Optimus V - Windows 7 or 8?

[Padraic]

Hi all,
I received my Optimus V a few weeks back and I'm very with it so far, apart from the fan and brightness issues which have been mentioned in other threads!
Currently I'm using Windows 7 but what are people's thoughts on upgrading to Windows 8 (it seems relatively cheap to do so). Would I expect better battery performance and a general improvement in the laptop? I using a i7-4700MQ if that makes any difference, just in case there was any optimisation in Windows 8 for the newer Haswell processors. Any thoughts welcome!

Thanks.

 

[vanthus]

You will get different opinions on that one,personally I would stick with Windows 7.

 

[bararm]

I moved to Windows 8 and the decrease in boot time / shut down time is pretty noticeable. Made it worthwhile for me, but i'm using an SSD of course

 

[ubuysa]

I like Windows 8, it's stable and fast. I know it has improved memory management but I've not heard of Haswell specific enhancements. You won't see massive performance improvements in 8 compared to 7 though, I certainly wouldn't suggest changing for performance reasons.

I run Start8 on Windows 8 to get the familiar start menu back, and with that it has the same look and feel as Windows 7. I almost never see the new UI for example. Windows 8 runs almost all the software that I was running on Windows 7, but there are a number of applications which run on 7 but not on 8. Similarly, there are some hardware devices that work with 7 and not with 8. My Canon N676U flatbed scanner works fine with Windows 7 but is incompatible with Windows 8 for example.

So do visit the Windows 8 Compatibility Center to check your hardware and also run the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant to check your software before installing (or even purchasing) Windows 8.

It's clear that there will come a time when support for Windows 7 will end and although that many be a few years away it's probably sooner than you might think. So Windows 8, 8.1, or even 9, with or without a start menu, will be a required upgrade for everyone. The Ostrich technique of sticking your head in the sand and hoping Windows 8 will go away is only going to work for so long.....

 

[moosEh]

I would suggest Windows 8 as the new laptops are designed for Windows 8 rather than 7. Still works fine with 7 but after trying both on my Optimus V I stuck with 8.