Saturday 3 November 2012

Windows 8 Pro - My Take

So it took all of roughly 20 minutes to perform a clean installation of Microsoft Windows 8 Pro 64-bit on a desktop with a Pentium Dual Core CPU, 2GB RAM and an 80 GB hard drive which to me was very impressive considering the amount of time it normally takes to install Windows XP, Vista or even Windows 7. Oh, and I did not have to go searching for any drivers for any of the hardware components installed on the system. Now how cool is that?

Next came the initial setup which was quite simple and straight forward; changing the wallpaper, logon information, profile picture and getting my social accounts set up (Emails, Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook) took about 10 minutes

Now I must admit that the Windows 8 Store is lacking a bit in apps when compared to what i'm accustom to with Window Phone 7 (i'm going to leave the Android Play Store out of this one), but i'm sure this would be remedied before too long once Windows 8 picks up momentum (fingers crossed).  And then I got to wondering, "would the software I have installed on Windows 7 work on Windows 8?"

Well, I haven't found one that hasn't worked so far and i've installed quite a few of the old programs I have including a copy of Microsoft Office 2007.

Of course being a huge Google Chrome fan, I had to install it and once I did and signed in with my Google credentials I was right at home for all my web browsing needs (Chrome simply synced all my stuff)

Now for the annoying stuff:
  1. Desktop users may be better of sticking with Windows 7.  Sure Windows 8 is nice, but to experience the fun it seems as though a touchscreen is needed (this is my opinion at least). It seems as though i'm almost totally dependent on the scroll wheel of my mouse in the "Metro"/Start/Tile Mode, now if only I had a touch screen...you get my point?
  2. The Charms and recently opened apps bars are not as responsive as I would like them to be (not sure if they can be tweaked)
  3. The browser does not sync when you switch from Start/Tile Mode to Desktop Mode which is a bummer as well as the facts that desktop software won't run in the new interface or vice versa.  It's like having two completely different operating systems in one operating system.  Now, it's not that I don't like it, but I can only imagine the confusion this will cause for the not-so-tech-savvy persons out there.
  4. A few simple functions (from earlier versions of Windows) now seems to be an extra mouse click away - like shutting down. The option is now tucked away in Settings, although you can just CTRL + ALT + DEL and find it in the bottom right hand corner of your screen, but still...come on man.  And where is the command prompt?  UPDATE: Found it!  From the charms bar you can simply search for all the "old" included programs from earlier versions of Windows, but it still is an extra click away.
Final-ish Verdict (until i've spent more time with Microsoft Windows 8 Pro):
  • It's NOT for desktop users and even for persons with laptops it seems as though the touch screen really is necessary to fully enjoy and appreciate the new OS.  
  • The learning curve (to me) is not as gentle as it was for persons moving from Windows XP to Windows Vista or 7 so be warned.
  • Do I like it?  YES, I do.  Do I love it?  NO, not without having a touch screen.
  • So should you go out and buy a brand new, shiny windows 8 desktop computer?  No!  It may make more sense to get a good Windows 7 system (you can always upgrade to Windows 8 later which would most likely cost less than having to downgrade to Windows 7 from Windows 8)
  • Finally, I hope Santa Claus remember to get me a Microsoft Surface for Christmas...i'm smiling already.
Update: Seems Logitech may have been able to bridge the great divide between not having a touch screen on a desktop with Microsoft Windows 8 and being able to use it as if it had one (of course that's an additional price you'd have to pay).  

Check out the following links:


10 comments:

  1. k-son Priceless Charles3 November 2012 at 17:13

    oh.. i was considering it ... thank u

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  2. k-son Priceless Charles3 November 2012 at 17:14

    i just changed my mind

    ReplyDelete
  3. Whats the different's between windows RT and 8 pro

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The simple difference: Windows RT was designed for tablets and would not allow you to install your old software from Windows XP or 7. It is the most basic of the Windows 8 versions. Windows 8 pro on the other hand is the "must have" version for persons upgrading to Win. 8 or buying a Win 8 computer. Win. 8 Pro has the most features (apart form the enterprise version) and I must say it is smooth

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    2. I should have also mentioned that you CANNOT buy Windows 8 RT and even if you were able to get your hands on it, it will only run on ARM-based processors, not the normal AMD or INTEL CPUs we're accustom to seeing on our Windows-based computers

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  4. do you think they would have windows 8 for 32-bit

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    Replies
    1. There are 32-bit versions for Windows 8 and for Windows 8 Pro - these are the versions that are recommended for home and business users

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    2. what will happen if you install a 32-bit version of windows 8 on a 64-bit windows 7 computer

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  5. I don't think that you could down grade from windows 8 to windows 7 (except: maybe you use a disk).
    And yes it's nice -but it seems to be a rip off!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I should have explained that the only way to downgrade from Windows 8 to 7 is by doing a full installation from disc. So it's not so much a downgrade as it is a re-installation of Win. 7. And it sure is fun...once you get the hang of it. Thanks boss.

      Delete

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