Welcome to Windows 8

[MikeK]

I'm still using XP and don't want to change

Me, too.

The pressure to constantly upgrade from perfectly adequate versions of Windows to "new" versions (which are essentially the same things that look different) is plainly redundant and serves mainly to increase Bill Gates' multi-billion dollar fortune. Instead of pumping us full of free updates for the usual two year period, many of which are unnecessary, then methodically coercing us to buy a "new" version for $200, Microsoft should make useful update packages available periodically at reasonable prices -- and with no new learning curve to deal with.

 

[freedombecki]

Vista got what it deserved, a good spanking. My wife's had Vista on her HP Media Center m7760n, no Office 2007, (I had Office 2000 and loaded it on myself). Vista was a resource hog and slow as molasses not to mention buggy. I was so happy when her mobo died and I could build her a new one and load 7 on it, Windows 7, what Vista was meant to be.
Hell, I had a Vista Pro install disc I gave away with a warning, that's how much I hated it.

I had and hated Vista. It was totally, thoroughly horrible and had no equal. To further the annoyance, it was a Sony, and the first time I called for assistance, I was ordered to pay $70 up front after shelling out 2 grand on their stupid computer. And I took a tongue lashing and a hangup from a foreigner who couldn't make herself understood except to demand money, when I refused to pay. She let me know she could fix it with the touch of two buttons. I put it away, and it's still sitting on the shelf. I got a HP instead. I know they will help newbies if something goes wrong.

You Sony sounds like a perfect platform for Linux Mint or Ubuntu.........

I'd prolly die laughing if I had a clue what you just said...

I bought it because it looked nice. Even in computers it's pretty is as pretty does. *sigh*

 

[namvet]

BTY if anyone knows where i can get the CD version of Office professional 2007 or 10 at a resonable cost let me know. thanks

 

[PeteEU]

BTY if anyone knows where i can get the CD version of Office professional 2007 or 10 at a resonable cost let me know. thanks

well.... legal? Not that hard to find it on the net if it is illegal you want...

If it is a legal version, then.. got a student in your family?

 

[namvet]

BTY if anyone knows where i can get the CD version of Office professional 2007 or 10 at a resonable cost let me know. thanks

well.... legal? Not that hard to find it on the net if it is illegal you want...

If it is a legal version, then.. got a student in your family?

yeah legal. its high priced

 

[Ringel05]

I had and hated Vista. It was totally, thoroughly horrible and had no equal. To further the annoyance, it was a Sony, and the first time I called for assistance, I was ordered to pay $70 up front after shelling out 2 grand on their stupid computer. And I took a tongue lashing and a hangup from a foreigner who couldn't make herself understood except to demand money, when I refused to pay. She let me know she could fix it with the touch of two buttons. I put it away, and it's still sitting on the shelf. I got a HP instead. I know they will help newbies if something goes wrong.

You Sony sounds like a perfect platform for Linux Mint or Ubuntu.........

I'd prolly die laughing if I had a clue what you just said...

I bought it because it looked nice. Even in computers it's pretty is as pretty does. *sigh*

I'm gonna petition Rosetta Stone to do a series in Geekanese.......

A platform is any computer, laptop, tablet, etc. Mint and Ubuntu are Linux operating systems that can be used instead of Windows. They're free, just download the package, burn to a disc as an ISO (bootable disc = you put the disc in and it starts up on it's own), put the disc in the drive and reboot then follow the directions on the screen.
Or pay $7 or $8 to have then send you a disc, insert in CD/DVD player and reboot.
The only reason I mention them is if you have a computer sitting around, gathering dust because it doesn't play well with windows then there's no harm in trying a Linux OS to see if it works better, nothing to lose, everything to gain.

 

[Ringel05]

BTY if anyone knows where i can get the CD version of Office professional 2007 or 10 at a resonable cost let me know. thanks

Is it a must have or a want? The reason I ask is if it's only a want you can download and try out Open Office.

OpenOffice.org - The Free and Open Productivity Suite

 

[freedombecki]

You Sony sounds like a perfect platform for Linux Mint or Ubuntu.........

I'd prolly die laughing if I had a clue what you just said...

I bought it because it looked nice. Even in computers it's pretty is as pretty does. *sigh*

I'm gonna petition Rosetta Stone to do a series in Geekanese.......

A platform is any computer, laptop, tablet, etc. Mint and Ubuntu are Linux operating systems that can be used instead of Windows. They're free, just download the package, burn to a disc as an ISO (bootable disc = you put the disc in and it starts up on it's own), put the disc in the drive and reboot then follow the directions on the screen.
Or pay $7 or $8 to have then send you a disc, insert in CD/DVD player and reboot.
The only reason I mention them is if you have a computer sitting around, gathering dust because it doesn't play well with windows then there's no harm in trying a Linux OS to see if it works better, nothing to lose, everything to gain.

