Windows 8: Do you need it?

I'm certain that the people asking this question expect a simple answer. They're looking for a straightforward yes or a no.

I wish it were that easy.

The problem is that I cannot possibly see into your home or office and know what your particular circumstances are. The best I can do is to offer a big picture based on certain scenarios, and then hand the decision over to you.

Let's take a look at a few scenarios.

Read more at source:
Windows 8: Do you need it? | ZDNet

 

[Coke Robot]

I've read that on average battery life, on a new laptop with Windows 7 and 8, Windows 8 will add about 30-45 minutes to.

I have read this too, but until I can see it for myself and quantify the difference, I will remain skeptical.

But in real world comparison, 8 just feels faster and snappier.

I think a lot of claims of speed are based on the gut feeling of "it just feels snappier". I am often scoffed at for my claims of not noticing speed improvements outside of bootups, but when I ask others if they did time test with stopwatches or other devices (like i have) they always say no. Then you find they compare an older load of Windows 7 with tons of cruft, to a new machine with new hardware and a fresh load and say, "Wow, look at how much faster it is". Really, it's faster!...this surprises them? It's faster hardware and a fresh load.

I on the other hand, take 2 identical machines from work inventory, fresh load Windows 7 on one and Windows 8 on the other and test and I see very little difference. No doubt bootups and shutdowns are faster. But for most other things, I challenge others to prove to me it's faster....i've got my conclusive proof saying time difference is negligible.

I do believe there are performance charts comparing 7 to 8. Windows 8 edges out 7, one of the things I can say it WAY better than 7 is thumbnail preview generation. In 7, it would take about 30 seconds or so to get a whole screen or two of thumbnails generated. In 8, it's like cut in half. This is hugely important if you're a photo editor as you don't wait so long to see what image you need. This is one of quite a few. Check some old blog posts on Microsoft's Building Windows 8 blog, there is on in particular that compared media management between 7 and 8.

 

[Dave76]

Please do not take this wrong if you are not going to upgrade to 8 or for that matter 7. With the strokes that have caused a decrease in my ability to comprehend even the smallest of things at times I still cannot understand why if someone is not going to use 8 (or whatever) they find the need to join a forum that is designed around a specific OS.

This has been one of the things that really gives my broken down old brain fits. . .

That's a good point Lee, I've wondered that myself.

Some of the people that oppose Windows 8, I think, really want to be persuaded to use it, or actually dislike a couple features and want to get them changed.
People with a passionate dislike for Windows 8 seem to be surprised and even upset that some members actually like it, IMHO this should not be a surprise at all as this is a Windows 8 forum.
Some just like a spirited debate.

In the end, everyone has the choice which OS they will use, there are a large number of people still using a 10+ year old OS. That is their choice, as it obviously is, and shouldn't be a problem for anyone.
If you come to a Windows 8 forum, expect some members to like it.

 

[moe6142]

i am from canada,for me to be able to pay and download windows 8, it has to be 12:01 am right?
everytime i try the upgrade adviosr it just gives me errors at check out

 

[Dave76]

I haven't found the AM/PM clarification, at the MS event it was said 12:01 local time, previously local time means Redmond time, Pacific Time. So it will depend on your time zone.

I'm hoping they mean AM instead of noon.

 

[whs]

In 7, it would take about 30 seconds or so to get a whole screen or two of thumbnails generated. In 8, it's like cut in half

Isn't that a function of the GPU ?? With my on-board graphics on the laptop it takes some time. With the super duper graphics card on my desktop it is instant.

 

[whs]

Please do not take this wrong if you are not going to upgrade to 8 or for that matter 7. With the strokes that have caused a decrease in my ability to comprehend even the smallest of things at times I still cannot understand why if someone is not going to use 8 (or whatever) they find the need to join a forum that is designed around a specific OS.

This has been one of the things that really gives my broken down old brain fits. . .

That sounds like a good reason. Maybe I get a copy of /8 just for that and run it on my surplus laptop.

 

[unifex]

Don't get me wrong, I do have 8 installed (I've got a dual boot machine). I do like that it's faster than 7 in transferring files and other basic OS things (and no, UI theme is not a basic OS thing in my humble opinion). But, do I really need it? No. Have I ever used a Metro app? No. I have not heard of any Metro app that would be useful for work and that would do something that no Desktop program does.

By this I mean that I have not found any one feature in 8 that does not exist in 7 already. Therefore I find no need to switch over. I do turn 8 on if I need to transfer lots of files. Of course, one could say that same about XP. From a strictly user perception, as long as you have all hardware drivers in order, XP is not much different. However, newer hardware might be hard to support and newer software might not support XP either. That's basically the reason to use 7. For 8 there is no such reason - 7 is still young and universally supported.

