: XBMC

XBMC Live TV and PVR/DVR Setup Guide

XBMC runs on many platforms such as Win XP, Win 7, Win 8, Linux, Mac, etc...

I've "upgraded" to both windows 8 and 8.1. I'm now running Windows 7 Ultimate. Tested - found that I'm going to stay with 7 as long as I can.

strollin wrote:

mikestock wrote:
7. Had 8 and reverted to 7. No regrets. Windows 8 does not include some benefits like Windows Media Player. I use WMP to interface my tv adapter.

A common misunderstanding. Win 8 and 8.1 both have WMP, what they don't have is Windows Media Center which is now a pay extra for ($9.99) feature of Win 8 Pro. IMO, a small loss since WMC is horrible. Try installing XBMC instead. XBMC is free, has more features and also works on non Pro versions.

Lots of people don't like WMP either and install VLC instead.

Will this work with a tv adapter and allow you to record tv programs. That was the only reason I wanted to keep WMC. There were several other problems I ran into with W8. Most were small, but I could never find any redeeming features with W8 that seemed important to me.

I have used both Linux and Windows 7 OS. I much prefer Ubantu Linux. But!!! I cannot run the programs I need to, to get the job done. Linux will not run my database CRM program. Linux does not have an easy to use, fast, photo editor like Picasa. I get hundreds of pictures in and need to edit them, reduce the size, and store them where I can find them again. I tried all the photo software that I could find for Linux. None suited me. Picasa no longer is supported in Linux.

There are a bunch of other programs like the TL software for finding RV parks I like that only works in Windows.

mikestock wrote:
7. Had 8 and reverted to 7. No regrets. Windows 8 does not include some benefits like Windows Media Player. I use WMP to interface my tv adapter.

A common misunderstanding. Win 8 and 8.1 both have WMP, what they don't have is Windows Media Center which is now a pay extra for ($9.99) feature of Win 8 Pro. IMO, a small loss since WMC is horrible. Try installing XBMC instead. XBMC is free, has more features and also works on non Pro versions.

Lots of people don't like WMP either and install VLC instead.