Why is windows 8 still out there ?

[VirtualLarry]

Yes, because they won't be able to upgrade to Windows 10. I'll do the roll eyes thing at you again.

Has MS officially committed in public to making Windows 10 a free upgrade for Windows 8/8.1 users? If not, then his post was a perfectly valid point. Why should end-users have to pay for a [poor-quality] OS, and then have to pay again for the [fixed] version?

 

[Skaendo]

Even if MS did give 10 away to Win8.1 users, I wouldn't buy a Win8.1 computer and then update it to Win10.
The right way to do things is a fresh install of Win10. Therefore, it would take MS sending me a Win10 retail disk for free in order for me to buy a PC with Win8.1 on it.

 

[Dahak]

Has MS officially committed in public to making Windows 10 a free upgrade for Windows 8/8.1 users?

I do not believe so, although the rumors from the "sources" are saying it will look like it
But is still to early to say, probably won't know until some time early next year as the final is not till late 2015

 

[bbhaag]

I do not believe so, although the rumors from the "sources" are saying it will look like it
But is still to early to say, probably won't know until some time early next year as the final is not till late 2015

Yep they are just rumors at this point. It would be nice though. Even if they gave it at a discount like the did 8 I wouldn't mind. I think I paid $40 for my upgrade from 7 to 8. That's a lot more affordable than if you go to buy it now.

 

[orion23]

Some of the rant got lost since it was written out of anger / frustration

One thing is to use a PC with windows 8 and deal with the issues

Another is to fix PCs, lots of them and realizing how bad thing became since the day windows 8 came around.

To this date, it is the only OS that I have skipped myself

Removing F8 and even hiding the power options was very stupid
Getting around windows 8 in a productive way (to actually work) while using the desktop, is or wasn't as simple without a start menu, Pokki and others helped with the issue, until the 8.1 revision

The whole licensing issue with OEM's not having direct access to an 8.1 iso was frustrating, forcing users to use the slower online option to update

Yes, we have to move on and newer operating systems have to be expected, but windows 8 was (to me and many others) a step backwards when compared to windows 7, one not seen before
Vista got all the bad reputation from manufacturers selling PC's with 512mb of RAM, and those systems could barely even boot the 1st time. That and the whole new UI was too new and required some power and again, crappy systems couldn't handle it
I've always had fast systems and tried longhorn for years until it became vista and didn't have any issues with it

I dual booted windows 8 when it 1st came out and never really used it, just didn't like it for myself

Now, the wife thought it was amusing to slide those tiles using her touchscreen

And to my surprise, I became so disconnected with windows, that I, until now, didn't know about Windows 10, (skipping windows 9) and anything else microsoft related

 

[Iron Woode]

I am currently using Win 8. After updating it (1.5 gigs of windows updates) and installing classic shell, it is working just fine on my system that was once current back in 2010.

It has its quirks but it is stable and quite responsive.

In fact I like it better than 8.1 that is on my other drive (I dual boot them).

 

[mpo]

I just received a Dell product catalog today and they are pushing all their outdated systems, and every one of them has Win8.1. I think that they are trying to dump as much of it as they can before Win10 comes out. I feel sorry for anyone who buys from this catalog that I just received.

The reality...

For consumer-level laptops, Dell (and the other Win-based OEMs) have mostly Win 8.1 machines, with a smattering of Win 7 machines. When Win 10 is released, I imagine two things will happen:
a) if Win 10 is a free upgrade, the 8.1 machines can be upgraded whenever. Not sure what the policy will be for Win 7 computers.

b) if Win 10 is a paid upgrade, Win 8.1 machines purchased after a certain date will be able to upgrade to Win 10 for free over a 3 to 4 month window once the new OS is released. For those that miss the upgrade window or Win 7 machines, they'll have to pay for the upgrade.

Business machine buyers will continue to be able to buy downgrade rights to Win 7.

That's what's happened in the past. Wash, rinse, repeat.

The vast majority of people buying right now probably don't care too much about Win 10. It's the people buying in ~10 months just before the upgrade period (if a limited upgrade window) that get their knickers in a twist.

 

[alkemyst]

OP I am thinking you don't understand what you are working on.

I am a pretty high level tech. I did consulting before it was 'cool' in the late 80's and 90's and had a very good income from it.

I don't have to do much to my 8.1 install...I go all over hell's creation on my box.

It works nice.

 

[orion23]

So after a fresh system image restore and 4 hours processing windows updates,
I just got the failure configuring windows updates
reverting changes message
Mother......

 

[orion23]

OP I am thinking you don't understand what you are working on.

I am a pretty high level tech. I did consulting before it was 'cool' in the late 80's and 90's and had a very good income from it.

I don't have to do much to my 8.1 install...I go all over hell's creation on my box.

It works nice.

Sure....that's why I run servers today (not 30 years ago), maintain networks for small clients, and have a pc running an I7 2600k @ 4.8 ghz on air for the past 2 years

 

[Skaendo]

I can't wait to see all these people cry when they figure out that MS will not give Win10 away for free. If they do it will be to such a small percent of the market that no one here will get it for free. MS is a billion dollar corporation, and they didn't get there by giving things away. Wake up people.

And what happened to Win9? There was a few posts about Win9 was going to be a free upgrade for Win8/8.1 users. Or was that just thrown out the window?

 

[Continuity28]

And what happened to Win9? There was a few posts about Win9 was going to be a free upgrade for Win8/8.1 users. Or was that just thrown out the window?

Windows 10 is windows 9, it's just a name change.

 

[ninaholic37]

Widescreen 16:9 sucks too. 2005 is the best year to buy a laptop from! Put Linux on it (and Wine if you really need to) and you're good to go until 2026. :thumbsup:

 

[Skaendo]

Windows 10 is windows 9, it's just a name change.

