My Review of Windows 8


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Windows 8 is a great operating system. I was apprehensive at first, but after using it for several months I really love it.  It has many innovative features like the Start Screen, the one for all design, some of the new desktop features like the new task manager. The performance of Windows 8 is much improved over Windows 7. Users who used Windows 7 that start using Windows 8 will notice a considerable difference. The reliability of Windows 8 is also very good, I have had zero issues. Backwards compatibility is good, I can run programs dating back to 1998 without any issues (except 16 bit programs). Windows 8 retains all of the great things from Windows 7 like the new calculator, paint, the new Windows media player, etc. As for Modern start screen, it features good useful and fun apps. The start screen is a much more improved start menu. First, its much easier to find programs, its cleaner, and its more organized. The start screen most importantly also runs modern apps as well as launching regular ones. Internet Explorer 10 is a lot better in Windows 8 as well, such as performance, loading webpages etc. Blue Screens of deaths are now simplified, but are still not good if you get them.  Some of the menu options are put in either the modern interface or the desktop, which is controversial. Windows 8 also has many things integrated like sky drive and outlook. Windows 8 is more secure than Windows 7 because it include baked in Anti-virus.

 

 

 

User Interface

Half of Windows 8 is Windows 7-esque and the other half is Windows 8-esque. Its a fully functional interface and very good.  On the other hand, I would have liked to have the legacy UIs like the Aero and Classic 9x styles

 

 

Performance

Windows 8 is much better in booting up, and shutting down. Opening programs and everything is also excellent.

 

Reliability

Windows 8 has been very reliable so far, however, I have gotten 1 BSOD but that is it.

 

Features

Windows 8 is feature rich like in the desktop and the modern. The desktop offers all of the great features of Windows 7 with some additions like the new task manager and more. The modern interface offers a full range of interesting and useful apps. The app I use the most in Modern is the weather  and that's just about it.

 

Security

Windows 8 has antivirus built in which makes Windows 8 more secure than 7. I have not put it to the test as I installed Avast on Windows 8 so I cannot make judgment.

 

Backwards Compatibility

 

I have run the game Freddie Fish from early 90s and games like Half Life and Need For Speed II. Windows 8  will run old programs like any other Windows. However, 64 bit versions of Windows 8 will not allow 16 but programs to run especially ones depending on DOS.

 

 

Conclusion

Windows 8 is a sound, innovative and very controversial operating system. It offers many great features and improvements over Windows 7. Change is necessary to move forward, so users will need to use the new Start screen in order to get accustomed to it. Like me, many users have vehemently protested  using Windows 8, but users will like Windows 8 when they use it every day. If you are running XP or Windows Vista, I recommend the jump to Windows 8. If you are running Windows 7, Windows 8 offers considerable improvements over Windows 7 but is up to you to decide to upgrade or not.

 

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Windows 8 is a great operating system. I was apprehensive at first, but after using it for several months I really love it.  It has many innovative features like the Start Screen, the one for all design, some of the new desktop features like the new task manager. The performance of Windows 8 is much improved over Windows 7. Users who used Windows 7 that start using Windows 8 will notice a considerable difference. The reliability of Windows 8 is also very good, I have had zero issues. Backwards compatibility is good, I can run programs dating back to 1998 without any issues (except 16 bit programs). Windows 8 retains all of the great things from Windows 7 like the new calculator, paint, the new Windows media player, etc. As for Modern start screen, it features good useful and fun apps. The start screen is a much more improved start menu. First, its much easier to find programs, its cleaner, and its more organized. The start screen most importantly also runs modern apps as well as launching regular ones. Internet Explorer 10 is a lot better in Windows 8 as well, such as performance, loading webpages etc. Blue Screens of deaths are now simplified, but are still not good if you get them.  Some of the menu options are put in either the modern interface or the desktop, which is controversial. Windows 8 also has many things integrated like sky drive and outlook. Windows 8 is more secure than Windows 7 because it include baked in Anti-virus.

 

 

 

User Interface

Half of Windows 8 is Windows 7-esque and the other half is Windows 8-esque. Its a fully functional interface and very good.  On the other hand, I would have liked to have the legacy UIs like the Aero and Classic 9x styles

 

 

Performance

Windows 8 is much better in booting up, and shutting down. Opening programs and everything is also excellent.

 

Reliability

Windows 8 has been very reliable so far, however, I have gotten 1 BSOD but that is it.

 

Features

Windows 8 is feature rich like in the desktop and the modern. The desktop offers all of the great features of Windows 7 with some additions like the new task manager and more. The modern interface offers a full range of interesting and useful apps. The app I use the most in Modern is the weather  and that's just about it.

 

Security

Windows 8 has antivirus built in which makes Windows 8 more secure than 7. I have not put it to the test as I installed Avast on Windows 8 so I cannot make judgment.

 

Backwards Compatibility

 

I have run the game Freddie Fish from early 90s and games like Half Life and Need For Speed II. Windows 8  will run old programs like any other Windows. However, 64 bit versions of Windows 8 will not allow 16 but programs to run especially ones depending on DOS.

 

 

Conclusion

Windows 8 is a sound, innovative and very controversial operating system. It offers many great features and improvements over Windows 7. Change is necessary to move forward, so users will need to use the new Start screen in order to get accustomed to it. Like me, many users have vehemently protested  using Windows 8, but users will like Windows 8 when they use it every day. If you are running XP or Windows Vista, I recommend the jump to Windows 8. If you are running Windows 7, Windows 8 offers considerable improvements over Windows 7 but is up to you to decide to upgrade or not.

It depends on the installer (and whether any workarounds exist).  Most older Windows games use 16-bit installers, which won't work on any x64 flavor of Windows.  My toughie is Microsoft's own Fury3 - which uses a 16-bit installer.  However, the workaround is the drag-and-drop method from the CD or mounted ISO image (the FURY3 directory/folder on the CD is the one you want to grab).  You have to use the keyboard - however, if you've played the game on any NT-based OS, that is, in fact, normal.  (Fury3 was, in fact, the first Microsoft-published game to work on NT 3.51 Workstation out of the box.)  If you frequent either GOG or GreenMan Gaming for your vintage-games fix, you're in luck - their new installer is fully x64-ready, and works just fine in Windows 8 (or 8.1, for that matter).

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