Windows 8... worth an upgrade from 7? - Page 2

It boots to metro, but one of the tiles is called desktop. Just click it.

You can right click one of your desktop icons and tell it to add it to the metro screen - and then it appears as an icon there. Add the programs you use the most often and it is faster to get to them that way. Add your web brower, for example, and you do not need to go to the desktop just to browse the web.

I was always quick to run the latest windows right when RTM came out, all the way back to 3.0. 8 is the first I have not done so and dont intend on going to untill something really compells me to do so. Right now the direction they have taken actively compells me NOT to. I think 7 is going to have better staying power then even XP had. Remember how an unusually large number of people stuck with XP through Vista and even well into 7's release? I think this is going to turn out the same way if not even more so.

It's true that many of the improvements in Windows 8 over Windows 7 are under the covers, and so may not be immediately obvious to the casual observer. Things such as:

- Hardware acceleration of graphics- http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/07/23/hardware-accelerating-everything-windows-8-graphics.aspx

- Simpler form of backup: File History - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/07/10/protecting-user-files-with-file-history.aspx

- A new form of sharing between applications: the Contract - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/06/11/activating-windows-8-contracts-in-your-app.aspx

- Improvements to the Windows Media platform - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/06/08/building-a-rich-and-extensible-media-platform.aspx

- Faster booting - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/05/22/designing-for-pcs-that-boot-faster-than-ever-before.aspx

- Multiple monitor support - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/05/21/enhancing-windows-8-for-multiple-monitors.aspx

- A redesigned chkdsk and NTFS health model - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/05/09/redesigning-chkdsk-and-the-new-ntfs-health-model.aspx

- Improved power efficiency - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/02/07/improving-power-efficiency-for-applications.aspx

- Built-in support for more Sensor technologies - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/01/24/supporting-sensors-in-windows-8.aspx

- Improvements for support of mobile networks - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/01/20/engineering-windows-8-for-mobility.aspx

- Reset and Refresh - no need to reinstall - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/01/04/refresh-and-reset-your-pc.aspx

- Support for large disks and large sectors - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/11/29/enabling-large-disks-and-large-sectors-in-windows-8.aspx

- Reducing runtime memory - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/10/07/reducing-runtime-memory-in-windows-8.aspx

- A much-improved Task Manager - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/10/13/the-windows-8-task-manager.aspx

- A redesigned and improved file copy manager - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/08/23/improving-our-file-management-basics-copy-move-rename-and-delete.aspx

All the above apply to Windows 8 as a whole, desktop apps and all.

Yes, there are indeed a number of improvements on the desktop side - but this forum is about htpcs, and out of that list there's little that applies.

You are correct, of course, but I do get a little tired of people saying that Windows 8 is nothing other than an operating system for touchscreen tablets...

Has anyone tried an MCE remote with Win8? The metro interface would make a great 10' GUI.

Is it possible to have WMC boot up and be in focus on Win 8 yet?

If not, then it's not ideal for HTPCs IMO. In the past when I played with previews of Win 8, or leaks, you could get MWC to start up by adding a shortcut to the startup folder... but it would be behind the stupid metro UI. I know at one point they removed the starup option from WMC, but I don't know if that was temporary or not. So someone enlighten us

I haven't tried the final version, but I big problem in the previews was that you couldn't scroll at all with a remote. Even page up and down doesn't work.

One option to avoid starting in the modern UI is to install a custom start menu. I'm using http://classicshell.sourceforge.net on my deskop. To me this is less about the start menu, but more about other configuration options like booting to the desktop, disabling the active corners. With that and ehshell in the startup group you should be able to start MC automatically.

Truth is XP was the first widely adopted version of windows that was solid, so once you had a solid/stable OS what was the big hurry to replace it?

- Hardware acceleration of graphics- http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/07/23/hardware-accelerating-everything-windows-8-graphics.aspx

This one might actually be a compelling reason for zacate and atom owners to upgrade. I will have to wait and see if netflix and hulu can finally stream in HD. I always thought this was an issue of silverlight and flash though.

XP was not solid until SP1. Pre SP1, it was plagued by more issues than Vista pre SP1 and like Vista, a lot were because of lack of hardware drivers from device manufacturers and updated software from software vendors. It's just that not many people seem to remember this.

I am a big XP fan but when I got a laptop with Win7, Ive not looked back. Ive had little to no problems with it and it might be just as solid as XP. In my experience, of course. I would like to give Win8 a try if I get the chance. But I will lucky wait for a new computer for that.

You'll only get the full speed experience with a SSD and modern Core i CPU. Anything less and there is no point. Then again, its 2012 - why are you still on a Core 2 or Pentium 4?

If I remember correctly, XP wasn't really solid until SP2 was released. It just so happens Vista got so delayed and XP so entrenched (what was it, 5-6 years?) that people have forgotten all of XP's teething problems. They've also forgotten that XP was a hardware hog relatively speaking when it was released.

