Should I upgrade to Windows 8.1? Currently on Windows 7.

ahendowski

Hey, so I'm looking at Windows 8.1, and the tiles seem a neat way to kind of organize programs, and get a cool workflow going. Seems it would benefit me, but EVERYONE hates the Windows 8.1 and keeps ragging on it, so it's keeping me from upgrading.

Has anyone here upgraded? What are your thoughts? Any compatibility issues with any programs you usually use?

I'd love to hear everyones idea about it. I'm running a really powerful machine, so I'm thinking of starting fresh and checking it out.

Thanks!

VPrime

Windows 8(.1) offers lots of performance and behind the scene enhancements.. If you can get past the tiled interface/start menu then it is a really good OS.

ahendowski

VPrime wrote: »

Windows 8(.1) offers lots of performance and behind the scene enhancements.. If you can get past the tiled interface/start menu then it is a really good OS.

I actually feel like I would use the tiles, that's where everyones complaining. It wouldn't be too bad organizing project files and my favorite 3d programs really quickly to access.

It's just, I hear everyone rag on it. I want to make sure I don't upgrade and have upgrade remorse, and wish to have Windows 7, which a lot of people are saying I will have. I just don't see why I would, so I figure why not ask polycount if they have and see what they have to see.

I basically am wanting to upgrade for the tiles, but I feel like I'm not researching the correct information that makes everyone hate it so much.

skankerzero

The tiles are fucking annoying if you have too many and no touchscreen.

Either way, they're 'going away' in 8.2. 'Going away' as in you no longer boot into the tile screen first.

Trust me, you can boot your software just as fast with your taskbar and desktop icons. If you're SUPER impatient and want to start your software asap, then assign keyboard shortcuts to them.

I finds windows 8.1 super frustrating because I do spend a lot of time in the nuts and bolts maintaining my friends PC. He had some bad compatibility issues, but he's not a 3d guy. His problems were on the hardware side of things.

RappyBMX

i've upgraded from windows 7 to win 8 just because they removed the aero interface, i like the new clean interface and if you change the border width make it slimmer it looks even better

i've also disabled UAC completely because i hate that and now the metro apps do not work at all, but i don't care since i can't stand them and don't use them...

Installed StartIsBack and now i have the start menu exactly the way it was in windows 7... i like StartIsBack because the way it's integrated, no new process for it it's integrated directly in windows...

i'm running win 8 for quite some time now and i haven't had a single problem... related to win 8 directly...

.Wiki

skankerzero wrote: »

Either way, they're 'going away' in 8.2. 'Going away' as in you no longer boot into the tile screen first.

This is already a feature in 8.1 you just need to enable it, I got 8.1 on both of my computers and boot them directly into the desktop. Klicking the windows button opens the "programs" list, not the start screen.

skankerzero

.Wiki wrote: »

This is already a feature in 8.1 you just need to enable it, I got 8.1 on both of my computers and boot them directly into the desktop. Klicking the windows button opens the "programs" list, not the start screen.

I'll have to look into it.

The thing that kills me about 8.1 on this guy's machine is an issue with the mouse drivers. 8.1 duplicates the usb mouse interface drivers several times and it makes accessing the charms menu / start menu / windows peek thing impossible without 'windows+f' or some other hotkey. It's a reoccurring problem ever since he upgraded to 8.1.
I know it's not a common problem, but it affects this computer.

.Wiki

skankerzero wrote: »

I'll have to look into it.

I guess most users don´t know this "feature" because windows don´t asks you to choose. Maybe this would change with the 8.1 update 1.

Computron

The moment I plug in my wacom pen & touch tablet, win 8.1 seems to think my PC has transmogrified into a tablet and it puts up the on screen keyboard shortcut in my taskbar. Easy to fix though.

Overall pretty happy with win 8.1, after I got Aero Glass back in through glass8.

.Wiki

Even windows 7 displayed the onscreen keyboard when you plugged in a tablet.

Computron

Hmmmmm. I had windows 7 last year and my tablet for several years now. For some reason I don't remember that happening.

Baj Singh

Its probably a matter of time before they announce 9..

Fuiosg

yeah I think rumors are saying spring 2015 for windows 9, possibly even earlier. MS is backtracking on a lot of 8 specific stuff, like the next update will allow you to pin metro apps to your task bar and such, basically bypassing the start menu altogether.

