Window 7 or Windows 8?

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crackrdbycracku

1168 posts

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#143146 4-Apr-2014 15:30

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?

Didn't anybody tell you I was a hacker?

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8323 posts

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#1018597 4-Apr-2014 15:43

Do you own an installable copy of Win7, as it is getting harder and harder to find ,

I don't think you will be able to get one of the name brands to ship a new system with anything other than 8.1

surfisup1000

5288 posts

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#1018600 4-Apr-2014 15:46

Some like windows 7, others windows 8 and you could argue interface differences until the cows come home and still not have an answer. Personally I like win 7 as it is more productive . My win8 workflow is a little more frustrating and definitely a little slower.

From your comments , you have to go win 7 because it has media center.

crackrdbycracku

1168 posts

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#1018617 4-Apr-2014 15:54

Thanks, all.

I'm pretty ambivalent, not that I don't care but I just don't think there will be a lot of functional difference.

There are still places such as PB Tech which say you can have Windows 7 if you want.

With the current 8.1 and the way things are heading I think there will be little obvious difference soon.

You can wirelessly stream to devices with Media Player with Windows 8, right?

Didn't anybody tell you I was a hacker?

DrDee

269 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1018631 4-Apr-2014 16:09

crackrdbycracku: Thanks, all.

I'm pretty ambivalent, not that I don't care but I just don't think there will be a lot of functional difference.

There are still places such as PB Tech which say you can have Windows 7 if you want.

With the current 8.1 and the way things are heading I think there will be little obvious difference soon.

You can wirelessly stream to devices with Media Player with Windows 8, right?

Yes you can stream, and you are right, with Windows 8.1 update 1 on the horizon there is no reason to choose Windows 7 over it anymore.

Sideface

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#1018634 4-Apr-2014 16:15

I'm a MS Partner, and so have plenty of Win 7 and Win 8 licenses.
I don't use touchscreens, so I don't use Win 8.
Seven of my 8 PCs run Win 7 - the other runs XP for sentimental reasons (and to run old software).

Sideface

Stu

Hammered
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#1018643 4-Apr-2014 16:37

I'm running Windows 8.1 Pro on my old desktop in the office. No touch screen. Works well across 3 monitors and with Microsoft now mentioning the return of the Start Menu I can't really see any reason not to use it on non-touchscreen machines. You can always add the Media Centre Pack if required.

mxpress

376 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1018652 4-Apr-2014 17:07

wellygary: Do you own an installable copy of Win7, as it is getting harder and harder to find ,

I don't think you will be able to get one of the name brands to ship a new system with anything other than 8.1

Windows 7 is still readily available (Ive sold 7 this week ) as are new Wind 7 laptops. Just not at chain stores.

mxpress

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afe66

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#1018673 4-Apr-2014 17:32

Good to know it is still available to buy for my next machine, otherwise I was going to write to MS and ask where I could buy a copy of W7 Pro and if the answer had been, "its not available buy Window 8" I was going to pirate a copy with an easy conscience.

The reason being that I know the flight sim stuff works on W7 and there are lots of solutions to problems while windows 8.1 seems to have alot of report of things not working.

W8.1 is more upto date but I find linux does everything I want and I spend 90%+ of my time on the Linux partition (than W7)

A.

JimmyH

2886 posts

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#1019119 5-Apr-2014 18:57

I'm in the same zone. I would have purchased this Christmas except Win8 put me off so badly, and I was worried about disappearing support for Win7 down the track.

A couple of weeks ago I would have said it was a no brainer - for a desktop Win7 was the way to go. Last weeks announcements about the next version of Win8 indicate that MS may have finally realised that not everyone has a touch screen or wants a Fisher Price interface, so if you can wait a while Win8 might actually be worthwhile.

Personally, I'm so fed up over the whole debacle that I'm close to just giving up and getting a Mac.

Gilco2

1556 posts

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#1019157 5-Apr-2014 20:16

On my main laptop I dont have touchscreen and just use trackpad and the main thing I love about windows 8 is the tile screen. I move the main used tiles to the left so dont have to scroll sidewys for most of them. Those desktop programs, I just pin the file to the start. And when on desktop it is very quick to select next program you want to use. For me I find it way quicker and easier than going through the old start then all programs and scroll down to where the program is. I know you can have shortcut on desktop but it looks cluttered and messy. Thats where I like the tiles, they look neat and tidy.

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

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#1019196 5-Apr-2014 21:15

JimmyH:... Last weeks announcements about the next version of Win8 indicate that MS may have finally realised that not everyone has a touch screen or wants a Fisher Price interface ... Personally, I'm so fed up over the whole debacle that I'm close to just giving up and getting a Mac.

Don't rush away from Windows just yet.
Consider the MS good OS - bad OS cycle ...
Remember that MS suported XP for 14 years (because they had to - not because they wanted to).
They will probably support Windows 7 for 14 years for the same reason - the replacement OS is unpopular (for good reason IMHO).

Sideface

DrDee

269 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1019954 7-Apr-2014 13:44

JimmyH: I'm in the same zone. I would have purchased this Christmas except Win8 put me off so badly, and I was worried about disappearing support for Win7 down the track.

A couple of weeks ago I would have said it was a no brainer - for a desktop Win7 was the way to go. Last weeks announcements about the next version of Win8 indicate that MS may have finally realised that not everyone has a touch screen or wants a Fisher Price interface, so if you can wait a while Win8 might actually be worthwhile.

Personally, I'm so fed up over the whole debacle that I'm close to just giving up and getting a Mac.

Mac OS is the Fisher Price interface of the Linux world.

Batman

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#1019982 7-Apr-2014 14:13

windows 8 is faster in every aspect. yes people moan when they go from 7 to 8 because it is different, that's for sure. if it is the same you would call it windows 7.1

there is a learning curve if you from 7 to 8. if you just go 8 you'd be fine. assuming you can get media centre that works. that bit I haven't explored. there might also be some incompatibility issues which hopefully will sort themselves over time.

blakamin

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#1019988 7-Apr-2014 14:19

I use 8.1 on a 2.5 year old HP DV6.
I run "Start 8" and never see the "metro" interface unless I purposely go there (probably once).
It boots to desktop and it's much faster than 7.
I also have a WMC key and that works fine too. Extends to the xbox no worries.
I wouldn't go back to 7.

nakedmolerat

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#1020030 7-Apr-2014 15:06

Definitely windows 8 (even on non-touch screen)

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