If anyone is interested, I have 2 discount upgrade codes for Windows 8 Pro. This makes the cost $14.99 instead of $39.99 if anyone is interested. First come first serve. You will need to PM your email address.
BigCloset TopShelf
TopShelf TG Fiction in the BigCloset!
The Hatbox
Checks can be made out & sent to:
Joyce Melton
1001 Third St.
Space 80
Calimesa, CA 92320
USA
Note: $6000 is the operating, maintenance and upgrade budget. Amounts received in excess of the $6000 will be applied to long term debt accrued over the last 19 years.
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Comments
If you're used to Windows, be prepared to do a little formatting
Unlike a lot of the information on the internet tries to claim, you CAN restore a more classic Windows-type interface to the program, which I would highly recommend for anyone not using a touch screen device, but it does take work, so be prepared to mess with it for some time before it will be comfortable no matter whether you decide to learn the new interface or restore the old one.
Beyond that, it actually has LOWER system requirements than Vista or 7 can realistically make use of, so, as much as it pains me to say...
This could be a good choice for some of you out there.
Melanie E.
I added a program called Start8
From StarDock. It restores a working Start Menu. I spend 99.8% of my time in the old desktop and barely touch the new interface. I upgraded because it was cheap and because it made me angry when I played around with the pre-release versions. I have a thing about mastering operating systems and couldn't let it beat me :)
{{Hugs}}
Frank
I won't be upgrading any time soon
In fact, I'll be more likely to start hording any Windows 7 keys people want to start parting with, simply because there are a lot of elements that Microsoft is focusing on with 8 that I really don't want to have to deal with, the planned future reliance on cloud computing for a lot of features being one of them, not to mention the tighter reign that Microsoft is taking on what software can and cannot be used with their new system.
I'm of the rather strong opinion that Microsoft kind of has the inverse of the Star Trek phenomenon going on, in that you should typically skip the even numbered releases of their OSes and simply focus on the odd ones. At least, that's been how my experience has largely worked. 3.1, skip 95. 98, skip NT/2000/ME (which were either the next release or a slightly modified version of 98.) Use XP, skip Vista. Windows 7 is currently my favorite iteration of the OS to date, and while I like some of the support features in 8, like its support of RISC architecture among other things, it abandons a lot of what has made Windows the go-to operating system for most entry-level users, and is focusing on a number of features that simply don't equate to a good computing experience for me. I'm looking at YOU, live tiles.
Then again, maybe I'm just starting to develop a streak of Old Fogey a bit too early in life. "In my day, we didn't use these fancy-shmancy touch interfaces, we had a brick of plastic with two buttons on it -- TWO! -- and we damn well liked it."
Melanie E.
I plan to stay with Win XP as long as possible.
Win 7 would not allow several of my programs to install, and from what I've read, this is even more the case with Win 8.
Using the classic Windows-type interface still does not allow them to be installed.
My outlook is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I have good working versions of a number of programs that would cost almost $1500 to replace with versions that will work under Win 7 or 8. And from experience, the upgraded versions will not add any features I really need, while adding extra steps to get things done. I own Monopolysoft Office 2007, and uninstalled it and went back to an earlier version of Office with Word 2003. With the free adapter, I can work with .docx & .rtfx with no problems, so why upgrade.
I consider XP as an upgrade from Win 7.
Holly
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
Holly
I won't be upgrading to 8 either
I will be using windows 7 until MS decides not to support it, and then I will switch to Linux (unless MS decides to go back to the more organized filing system 7 is - which I doubt).
I dislike Microsoft's hardware/software approach and locking out developers from using their operating system without letting MS get a 33% cut from each sale through their Windows Store, and that is the only way new games can be installed on a Windows 8 platform (At least that's what I last knew).
Honestly, Microsoft is now like a crook demanding protection money. I won't support that at all.
Sephrena
Indeed.
Luckily the games industry is shifting to Linux more and more. With the STEAM Linux beta coming out, hopefully it won't be long until the big corporations start porting their games. Most of the indies provide a Linux port these days. I look forward to the day I can wipe my hands of Microsoft and their predatory practices.
I will say
That I DID do some research on Windows 8 -- I had to, since part of my job is going to be selling it -- and a lot of the stuff that's circulating on the internet about it is nothing but unfounded rumors.
Yes, the Microsoft store was at first set to lock out any M rated content or above, but due to massive user backlash they have changed their stance on that. And Windows 8 IS compatible with games/programs purchased from places other than the Microsoft store, so those of us with massive, 300+ game libraries wouldn't have to worry so much.
Productivity software is a bit of a different story, but even that IS available on disk as well.
Yeah, Microsoft is trying to dig into the proprietary programs market that things like the Apple App store and Android Google Play stores do, but frankly, MS has been doing that since their earliest versions of Direct X, so that's no surprise.
I'm sure we can give them, oh, at least two more OSes before they completely abandon their user base that actually wants to have any kind of control whatsoever over their computing experience.
Melanie E.
Try Ubuntu
Try the new versions of Ubuntu Linux, versions 12.04 (Long term support - stable for 3 years) or 12.10 (stable for a year) before you squander your hard-earned money on Windows 8.
I've been using Ubuntu since 2006, starting with version 6.06, and have very rarely wished for something it couldn't do. The early versions of the Unity user interface were a bit of a pain, but you can easily replace it with the more traditional Cinnamon UI if you prefer, and the 12.04 version is MUCH improved.
