Win 8 Pro Upgrade $15

[hazelnut]

Looks like you will be able to get an upgrade of any type (home, pro etc) for Win 7 up to Windows 8 but only if you have purchased your machine after 2nd June this year.

 

http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-8-pro-promotional-upgrade-to-cost-just-15

[Nergal]

Hope it's not just for OEMs, I plan to make a 64bit PC for 3D art sometime near to the end of the year

[login123]

Thanks for the heads up, Hazel. After reading your post, I have developed an IT strategy for my vast network.

Wait till the last minute, buy a computer w/ win 7, get the win 8 upgrade, make backup images of both operating systems, then run win 7 'till its wheels fall off, like I have done with win XP.

 

I'm still watching for the dates. So far lots of commentary, nothing solid from microsoft.

 

Couple of interesting articles:

"What Windows 8? Microsoft Pushes XP-to-Win 7 Migration" at

http://www.pcworld.com/article/256214/what_windows_8_microsoft_pushes_xptowin_7_migration.html

and (5 pages)

Microsoft's upgrade avalanche a challenge for IT pros at

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9227470/Microsoft_s_upgrade_avalanche_a_challenge_for_IT_pros?taxonomyId=125&pageNumber=1

[hazelnut]

I like your IT strategy login

[login123]

It's official. June 2 2012 thru January 31 2013. http://www.pcworld.c..._consumers.html

 

Interesting tidbit here, http://www.theverge....store-workshops "Microsoft Store customers who participate in the Windows 8 Pro upgrade offer will also be invited to exclusive workshops to learn more about Windows 8." And get some sort of gift certificate. ???

 

I shall be dragged kicking & biting into the 21st century. Don't tell Dennis. He and I have been stalwart holdouts.

 

Edit: At least I have waited until it is almost obsolete to get win 7. I think win 7 will run a while, maybe not like xp did and does, but a while.

[login123]

Looks like ??? if you want DVD playback you're gonna pay more or download a third party app.

Windows FAQ: https://windowsupgra.../en-US/Home/Faq

MSDN Blog explains why this is a good decision: http://blogs.msdn.co...-windows-8.aspx

Our partners have shared clear concerns over the costs associated with codec licensing for traditional media playback, especially as Windows 8 enables an unprecedented variety of form factors.

... and ...

Given the changing landscape, the cost of decoder licensing, and the importance of a straight forward edition plan, we’ve decided to make Windows Media Center available to Windows 8 customers via the Add Features to Windows 8 control panel (formerly known as Windows Anytime Upgrade).

Microsoft spinmeisters must get paid by the word. Just my opinion, Piriform is not responsible for it.

 

Pfui. Think of the gazillions of xp and w7 users who have an inventory of cherished DVDs (baby's first tooth, kids at the pool, DVDs they actually bought, etc.). Think of the educational institutions that depend on dvd presentations. Think of the businesses that use DVD playback every day. Think of all the folks who don't know how to get or use a third party app, nor have the time to learn.

 

Maybe microsoft just stumbled again. What is the real reason for this idea, discounting microsofts carefully crafted explanation? Is it an upsell strategy, a streamlining / compatibility issue, just simple penny pinching, or maybe a genuine, customer centered product decision?

 

Whaddaya think?

[Corona]

Ugh. I've had W7 for what, 2 years? It works great and now they want to trash it for some Metrosexual AOL-looking POS. They were happy with XP for +10 years. They can't give W7 that much grace?

[login123]

Ugh. I've had W7 for what, 2 years? It works great and now they want to trash it for some Metrosexual AOL-looking POS. They were happy with XP for +10 years. They can't give W7 that much grace?

 

I'm still happy w/ win xp, and still running it here, and it still works great. But this hardware will eventually fail and will be hard to replace, so must prepare for the future. I dread the learning curve associated w/ win 7, but bought a laptop anyway, and maybe will learn enough about win 7 to make it behave when it is all I have. Also gonna take advantage of the upgrade offer, so as to have options just in case win 8 turns out to be a good thing.