"It came and it went," said new Microsoft Windows marketing boss Tony Prophet on Monday (10-13-14) on stage at the Dreamforce conference in San Francisco. He was quoting Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella who has been answering that question much the same way.


Microsoft doesn't want people to associate the next version of Windows with the unpopular Windows 8.

Source:
http://www.businessinsider.com/this-is-what-happened-to-windows-9-2014-10

 

[escrow4]

Newsflash, Win 10 so far is Win 8.1 with the Modern UI squished into a start menu and some additional features. That is it. I used 8 from Day 1, then 8.1 and had zero issues. At all. Fast and stable.

All those features that are and will be coming to 10 won't make it to 7 either - mainstream support ends in January 2015 and its only security updates henceforth. Its people giving something a shot for 30 seconds then giving up. 7 is primitive by now.

 

[Raduque]

Sure....that's why I run servers today (not 30 years ago), maintain networks for small clients, and have a pc running an I7 2600k @ 4.8 ghz on air for the past 2 years

Maybe... just maybe... it's your high-strung, tweaky, overclocked system that's causing Windows 8 errors? :hmm:

Oh no, that could never be it, it's stable with one thing, so it's obviously stable with everything.

 

[Skaendo]

I used 8 from Day 1, then 8.1 and had zero issues. At all. Fast and stable.

Windows 8 is the one that finally made me stop using Windows. I ran dual boot for quite a few years until Win8 came out and I said screw that crap, I tried to install Win 8.1 on 2 different laptops, a Dell Inspiron 1520 & a HP DV7. Both instantly had hardware issues, fans would act very abnormal. Dell fan either ran at 100% or didn't run at all, HP fan ran at 100% all the time, and the HP had more driver issues than I have ever seen before. I went to HP support, said that they didn't support Win8 in any way at that time. Reverted to Win7, all problems resolved.

 

[Mem]

Windows 8 is the one that finally made me stop using Windows. I ran dual boot for quite a few years until Win8 came out and I said screw that crap, I tried to install Win 8.1 on 2 different laptops, a Dell Inspiron 1520 & a HP DV7. Both instantly had hardware issues, fans would act very abnormal. Dell fan either ran at 100% or didn't run at all, HP fan ran at 100% all the time, and the HP had more driver issues than I have ever seen before. I went to HP support, said that they didn't support Win8 in any way at that time. Reverted to Win7, all problems resolved.

I guess you never used WinME,that was the worst OS of all time,if I felt like you I would of retired Windows back in 1999/2000 or so.


To be fair OEM companies like Dell and HP can be picky with their software on operating systems,OS in general gets a lot of blame for nothing in a lot of cases ie driver issues which is responsibility of the manufacturer in question, also not forgetting faulty hardware like ram(seen that a few time where OS gets blamed),people quickly jump on the OS without good reason when an issue arises.

I would personally try and get this sorted and blame HP or Dell,it's their hardware.


Btw to rub salt in your wound my Samsung laptop which came pre-installed with Win7 runs fine with its current OS ie Win8.1,I guess Samsung have better support then Dell or HP with regards to fan control,software etc...

 

[Anubis]

trying to replace the OS that shipped with a modern laptop is such a PITA its not even worth trying

still on 8.0
8.1 fails to install every time I try

 

[Mem]

trying to replace the OS that shipped with a modern laptop is such a PITA its not even worth trying

still on 8.0
8.1 fails to install every time I try

Easier sometimes just to use Win8.1 ISO and do a clean install that way.

 

[Skaendo]

I would personally try and get this sorted and blame HP or Dell,it's their hardware.

I don't understand how it could be a hardware issue when it is 2 different manufacturers, having similar issues with 1 OS. Then once the OS was downgraded all the hardware issues were resolved.

 

[Mem]

Read the Dell posts via Google,some have fixed it with BIOS updates,others had similar issue on Win7 as well,bottom line you have to do some detective work since too many models out there.

Btw you explain why it's fine on my Win8.1 Samsung laptop that previously had Win7 preinstalled?..It was an upgrade and not a clean install ie 7 to 8 then 8.1 via Store.

Maybe Dell/HP should ask Samsung .

 

[ControlD]

I don't understand how it could be a hardware issue when it is 2 different manufacturers, having similar issues with 1 OS. Then once the OS was downgraded all the hardware issues were resolved.

Sounds like driver issues to me, which is more than common when it comes to laptops made by companies that have about 1,000 different models at the same time.

In place upgrades are always done with some risk involved. I went from Windows 7 -> 8 -> 8.1 on my self built system with no problems at all. I did a Mint distro upgrade about a year ago that completely hosed that install on the same hardware. It happens. I didn't jump to the conclusion that Linux is junk and should be banned. I just chalked it up as a learning experience and moved on.

 

[orion23]

Maybe... just maybe... it's your high-strung, tweaky, overclocked system that's causing Windows 8 errors? :hmm:

Oh no, that could never be it, it's stable with one thing, so it's obviously stable with everything.

Like many others on this thread who simply got lost with the initial rant

I am not a windows 8 user, don't like it personally

Everything said was about repairing windows 8 systems which was made more complicated that what it was with windows 7

 

[RampantAndroid]

"It came and it went," said new Microsoft Windows marketing boss Tony Prophet on Monday (10-13-14) on stage at the Dreamforce conference in San Francisco. He was quoting Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella who has been answering that question much the same way.


Microsoft doesn't want people to associate the next version of Windows with the unpopular Windows 8.

Source:
http://www.businessinsider.com/this-is-what-happened-to-windows-9-2014-10

Or they are worried about code that checks the version number and will confuse windows 9x with windows 9, since the version number is a string...