Best windows OS?

[dontflow]

Which Windows OS is now tops - from simplicity of use, reliability and compatibility aspects? And why? I have had a mac for the last 10 years but am thinking of changing back since the quality has significantly dropped....

 

[nemesismk2]

before i get shot down i would say that windows 7, windows xp and windows 98

 

[Charlie98]

Which Windows OS is now tops - from simplicity of use, reliability and compatibility aspects? And why? I have had a mac for the last 10 years but am thinking of changing back since the quality has significantly dropped....

Quality of what... the hardware or the OS?

If you are going back to Windows, you might as well get 8.1, it's the most current OS, unless you aren't in a hurry and can wait for W9.

 

[G73S]

Windows 7

 

[smitbret]

Win 7 Pro

Although, if you are going to be learning a new OS, anyway, then you might as well migrate to Win 8.1 since it is probably going to have more in common with future OSes than Win 7.

 

[smitbret]

before i get shot down i would say that windows 7, windows xp and windows 98 SP2

Fixed

Although, I don't know why you would leave out the rock solid Windows 2000.

 

[Mem]

Fixed

Although, I don't know why you would leave out the rock solid Windows 2000.

You forgot WinMe ,as to best Windows OS it's all relative,no Windows is hard to use so I will say Win8.1 mainly due to being a lot newer then Win7,improved security,longer future support etc...

Nothing wrong with Win7 but its getting a bit old now.


I could mention some great Linux distros too ,but he did say Windows.

 

[ninaholic37]

Windows 95. I think it was nice improvement over Windows 3.1. I remember it took like 25 floppy disks to install.

 

[code65536]

8.1

 

[ultimatebob]

The best one was Windows 2000. First Windows OS where the Plug and Play actually worked correctly and reliably.

Windows XP was basically Windows 2000 with some silly UI changes.

Nowadays, I like Windows 7.

 

[reallyscrued]

Windows 8 with start menu replacement. Anyone who says otherwise is just intentionally being ignorant and refuses to give it an honest shot.

The speed increase from revamped memory management, ease of multi monitor set ups with extended taskbar, redesigned task manager is leagues better than 7.

In my experience, a properly configured Windows 8 machine will run circles around a Windows 7 machine in terms of speed with the same hardware. 8 makes 7 look REALLY look like a Vista Service Pack. Just get rid of the godforsaken 'Start Screen'.

Windows 8.x + Classic Shell + Office 2010 = win.

 

[nemesismk2]

Fixed

Although, I don't know why you would leave out the rock solid Windows 2000.

I have never used windows 2000 because where i worked were still running windows 95 lol

 

[lxskllr]

I wouldn't use any of them, but if forced to choose, I'd get 8.1.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

Definitely would say 8.1 now and if you can't deal then 8.1 + start menu addon of your choice.

 

[dagamer34]

Windows 7 is universally loved though I prefer Windows 8.1. I could see some of the enhancements planned for a future version of Windows to be quite interesting though (new start menu, Metro apps on desktop).

 

[postmortemIA]

Win failure is not the best OS by a long mile. If it had only enhancements over win 7 and no ui issues ( we all know what they are) then we could consider it. So win 7 x64 gets to be the best. Because it is last version of progression, evolution of windows, applying the extra stuff on a solid foundation. By that, win 8 is regression

 

[Red Squirrel]

Right now, windows 7.

Though, all time, I'd say windows 2000. That was probably the best OS MS has ever put out. It was stable, easy to use, and fairly light weight. XP added tons of bloat and eye candy while not doing anything special. Vista/7, same idea, and let's not even talk about 8.

An OS should be very light weight, it's only job is to run your applications. So other than adding support for newer tech like more ram, cpu, etc and overall taking advantage of better hardware, there's no reason that an OS should more and more bloated over time.

 

[ninaholic37]

I have had a mac for the last 10 years but am thinking of changing back since the quality has significantly dropped....

Do you mean your computer is getting old, or that Mac OS isn't as good as it used to be? If the latter, I'd be curious to know what's happened to Mac OS over the past few years that made you want to switch to Windows?

 

[postmortemIA]

Do you mean your computer is getting old, or that Mac OS isn't as good as it used to be? If the latter, I'd be curious to know what's happened to Mac OS over the past few years that made you want to switch to Windows?

Maybe it is mix of both hardware and software changes
Mac hardware is getting cheaper and more integrated in order to compete with Wintel. Example is that base macbook pro is cheaper than ever before at $1.3k, but has no discrete graphics
Software (OSX) is getting more and more complex, therefore inherently more buggy (when software complexity goes up, bugs go up even quicker). And Apple seems to be mrope and mroe introducing iOS features which makes many nervous (fear of Windows 8 alike hybrid OSX)

 

[smakme7757]

Windows 7 is the best OS. Extrmely clean, lean and very user friendly. Hands down.

 

[ultimatebob]

Windows 8 with start menu replacement. Anyone who says otherwise is just intentionally being ignorant and refuses to give it an honest shot.

I'm glad that most IT departments don't think like you, as it just encourages Microsoft to abuse their Monopoly power to cram bad UI decisions down their user's throats. Instead of living with or working around Windows 8's design flaws, we should be trying to get Microsoft to FIX them.

I think that even fans of Metro/Modern UI think that using it should be user's decision, but Microsoft didn't see initially see it that way. It wasn't until Microsoft started losing sales before they relented and made the new Start screen optional.

 

[bgt]

8.1.1

 

[nemesismk2]

I have never used windows me so will be trying that one out as well with an old computer i have with msi geforce 6600 gt lol in an old article they said "However, Watson said Microsoft would try to "encourage" users of Win9x systems to upgrade to XP." oh well i am using windoes xp which is not being supported so might as well use windows me and windows 98 as well.

Atlease microsoft didn't leave windows xp owners unpatched like they did with Windows 98 has Several "critical" flaws remain unpatched in '98.

 

[gus6464]

Windows 8 gives people cancer...

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Though, all time, I'd say windows 2000. That was probably the best OS MS has ever put out. It was stable, easy to use, and fairly light weight. XP added tons of bloat and eye candy while not doing anything special.

I have to agree there. Win2K was rock-solid (especially with SP4) with no bloat to speak of. It also ran just fine with 64MB RAM, something XP didn't.