Windows 7 or 8

Was not so keen on Windows 8 until I tried. Now I'm rather happy with it, apart from customisation issues. But that should be sorted in 8.1.
 
But you didn't answer the question. You were moaning about the frequency of Windows Updates, not your obvious dislike for Microsoft.

As others have mentioned, Microsoft's patch schedule is no worse than OS X.

I have Microsoft stock so want it to do well, so what on earth are you talking about? However, I find their focus depressing. On the flip side I want people like yourself to keep buying into the dream, I just don't want to do so myself.
 
What differences are you specifically referencing, please elaborate?
I use Windows 7 on my desktop, Windows 8 on my laptop and OSX at work.

The updates experience is pretty much exactly the same on them all in that I get prompted once a month, they download, install and you reboot.

It all happens in the background and unless you are using a seriously poverty spec machine you just carry on doing what you intended to do.

I used Windows 8 for the first time in around a month last week and gave up after about 10 mins of updates reboots, and Windows is configuring updates messages. How can I carry on working on the machine whilst all that is going on, I either have a blank screen or a purple one.
 
I have Microsoft stock so want it to do well, so what on earth are you talking about? However, I find their focus depressing. On the flip side I want people like yourself to keep buying into the dream, I just don't want to do so myself.

As with everything else, if you don't like the direction Microsoft are heading in, nobody's forcing you to use any of their software.

I note from your follow up post that I was indeed correct in that you only seem to use Windows very rarely. You shouldn't therefore be surprised when Windows updates are waiting for you.

It's very simple. Log into Windows, check Windows Update. Let in start installing the hotfixes and go make yourself a cup of tea. By the time you get back, assuming you aren't running a machine from the 90's, the machine should be ready for its one and only reboot to finish updating. After that, there's no reason you should be interrupted again unless there's something really odd with your PC.

PS, I'm not 'buying into the dream'. I find Windows 8 equally as good as Windows 7 for a desktop PC, and even better on my HTPC where my MCE remote works brilliantly with the modern UI.
 
I used Windows 8 for the first time in around a month last week and gave up after about 10 mins of updates reboots, and Windows is configuring updates messages. How can I carry on working on the machine whilst all that is going on, I either have a blank screen or a purple one.

you're doing something wrong.


I've looked at my update history. 85 updates installed over a 150 day period. Yes that's one every two days BUT the updates were installed on 14 occasions so that's actually less than once a week. In fact it's twice every 3 weeks, just about.

Faustus said:
Literally ever time I boot into Parallels for Windows 8 most of the productive time is wasted waiting for Windows to configure updates.


You must use it once a fortnight then?:confused:
 
you're doing something wrong.


I've looked at my update history. 85 updates installed over a 150 day period. Yes that's one every two days BUT the updates were installed on 14 occasions so that's actually less than once a week. In fact it's twice every 3 weeks, just about.




You must use it once a fortnight then?:confused:

Not doing anything wrong at all except I now find I really don't need it much at all. I used to use it pretty much 50/50 switching between the iMac and my Windows VM. Windows 8 changed all that, I simply don't like it. The more I used OS X the more I realised what a pleasure it is to use and just how irrelevant windows had become. We also have a pretty new HP W8 Lappy, and whilst it does a job neither the wife or I enjoy the experience like we do the Mac.

It's not always easy to say why you don't like something but you do know when you find something you like and our family much prefer the Mac. We both used to enjoy using Windows 7.
 
and that's perfectly fine. I use windows 7 at work, windows 8 at home. No issues swapping and changing between them. In fact when I'm working from home I remote in, so I'm often alt+tabbing between windows 7 and 8. No issues at all.

I've absolutely no problem with people not getting on with windows 8,but I don't think I'll ever understand how anybody can have such polar opinion on 7 and 8. I know it's been said a million times but take the metro stuff away and the desktop environments are pretty much the same, and that's where we spend most of our time so I just don't get it. Not interested in the metro stuff personally, so i dont use it:)
 
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and that's perfectly fine. I use windows 7 at work, windows 8 at home. No issues swapping and changing between them. In fact when I'm working from home I remote in, so I'm often alt+tabbing between windows 7 and 8. No issues at all.

I've absolutely no problem with people not getting on with windows 8,but I don't think I'll ever understand how anybody can have such polar opinion on 7 and 8. I know it's been said a million times but take the metro stuff away and the desktop environments are pretty much the same, and that's where we spend most of our time so I just don't get it. Not interested in the metro stuff personally, so i don't use it:)

I think even with Classic Shell you never fully get rid of that dreadful Modern UI. If I accidentally move the mouse into the right hand side that awful awful "charms" menu rears its ugly head. Whenever it happens it's like a red rag to a bull. Searching apps is awful to. Get rid of any signs of the modern UI, apps charms etc and I could get on with W8 no issue.
 
I think even with Classic Shell you never fully get rid of that dreadful Modern UI. If I accidentally move the mouse into the right hand side that awful awful "charms" menu rears its ugly head. Whenever it happens it's like a red rag to a bull. Searching apps is awful to. Get rid of any signs of the modern UI, apps charms etc and I could get on with W8 no issue.

I believe 8.1 adds an option to disable that.

But if you prefer OSX anyway then that is up to you. :)
 
The "Charms Menu" every time I hear it mentioned I can't help but think of Leprechaun's looking for their "lucky charms" running amok and causing mischief and mayhem.

In some respects to draws some good parallels to the implementation of the UI in Windows 8 :D
 
I'm not saying Apple always get things right or indeed have the prettiest UI. A good example of this I think would be Thunderbird. The Windows version is really quite pretty and looks most professional. The Apple version less so. It looks far busier and has a dour and functional UI. Both work equally well but on simple aesthetics Windows certainly wins it.
 
Doesn't matter, there is no noticeable difference apart from the horrid Metro interface, if it annoys you can always install 'StartIsBack'. It brings back the classic start menu from previous versions of Windows.
 
Doesn't matter, there is no noticeable difference apart from the horrid Metro interface, if it annoys you can always install 'StartIsBack'. It brings back the classic start menu from previous versions of Windows.

I agree. Take away all the very tacky childrens modern UI and the Desktop is a very recognisable environment. I do expect that despite 8.1 MS will have to make further concessions and end up getting rid of the second ecosystem AKA modern UI touch completely from the Desktop.

Once they do that then MS fortunes will begin to change. Stay as it is an Ballmer will go down in infamy as the man that broke Microsoft.
 
Personally I'd rather keep the metro UI even on a non-touch screen, keeps the format the same over many devices and the metro search is extremely good and frighteningly fast.
 
Personally I'd rather keep the metro UI even on a non-touch screen, keeps the format the same over many devices and the metro search is extremely good and frighteningly fast.

Which devices are we talking about? MS can't shift the surface tab and WP8 remains a small player in a pond dominated by Android and iOS. Why upset the vast majority of your users in order to satisfy a tiny tiny proportion of others?
 
The vast majority of users are on Windows XP or Windows 7 and won't be upset in the slightest by Windows 8. This idea that the existing user base is in outrage just isn't true.
 
The vast majority of users are on Windows XP or Windows 7 and won't be upset in the slightest by Windows 8. This idea that the existing user base is in outrage just isn't true.

If many users weren't annoyed, threads like this would not get so big. And then there's the users that don't post in forums...
 
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