Windows 7 or 8.1?

j3nni

j3nni

j3nni

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27 Jan 2009
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Hi guys, i'll have a new rig built in a week or two and not sure what OS to go for on it. I have Windows 7 on my current pc and as it was OEM i can't transfer it over, so it will be a brand new copy for my new rig.

Is it just a no brainer to move to 8.1 now? I just really REALLY hate the look of it, but i do know there's things like Start8 or ClassicShell? Sometimes i've seen conflicting thoughts on 8.1 regarding the performance too though, so thought i'd ask for opinions. PC will be used for a bit of everything - lots of gaming, aswell as media, graphics stuff etc. If there's no particular pros to 8.1 i'm not sure i'll see the point in changing to it
 
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8.1 with the likes of classicshell is a lot like a snappier w7 now, you can very nearly kill the whole metro interface completely if you dont like it, although tbh as a start menu it does grow on you with the updates.

you might want to check that your media/graphics software is defo compatible. i've never had any problems with compatibility [including legacy stuff] but i have heard of the odd issue on w8.1.

edit: when it comes to performance, i have a suspicion it might be bloatware related on laptops and pre-builts, virgin 8.1 on my main rig is a glorious breath of lightning fast fresh air.
 
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I am so torn haha.. Was all set to order my build parts today and now just sitting here stumped.

I do see a lot saying it does feel snappier. There doesn't seem too many cases of compatability issues with games, but that would worry me a bit as we play a lot of older games aswell as newer ones.

Classicshell does look like it would make me much happier with the look and feel of it. The one thing i can't seem to find, is if there is an option for the icons in the taskbar to look like the longer ones with wording in instead. I'm not sure what it's called but in Windows 7 you can change the app icons and open windows to look like this in the Properties. Anyone know if you can do that in 8.1? Can't explain it very well so took a screenshot

taskbar_zps29869a11.png
[/URL][/IMG]

If you can make the taskbar look like that in 8.1, would that work along with classicshell?
 
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alternatively, download windows 10 preview (free as well! win-win!)
it's basically windows 8.1 with a start menu, and it's stable enough for 95% of users.
personally, im using it now on my primary machine and no problems (yet)
 
Oh don't confuse me more by adding more into the mix haha, i'll be here for months :D no i do want to go with an official release so want to stick with choosing between 7 or 8.1. Think i found out i can do that with the taskbar icons, though i don't know if i could do that with classicshell but i suppose only one way to find out
 
j3nni said:
I am so torn haha.. Was all set to order my build parts today and now just sitting here stumped.

I do see a lot saying it does feel snappier. There doesn't seem too many cases of compatability issues with games, but that would worry me a bit as we play a lot of older games aswell as newer ones.

Classicshell does look like it would make me much happier with the look and feel of it. The one thing i can't seem to find, is if there is an option for the icons in the taskbar to look like the longer ones with wording in instead. I'm not sure what it's called but in Windows 7 you can change the app icons and open windows to look like this in the Properties. Anyone know if you can do that in 8.1? Can't explain it very well so took a screenshot

taskbar_zps29869a11.png
[/URL][/IMG]

If you can make the taskbar look like that in 8.1, would that work along with classicshell?
Click to expand...


Yeah, that option is still there. Just tried it now on this PC with ClassicShell running.
 
Oh that's brilliant :) Thanks so much for checking, i really appreciate that! I think if i can have things feeling that similar, i'll be okay giving 8.1 a whirl. Have to move on with the times, right? lol. Thanks everyone for the thoughts and advice, i'm going to bite the bullet and get everything ordered!
 
j3nni said:
The one thing i can't seem to find, is if there is an option for the icons in the taskbar to look like the longer ones with wording in instead. I'm not sure what it's called but in Windows 7 you can change the app icons and open windows to look like this in the Properties. Anyone know if you can do that in 8.1? Can't explain it very well so took a screenshot

taskbar_zps29869a11.png
[/URL][/IMG]

If you can make the taskbar look like that in 8.1, would that work along with classicshell?
Click to expand...
I run 8.1 and also prefer my taskbar like that. It's as simple as right-clicking the Taskbar > Properties > change Taskbar buttons to Never combine.
 
Scottland said:
If I recall, you get Windows 10 free when upgrading from 8 - so it's worth buying 8 from that perspective.
Click to expand...

But if Microsoft continue the pre-order offers you could use 10 preview for free now and then buy 10 licence once released for less than existing 8.1.
 
Bane said:
But if Microsoft continue the pre-order offers you could use 10 preview for free now and then buy 10 licence once released for less than existing 8.1.
Click to expand...

Why use a light weight stripped early beta build of Win10?...RTM build will be different and you will still have to pay,last I heard good chance Win8/8.1 users will get Win10 free.


I'll say 8.1 with or without third party Start Menu depending on if you can adjust without it or not.


I think Start8 has the best third party Start Menu,

8.png
 
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Elevon said:
Why use a light weight stripped early beta build of Win10?...RTM build will be different and you will still have to pay,last I heard good chance Win8/8.1 users will get Win10 free.
Click to expand...

But looking at £80+ for Windows 8.1 and rumour of free upgrade to 10 when released. Or use 10 preview now and possibly get pre-order offer for substantially less than 8.1 licence.

Depending on the software the original poster uses the technical preview might be fine. At least it will give a exposure to Windows 8.1 style interface.
 
Bane said:
But looking at £80+ for Windows 8.1 and rumour of free upgrade to 10 when released. Or use 10 preview now and possibly get pre-order offer for substantially less than 8.1 licence.

Depending on the software the original poster uses the technical preview might be fine. At least it will give a exposure to Windows 8.1 style interface.
Click to expand...


Win10 is not due until April-October 2015 time wise,you can get 8.1 for under 50 quid if you look around and it's not ebay or a dodgy site.
8.1 with Start Menu is similar to Win10 anyway and not early beta build like Win10 Preview version.

Good chance also she will be able to upgrade from 8.1 to Win10 retail,with 10 preview good bet you have to do a clean install of Win10 final/retail.
Win8 users will probably get Win10 either free or cheap price.

Last point transition from Win7 to 8.1 with Start Menu is not hard for most users,plenty here that have done that.

Fact is 10 Preview has very limited life as a beta build and has bugs/features missing, no matter how much you like it,also remember the consumer preview version of Win10 is due early next year which will be more polished then current tech preview build which Microsoft recommends you wait for.


Microsoft has advised non-enterprise users against downloading Windows Technical Preview, an early build of Windows 10.

The computing giant suggests that members of the general public wait for the Consumer Preview of the operating system, due for release in early 2015.
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http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a601154/microsoft-advises-users-to-wait-for-windows-10-consumer-preview.html#~oU0Dyr2Lb5abA1
 
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I'm a she :p Yeah one thing i did want to do is stick with finalized versions, so 10 preview was never really an option i was looking into.

Perhaps it's a female thing, seems silly to be torn over asthetics but i just hate the look of 8 and 8.1 with a passion. It just makes you want to reach out and swipe at the monitor with your hand as it's way too 'tablet' for a desktop. I have always loved the windows 7 aero interface. But having found ways i can get that back with 8.1, it helped to make a choice and i was happy enough to shift over to it so i purchased it earlier. I will have the concern of coming across something that won't be compatible but hopefully that won't happen
 
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