mikeymikec
Lifer
- May 19, 2011
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IMO, the devil you know over the devil you don't, (you know Win7 works on your rig) but then I use my system for business + personal, and a day's downtime that turns out to be wasted (plus another day getting the system working 100%), would be extremely irritating/disruptive for me.
In my line of work there would be something to be said for me using Win8x full time, but IMO I get enough exposure to it through my work, and also the loss of usable Jump Lists would reduce my productivity.
I pondered the same question upgrade back in Feb this year when I had to replace my ailing HDD. I suppose in your case you could image your current OS (as people here suggests that imaging from a HDD to an SSD works, I wouldn't personally risk it but to each their own), first to potentially save time.
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mikeymikec
Lifer
- May 19, 2011
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They're only in 8 for apps on the taskbar (pinned or not). In order to make good use of them there, I would have to pin every app I use JLs for.
This doesn't work well for me because:
1) It would fill up most of my taskbar
2) I have a small taskbar set to maximise screen space, so tiny pinned and unlabelled icons
3) I don't like having pinned taskbar apps full stop (I find them quite distracting, especially the business of pinned / not running versus running apps).
4) Should I then have all the apps I have pinned on the Win7 start menu all then pinned on the Win8x taskbar, or have some on the taskbar and some in the Start screen? What's the point in this? It results in a productivity loss while looking for apps I regularly use. Sure, I can search for them but I can work quicker this way.
Having JLs on the start menu keeps the UI clearer while I'm working. Win7 gave a choice for accessing JLs, Win8x doesn't. On Win7 (and having Start menu JLs), I can also float my pointer over a number of jump lists in turn when I'm thinking about what I'm looking for, whereas with Win8x I'd have to right-click on each taskbar app, read the list, move on to the next one, right-click again... tedious as well as reduced productivity.
OlyAR15
Senior member
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Rakehellion
Lifer
- Jan 15, 2013
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Mem
Lifer
- Apr 23, 2000
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As others have pointed out use Start8 probably the best third party Start Menu for Win8/8.1,you can configure it for recent activities and pin your important stuff etc...
I've started using it(Start8) recently mainly due to Win10 having a Start menu so I'm getting use to using one again on Win8.1.
mikeymikec
Lifer
- May 19, 2011
- 20,385
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Why on earth would I waste time and money installing another OS, only to then have to play around with various apps to get exactly what I want when Win7 already has what I need?
Win8x gives me absolutely nothing of use to me, certainly nothing that warrants the time and money I'd be spending on installing it. A newer version of DX might be of interest when I start playing games that benefit from it, but I might get away with waiting for Win10 (with the probable downside of even less UI customisation options that Win8x gives me).
Mem
Lifer
- Apr 23, 2000
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No doubt you'll probably find something you don't like with Win10 or 11,just remember even Win7 is on a limited life span and at some point you will have to move forward or get left behind.
I personally can think of quite a few reasons why I upgraded ie great value for money,a lot cheaper then Win7 ever was and improved security,quite a few features that Win7 does not have which I won't bore you with and I'm not trying to get you to upgrade because that's your choice even in twenty years time when Win7 is buried in the great OS coffin.
It's fine you like Win7 but don't and tell me Win8.1 has no improvements or no new features because then you are talking rubbish,production wise not slower in my usage and that goes for Win10 as well ,end of the day both are good Operating Systems and I say that as an ex Win7/Vista,XP,2K,W98,W95/Win3.11/DOS user,how far you want to back?
End of the day Win8.1 and 10 etc are the direction Microsoft are going for the future.
I'll say glad they finally ditched desktop only OS from Win3.1 to Win7,was like being stuck in ground hog day with minor UI changes,even Linux was changing faster then Windows back then,at least now they can concentrate on improving future hybrid operating systems,I for one have new issues with using and adapting to hybrid operating systems.
Final point what you been saying is what a few XP users were/are still saying even after EOL of XP(almost fourteen old OS),funny how some things don't change with some people.
Roll on Win10 I look forward to all the unwarranted FUD and moans from some people.
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mikeymikec
Lifer
- May 19, 2011
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I'm not sure I see any value for money in trading one version of Windows for the next minor revision. There's no reason for me to change, and a Windows licence costs about £70 (UKP). If I'm going to spend that sort of money (time re-setting up the system aside), I would look at what I'm going to get in return. That's basically a tweaked version of Win7 with a default interface that doesn't suit my needs as well as the one I have. This is not a good deal for me.
If Windows 8 had been everything I hoped for, I probably wouldn't have upgraded to it either unless they included a feature that consistituted a significant improvement for my needs. I built my current PC within a few months of Win7 being released because it was a good match for my needs and SuperFetch really helped my productivity.
You talk about "being stuck in ground hog day with minor UI changes", desktop PCs have been around for decades. How I use mine has not fundamentally changed since NT4 came out, and I doubt it has for most big businesses either. Big businesses want a dependable product that doesn't require significant re-training to use; they're using it for largely the same purposes as they always have done. An evolved design and steady improvement is much better, it gives MS's biggest customers confidence in MS's products, and it makes MS look like they know what they're doing instead of "Apple changed something, so must we!".
