Is Win 8 on a laptop really that bad?

Whach

Whach

[H]ard|Gawd
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Dec 22, 2011
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I ask because I'm expecting my new laptop to arrive soon. I have an SSD ready to install, so was just thinking of slapping win 7 on it. Will try win 8, but just wanted to know some opinions in regards to this =) I have played around with it in some stores, but not enough time to form a definite opinion.

NOTE: Don't have a touch screen on the incoming laptop.
 
Well, I have no idea. But I am going to buy a new laptop for my daughter when she graduates High school.

It will have Win 8 on it when I get it. And Win 8 will be immediately formatted and Win 7 will be put on. :D
 
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Since this is about Win 8, you're probably in for some pretty opinionated people no matter what...but here's my take:
If you're using a mouse, it's pretty feasible. However with a touch-pad, the drag from the top to close metro apps is pretty annoying and feels "wrong."
 
Win 8 with a mouse is just fine and you'll get used to it pretty quick.
However, with the trackpad, for me, it does really funky things all the time like I made a "gesture" that has a secret function that I don't know about etc. etc. Closing apps is no problem but the gesture stuff... Hate it.

So, if you really have to use it as a laptop using the trackpad, I'd say you might experience some serious frustration. I know I have.
 
hmm. I guess i'll try windows 8 on the stock hdd for a couple of days & see how it goes. If not, ill slap win 7 on when I put the ssd in. I get the feeling that's what ill do anyway (already downloaded the win 7 drivers for the laptop). Win 8 definitely seems polarizing between users.
 
Whach said:
hmm. I guess i'll try windows 8 on the stock hdd for a couple of days & see how it goes. If not, ill slap win 7 on when I put the ssd in. I get the feeling that's what ill do anyway (already downloaded the win 7 drivers for the laptop). Win 8 definitely seems polarizing between users.
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Honestly I'd suggest giving it a shot. If the start menu bugs you, then go download Classic Shell Start Menu. I use it on my Win8 desktop and it gives you a "Windows 7" style start menu, and you can switch it to Win98 or WinXP styles too.
 
With a large multitouch pad is is actually nice. With a standard mouse it is not so awesome.
 
Windows 8 is basically the same OS as Win7, just with a full-screen start menu. Don't believe the naysayers, hvae it a go yourself. As much as I liked Win7, I like Win8 more.
 
elde said:
Windows 8 is basically the same OS as Win7, just with a full-screen start menu, Metro-ization of several built-in apps (full-screen... yay!) and the ribbon interface barfed all over the place.
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ftfy

;)

Windows running classic apps =
50WU1R4.jpg


Windows running Metro apps =
P7E5mZd.jpg
 
Just dumped Win 8 off my laptop today and went back to Win 7. Win 8 might work for some folks but it don't work for me.
 
After a couple of days trying to get used to win 8, I just went back to windows 7. While I can do all the same things as in windows 8, it just seems to finicky. I don't really want to have to tweak the OS to make it look like windows 7 - might as well just use win 7. The metro interface does look attractive, but I found it just too impractical for me =/
 
Why would you tweak it to look as win7, did you tweak XP to look as Win2k back in the day?
 
Whach said:
I ask because I'm expecting my new laptop to arrive soon. I have an SSD ready to install, so was just thinking of slapping win 7 on it. Will try win 8, but just wanted to know some opinions in regards to this =) I have played around with it in some stores, but not enough time to form a definite opinion.

NOTE: Don't have a touch screen on the incoming laptop.
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I've installed it as bootcamp on my mac and works flawlessly. Though I'm not so much a fan of the new "start" menu etc... but it does seem to be more responsive than Windows 7. I upgraded to Windows 8 on my PC as well. I rarely ever navigate into the new Windows start menu, unless I'm really bored.

The only suggestion I would make is to purchase (or find an alternative) Stardocks "Start8," which, after installed, boots Windows 8 directly into desktop mode and you'll also have the classic start menu. You'll still have access to the new Windows 8 features when moving the mouse to the corners of the display.

The only complaint(s) I have with Windows 8, is that Microsoft is forcing their consumers into the touchscreen market and not providing the consumer an option of which features they would like to have installed on a NON-touchscreen device. IMO, Microsoft should have provided us consumers the option to disable / enable the new features, instead of hard-coding it into the system.

Finding the old "desktop" will be a challenge for you. It's so simple to locate once located, but Microsoft done a fine job hiding it. Obviously to annoy the consumer.
 
MS didn't learn from Win ME.

MS didn't learn from Win Vista.

MS won't learn from Win 8 either.

Blue just might be the tipping point that sends Balmer and Co. into a downward spiral.
 
