Windows 7 or 8

[cameraman]

I need to load Windows 7 or 8 onto my MacBook. I figure that I'll partition off 160 Gb of the 512 Gb for Windows as any real data sets will be on a raid or a server. The software I need runs under either version of Windows. I use the Mac about 95% of the time and the only Windows I am at all familiar with is XP Pro. I haven't heard anything good about Windows 8. Do I buy the older OS? It seems counter intuitive to put an older OS on a new computer but then there was Vista so what do I do?

[KLang]

I installed 8 in a VM to check it out and I didn't care for it at all. There are programs available to restore some start button functionality but I didn't bother. I'll be sticking with 7 for my limited Windows needs.

[WickerBill]

A vote here for Win7. Stable and the best desktop Windows OS available. MS has a strange history of OS absolute duds every other release:

Win95: pretty revolutionary for the PC world
Win98: are you serious, you charged for this?
Win2K: NT kernel, very good
WinXP Gold: ridiculously buggy and so full of holes it made people consider OS/2 again
WinXP SP3: looked the same as XP but was almost completely rewritten and fairly solid
WinVista: hahaha
Win7: what Vista should have been; fast, easier on network and disk utilization, 64 bit done properly finally
Win8: panicky reaction to iOS, reviled, buggy, hated by Mac people because it was a try-hard, hated by PC people because it threw all of their PC knowledge out the window



Go with Windows 7. It is officially supported until January 2015, but if history can be trusted, they will continue releasing security patches at no charge throughout extended support, which goes to 2020.

[KLang]

I think you forgot ME :yuck:

[dando]

Windoze 7.

[gerhard911]

I have multiple PCs running Windoze (and a couple of Linux servers) and hands down, XP is my desktop choice (does that make me a Luddite?). Win 7 isn't bad but just enough different (without being better) to piss me off. Have tried Vista :yuck: but not Win 8.

Family & friends with Mac but that side of my brain apparently does not function well.

[Tifosi24]

I have Windows 8, soon to be 8.1 if that makes a difference, on my home laptop, and it is complete garbage. I know people despise Windows ME, I personally could live with the problems, but I rate Windows 8 as the worst in Microsoft's line. If you have a touchscreen device, it may be acceptable, but apart from that, Windows 7 is the way to go. My home laptop can illustrate how much people hate it, because when I was looking around at rigs, Dell was charging people an extra $100 to get the same computer with Windows 7 instead of Windows 8. I don't know if people were paying the difference, but given the difficulty in removing preloaded Windows 8 from a computer, it would be worth the money to me.

[dando]

I have multiple PCs running Windoze (and a couple of Linux servers) and hands down, XP is my desktop choice (does that make me a Luddite?). Win 7 isn't bad but just enough different (without being better) to piss me off. Have tried Vista :yuck: but not Win 8.

Family & friends with Mac but that side of my brain apparently does not function well.

I held onto XP until just a few months ago. Unfortunately it's been orphaned by M$FT, so I had to move to 7. I wouldn't touch 8 (or now 8.1) with a 10' pole. There's a reason heads rolled @ M$FT after the Windoze 8 roll out.

[SurfaceUnits]

When you upgrade 8 to 8.1, all of the installed programs and utilities are crunched. They aren't uninstalled; you have to clean up the mess and then reinstall everything, from Flash player to whatever. I just jailbreak the 8.1 upgrade and do it as a fresh install.

[cameraman]

I have several automated workstations running XP Pro. I don't know what the companies are planning on doing between now and April but I can only hope that they plan on upgrading their control software so that it at least runs on Windows 7.

So I guess I'll be getting 7.

[SurfaceUnits]

I have several automated workstations running XP Pro. I don't know what the companies are planning on doing between now and April but I can only hope that they plan on upgrading their control software so that it at least runs on Windows 7.

So I guess I'll be getting 7.

Are they internet connected? We have locked manufacturing systems, no inet connections, that wil stay XP

[cameraman]

Are they internet connected? We have locked manufacturing systems, no inet connections, that wil stay XP

Not only internet connected, internet dependent.:saywhat:

[SurfaceUnits]

If that, then you could put them behind an internet security device/VPN

SonicWall TZ series
Cisco ASA 5500 Series
Juniper SSG Series
Netgear UTM 10
WatchGuard Firebox X Edge e-Series

[cameraman]

Okay now for the stupid question, I have two Windows 7 install disks. One I used for my Mac Pro the other I will use for my new MacBook pro. Thing is I don't know which key I used for the Mac Pro...

Is there any way to see what key you used on a machine? And how would you do that?


It's the little things...

Also as an aside I tried a Windows 8.1 computer yesterday. Sweet Jesus I couldn't figure out anything, I was absolutely lost. And the silly thing had tiles that were running ads, freaking commercials on the desktop:shakehead: It is as if the computer has a raging case of ADHD. Thank the lord above that none of the analysis packages that I use are supported on any version of Windows 8. I just can't use it:laugh:

[SurfaceUnits]

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/produkey.html

For your Windows 8 troubles http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/start_menu_reviver.html

Then look at for some real fun
http://desktoplinuxreviews.com/pear-os-reviews/pear-os-8/

[cameraman]

Well that got the software keys straightened out, I even labeled the paperwork:eek: Fixing Windows 8.1 is as simple as never using it again.:D And two operating systems on my computers is more than enough so I will leave Pear OS to other people who clearly have too much time on their hands...

[dando]

Well that got the software keys straightened out, I even labeled the paperwork:eek: Fixing Windows 8.1 is as simple as never using it again.:D And two operating systems on my computers is more than enough so I will leave Pear OS to other people who clearly have too much time on their hands...

I told you not to do Windoze 8.x. It's a joke ala Windoze Me, but the UI is worse. There's a reason the Windoze chief bailed shortly after the release and Ballmer finally quit. In regards to the key 411, it should be buried under the Start menu ==> Control Panel ==> Device Manager settings.

[cameraman]

I didn't do Windows 8, I just borrowed someone else's machine for a few hours. That was more than enough and it was a waste of time as I really didn't get anything done. I've really never seen a computer UI so inefficiently designed in my entire life.

[Napoleon]

I HATE Windows 8 (whatever subversion it may be) on the laptop I bought around 6-8 months ago. It comes close to being unusable. I have figured how to get to one screen which is somewhat laid out like they would traditionally do it, but anything else for me is unusable.

[cameraman]

Ahhh the simple joys if installing windows from an older disk. Just 129 important updates to the tune of 452.8 MB. Even on a commercial quality internet connection that takes a while to download.

[KLang]

Ahhh the simple joys if installing windows from an older disk. Just 129 important updates to the tune of 452.8 MB. Even on a commercial quality internet connection that takes a while to download.

Are you starting out with service pack 1? If not there will be more updates after SP1.

Went through this last weekend replacing the C drive on my security camera box with a solid state drive. Started Saturday morning and it was still coughing up updates after a scheduled Sunday reboot.

[cameraman]

No, I don't know what it was, it seems satisfied after installing that one round.

Actually now that you mentioned it, I looked and it is SP1:shakehead:

Well ****, it wasn't activated. I guess I have more downloading in my future...

[SurfaceUnits]

All one need do is download this 2.8GB iso and it wil take care of everything
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/microsoft_security_releases_iso_image.html

[cameraman]

He tells me after a bazillion downloads... It's done and happily running now.
Now all I have to do is install, configure and link up all the analysis packages.:cry: