Don't know what to do! Windows 8 or Windows 7 and get like windows 8 disc for £14.99

[SmokeDarKnight]

Hey Limpduck,

The only problem i have with Wondows 8 so far on my Vortex 2 is that you can control the brightness fine untill the battery hits a low level i.e. below 20% after that the screen automatically dims and you no longer have control, even on power. The slider for the brightness moves up and down but doesn't actually change the brightness.

I've tried turning off the adaptive lighting etc but with no success. I've solved it by doing a settings restart but it removes everything that isn't windows integrated like Steam and Games etc.

Second test left the screen on 100% brightness so i've just left it like that, first time it blocked on 50% but im not bothered with 100% never really change it anyway.

Im using Start8 to get teh start menu back and to hide the metro perminantly, but im happy i upgraded im getting more stable game performance in regards to FPS etc with the HD6990m

 

[mdwh]

Win 8 may not be a Vista but it is a new operating system. If you can buy the upgrade from Win 7 to Win 8 for £15, until January, it would be prudent to do so and wait a little while to see what all the reviews are.

There's often advice to wait, but more to do with the risk of issues such as driver or software compatibility if things aren't quite ironed out yet. I think that's less likely here, as it's still very similar to Windows 7, but still a risk (see someone talking about crashes due to driver problems). This isn't like Vista, where you had the transition to 64-bit, and the improved security model, which caused problems for poorly written software.[*]

Though yes, there's no harm in waiting a little but

So far what I have read, they haven't made good reading. That is not to say that in the future everybody will upgrade to it. Many people are cautious at the moment and do not like change, especially changing to something that is so different from its original capacity.

Basically, Win 8 is a giant iPhone and is more suited to iPads and touchscreens.

This is false. An ipad is a giant iphone. Windows 8 is still a full blown PC OS, with all the advantages that brings.

Sure, there will be various opinions on the various interface changes, most notably the new start menu, just like there always have been when MS changes something. Some people didn't like the new start menu in Windows XP, or when it changed again in Windows Vista. If you really don't like it, as you say you can get the old interface back (more on that below). But really, it's not that different to Windows 7 - both work best with a keyboard, as you can launch software just by typing. Also note that the start menu is the only thing you can't get back without utilities - the traditional Windows 7 UI is still there, and still an integral part of Windows 8. If you don't like the fancy full screen "metro apps", don't use them - stick with the same software you already like using, and will still be supported with Windows 8.

Similarly, many people didn't like the new ribbon interfaces with Office 2007. But there are also a lot of people making false claims about Windows 8, often people who haven't even used it.

If you are unsure, I'd recommend trying it out yourself - the Windows RTM version is free to download (limited to 90 days), install it onto a virtual machine or separate partition.

Relying on reviews for operating systems is fine if you want to read objective things like "what new features does this have", but it's a bad idea as soon as you get opinions. It would be like saying Linux is best, as some reviews say so. But in reality, there's just so much fanaticism and opinion in OS advocacy, that all you're reading is the reviewer's personal preference.

Everybody also knows that Win 8 can easily be changed so that it has a start menu button and becomes another Win 7 again. If this is the case, what's the point in changing?

Because there's more than just the new start menu and full screen applications. E.g., see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_of_Windows_8 ; also an interesting read at http://www.hanselman.com/blog/Windows8ProductivityWhoMovedMyCheeseOhThereItIs.aspx .

True, I don't think there's anything revolutionary, but we're only talking £15 anyway, not the full price, which seems a bargain even if the differences are minor.


[*] Nevermind that MS had said for years earlier to store application data in %APPDATA%, we still had programs assuming they had write access to c:\program files...

 

[Tiger Feet]

@mdwh.

Thank you for spending so much of your hard earned time in writing your post. To this I will just add; where's the fire and what's the rush?

The £15 upgrade is £15 for a reason. That's why I will buy that and wait (if that's okay with you.)

Then I will keep it until all the sheep have found out all the Windows 8 flaws and idiosyncrasies and when they are all ironed out and I'm entirely happy, then I may upgrade. In the meantime, Windows 7 will do just fine for me just as it has for the past three years.

Keep up the good work.

Cheers

 

[TranceCommunity]

Ive been using Windows 8 on my Vortex 3 for just over a month now (part of MSDN action pack), i wont lie it does take a little bit of getting used to, and you do find yourself using the keyboard shortcuts a little more, but as i also use an Apple a lot im used to it.

The upgrade was simple and all my applications worked after it installed.
The new "Start" screen seemed pointless at first but once it was setup how i liked it, it did become more productive. IE i could see my news feeds from various sites, and load into applications faster I also think this will improve as more applications are designed use to the "live tiles" more effectively.

Do i miss the start menu button? Nope not at all, tbh the way i had it setup before i never used it for anything but search or to get to things that windows + X does.

The only issue i do have is that it does tend to crash a bit, but im sure this is due to the 7970m drivers not being available for windows 8 last time i looked.

ta
Dave

Try 12.11 beta drivers

Works 100% with no hassle at all on mine.

Best windows yet and a bargain @ £25

 

[rickne]

So today has been a nightmare with Win 8 but trial and error. Ive learnt not to use AVAST anti virus as it was BSOD city! Avast really need to work on their s***. All the shields block the apps and incoming MAIL no matter what setting as well as the driver conflicting.

The finger scanner software is sketchy on the Vortex 3 and barely works but is apparently a known issue. They half some optimized software but even that is touch and go.

the Start page has a lot of room to grow. There are a lot of modders and arty types designing new buttons for your favorite apps/games. Some examples on Dev art worth searching for.

Windows update keeps telling my my drivers are out of date yet when you install them they always fail due to me already having a superior driver installed. DERP.

Its been a fun and emotional day with many Windows refreshes.