• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

How to Survive the Windows 8 transition without experiencing chest pains

I actually got Windows 8 and I just pinned anything I use regularly to the task bar. I do have one problem and that is my bluetooth will NOT work at all, installed Broadcom drivers, Dell drivers, etc. Windows 8 just doesn't see it at all while Windows XP and Xubuntu 12.04 see it fine and use it.

Possibly needs a BIOS upgrade?
 
And to think, I've only just got Windows 7 here at work (with a computer replacement). Given that the university stuck with XP for ages, skipped right over vista (thank goodness) and has only supported Win 7 in the couple of years I can't see a change to Windows 8 any time soon.

As an OS for productivity, I like Windows 7 very much.

Tez
 
Hi
I am in the process of moving my Windows PCs to Windows 8 purely for security reasons. The UI issues with Metro are pretty minor and I find myself not missing the Start button. After about 1 minute or so I got used to the minor UI differences and its been smooth sailing ever since.

I have only three machines left that cannot be converted to Linux and must run Windows for application and/or data backwards compatibility. If it were just me alone though I would have dumped Windows years ago. The new Lubuntu is so very nice!

Thanks

Andrew Lynch
 
Alternatively, you could just not upgrade.

^^^ THIS ^^^

I will NOT be a willing participant in a closed garden system. If it was open like android, thats a LOT different. I want to say Microsoft has shot themselves in the foot with this one, but with so few people that use computers that are ACTUALLY computer literate ( or know better) they will get away with it like Apple has with their phones.

If it wasnt for windows gaming, I would have been on linux LONG ago.

Side note: every other operating system from MS has been good. A tick-tock approach, if you will. I guess this means Win-9 might be good?
 
The Microsoft Media Center is also MIA. Microsoft has special deal for you if you act before January 1, 2013, else it will cost you big bucks. If you are a current W8 licensee with a valid key, you can down load the W8 compatible Microsoft Media Center for free from the following link.

As I understand it it will cost $9.99 after that. Not much of a saving to force me to upgrade to Win8 however add to that the $29.99 current upgrade price and I am considering tempted to get a Win8 license for my Lenovo X200T Multitouch though. It might be nice to finally be able to use the multitouch features effectively!
 
Possibly needs a BIOS upgrade?

Unfortunately not, I'm already at the latest Dell Latitude E6400 BIOS, Revision A32. I am curious to know why it is that Windows 8 wouldn't see it period, not even in Device Manager while the other OSs see it fine, I should try swapping the Wireless Card and Bluetooth Card around just to see if it's Windows 8 not seeing the 3rd Mini PCI-e slot.

Edit:
I wonder if I need the chipset drivers installed...that would probably help me out here.
 
lol. Well I hope it's less painful than the previous OS upgrades and lack of driver support. Actually our manufacturers (HP/Dell) sorta screwed us the last few purchases by putting hardware that didn't have any XP driver support in their systems.
 
Unfortunately not, I'm already at the latest Dell Latitude E6400 BIOS, Revision A32. I am curious to know why it is that Windows 8 wouldn't see it period, not even in Device Manager while the other OSs see it fine, I should try swapping the Wireless Card and Bluetooth Card around just to see if it's Windows 8 not seeing the 3rd Mini PCI-e slot.

Edit:
I wonder if I need the chipset drivers installed...that would probably help me out here.

Might try reloading all system drivers. My Asus Sabertooth 990FX only required an audio driver and a USB charging pad driver for W8.
 
As I understand it it will cost $9.99 after that. Not much of a saving to force me to upgrade to Win8 however add to that the $29.99 current upgrade price and I am considering tempted to get a Win8 license for my Lenovo X200T Multitouch though. It might be nice to finally be able to use the multitouch features effectively!

Just curious, where did you find that W8 upgrade for $29.99? Back this way they want $38.88.
 
Last edited:
I actually got Bluetooth working using the Lenovo Broadcom Bluetooth drivers, they're a bit faster than Dell and got Windows 8 drivers out already. With those drivers, the Dell Latitude E6400 is fully supported by Windows 8.

As for a $29.99 upgrade, I haven't seen that, however I got Windows 8 for $15 using the Windows Upgrade Offer, they never did check my Windows 7 key, so some people might frown against the fact that I upgraded using it even though I hadn't just purchased my laptop, but it worked.
 
I actually got Bluetooth working using the Lenovo Broadcom Bluetooth drivers, they're a bit faster than Dell and got Windows 8 drivers out already. With those drivers, the Dell Latitude E6400 is fully supported by Windows 8.

As for a $29.99 upgrade, I haven't seen that, however I got Windows 8 for $15 using the Windows Upgrade Offer, they never did check my Windows 7 key, so some people might frown against the fact that I upgraded using it even though I hadn't just purchased my laptop, but it worked.

Eh, give that man a cigar!
 
Hi
I did the upgrade on all of my Windows PCs and am quite happy with it. One computer needed a new motherboard though which kind of sucks but overall the upgrade is nice. It is a lot more secure than Win XP and if you *have* to use Windows this is as good an opportunity as it gets at $39.99.

Frankly, I think the complaints about the UI changes are very overblown. Yes the "start" button has changed a little but functionally it is similar.

Overall, I give it a thumbs up. Still, I would love to move everything to Lubuntu. Wow, I really like Lubuntu. It is hands down the nicest Linux type OS I've ever used.

