Over the long holiday weekend I built a new desktop computer and had a decision to make about what operating system to use. I had used Windows XP since its release in 2001 until a year or so ago when I installed Vista, which was given to me by a friend. I didn't want to install an ugly old OS on new hardware, so I was torn between Windows 7 and the spanking brand new Windows 8, which was released just a few weeks ago. I discovered that until the end of January
it can be had for US$40, so I decided to take the plunge.
After using it for a few days, I have decidedly mixed feelings. The installation went off without a hitch, but I found that there was already 500MB of updates to be downloaded and installed. Not too surprising, I guess, given Microsoft's typical rush-to-market tendencies. The OS is very quick and snappy, some of which must be attributed to my new hardware. There are definitely some pain-in-the-arse aspects though, not the least of which is that the OS is primarily intended for touch-screen use.
At startup the first thing you see is the "lock" screen--see the attachment. This is, as far as I can tell, completely useless. In order to proceed, you have click (or touch) on a little icon that takes you to the login screen, which is pretty much the same as in previous Windows versions. Once past the login, you find yourself on the "Start" screen, which is another pain. It's filled with "tiles," some of which are live and show continually updated information, most of which is linked to MS products such as Bing and MSN. There's a desktop that's mostly the same as in previous Windows versions with the notable exception of the absence of a Start button. If you spend most of your time working from the desktop you'll find yourself having to go back to the Start screen a lot, and to the "Apps" screen from there. There's a lot of jumping around unless you fill the desktop with shortcuts to frequently used programs.
I think that as time progresses we'll see updates that make things easier for people who use a mouse and keyboard rather than a touch screen. At least I hope that's the case. Expect to spend a lot of time learning how to get around and how things work in Windows 8.
If you decide to take advantage of the reduced price at the link above, an "Upgrade Adviser" will scan your system and let you know what might have to be updated before installation, and what might not work at all. In my case, I have a Konica-Minolta laser printer that's now defunct, and my Acronis True Image 2011 backup software also won't work. I knew this going in, however. The printer was nearing the end of its useful life anyway, and Acronis was offering a $20 upgrade to the 2013 version--the only one that will run under Windows 8--so that was mostly painless. I strongly advise you to visit the websites of your hardware manufacturers and look for Windows 8 drivers before you install the OS. The upgrade adviser might not catch everything.
I'd be interested in hearing from Covers who have installed Windows 8, or got it with a new PC. I think that over the next few months there will be a lot of unhappy neophytes who get new computers with the OS pre-installed and don't know which way to turn. For myself, I'm mostly OK with it, and now have the current Windows version for the first time since 2001
.
