Windows 7 or 8?

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This is just to settle an argument with my friend, so... Windows 7 or 8?


Opinions on each out of 5 or something?

Usability (average, non-high tech point of view)
Win Library
Visuals of the desktop / folders
General Performance
Specialist performance (high spec games, video rendering, audio rendering, etc)

PS, no statistics please... Just honest opinions on the systems for how you use it.

EDIT: While we're here... Firefox or Chrome? XD (no specifics on this one, just which is better?)
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Windows 8 seems more usable and performs better, I also prefer it's visuals, but don't have any comment on the Win Library and don't do video/audio rendering or play high spec games.

Firefox or Chrome? Waterfox!
I'd probably say windows 7 , windows 8 OTOH may have some more eye-candy and the ugly live tiles that some might find aesthetically pleasing .What makes it less usable is that it is half-way between desktop and the touchscreen-friendly new interface and so some basic operation have become over-complicated (i've been told) like listening to music with your favourite player(not-a-metro app) or even shutting down.
And yeah IMHO.
Win 8 is a better version of windows 7, except for the metro crap, if/when that gets removed it will be undeniably better, but until then only people who like it will use it. So I prefer windows 7.

Chrome shouldn't even be a choice, Firefox is better for people who prefer customization (lots of addons, lots of tweaks in about:config) where as Chromium is better for people who want a simplified browsing interface with the possibility of a few addons and IE 10 is for people who are stuck with it because it is a corporate computer, though it's not bad like IE 6/7 was it isn't any better than Chromium or Firefox. Personally I prefer Firefox.

Opera may be a good choice if you're looking for a browser that has consistently implemented original features.
closed account (3qX21hU5)
Zephilinox wrote:
except for the metro crap, if/when that gets removed it will be undeniably better

Windows 8.1 Allows you to start up in desktop mode and completely disregard windows Metro.

a k n wrote:
and so some basic operation have become over-complicated (i've been told) like listening to music with your favourite player(not-a-metro app) or even shutting down.

I am really not trying to sound like a Microsoft fanboy, just correcting a few things. First why wouldn't you be able to use your favorite music player? Not all music players need to be metro apps on windows 8.

Also I will agree that shutting down was quite a pain in windows 8 (You had to navigate so many menu's to do it) but this has been fixed in windows 8.1. Just simply right click on the start button and there it is. The start button also can now be set to bring you to the all apps page instead of the standard live tiles page also.


Anyways overall I say that once they work out a few more little things with windows 8.1 it will far outshine windows 7 in my opinion (If it hasn't already).
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Honestly, I don't get all the complaints with windows 8/8.1. I'm enjoying it. Would be nicer with a touchscreen, though.
Windows 8.1 does not let you disregard windows metro, the start button may have been added but it's merely a graphical button to open metro instead of moving your mouse to the corner, it does not bring back the old windows 7 start menu. The only thing you can do is avoid seeing it at boot, which is a step forward, but not enough.

User Interfaces like Windows Metro or Ubuntu Unity are just trying to have a bigger market influence without having separate UI's, it's great in theory, but I don't like either. Mouse-usage feels like it was a secondary concern to touch-usage.
I admit that for a phone or tablet it may not be bad but I'm talking about just for a general pc without touchscreen... Which seems quite relevant since 8 is being packed on all new pc's regardless of there hardware
closed account (9wqjE3v7)
I don't really see the fuss either, I have windows 8.1, and I too enjoy it. If people are not fond of the metro interface, then use the desktop, and avoid metro apps. I don't see the need of disregarding the metro interface since switching is merely a push of a button. The only thing that annoys me is that a lot of the developer APIs for win8 revolve around the metro interface.

Mouse-usage feels like it was a secondary concern to touch-usage.


Agreed.
I'll start by saying that I am using Windows 8, not 8.1 :(

I personally enjoy metro *hides behind upturned table*. I regularly use the weather, news and email apps and it is so much simpler than opening chrome (two questions, one answer) navigating to *insert news/ weather/ email outlet/ client* and finding this city (weather), or logging into my email account.

I'm also quite glad that they kept the snap feature (and the shaky thing too) and the improved taskbar for multiple monitors is a God send.

