Windows 7 vs. Windows 8.1: Users Mixed on Which One Is Bet

We asked, you answered. ‘Is Windows 8 really that awful?’ was the question that stirred up so many controversies last week, pretty much because opinions are still divided on Microsoft’s modern operating system.

Ever since it got to see daylight in October 2012, Windows 8 continuously had to face never-ending waves of criticism, mostly because of the many changes it brings to the IT world.

We decided to simply hear it from you, so we asked whether Windows 8 is indeed a bad operating system and everyone should stick to Windows 7 or move all computers to the new release featuring a Start screen.

Users who posted answers to our questions have pretty mixed thoughts on Windows 8, which is probably the only viable reason behind the current 10 percent market share that the modern OS launched by Microsoft currently has on the desktop.

We’ve read all your comments and here are a few that seem to reflect the way people actually see Windows 8 these days
Windows 7 vs. Windows 8.1: Users Mixed on Which One Is Better
 
Not so long ago I would have probably said 7 is better. Now I'm leaning more towards 8.1.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
I still like windows 7 better, the only thing i like a out win 8 is it has tighter security but that is about it
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    4 Windows 7 Pro Sp1- 4 Win 8 Pro, 1- xp pro sp3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 390, 380, 3 Vostro Laptops (7 computers in all)
    CPU
    desktop/laptop
    Memory
    4gigs
    Graphics Card(s)
    atm randioum
    Hard Drives
    350,250
I like it on my Asus tablet. But on my desktops I will stay with 7.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista and Win7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2xHP, 2xGateway, 1xDell, 1xSony
    Hard Drives
    5 SSDs and 12 HDs
For me, they've asked the wrong question.(s)

Better question: On a pc, Metro or Desktop.
On a laptop.
On a tablet. etc
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8.1 Pro, Desktop Mode
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Me
    CPU
    AMD FX-8150
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-890GPA-UD3H
    Memory
    8.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 (9-9-9-28)
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon HD 6570
    Sound Card
    Creative X-Fi Titanium
    Monitor(s) Displays
    PX2710MW
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080@60Hz
    Hard Drives
    1x1TB Western Digital WDC WD1001FALS-00J7B1 ATA Device Caviar Black -

    4 x 2TB Seagate ST32000542A -
    1 x 4TB Seagate External
    Case
    Antec
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D14
    Keyboard
    Logitech Illuminated Keyboard K740
    Internet Speed
    60meg cable
    Browser
    Cyberfox
    Antivirus
    AVG Security Suite
For me, they've asked the wrong question.(s)

Better question: On a pc, Metro or Desktop.
On a laptop.
On a tablet. etc

Good point, the device does make a difference. I guess I should have said the pointing device makes a difference. My laptop touchpad was a bit of a pain to use with 8. Namely the edge swipes. I just touch the palm rest and slide my hand over to find the touchpad without having to look. That would always bring up the charms bar do to the edge swipe so I ended up turning them off. If I do actually need the charms bar I just use the hot corner. On my desktop PC's I use a trackball and find 8 easy to navigate with it. I haven't used a mouse in ages so my experience may be quite different if I was using one. I don't own anything with a touch screen so I can't comment on that.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
For me Windows 8.1 wins hands down both on PC as well as on a Laptop.
W7 now seems antiquated.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro
If the truth were to be told

Here is my problem with hyped Windows 8 enthusiasts, while they praise Windows 8,

if the truth were to be told,

I would guess that at least 98 percent of them use some form of Classic Menu, Start 8, etc. that provide the Windows 7 interface. Personally, I don't think I could use Windows 8, in it's native form on a daily basis, much to cumbersome. I use 3 add-ons from Stardock Central, that allow me to use it the way I want. But none of my friends would have a clue how to set these up. I will admit Windows 8 is flexible enough to allow the add-ons, but, I still question;

