Windows 8 Upgrade?

[cal]

I was just wondering if anyone has tried this update,

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/download

If anyone has the gonads to download and install it please leave feedback and what type of pc you have, how the program installed, etc.......

 

[Slammer]

I took me forever to finally get the gonads to install Windows 7 and do away with XP, which I became so familiar and content with.

For the life of me, I'm not gonna bother with upgrading to Windows 8 unless I have to.

Beside, I doubt if my Commadore 64 could handle the RAM needed for Windows 8.

Windows 7 takes about 4 hours to boot up on my computer as it currently stands.

 

[Khalifa]

I'm stilll posting from my electric typwriter. Doubt that would handle the upgrade

~Wiz

 

[Guest]

prob just wait for the full version

 

[Guest]

Yup had the Dev version running on an Sony Vaio I5 for around 3 months - I have been travelling around the EU and it has been fine, bit of a jump from 7.

I wouldn't have it as my only OS though even on the Vaio I had it Duel booted with Ubuntu 12.04 - this mainly down to the kind of work I was doing, need a Linux environment to test/work, the everyone wants reports presented in MS word or PDF format.

All in tho I can see where MS are aiming to go with 8, but personally it still lacks the functionality 7 has - forget your compatability mode, a lot off main stream programs wont install on 8. But the final killer for me is you need to trust MS to keep your system secured - you cannot install your own 3rd party anti-virus/Firewall.

This to me the one area that MS has continually provided people like me ( totally White-hat hacker / Pen tester /default_rolleyes.gif ) to build a decent career. Exploiting there OS security flaws and using 3rd party software in the commecial sector to provide the level of protection that is needed in a critical environment. So for them to lock this down further - no I can't see it setting the Business world alight, Hell 70% are still running XP SP3 and IE6 !!!! If it aint broke why fix it is the general concencus - Moneys tight everywhere. Even though now I can pay £15 and upgrade to 8Pro, I won't simply because I can get into the system in under 4 minutes. W7 with good AV/Firewall I cannot without the user knowing.

Updates for 8 have been flooding out this last 6 weeks but still the won't allow the user to make the choice on the Security side, your stuck with Defender !! You can however add one more layer by installing Malware-Bytes, but that still fails in locking down your box.

Stick with 7 for another year or so, MS relent when the pressure there prize new OS gets blitzed by a nice viral issue. Then maybe in the press you will begin to see reviews that are worth reading.

BEng. Hons Systems Networking and Ethical Hacking, MEng.Systems Networking and Ethical Hacking, CCNA-Sec, CCNP R&S+Tshoot, Cert-Eth-Hacker.

 

[CrzyPython]

I'm a windows 8 user as well. In my experience I feel as if I'm working with a huge cell phone to be honest. Since the UI seems like one. You can switch back and forth though to desktop mode. But I sort of like the new UI. I have a small Toshiba notebook that had windows 7 starter which = a pain in the rear and did what Macez did and installed Ubuntu on that mother effer. Now runs as smooth as a babies bottom. /default_smile.png My other laptop though another Toshiba has windows 7. Had to replace it since the monitor broke and got this new Toshiba that came with windows 8. They are some minor things I do dislike though, such as Skype and the log off feature. You can to pretty much log of your entire Microsoft account in order to switch onto another one. I have the one we use at work and my personal one, and I used to always be able to manage both at the same time. With windows 8 I can't. Unless though which is what I Do now, keep my Skype for work linked to my Microsoft account. And my personal linked with IM+.

 

[Slammer]

Can one upgrade directly from Windows 95 to Windows 8 without having to uninstall the older version first?

And secondly, currently I'm running 8mb of RAM how much doI need for optimal Windows 8 performance?

I'm talking about using such programs as MSN Chat, Skype, and watching the odd porno for research purposes.

Thanks in advance.

Slammer

 

[High Tide]

Can one upgrade directly from Windows 95 to Windows 8 without having to uninstall the older version first?

And secondly, currently I'm running 8mb of RAM how much doI need for optimal Windows 8 performance?

I'm talking about using such programs as MSN Chat, Skype, and watching the odd porno for research purposes.

Thanks in advance.

Slammer

Are you serious? I hope you mean you have Win 7 with 8 GB of RAM. But yes, if you have a decent PC and the MB supports 8 you can install in a dual boot mode. I.E., you have to make a separate partition and install 8 on it, then when the PC boots you would have the option of running 7, which I think you said you currently use, or booting to 8. That would require buying the full version of 8 though. People with Win 7 can upgrade to 8 for a good deal less than buying a retail or OEM version of 8.

The forum in my sig is a really good place to go and ask. If you are really wanting to run Win 95 and 8 then I doubt it would work. Not saying it won't, but it certainly won't run with 8 mb of RAM. If you're being sarcastic I apologize. I have the same problem with sarcasm and writing, it just doesn't work well for some reason. <_<

 

[Slammer]

Are you serious? I hope you mean you have Win 7 with 8 GB of RAM. But yes, if you have a decent PC and the MB supports 8 you can install in a dual boot mode. I.E., you have to make a separate partition and install 8 on it, then when the PC boots you would have the option of running 7, which I think you said you currently use, or booting to 8. That would require buying the full version of 8 though. People with Win 7 can upgrade to 8 for a good deal less than buying a retail or OEM version of 8.

