Are you going to upgrade to Windows 8?

[cytherian]

I've been reading the Eight Forums a bit and it's rather testy over there. Apparently there are some very strong differences of opinion about Windows 8. The comments seem to be very polarized: either you really like it or hate it.

One of the bigger complaints I see is that the Start menu is gone. Microsoft is trying to change the paradigm of the desktop yet again. Is it worthwhile? I think that depends...
Some people are citing that changes made are gearing up for the metered software use policy that Microsoft has been hinting about for the future. In essence, you would use their office productivity software billed by the hour instead of paying for a one time installation license. I personally can't see that ever working. People are so accustomed to paying for software once. If Microsoft pulls this billable by the hour method, you'll see plenty of people switching to Open Office. For those who still want to save a document as a true Microsoft document type, they'll do all of their preliminary work in another product, then copy/paste it into the equivalent Microsoft product for final editing. Just dandy!

Anyway... all that aside, some people have reported W8 is more efficient than W7, but by exactly how much I'm not really sure. W8 has modes for smaller devices like tablets, so it would have to be battery friendly. If it's a dramatic power improvement where a typical laptop that gets 2 hours per charge would increase to 3-4 hours, then that would be a welcomed improvement.

So, are you happy enough with W7 that you won't make the move? Or is W8 looking attractive enough to you that you'll upgrade once it is officially released?

 

[whs]

No upgrade planned here. There is not enough new function for the PC user. But I think it will make a nice OS for tablets.

 

[Layback Bear]

When I get a tablet the size of Playboy Magazine, now the touch screen would be real nice.

 

[Tazman1067]

I haven't been terribly impressed
with what I've seen with Windows 8
so far. I plan on keeping good old
Windows 7 for quite a while, I think
it's one of the best OS that MS has
come up with yet.

 

[Nitro58]

I run 8 on a VM, just so I can be familiar with it. There are parts I like, and parts I don't. I don't see myself using it on my main desktop though. I'm very happy with 7 as I was with XP. I skipped Vista, and I will probably skip 8 as a desktop OS.

 

[windude99]

I'm not upgrading. "If it ain't broke, you don't fix it."

 

[J.R.]

NO

or more precisely, NO.

I see nothing about Windows 8 I like when using a non touchscreen/ desktop / laptop that I like. I will not be surprised if it's M$ ultimate fail.

 

[fseal]

I will be upgrading, though I will be avoiding Metro and using metro apps on my desktop completely, except possibly to perform tests or develop software for it. But actually using it, not likely. In fact I'l be installing a start menu replacer so I never have to look at it.

I am very dissatisfied with the UI for the desktop.

 

[FliGi7]

I would upgrade if there was a way to completely remove all of the metro/app crap that the average desktop user isn't going to want or need. I can appreciate the improvements in efficiency of the system and new file system features, but the metro UI completely kills it for me.

 

[pparks1]

So, are you happy enough with W7 that you won't make the move? Or is W8 looking attractive enough to you that you'll upgrade once it is officially released?

Absolutely happy enough with Windows 7 that I don't plan to make any moves. Any gains in efficiencies will be lost in utter frustration with the metro/desktop interface combination.

 

[M1GU31]

No don't plan,windows 7 does everything I want it to do and win 8 UI is a disaster imho but hey that's just me.

 

[Sbrideau]

I'm not upgrading unless they give the option to not use the metro interface. And still, I'm not even sure I would upgrade. Even if the start menu is gone, I found from using Fedora for a while that I actually like just tapping the mouse on the corners of the screen to get the menus, except the way it's made in Fedora is a hell of a lot better than the way they made it Windows 8. All the menus should be in one place like we're used to with the start menu, but doesn't need to be in an actual start menu.

 

[lottielaneuve]

I think I'll be sticking with Windows 7 for now. Windows 8 looks nice and everything, but I think I'd prefer upgrading to it once it's a bit cheaper

 

[cytherian]

Wow, quite a strong turn out for those in favor of sticking with W7. It has been my intention to upgrade to W7 eventually and I think I'll stick to the plan.

 

[sgage]

I will not be upgrading. I have given all the Previews an extensive workout, and they offer me nothing. I think MS is stupid not to offer a no-Metro "experience" (gack!)

I have worked with it enough to know I could live with it if I had to, but I don't have to. If my next computer comes with it preinstalled, there's always ClassicShell

Bottom line, I'm a desktop user, I write a lot, etc., and Metro is utterly worthless to me. I mean, have you even tried the "apps" (gack!)? Just brain dead.

But fine - if MS feels the need to offer something in the mobile/touchy-feely department, I'm cool with that. But I don't want it. And now, they're even dumbing down the "Desktop Experience", with simple nothing-themes.

Sorry, I'm not going there. I have a feeling that Windows 7 is going to be the next XP in terms of support longevity. At least I hope so. Heck, I happily used Windows 2000 until 2008!

 

[edwar]

No. I can't stand Metro. Very foolish. Fine for phone or pad, not for a desktop or notebook computer.

 

[Prof Kerfuffle]

Am not going to upgrade, Windows Vista was at best acceptable and tolerable but Windows 7 was a completely different and yet very similar. As metro was introduced I haven't warmed to Windows 8 like I did to Windows 7, it doesn't seem as nice and clear and a bit too cluttered and chunky for my taste.

I hope Microsoft go back a step and embed the default explorer and start menu and an option to enable Metro if you wish. Well my experience with Windows 8 hasn't been good enough to convince me that I need to run off and buy it like I did with XP and Windows 7

 

[Sbrideau]

Apparently they're going to make it so you can't install a Linux Distro in a dual boot configuration... I guess it's a no-no for me when it comes to Win 8.

 

[cluberti]

Secure boot can be disabled in the BIOS, and any vendor can get a license from Verisign for a small fee (see Red Hat) if you wish to install a distro that can use the added security to the boot process. ARM will probably be a different story, but those are sold as "devices" rather than PCs, so I suppose that's expected.

It's worth noting that Secure Boot is a UEFI feature, and not something Microsoft is actually designing or forcing on anyone (although OEMs shipping Windows machines with UEFI support will be enabling it to begin with, for obvious security reasons). If you want to use the Secure Boot feature, you MUST be booting with a signed (with a trusted public certificate key) bootstrap or kernel. If you don't want to require Secure Boot on your box to boot to any unsigned OS, simply turn it off. If a machine supports UEFI 2.3.1 (and anything with a Windows 8 logo is supposed to, according to the Building Win8 blog), it should support Secure Boot. Any hardware (x86) that doesn't allow it to be disabled is likely to put itself at a disadvantage as people won't purchase it, so I doubt we'll see any OEMs shipping 2.3.1 firmware without a "kill switch" for those people wanting to disable it.

 

[wanchoo]

Short answer is No. Will wait as usual till it's SP1 is released and I have read the reviews by Gurus and Lay-users