Why I should have to install an add-on to begin with?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8,Win7,XP
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    DIY. Acer ,iBuypower,Epson printer
    CPU
    i5, i3. AMD
    Motherboard
    all sorts
    Memory
    2 to 8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    different on all
    Sound Card
    on board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung displays and TV's
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    14 in all
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    Hp, Logitech, Acer and MS
    Mouse
    Hp, Logitech, Acer and MS
    Internet Speed
    Comcast ( 30mbps average download, 5mbps upload)
    Browser
    Chrome, Firefox and IE 10 and 11
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Security Essentials, MalawareBytes and Kaspersky
    Other Info
    also have Apple iphones, AT&T and Tracfone services
Here is my problem with hyped Windows 8 enthusiasts, while they praise Windows 8,

if the truth were to be told,

I would guess that at least 98 percent of them use some form of Classic Menu, Start 8, etc. that provide the Windows 7 interface. Personally, I don't think I could use Windows 8, in it's native form on a daily basis, much to cumbersome. I use 3 add-ons from Stardock Central, that allow me to use it the way I want. But none of my friends would have a clue how to set these up. I will admit Windows 8 is flexible enough to allow the add-ons, but, I still question;

Why I should have to install an add-on to begin with?

All this moaning about no Start Menu...As for your at least 98% estimation regarding Classic Menu...pure conjecture.
All these complaints concerning Start Menu....Apple doesn't have one yet you never hear them whinging about the lack of.
I admit that W8.1 is an improvement over W8....I also think I can find any app quicker on W8.1 than with W7
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro
Why I should have to install an add-on to begin with?
That is exactly the point - if some rinky dink little programming outfit can provide the function, why can M$ not provide it out of the box.

Answer: because it does not fit into their strategy. Ignore what a billion customers want and keep plowing along with what we thing is good for you. I hope they will pay the price for such an attitude.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista and Win7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2xHP, 2xGateway, 1xDell, 1xSony
    Hard Drives
    5 SSDs and 12 HDs
Here is my problem with hyped Windows 8 enthusiasts, while they praise Windows 8,

if the truth were to be told,

I would guess that at least 98 percent of them use some form of Classic Menu, Start 8, etc. that provide the Windows 7 interface. Personally, I don't think I could use Windows 8, in it's native form on a daily basis, much to cumbersome. I use 3 add-ons from Stardock Central, that allow me to use it the way I want. But none of my friends would have a clue how to set these up. I will admit Windows 8 is flexible enough to allow the add-ons, but, I still question;

Why I should have to install an add-on to begin with?

All this moaning about no Start Menu...As for your at least 98% estimation regarding Classic Menu...pure conjecture.
All these complaints concerning Start Menu....Apple doesn't have one yet you never hear them whinging about the lack of.
I admit that W8.1 is an improvement over W8....I also think I can find any app quicker on W8.1 than with W7

I agree, 98 percent is conjecture on my part, my question to you is, do you use any add-ons?

I also, don't consider it moaning, but rather an observation if people vocalize displeasures

And Apple has nothing to do with this topic, so why bring it up?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8,Win7,XP
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    DIY. Acer ,iBuypower,Epson printer
    CPU
    i5, i3. AMD
    Motherboard
    all sorts
    Memory
    2 to 8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    different on all
    Sound Card
    on board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung displays and TV's
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    14 in all
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    Hp, Logitech, Acer and MS
    Mouse
    Hp, Logitech, Acer and MS
    Internet Speed
    Comcast ( 30mbps average download, 5mbps upload)
    Browser
    Chrome, Firefox and IE 10 and 11
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Security Essentials, MalawareBytes and Kaspersky
    Other Info
    also have Apple iphones, AT&T and Tracfone services
I don't use any third party program to add back the traditional start menu, never have and never will. I have no problem using 8 the way it was designed.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
I have no problems with it either. I just find it to be less convenient than 7 - at least on the desktop. Got back to using keyboard shortcuts again. Where is the progress.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista and Win7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2xHP, 2xGateway, 1xDell, 1xSony
    Hard Drives
    5 SSDs and 12 HDs
I do boot to desktop, I have my everyday programs pined to the taskbar. Other regularly used programs, and Metro Apps I do use, are on my Start Screen. On my desktop PC I run my metro apps on one monitor, IE usually on my main screen and outlook on the third. I'm retired and have simple needs. I don't do spread sheets or other heavy multi tasking. I game some and cruise the forums. I don't know if its a factor but I use a trackball, even with my laptop. I find navigation easy. I'm slowly training myself to use the search so I don't end up looking for something on the All Apps screen. I find that screen a bit cluttered.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
That sounds like my way - all the way down to the trackball Logitech mouse. I keep most of my programs in the toolbar though as well as the websites I visit and some folders. Here is an example - this is from the 7 equivalent.

