Windows 8: Would You Update? (1 Viewer)

[1gkar]

I am looking to update my OS at Christmas to utilise Arcsoft's Total Media Theatre 5 for 3D Blu-rays within MP.

I am currently using XPSP3 with no issues (MP ver. 1.2.2). My question is simply this: would you update to version 8 of Windows? Given some of the pointed criticism of this latest version, I am hestiant about the upgrade, even given Microsoft's discounted rates for the product, until 31st January, 2013. Or should I buy Windows 7 instead (I have never used w7):

NZD$50 for the OS
free for the Media center add-on {not that it is any issue: could continue to use LAV filters}

Criteria that is important to me, for a complete HTPC experience are:

1) customisation of desktop, load splashscreen, boot & logon screens
2) stable network to systems using XPSP3
3) stable use of Flash player for media streaming off the internet (not necessarily from inside MP)
4) ease of setting up shortcuts for commonly used apps, etc. (currently use an old app -Winkey & Logitech SetPoint software)

I would appreciate anyone who has either trialled w8 or has upgraded for their experience with the OS. Thanks.

 

[kiwijunglist]

I wouldn't want to run Windows 8 yet, but I wouldn't recommend buying Windows 7 now that Windows 8 is out. Does that help?

 

[1gkar]

I wouldn't want to run Windows 8 yet, but I wouldn't recommend buying Windows 7 now that Windows 8 is out. Does that help?

Thanks for the reply. Want to qualify why you wouldn't buy W7, if W8 comes up to spec in the near future? & what W8 specs do you like for an HTPC? Cheers.

 

[Owlsroost]

Keep in mind that MP 1.2.x will not install/run on W8, and MP 1.3.0 Alpha has to be hacked to work with it. We plan to add W8 as an 'unsupported' OS for MP 1.3.0 Beta (so that it can be installed) but there may be W8-related issues that we haven't discovered yet, so you'll be at the cutting edge of MP1 development for a while

Tony

 

[kiwijunglist]

Unless you want to be a beta tester I wouldn't run Win8 for MP, It's pretty much guaranteed to be unstable, and since most users are in win7/xp any bugs will take a lot longer to get reported and may get less attention (if any)

 

[Lehmden]

Hi.
I wouldn't use Win8 at all, no matter if I would get it for free.. It's not worth a dime. Win8 is a huge step backward on "normal" desktop PCs. And it's missing too much Multimedia stuff a modern OS has to have included. So no use on HTPC as well. Maybe on a tablet it's usable, but there I prefer Android for sure...
Win7 is the best Microsoft OS and it will be the best until Win 9 is out (maybe further on as well, who knows...).

 

[Luca Brasi]

In the end this is not a question of rationally weighing the pros and cons of technical details. Just ask yourself if you are one of those guys who always have to try out something new or not. If you have fun in playing around with your system go for 8, if you want to have a stable solution with a lot of existing user experience and knowledge around then you want to go with 7. As your still on XP assume the latter...
Buying Win 7 now in my opinion is not as pointless as it might sound. The price is down and when you rip of all that metro bs in 8 there is not much difference between the two...

 

[1gkar]

Thanks for your answers. It definitely has allowed me to determine I will go with W7. I had thought that would be, You have confirmed my suspicion on the issue.

 

[robbo100]

An just to give you some added confidence, Win7 is a massive improvement over XP and will give you far quicker recovery from standby as well as being more stable.

You will also be able to try MP2 with it!

 

[Arturas1976]

Could every of you tell us that you have used win8 for some reasonable time? Not preview of course...

And also - i have never got any installation issue with win8 and 1.3A. Somethng interesting is happening for people with this.

Also about win8 - if you buy win 8 pro you will get downgrade rights, so you get both versions.

Win 8 is much faster then win 7 also. My FloppyDTV cards had used legacy firewire drivers in win7, they are perfect redone in win8.

I use win8 in kiosk mode, so no interface is shown and you should not have used to that new metro view

Also - SMB 3.0 is perfect, older in win7 every time you are from network waking up the sleeping HDD on HTPC - the tv is freezing for a while. Quicker access to shares in win8.

So lot of good things in the future for users, just go and try win8.