Not only does it not play well with windows, it doesn't play at all. In business, sometimes it's best to cut your losses and move on. I did. If you write a Rosetta Stone computer disc, I'll trade you the first copy for the Sony if a pretty shell interests you.

 

[Ringel05]

I'd prolly die laughing if I had a clue what you just said...

I bought it because it looked nice. Even in computers it's pretty is as pretty does. *sigh*

I'm gonna petition Rosetta Stone to do a series in Geekanese.......

A platform is any computer, laptop, tablet, etc. Mint and Ubuntu are Linux operating systems that can be used instead of Windows. They're free, just download the package, burn to a disc as an ISO (bootable disc = you put the disc in and it starts up on it's own), put the disc in the drive and reboot then follow the directions on the screen.
Or pay $7 or $8 to have then send you a disc, insert in CD/DVD player and reboot.
The only reason I mention them is if you have a computer sitting around, gathering dust because it doesn't play well with windows then there's no harm in trying a Linux OS to see if it works better, nothing to lose, everything to gain.

Not only does it not play well with windows, it doesn't play at all. In business, sometimes it's best to cut your losses and move on. I did. If you write a Rosetta Stone computer disc, I'll trade you the first copy for the Sony if a pretty shell interests you.

I'm just a beginner with some intermediate Geekanese tossed in for good measure.
Which Sony model is it? Does it start up at all or does it start to boot then hangup halfway (stop loading the operating system)?

 

[waltky]

Microsoft buildin' a better mousetrap...

Windows 8 and the Surface tablets: The experts weigh in
24 October 2012 - Windows 8 has prompted the launch of hybrid computers which can function as a standalone tablet or be connected to a keyboard to act as a touch-enabled laptop

Windows 8 marks what is arguably the most radical tech launch of the year. Microsoft aims to leapfrog the competition by offering a touch-based, dynamic, futuristic-looking interface which can run on processors designed for both high-spec computers, and chips more commonly associated with smartphones. Its market-leading status is at stake. More than 1.5 billion devices currently use a version of Windows, making it by far the most installed operating system, according to tech research firm Gartner.

But investors are more concerned about the firm's growth prospects amidst growing competition for customers' cash. "We think the industry changed with the iPad launch because the tablet is effectively a PC - it doesn't need to be connected to a network to work and runs third-party applications," Steve Brazier, chief executive of research firm Canalys, says. "Once you segment the market that way, Windows share of the global PC market has fallen to 72%. Three years ago that would have been over 95%. "If you add the PC market together to the smartphone market - which we call the intelligent device sector - Windows share falls to 32%."

Windows 8 and its close relation Windows Phone 8 are designed to reverse that trend. One thing is certain: Microsoft's efforts will have industry-wide ramifications. A study by Gartner indicates worldwide PC shipments were 8.3% lower than the previous year in the July-to-September quarter. That spells trouble for companies including HP, Dell and Acer which have seen sales decline as a consequence. A successful launch might recharge demand, but first they must face the prospect of a challenge from Microsoft's own tablet, Surface. The BBC asked a selection of industry experts for their views of Microsoft's new products:

SINK OR SWIM

 

[Uncensored2008]

There isn't a network on the planet that Linux doesn't work well with.
Sounds like your management software is either old...if not...why in the heck did your company buy one that isn't browser based?

If I want an Modal window app to run like a browser based app, I can always remove the I7 processor and put in a 286, reduce the RAM from 16GB to 640K - and then enjoy browser level performance!

 

[Dajjal]

I use XP and I am not changing it, but I wondered if windows 8 would work on my system anyway.

I have a standard 19inch LCD monitor, and I do not know if that would work with touch screen technology. In any case I do not want it covered with finger prints.

 

[Uncensored2008]

I use XP and I am not changing it, but I wondered if windows 8 would work on my system anyway.

I have a standard 19inch LCD monitor, and I do not know if that would work with touch screen technology. In any case I do not want it covered with finger prints.

Touch screens must be explicitly designed and manufactured with a capacitive matrix. Nothing can change a regular screen into a touch screen.

BUT, your PC will likely work just fine with Windows 8. While I find the Metro interface poorly designed for a mouse and keyboard, they will work just fine with it. You need the same level of resources as you do with Vista/Windows 7, i.e. 4gb or more of RAM, a good, multi-core processor and a SATA hard drive (preferably SATA III)

 

[namvet]

I had XP home but its a dog compared to 7.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

It will fail.

