Window 7 or Windows 8?

Forums › Microsoft Windows › Window 7 or Windows 8?

1 | 2 | 3

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1047983 19-May-2014 13:13

Gilco2:
lyonrouge: For some reason that still doesn't display the task bar, maybe it doesn't work with touch screens?
on my laptop with Windows 8.1 it works but not on my Samsung Windows 8.1 tablet. So looks like you are correct.

You need Windows 8.1 Update, then to enable the "Show Windows Store apps on the taskbar" setting under right click taskbar, properties

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1047984 19-May-2014 13:14

lyonrouge: Maybe I'm not at the right software level? I think I need to come up to "8.1 update" as I think I'm still at 8.1

yes this won't work on 8.1, you need 8.1 Update

Ronsoak

202 posts

Master Geek

#1049816 20-May-2014 14:58

If you are ambivalent just go 8.1, I differ between the two and Ubuntu and I prefer win7 because I am familiar with it and know all its ins and out, but its not a bad OS so just go 8.1 and future proof yourself.

Gilco2

1556 posts

Uber Geek

#1050248 21-May-2014 08:58

lyonrouge: For some reason that still doesn't display the task bar, maybe it doesn't work with touch screens?

I rechecked on my Samsung Ative 500 and it has all the updates.
When using as tablet only it wont display the task bar or the close bar at top. To close still have to move cursor to top and drag down.

Now very interestingly, when I connect it to the keyboard dock all works properly. Task bar displays and the bar at top appears with the close box in top right.

Why it is I dont know. Whether it is like that on all again i dont know but it is on my Samsung

HTPC Intel Pentium G3258 cpu, Gigabyte H97n-wifi motherboard, , 8GB DDR3 ram, onboard graphics. Hauppuage HVR 5500 tuner, Silverstone LC16M case, Windows 10 pro 64 bit using Nextpvr and Kodi

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1050254 21-May-2014 09:15

IMHO with the latest Win8.1 update 8.1 is now superior in every way to Windows 7.

If you don't like the current lack of a traditional start menu then install an app to give you one which takes all of 30 seconds.

MikeB4

18435 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1050258 21-May-2014 09:17

sbiddle: IMHO with the latest Win8.1 update 8.1 is now superior in every way to Windows 7.

If you don't like the current lack of a traditional start menu then install an app to give you one which takes all of 30 seconds.

Absolutely

TwoSeven

1623 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#1050283 21-May-2014 09:44

crackrdbycracku: Hey,

I'm considering buying a new desktop for home office work mostly in Office and media serving to streaming capable media players.

My question is what the the advantages of either OS on a desktop which will not have a touch screen, it will be mouse and keyboard all the way.

Windows 7 comes with Media Centre which would be good for media server use with my Xbox 360.

Windows 8 has Modern UI but I don't know how much use that will be on a non-touch desktop.

I'm familiar with both but always on laptops.

Any opinions?

Personally, if I were looking at a new desktop today, I would probably go with an ultrabook or dual purpose tablet and run windows 8.1 - with an external monitor. The media capability is much better on a modern device because one can do DLNA and also Wi-Di to other screens.

Software Engineer
(the practice of real science, engineering and management)
A.I. (Automation rebranded)
Gender Neutral
(a person who believes in equality and who does not believe in/use stereotypes. Examples such as gender, binary, nonbinary, male/female etc.)

...they/their/them...

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

ScuL

487 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1050628 21-May-2014 20:00

I'm still happily part of the "say no to Windows 8" clan
Even with 8.1 things are still not as I would prefer to see them. The interface is ugly, even though Metro can be circumvented it is still there.
Still find it ridiculous having to install 3rd party applications to circumvent shortcomings that should have been addressed by MS in their first release
The difference in speed is negligible as my PC is flying on Win7.

I have my hopes up for Windows 9.. *fingers crossed*

Haere taka mua, taka muri; kaua e wha.

Ronsoak

202 posts

Master Geek

#1050661 21-May-2014 20:28

ScuL: I'm still happily part of the "say no to Windows 8" clan
Even with 8.1 things are still not as I would prefer to see them. The interface is ugly, even though Metro can be circumvented it is still there.
Still find it ridiculous having to install 3rd party applications to circumvent shortcomings that should have been addressed by MS in their first release
The difference in speed is negligible as my PC is flying on Win7.

I have my hopes up for Windows 9.. *fingers crossed*

I'm currently writing an article on some of my thoughts about windows 9 and one of my hopes is that windows goes Multi-SKU.
Windows has a core userbase of Business users and at the end of the day I know the Government Agency I work for has no use / need for the whole Metro UI and I really feel like Windows 8 really ignored that user base and by proxy Gamers felt alienated as well.

The whole Metro UI has been a way for MS to push into a mobile/tablet market but they have lost focus on their core goals such as business productivity something they are trying to keep alive with the surface range and Office 365 and the Sever X.

It is my hope that they see that many business operations will be reluctant to upgrade to an environment like 8 and pursue a multi-sku approach.

A Plain, productive Windows with "classic" Desktop for business and by proxy Gaming, void of touch features and the integrated windows sotre which one could expect to be pricey at retail but affordable via the OEM program
The 8-esque mobile / metro version for their standard laptops, tablets and for standard retail.

While it seems far fetched at face value just think about where windows stands as a product. Its main source of income comes from the businesses relying on it but if they out right ignore the business side of it people will seek alternatives. We know places like Weta Workshop use a custom linux distro for a lot of their PC's and Macs for alot of other work as well as Windows. 20 years ago a business was nearly 99% windows. While my work uses Win7, our servers are supported by linux.

Businesses are slow to upgrade for obvious reasons, they will stay on Win Xp/Vista/ 7 for as long as possible and if windows 9 doesnt offer some form of respite it could spell trouble for windows.

JimmyH

2886 posts

Uber Geek

#1050664 21-May-2014 20:42

ScuL: I'm still happily part of the "say no to Windows 8" clan
Even with 8.1 things are still not as I would prefer to see them. The interface is ugly, even though Metro can be circumvented it is still there.
Still find it ridiculous having to install 3rd party applications to circumvent shortcomings that should have been addressed by MS in their first release
The difference in speed is negligible as my PC is flying on Win7.

I have my hopes up for Windows 9.. *fingers crossed*

I pretty much share that view. Unfortunately, my main machine is old and creaky, and I doubt I can wait for Windows 9 before I update.

I'm pretty (actually very) close to doing something I thought I would never do, and jumping ship to a mac. I just need to find some time to have a play with a friend's mac to see how much I like the UI (haven't used a mac in 15+ years), and also check whether there is comparable software to do the things I currently do under Windows.

The core of the Win8 OS seems fine. They just need a UI option which puts it back to a UI that works for me, and I would upgrade tomorrow. I like aero, I don't like tiles, and I loathe charms. They are so fixated on catching Apple in the tablet market, that they seem to have forgotten about their bread and butter markets of businesses and other productivity users - with mice, keyboards and non-touch screens.

Surely it wouldn't be too hard for a configuration option that sits a functionally/visually identical Win7 skin on top of the Win8 OS core?

PhantomNVD

2619 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1050673 21-May-2014 21:08

I'm in the same boat, tried win 8.1 on a new laptop, tried REALLY hard to like it and 'switch' up, but even with start8 help I just couldn't handle the level of Claude I felt I needed to go through to get where I wanted under the hood, so gave up after 5 months and as win7 flies on my SSD, no quandary at all...

Also had outlook issues with our Server2012 some really random ipv6 looking account details which somehow wrecked my iPad/iPhone synching and just nailed down the coffin for me...

1 | 2 | 3