2014-01-21_1800.png
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista and Win7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2xHP, 2xGateway, 1xDell, 1xSony
    Hard Drives
    5 SSDs and 12 HDs
I don't use toolbars, not that there is anything wrong with using them, I just don't. ;) Well not on the desktop anyway. I do use the Favorites Bar in IE for the web sites I go to everyday like these forums.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
I use the toolbars because you can stuff a lot into them if you use subfolders. The websites are also there. But the most common websites I use are in my Rocket Dock. That's only 1 click and it is hidden on the left side of my screen.



2014-01-21_1846.png
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista and Win7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2xHP, 2xGateway, 1xDell, 1xSony
    Hard Drives
    5 SSDs and 12 HDs
Nevermind all the selling out to NSA and things like that in 8, I simply dislike how there is no Aero and MS kinda fooled everyone into thinking that flatter is better, just because they needed to in order to keep power consumption lower on mobile devices.

I have a machine with a broken AGP graphics port. Only 64 MB memory is available to the onboard vga and the VIA driver will not support Aero. It pisses me off every time I use it and don't see it lol. :) None of the published hacks work in 7, heh heh.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7601.18247.x86fre.win7sp1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-built Intel based
    CPU
    Pentium D 925 3.0 GHz socket 775, Presler @ ~ 3.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel DQ965MT
    Memory
    Hyundai 2 GB DDR2 @ 333 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS DirectCU II HD7790-DC2OC-2GD5 Radeon HD 7790 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5
    Sound Card
    MOTU Traveler firewire interface
    Hard Drives
    1 Seagate Barracuda SATA II system/boot drive 80 GB, 2 Western Digital hdds - 1 is SATA II Caviar Black 1 TB attached to card (assorted media, page, temp), other is SATA I 420 GB (games, media, downloads)
    PSU
    Thermaltake 450W
    Cooling
    stock Gateway cooling, extra large fan in rear of case
    Keyboard
    Alienware/Microsoft Internet kb
    Mouse
    Logitech M510
    Internet Speed
    Optimum Online, fast for US
    Browser
    Pale Moon
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky integrated into ZoneAlarm+Antivirus
Internet Explorer 11 in Win 8.1 on my PC would not run consistently unless the DNS address in the Ethernet properties was set manually. Microsoft tech support acknowledged this to be a known issue. But the DNS address they gave me only worked spasmodically at best. After finding an alternative address configuration in another forum, it runs seamless.

Putting aside the Start Menu, the average Joe in the street is not interested in changing DNS addresses to make a browser work, He wants it to work straight out of the box!

M$ paint you into a corner saying you must upgrade from Win 8 ... where IE10 works fine ... to 8.1 to continue to get updates after the due date. But then IE11 is forced on you ... a browser that doesn't work properly.

And yes, I've got all the latest updates for W8, and they don't fix the problem. And my ADSL internet server is Telstra ... Australia's biggest carrier.

I have started experimenting with Apple and recently bought an iPhone IOS7, 5s at a cost of $1,000 ... which is a 64bit OS. And I had to wait a month before stocks became available. When they first came out several months ago, you simply couldn't buy them as stocks in shops were pre-sold months ahead.

The thing I don't like about Apple is you can't build your own rig. So that leaves Windows 9 ... we hope! :think:
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Ult Reatil & Win 8 Pro OEM
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Built as DIY
    CPU
    6 core 12 thread & 4 core
    Motherboard
    Inel Extreme & Intel standard
    Memory
    12GB & 8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    3 top end SLI linked & onboard
    Sound Card
    In built in graphics card & onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24 & 23 inch Samsung LED backlit
    Screen Resolution
    High def
    Hard Drives
    Corsair Force 128GB SATA3 SSDs in each machine. Plus several external USB3 and eSATA spinner HDs
My PC is not a tablet. It's as simple as that. I want a traditional desktop launcher back (it doesn't need to be the old Start menu), i want Aero back, I want absolutely all options to be available from the traditional desktop control panel. I don't mind them giving the choice of running Metro apps, as long as I don't have to see anything Metro related unless I want to.

MS doesn't care. They just feel that getting their users used to Metro will help them sell more tablets.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 + StartIsBack + AeroGlass
    Computer type
    Laptop
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