Configuring new laptop: Win 7 Pro or Win 8 Pro

I really need some opinions on this. Is Win 8 horrible, full of bugs etc? Is it the Vista of the world? I know that Win8 is missing the start menu. I hate to go to win 7 on a new machine when MS will be throwing its weight behind 8. I have 7 Pro and love it, no problems but I have to accept change. Thanks.

 

I'm not necessarily certain that MS will put all of its eggs in the W8 basket. There are many major corporations that are just upgrading to W7 and are unlikely to touch W8 soon, if ever.

W7 is stable and the support for it is not going anywhere anytime soon.

W8 is new and was met with far less enthusiasm than the W7.

My choice would be W7. If you feel that you absolutely must upgrade at some point in the future, nothing will prevent you from doing so.

My $0.02 only...

 

I say go for 8, specially if it's the same price

As for the start button, there are quite a few alternatives that are out there. Like pokki and vistart 8



Sent from my EndeavorU using Tapatalk 2

 

Ohh I am confused now. I would get both for the same price, so money is not a factor here. I don't know what to do. I know win 7 is stable and many industry places are just adopting it but I don't like the idea of going for something old on a new machine. I hope I get more responses on this thread, would love to hear from people using 8 who were 7 users.

Let me ask you this: Is it easier to upgrade from 7 to 8 then to downgrade from 8 to 7?

 

I'd be hesitant to call W7 "old". It's really not XP...

I've tried W8 and found no compelling reason to upgrade at this point in time. W7 still does everything I need it to do and then some. Obviously, YMMV.

I'm not certain that I understand the question correctly, so I'll throw in my two cents the way I see fit...

If you're talking about hardware, any machine that runs W7 competently should have zero issues with W8. Do bear in mind that if we're talking about a ThinkPad from your other thread, there's a number of Lenovo utilities that have issues or were not certified for use in W8.

Now if you're asking about the learning curve of W8 vs. W7...that's a whole another story. You'll get different answers from almost everyone. Personally, I'm NOT an early adopter when it comes to software, especially MS operating systems. But that's me.

Good luck.

 

well, it's easier to upgrade than downgrade.

If you have a windows 7 installed, upgrading to 8 will just give you the option to upgrade. after this you'll have 2x serial numbers (1 for 7, and 1 for 8), but you'd need to buy a windows 8 upgrade.

for downgrading, a windows 8 key cannot be used on a windows 7 installation, you'd need to buy a windows 7 key as well.
(not sure if calling microsoft and asking to switch serial numbers would work, although it has worked in the past for a friend from vista to XP).

I've been using windows 8 since the developer preview (needed for work), hated it for a month or 2 but otherwise I got used to it, there's nothing you can do on both versions that you can't with the other. (except for the new metro UI/Microsoft app store on 8 which is currently.... lacking, the new uefi fastboot)

as for drivers and stability, drivers are catching up, apps have been upgraded, It has been pretty stable for me on both my work and home machines.
however I did not upgrade all of my pc's, my HTPC is still running windows 7, old laptop is still on 7 as I see no reason to upgrade those, my gaming laptop has been upgraded to windows 8 same with my work laptop (which is a requirement).

I say try it out first, see if you'll like how the new UI behaves, my wife tried it out on my work machine when i first installed it and decided she's sticking with windows 7.

 

that's pretty much it for me: do you want to put the past-version of an OS on a brand new machine? it's 'past' and old to the extent that it's not the current version. it's therefore 'past' and old by definition. i can just about guarantee you that after a month with W8, you'll forgot why this was ever a concern.

 

Unfortunately you might want to say that is for you but not for the rest of us whom need a productivity computer to do work and can't waste time working around W8 quirks just to get it to work. Windows7 has so far proven itself a worth while O/S. How you define "Old" varies from person to person ... XP would be defined as old since support will end for it somewhere in 2014. And I doubt alot of business that can't be wasting time on downtime to fix W8 problem would want to loose money on such move as this point in time.

 

Windows8 is no buggy then any O/S M$ releases...but that fact is that Windows7 is just be adopted by the masses and putting out a new O/S and then the benefits didn't gain much form what Windows7 gives no real benefit in the end. I installed Windows7 on a Dell B120 laptop and that is old by any standards in computer hardware and it works on it. So I would say for you to go Windows7 as the support will be there if not M$ will be loosing their customer base to Apple Mac whom would be more then happy to take us in. Knowing that fact M$ isn't about to let the rest of the Windows O/S users go that route if so they be shooting themselves in the foot and never recover from it. I say forgot that get Windows7 and your laptop drivers for it and you will be good company that you did so. I have Windows 7 on nine laptops, desktop and family has all their desktops and laptops running windows7 and are content with the O/S. I used O/S from DOS to Windows7 now....and ME and Vista where to two not so happy software one should avoid if all possible. Windows7 for me is a hybrid of XP and Vista features redone and repackaged and works better together from worlds.

 

Windows 8 has too many benefits built into the OS, native ISO Mounting, VHDX Support, Hyper-V Virtualization, the new task manager, the new explorer UI. Under the covers it has many tweaks to the kernel and underlying code. DX11 support, USB 3, Bluetooth 4.0, Secure Boot, virtual smart card through TPM, these are just a few. If you are planning to use Office 2013, the better together always plays out.

I would recommend you go Windows 8, I haven't used Windows 7 in over a year on my machines and I can't say I miss it. Currently I'm running Windows 8 on an ATOM based Nettop, Core i7 Desktop with 8GB RAM, an ASUS U56E Laptop, Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook and we have 3 Surface RT Tablets. I've previously ran Windows 8 on my Samsung Series 7 Slate, Toshiba Libretto W105 (both Sold), HP Slate 500 (retired).

 

not only did i start my post with "that's pretty much it for me," but you should seriously stop it with that productivity nonsense. that argument is so simple and played out. if you can't figure out the "W8 quirks just to get it to work," i seriously doubt you do anything all that productive. go do a bunch of productive stuff in the W7 start menu.

oh and i think i also defined "old" the way i intended it pretty expressly.

Sent from my PI39100 using Board Express

 

Thanks so much guys. I have decided to go with win 8 if I get a new machine. You all had a lot of great input.

 

If you are comtemplating going to win 8 once stable and compatible with all software purchase a machine now with win8 where you can for free through M$ downgrade to win 7. you eventually can take that machine and upgrade back to win 8. I linked to this in the other thread.

IMHO Win8 may never see my system(s) again and M$ is on its way out for me. However If you have hope for eventually using win 8 above would be the best advice I can give.............

 

And as if you know my business and what I do. Get a clue and stop thinking you know my business and what I do. You should take a good look around yourself and ask why Business and Corporation haven't jumped on the band wagon. You have yet to remember or read any of my posting my usage and installation and using W8 didn't add it up to snuff. W8 quirks is a quick way to smirk off real problem with the O/S rather then address them. Metro regardless if you use Stardock or windows8 dock will be wipe clean when M$ does their updates to remove any customization you or anyone else does. That is the Fact...M$ own and controls what you can do to their O/S even if you customize it. For tablets and smart phone sure it works in that environment but desktop and laptop without touch screen...that is called "not thinking outside the box"......

 

Let us know what you make of it. There is a bit of a learning curve, but it has some advantages (cheaper than Windows 7 at present, less resource needy, etc.).

 

here, let me memorialize that for you.