As an 8.1 user, I would say don't bother. The little additions don't really affect your workflow for the better and the navigation/apps still seem weirdly implemented for a desktop OS.

Pac_187

Windows 8 / 8.1 actually got me to not use the startmenu/desktop at all
(Turned off the desktop icons as well)

I just hit the windows key, type in the first letters of what I want to start and done...
Just add your favorite folders/programs to the "startmenu" so it finds them faster.
It will also remember how often you selected a entry from the search results and move it to the top of the search list. (No mouse movement involved)
You don't even need to wait until the program has started, just repeat the process and hammer in what you want to start and it'll popup in a few seconds.

I organize my files via the standard explorer.

Installing the OS on a SSD is a must for best performance.

Another major plus is the overhauled taskbar, you can now have it on several monitors and only the windows on the monitor will be shown in the corresponding taskbar.

oXYnary

Upgrade if your getting new hardware or have speed problems. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother. (This is from someone who likes 8 ).

ambershee

I wouldn't bother upgrading either. Windows 7 is happy and stable, Windows 8.1 doesn't really offer a great deal aside from some performance improvements if you're booting from an SSD (it can sometime be slower than 7 booting from an HDD).

I honestly don't give a fuck about the difference between 5 and 10 seconds boot time.

EarthQuake

Win8 on a non-touchscreen device is just awful, maybe you can tweak a lot of it to make it suck less, but I don't see the point if you already have Win7, which is a very, very good OS.

Alphavader

I liked it so far - the performance is alot better!
There alot of tool out there where you can deactivate the
annoing sidebars or get the classic windows button back.

huffer

Performance is good but the start menu is pretty much useless for a fast workflow. I haven't figured out a way to drag and drop files to a program (to open something in Photoshop or send a file over Skype).

The start screen looks good and has some useful information (like the weather and news), but Metro apps are horrible - they're not for a working environment with mouse and keyboard. I would keep to Windows 7 until 9 comes out.

thomasp

what about device drivers? will it just take the ones from windows 7 and earlier? gamepads, printers, digital cameras, you know the drill.

does it work smoothly with wacom tablets and cintiq's? windows 7 gave me quite the headaches in that respect. fixable but so damn annoying.

how does it deal when dual booting different windows installations/different windows versions?

note: i'm still on a machine running XP64 with everything working smoothly so no urgent need, but will have to get a new computer this year, getting a new OS seems inevitable... didn't like win7 much for the tablet woes and how they castrated the explorer.

Mask_Salesman

I get alot of wacom issues aswell, my settings reset upon startup or even just closing the preferences dialog sometimes, although I've got rid of the tiles junk, good old startbar. I have trouble with my wacom in some applications aswell, not to mention odd devices. 8 has caused more harm than good. Overall I'm glad my home pc is still 7.

Rai

Mask_Salesman wrote: »

I get alot of wacom issues aswell, my settings reset upon startup or even just closing the preferences dialog sometimes, although I've got rid of the tiles junk, good old startbar.

That might just be a general driver issue, I'm experiencing the same problem in 7 with the latest drivers.

Richard Kain

What are the big performance benefits? The interface doesn't particularly appeal to me, but I can learn to use it. (as I've done countless times before with other programs and operating systems) The real draw for me is performance benefits. Do programs load and run faster? Is stability improved? Does it take better advantage of additional hardware, such as increased RAM and extra GPU support? Is there any software in particular that has been optimized for Windows 8?

Rurouni Strife

I just did a new build so I can use all of the hot new engine updates and software and went with Windows 8.1. It's about 66% Windows 7 if you choose to use it that way and I'm cool with it. On an SSD, (which I've never used before) everything loads super fast. Performance with SSD's I think was suppose to improve too.

If you're on 7 right now and not doing a brand new build you're probably fine waiting. But if you're making a new rig, might as well go with 8.1

skankerzero

Rai wrote: »

That might just be a general driver issue, I'm experiencing the same problem in 7 with the latest drivers.

me too in 7.

Mask_Salesman

Not to derail this too much but now you mention the 'latest drivers' I did actually have similar issues in 7 with the lastest wacom drivers which is why I switched back to the older drivers on the install disc that came with it. Although trying that on 8 didn't make much of a difference unfortunately. However I assume a fair percentage of this is due to my own lack of tech knowledge.

My main greivance is wacom issues in newer versions of Max and said newer versions of Max's issues with 8. I actually use Max2010 on 8 cuz 14 doesn't like doing anything without major work interfering problems.