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Windows 8... worth an upgrade from 7? - Page 6

post #151 of 422
10/29/12 at 6:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Karn View Post

I'm excited to try this out, the boot times seems really interesting to me. I have a gaming laptop hooked up to my receiver and I use it for web browsing, gaming and hopefully streaming and pulling content from a network drive using my display as my monitor. I'm probably going to go for a surface RT mainly for use around the house and upgrade my laptop to windows 8 pro. I'm hoping I'll be able to ditch the keyboard and mouse for most cases and use the surface to remote in to my laptop and control it for basic functions. So I'm planning on going all in I guess but I really like the idea of a fully integrated environment and am excited to leverage my existing hardware to create it. If I could get a denon, panasonic and comcast app this would get really exciting basically being able to control everything with the tablet.
I'm also a big fan of the desktop but it sounds easy enough to switch back and forth for me and I like the idea of that metro interface, seems like it would be great to just create widgets for things that I use most often and be able to customize multiple screens for various types of activities and get info on them all at a glance without having to open each of them which might not contain any new data. I think this is why they set it as the default is at a quick glance you can be updated on a number of topics and then go wherever you need to go from there just like shortcuts on a desktop but with active information feedback. They also probably want to set it this way so people become comfortable with the metro environment but there will always be ways around it. I'm also excited about the search feature and think it can have a really huge impact on how I access data. I was attending SSIS training that Microsoft was hosting and the instructor was running windows 8 and the search function basically removed the need to use file explorers to navigate to files without having to bother with knowing the paths or browsing through folders to get to it. Just seemed really powerful and seemed to integrate with settings as well.
I'll post my thoughts as I get underway but so far from what I read I'm excited about how some of these things will affect my use of the home PC's. I'm not doing some of the more advanced HTPC functions but I can at least give some updates from a usability perspective and integration with the surface RT.

Good luck with that. You sound almost convinced you'll like it!!
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post #152 of 422
10/29/12 at 6:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jetmeck View Post

Microsoft has been hit and miss with their OS. 7 good.............8 ?
I damn sure will play with it on somebody else's dime like Best Buy before I
upgrade my own stuff.
As has been said a million times and as I have aged I have found it to be true.
Newer isn't always better !

Initial reports from the 8 launch (in the UK at least), are entirely... underwhelming. Major London tech stores report a very slow start, one infact hadn't sold a single Windows 8 PC by lunchtime on the 26th, despite opening at 00:01, offering free headphones with each purchase and free food. They're not reporting boxed copies flying off the shelves either.

It also appears though that none of these stores had any of the 'new' 8 hardware, just existing, mostly non-touch devices that had been upgraded. Not sure if that will make much difference though.

If MS were expecting Apple-like fanboy mania at launch, then this is not looking good.
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post #153 of 422
10/29/12 at 7:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tman247 View Post

Initial reports from the 8 launch (in the UK at least), are entirely... underwhelming...
Here's what demand is like in the US:
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post #154 of 422
10/29/12 at 7:18am
I upgraded my Macbook Air Win7 install to Win8 Pro. For some reason, hardly any of the drivers were ready for download... I guess (hope?) Apple is working on some Win8 drivers for the webcam, keyboard, gestures, etc.
I uninstalled and went back to 7.

I upgraded my HTPC to Win8 only to find that I couldn't get my Media Center remote dongle to work! The remote dongle I have is from HP. It always comes up as "Unknown Device" on the mgmt screen. I gave up after a couple of hours and re installed 7 as my WAF was dropping to dangerously low levels.

So far Win8 has been a complete wash for me.
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post #155 of 422
10/29/12 at 7:24am
Some benchmarks comparing win7 and win8 performance. Doesn't look like a huge difference to me.

http://www.fudzilla.com/home/item/29250-gaming-with-dual-gpu-cards-hd-7990-and-gtx-690-under-windows-8
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post #156 of 422
10/29/12 at 7:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by snappjay View Post

I upgraded my Macbook Air Win7 install to Win8 Pro. For some reason, hardly any of the drivers were ready for download... I guess (hope?) Apple is working on some Win8 drivers for the webcam, keyboard, gestures, etc.
I uninstalled and went back to 7.
I upgraded my HTPC to Win8 only to find that I couldn't get my Media Center remote dongle to work! The remote dongle I have is from HP. It always comes up as "Unknown Device" on the mgmt screen. I gave up after a couple of hours and re installed 7 as my WAF was dropping to dangerously low levels.
So far Win8 has been a complete wash for me.

