Windows 7 or 8?

[DonnyBoy36]

I am trying to summon up the courage to build my first desktop primarily for gaming, video encoding & web browsing. As well as all the decisions as to what to put in the case, I now have the additional decision as whether to go for the the new 8, which is probably bug-ridden, or stay with the trusty? but soon to be outdated 7.
I don't have a smartphone or tablet, & unlikely to get either in the near future. Although I appreciate that there will be some other goodies in 8 for a mere nerd like me, I would like to be convinced that 8 is the right way to go. What do other guys think?

[Willzzz]

Well I'm going to get 8 when I build my next PC.

I'm not going to buy an older version just because I'm scared of change.

Maybe there will be a few bugs, but I bet they get fixed pretty quick.

[PowerPie5000]

I don't think Windows 7 will become outdated anytime soon as even XP and Vista still receive updates. I personally won't be buying Windows 8 for a while as i want to see how it turns out (it could end up being another Me or Vista that gets replaced very quickly!). No doubt it will have more compatibility issues with older games too.

[ste852]

personally I'd go with 7 until 8 has been out for about a year, that way you will have less chances of getting bugs, but that's just my opinion

[scaryjim]

Win 8 has been through an extensive public beta test through 3 revisions (developer preview, consumer preview, and enterprise trial) so I don't think you're going to see many bugs. On the other hand, unless you're going with a touch-screen/portable device, I don't think you'll see much in Win 8 that you like. The vast majority of your time will be spent on the desktop, it'll just take you longer to get there and be less intuitive once you are. I can see where MS were going with Win 8 but I really don't think they got it right for desktop users.

Personally, right now and for the foreseeable, I'll still be using Win 7 for any computers I build, simply because I don't need any of the additional features that Win 8 brings. Unless the RTM comes out with some spectacular new desktop mode I just don't see any advantage (a bit like the transition from 2000 to XP, really).

[dangel]

I've been using it full time at work since the developer preview and I can't say I have had any major issues with it. To me it's just a quicker version of 7 with some nice new features. I can't see the point in using the older OS unless you really can't cope with a full screen start menu (for a new licence).

[DDY]

Unless the RTM comes out with some spectacular new desktop mode...

I've had Win 8 RTM off MSDNAA for a few weeks and I have to say it has virtually nothing new over the consumer preview.

A brief description of my experience with Win 8; it's like Win 7 with the Metro interface and without the start menu, and I don't like it. Metro is a hindrance for what I mainly use the computer for, that is, gaming, office work and web browsing. My attitude to Win 8 applies to desktop, laptop and even multi-touch tablet platforms, without the start menu I now prefer using the task bar alone since it doesn't involve interrupting my work flow by bringing up the Metro screen to manage apps.

In summary, I don’t think Win 8 brings anything new to the table, go for Win 7 because it's not worth waiting for Win 8.

[technodean]

agreed with the above, wait and see how it pans out, lucky years ago when vista first came out I was going to upgrade, went to my local computer shop advised me that it sucked. lol.

[AlexGTR]

From what i've seen of Windows 8 so far, i would stick with 7, especially for gaming. At least until 8 has been out for a year or so.

[aidanjt]

I'm not going to buy an older version just because I'm scared of change.

'fear of change' should be the least of your worries with Windows 8. The nature of that change being a trainwreck for desktop usability and productivity should be more primary.

[Willzzz]

Oh productivity will take a dip initially, but once you've got used to the new interface I can't see things being any slower.

I'm not spending extra money buying Win7 and then buying Win8 a year later.

[aidanjt]

Oh productivity will take a dip initially, but once you've got used to the new interface I can't see things being any slower.

Productivity will still be lower because Win8 is a tablet OS pretending to be desktop OS, and thusly does the latter poorly in a very distracting manner.

I'm not spending extra money buying Win7 and then buying Win8 a year later.

