Windows 8

[Slyboogy]

I'm not a fan off the tiles or the apps.

 

[Greenlantern101]

Start button is coming back
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22714048

 

[Olivier]

I only have a word for that: "YAY!"

 

[sushifiesta]

I don't see what the big deal is, hitting the Start key on the keyboard is a lot quicker and if you insist on using the mouse you could just click in the bottom left corner to open the start screen anyway. It looks like it's won Microsoft some brownie points though so I guess it's done the job.

It's always the same pattern with Microsoft, they release a new operating system with a new design (Vista, 8) and everyone hates it but love the almost identical but slightly improved version that follows (7, 9?). I feel a bit sorry for them really.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I've found my way round windows 8 now anyway so it makes little difference to me.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

I'm a little confused about the windows numbering system.

The 1st version I used was 3.1 way back in the mid nineties.
Version 4 was win 95
Little bit of confusion as after then there was windows 2000, windows NT and windows XP, are all 3 of them the 5th version of windows?
Version 6 was vista.
Finally 7 & 8 are self explanatory.

What was going on in the middle and shouldn't win 8 now be win 10?

 

[sushifiesta]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_version_numbers#Product_progression

Clear as mud. I think basically version numbers increase by 0.1 with each version of Windows apart from the occasions where there are big overhauls to what's happening beneath the skin, when the version number increases properly. So Windows 95 to Windows NT 4.0 are all iterations of Windows 4.0, Windows 2000 to Windows XP are version 5.0 and above, and Windows Vista to Windows 8 are version 6.0 and above. To find the version number for what you're running try typing "ver" in a command prompt.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Windows 7 was simply vista with aero removed so shouldn't really be counted as a separate version.

 

[sushifiesta]

Windows 7 also uses Aero. Transparent windows are gone in Windows 8 but some Aero features remain in that as well.

 

[Bill Boddy]

I feel a bit sorry for them really.

If they ever provided an operating system which was fully as per promised spec and on time I might consider it. The norm is for them to push out a part completed system six months late.

F1Yorkshire, you were lucky, Windows 1 didn't even clean up the temp files it used. You soon got used to removing those from the previous session as soon as you started it up. No-one ever shut it down, you just waited (not very long) for it to fall over.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

Sorry this is even more confusing now, So windows 7 & 8 are actually windows 6.1 & 6.2? Why call them 7 & 8, why not some other name like Windows Bob

 

[sushifiesta]

I think those version numbers are more to do with the internals of the operating system, so Windows 2000 to XP share most of the same fundamentals before a major change in Windows Vista.

P.S. And Apple have been using the OS X name since 1999!

 

[Olivier]

Apple has also fun names that go along with the version of OSX (Leopard for instance). I think MS also gives name during development and then they drop it when they release it (Windows 8.1 is "Blue")

 

[Incubus]

Right. First proper look at this thread. Better read through all the comments from start as it's just become relevant to me. Just got me a new old PC coming with Windows 8. Should I expect anything in the way of headaches?

 

[Olivier]

My advise is don't get too cozy with the user interface since Windows 8.1 is being released in a couple of weeks and it is supposed to be a major upgrade.

 

[Incubus]

OK thanks, but then it sort of makes whatever I was gonna post on here a bit redundant then.

 

[Bill Boddy]

Is Windows 8 still stuck with 1 desktop?

 

[Incubus]

Actually I do have a question (maybe sushifiesta might be help me with that?): how do you remove Windows Defender (in order to instal my own anti-virus package) since it appears on Windows 8 to be an integral part of the system?

 

[sushifiesta]

Are you sure you want to? Windows Defender protects you and is completely transparent, with updates coming with Windows Update etc. I think you can disable it (not remove it) but not in a particularly clean way. I moved to Microsoft Security Essentials (which has morphed in to Windows Defender in Windows 8) from AVG on Windows 7 as well and never looked back. I've never had issues with viruses or malware since Windows XP, to my knowledge anyway. I'd recommend sticking with it personally.

If you're really set on installing something else I'd make absolutely sure that you have the latest version and that it explicitly supports Windows 8. Also, note that some antivirus software out there has actually proven worse than the built in Windows 8 software, so make sure it's a good one! If it supports Windows 8 you'd hope that the software would be designed to either live with or disable Windows Defender. Or at least there should be instructions about what to do...

 

[Incubus]

OK thanks. I was basically just thinking of installing AVG 2013.
I guess it might not be strictly necessary on a home PC I originally intended for purely private use but I've been getting some ideas lately, along the lines of a (to begin with) home-based start-up. Basically using the experience I gained in my former line of work to start my own summary-writing business. I'm no IT expert but when it comes to an activity that involves scouring all forms of english as well as foreign-language media the likelihood of coming across any old random malware increases so when the funds aren't there yet a good free anti-virus software takes on a more crucial importance.
AVG 2013 has pretty good reviews?....