Of course, there were a few nagging issues after installing it (hybrid sleep mode for example), but those are in the past.

the start button may have been added but it's merely a graphical button to open metro instead of moving your mouse to the corner

*presses "Windows" key* :p

it does not bring back the old windows 7 start menu

My only "beef" is the organization, or lack thereof, of the start screen. I've been using Windows 8 [regularly] for about a month and a half (and have installed quite a bunch of garbage), and I am sort of used to it, but then I boot up Windows 7 for an hour or two of nostalgia and I'm back to being disappointed with the organization of the start screen.

I have decided to move the programs that I use frequently to the "front" (if you will), and anything else that I may need can be found from searching.

Anywho, that is just my opinion which stems from my personal experience, which may vary :D
closed account (3qX21hU5)
Just a quick heads up Danny you can upgrade to 8.1 for free if you wish to.
Free? Really? Thanks Zereo, I am going to look into that right now.
it's in the store app.
Ever so slightly getting derailed now but I'm feeling that most people are comfortable with windows 8, which was not the answer I was looking for XD.

Anyways thanks for your help guys (I'm sure Danny will appreciates it too XD)
I used to use Windows 7, and it was great: it did what I wanted it to, automatic stuff (updates, or whatever else) could be turned off (for real), and it didn't have any (noticable) bugs.

I got a new laptop with windows 8, and I absolutely hate windows 8. There is some sort of automatic "maintainence" (im pretty sure it isn't maintainence...) that you can't even turn off (can't even remove the task in the task schedualer), you have to turn off all these automatic updating things ("apps", windows update, etc...), and on top of it, I am pretty sure they didn't optimize it (9 svchost.exe at one time??? really windows?? and no: it's not a virus...). You have to set it to not "quick" startup (which I'm pretty sure is just an optimized hibernation), and it's impossible to get to the bios without going through the hardware (if you have a virus, why the hell would you want to boot the OS up?!?!).

My Conclusion: Windows 8 is a bunch of garbage glued together to look good on the surface... you don't want to touch it though...

Overall: If you want a computer and you don't care about how it runs, windows 8 is great. If you want a computer that does what the fk you want it to, and only when you want it to: windows 8 is not for you, don't even think about it.

I still miss windows 7... :'(

Also, I have heard some bad news about 8.1 from a friend... just check the web before you do it.
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I have Windows 8 at work and Windows 7 at home. Windows 8 feels more like a smartphone interface... which might be OK if you have a touchscreen... but since I don't... it's extremely awkward and I don't like it.

Also some of the apps on Win8 are clunky even if you would have a touch screen. Like the PDF reader automatically goes full screen and there's no way I can see to run it windowed... and there's no menu, so how to get out of it and get back to your desktop is not at all obvious (I had to click on the top and drag to the lower-left corner of the screen -- but there's zero visible indication that that's what you actually have to do).

Overall I'd say I like the interface for Win7 better.
Oh yeah here's another addition, my aunt's got a new Win8 laptop and my uncle spotted that it's constantly running some sort of update checker (that does nothing), he said that it was apparently downloading gigs and gigs of nothingness... Not even doing anything, just hogging the bandwidth forever.

Also he said that as soon as the laptop was booted up EVERY device (non Win8 machines, and all mobile devices) would be kicked off the broadband (literally 0 bandwidth allocation).

So I suppose coming from my uncle, that's another win for Win7?

Is Win7 back in the lead now? XD
I sincerely hope that guy who thought of this poorly executed idea (for windows 8) was fired...
closed account (yADwAqkS)
Well Windows 8 doesn't work well with non-touch screens, at least for me.
Win7: 4/5 Win8: 3/5 <- This one is a little tough.
I love WinAPI, although most people will tell you to use some cross-platform library but I don't use them.
5/5
I like the visuals of the desktop/folders better on Windows 8.
Win7: 2.5 Win8: 3.5
For the last two, Windows 8.
Win7: 3.5/5 Win8: 4/5

And for Firefox or Chrome. definitely Firefox. Also, I have to add, I am glad to see that IE isn't even on the list, hehe.

Also, Windows 8.1 is what Windows 8 should have been.
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I sincerely hope that guy who thought of this poorly executed idea (for windows 8) was fired...

He announced his retirement awhile ago :)
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