The Truth About Windows 8

[LCDArcade]

I am getting really tired about all these misconceptions about Windows 8. I decided that I would clear them once and for all with 3 main points.

User interface
Everyone seems to think that modern UI shown in commercials and such is the only thing you get in Windows 8 which is not true. You get the the best of both worlds with Windows 8. If you are using a laptop with a touch screen then you will enjoy the optimized interface for ease of use. If you are running W8 on a desktop then you have the option to never even have to turn to the modern UI; you still have access to the same old W7 desktop experience you know and love. Lets say you plug in a USB device or an external HDD. A window will pop up and ask how you want to open those files for the future.

Speed
Many benchmarks from various people and websites including Microsoft themselves have proven Windows 8 to be 15-20% faster than Windows 7. Boot times are a common example for system benchmarks so I will use those here as well. Windows 7 has an average boot time of about 35-45 seconds while Windows 8 is coming in at around 8-10 seconds (and of course depending on your system specs and whether you have an SSD or not). The average user saw a 16% speed increase in their every day computer usage in Windows 8 vs Windows 7.

Gaming
Seeing as how Windows 8 brings a steady 15-20% speed increase from Windows 7, it is also plausible to see a performance increase in your games as well again depending on your current system specs. I know that there are a lot of steam fanatics out there and there is an actual steam APP in the store currently I think you all will find it handy, and I talk a little bit about this in the video below.


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I do however would like to know the opinions from everyone else out there who is still using Windows 7 who refuse to upgrade.

[Cyanotical]

runs faster than windows 7

the start menu is not a big deal

the apps suck

[Xarkan]

I do however would like to know the opinions from everyone else out there who is still using Windows 7 who refuse to upgrade.

Even if a new windows version is identical from a user standpoint* to a previous version i would personally never upgrade for a year to give Microsoft time to fix whatever gaping holes they have not yet found but that would be quickly become obvious due to people recklessly upgrading to a new shiny

This is not a mark against Microsoft, a year is a low amount of time.

Has it been a year yet? No? Then it is not yet time to even examine the product, i leave beta testing to beta testers

*) obviously it never is. Even when they try to make it so it never ever is. But that was besides the point

[Cyanotical]

Even if a new windows version is identical from a user standpoint to a previous version i would personally never upgrade for a year to give Microsoft time to fix whatever gaping holes they have not yet found but that would be quickly become obvious due to people recklessly upgrading to a new shiny

This is not a mark against Microsoft, a year is a low amount of time.

Has it been a year yet? No? Then it is not yet time to even examine the product, i leave beta testing to beta testers

it's actually already had a year of open market testing

the only real issues are metro vs desktop apps(will never be fixed) and driver support, which is not up to microsoft

[Doylez]

Couldn't care less about the user interface. I'm quite happy with the current one, don't need to fix what ain't broken.

Faster boot time is nice to have, but I restart my Pc maybe every 2 days so it's really not a big deal. I wouldn't do a complete windows reinstall for this alone, let alone pay money for it.

And from the benchmarks I've seen Win8 actually has zero increase in gaming performance, otherwise it might have been worth it.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...e,3331-13.html

[Annoying]

Well, did they ever give us an option to "Always Desktop Mode" instead of having to switch every time? RC1 didn't have that option and I never looked back.

[Zantos]

I have windows 8, and let me tell you. First of all, I got into writing stuff like short stories and such. The default word program that comes with it isn't even capable of separating the pages. So, I had to go out of my way to get a new program. My computer has crashed more times in the first month then my old one on widows 7 did in 4years. Oh, and the computer came with windows 8 default. Every time I tab out of wow, it takes me to the app section. I then from there have to click what I want. So, its slower in that sense as well.

It has a ton of useless junk I never even touch. I constantly have to change my default programs from some stupid, over the top app. The seriously want me to link to an xbox account or a facebook account. I don't even own an xbox or have a facebook. Over all, I hate it. I would have preferred to stay with windows 7. I just got unlucky enough to be stuck with windows 8.

Over all, my games are only better due to the fact that my graphics cards and processors are vastly better then what my lap top had. I just hate windows 8. If given the choice, I would gladly go back to windows 7.

[MCMXCIX]

I'm building a new computer next week and bought Windows 8 for $40 because it was much cheaper than anything else, so I'm hoping Windows 8 works well. The Windows 7 PCs I've used at school are super fast, but then again, compared to a Windows XP PC from 9 years ago, pretty much everything is fast. The only thing I care about is not having a ton of glitches/crashes while playing games. If it does happen, I can do compatibility mode. No big deal, but eh.

[Daverid]

Here's my points as to why I'm not upgrading to Windows 8.

1. Why should I have to download a Third Party Application to get my old Windows 7 Search Bar (And 'Start Menu') back? I shouldn't, it should be an option built into the OS specifically for Desktop PC's.

2. I use an SSD, my W7 bootup time is Under 10 seconds already, W8 might improve it by a matter of a couple of seconds. Pointless.

3. You talk about 15-20% Increase in performance when it comes to gaming. False. Tom's Hardware have a Review that shows gaming performance is either WORSE in W8, the same or BARELY an extra couple of frames better. Also if you look on the Tom's Hardware forums there are people having multiple issues on multiple games with mutliple different system setups. Naturally once Nvidia/ATI and Windows get more Drivers running for W8 those problems should be resolved, but never-the-less it just isn't worth the bother upgrading.

In summary it just doesn't offer enough incentive to spend the money upgrading. Not only do I gain next to nothing by changing to Windows 8, but I have to spend ages getting used to a new format, which is just a waste of my time. Maybe in a year or so when Drivers/Updates to W8 make it give enough of a performance update in certain aspects to validate a purchase, I will buy it. However at the moment it just isn't worth the bother.

[cmontee]

Doesn't matter how good it is ill never upgrade to this. When I see the commercials I just rage every time.

[Deleted]

i went with Win8 the day it was officially release and i love grew to love it in that short a time.

won't be going back ever!

and since this topic is quite fitting:
do you guys know if i can use the same win8 licence on 2 or more computers at the same time without problems ?

[LCDArcade]

Compatibility and performance will always very from machine to machine because of hardware and drivers. IN my personal experience my performance jumped up quite a bit when I upgraded.

@Daverid - you give out some valid points, though I will have to call you out on the search function. W8 does have one built in. If you hover your mouse over the right edge of the screen it pop up.

[Fawxey]

Microsoft has a history of every second OS being a failure, why did we expect W8 to be any different? Remember ME and Vista? Bahaha

[Ærion]

• Upgrading for the sake of upgrading is absolutely moronic, which is why so many people do it. When Microsoft says jump, I say piss off.
• For me a 2-4% speed increase in irrelevant, which is exactly what Win8 has over Win7. 15-20%+ and maybe we'll talk, otherwise any speed argument you or the propaganda benchmark jockeys bring is void.
• I will never touch an "app store", "microsoft store", or any kind of digital store outside of Steam (once or twice a year when discounts are best). Ever. Putting that junk right on my screen only pisses me off, I keep it clean unless actively working.
• I will not use a 3rd party program to emulate what was always absolute standard, and does so looking like shit.
• Finally, the only time it's worth upgrading to a new OS is when
a. the software for your current OS stops being produced or software for the new one is enforced (arbitrarily, which is exactly what microsoft does, and pays game publishers a lot to make titles "exclusive" to their new OS); and
b. when a couple of years in the wild have passed; testing phases are irrelevant, it's after official release that all the insect makers find more and more holes to stick their bugs and worms in.

To wrap it up, Win8 is a touch-oriented OS with all the worst parts of Apple's marketing copied over; no matter how much you argument against it, this was not targeted at desktop power users like myself. I don't travel, I don't need a handheld for work, and I won't spend any money on what amounts to a stupidly expensive toy.
I hate Apple and it's practices with a burning passion, and any step in their direction brings me physical and mental pain, so I avoid it like the plague (which, by-the-by, it is).

[Deleted]

2. I use an SSD, my W7 bootup time is Under 10 seconds already, W8 might improve it by a matter of a couple of seconds. Pointless.

also i'm a SSD user ... with win7 i had uefi boot disabled and it took about 15 seconds to boot up ...
with win8 i have uefi boot enabled and it takes about 12 seconds to boot up.

i'd call that an improvement
though boot speed isn't really important, because you don't turn your pc on and off couple of times a day ... i usually turn mine on in the morning when i get up and turn it off before i go to work or to bed ^^

[BicycleMafioso]

I love Windows 8. I see no reason why people would not switch when it's time to build a new computer, or if they just need new functions.
I personally view Windows 8 to Windows 7 as a strong upgrade, wheras Windows 7 from Vista was a sidegrade. (Windows XP-> Windows vista was a huge upgrade)

However, Windows 7 works, so there's no real point in upgrading if you are already set. Because let's face it, it costs money. If it hadn't, I'd have seen no reason not to upgrade.



And finally, the start menu is old and it sucked. Good riddance.

[LCDArcade]

However, Windows 7 works, so there's no real point in upgrading if you are already set. Because let's face it, it costs money. If it hadn't, I'd have seen no reason not to upgrade.

I completely agree. It is those people who have no idea what they are talking about or hear bad things about W8 from someone who also has no idea what they are talking about. Partly the reason why I made the video. At least know what the OS brings before you look at the modern UI and call it crap.

[Daverid]

also i'm a SSD user ... with win7 i had uefi boot disabled and it took about 15 seconds to boot up ...
with win8 i have uefi boot enabled and it takes about 12 seconds to boot up.

i'd call that an improvement
though boot speed isn't really important, because you don't turn your pc on and off couple of times a day ... i usually turn mine on in the morning when i get up and turn it off before i go to work or to bed ^^

Yep mine was a difference of a matter of just a couple of seconds, I see that as hardly useful at all. Going from a HDD to an SSD... Worth it ... Going from W7 on a HDD to W8 on HDD, worth it. SSD Windows 7 to W8, silly.

It's also why I don't bother upgrading for Gaming, cbf spending the money and time on a new OS just for the difference of a few frames in some games. Given time however I expect that to change with better Drivers and games coming out that are designed for W8.

[Management]

Nothing will ever beat xp.. Vista ruined everything.

[Deleted]

i have windows 8 and call me mad because i think its the best operating system ive ever had i love it