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+--- Thread: OS (/showthread.php?tid=12321)
OS - Grunldesnapp - 12-25-2012
Im running Win XP (32 bit i think) on my old ass alienware computer. Anyways i want to upgrade the OS to well....something i can run XCOM on. Which OS do youse recommend? 7
Re: OS - strife - 12-25-2012
Either Windows 7 or 8. If you can run 64 bit, I would go with that.
Me personally, I would get Windows 8, but I know a bunch of people here dislike it. If you've never used Windows 7, there's still going to be a slight learning curve from Windows XP to Windows 7 or 8.
Just whatever you do, don't upgrade to Vista
Re: OS - Slamz - 12-25-2012
Yeah, personally I'd get 8 just to see what all the hubbub is about, if I was still running XP.
Can't go wrong with Windows 7 though.
Re: OS - Snowreap - 12-25-2012
I don't know if you can even get Windows 7 any more. but if you get Windows 8 there's apparently some way to make it work like Windows 7.
-ken
Re: OS - Diggles - 12-25-2012
Windows 7 or you'll regret it
Re: OS - grizzle - 12-26-2012
Go with Windows 8. There are numerous performance increases which are nice, and other feature updates. Take the time to get through the learning curve now. Metro isn't going away anytime soon, if ever, so might as well acclimate to it sooner rather than later. And, if after giving it the ole college try, you still don't like it, then you can install Start8, and it'll be just like Win7.
Re: OS - Snowreap - 12-27-2012
I've been using Windows 8 for a couple of days now, on a convertible laptop/tablet (Dell XPS 12). so I finally feel qualified to weigh in on this.
learning to use Windows 7 is easy if you're coming from Vista or XP, or even Windows 2000. learning to use Windows 8 is much, much harder.
if you are going to learn to use Windows 8 (specifically the Metro UI), the best way is to use a computer with a touchscreen. it doesn't matter much whether it's a full-blown laptop or a tablet. even a Windows 8 phone would probably be ok. if you can't get a touchscreen, consider getting a new mouse or touchpad that has full support for Windows 8 gestures (e.g. one of the new Logitech or Microsoft touch mice).
the touchscreen gestures do make some sense once you (a) find out that they exist and (b) get used to them. the mouse equivalents for the touchscreen gestures do not make sense in and of themselves -- they only make sense if you think of them as substitutes for the corresponding gestures. using Windows 8 without knowing how to access the "charms" menu (which slides in from the right side of the screen) or the context menu (which slides up from the bottom) will be an exercise in frustration for anything except the most trivial tasks.
also, I don't know if this is specifically an XPS 12 hardware / drivers issue, but Windows 8 locks up a lot for me. in particular, I installed the Microsoft Solitaire Collection (to get FreeCell) and the system consistently locks up midway through the Klondike Card Challenge for December 23 (in the Daily Challenges). most other challenges work fine, or if they do lock up the first time I can retry them successfully. once the machine locks up, it seems like it will eventually restart itself if I let the machine sit. as usual with a new Windows release, it's a good idea to continue to use the previous operating system until the first service pack at least. but it's my understanding that Microsoft has made Windows 7 hard to get at this point.
Windows 8 does boot up *very* fast. this might be because the machine I'm using has an SSD.
-ken
Re: OS - Diggles - 12-27-2012
Installing these programs should be the first thing you do with any PC-laptop that shipped with Win8 that isnt going to be a content zombie (ie..laptop you do nothing but watch netflix/hulu and email from)
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Re: OS - Snowreap - 01-07-2013
I installed Windows 8 on my 'gaming' PC this weekend. because I was previously running XP 64-bit, upgrading was not possible so I had to boot from DVD and perform a fresh install. this computer doesn't have a touch screen or a touch mouse, just a Logitech G700 mouse along with my trusty G13 and G510.
so far things are working ok, more or less. Logitech Gaming Software won't autostart with admin rights (this is due to UAC and has been a problem since Vista) but everything else I've tried seems to work ok. so far I've installed:
Logitech Gaming Software
TeamSpeak 3
Steam
Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Agent
AMD Catalyst 12.6
Google Chrome
Guild Wars 2
Planetside 2
Rift
things have gone smoothly in large part because I had some previous experience with Windows 8. if this had been my first experience with Windows 8 I would have been very lost. I need to say this again: try to make your first Windows 8 experience one that involves a touchscreen. once you know how to use Windows 8 with a touchscreen, running it with a regular keyboard and mouse will be much easier.
I will hopefully be able to upgrade the big-screen PC to Windows 8 within a few weeks. that machine has a 50" plasma display and is built for content consumption, so Windows 8 should be particularly well-suited to it. right now it's running XP Pro 32-bit and I recently upgraded it from 2GB to 4GB RAM, and from a Core 2 Duo E6400 (2.13GHz) to a Core 2 Extreme X6800 (2.93GHz). I also have a 1GB Radeon HD4850 ready and waiting to go in (to replace a 512MB HD4850) but I won't do that until after it's running a 64-bit OS.
-ken