Will you upgrade? That is the question...

[Sammerano]

FS - you are fortunate to have the choice.

Many who need to buy a machine will be inflicted with win8.

They won't know how /be able to upgrade to win7.

Even Vista is an upgrade.

Don't know how you think Vista is an upgrade, I have a Vista machine and am also running Win 8 in dual boot. Win 8 is much faster and nicer to use in general, it's not even close.

 

[MatthewHirst]

I'm not 100% sure tbh, I'm not a fan of how it looks where your applications are installed!

 

[thelastvoice]

Installed Win 8 Pro about 10 days ago (from DreamSpark). Took about half a day to find my way around and get over my initial disorientation. Considered installing one of the 3rd party Start Menus, but after another day I realized how the Start screen is vastly more useful than the Start Menu ever was. In fact, after thinking about it, I realized how little I ever used the Start Menu in the first place. So far, I'm loving Win 8. My only real UI complaints at the moment are that the Mail app doesn't work as the default mailto: handler in Desktop mode and that the Charms bar can't be set to appear when I bump my cursor anywhere on the right instead of just the corners.

As the tech support person for friends and family, I find that even though most have been using PCs for a decade or more, many of them still seem perplexed by Windows. I think they may actually find the "Metro" interface easier and less confusing, particularly those who use their PCs primarily for email, internet and consuming various forms of content. I think there is huge innovative potential for Windows 8 apps in this regard.

 

[SIW2]

You're right.

It is not close.

Win8 is so unappealing, I can't recall when I last booted it up.

I am posting this from Vista. Snappy, looks great - none of that mobile stuff .

FS - you are fortunate to have the choice.

Many who need to buy a machine will be inflicted with win8.

They won't know how /be able to upgrade to win7.

Even Vista is an upgrade.

Don't know how you think Vista is an upgrade, I have a Vista machine and am also running Win 8 in dual boot. Win 8 is much faster and nicer to use in general, it's not even close.

 

[HippsieGypsie]

I'm trying to revive this poll thread. I'm sure some have changed their minds either way. I have not.

One can unvote, then revote. Please state what you did.

BTW, it's election day in the U.S. Qualified citizens -> Have you voted?

 

[pparks1]

Yes I voted for the election.

No, my plans to not upgrade to Windows 8 have not changed at all.

 

[Coke Robot]

Voted in this election HARD CORE! Very pleased!

And nope, my decision to upgrade has not changed since I started this thread: YES!!!

 

[SmartEyeball]

My vote went from a maybe to a "yes" since I made it.

My decision was based on the fact that it's now stable on my machines. There is classic shell to fix what I was missing but ultimately it's going to be hard giving advice for an OS I don't use.

 

[Arpan]

Once a Windows 8 lover, always a Windows 8 lover. No changes in my decision, Yes.

But, I'm not sure if it can be termed an upgrade since I'm dual booting 8 & 7.

 

[TerryE]

After running Windows 8 as a VM for a while I have gotten accustomed to it, and I have to say I like it more than I used to. (In some places in the US the phrase would be "it grows on you.")

Yesterday in playing around a little for a Microsoft IT Camp I had planned to attend I installed Windows Server 2012 in a dual-boot configuration - booting the server OS from a VHD. It worked very well, and I was easily able to "undo" the change by restoring my original BD configuration. I think I still have the VHD files so if I decide to go back and look at it again it's an easy setup.

Anyway, I am now very likely to set up a dual boot Windows 7/Windows 8 configuration. It's not that the VM setup is bad: it's great, in fact, and it's a very flexible environment. I'm going to take some time to set up a VHD boot for Windows 8, and try it out.

I'm not (at least not yet) in a position to run it as my primary or only OS, and I still actually prefer Windows 7 in some ways.

 

[area 66]

Ah hahaha, "Window"

Similarly I'm voting with my wallet, I have 5 active machines at home and none of them are going to be upgraded to 8 (First time ever I've not upgraded to the latest offering), there is simply no point. None of the mildly upgraded internal features are worth the rest of the horror.

So even at $40, there's $200 MS won't be seeing from me.

so you write 581 posts on a Windows 8 forum for what, if you don't want to install it ?

 

[Vince53]

I've been running Pro for a week, and it's great! My boot-up time is way faster, and I have had no problems with it.

