Windows 8.1

[Filonian]

Well known that they bring out one dog and one good one alternately.

It is said you can get used to Win8? What is perfectly true is you can get used to a broken leg, but it doesn't mean you want one.

Win 7 for me.




Graham

[DaveB]

I like that Graham

I'm still on WinXP here and blissfully happy with it. My only bugbear these days is that I didn't go for a 64-bit version and 3gig 'visible' to FSX causes OOM conditions on a regular basis so this in turn keeps me in FS9. I do have a Win7 system but am still not used to it. Finding where stuff is is my biggest problem. With XP, I just click on Windows Explorer and all the systems folders and files are laid bare before my eyes. I can download something to the Win7 pc and it'll take me a day to find it

ATB
DaveB

[emfrat]

Dave, in Win7, Windows Explorer is hidden away in Programs>Accessories.
I dragged it down to the taskbar, just to the right of the Start button, and it lives there now.
I created a C:\Downloads folder, to stop it defaulting to the Desktop or whatever - Win7 learns after the first couple that that's where to put them, and you can then tell it to stop asking silly questions.I haven't done that yet, because I very occasionally want one somewhere else. PDFs still ask do I want to Save to Downloads or Open - mostly I just want to read them to see if the are worth saving, but some I know I do want to keep.

Cheers
MikeW

[DaveB]

Thanks for that Mike.. I'll go and take a look

Talking of 'look'.. I really don't care for the 'look' of Win8. To put that another way.. I hate the sight of it!

EDIT: Ah.. I see what that folder icon on the taskbar is now It's not the same though is it

ATB
DaveB

[dfarrow]

Gents , if it ain't bust .. don't fix it , 'n getting too old to learn a new way to scramble eggs every 2 years . Just wish to use it . So XP and fs 9 'til it blows up forcing a change .

ATB , grumpy ols dave in Daarset .

[DarrenL]

On win 7 I use "Libraries" and put the icon on the task bar at the bottom alongside, Thunderbird, Firefox, IE, XBMC and iTunes.

I click the "Libraries" icon and in that I have all the folders I need, plus navigation with My Computer/network on the left on the column list. It's the "go to" button with everything.

I want something I click the Libraries and see this.

[WarHorse47]

Interesting discussion, gents. But somewhat incomplete.

I'm running Win8. The primary reason is that the new computer (with my specs) came with it. The secondary reason is that over time all the other OS will no longer be supported, either by MS or by other developers. I didn't want to have to worry about upgrading to another OS for as long as I owned the computer.

Granted, it is a pain at times. But it does work well if you go beyond that Start Menu thingy. Everything is customizable, just like previous versions of Windows. For example, the "Library" is just another place to create shortcuts to various folders on your system. That's all. Nothing more, nothing less. You can create shortcuts to folders, hard drives, files, etc., on your desktop, in the Library, under Your Documents, and even in the 'Start Menu." It behaves no differently than any other previous MS OS, except a bit more stable and faster.

I am curious to see what comes from Win8.1. I hate to upgrade unless there are some major improvements aside from that Start Menu.


--WH

[TSR2]

I'm with you Warhorse. I've been using Win8 since last august and its pretty bullet proof. If your so inclined you can just hide all of the Windows 8 apps on the start menu and its a much faster, fully customisable start button, with nice big icons for an idiot like me to find the programs I want.

[tonymadge]

You two must be in the minority as most I have read about W8 is not good and XP is only now running out of support after how many years??? I would not worry about having to upgrade to later versions etc.
Sadly Microsoft release new OS's to keep the funds rolling in. bit like changing your curtains every five minutes. This leads to some crappy software ie Vista for one, FSX for another, in the end people will move to the latest software and make excuses and kid themselves its great..... emperor's clothes comes to mind...
I have win7 on this laptop and spent ages getting to work like XP Pro and even now it does not have the features XP had, it also has other features which to be honest are no improvement and quite livable without them... I upgrade when it suits me, not to suit their profit margins.If its good I will use it but I won't make excuses for it just because I own it

[TSR2]

You shouldn't believe all you read mate. While I agree the metro apps have little or no use on a pc, its easy to uninstall them, in the same way I uninstall any other bloatware that comes bundled in pc's over the years. That leaves you with a very fast start menu with large icons, which for me is great. My aunt has just bought a new laptop, an entry level Toshiba. After I uninstalled the metro apps and other bloatware, she finds Win8 much easier to use. Her last laptop was another Toshiba she bought in 2005 which is still running XP. She's 68 in September and was a leagal secretary before she retired, so she's by no means a heavy user, or particularly technical. Like everything, horses for courses.