Should I take the plunge? ....head first or feet first?

[techristian]

Into Windows 8 that is. I have been having trouble for the past 5 days with my video software, not accepting the codec from one of my cameras, then choking, not even 1% into rendering, so I was going to put together a CLEAN system JUST for video (with swappable boot drive) but XP won't let me install anymore. So I'm thinking that my video software Corel/Ulead Video Studio Pro 11 is only a few years old now and should run on 8 ?? (yes I still haven't bought the Adobe package yet) 

Now I see that Windows 8 PRO is only $69.95 in Walmart, which is tempting , but then there is a 32/64 bit version and a 64 bit version?  Head first would be directly into the 64 bit version, (already running Ubuntu 64 on this system) Feet first would be a 32 or 32/64 version.

Anyway, I want something that works. I don't want to be another beta tester for Microsoft.

 

Dan

 

 

[blue2blue]

I was horrified by the Metro UI that is what most users apparently see. It limits the machine to one thing at a time. Forget transferring data between windows, forget, even, multiple tabs on browsers. You only see one window at a time. If you figure out how to open multiple websites in separate browser windows you have to back out of one, use the stupid interface to navigate to another, and then open it, where it takes up the whole screen.  They replaced a one-click tab-switch with an involved, context-changing process that involves a series of clicks and transistions.

It is the most idiotic thing I have seen in nearly 3 decades of desktop computing.

Now, I only used it once, I had real work that we were struggling to get done (the computer owner was even more clueless than I), so my first impression is just that.

I'm told that, 'lurking underneath' is something vaguely like the desktop multi-windowing Windows we've come to know over the years But we didn't have time to dig around and nothing was particularly obvious or intuitive in the new Metro interface.

It was a truly awful experience.

 

With regard to video software, I'm sure you've heard this before but, having used some Corel/Ulead software in the past, I'm thinking you may be missing a bet if you haven't tried Sony's Vegas. I'm running Vegas 10 on XP and it works very well. Real time preview with effects works fine, as long as I keep the window small if the effects are heavy. Video rendering is about the only time my 7 year old, very cheap machine feels behind the times (due to the efficiency of XP). But it's not that bad. I just do something else on the computer or elsewhere (obviously, when video rendering, devoting the whole computer to it speeds it; nonetheless, I'm someone who believes in multitasking. While we've still got it.

[nat whilk II]

I'm still finding myself backing programs out of Win7 and back over to my other XP setup due to Win7 weirdness. Latest one is that Win7 can't seem to find my wireless USB receiver/transmitter while XP has no problem - and it's a NEW receiver/transmitter.

 

So Win8 is not exactly on my horizon yet.

 

This quote from the Wall Street Journal review of Win8 - "The industry really wants you to get Windows 8 via an all-new PC, and most people who adopt it will go that route. But, if you don't, or can't, and have even a three-year-old PC, you may want to just stick with the Windows you've got."

 

Even the government does a better job than Microsoft these days it seems....

 

nat whilk ii

[bookumdano3]

....."Anyway, I want something that works. I don't want to be another beta tester for Microsoft...."

 

Last time I felt like that was windows95.  Win 7 was a joyful, painless move for me from xp.  Win8 is the same....grab it now online for $40 since the promo price ends in two days.

I ignore any badmouthing of win8 because....

1. the new layout doesn't bother me and

2. You can change most anything... even have a start menu back if you want... pin tiles to the taskbar.. whatever you want in geektweakdom is there for the Win8 user.

Win7 support is now out to 2020 so that's an option for you.  Win8 support is now out to 2030. So... support on either of those isn't really an issue.

Win8 is cool.  And fun to explore.  I'd jump in all the way with a fresh install while the os price is dirt cheap...and simply move forward on that for the next 15 years.  Or at least until win9 hits.

As an aside... how do I change the "new contributor" thing under the avatar here?  Maybe to "nude contributor" or something more interesting.