If I remember right I had the same issue with my HP dongle when I tried Win 8 on my HTPC and solved it by
searching out and installing the driver for the dongle.
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post #157 of 422
10/29/12 at 7:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dan4081 View Post

If I remember right I had the same issue with my HP dongle when I tried Win 8 on my HTPC and solved it by
searching out and installing the driver for the dongle.


I'm glad to hear the driver exsists somewhere out there. Did you get it straight from HP.com?
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post #158 of 422
10/29/12 at 8:29am
I used to have a similar problem with my HP dongle. I found that unplugging and replugging, or switching to a different USB port would solve it. My Rosewill MCE remote dongle worked on the first try.
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post #159 of 422
10/29/12 at 8:51am
I can easily understand the slow physical sales; most people will buy their upgrade via the Internet and simply download it. While not conclusive, I know several people who have purchased Win8 and all of them did it via the download method.
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post #160 of 422
10/29/12 at 9:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cybrsage View Post

I can easily understand the slow physical sales; most people will buy their upgrade via the Internet and simply download it. While not conclusive, I know several people who have purchased Win8 and all of them did it via the download method.

Most people will get win 8 with a new hardware purchase
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post #161 of 422
10/29/12 at 9:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cybrsage View Post

I can easily understand the slow physical sales; most people will buy their upgrade via the Internet and simply download it. While not conclusive, I know several people who have purchased Win8 and all of them did it via the download method.

I got my DVD copy from the Amazon $30 gift card deal and I know about a dozen people who did the same.

In fact, I do not know one person who camped out at Best Buy or otherwise. It just doesn't make since to camp out for software.
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post #162 of 422
10/29/12 at 9:48am
Quote:

Good luck with that. You sound almost convinced you'll like it!!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Yeah I usually have to be before I put money down on something. Looking around it sounds like people are already doing most of what I would want to do so I'm pretty confident I will as well but we'll see.
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post #163 of 422
10/29/12 at 10:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffkro View Post

Most people will get win 8 with a new hardware purchase

Yes, by far this is the way most people will get Win8 - just like with every other OS (other than the fringe ones such as Linux).
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post #164 of 422
10/29/12 at 10:44am
My only issue with Windows 8 so far is getting 1280x720 out to the TV over VGA with an Nvidia GT9400. Worked fine under Windows 7 but it's nowhere to be found under Windows 8. Other resolutions like 1280 x 768 leave a 1 inch black stripe on the left side of the screen with no way to fix it in the Nvidia Control panel. I understand that the Metro apps are desiigned at 1024x768 min, so maybe that's why? 720 to too low of a resolution to be compatible I suspect. 1024x768 works, but it's a bit blurry and I sit 14' away from the screen so higher resolutions tend to be too small to read easly.
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post #165 of 422
10/29/12 at 12:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Datalux View Post

My only issue with Windows 8 so far is getting 1280x720 out to the TV over VGA with an Nvidia GT9400. Worked fine under Windows 7 but it's nowhere to be found under Windows 8. Other resolutions like 1280 x 768 leave a 1 inch black stripe on the left side of the screen with no way to fix it in the Nvidia Control panel. I understand that the Metro apps are desiigned at 1024x768 min, so maybe that's why? 720 to too low of a resolution to be compatible I suspect. 1024x768 works, but it's a bit blurry and I sit 14' away from the screen so higher resolutions tend to be too small to read easly.

Try to force a custom resolution in the Nvidia control panel, and make sure the Nvidia drivers are Win 8 certified.
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post #166 of 422
10/29/12 at 5:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cybrsage View Post

I can easily understand the slow physical sales; most people will buy their upgrade via the Internet and simply download it. While not conclusive, I know several people who have purchased Win8 and all of them did it via the download method.
Given how long it took for me to download Windows 8 from Microsoft I thikn a lot of others were doing the same.
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post #167 of 422
10/29/12 at 6:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kesawi View Post

Given how long it took for me to download Windows 8 from Microsoft I thikn a lot of others were doing the same.

