you need to work with win8 if you want to accept it else it's a pain in the ass for a week of 2

after that you know what does what and than you can be happy because it's good.

I haven't seen bad things yet with win8

You haven't see bad things? How?

You've actually made the Windows 8.1 start screen really nice. Didn't know that was possible.

Thanks. Yeah Windows 8 can actually be a lot of fun to customize if you're even a little bit "artistically inclined". I love game box art, so I use that for tiles and I love abstract CG backgrounds so I use that for my base (I prefer using a different one than my wallpaper) and believe it or not that's a stock one from the Windows 8.1 update. In a way I wish I could do more. I have WAY more games than are shown on my start screen. I don't have a monitor large enough to show them all off without scrolling so I only put "what's hot" on the start screen, such as the Battlefield 4 tile. I was considering making one of Elder Scrolls Online back when I was in closed beta, so I could show off, but I got lazy.

If you ever get Windows 8, Jay, get 'Oblytile'. Free app, lets you make your own tiles. There are tons on the web, but I can make my own with Photoshop.

If you ever get Windows 8, Jay, get 'Oblytile'. Free app, lets you make your own tiles. There are tons on the web, but I can make my own with Photoshop.

Now I am inclined to try it out.. That is a nice start screen! Nice work. 

Now I am inclined to try it out.. That is a nice start screen! Nice work. 

Thanks, it's pretty easy. All of the Photoshop ones I downloaded from the web, about 1/3 of the game box ones I made on my own. I take pride in the way my computer looks on the outside, so I like the OS screen to be nice and modern looking too.

You haven't see bad things? How?

how just seeing nothing strange that is a wow factor of it sucks?

You haven't see bad things? How?

Because he's actually used it and knows how to operate a mouse and keyboard. There's almost zero difference between this and Windows 7, barring the start screen which is now optional due to the 8.1 update.

So I spent a couple of days with it, so far it's:

1.) Reset all of my start screen customizations including all of the tiles I took time to make.

2.) Made my computer take much longer to boot on the first few start-ups (now it's behaving normally).

3.) Required immediate updates even after the patch was applied.

4.) Come with an even less straight forward version of Windows Update.

5.) Nearly tricked me into thinking I have to have a Microsoft account to use this.

6.) Turned on Stereoscopic 3D on in all my games without asking, or even telling me. And I don't even have a 3D capable display. I had to figure it out the hard way.

I've read the list of benefits to the 8.1 upgrade, and I can probably confidently say that I won't notice a single one of them, as the new changes are simply there to appease upgrading crybabies who don't want to click the block that says 'Desktop' when they turn the PC on, or need a crazy amount of application splitting. There's nothing for me in this update. Installing Windows 8 was very fast and easy and once everything was set up, it worked great. This update was a headache.

Here's a screenshot of my start screen now that I reset it. I still have a little more work to do:

 

 

Is that... Ope... Opera?

 

I didn't think anybody actually used that.

Yes, if you read it it says 'Opera' on the tile. That browser gives me the least amount of trouble of any that I use. I do find Chrome to load pages a tad faster, though.

Is that... Ope... Opera?

 

I didn't think anybody actually used that.

 

I find Opera to be a lot better than Chrome (actually I hate Chrome). I just don't get why so many people love this browser...

Personally Windows8 just isn't my thing. I like my start menu where it is in Windows7. At least for a desktop operating system, however for a tablet Windows8 isn't bad because the metro screen works great on a native touch screen environment. Plus on a tablet its much better than Windows7 because it was mainly designed for touch screen devices. 

To clarify, this topic isn't about Windows 8 or how you don't like it vs. Windows 7 or XP. There's already a thread for that It's about people who have Windows 8.1 and what their experience with it was.

Update: The OS hasn't given me any further troubles since I turned of the stereoscopic 3D and reset my start screen. I spoke to a friend of mine who is a Microsoft rep and he said it was because I didn't have my copy of Windows linked to a Microsoft account. If you have an MS account, it saves your settings. If you use a local account, it does not. I've also found out on my own that the support lifespan for Windows 8 is only for two more years, but 8.1 will extend far beyond that. They're going to be treating it less like a service pack and more like an actual OS, apparently. So... they're taking the course Apple's been taking for years now.

Edited October 27, 201312 yr by unr3al

I'm thinking of upgrading my Windows 7 PC. I need some solid reviews before I buy it though. 

I wouldn't recommend Windows 8, I tried it and really, it's not built for gaming. I tried installing Driver San Francisco, it installed fine but upon launching, it told me that my operating system wasn't supported (at that time Windows 8). Personally I prefer Windows 8 over Windows 7, but since I mostly play games, I decided to revert back to Windows 7.

I wouldn't recommend Windows 8, I tried it and really, it's not built for gaming. I tried installing Driver San Francisco, it installed fine but upon launching, it told me that my operating system wasn't supported (at that time Windows 8). Personally I prefer Windows 8 over Windows 7, but since I mostly play games, I decided to revert back to Windows 7.

That's a developer/publisher problem, not a Microsoft problem. You have to rely on 3rd parties to make drivers and updates for their stuff, and quite often a lot of them are too lazy or don't want to spend money to pay programmers to do it. It's one of the biggest reasons Vista got a bad reputation. No drivers for anything, so a lot of the stuff people bought 7 years before its release didn't work, and they blamed Microsoft for it.

 

I've had zero problems with video games on Windows 8. It actually boosts game frame rates by about 2% even without a graphics card.

 

For your particular game problem though, you might try running Drivers San Francisco in Windows 7 compatibility mode and see how that works. I had to do that with a wi-fi card that didn't have a Windows 8 driver. Installed and worked like a charm after that, though.

There's a pattern -

 

XP - good

 

Vista - scourge of worlds

 

win7 - will put you in heaven

 

win8 - kick it out the gate

 

win9 - don't worry, it'll be fine

There's a pattern -

 

XP - good

 

Vista - scourge of worlds

 

win7 - will put you in heaven

 

win8 - kick it out the gate

 

win9 - don't worry, it'll be fine

XP was one of the best ones, Vista was... Well. Vista. 7 is my favorite.

Now, to Windows 8. It's basically Windows 7 with touch functions (and other added functions, some pretty neat functions to). I would not throw it out the Window.

How is 8.1 vs. 7 as opposed to 8 vs. 7?

I'm considering getting a VM of 8.1. Is it worth trying out?

Were can i download Windows 8.1 cause its not showing up in my market

Were can i download Windows 8.1 cause its not showing up in my market

This link should do it: (ms-windows-store:WindowsUpgrade). 

It just takes me to the store and nothing shows up but other apps

 

How is 8.1 vs. 7 as opposed to 8 vs. 7?

I'm considering getting a VM of 8.1. Is it worth trying out?

From what I understand, Windows 8.1 won't force you to the Start Screen. There's probably more updates and other aesthetic changes. 

 

It just takes me to the store and nothing shows up but other apps

What about this one? (http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Windows-8.1/productID.288401200)