You're right. SP1 made it useable. SP2 made it solid.

I won't be upgrading to Windows8 for quite a while, the only reason is that I have only just finished upgrading all my families PC's to Windows7!

We have 4 HTPC's, 4 laptops and 3 desktops.

David

@DavidT99 - an understandable reaction. However, with that number of machines, the cost of upgrading to Windows 8, after the current upgrade offers expire at the end of January 2013, would be high. I suspect that you might be better off waiting for Windows 9, and the inevitable low-cost upgrade offers that will be around at that time.

Buying the upgrade doesn't mean you have to install it right away. I will be getting at least 3 upgrade licenses, one i will install on my ultrabook for testing, and the others will just be using the cheap price for the choice to use it later. Still have to give it a serious test on my desktop to figure out if its working for me.
I've been recommended "Star8" to bring the start menu back and boot directly to the desktop, i'll most certainly give that a try, but maybe i can just get used to the new start screen. As with any new tech, everyone should give it a try before judging it.

The HTPC is running just fine as-is, and short of the OS its all custom software, so no WMP/WMC, so in the end, it doesn't really matter to me if its Win7 or Win8, it'll stay 7 until it needs to be rebuilt for some reason.

It was a mammoth job too......All the HTPC's were new builds straight to Win7 but 3 of the laptops and all of the desktops were on WinXP so a clean install was required meaning I had to backup each PC first to save essential documents etc and also reinstall the apps and games. I upgraded the 7 PC's over approx. 6 months at a cost in the region of £400 plus of course the HTPC's cost of £280 so about £680 in total!

David
Edited by DavidT99 - 10/25/12 at 4:35am

True. I'll be buying an upgrade license now for our HTPC, but I won't be installing it for a while until I see how others are getting on with WMC on W8. However, my Desktop gets upgraded from the W8 Release Preview to Windows 8 Pro this weekend...

Because my Core 2 Duo works just fine for everything I throw at it.

I think that the idea that NOBODY will upgrade, because of the lack of new stuff is pretty flawed.

currently i am running vista on my htpc, and it does not have hd codec support.

there really is no cheaper way to get the support than the current win8 deals that are out there. so my htpc will soon be running windows 8! hopefully it has all of the support for bitstreaming that windows 7 does!


*edit*
and for you idiots who say i core processor SSD ect ect ect is the only way to really experience this OS. you are idiots. this OS runs blazingly fast in a virtual machine, and it runs even faster on my E6300(1.8ghz dual core) htpc. from my experience, it is less of a resource hog in every way compared to windows 7.

Was wondering this, too. I realize the x86 version of Windows 8 would be heavier than the ARM one but I would think it would still be fairly light on system resources given it has to run smoothly on all those Surface Pro tablets with ultra low voltage processors. I realize given the generational/architectural improvements, a 1.8GHz IVB ULV would probably be comparable to or perhaps even faster than Core 2 Duo at 3GHz. Still, I don't think it'll require faster hardware than Windows 7.

I am going to download the free WMC update for my Windows 8 Pro install when I get home from work tonight. I will install it on my gaming machine and see how well it works for movies, playing recorded TV shows, etc., and report back here. I will see if it can launch into WMC like you can with Win7.

No cheaper way? Can't your run VLC?

No, its suppose to be lighter on resources then win7. Anything that can run win7 or even boggs down slightly on win7 should run win8. I think the constant increase in system requirements was the wintel alliance, they work together to force people to buy new hardware and software every couple of years. The switch to mobile forced MS to stop making each new version of windows more demanding then the last, otherwise they were going to be left behind. My issue though is that windows licenses are tied to the hardware though, so I wouldn't buy a new license until you have new hardware to put it on.

Because you don't need anything better to play a movie. We're talking about HTPCs here. Old hardware works just fine. Just because something's old doesn't mean it must be replaced.

As for upgrading to windows 8, I have no reason to on my htpc.

Amen to that. I have a couple of Win 7 family packs and decided to try 7 on an XP HTPC that I use for OTA and run BeyondTV on. It works great with XP. After putting 7 on it I've found a number of irritating glitches and not one positive. My remote (which admittedly was designed for BTV) does not work properly and there are other interface problems. The only reason I tried it is in the event BTV quits furnishing the guide and I couldn't get a replacement to work with BTV, I would have to move to MC.

Let's face it. Microsoft's "upgrades" are nothing more than to produce revenue for Microsoft. XP is extremely stable and under the hood Win 7 really isn't that much different. The few positive changes they made could have been incorporated into XP and the desktop or face of the OS could be actually sold separately and designed to appeal to various users rather than forcing the Metro interface and making desktop fans jump through hoops (no matter how minor) to use the software.

I bit the bullet and decided to pre order Pro from Amazon. I'll keep it and test it on my laptop before putting it on the HTPC. I don't want to risk the WAF tanking and me having to sleep in the dog house.