Andrew Lynch
 
As a guy that does tech support for a living, I can tell you that Win8 is a tech support nightmare.

Metro IE is different from Desktop IE, it's difficult to determine exactly where end users are "at" in their Windows experience (since I have to figure that out in order to provide directions to get from there to say, Manage Network Devices where I can check to see if they've a static IP, or get their network settings)

From a user standpoint... Metro just FEELS funky to me. I don't like having to shift around tiles that I never use just to find things, and I don't like having to memorize new keyboard shortcut combinations to work around an interface design choice. A user interface is supposed to make a program more user-friend and easy to use, not provide extra steps and difficulties. If using Win8 on a touchscreen, it would be quite intuitive for most people, I think, but to also force the x86 Win8 sold for computer desktops to adhere to the same paradigms used for what SHOULD HAVE been Windows 8 Touchscreen Edition? Crazy.

From a gamer standpoint... there is an upside. Though short of the faster boot times, I really don't get what it was (I obviously didn't pay too close of attention to MaximumPC's article on the subject)

I too did the $15 upgrade, and OP, thanks for the note about the Media Center extender - I'll have to snag that. Right now, I'm running Windows 7 on my laptop, and I'm debating whether I'll bother to upgrade. Either way I go, I'll be using Start8, or the freeware alternative thats more powerful but harder to use, Classic Shell.
 
As a guy that does tech support for a living, I can tell you that Win8 is a tech support nightmare.

Metro IE is different from Desktop IE, it's difficult to determine exactly where end users are "at" in their Windows experience (since I have to figure that out in order to provide directions to get from there to say, Manage Network Devices where I can check to see if they've a static IP, or get their network settings)

From a user standpoint... Metro just FEELS funky to me. I don't like having to shift around tiles that I never use just to find things, and I don't like having to memorize new keyboard shortcut combinations to work around an interface design choice. A user interface is supposed to make a program more user-friend and easy to use, not provide extra steps and difficulties. If using Win8 on a touchscreen, it would be quite intuitive for most people, I think, but to also force the x86 Win8 sold for computer desktops to adhere to the same paradigms used for what SHOULD HAVE been Windows 8 Touchscreen Edition? Crazy.

From a gamer standpoint... there is an upside. Though short of the faster boot times, I really don't get what it was (I obviously didn't pay too close of attention to MaximumPC's article on the subject)

I too did the $15 upgrade, and OP, thanks for the note about the Media Center extender - I'll have to snag that. Right now, I'm running Windows 7 on my laptop, and I'm debating whether I'll bother to upgrade. Either way I go, I'll be using Start8, or the freeware alternative thats more powerful but harder to use, Classic Shell.

You're seeing what I'm seeing and the gaming issues were the reason that I went with W8. BTW, if you don't want to pop for the $4.95 Stardock, here's a free alternative that can take you back to Xp. http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

Oops! I now see that you have Classic Shell covered. Sorry.
 
I didn't read through this entire thread so I don't know if it had been posted, but the guy who was in charge of developing Windows 8 has been fired, lol.

I'm reading a lot of negative stuff on Windows 8 all over the net. Lot of people are taking new systems with the new OS, wiping them clean and reloading 7. Corporate is not even considering taking a look at it from what I read. Very little business revenue from corporate upgrades from the look of it. It will effect Microsoft's bottom line.
 
I'm reading a lot of negative stuff on Windows 8 all over the net.

I think that's usual these days. However, it's starting to go too far in that MS is trying to push a product for which there was no demand to begin with. They have to create an artificial one. That kind of backwards business strategy will likely come to an end one of these days. Perhaps soon: 42% Of Windows Users Plan To Switch To Apple. I personally won't be switching to either - unless my life depends on it. :)
 
My issue with migrating to a new OS is making sure my analog video capture and encoding workflow can be migrated. Setting up a capture card to work "right" was a pain the first time around and Microsoft is known for breaking DirectShow in new versions of Windows.
 
I'm reading a lot of negative stuff on Windows 8 all over the net. Lot of people are taking new systems with the new OS, wiping them clean and reloading 7.
It's only fair to note that these particular actions happen with EVERY new Windows release. Just sayin' :)

Corporate is not even considering taking a look at it from what I read. Very little business revenue from corporate upgrades from the look of it. It will effect Microsoft's bottom line.
This is more the crux of the problem M$ created for itself. Win7 is what? 3 years old? For a M$ OS, that's infancy. Win7 grew on what Vista had already done, and honestly, it was what Vista should have been from the start. Because XP was so deeply integrated into the business world (and still is, honestly), most companies were slow to upgrade to Win 7. Mine only upgraded within the last 6 months, mainly to give M$ time to work out any major bugs and security issues before we staked our livelihood on it. So now they did that...we've upgraded, and it's great! - and then, we turn around a few months later, and M$ is releasing Win8, an OS that discards every single convention that we've grown used to from a GUI OS in the last 20 years, and makes daily tasks more difficult to accomplish with existing hardware conventions, not easier.

As Ole Juul said, M$ is trying to push a product for which there was no demand to begin with.

IMO, the smart move for M$ to do would have been to develop a Touchscreen edition for Surface, tablets, and phones, and then to develop the desktop OS with the typical conventions. Then at least they'd have a prayer of grabbing the all-important corporate backing in the business place. Develop it like they did with XP - basically build one version, and unclick checkboxes to remove or add features for home/tablet editions.
 
Back
Top