Installed preview version of Windows 8.1.... it's like windows 7 except that you can make your pc look like a mobile phone if you want (who the frak wants that). Am I missing something? Is there a performance difference?

I'm on the verge of scrapping windows 8.1. Liked it initially. But it's too cumbersome.

I'd stick with the safe side and use Win 7, upgrading to a new OS can cause some issues in games

There is a big performance difference and the multi window screen is very useful. And if you have touch screen laptop it's even better.

And there should be no gaming problems as Wins 8 is built upon Win 7

http://www.theverge.com/2013/6/26/4465888/windows-8-1-preview-video

7 by a mile
(take it from someone who is stuck with 8 and can absolutely do nothing about it)

^ Whats wrong with Win 8? it's not slower, it's basically Win 7 with metro on top of it which you never have to use if you don't want to....

Personally i find the multi window very useful, i have skype/twitter stream open on one side of window and desktop on another

there are driver issues with some of my hardware on windows 8.  Stuff installs, but doesn't seem to run very well...  i don't use metro at all either.

Big annoyance to me is that windows 8 is trying to be like the apple os...  it forces things on you all the time.  I'd rather have choices.

Tbf, even Windows, like XP, Vista, or Win 7, "forces" the user to use IE, Windows Media Player, Paint, and many other applications by making them the default programs that come with the OS.

If that's the kind of "force" you are talking about, then Android phones are even worse.

It's more than that... Windows 8 does everything automatically in terms of choosing drivers, default stuff, etc. It's extremely tedious to change it and, fairly often, you just can't. For example, i know i have the better drive for my bluetooth hardware but Windows 8 won't let me install it saying that "the best driver is already installed". Very annoying.

Win 7... you just have to work through the initial installation and all the updates. After that, it's clear sailing.

Windows 7 i amazing

You know what though... windows 8.1 runs much, much faster than windows 7. The difference is very significant.

Dutti wrote:Tbf, even Windows, like XP, Vista, or Win 7, "forces" the user to use IE, Windows Media Player, Paint, and many other applications by making them the default programs that come with the OS.

If that's the kind of "force" you are talking about, then Android phones are even worse.

Don't know where you have been but windows no longer does that.... they were fined heavily for that many many years ago (over 10 years ago)... and of course by default they are gonna put their own software, who in their right mind with put others software on their os when selling..... no is forcing you to use any of their software, you can go online and download another one and make that default...

and same for android, all you need to do is go to play store and download another browser, camera, gallery etc...

If you have the ability to install another is you are lucky
I'm stuck the a Samsung laptop that might break down if I decided to switch to say something like Ubuntu

I've windows 8. Its not too bad once you get used to it

When Vista came out people hated it and blamed MS for the wrong reasons. MS rerelease it as Windows 7 and suddenly people don't want to part from it...

Windows 8 is a huge improvement imo. performance is a lot better..
If you want to retain the classic taskbar + start menu on the desktop screen make sure you get Start8.

I have been using it in my new laptop for a couple of months and it does everything windows 7 does but faster.

sportsczy wrote:It's more than that...  Windows 8 does everything automatically in terms of choosing drivers, default stuff, etc.  It's extremely tedious to change it and, fairly often, you just can't.  For example, i know i have the better drive for my bluetooth hardware but Windows 8 won't let me install it saying that "the best driver is already installed".  Very annoying.

Win 7... you just have to work through the initial installation and all the updates.  After that, it's clear sailing.

If you want choices, I suggest Gentoo Linux. There you really have choices of everything

(In the office I'm also stuck with Windows -_-)

8.1 is actually decent and usable... unlike 8.

yeah... 8.1 is pretty good

Just upgraded to 8.1, now a few icons and stuff (iTunes) are not in the highest resolution, don't know why since its set at 1920x1080..

What gives?

Bump.

Which is better?

Just started using 8.1 and so far so good exept a couple problems with hardware.

Also much faster than windows 7.

i haven't tried win 8.1 but i hear that its good.

go and get em.

i am hearing that microsoft is already working on future generation OS... which will be subscription based OS.

So is Metro finally really optional? Because I hate it.