Don't give in to Microsoft. There are alternatives

hansi

Enterprise_1701C wrote: »

We had a warning on our computer that they are going to stop support of XP. What really annoyed me was that they were going to stop updates to the Security Essentials we had alongside it.

What did we do? Changed antivirus and we will ignore the suggestions that we should go out and buy another copy of Windows (which the computer could not run) or upgrade the computer.

All we need is an OS that works. It is not magically going to stop working just because they are not supporting it, it just won't get any updates. It does what we want it to do.

My thoughts exactly. From what I have heard of Windows 8, it's a nightmare, and anyway, none of my software will run on it, so I, too amd sticking with XP.

adouglasmhor

cookie365 wrote: »

Linux is only free if your time and patience has no value

As for Apple stuff 'just working' - only if you want it to do a very limited set of things that Apple deems appropriate. Anything beyond that and it 'just doesn't work'.

It used to be like that about 10 years ago. Never had any problem wiith any ubuntu branch in about 7 years with a wide range of kit. Before that I only had to cut and paste a command line to get my wifi card working to save pluging in a wifi dongle on my laptop. Haven't had to do that since Fiesty Faun,

Ultimate edition, mint, lubuntu, as long as you tick the right boxes on install and use a UK version they have all worked hassle free.

I always get the impression some people have tried something like noppix or arch or crux and think every distro is like that.

prowla

Right now I'm on a Mac, with an Excel spreadsheet (held on a TrueCrypt drive) open in Microsoft Office Mac. I'm viewing this web page in Firefox and also have the Mac's mail app open.

I've got a Ubuntu VM running in a window (which I use to connect to some systems I work on over an encrypted VPN); the VM's disk is encrypted.

I've also got Windows 8.1 running in a VM in another window (which I'm running Outlook to an Exchange server, and Lync for chat); the VM's disk is encrypted.

I may need to run up another Linux VM to work on some other systems during the day, and possibly connect to a remote Citrix Windows 7 desktop.

It all seems to hang together.

(But Windows 8 is the most difficult to use, even to the point where the highlighting of selected items is very faint, so it's not so easy to see what you are doing.)

Tropez

hansi wrote: »

My thoughts exactly. From what I have heard of Windows 8, it's a nightmare, and anyway, none of my software will run on it, so I, too amd sticking with XP.

I bought a new laptop last year pre-installed with Windows 8. Didn't like the Metro (or as it is now called Modern) UI so took a few minutes to download some third party apps to get rid of it. The app I downloaded removed the charm bar, booted straight into the desktop, job done. It is rare that any Windows 8 features even appear on my laptop.

What I did notice very quickly was that my laptop, with inferior specs to my desktop PC running Windows 7, was booting much quicker than it. In fact, everything about Windows 8 was faster than Windows 7. So I took a deal where I could upgrade from 7 to 8 on the desktop for £30. Money well spent.

Yes, there are perfectly viable alternatives to Windows. However, a lot of the applications that I use (and more importantly my employer uses) have limited or non existent support with non-Windows operating systems so simply for ease of use/quality of life it makes sense to use Windows.

I've used every Windows OS from 3.1 to 8, with the exception of ME, and since XP they're all about the same in terms of stability. Even Vista wasn't *that* bad but it loses some points for introducing paranoid security measures and some compatibility issues. I was perfectly happy with XP but ditched it years ago in favour of 7 (used Vista on a cheap laptop, didn't give me the urge to swich) when I built a new PC.

The speed improvements in 8 make it a better choice for me than 7 but quite honestly if those improvements aren't important to you and you don't like the Modern UI and don't wish to get third party apps to get rid of it (which I will say is understandable on both counts) then 7 is a perfectly viable choice right now if you wish to stick with Windows and require an upgrade from XP in the future.

One other possible thing to note is that both 7 and 8 have better optimisation for multi-core systems and the way in which they handle boot processes which significantly reduces the start-up lag that XP became prone to after a while without a fresh install. It isn't a major thing but once again, for quality of life purposes I like it.

prowla

I think Windows 8 doesn't boot - it restores from standby.

(On the matter of putting 3rd party fixes onto the system, I've got ClassicShell, which is daft having to do. I looked at WindowBlinds to restore the eye-candy in Windows 8, but it's a commercial product and I didn't want to spend money putting back something which is there in Windows 7.)

RumRat

I think an XP sticky thread should be started. Then, all those who think its wise and clever to stick with the old OS will have somewhere to go when the wheels begin to fall off.

Tropez

prowla wrote: »

I think Windows 8 doesn't boot - it restores from standby.

(On the matter of putting 3rd party fixes onto the system, I've got ClassicShell, which is daft having to do. I looked at WindowBlinds to restore the eye-candy in Windows 8, but it's a commercial product and I didn't want to spend money putting back something which is there in Windows 7.)

Windows 8 uses a hybrid shutdown mode. It shuts down the user session then places the Windows kernel process in hibernation. It then shuts down the hardware as usual. When you boot the machine back up the hardware is brought online by the system's firmware, then it wakes up the hibernating Windows kernel and then loads the user session. This isn't quite the same as restoring from standby (which is basically what restoring from Sleep mode or Hibernation in XP, Vista and 7 does) but yes, it doesn't perform a true cold boot unless you specifically instruct it to do so, or if you use the Restart function but it does have to carry out booting processes.

It is important to note that this "Fast Boot" doesn't use any extra power when the system is off as the Windows kernel is stored on the hard drive. There is generally a small amount of power drawn from a PSU even in an "off" state in previous versions of Windows and this is the same for 8, but theoretically, it is a 0 watt consumption.

I don't even notice the glass effects are missing until someone brings it up so that isn't a major issue for me. I'm not adverse to eye-candy but at the same time it isn't a necessity given once I'm doing whatever it is I'm doing on a system then that's the focus of my attention. I also find too much eye-candy a little distracting at times.

davetrousers

To paraphrase some posts on here:

I don't have the inclination to learn how to use a new OS such as Linux.......Once I learnt how to use Windows 8 I was happy with it.

adouglasmhor

davetrousers wrote: »

To paraphrase some posts on here:

I don't have the inclination to learn how to use a new OS such as Linux.......Once I learnt how to use Windows 8 I was happy with it.

But this is a thread for alternatives to microsoft, and you did have to learn a new OS, W8 as you point out in your post.

KxMx

prowla wrote: »

Couldn't be happier ... had to strip out some stuff ... add many things back ... have annoyances.

Now call me pedantic, but I reckon that means you could be happier with it.

I customised XP in a similar fashion when I first got it.

No computer OS is perfect nor have I ever used a PC where I have not fiddled with things before being happy with the settings.

Very happy with Win 8 there that better for you?

My mother in her mid 50's had just a few lessons on Windows 8 before the new PC was installed.

Her words after a few days use?

"It's wonderful and much superior to our old XP machine"

You are never going to be happy with Win 8 and will always find things to nit pick about it, scaring other people off what is a perfectly useable OS.

Don't bother replying because I won't see it. Can't debate with someone who has such a fixed viewpoint.

I have better things to do with my time.