By the way, there, Corona, don't hold back, say what ya mean.

[hazelnut]

I like Windows 7, and I will always like XP.

 

Windows 8 will be used like any other new OS is, but whether it will give users an enjoyable experience remains to be seen.

 

(login don't worry about using Win 7, it's not bad at all )

[Winapp2.ini]

Honestly, having used Windows 7 for two years now, I would never willingly go back to XP. I was resistant to the change at first too, but decided to skip over vista due to its initial launch problems. I moved to Windows 7 to take advantage of the better hardware and software for gaming, and I don't regret it at all.

[nodles]

Honestly, having used Windows 7 for two years now, I would never willingly go back to XP. I was resistant to the change at first too, but decided to skip over vista due to its initial launch problems. I moved to Windows 7 to take advantage of the better hardware and software for gaming, and I don't regret it at all.

Same here!

[Nergal]

here's a better FAQ Style explanation of the lack of DVD/bluray http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/05/04/q-amp-a-dvd-playback-and-windows-media-center-in-windows-8.aspx

 

I think that playback could instead be chipped into the device (DVD drive, bluray drive) a consumer buys, but they're the multinational corp so I guess they "know better"

[login123]

I like Windows 7, and I will always like XP.

 

Windows 8 will be used like any other new OS is, but whether it will give users an enjoyable experience remains to be seen.

 

(login don't worry about using Win 7, it's not bad at all )

 

Thanks for the encouragement, Hazel, Winapp, nodles.

[JDPower]

I sympathise Login, still using XP here too and its pretty much all I've ever used, but the laptop is due an upgrade before the year's out so time to force myself to get to grips with a new OS (feel like I know XP inside out, it'll feel like dumping a long term girlfriend leaving it behind ). And from everything I've seen of Windows 8 I'll be embracing Win7 and clinging on to it probably as long as I have XP if the current lunacy at MS prevails

[rridgely]

I don't think windows xp included dvd playback by default. I'm pretty sure a lot of prebuilt computers included it with programs like power dvd, but everyone else got it through things like codec packs and even VLC. I cant remember the last time I played a dvd in my computer. Even my HTPC is just used to play ripped dvds which would work fine without the codec(h.264)

[Winapp2.ini]

As far as I'm concerned, Windows 8 is just as good as windows 7 (better at resource usage, actually) because the desktop enviornment is left intact. You can use it just the same as win7, with the exception of the start menu (something I don't use much myself, I launch most programs from run/icons)

[Corona]

As far as I'm concerned, Windows 8 is just as good as windows 7 (better at resource usage, actually) because the desktop enviornment is left intact. You can use it just the same as win7, with the exception of the start menu (something I don't use much myself, I launch most programs from run/icons)

I'm not happy with having every icon or associated icon being buried within a desktop Library of sorts. And the real problem is finding your XP equivalents which are thrown about just to make funny. W7 didn't do that too much. W8 has it in spades.

[login123]

Hope it's not just for OEMs, I plan to make a 64bit PC for 3D art sometime near to the end of the year

Here's that link: https://windowsupgra...ome/ProgramInfo The section titled "Upgrade Software" seems to say that the software will be installable on other systems.

 

@ rridgely, you're right, on my xp machines from HP, there is an app called Intervideo WinDVD, and some of the ones at work had PowerDVD. Had not thought about that before.

 

JD, those are my feelings too...I also "feel like I know XP inside out"...probably an illusion, but at least I am comfortable w/ my level of familiarity. Couple of examples: I first got miffed when I couldn't "see" the System Volume Information" folder: (why not ... what are they hiding in there ... if it is a backup folder why didn't they just call it the "System Backup Folder" ... if it is important why can I just turn it off like that ... etc.). So I found out how to use CACLS to get at it.