 

[FSeal]

Ah hahaha, "Window"

Similarly I'm voting with my wallet, I have 5 active machines at home and none of them are going to be upgraded to 8 (First time ever I've not upgraded to the latest offering), there is simply no point. None of the mildly upgraded internal features are worth the rest of the horror.

So even at $40, there's $200 MS won't be seeing from me.

so you write 581 posts on a Windows 8 forum for what, if you don't want to install it ?

Yes. Unlike a lot of other people, it took me three months of working with it to come to my final conclusion.

And yes I will still monitor things, as eventually there will be NO CHOICE in the matter. Virtually ALL new windows software will be written for the ridiculously confining Metro universe.

But you know, MS may make desktop improvements with time as may third parties, ability to run the start screen and metro apps on seperate montors, windowed and moveable metro apps on the desktop etc.... And I reserve the right to change my mind once all my issues are largely resolved! But until they are, no $$$ from me.

 

[area 66]

FSeal, I refuse the use of a third party option, it's the responsibility of MS to fix their own mess. Honestly this year I was very close to not renew my Technet, because of Windows 8 , but since I renew it, better I give a real try to 8 .. I can deal with it. I don,t feel so much difference in the way I work every day with it, if I compare to Windows 7, but still, to much annoyances to say I like it.

 

[johnling]

I'm using it on my old quad core machine. Might be a while before I move away from 7 on my big machine or laptops.

 

[Coke Robot]

If you use the Desktop and like the new features to the Desktop in Windows 8, the Start Screen honestly seems menial in comparison. Literally, all you need to do is pin what Desktop locations and items you want or need and just keep using it like you did before with 7. That, and using the Settings Charm for the power options, which you can make as a tile if you prefer.

 

[pparks1]

FSeal, I refuse the use of a third party option, it's the responsibility of MS to fix their own mess. Honestly this year I was very close to not renew my Technet, because of Windows 8 , but since I renew it, better I give a real try to 8 .. I can deal with it. I don,t feel so much difference in the way I work every day with it, if I compare to Windows 7, but still, to much annoyances to say I like it.

I feel the same way about 8. I'm technical enough to use it, no problem. I just don't really like to. Windows 7 feels like home, Windows 8 just feels strange. I never wanted my computers to act and look like a smartphone. I use my phone all of the time, and sometimes just want a familiar desktop setup.

Windows 8 is not a bad system and will be ideal for some and not well liked by others. I'm in the latter camp for sure. It's just not my cup of tea. I find it obnoxious, ugly, and too flashy with the goofy tiles..and then find the classic desktop boring, bland and devoid of any personality. It's like Jekyll and Hyde. I'd rather save my $40 and use it elsewhere.

 

[Night AoX]

Wow. People have such a twisted view on Windows 8. Yes, it does suck but, only because apps aren't yet written to deploy in Metro. An example of what I'm talking about is how Norton's Identity safe doesn't work in Metro apps such as Internet Explorer & Google Chrome but, it works just fine in their desktop versions. See. Stuff like that is retarded. As soon as new code happens, I'll go back. I have a laptop and I'm navigating just fine so, I don't know what trouble people are having adapting. They specifically stated they were re-inviting people to the keyboard and mouse. Use those things maybe? Personally, I wouldn't mind the murder of the desktop & bring in a new UI altogether. You can drag and drop tiles to rearrange them as you see fit so it would be nice if they added the same functionally for files in Metro but, first, they need to make it so folders are deploy-able in Metro. Things are like are what would make Win8 cool. I don't know why Chrome went from working in Metro in the Customer Preview to not working in Metro in the Consumer Release. That's what killing Win8. Incompatibility. Not a face-lift. So, in closing, every single piece of software needs to be deploy-able in Metro before I make an official switch.

 

[stormy]

I have just upgraded my laptop to windows 8 pro as of yesterday morning, had to find something to do after the terrible outcome of the election in the united states of america...soon to be renamed the united socialist states of america now that we have Obama for the next 4 years. But that is another matter. so far I really like windows 8 pro. this laptop had windows vista on it which was terrible until i upgraded the ram to 2gb but then was tolerable. windows 8 pro is much faster and seems more stable than vista ever did

 

[SIW2]

Funnily enough I have a not very recent 2gb desktop with Vista x64. Runs beautifully.

On that machine - Vista boots faster than win8.

Dunno what was the matter with yours.