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General discussion

windows 8 vs windows

Dec 11, 2014 2:37AM PST

As professional which os would like to use windows 8 or windows 7.

Discussion is locked

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For us, we're delaying for 10.
Dec 11, 2014 2:47AM PST

Windows 7 or 8 doesn't matter to a professional. Like an artist we never blame the tools. So at the office we have a mix of Linux, Android, ChromeBooks, Windows 7, 8 and maybe more. For a pro, they pick their poison and rarely ask others to pick it for them.
Bob

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The Latest, Always
Dec 12, 2014 11:44AM PST

I am a professional, as I have been for longer than most of the readers of these forums have been alive, and I use Windows 8.1, as I used all of the latest MS O/Ses always back to the earliest days of DOS (and I was a Unix guy before that and kept it up-to-date on the mainframes under my administration, and of Multics before that, ditto).

I feel that it is foolish to hang onto an obsolete operating system any longer than you must. I recognize that sometimes you must if your computer is too puny and weak to handle the new O/S, or you are dependent on proprietary software that its developers have not updated, or are in an environment where you are constrained to stick with older peripherals for which device drivers under the new O/S are not available. But you are always, every single time, going to reap benefits from going with the up-to-date versions unless you are actually prevented from doing so.

But if the reason for your resistance is personal unfamiliarity with the changes in the new O/S, or you are reluctant merely in response to online bashing of the new O/S by people who inaccurately consider themselves gurus under the older version (as was rampant with both Windows Vista and Windows 8 and with XP before them by fanboys of Windows 98), then this is counterproductive foolishness.

There is always a learning curve with new software. It is generally very brief with new Windows O/Ses, brief even with changes as radical as those between Windows 7 and 8. But newer is always more stable and more secure, and is usually more efficient and logical despite the complaints of those who find their previous expertise no longer as impressive to others as it had been. And the sooner you get over that learning curve, the better off you will be, because progress happens whether you whine about it or not.

Windows 8 is a huge improvement over Windows 7, and 8.1 is an improvement on that. I am pretty sure that 10 will be another improvement, as will all future releases with only occasional and rapidly corrected exceptions.

In computers, newer is better. It's that simple.

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I think people over emphasize training in
Dec 16, 2014 10:22PM PST

a new OS especially in the corporate environment (actually home training is more important). Example is when an employee gets a new computer their job really doesn't change or the software they use to do that job. I'm a IT person and we concentrate on the applications when getting a new OS. We set up the computer so the user has the tools they need for the job (their same apps they had on previous OS, Email, Browser and Office. Basically that's all they need and in our environment we limit admin access so employees can't install software. Software must be installed by IT. IT also creates an image of the default enterprise applications and our desktop people install applications specific to the work area.

Home
I myself never used the start menu that much in Windows 7 as I have my favorite apps shortcuts on the desktop. Windows 8.1 allows users to default to the desktop which is just like Windows 7 minus the start menu. The first thing I did was check the box for desktop shortcuts for control panel and My PC. A person can begin play with the Metro - New start screen. I define the Metro app as Web application templates. By that I mean they are basically Desktop web apps with one specific function. 2 metro apps I've used are Facebook and DirectV's NFL Sunday Ticket. Facebook because it's template it's sort of limiting and I prefer just to use a web browser. The NFL Sunday ticket is so much easier to use then the web browser since all I want to do is select my game and watch. The DTV website has so much stuff so I actually have to find Sunday ticket on the website. The apps serves 1 purpose and that finding my steelers.

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Still The Same
Dec 19, 2014 1:27PM PST

No matter how microsoft twist windows version, windows will still remain windows