If you have to learn a new user interface anyway, why not go for one actually intended for computers, not tablets & phones?
Moving towards Linux
I first started using SuSE Linux in 2004. And in 2006 I started an active and concerted effort to move toward Free Software (Open Source) away from the monopoly of Microsoft and its similars. In good part for monetary reasons: The "legal version" of the propritary office software cost almost 2 monthly salaries!
At this point in time, I am using openSUSE with the KDE user interface on my main working computers. I still have Win98 running on a 1996 PC for a very specialised task and WinXP on a 2003 notebook PC for some support functions. And when that hardware goes west, they will be replaced with Linux as the operating system of choice.
Personally I did not have such a good experience with Ubuntu, but have been more than happy with openSUSE.
Jessica
I use...
I have a dual boot running Win7 and Linux Mint 13... The only reason I haven't abandoned Windows entirely is because Netflix doesn't support the Linux OS. Most of the applications I need either have a Linux version or I've gotten them to work using WINE.
Mint uses GNOME as it's primary GUI and really the interface is similar enough that most users could become accustomed to it pretty easily.
Have a delightfully devious day,
All my personal machines have
All my personal machines have been running happily on Win XP Pro for years, but I know that can't last. Plus, I'm not happy with how the newer Windoze releases are trending. So I've been easing into the Linux world over the last year or so.
I've got Linux Mint 13 (Xfce GUI) running on the new 64-bit notebook and I'm quite impressed. Had Ubuntu on the test render box for a while, but don't care for the new GUI, so I'm gonna switch that out for something else. The older notebook is quite happy with Lubuntu, and the really old notebook (550MHz CPU and only 512MB RAM) is performing quite well with Wary Puppy Linux.
I've got two mainstay apps that don't have effective Linux counterparts and don't run under Wine. Once I solve that puzzle, I'm going 100% Linux.
Until then, I've got one foot in each world. Hmmm, where have I heard that before... :)
- vessica b
I've just bought a Mac
Anyone want an overgrown doorstop that runs Windows (very slowly)?
It's so slow that I can prepare a meal, cook it, eat it and wash up while waiting for the machine to start.
I won't be upgrading Windows; just dumping it
S..
That's a machine that's ready
That's a machine that's ready for a wipe and reinstall, and then it'll probably work fine. (maybe more ram too). All computers, but Windows more than others, end up with a buildup of things you don't need, temporary files, fragmentation, etc. At a certain point, it's better to spend several hours backing it up, then wiping/reinstalling, than trying to keep using it as is.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Windows 8
This comp does quite well with it's Windows system. Why upgrade when there is no need,
May Your Light Forever Shine
The Tower of Micro Babble
The Tower of Micro Babble has just reached there level of incompetency. The Peter Principe of Pyramiding Pride.
I still use XP pro on two of my main machines. I have windows 7 on my Acer Aspire and I do not see why to up grade to another inoperative system. I do not want to have my data floating in a cloud I want it on my own server that does not connect to the net.
Having lived in the rough for many years there was considerable times which I could not afford to pay for internet connections or have the ability to connect to it. My computer was very important in keeping our lives functioning, and I do not wish to trust the powers unregulated to pass judgement as to what I can or can not have. "Or what do they want me to do today."
To my understanding there are many big businesses that still use a base Windows 98 system and have there own IT people writing code to keep it current. This platform has very few back doors to it which allows others to tap into what you know and have.
No I do not wear a tin foil hat or believe Elvis lives in the Village, but I do know knowledge is power and information is gold, Thar is the prime reason pushing the big guys into controlling our access to computing
and forcing us to pay them for access to our own data.
Think Free or become a Zombie.
Misha
AKA Dr Syn { Scare Crow } Figure this one out-!!!!!
With those with open eyes the world reads like a book
Win8
I've upgraded. However I could just as easily be running Windows 7 for all the major changes to my routine. None to very little. I wouldn't recommend anyone on 7 to upgrade to 8 just for the sake of upgrading (like I did).
I would upgrade from XP in a heartbeat if I had a 64bit architecture computer. I had skipped Vista until I got a new machine and then moved to Vista 64bit w Sp1 which ran wonderfully. Then Window7 improved upon Vista by leaps and bounds.
Windows 8 is weird. They got rid of Aero which annoys me to no end. They got rid of the start menu which screwed me up every which way (thank goodness for StarDock).
I'm still learning some of the ins and outs, but unless I get really peeved I will most likely stick with it.
{{Hugs}}
P.S. I have one upgrade discount left (works in the US and apparently Canada too)
I don't have much choice...
I support the whole MS monolithic interplatform bit, so I don't have any choice but to run it on at least 1 of my own machines right now. The really amusing part is that we cannot upgrade our work machines to 8, the software we use doesn't support it...
Gotta Love It!
Its just that sometimes you want to love it with a bat...
Abby
I won't recommend it.
I'm a consultant, and I'll be telling most of my customers what I already have. Windows 8 is primarily a tablet oriented operating system. Period. If you need more than one application visibly running at a time, it will do poorly at it.
However, I do not see it doing any worse at old software than Windows 7, as they're the same core. That's why they have emulators such as DOSBox - I even have two customers running with their app in there, and managed to get it to run and print okay as well :)
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.