 

Then there was the infamous index.dat. Found out that is seems to keep track of your internet activity for a looooong time. Question for me back then was why'zit do that? That one required the adoption of Unlocker, Eraser, PEEK, and a home made bat file. So now I can look in to it, delete it, move it, etc. And guess what, this system works just as well regardless of what I do to index.dat. IE just recreates it when necessary. That begs the question why is it there and what is it really for? Still don't know the complete answer to that.

 

Then there were the revelations provided by Sandboxie, worth its weight in gold. Sandboxie allows me to see all the junk created by IE, and samy's evercookies, and all the frivolous files created by Macromedia flash, the IE DOMStore, etc. Right now, after visiting only 5 websites there are 698 files in 47 folders, 16.8 mb, in the Sandbox. And guess what, if i delete every one of them and start again, ie 8 will work just as slowly as it ever did.

 

That led to the installation of Powershadow. After CCleaner it is my candidate for software of the milinnium milennium millinneum century. With Powershadow running I can be a gadabout on the net, try out software, save and delete files in a temporary folder, etc, secure in the knowledge that C: drive will be back to normal after a normal restart. Irreplaceable software, not available for any OS after win xp.

 

I didn't mean to write an essay, and must apologize for running on, but I'll leave it up; there might actually be someone out there who doesn't already know this stuff. Point is, windows makes a bunch of mostly useless and redundant files, imo. These days they mostly seem impertinent but harmless, but they originally led me to want to control the OS. I paid for it, after all. And due to the unselfish contributions of many many freeware creators, I can do it.

 

Now I have to re-learn how to do all that using win 7 64 bit. It will be fun and frustrating and rewarding. Like Hazel pointed out earlier, it is a journey of exploration. I'm looking forward to it.

[JDPower]

That led to the installation of Powershadow. After CCleaner it is my candidate for software of the milinnium milennium millinneum century. With Powershadow running I can be a gadabout on the net, try out software, save and delete files in a temporary folder, etc, secure in the knowledge that C: drive will be back to normal after a normal restart. Irreplaceable software, not available for any OS after win xp.

That's a good point, I use Returnil 2008 (newer versions were bloated and horrible) and find it invaluable for testing stuff, will be lost if I don't find an alternative to that

[login123]

That's a good point, I use Returnil 2008 (newer versions were bloated and horrible) and find it invaluable for testing stuff, will be lost if I don't find an alternative to that

Several forum members made some suggestions here: http://forum.pirifor...ndpost&p=196903 about a year ago.

Of those I have tried Wondershare Time Freeze, Returnil, and also Acronis Try and Decide, which is not free. They all seem to work, but I have given PS the longest run and it has never failed.

 

@ Nergal: That is a good MSDN link too, but imho, they can both be summarized as:

"We have decided that it is won't be profitable to include DVD playback in future windows OSs, so if you want it, you're gonna have to pay extra for it." That is their business decision, and they make a bunch of money so they must be right.

 

I just have a sort of mild dislike for mendacity. One has to tolerate it, but one doesn't have to let it pass unremarked. To wit:

 

The very first sentence in the link I posted is:

"In this post we wanted to update you on Media Center and Windows 8, specifically how we will make sure Windows 8 fully supports the capabilities of Media Center as it is in Windows 7."

Then near the end, after a couple of trips to the bathroom and maybe a nap, it says:

we’ve decided to make Windows Media Center available to Windows 8 customers via the Add Features to Windows 8 control panel (formerly known as Windows Anytime Upgrade). ... Pricing ... will be announced closer to the release date."

 

Then in that link you posted, it mentions that "MPEG-2 decoder costs $2.00 per unit ..." and there are some other costs, and it all amounts to "... well over a billion dollars over the lifecycle of the operating system ..." Then there are a bunch of other words, all of which amount to: NO, we're not gonna include DVD playback for free in win 8.

 

Like Rridgely said, it was non-windows apps that allowed dvd playback anyhow, except apparently for win 7. I confess I had never thought about that. That may partially explain the relatively short life cycle of win 7.