How long? Took me less than 20min on the 26th.
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post #168 of 422
10/29/12 at 6:57pm
I have 50MB download speed via FiOS - and I downloaded mine over a week ago - so it was very fast for me.
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post #169 of 422
10/29/12 at 10:05pm
It took me over 3 hours frown.gif
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post #170 of 422
10/29/12 at 11:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mdavej View Post

Here's what demand is like in the US:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dellphotos/8131934367/

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9233038/Demand_for_Windows_8_exceeding_Windows_7_Ballmer_says

Not saying anything is set in stone, I only know I went to a best buy the day after launch and all their yogas were cleaned out. All versions of surface moved up to 3 week preorders from you get it at launch day. I do not think this is a crazy selling OS but I do not think the common consumer views it anywhere as negatively as you see on various forums with technocrats. Microsoft is typically the slow and steady performer so these types of sales are somewhat uncharecteristic, if they can add that to their usual slow and steady performance they should be in good shape. The real question is will this win them market share with phones. Right now google is the clear winner in the phone space and if the trend continues we will see them able to leverage that position to start making inroads into laptops, maybe desktops.

I have windows 8 on one of my computers, somethings I really love other things I really hate, but it goes with the territory never ran into an OS release that did not do that too me. The only thing is I have an open mind. On a side note my daughter was banned from google after I activated her an account on that PC, so apparently google is spying on something to do with MS emails.
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post #171 of 422
10/30/12 at 8:54am
How long did it take everyone else to get the download email for WMC from Microsoft? I submitted it 2 days ago and haven't gotten anything. rolleyes.gif
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post #172 of 422
10/30/12 at 10:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by PubFiction View Post

The only thing is I have an open mind. On a side note my daughter was banned from google after I activated her an account on that PC, so apparently google is spying on something to do with MS emails.


Wow! Man, if you could prove that.... you could become a wealthy dude! Seriously, can you prove that Google is de-activating accounts based on OS? If you can, let us all know so that we too, can become banned. Then we can all join in a giant anti-trust type legal action! Let's all get a slice of Google pie!

wink.gif
-b
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post #173 of 422
10/30/12 at 10:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Datalux View Post

My only issue with Windows 8 so far is getting 1280x720 out to the TV over VGA with an Nvidia GT9400. Worked fine under Windows 7 but it's nowhere to be found under Windows 8. Other resolutions like 1280 x 768 leave a 1 inch black stripe on the left side of the screen with no way to fix it in the Nvidia Control panel. I understand that the Metro apps are desiigned at 1024x768 min, so maybe that's why? 720 to too low of a resolution to be compatible I suspect. 1024x768 works, but it's a bit blurry and I sit 14' away from the screen so higher resolutions tend to be too small to read easly.

Hi-

In your Nvidia driver dialog box you should have an "overscan" slider? This can be used to custom size the frame.
\maybe obvious
\hope it helps.
-b
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post #174 of 422
10/30/12 at 10:23am
Finally got my WMC key email this morning, took roughly 48 hours.
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post #175 of 422
10/30/12 at 11:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Done Deal DR View Post

Finally got my WMC key email this morning, took roughly 48 hours.

this method of getting WMC is the most inane way possible! why can't they just detect the OS version I have and let me download right away? I'm still waiting on my key (though technically, I'm not quite at 24 hours yet but almost there).
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post #176 of 422
10/30/12 at 11:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by onlysublime View Post

this method of getting WMC is the most inane way possible! why can't they just detect the OS version I have and let me download right away? I'm still waiting on my key (though technically, I'm not quite at 24 hours yet but almost there).

Because it stops being free at the end of the year, at which point you have to use the store to buy a key and download it. Until the end of the year, they email you a key for free so you can download it from the store. It would be a waste of time and manpower to create a new way of downloading it for just two months.
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post #177 of 422
10/30/12 at 11:20am
Um, dectecting the OS version of a client machine in a webpage requires one line of code... much less than an email entry form... not much manpower needed.

But I can think of plenty of other reasons whey they didn't do it that way.
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post #178 of 422
10/30/12 at 11:50am
in the Xbox marketplace, there were some DLC that were free for a brief period of time and then later were at full price. the most immediate example I can think of was workout DLC for The Biggest Loser which was an exercise game.

it's quite easy for them to verify what OS you have and they know how to clamp things down. heck, if they can detect that your OS did not come from a legitimate source (i.e., running a hack), they should know that I own a legitimate copy of Windows 8 Pro and that I purchased it within the allowable window for WMC.
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post #179 of 422
10/30/12 at 12:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vladd View Post

Um, dectecting the OS version of a client machine in a webpage requires one line of code... much less than an email entry form... not much manpower needed.
But I can think of plenty of other reasons whey they didn't do it that way.

True, but why bother even doing that when they already have a working system setup that will be used for the life of the product?
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post #180 of 422
10/30/12 at 1:15pm
I downloaded a copy of Windows 8 for one of my home PCs, though I'm not putting it on my HTPC at this time.

I like it and it seems easy enough to figure out, I can see where it will really shine on a touch screen.
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