Windows 8

exalted512

I was thinking about switching to windows 8. I have the upgrade disc already...still hesitant though

Maybe once touch screen computer monitors are cheaper, it'll be more of a hit.
-Cody

AsSiMiLaTeD

I've been working with it on my wife's laptop and, with a touchscreen, Windows 8 is actually workable. As a personal preference I still do not like the interface, but it is usable wth a touchscreen. If you don't have a touchscreen then I can't think of any reason you'd update to windows 8 unless you just want something different to look at.

I'll never own it on my personal machine, that's for sure. The gaming rig I'm building will run Windows 7.

Syndil

My gaming rig is running Windows 8... Yes, the UI is pointless without a touchscreen and makes you jump through unnecessary hoops to get to things, but under the hood it is essentially still Windows 7.

However, if you want DirectX 11.1 support, or DirectX 12 when it is released--and if you're building a gaming rig, you DO want the latest available DirectX API--you need Windows 8. 11.1 is not supported in Windows 7, and DirectX 12 will not be supported in Windows 7. Standard operating procedure for MS.

That was enough to convince me to bite the bullet and tolerate the Metro UI, which I basically only see when I sign into the PC. From there I go straight to the desktop.

AsSiMiLaTeD

Hmmm, I was wondering why someone would use windows 8 for a gaming rig, guess you answered that, well that really sucks...

I assume then that there's a way to get it to act and feel like windows 7? Looks like some research on my end is in order

Syndil

Once you get to the desktop it's pretty much identical to Windows 7, aside from the glaring absence of the Start button. There are apps out there you can install that mimic the Start button if you really miss it. I've just been using keyboard shortcuts a lot more often, which is something I should have been doing anyway, so I have not resorted to that. My most-used apps are pinned to the quick-launch area, so that covers 99% of what I would ever need to do.

If I really need to track down an app that's not in quick-launch and I have not set a keyboard shortcut for, I can always hit the Windows key to bring up Metro, right-click it, then click "All apps." This brings up a list of everything that would be in your Start menu, if you had one.

AsSiMiLaTeD

Ugh I hate the idea of trying to install this on my gaming rig, but may have to go that route to get directx support. How do games perform in windows 8, and difference from windows 7?

Syndil

I can't do a direct comparison since I have not had both OSes on the same machine. I use OEM licenses, which are tied to the hardware they are originally installed on, so I wasn't going to waste money to do that.

But I do use Steam for all of my games as well, and have had zero issues so far. I even ran the original Unreal Tournament just the other day to see what it would do, and it ran without a hiccup. Plus Windows 8 on the P8Z77 with UEFI boots up ridiculously fast, even before I added the SSD caching drive.

billbillw

I picked up two of the $15 Win 8 Pro keys using the upgrade promo. Haven't installed yet. I figured it would be nice to have a couple of keys around if/when I need them. Its just hard to leave Windows 7 when I have everything working so good together right now.

AsSiMiLaTeD

It looks like 8 is now back to standard M$ pricing. I thought maybe Apple and Linux had forced their hand by offering their OSes for $20 and free respectively, but appears the lower price on 8 was just a temporary thing. That's too bad really. Historically I've upgraded components enough that the OEM versions don't work for me, and I don't expect that to change if I really get back into PC gaming.

It looks like DX11.1 is supported in Windows 7 (the important bits anyway) and DirectX 12 is still a ways off so I'll probably go with Windows 7 as long as I can, may be able to skip 8 altogether depending on timing of how things develop.

billbillw

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

It looks like 8 is now back to standard M$ pricing. I thought maybe Apple and Linux had forced their hand by offering their OSes for $20 and free respectively, but appears the lower price on 8 was just a temporary thing. That's too bad really. Historically I've upgraded components enough that the OEM versions don't work for me, and I don't expect that to change if I really get back into PC gaming.

It looks like DX11.1 is supported in Windows 7 (the important bits anyway) and DirectX 12 is still a ways off so I'll probably go with Windows 7 as long as I can, may be able to skip 8 altogether depending on timing of how things develop.

I have a spare upgrade promo code. I've heard that some are still able to go through and get the $14.99 price for the upgrade key. Let me know if you want to give it a try. The only way to know for sure is to download the Win 8 Upgrade Assistant and try to purchase it using a valid promo code. It may show $199 all the way up to the checkout at which point it will be reduced to $14.99.

With Win 8, there is really no way to cheat the activation like there was with the Win 7 SLIC2.1 tricks, so it looks like you will actually have to buy the OS from now on

That is the reason I bought the Win 8 keys. I figured if/when I get to the point where something I really want to do needs Win 8, I'll have a couple keys to convert my laptop and my main PC. I might also wait to see what develops with Windows Blue. From what I've read, it is highly likely it will be a free upgrade for Win 8 users. If Microsoft announces that to be true, I will probably load up Win 8 and get ready for the Blue upgrade.

nme medic

I'm thinking about it but I am having a hard time letting go of W7.

kuntasensei

If you install Classic Shell (search for it - it's free) on Windows 8, it restores the Win7 start menu... and lets you set it to skip directly to the desktop on boot. You can basically use it to mimic Win7, which makes it completely useable. So basically, you then have everything you like about Win7 but with a faster backend.