Should I take the Windows 8 offer?

Shikasama 30 Jan 2013 22:48:23 4,620 posts
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This is driving me crazy. I found out about the 24.99 Windows 8 upgrade offer today and I know it ends tomorrow but I can't decide whether to actually get it or not. Part of me thinks that for the price it'd be daft not to but the other part thinks...do I even need to?

Trying to read around the subject just ends up in reading a hundred articles on why Metro is shit/awesome but I get the impression that it comes with a lot of performance enhancing features - although this mostly seems to be aimed at laptops.

I dig the fact that the SkyDrive integration is all about the cloud and what have you, but I have a Blackberry phone (shadap) and a Google Nexus. The Google services I'm integrated with are accessible from Windows 7 so I don't think I get the benefit from switching 'interference in daily life' provider.

Anybody else taken the offer?

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Deleted user 30 January 2013 22:49:42

Buy it, install pokki, be happy.

Yes.

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captainrentboy 30 Jan 2013 22:56:11 618 posts
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Why pay 25 pound when you can pay 15? http://www.windowsupgradeoffer.com/en-GB
I went through that site in November, picked a random Dell PC as the one I had just 'bought' and they sent me the download link no problems.

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Nazo 30 Jan 2013 22:56:30 166 posts
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Yes definitely, my old XP laptop runs much better since I put Win 8 on it. I don't regret changing at all.

You can always dual boot it.

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HurbleBurble 30 Jan 2013 22:56:47 1,379 posts
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I used it to upgrade last last year. Quick, painless and yeah, my system seemed more responsive.

It can be quite traumatic at first but doesn't take long to adapt and personally the change is not as intrusive or destructive as some might have you believe.

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Chopsen 30 Jan 2013 22:58:55 13,727 posts
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Windows 8 adds nothing for the end user. It's not awful, but the changes from 7 are all aabout MS long term startergy. There is nothing to recommend it.

Thanks for expressing interest in my signature!

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HurbleBurble 30 Jan 2013 23:05:43 1,379 posts
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Chopsen wrote:
Windows 8 adds nothing for the end user. It's not awful, but the changes from 7 are all aabout MS long term startergy. There is nothing to recommend it.

Despite what I said, I infinitely agree with this. Win8 is more a re-branding exercise than anything else and a move towards a more personal phone/tablet experience than the typical enterprise desktop. Having said that, it wouldn't surprise me if SP1 or 2 tried to integrate XBL in to it even more than it leeches at the edges right now.

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Gl3n 30 Jan 2013 23:13:37 4,934 posts
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I've just scored a free copy from a friend. Should i even bother upgrading from my clean windows 7 install?

Just sounds like a load of bullshit to put up with.

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meme 30 Jan 2013 23:25:59 15,516 posts
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It has some things that are worth upgrading for, depending on how you use your PC. The task manager is brilliant, file transfer is improved and more informative, and snapping stuff to the side can really help out with workflow (having a calendar, to-do list or dictionary/thesaurus separate from the desktop but constantly visible is handy for me).

But like I said about usage, if these are minor, even irrelevant things for you, there's no point upgrading. If all you do is web browse, play games and watch films, it's superfluous.

GHOSTBUSTERS

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superdelphinus 30 Jan 2013 23:35:51 6,177 posts
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For fuck's sake it's an operating system

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yegon 30 Jan 2013 23:43:41 4,306 posts
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How long till 7 no longer supports the latest DirectX?

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meme 30 Jan 2013 23:45:11 15,516 posts
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Don't think it fully supports DX11.1 already.

GHOSTBUSTERS

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neilka 30 Jan 2013 23:47:46 12,052 posts
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That's 0.1 higher than DX11, for when you need that extra push over the cliff.

Even the toast is a ghost, and your daddy is in the toast!

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yegon 30 Jan 2013 23:49:48 4,306 posts
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meme wrote:
Don't think it fully supports DX11.1 already.

That rings a bell actually, I've not been keeping up. Thing is, the only thing I use my pc for is games, and (confession time) my Windows 7 install is the first, store bought legit version I've had of Windows since, err, ever, so I want to milk a few more years from it really.

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Aretak 31 Jan 2013 00:36:48 9,934 posts
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Chopsen wrote:
Windows 8 adds nothing for the end user. It's not awful, but the changes from 7 are all aabout MS long term startergy. There is nothing to recommend it.

I don't think that's true. There are loads of little improvements over Windows 7 that I've noticed over the months I've been using it. It boots a lot faster, runs a bit better in general, looks nicer (IMO anyway, Aero is hideously dated) and whilst it's a big adjustment, I'm now fully sold on the Start screen. It's just better than the button once you tailor it to your needs.

