Your main desktop operating system for 2013

[KingCracker]

Windows 7, I can't get use to a touch screen oriented operating system on a desktop that doesn't have a touch screen monitor.

[Nashy]

I agree with you on that, but strictly comparing Windows 8 Desktop Environment w/Start8 to Windows 7, Windows 8 is better. You can consider all the stuff you don't like extras you can ignore. The cost, right now, isn't bad either.

Start8 doesn't compeltely remove Metro. It doesn't take the settings out of Metro. It doesn't add a close button to these stupid Metro apps.

I'm not like most of the users who are whinging based on other people. I paid my money for it. I used it. And I got a refund from MS for it.

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

For me, so far, it would be Windows 8 with StartIsBack. It's absolutely amazing on the same hardware that 7 sometimes had a problem with. I'm loving it! But hey, that's just me. Different strokes for different folks. ;)

[ingramator]

Start8 doesn't compeltely remove Metro. It doesn't take the settings out of Metro. It doesn't add a close button to these stupid Metro apps.

I'm not like most of the users who are whinging based on other people. I paid my money for it. I used it. And I got a refund from MS for it.

You do understand that you are by no means forced to use metro apps in any way shape or form. As the other user pointed out, with start 8, you can do absolutely everything on the desktop. Combine that with decor8 and you will never see the modernUI, ever.

Anyway. My main desktop OS for 2013 will be Windows 8 Pro (I will have numerous other instances on separate machines and multibooted including Ubuntu 12.10, Linux Mint 10, Windows 7, XP, 2K, OSX 10.8, Debian Wheezy) for servers I will be running Server 2012 ( with still a few server 2008 to upgrade, Redhat Enterprise, Ubuntu 12.04, Solaris 10 and a few other Linux/UNIX ones). My main embedded OS will hopefully be WinCE 8 :D!!

[Nashy]

You do understand that you are by no means forced to use metro apps in any way shape or form. As the other user pointed out, with start 8, you can do absolutely everything on the desktop. Combine that with decor8 and you will never see the modernUI, ever.

Anyway. My main desktop OS for 2013 will be Windows 8 Pro (I will have numerous other instances on separate machines and multibooted including Ubuntu 12.10, Linux Mint 10, Windows 7, XP, 2K, OSX 10.8, Debian Wheezy) for servers I will be running Server 2012 ( with still a few server 2008 to upgrade, Redhat Enterprise, Ubuntu 12.04, Solaris 10 and a few other Linux/UNIX ones). My main embedded OS will hopefully be WinCE 8 :D!!

Go create a new user account. Get back to me about not being forced to use it.

[REM2000]

Mac OSX 10.8, still my personal choice. It works well with my workflows and generally how i use a computer.

[MorganX]

Go create a new user account. Get back to me about not being forced to use it.

For something like PC Settings, I actually think the Metro UI is preferable. Doing these things full screen is OK, and I find it easier to navigate and find choices much quicker. The personalize screen for instance is just more efficient. The Modern UI is good at some things. How MS transitions between Modern UI and Explorer UI is just kinda clumsy. In all honesty, I'm not sure how much better they could have done. Updating the Start Menu to what Start8 is would have been nice, but if Metro in general, even where it works, is distasteful, I'm not sure you'll be happy from here on out unfortunately.

[Terrigamer]

Windows 8 with no third-partying. Any problem I would have had from a missing start menu is non-existent with the Win-x menu.

[nMIK-3]

Windows 8 everywhere. Home, work, tablet and WP8 on phone.

[redfish]

Windows 3.1. I tried Windows 95 back in the day, but I couldn't tolerate it, so I downgraded. If I wanted a desktop environment with folders, I would have bought MacOS. Program Manager FTW.

[Noir Angel]

Now using Windows 8. With start is back and the theme from the RP.

[Orange Battery]

Unfortunately its going to be 7. There is nothing wrong with 7, but this is the first time I have ever wanted to downgrade in order to stay efficient.

I remember when Win 95 came out, totally amazing, then 98 and 98 SE, both great. I got Win ME and was one of those who actually didn't jump on the hate bandwagon or move to 2000. XP was something I loved from the start, I was a freak i guess as I loved the blue start taskbar of Luna. Vista didn't work for me, it was all over the place and something I didn't like, Win 7 sorted that out and got everything back on track. A true return to the core Windows OS I loved.

Win 8 is made for people who use touch, I use a desktop and find its default UI annoying. After so many years of computer use, i have a bit of RSI in my hands and the Start Page and all its mouse clicking requires, well it just hurts.

I have always been a lover of innovation, if it makes things quicker then give it to me. Windows 8 didn't make things quicker, it made mouse users learn to live with alternatives to touch.

Touch is great on a tablet but in all honesty was happy with Android. Windows was my hub, with 8 it became my compromise, and then my waste of money when I went back to 7.

Dont mix the Desktop with touch. We all have touch enabled devices but when it comes to the core hub of the "digital world" then a desktop and all its power needs an OS that evolved from Win 7, not something that added a few features to Explorer but made everything Touch enabled by default.

[Noir Angel]

I personally never found ME to be more or less unstable than any of Microsoft's other 9x products, however I would say that choosing to ditch them and go NT for all was a smart move.

[medhunter]

Ubuntu 12.10 x64 for now.Have you asked a month ago, I 'd have gone with windows 7.But I was compelled to stay most of my uptime on Ubuntu.

[Orange Battery]

I personally never found ME to be more or less unstable than any of Microsoft's other 9x products, however I would say that choosing to ditch them and go NT for all was a smart move.

Agreed

[Nashy]

For something like PC Settings, I actually think the Metro UI is preferable. Doing these things full screen is OK, and I find it easier to navigate and find choices much quicker. The personalize screen for instance is just more efficient. The Modern UI is good at some things. How MS transitions between Modern UI and Explorer UI is just kinda clumsy. In all honesty, I'm not sure how much better they could have done. Updating the Start Menu to what Start8 is would have been nice, but if Metro in general, even where it works, is distasteful, I'm not sure you'll be happy from here on out unfortunately.

I don't.

[medhunter]

same here.can't stand it

[MorganX]

I don't.

I really do understand.

[paxa]

going to keep my windows 7 ultimate 64 bits for now. i've got so much stuff. college and work related and now i'm on lazy mode. focusing strictly on college now. maybe when i have more vacation days. i will give it a go

[neo158]

Windows 8 and, possibly, Ubuntu 12.04LTS installed using Wubi.

[Joshie]

Windows 7 then Linux Mint. i will be avoiding Windows 8. There are several things i don't like about it such as: Forcing me to create a MS account( A hotmail account which i didn't want) and before i could browse the web i was forced to verify myself. No thanks.

In no way is anyone ever "forced" to create a Microsoft account. This has been brought up before and covered extensively.

If you feel that you should have the right to use the Windows app store without creating an account to manage your purchases with like every other ecosystem in the universe, then your feelings are misplaced. If, on the other hand, you have no interest in the Windows 8 ecosystem, you will never encounter a feature that requires a Microsoft ID. Chill.

[devBrian]

Mac OSX Mountain Lion w/ Windows 7 x64 Ultimate on Macbook Pro

Windows 8 x64 Pro on desktop PC.

[tim_s]

Probably Windows 7 for at-least 6 more months. + Mac / Linux (latest and greatest)

I would be interested in hearing from the FreeBSD people - I ran my desktop on FreeBSD for about 6 months but went back to Gentoo.

[Archstroke]

Still rocking win7 here on my main machine, backup machine, and media server. Win8 on the netbook.

[_neutrino Veteran]

Windows 7 Ultimate x64