 

Anyway, if you upgrade win 7 to win 8, it will apparently be the pro version, so that is good. And no doubt OEMs will continue to include some sort of DVD player, so that is good. And the pre release version of win 8 had that player, whatever it is called, so that is good.

[Super Fast]

Windows 7 32 & 64 Bit can open a directory with more than 3,500 to 5,000 files without locking up.

 

In XP, if you try to open a folder with 3,500 files, it will slow down a lot. Somewhere between 3,500 & 5,000, XP will lock up & crash no matter how fast your system is or how much RAM. I have one folder with just over 22,000 .EXE files. I also have another folder with over 21,000 high res wallpapers, & another with over 6,000 fonts.

 

Windows 7 (so far) can open every directory I have without lockup.

 

* I hated Windows 7 initially because of 2 things:

 

-> Audio - Creative card had bass & treble controls, so I could take out bass to crank my system while I played drums.

-> Image Viewer -> W7 image viewer is terrible. Try to enlarge pictures, & they get grainy. Try to play animated GIF & it won't. Uses internet browser or media player for that. Not very good when you have GIF files to use, & you like being able to quickly switch to the next or prior like with pictures.

 

Updated with a creative Audigy card for my 7, then found a way to import XP image viewer into 7. Surprisingly, it DOES smoothly enlarge pictures, & it DOES play animated GIF files.

 

So, after I spent time to fix a few bugs, I was pretty satisfied overall with my 7.

_____

 

I don't see 8 being too great from what I have seen, for the following reasons:

 

-> Interface: Getting to the desktop as a tile is a chore.

-> Doing things take more clicks

-> OS is reduced to choosing basic color for a background for your tiles

-> Start Menu has to be manually added back

-> DVD playback must be manually added back, bought, or 3rd party used.

-> Many people do NOT have (or want) mandatory touch interfaces because their large screen TV/Monitors will be full of fingerprints & smudges

-> New UEFI interface, as opposed to BIOS, may lock out freeware vendors such as Ubuntu/Mint/React OS, etc.

-> According to MS, IE10 may become default, with no option to run FF/Opera/Chrome natively. Will be forced to use a form of IE underneath & just apply their skin. Not sure if this is only for Win8 arm devices, or if they will do this for Windows as well.

 

The problem with the direction MS is going, is they are breaking all manner of ways that people are used to doing things. They are also (probably) going to break compatibility with all manner of programs that people have used for years. So, Tax/backup/imaging/other softwares will have to be scrapped as they may or may not work any longer with the new UEFI interface & Windows 8.

 

MS, the way I see it, is on a path to failure with Windows 8. It seems they want to eliminate all competition to Windows, & in addition, make it uglier & harder to use.

This isn't the way to win customers, & if they don't change, I see them failing.

 

It will definitely be very interesting to see if Windows 8 is the make it or break it for MS, & I definitely will have my eyes open to see what happens!

[Winapp2.ini]

the lockout for second party browsers is only on WindowsRT

[login123]

More about DVD playback from the $15 upgrade FAQ site. http://www.windowsup.../en-US/Home/Faq

About 12 questions down is this:

Will DVD playback work after upgrading to Windows 8?

Answer:

For customers who already have third-party playback software, the Windows Upgrade Assistant will help determine if this software is compatible with Windows 8. If your PC is running Windows 7, you will have the option to keep this software during the upgrade to Windows 8. If your PC is running Windows XP or Windows Vista, you will need to reinstall the third-party playback software. Otherwise, you will need to acquire third-party playback software after the upgrade to play DVDs. Alternatively, you can acquire the Windows 8 Media Center Pack after upgrading. This pack includes the ability to play DVDs.

[Icedrake]

According to MS, IE10 may become default, with no option to run FF/Opera/Chrome natively. Will be forced to use a form of IE underneath & just apply their skin. Not sure if this is only for Win8 arm devices, or if they will do this for Windows as well.

Proof?