Deadjasper said:
MS didn't learn from Win ME.

MS didn't learn from Win Vista.

MS won't learn from Win 8 either.

Blue just might be the tipping point that sends Balmer and Co. into a downward spiral.
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Didn't XP follow ME and 7 follow Vista? That would seem to indicate that Microsoft is quite capable of learning.
 
MS desperately wants to abandon their power users, ditch legacy, and move forward with Metro and WinRT as the future of Windows.

Their market research probably tells them consumers are all moving towards tablets/phones and the pc is dead !!

I don't agree with this at all, but its clearly the current thinking in Redmond.
 
MrCrispy said:
MS desperately wants to abandon their power users, ditch legacy, and move forward with Metro and WinRT as the future of Windows.

Their market research probably tells them consumers are all moving towards tablets/phones and the pc is dead !!

I don't agree with this at all, but its clearly the current thinking in Redmond.
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I know there are those like Paul Thurrott that think that the desktop is going away but I just don't see how it's even remotely feasible for many years to come. And then there's always OS X and Linux. As long as the desktop metaphor is in widespread use there will be a Windows desktop. There's nothing in Microsoft's interest that would motivate them to just drop one of the greatest successes in the history business.

Everything in Windows 8 points to a hybrid OS, many of the changes in the Blue leak were clearly aimed desktops and even so multiple monitors.
 
Hard to say about people but businesses aren't about to abandon the desktop anytime soon. It may change form but it will still be a desktop. As for touch screen, ain't gonna happen.
 
Deadjasper said:
Hard to say about people but businesses aren't about to abandon the desktop anytime soon. It may change form but it will still be a desktop. As for touch screen, ain't gonna happen.
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Perhaps not in retail business, but in the ER, CCU, ICU touchscreen is a hit!
 
valis1 said:
Perhaps not in retail business, but in the ER, CCU, ICU touchscreen is a hit!
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One thing that has struck me about the debate over touch in Windows 8 is that many seem to think that a computer can be of productive value only when used with a mouse and keyboard.
 
KB and mouse are the status quo and a lot of people, especially older people, aren't willing to change.
 
Personally I have no issues with windows 8, Start8 really helps out a lot and if metro is not your thing then it will allow you to disable it. I also run it on a notebook as well and really do not have many issues but as others said a mouse makes a world of difference.
 
Deadjasper said:
KB and mouse are the status quo and a lot of people, especially older people, aren't willing to change.
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Really? So anybody that has not switched from the KB and mouse obviously is stupid and old and hates change?

Ignoring the fact that a tablet can barely run "most" of the software that exceeds simple editors/office applications?

Ignore that there is no way to type 80-120 WPM on a tablet.
Ignore the fact that pretty much everything about "intensive" tablet usage takes multiple pages out of the "How to avoid injuries at the office when your job results in sitting at a computer for 4-8 hours a day"

Just lump everybody who does not agree with your point of view as being stupid , old and hating change.

I see we have a back-up for heatlesssun in case all of his "productivity" tablet use renders him impossible to sit in front of a computer /tablet due to to RSI related injuries.
 
To the OP, if you're getting a laptop "optimized" with Windows 8 hopefully it will perform well/better.

My experience with putting it on "higher-end laptops" that were optimized for Windows 7 is that some process of Windows was always doing something that would put Memory/Disk/CPU @ 25-120% as reported by the Windows 8 Task manager. It was far more sluggish than acceptable for what I needed to do.

Best I can say is YMMV. Hopefully if you have an SSD you won't notice it.
 
With a newer laptop, Win 8 is usually better. You will notice it in the startup/shutdown/sleep times. They can be very zippy.

Beyond the start menu, nothing really that much to hate about Win 8.
 
Fort_Major said:
Really? So anybody that has not switched from the KB and mouse obviously is stupid and old and hates change?

Ignoring the fact that a tablet can barely run "most" of the software that exceeds simple editors/office applications?

Ignore that there is no way to type 80-120 WPM on a tablet.
Ignore the fact that pretty much everything about "intensive" tablet usage takes multiple pages out of the "How to avoid injuries at the office when your job results in sitting at a computer for 4-8 hours a day"

Just lump everybody who does not agree with your point of view as being stupid , old and hating change.

I see we have a back-up for heatlesssun in case all of his "productivity" tablet use renders him impossible to sit in front of a computer /tablet due to to RSI related injuries.
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I would call you a fucking idiot but I'd prob ably get banned if I did.

Oh, and BTW, did you know you're a fucking idiot?

Learn to respect the opinion of other or learn to STFU.
 
Deadjasper said:
I would call you a fucking idiot but I'd prob ably get banned if I did.

Oh, and BTW, did you know you're a fucking idiot?