Then simply don't buy Windows 8. You're not gaining anything notable with it, but you're losing out on a desktop OS.

[dangel]

Aidan, whilst you're perfectly entitled to your opinion, I can't say I agree at all based on experience here in the office where most of the developers are now using it and i've not seen any 'drop' in productivity based on the metrics I can pull out of TFS (or indeed feedback from daily meetings). The 'desktop' part is great (and a darn sight quicker) - metro has it's issues but we're all ignoring it without any real ill effect. I think we'd all struggle to go back having moved on now in all honesty..

[Willzzz]

Then simply don't buy Windows 8. You're not gaining anything notable with it, but you're losing out on a desktop OS.

An OS is an essential part of a PC, I'd prefer Windows so would have to buy one or the other.

[scaryjim]

I believe the point was buy Windows 7 now, *don't* buy Windows 8 later - i.e. stay on Windows 7.

While I haven't used it on a daily basis, I have to say I've yet to see anything to make me think Windows 8 is in any way an improvement on 7. I do wonder how much of dangel's experience is down to the fact that the sample is somewhat biased (i.e. all developers) - I have seen a lot of developers who don't actually use the desktop at all even in Win 7 - they use an array of keyboard shortcuts that do everything they want quicker, and assuming they're all maintained I can see how that particular group wouldn't see any real change in Win 8. At the other end of the scale I know people who *only* navigate by mouse, and I don't think Win 8 will suit them due to the nature of things like smart corners - which (certainly on the consumer preview) were *not* that easy to activate with a mouse.

As I've said before, elsewhere, it looks to me like change for change's sake, and I don't think that's ever a good thing. Only time and sales figures will tell whether Win 8 sinks or swims, but whilst I've got access to Win 7, I can't see me swapping for daily use.

[dangel]

I believe the point was buy Windows 7 now, *don't* buy Windows 8 later - i.e. stay on Windows 7.

No, I think the OP said he was thinking of doing a build i.e. not yet

While I haven't used it on a daily basis, I have to say I've yet to see anything to make me think Windows 8 is in any way an improvement on 7. I do wonder how much of dangel's experience is down to the fact that the sample is somewhat biased (i.e. all developers) - I have seen a lot of developers who don't actually use the desktop at all even in Win 7 - they use an array of keyboard shortcuts that do everything they want quicker, and assuming they're all maintained I can see how that particular group wouldn't see any real change in Win 8. At the other end of the scale I know people who *only* navigate by mouse, and I don't think Win 8 will suit them due to the nature of things like smart corners - which (certainly on the consumer preview) were *not* that easy to activate with a mouse.

Paradoxically it's the 'power' user that's supposed to be worse off according to some (in fact there's a raft of new keyboard shortcuts in 8) - we're also big multi monitor users (8 is better at that too). That said, you'd be surprised, everyone's different and not all developers (oddly imho) are keyboard junkies so it's not one size fits all by any means. That said, I really do agree on the mouse activation thing - the loss of the start button is (absolutely) daft (even with the win key in front of you) but adding one back took 30 seconds. I don't mind the charms bar (it's easier) but I don't like the task switching in the top left or how you close metro apps (but then, i'm not really using them). But, that's OT because it's not part of the desktop proper which is where we're all spending 99% of our day - the other 1% is start->launch something (and only when it's not pinned on the taskbar like it was in 7). Aidan is being hyperbolic (as per usual) when he claims we're losing out on a desktop OS (heh, he's on linux anyway) and that's really where I differ rather than in that Metro isn't really finished (it isn't) or not as usable as it could be with a mouse (it isn't). Perhaps I don't get why i'd write off a whole OS based on a part of it I don't really use much - especially given the rest of it is really rather good (better in fact - gasp). Based on that i'd struggle to justify buying a 7 licence in a month's time versus an 8 one - i've never claimed someone with Windows 7 already must go 8 because that's quite a different proposition.

So, scaryjim, I quite agree with you in the main