Despite all the negative publicity, I think it's a pretty good OS and objectively an improvement on W7.

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Dirtbox 31 Jan 2013 00:42:07 73,722 posts
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Yeah, I don't really have a problem with it any more. It's just a bit of a pointless upgrade from 7 if you're using a desktop.

+1 / Like / Tweet this post

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Chopsen 31 Jan 2013 00:48:21 13,727 posts
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Having moved to 8 myself on a couple of devices, did not feel particularly impressed with booting speed personally. Having a fresh install has always made things feel a bit more responsive and nippy. Don't need an upgrade for that. Aesthetics are not an objective improvement, just different and a matter of taste and in any case I think it's quite marginal.

There *are* improvements, but they're marginal and certainly not really worth spending any money on. There are also negative, and they're not insignificant. For me it instantly broke my Cisco VPN connection interface for work and my printer drivers, which are kinda important for me

Would I spend money on windows 8 for a computer I had windows 7? No.
Would I install windows 8 for free on a PC that had Windows 7? No.
Would I go out of my way to install Windows 7 on a computer I bought that happened to have Windows 8 on? No.

Edited by Chopsen at 00:48:38 31-01-2013

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Shikasama 31 Jan 2013 08:43:43 4,620 posts
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meme wrote:
It has some things that are worth upgrading for, depending on how you use your PC. The task manager is brilliant, file transfer is improved and more informative, and snapping stuff to the side can really help out with workflow (having a calendar, to-do list or dictionary/thesaurus separate from the desktop but constantly visible is handy for me).

But like I said about usage, if these are minor, even irrelevant things for you, there's no point upgrading. If all you do is web browse, play games and watch films, it's superfluous.

I think this pretty much hits the nail on the head for me. All of my productivity stuff is on my tablet and my PC is basically used as an entertainment device.

Think I'll probably pass up on it

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THFourteen 31 Jan 2013 08:51:33 29,062 posts
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I have had it on my laptop for the last six months.

Find it pretty and fun to use tbh.

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Buztafen 31 Jan 2013 09:04:36 15,156 posts
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I'm pretty sure i've asked this before...but with the �15 new pc deal above can you install Win 8 clean on any computer after purchase or does it have to be installed over the Win 7 License you registered to get the deal?

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THFourteen 31 Jan 2013 09:08:28 29,062 posts
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I think you can clean install from a burned DVD, at least I am sure I managed it.

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Maturin 31 Jan 2013 09:13:02 1,681 posts
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THFourteen wrote:
I think you can clean install from a burned DVD, at least I am sure I managed it.

You can. I did a clean install from a USB stick when I built my new PC.

Pre-childish ragequit username - Harry

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Armoured_Bear 31 Jan 2013 09:16:43 4,102 posts
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I only use my PC for gaming and have been wondering whether to take the offer or not...

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Buztafen 31 Jan 2013 09:17:21 15,156 posts
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It appears i did ask this before in the Windows 8 thread and it looks like you can.

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Buztafen 31 Jan 2013 09:23:30 15,156 posts
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Also it's worth noting the offer doesn't end today.

"You must purchase a qualified Windows 7 PC between June 2, 2012 and January 31, 2013 to be eligible for this offer. The last day to register and order your Windows 8 upgrade is February 28, 2013."

Windows Upgrade Offer

Edited by Buztafen at 09:24:21 31-01-2013

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Shikasama 31 Jan 2013 09:35:30 4,620 posts
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Hah, I'm glad one of us can read

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Buztafen 31 Jan 2013 09:49:36 15,156 posts
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Heh, gives us another month to umm and arr about getting the upgrade or not.

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vizzini 31 Jan 2013 12:07:50 1,016 posts
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@Armoured_Bear

The three main advantages that most people will benefit from are:

1. Increases the shelf life of their PC(and its security updates) by being a newer OS. This is especially true for any Win7, Vista, Xp 32bit editions, so long as their hardware manufacturers have at least provided Vista 64bit signed drivers.

2. Increases performance because many of the previous OS dependent APIs are now optional in Windows 8 (eg it is a lighter OS). It also has superior support for CPUs, motherboard chipsets giving a welcome performance boost.

3. It allows many (x86_64 hardware) customers to actually use more than 2.5GB of system RAM in their PCs, if upgrading from some shitty 32bit home premium edition to 64bit Professional edition.

I've got a windows 7 pro 64bit laptop, and want to upgrade it. But my only reason to stick with it in its existing setup, is so that I can provide my better half's father better support for his laptop if I can mirror the problems he might have.