Learn to respect the opinion of other or learn to STFU.
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Respect is earned not given. Childish statements such as this is quite unbecoming behavior.
 
Fort_Major said:
To the OP, if you're getting a laptop "optimized" with Windows 8 hopefully it will perform well/better.

My experience with putting it on "higher-end laptops" that were optimized for Windows 7 is that some process of Windows was always doing something that would put Memory/Disk/CPU @ 25-120% as reported by the Windows 8 Task manager. It was far more sluggish than acceptable for what I needed to do.

Best I can say is YMMV. Hopefully if you have an SSD you won't notice it.
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No sure what was going on with you, but I've installed Windows 8 on a number of laptops and never saw anything like this,. The best one is this 2 year old x220t convertible tablet which is still reasonably fast for a laptop with it's core i7-2620M and it flies. When I added a 512GB SSD it become a rocket. Lenovo does have some solid support for older device for Windows 8, lots of Windows 8 drivers for everything so that helped now doubt.
 
heatlesssun said:
No sure what was going on with you, but I've installed Windows 8 on a number of laptops and never saw anything like this,. The best one is this 2 year old x220t convertible tablet which is still reasonably fast for a laptop with it's core i7-2620M and it flies. When I added a 512GB SSD it become a rocket. Lenovo does have some solid support for older device for Windows 8, lots of Windows 8 drivers for everything so that helped now doubt.
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My latest testbed was a Lenovo. The performance on it was okay but at times got mildly sluggish.,It was mostly tolerable but there were times when I could definitely notice the difference.

My biggest gripe and why i went back to a stock Windows 7 was that no matter what I did or did not do Windows was always doing something; which we all know Windows does.

However, whatever it always did was something that would show up as Windows being bottlenecked per the task manager reporting that 25-100% memory/disk/etc usage. I don't know if that was Windows being stupid and failing to do math based upon incorrect base values.

Regardless of what/why it was always reporting/doing that just easier to go back to something that I knew worked fine and was zippy and not constantly nagging me by telling me my computer is slow (which it's not; except for the hard drive; but there's no reason why Windows should be stressing it when doing nothing).
 
Fort_Major said:
My latest testbed was a Lenovo. The performance on it was okay but at times got mildly sluggish.,It was mostly tolerable but there were times when I could definitely notice the difference.

My biggest gripe and why i went back to a stock Windows 7 was that no matter what I did or did not do Windows was always doing something; which we all know Windows does.

However, whatever it always did was something that would show up as Windows being bottlenecked per the task manager reporting that 25-100% memory/disk/etc usage. I don't know if that was Windows being stupid and failing to do math based upon incorrect base values.

Regardless of what/why it was always reporting/doing that just easier to go back to something that I knew worked fine and was zippy and not constantly nagging me by telling me my computer is slow (which it's not; except for the hard drive; but there's no reason why Windows should be stressing it when doing nothing).
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If that's you're experience then that's you're experience. What model of Lenovo was it? Like I said earlier, there were a ton of Windows 8 specific drivers and updates for my x220t which was nice to see for a machine that was almost 18 months old when 8 went general release. I think Lenovo did one of the best jobs if not the best among OEMs in supporting older machines with Windows 8.

Really loving 8 on this device, being a convertible tablet 8 is a better fit than 7 for this kind of device.
 
For the OP it really depends, I have been working with 8 from the first beta on in a VM on my work computer. I have gotten more used to it and found a lot of small features in it that are nice like in Explorer but I still do not like the Windows Start page.

I just reinstalled my Desktop OS with Windows 8 this weekend, so far it has been fine. The biggest thing that helps with it is time working with it, the more time I use it the easier to deal with I still do not like the Windows Start but I am in Desktop Support at a University so I have to learn it as my customers are starting to use it.

After you get things going IMO you don't have to open the Windows Start often after Windows is started.
 
I don't see the point in removing Win 8 from a new laptop. I don't like the Metro interface either, so for the Family's computer I installed (free) ClassicShell. Now it has a Win8-style start button, and boots directly into the Desktop and I never see the metro screen at all. The quick start and power improvements should benefit laptops, probably better than Win 7. I'd at least give it a try before switching to Win 7. About the only thing missing is Aero Glass (which I like).
 
yossarian said:
I don't see the point in removing Win 8 from a new laptop. I don't like the Metro interface either, so for the Family's computer I installed (free) ClassicShell. Now it has a Win8-style start button, and boots directly into the Desktop and I never see the metro screen at all. The quick start and power improvements should benefit laptops, probably better than Win 7. I'd at least give it a try before switching to Win 7. About the only thing missing is Aero Glass (which I like).
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http://winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.95
 
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