The GF is thinking about getting a new laptop. Nearly all new laptops, and desktops, ship with Windows 8 now. I guess it's unavoidable, but I'm curious what any of you who might already have used, or be using the OS, think of it?

Any tips or tricks? Is it really worth getting a touchscreen machine to make full use of the OS, or is it actually not that essential?

format
install windows 7


or get a macbook

I hated it at first.  But once you get over the change, it's actually really good.
So good that I've  upgraded all my home PC's to 8, my server's on 2012 and I've bought an XPS10 tablet.

And that's without a touchscreen interface? I find it interesting how *marmite* the feedback is on it!

Get a touch screen laptop

There are plenty about.

My laptop lasted about 10 minutes, then promptly got windows 7

Quote from: XEntity on February 12, 2013, 20:08:50 PM
My laptop lasted about 10 minutes, then promptly got windows 7

This is why ive just got a nettop without os!

meh its basically windows 7 once you get used to going to the start screen, cant see what all the fuss is about

Unless you install software that's not windows 8 optimised, then you have to go and hunt for the program, I fail to see how they could pass this off as a non touchscreen OS, everything just seems to be much more faff to do, I want an OS that is initiative to use, all the people I know who use it use a 3rd party start menu to make it usable!

Quote from: XEntity on February 12, 2013, 21:40:00 PM
Unless you install software that's not windows 8 optimised, then you have to go and hunt for the program, I fail to see how they could pass this off as a non touchscreen OS, everything just seems to be much more faff to do, I want an OS that is initiative to use, all the people I know who use it use a 3rd party start menu to make it usable!

This, totally.

And it decided to completely disassociate ownership of my E: drive with all my data on, then corrupted the MBR and I had to repair it. Windows 7 went straight back on. 8 is a tablet oriented abomination and its far too much hassle trying to work your way around that fact. Totally getting skipped here and I'm waiting for Windaz 2015.

Literally the only thing worth keeping on it is the new ribbon file copier.

I had a look at a new lappy, windows 8, didn't buy it 

By a lappy and a new harddrive take the one with w8 out and keep as spare, I did the spare eneded up in my GFs lappy when her harddrive failed the installation complainded a bit about changed hardware but was no biggy (moved from acer to lenevo) so it now works as a legit windows installation

Quote from: soopahfly on February 12, 2013, 16:35:35 PM
I hated it at first.  But once you get over the change, it's actually really good.
So good that I've  upgraded all my home PC's to 8, my server's on 2012 and I've bought an XPS10 tablet.

This IMO. I think people's hatred is over the top - I moved to it as soon as it was released on MSDN and once I got used to it it was fine.

I switch between OSX and Win 8 on my MBP and don't have any problems with Win 8. When I first used it, it took a while to get used to but once you do it is quite good. Also, have some guys from work say that they get better performance in games now that they have switched from Win 7 to Win 8 but I've not run any tests myself.

I really like Windows 8, other than the start page(which I actually prefer now I'm used to it) it's just like Windows 7 to use anyway.