 

[Uncensored2008]

The average WalMart factory worker in Bangladesh makes $43 per month. On average, 14 hours per day.

Or about 5 times the amount the average Apple worker in China makes for 16 hours a day.

You're posting from you iPhone, right?

 

[waltky]

Win8 has higher resource demand...

Windows 8 demand higher than Win 7's, says Microsoft's Ballmer
29 Oct.`12 - Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has a rosy outlook for their new Windows 8 operating system, saying Monday that "we're seeing preliminary demand well above where we were with Windows 7." But other measures indicate that this statement may be somewhat misleading.

Ballmer was speaking at a San Francisco event where Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 hardware were being showcased. Windows 8 itself officially launched last Friday, but has been available in preview form for more than a year. Comparing the new OS to its predecessor is natural, but could Windows 8, which has been intensely polarizing in the tech community, really be more in demand than the incredibly popular Windows 7, which famously fixed what Windows Vista had broken?

To find out, I spoke with Jay Chou, senior research analyst at IDC's Worldwide PC Tracker. While he cautioned that Ballmer may be privy to some statistics not yet publicized, Chou suggested that Windows 8 probably isn't going to move PCs the way Windows 7 did — but that this has as much to do with the broader PC market as it does with the desirability of the OS. "Our outlook on Windows 8 is that it will bring somewhat of a boost on the consumer side, but really, its full impact won't be felt till much later. We don't see it as a significant factor that will help the hardware business to recover."

He compared the circumstances of the release to those in 2009, when Windows 7 launched. At the time, millions of consumers and businesses were waiting eagerly for a chance to upgrade, having skipped the poorly received Windows Vista. Not only that, but netbooks were still selling at high rates, and Windows 7 was a great fit for that type of PC. Windows 7, in other words, arrived just when people wanted to buy into both new hardware and a new operating system.

Now, however, the economy has slowed PC shipments, tablets have replaced netbooks as the best option for casual computing, and for many people, the upgrade to Windows 7 is still fresh in their minds. Furthermore, Windows 8 isn't a cheap upgrade: "Cost is a factor," said Chou. "To really take advantage of Windows 8, you need the hardware, the touch capability. You might have to upgrade your mouse or get a multi-touch trackpad."

MORE

 

[Uncensored2008]

Win8 has higher resource demand...

Windows 8 demand higher than Win 7's, says Microsoft's Ballmer
29 Oct.`12 - Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has a rosy outlook for their new Windows 8 operating system, saying Monday that "we're seeing preliminary demand well above where we were with Windows 7." But other measures indicate that this statement may be somewhat misleading.

What Ballmer is saying is the demand for Windows 8 is greater than the demand for 7 - which is patently false.

He was not saying that demands on the hardware are greater for 8. However, Windows 8 is designed for a touch screen, so it might drive people to replace monitors with touch capacitive screens.

Or, people may simply ignore Windows 8. Much of this depends on Surface. IF Microsoft can take over the tablet world, Windows 8 will dominate the landscape as it unifies mobility and desktop platforms. There are some serious problems though, software for the Microsoft Tablet is sparse, to put it gently. Yes, it will run most desktop apps, but it runs them poorly.

This is make or break for Microsoft. If Windows 8 fails, Microsoft will ride out it's server wares and be finished in the consumer space. It could actually succeed though, which will place Microsoft again in a dominate role. The concept is brilliant, a single platform that transcends hardware, tablet, smart phone, desktop all use the same programs and become seamless. Apple will copy this and the mindless sycophants will declare it the greatest breakthrough in history. The question is, will Microsoft have the market wrapped up before Apple can retroactively invent this technology?

Remember, Microsoft created the smart phone, iPaq was out 5 years before iPhone. Microsoft created the tablet. Toshiba and HP had tablets out in 1992. Yet to hear the press, Apple invented these. So the fact that Microsoft is the innovator means little, unless they can lock up the market before the Apple imitators clone their ideas and run a marketing blitz?

 

[iamwhatiseem]

The average WalMart factory worker in Bangladesh makes $43 per month. On average, 14 hours per day.

Or about 5 times the amount the average Apple worker in China makes for 16 hours a day.

You're posting from you iPhone, right?

Don't own a single Apple device.
My home computer and my laptop is zaReason - made in California.
My wife's laptop is a Dell, like Apple, is indeed made by Foxconn.
You are looking at the wrong gift horse, I buy American as much as I possibly can - have for years.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

This could be a big boost to Linux.
Linux will now be more familiar to your average user than Windows 8.
I say it now and again, once people see and use Linux - they overwhelmingly don't go back to Windows unless they play games.