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MikeandClaudia · 11-17-2012, 10:16 PM

My poor old Gateway (OS -- VISTA) is sick and has a temperature. I have decided to get a new computer.

Right now, you can get Windows 7 installed on the new computers with a certificate for Windows 8; or you can get Windows 8 already installed.

Is anyone running Windows 8? How is it? Does it drive you crazy? Do you really need a touch screen, as I have read in some places.

I have heard that Windows 7 is pretty Rock Solid and a good OS. Is this your findings?

I really need your help. I started out on DOS and it is getting harder and harder to change over.

THANK YOU!

mw

AZgl1500 · 11-18-2012, 12:30 AM

DOS 6.2 was my favorite of the DOS series, although DOS 3.3 and DOS 5.0 were both pretty good.

Win7 Home Premium is pretty much rock solid now with all the fixes put into it.

Win8 is going to be a real facial change from the reviews I have been reading. It will offer touch screen for monitors that have that feature.

I think I will just hang onto Win7 until it is not supported anymore. Just like I did with WinXP. I ran it until mother quit supporting it.

You can fix that Vista machine though if you want to put a bit of effort into it. There is a method of stripping out all of the crapola from it and make it look and feel and run fast like WinXP.

Here is how I did it on a HP Vista laptop I used to have. It was pretty slick, felt like XP.

Transform Windows Vista into Windows VXP -- the hybrid | TechRepublic

wonderer1 · 11-18-2012, 02:38 AM

had vista in computer that got stolen. had problems with vista. have windows 7 in present computer no problems. all the reviews i've read and experts i listen to say stay away from windows 8. imho

RustyJC · 11-18-2012, 04:14 AM

I'll only say that our company's IT group (a notoriously conservative bunch) is just now switching to Windows 7 (from Windows XP Pro) on our company computers. As far as they're concerned, Windows 8 is a non-starter and won't even be considered.

I have Windows 7 on both home computers - it's much more solid than Vista. I have no intention of moving to Windows 8.

Rusty

**CLIFFTALL** · 11-18-2012, 04:32 AM

I needed a new laptop and got one of the few remaining windows 7 models that my local Best Buy had left. If its not broke , why fix it ? This dog is getting too old to learn new tricks :-)

Cliff

albertzerok · 11-18-2012, 05:07 AM

I just got a win 8 machine. I do tech support, I have to learn it but I would suggest win 7 if you just want a computer to use and do not want to be frustrated for a few weeks.

Triker56 · 11-18-2012, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZgl1500

I think I will just hang onto Win7 until it is not supported anymore. Just like I did with WinXP. I ran it until mother quit supporting it.

MS is still supporting XP with updates.
And they will continual doing that until April 8th 2014

I'm still using and updating a 2.4 GHz HP XP Laptop I bought on Feb. 2003.

vsheetz · 11-18-2012, 08:22 AM

Win8 forte is designed to take advantage of next-gen computers - with touch screen, very low power consumption, always on connectivity, etc. Very interesting are the convertible computers - a lightweight and thin clamshell notebook and a touch tablet in one.

One of the biggest complaints [of users with current gen computers] about Win8 is the lack of the Start Menu in desktop mode. Enter a variety of 3rd party programs that provide a Win8 Start Menu - a Google will show several.

powerboatr · 11-18-2012, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triker56

MS is still supporting XP with updates.
And they will continual doing that until April 8th 2014

I'm still using and updating a 2.4 GHz HP XP Laptop I bought on Feb. 2003.

me to
I have a great dell inspirion purchased in 2005 and use Xp
I was looking last night at what is required or lost by switching to win 7
I am perplexed by loosing outlook express
I use my phone company for dsl internet and with that they support outlook exp and also have a Google suite for email at their website.
But i need a email program that i can use at home with all my addresses and the great things outlook has.
What are options for email programs for use on the home machine.

I dont want to use an online email like Hotmail or Google or yahoo, because of having very limited email tools imo.
to load up win 7 i need to loose some files to free up disc space and ramp up memory...I have 1 g or memory now and i guess thats not enough

I then have a desktop 2004 compaq and it to runs xp...
help help

not real sure why a machine is being built to always be connected to the web?
seems WEIRD, but hey I dont use clouds or fb either

vsheetz · 11-18-2012, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by powerboatr

me to
I have a great dell inspirion purchased in 2005 and use Xp
I was looking last night at what is required or lost by switching to win 7
I am perplexed by loosing outlook express
I use my phone company for dsl internet and with that they support outlook exp and also have a Google suite for email at their website.
But i need a email program that i can use at home with all my addresses and the great things outlook has.
What are options for email programs for use on the home machine.

I dont want to use an online email like Hotmail or Google or yahoo, because of having very limited email tools imo.
to load up win 7 i need to loose some files to free up disc space and ramp up memory...I have 1 g or memory now and i guess thats not enough

I then have a desktop 2004 compaq and it to runs xp...
help help

not real sure why a machine is being built to always be connected to the web?
seems WEIRD, but hey I dont use clouds or fb either

Suggest to check out Thunderbird.

wildtoad · 11-18-2012, 10:28 AM

Unless you get a touch screen device stick with Windows 7. If you use a lot of typical Windows apps, stick with Windows 7. I installed Windows 8, and other than the built in spell check have found nothing compelling.

SMRDNR · 11-18-2012, 10:30 AM

make sure the programs you use are compatible- we upgraded one of our lap tops and are having problems with Quick Books and Billeo. I find it to be a real PITA and like windows 7 over XP.

Sprdtyf350 · 11-18-2012, 10:41 AM

I am running Windows 8 on a couple of my computers. For the most part it isn't that much different from Windows 7. All you have to do is click the desktop tile and you are basically back like before. Sure it has the new page with all the tiles on it. I hardly spend any time on that page. The start button is gone but I don't find it to be that big of a deal. If you put your mouse cursor in the bottom left corner you can bring up the start page.. The one with all the tiles. Now you have a configurable version of the old start button just in a much bigger format. I normally have my top 3 most used programs on the taskbar anyway in Windows 7 and you can still do that in Windows 8. Put the cursor in the top left and you can see all your open programs. Upper or lower right corner gives you search, and your settings. Grab an open program at the top and drag it to the bottom to close a program. All pretty simple.

Windows 8 to me seems like 2 operating systems in 1. You can choose to use the big tiles, and tablet designed apps.. Or you can choose to use the desktop style you had in Windows 7. It is actually very simple once you play with it a little bit.

Only thing that kind of annoys me is the multi step process to restart, or shutdown. And that can be shortened by just pressing Alt-F4..

I would go with Windows 8. Sure there are some differences, and when I first saw it in the Beta I really didn't like it. My mind just didn't want to give it a chance. Now that I have it installed and have used it for a while it is basically back to business as usual but with the newest, and most supported version...

Craig_R · 11-18-2012, 10:59 AM

Many years ago I was a big fan of DOS 6.2 by Digital Research. Better known as DR DOS 6.2. It was much better featured than MS DOS. Unfortunately Digital Research didn't have the market outreach that Microsoft did or things might be much different today.

To make a long story short, I had to be dragged into the world of Microsoft kicking and screaming. Microsoft has yet to release a consumer ready Operating System. For years they have consistently depended their customer base (guinea pigs) to work the bugs out of each and every OS they have released. Anytime they come out with a new OS I will give it at least a year for MS and their (guinea pigs) to work the bugs out before I buy it.

All of that being said we have Win 7 on an Ultrabook we recently purchased and are very happy with it.