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Any Windows geeks able to help?

StellaStella
edited April 2014 in General chat
I'm in need of a new laptop as mine has sort of done its duty. What I'm looking for is cheap and cheerful, a little allrounder for surfing the net, e-mails, some work on pictures--as I said nothing fancy.<br><br>Now I've heard that Windows 8 had its problems, so was advised to look for Window 8.1, but I'm not in need of the super fast loading, nor am I keen on thousands of Apps I never use/need. I've seen good offers with Windows 7, never worked with it, though. <br>Can someone tell me, in simple terms, the differences, so I can make a somewhat informed decision? <br><br>Thanks in advance,<br><br>Stella<br>
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  • J_V_MacGyverJ_V_MacGyver
    edited April 2014
    <P>Hi Stella,</P> <P>Windows 8 (and 8.1) is better 'under the hood'. It handles the hardware of your computer better. However, this is only important if you really need to squeeze out every little drop of performance from that computer, which you clearly won't do. Super fast loading doesn't solely depend on the software but on the hardware, too. If for example you are not familiar with SSDs then you probably don't need it (though, I have to say, a Win7 loading up in 3-5 secs is amazing).</P> <P>Biggest difference is obviously the so-called Metro UI, the interface with the tiles, that makes your laptop look like a giant Windows 8 phone. IMO, I hate it. You may have heard that Win8 doesn't have the Start Menu anymore. Microsoft promised to put it back but it's tricky: you have to upgrade to 8.1 then install some hotfixes, then upgrade the installer of the hotfixes, then intall some further hotfixes and tadaaamm, Start Button. Horrible. But there's Classic Shell to the rescue, which gives the Start button back straight away. So if you go for Win8 you can still get old Desktop and Start Button / Menu back.</P> <P>My advice would be to go for Windows 7 because, even though you have never worked with it, it may be the smallest pain to get used to (supposing you have worked with XP / Vista before). Windows 7 will hopefully be around for many years so you'll get regular updates from Microsoft for free.</P> <P>Please also refer to this article: <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/windows-8-vs-windows-7-8-ways-it-s-different-1025285">http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/windows-8-vs-windows-7-8-ways-it-s-different-1025285</A> It gives you a brief review of some other new features I haven't mentioned (and I haven't used, at all).</P> <P>If you think you have found a laptop that you like, but it only sells with Windows 8, you can check out <A href="https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/">https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk</A> , they may be able to sell you a similarly configured laptop with Win7.</P> <P><EM><FONT size=1>PS.: I am in no way affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in this post. I hold an MSc in Technical Informatics Engineering, am a part-time PhD student at KCL, teaching assistant at UCL and full-time software engineer.</FONT></EM></P>
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  • StellaStella
    Brilliant, thank you. It confirms what I was thinking. :-) So, Windows 7 it is. <br>
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  • NorthNineteenNorthNineteen
    Is Windows 7 still available? I noticed XP is no longer supported and I was looking into other OS and it didn't seem possible to get Windows 7 on the Microsoft store.<br>
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  • J_V_MacGyverJ_V_MacGyver
    edited April 2014
    <P>You can no longer buy it as retail boxed software but PC builders will continue to sell Win7 till Oct 2015, I hear. So you can get a PC with pre-installed Win7 often with the option to upgrade to Win8.1 any time you please (Windows Anytime Upgrade, they call it).</P> <P>Also, you can buy OEM Win7 licences from shops like Ebuyer.com but bear in mind, installing an OEM licensed Win7 means you are not eligible for free Microsoft support (who needs that anyway) but more importantly, that particular copy of Windows you own is, from then on, married to your computer. Once you upgrade the computer (for <EM>any</EM> reason including hardware fault, say, replace a motherboard) the Win7 de-activates and re-activating it violates the EULA, meaning you will have to buy a new licence.</P>
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  • PapaPapa
    We got a new laptop last year with Windows 8, it drove me crazy. The 8.1 upgrade makes it better and lets you load up straight to an old fashioned desktop screen.<br><br>The problem is that Microsoft designed a tiled product for touch screens then imposed it across all devices. I have seen people use it on a touchscreen laptop and that seems okay - on a standard one you get used to it, but would probably still prefer old-style Windows 7.<br><br>Nobody buys a Windows PC to have to learn how to use it, they buy it because they want something dependably familiar. <br><br>There are also some infuriating things on there that try to force you down a path rather than do what you want, ie trying to make you think you have to get a Windows Live log-in to set up the computer and forcing it on those who want to use Skype. You can get round both of these, just don't get suckered in by them when they try to force you to set up a Windows Live account. A quick google will explain how to get round it.<br><br>Windows 8 also suffers more than any other one I have had for endlessly updating itself - maddening if you switch on the computer and it won't let you in before it has spent 10 minutes updating itself.<br><br>Ignore all of that and Windows 8 is quite good.<br><br>Quite why Microsoft is so insistent in pissing off its own customers I don't know.<br><br>After all, if you wanted a computer that told you exactly what to do and limited you in what you could have you'd get an Apple Mac - (which at least have the pay off of tending to work better.)<br><br>So the answer is, either pay a bit more and get a touchscreen, accept you will be slightly infuriated by Windows 8 but it's better than it was, or get Windows 7.<br><br><br>
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  • StellaStella
    I think I'll get the Windows 7. Found one really cheap and cheerful which should be doing the job. <br>Thank you, all, for your answers. Going laptop shopping is almost as complicated as going bra shopping!<br>
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  • miss anniemiss annie
    @Stella. Go to Rigby & Peller, you will have the least stressful experience of your life.
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  • StellaStella
    If only they did laptops, too. :-) Years ago, I found a bra that no only looked really pretty, but was also a perfect fit. I think at Dorothy Perkins. If anything I've learned from that experience is that bras are like saddles: if you find one that's perfect, buy ten of them.<br><br>Ordered my laptop. <br>
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  • J_V_MacGyverJ_V_MacGyver
    <P>@Stella: ordered 10 of them? :)</P>
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  • SutentSutent
    @mcgyver. Ha ha
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  • StellaStella
    Yes!<br>
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