In other words - how you run your computer is determined by your particular needs (work, games, whatever). That determines the software that you run (basically, if you need Final Cut Pro - you run a Mac, if you need Origin and Lab Talk, you run Windows, etc). Next comes your taste and eye candy. After that - does it really matter what OS do you have? Thus it's not clear to me what's the point of releasing a new OS every 3 years.

 

[Mustang]

Aside from the obvious live tile apps updates, if you don't use these, the thing I can't understand is why people who run W8 in it's native state, and use both 'Metro' and desktop, would prefer that over a system where you can have it all on desktop, with no need to constantly navigate backwards and forwards between Metro and desktop.

This is how I use desktop in W8, using Ex7ForW8 hacked Orb start menu, which basically imports the W7 start menu on installation by taking files from the W7 installation disk.

• For frequently used items, desktop shortcuts replace Metro tiles in a much more condensed space without needing to minimize everything. These can include email, browser, weather, news, skype, facebook, etc.
• And there's room to pin stuff to bottom task bar if really needed. I don't pin because I often have multiple windows open and the bottom task bar gets over crowded.
• For less frequently used items I have 6 or 7 items in the jump start menu.
• Seldom used items are in 'All programs', neatly arranged in alphabetical order; and out of sight yet easily accessible when needed. Even when the desktop is completely covered with open windows and all shortcuts invisible. Also use Desktop toolbar in that scenario.
• I can send shortcuts to the desktop from various items in 'All programs'.
• I can also include shortcuts to optical drives, eSATA drives, external USB drives, XP Virual, etc.

Putting aside the question of personal preferences, from the point of view of pure logistics, it's all there in one desktop. So why use two windows?

 

[Panoid]

Yes, I need it. I can't go back to Windows 7 because it's too slow. Windows 8 is lightning fast by comparison.

 

[whs]

Yes, I need it. I can't go back to Windows 7 because it's too slow. Windows 8 is lightning fast by comparison.

Hmm, that's interesting. I did not notice much of a performance difference.

 

[Dave76]

It's all those SSDs you have

 

[Mustang]

It's all those SSDs you have

Both my PCs have SATA3 SSDs ... and loving it!

SSD is like the 0.357 magnum. In a fight to the death with two physically unmatched persons, the 0.357 magnum hand gun is called the GREAT EQUALIZER!
Reference back to Indianna Jones shooting the Ninja here!

In unmatched OSs the SSD is likewise called the great equalizer. And with RAM so cheap these days ... even cheap stuff has in built heat sinks ... with buckets of RAM and good CPU and SSD you'll never notice the difference.

Furthermore, every latest addition of any OS is subject to the law of diminishing returns. At the top end, you have to put a truck load more in to get only a very small increase out. And a lot of the increased speed in W8 has been due to gutting the OS, which was necessary for the smartfone platform.

But I'm not necessarily saying that's all bad. I have both Vista Ult and W7 Ult, and feel they both tended to become bloated. I'm running W8 Pro OEM on my backup machine, and the 'simplicity' can be enhancing in some respects, but at the same time, annonying in others.

 

[SIL3NTKOD3R]

I wanted to try out the new windows and i sort of like it.

Its faster compare to Windows 7.
I can do everything that i did on Win 7.
Windows 8 got great features.

More importantly i got windows 8 to try out the app development, wanted to see how HTML and Javascript would work together for an app, and TBH i love it.

 

[whs]

It's all those SSDs you have

I think you are right. But who at today's SSD prices would use a spinner for the OS.

 

[Dave76]

Have to agree, I'm getting one more, the old one will go in another desktop.
They breathe new life into older machines.

 

[Romulinx2]

I love it. Faster in every way. Games run faster also. I used a usb stick with the win 8 pro upgrade. If I don't want to use tiles I click on the desktop tile, simples!

 

[Phil K]

........the 0.357 magnum hand gun is called the GREAT EQUALIZER!
Reference back to Indianna Jones shooting the Ninja here!

Gun or knife carrying carrying thugs on the street have the same mentality - that it's "butch" and "macho" to carry a weapon and threaten others but...er....the person they're threatening shouldn't have a weapon.....the word Im thinking is the OPPOSITE of macho or butch (sorry - this sort of weapon worship annoys me intensely)

 

[area 66]

from the forum rules

"8) No discussions of religion, politics, or firearms.

 

[CalBear]

I sometimes buy things I don't need.

 

[bassfisher6522]

Do I need it....No....but I got it.

So far I find it pretty cool to use, albeit a bit strange to navigate from the standard desktop. I see it being used in mainstream for everyday users. As for businesses and industry I don't see it happening anytime soon if ever, unless there is something massively different in the enterprise edition. Which I'm sorry to say I haven't experienced.