Will you switch to Windows 8?

[mulletback]

I only jumped to Win7 this year (from XP), planning to skip win8.

[imilne]

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windo...ture-packs

For a limited time you can get the Media Center addon for free. Or a code for it anyway.

Not that I actually have any intention of running Windows 8, never mind Media Center, but hey, it's free...

Iain

[pcostanza]

Maybe it's because I've tested MC for Microsoft in Vista and W7 but I've grown to like it. It has worked fine for me and since I have cablecards and do record premium channels, it's about my only choice.
Since I have a TechNet account which gives me 2 keys to use for W8, I may try it on one machine for awhile. A friend has been using it with Media Center after he installed the Classic Shell to give it the W7 look and he says it is faster. We'll see.

[Lao Pan]

Yes I am about to upgrade the HTPC from Vista to Windows ∞ - it's cheap (£24-99) and allegedly fast - Probably have to get rid of the Modern interface & boot straight to NPVR.

[OTAjunkie]

I've only been on W7 for a year no need at this time to change.
NextPVR outstrips WMC by far and I rarely fork out $ for upgrades (W8 Pro + WMC@$10[lol])

[pcostanza]

I was able to get the Windows Media Center update for W8 and may install it on 1 system. I'm waiting for Ceton to give their OK on their cable card tuner before I switch.

[johnsonx42]

I just fiddled with Windows 8 for the first time today (yes, I know, as an "IT guy" I should have been using 8 since the first betas... I downloaded various versions, but never got around to installing any of them). Wow, I really hate it. I didn't think I would dislike it so much. I normally see the merits of changes to the windows UI, even if they seem strange at first. But this Metro thing, or whatever they're calling it now, is just too odd. And the whole look of the UI seems so dull and flat. It's like someone at Microsoft said "these tablet things are all the rage, let's make Windows work like a tablet OS and then Windows will be all the rage too!". I actually can see the value of the new interface for certain subsets of users (i.e. people primarily using their windows computer as a content consumption device, like a tablet), but why didn't they leave a more traditional UI for everyone else (i.e. everyone actually trying to get work done)? All previous Windows versions have had the ability to switch to an older UI, even when the new UI was just an evolution of the old instead of a radical change.

It's also a bit annoying that they took away the ability to do keyless installs with standard media (customized media is required for that), and it tries to activate automatically without permission.

I'm really glad I didn't actually upgrade any of my computers to Windows 8. The install I messed with is just a test install on a new system destined for a customer, which will be wiped and down-graded to Windows 7 before delivery.

[pcostanza]

It's much easier to use if you use the Classic Shell interface.

[sub]

I really like the look of Start8. The videos I've seen show it looking and behaving almost exactly the same as the Win7 start menu. It's more like what I'd hoped Microsoft would have done with Win8 on a desktop. ie, makes it easier to stay in desktop mode, but also lets you get at metro apps when you need to.

[johnsonx42]

I had heard of Start8, but had forgotten about it. Thanks for the tip. I installed the trial on that test machine, and things immediately felt better. The Metro side was starting to grow on me a bit, though the more I used it the more I felt like I was using a giant tablet with a mouse. Not altogether bad actually, but just for entertainment and time wasting purposes (which I seem to find plenty of avenues for in 'regular' windows, and of course I have a tablet and smartphone for entertainment and time wasting in a more portable form). The traditional start menu is much better for actual running of programs and doing work.