The forum in my sig is a really good place to go and ask. If you are really wanting to run Win 95 and 8 then I doubt it would work. Not saying it won't, but it certainly won't run with 8 mb of RAM. If you're being sarcastic I apologize. I have the same problem with sarcasm and writing, it just doesn't work well for some reason. /default_dry.png

Sorry about that. You don't know me well enough yet.

Computer problem solved. It was all just a dream of mine which I mistakenly thought was reality.

Kinda like my existence on Earth.

Slammer

 

[High Tide]

lol, don't apologize for my ignorance, you'll never shut up.

 

[Guest]

Windows 8 is horrible. I know people who have been sent to workshops to learn how to use it it's so not user friendly.

 

[Packrat]

Windows 8.1 is a lot better.  Microsoft couldn't get people to buy Windows 7 at first, and still about 75% of Windows installations are XP, which will no longer be supported after 4.8/2014.  When Windows 8 came out it hit a brick wall.  There were so many complaints about lack of functionality, the charms and the fact that there was no start button.  Windows 8.1 has a chance, I think, but CrzyPython said it best - that it's like a glorified cell phone.  Of course, Apple sold 9 million iPhones in a single weekend.  I installed Windows 8.1 on a laptop to test it out and I see that I now can flip back and forth from a regular desktop with a start button to the charms.  I think that underneath the new interface not all that much has changed from Windows 7.   There's the rub, tho.  I would bet that if Microsoft didn't make such a radical change to the interface they would be doing much better with sales.

There is no way to upgrade to 8.1 except from Windows 7 or maybe even Vista, but definitely not from XP or any earlier versions of Windows.  I would say that you should make sure your applications will work before even trying it.

PR

 

[headbanger]

Pack, I have 8.0 and the lack of the start button drives me crazy.

 

[Packrat]

Hi HB, how's it goin'?

As I understand it, that was the main, numero uno, #1, reason they released 8.1.   

With 8.1, just hit a key and you are looking at Windows 7 - only with square windows instead of rounded windows.

Of course the damage was done.   I think it's gonna be a long time before Microsoft makes up for lost sales on that blunder.

It's kinda like trying to drive without a steering wheel.

Regards,

PR

 

[headbanger]

So Pack you upgraded to 8.1? I keep ingorning that message to upgrade cause I fear 8.1 will be worse.

Can someone tell me how to spell check please? That drives me just as crazy as the windows start button.

 

[bluesman008]

I despise 8.0; not user friendly at all in a professional setting.

 

[Packrat]

So Pack you upgraded to 8.1? I keep ingorning that message to upgrade cause I fear 8.1 will be worse.

Can someone tell me how to spell check please? That drives me just as crazy as the windows start button.

Hi HB,

How's it goin?

I do a lot of technology testing on the job so I took a laptop and installed 8.1 straight away.  I didn't do an upgrade.  I think the results would be the same, though, if you go from 8.0 to 8.1.   Not like 7.0 to 8.1 or trying to upgrade from XP or something.  To answer your question, I don't think 8.1 would be any worse.  If you can get 8.1 for free, I would do the upgrade because you will get back a lot of stuff you had before.  People were ticked off because Microsoft took away the start button and other things, so they put them back in 8.1. 

I find the "charms" mostly useless, unless something catches my eye that I want to see, like a sports score or the weather.  I can't stand the Metro interface, so I just Ctrl-Esc to get to the regular Windows interface with icons and the start button.  I understand that you can set 8.1 up so it starts that way, but there are a lot of other annoying things about Windows 8.1 that I can't get used to.  Maybe I just haven't figured them out yet, though.   All you have to do is right-mouse-click on the Windows 8.1 Start button and you can customize pretty much anything.

IMO Microsoft is pushing everyone in a direction that will make them more money - especially by dropping support and patching for Windows XP on April 8th.  That ticks me off the most.  Y'know the old saying, "if it ain't broke don't fix it" right?  Well 75% of Windows users are still on Windows XP and they are now going to be subject to either security risks because they can't get OS patches any more or forced to upgrade and reinstall EVERYTHING because you can't do an upgrade from Windows XP.  That really sucks.  Windows 7 is really nice, though.  I like it a lot.   IMHO that's a much better choice than Windows 8.0

I hope this helps.

Regards,

PR

 

[theone1420]

is there a specific reason as to why you are on win 8 at all? In my opinion unless you have a touchscreen device windows 8 functionality is not up to par with software standards, or lack there of.

Having said that the upgrade to 8.1 will not make anything any worse the point of these updates is to improve upon bugs discovered in the prior version of the software and from my understanding the only main change is the option to add a classic start menu so if the popup window bothers you enough just upgrade.

But personally i would jump back on the windows 7 bandwagon unless of course your touchscreen or taking advantage of the new UEFI boot which I do on my alienware and love!!! the boot speed more than makes up for the need to customize windows 8 to get my good old windows 7 feel though there are still some apps that are not compatible yet.

 

[theone1420]

Has anyone jumped on the os maverick bandwagon yet? I like to use my mac mini for music production and website publishing and am still quite unsure about making the jump to the new OS anyone have good, bad experiences with the new os!

Also just to chime in I am glad that I have found a way to develop relationships with forum members outside of the normal "main topic" depressing situation most of us suffer from.