Windows 7 is pretty ace, Windows 8 is the devil.

I have the misfortune of being given a laptop with it from Steels Crown Production's. I'm pretty tech savvy (I'm a computer programmer by trade) but if I had any hair then this OS would have me tearing my hair out.

A top two bugbears:
- the Start menu is now a massive canvas of disorganised icons. A mess. Finding anything has to be done via the search option.
- When gaming nothing excites me more than it switching screens to Skype because I've clicked in a screen corner (where incidentally most apps put there most important icons). Don't get me wrong, I love Skyping GR00V3R but preferably at a time and place of my choosing and ideally clothed.

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Tom Webb
Author Page: http://www.newtonwebb.com
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I'd suggest Windows 7 would be your best bet. It's a bit more evolved and prettier looking OS than XP but basically very, very similar. It's my preferred OS, though I've still yet to really try linux.

I've heard from many sources that Windows 8 does things a fair bit differently and gets criticised as being a poorly designed and jumbled miss-mash of desktop and touchscreen metro interfaces. Only go Windows 8 if you have a touchscreen (like on a smart phone), which older computers don't.

And I am sure that he feels the same!

When I moved here last Summer, I got a new PC as part of the setup... and I specifically requested Win7, which caused all sorts of problems as all new PCs came with 8, but I would not be swayed.... I have never regretted that decision.

I have no aversion to Windows as an OS, and I have Win8 on my phone, but it was designed for a touch screen and not a desktop. This, I think was a real mistake.

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https://www.cybershadow.ninja - A brief look into my twisted world, including wargames and beyond.
https://www.net-armageddon.org - The official NetEA (Epic Armageddon) site and resource.

Unlikely! I'm a big, bald, beautiful Adonis with flawless teeth and suits sharp enough to split an atom.

(For obviously reasons I don't make a habit of splitting atoms).

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Tom Webb
Author Page: http://www.newtonwebb.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/thewebb
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For those suffering from Windows 8 annoyance can I recommend you go take a look at a nice piece of freeware called classic shell - http://www.classicshell.net/.

Pretty much allows you to have a windows 7/xp interface on your windows 8 machine.

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@MephistonAG for all sorts of twitter madness

Thanks again for the interesting and informative intel Boyz ! The Tac Cmd crew is always a helpful lot ...

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Legion 4 "Cry Havoc, and let slip the Dogs of War !" ... "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

Hi!

I saw this, looked very interesting.

Primarch

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Primarch


The Primarchload
Magnetized Titans Tutorial
Net Epic Gold
Heresy Rules

Well after a lot of time and $$$, MSN was wrong … my Gateway Lap Top with XP is not compatible with 8.1. After I was told it by the MSN tech it was ?!?!? So it's going back for a refund, as I discussed with MSN last night. And in another show of capitalism at it's finest … I had to pay Gateway $149 USD for 5 support calls for one year before I could get anyone there to tell me what MSN didn't know … 8.1 is NOT compatible with my Gateway Lap Top. The MSN tech told me to call Gateway then call back. And after hours of this between the two. MSN ran a virus/malware check to see why the 8.1 wouldn't load on my Gateway, before he suggested to call Gateway … Which cost another $99 USD … I started at 11:00 hrs yesterday and didn't complete this exercise in futility until about 21:30 hrs. that night I know I'm an old fart but seems to me these tech companies have us or at least me by the $%$^(* !! Since my $99 USD visit from yesterday was good for 30 days. I called today about another problem about e-mail. It appears I can only send a picture with an email by attaching it. Not sending it directly in the body of the email … MSN email didn't support sending pictures direct anymore ? So I showed them the work around I came up with by sending the email with pics after it goes to my Outbox. Then giving me an error message. So I forward if from my Outbox to who I want to send it too. It took 3 techs, and another cleaning to check for malware etc. For the last tech to tell me what I have been doing by the FWD technique or as she said send it as an attachment not a photo share … And another 3 hour day with MSN. I'm going to have to come up with things bother my Gateway about my Lap Top problems … I have 4 calls left before next year … They both should buy me dinner before they me next time

You are cheaper than me. I demand biscuits with my tea.

_________________
Tom Webb
Author Page: http://www.newtonwebb.com
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Wow, you really got ripped off! I would never ever pay for computer technical support. Sorry to hear of your bad experience.

If I'm having trouble with something computer related I normally google research it and look at the experiences and solutions of others with similar problems, I've self fixed plenty of computer glitches this way. With your laptop I'd have googled the model number (normally on a sticker on the bottom) and Windows 8.1 to see if it worked or others had run into problems. Sorry to only suggest this afterwards, but you can save money trying to fix it yourself. Or if you get stuck stick up a post describing it in one of many computer help forums and get free help from others.

for that money you could have bought win 8 and hired someone to install it (if it was compatible), ouch, sorry to hear about that l4!

Google. Googling 'can my laptop run windows 8' takes you to the free 'Can my PC run Windows 8.1?' update advice on the windows/MS website.

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AFK with real life, still checking PMs

Indeed! It sounds as though you "relied on their expertise", so should have a case in law - if you go down that path.

I echo the sympathies and thoughts above. The self help route is potentially viable, even to those with limited IT expertise, but could take a while depending on circumstances. You have to consider the cost (and frustrations) involved in your doing this compared with the cost of getting in an "expert".

Let us know how you get on.