Upgrading to Windows 8 from XP

[Octet]

Well there's a problem I didn't expect, when on conference calls and the like I am often to be found playing solitaire or similar.....they aren't there on Windows 8.......yes I know I can get them as an app but it's not the same.

I think the greatest shame was when they removed Space Cadet Pinball after Windows XP...

 

[Danny]

Yes. And W8 as an OS is complete and utter s***e,before you consider software compatability which had problems from 64Bit XP onwards. I recently upgraded from 32bit XP, as there were graphics related features in vista that are needed to play COD Black Ops2. If it wasn't for that,I'd still be running the ultimately superior XP

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And that was many many years ago!​

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W8 is trying too hard to be a smartphone equivalent(Nokia Lumia anyone?) on a desktop environment. Not a good combination.​

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More to the point, Microsoft is trying hard to catch up with Apple which managed to create a reasonably standard interface across all its devices over a year ago.​

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I'm far from being a mac-head, but I have to admire the way Jobs pursued his vision rather that worry too much about whether the latest version of OS X would be backward compatible with old software.​

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From what I've seen W8 looks pretty good, and I really don't think you can write it off just because it won't run COD Black Ops 2.​

 

[MrJamie]

well I reloaded my MS Office 2010 and it is working just fine, all my beloved spreadsheets are there.

I have read a few more reviews now and a lot of the negatives seem to relate to things I wouldn't be doing anyway. Though I have downloaded the app to get my start button back

I read somewhere that Microsoft had intentially made the start menu redundant in win7 (and possibly beforehand), the idea was that you pin your regular programs to the start bar so they launch in one click and for more obscure programs (and documents) you just hit the windows key and type into the search box, so there wasn't really any need to use the start menu ever. So assuming that's how everyone uses win7, there would be no issue moving to win8 UI, but since people tend no to change habits without good reason, plenty of them still use the start menu and make a big deal about it not being there in win8. It's the same with the Metro touchscreen style UI, great if you're on a touchscreen but gets such bad press, if you're not then just use desktop mode.

There always seems this hot and cold thing with Windows, after a good release people like theyre negative about the next and then positive about the one after when they leapfrog from a hugely outdated OS to it. I think WindowsME still has to be the most messed up OS theyve released in a good while.

 

[Shaun]

If you want to still be able to use XP then upgrade to Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate which allow you to install a Virtual PC program that acts like a regular XP machine (in its own window) - allowing you to continue to use any essential XP-only apps. - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/

Windows 8 doesn't support this and whilst there may be commercial applications that allow you to do this, you don't really want to be paying twice for a new OS. The Windows 8 interface is also harder to use than Windows 7 - which will offer a smoother transition when coming from XP.

Of course don't be put off Windows 8 just because it doesn't support XP and is all 64-bit and has a mad user interface and doesn't know whether it's a tablet or PC or phone and doesn't have a start button and boots to a tablet-like array of virtually useless media buttons ... it's actually not all that bad once you get used to it - and if you're coming from XP it'll be no different getting your head around Windows 8 than it will 7 -

 

[MontyVeda]

Well there's a problem I didn't expect, when on conference calls and the like I am often to be found playing solitaire or similar.....they aren't there on Windows 8.......yes I know I can get them as an app but it's not the same.

I think the greatest shame was when they removed Space Cadet Pinball after Windows XP...

good to know people are getting the most from their PC's

 

[defy-one]

I preferred minesweeper

 

[jack the lad]

Can somebody explain why some people get so hot under the collar about this OS thing. I can see that changing an OS might be a big issue for a business IT department which has to make sure a whole mishmash of hardware and software that they have accumulated and patched up over the years all keeps working. But for personal computing is it really a big deal? I use an Android tablet, a Mac laptop and a windows PC. I can go from one to the other without noticing much difference of any real significance. They all do pretty much the same things in pretty much the same way and all have some annoying little foibles. I don't care which one I use any more than I care whether I put Shell, Esso or BP fuel in my car. Am I missing something?

 

[MacB]

Can somebody explain why some people get so hot under the collar about this OS thing. I can see that changing an OS might be a big issue for a business IT department which has to make sure a whole mishmash of hardware and software that they have accumulated and patched up over the years all keeps working. But for personal computing is it really a big deal? I use an Android tablet, a Mac laptop and a windows PC. I can go from one to the other without noticing much difference of any real significance. They all do pretty much the same things in pretty much the same way and all have some annoying little foibles. I don't care which one I use any more than I care whether I put Shell, Esso or BP fuel in my car. Am I missing something?

probably not

 

[JoeyB]

The thread title made me LOL... Good old XP

 

[Shaun]

<snip>

Am I missing something?

Nope, but Windows 8 is ... the Start button ...

 

[jack the lad]

Nope, but Windows 8 is ... the Start button ...

Is that a big issue? I click on the little pictures on the screen - which is a common feature of all the systems. I always double click - which always works but sometimes opens it twice, which can be irritating, but I can't be bothered to learn or remember when I shouldn't.

Often it seems like IT people do stuff differently just for sake of it - because they can and to show they are not being pushed around by the big players. Grow up, get over it and make life easy for those of us who just want an appliance that works without having to work out when the accelerator goes in the ash tray!

 

[MrJamie]

Nope, but Windows 8 is ... the Start button ...

but non of its functionality as far as im aware

 

[Arsen Gere]

A bit off topic but I've built most of my machines with Ubuntu. I use virtualbox to create windows virtual machines. I am pig sick of Windows stuff complaining about licensing. Even with software purchased from Microsoft it does not like you looking at if funny without chucking out licenses requests. Once it is virtualised I can have the same vm cloned, try stuff in it and toss it away if I don't like it. TBH I do all my usual stuff like mail, documents, web surfing, printing and scanning from Ubuntu. I only use windows when I am forced to use a windows programme and that is not very often now.

 

[HovR]

..has a mad user interface and doesn't know whether it's a tablet or PC or phone and doesn't have a start button and boots to a tablet-like array of virtually useless media buttons ... it's actually not all that bad once you get used to it - and if you're coming from XP it'll be no different getting your head around Windows 8 than it will 7 -

I was asked to make some changes and set up a friends new Windows 8 PC the other day, which they received for Christmas. It took me 10 minutes to find out how to open the control panel! What was wrong with the start button anyway? I want it back!

 

[HovR]

but non of its functionality as far as im aware

No, all the start buttons functionality is just scattered randomly around the UI.