I don't mind your point of view in the slightest; ie. that you enthusiastically adopt the latest stuff from OS vendors such as MS, just don't pretend that you're enlightened because of that, and/or that others are ignorant if they're not like you in that respect. That part of your opinion I do find offensive. It is sensible to check out the latest wares, I do the same.
If Windows 8 had been everything I hoped for, I probably wouldn't have upgraded to it either unless they included a feature that consistituted a significant improvement for my needs. I built my current PC within a few months of Win7 being released because it was a good match for my needs and SuperFetch really helped my productivity.
You talk about "being stuck in ground hog day with minor UI changes", desktop PCs have been around for decades. How I use mine has not fundamentally changed since NT4 came out, and I doubt it has for most big businesses either. Big businesses want a dependable product that doesn't require significant re-training to use; they're using it for largely the same purposes as they always have done. An evolved design and steady improvement is much better, it gives MS's biggest customers confidence in MS's products, and it makes MS look like they know what they're doing instead of "Apple changed something, so must we!".
I don't mind your point of view in the slightest; ie. that you enthusiastically adopt the latest stuff from OS vendors such as MS, just don't pretend that you're enlightened because of that, and/or that others are ignorant if they're not like you in that respect. That part of your opinion I do find offensive. It is sensible to check out the latest wares, I do the same.
Mem
Lifer
- Apr 23, 2000
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Did I call you ignorant?..Nope FYI I got two copies of Win8 for 15 and 25 quid at the start and free WMC key,a lot of users did the same,not my fault you decided not to.
Lets be honest any person with half a brain can use Win8 or any WINDOWS OS you can name,business people are supposed to be adaptable,open to training etc you don't hire monkeys or clueless people in business companies.
All the jobs I've done over the years they expect you to be adaptable and that's not just OS or office skills I'm talking about.
Most business are run on people that can adapt and use their brain,training comes with all business companies and I'm not talking about OS training either.
I could also point out most software comes and goes ie gets updated,changes,old ones get phased out etc and that's ignoring the OS for a minute.
Point I'm trying to make is Windows is evolving so try to be open minded and not stuck in the past so to speak.
Linux which I also use a lot in some ways has evolved more then Windows ,Microsoft are just trying to keep up with the times and adapting their OS to these times as well.
Anyway my post was not supposed to be offensive or arrogant far from it in fact.
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mikeymikec
Lifer
- May 19, 2011
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Not explicitly, but here are three snippets which IMO imply it pretty strongly:
The ability to adapt depends very much on the area of skills you're expecting one to adapt in; there are plenty of fields in business where IT use is a footnote to the primary job function, such as data entry at the end of day's/appointment's work. On the flipside, just because someone might be juggling spreadsheets all day, it does not mean that they're going to appreciate a change in UI simply because some UI developer thought it would be a great idea for an irrelevant reason to that user. The amount of times I've heard from customers, "Of course at work we've got people to fix these problems and show us how to do xyz". If most people were keen computer users, a lot less jobs supporting said people would be required.
IMO, one (regardless of technical inclination) should keep an eye on what's going on technologically, and if something comes along that would make one's job/life noticeably easier/better in some way, then one should look into adopting that technology. I think there's too much of a notion (I think fear is the right word) of being "left behind", when actually if someone still has no particular need for a particular type of tech, then what's the point in them wasting money on it. If it's a piece of mobile tech hardware, it simply becomes a paperweight. With regard to Windows, a danger is that users might end up choosing to another piece of kit that they prefer to use (but perhaps isn't as suited to the job or all the jobs they would normally do on the PC).
I'll very likely download a release candidate for Win10 to see what implications I think there might be for myself / my customer base (in terms of using it as the default OS choice on my computer builds, laptops I order etc, or what customers buy themselves and want me to help with. As for my own computer use, it would have to offer something sufficiently enticing for me to use it full-time (the Win7 expiry date scenario is one possibility, another is DX >11.1, or if MS offered more UI customisation options than they did in Win7, I might go for it and write them a letter of congratulations on principle).
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I, for one, find the new start menu very flexible. You can set it up to function pretty much the same as 7. Or you can have a sort of hybrid between 7 and the 8(.1) start screen (without actually going to the start screen) and anything in between.
There's a decent level of customization there.
Mem
Lifer
- Apr 23, 2000
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Again you are taking it too personal ,my point being some people(not saying you btw)will bring up FUD with some Operating Systems,I've seen this for awhile now and goes way back before Win8 etc..
As to the remark about not liking Win10 that was meant you are probably more fussy then the average user so that is not saying you are ignorant,far from it and nothing to be ashamed of,there still be FUD by some people out there,always happens with every new OS.
As to the office comments you posted don't companies pay office workers to work with the tools they give them regardless of XP,Win7,8 etc..
End of the day we all have to adapt to situations regardless of within work or outside the working environment, all you can do is give Microsoft honest feedback on the OS in question if you find it an issue or point out where improvements can be made.
That's why Win10 Preview is available ie to give feedback to Microsoft with bugs/issues and also offer constructive suggestions.
I've actually beta tested Win8 and 10,probably do the same with 11 and 12 etc..
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