Windows 8

[techb]

So fable just got a new laptop for her birthday. HP Pavilion DV6. Dual core AMD @ 2.6Ghz, 4Gb RAM, 500Gb HDD, 15.5 in screen HD.

Anyway, it has Windows 8. Second time I'm setting up Win8 and again, after the setup it gives the error "Windows failed to install". Which is false, after running the setup again BOTH user profiles are there and I had to go back in and remove the second one...

Then we discovered it set up an XBox live account all randomly with out warning or anything and generated a user name and everything with out us knowing any of it...

Also be careful cause apps by default gather user info like location and shit out of nowhere, and yes in the setup we opted not to, so recheck your settings.

One and only good thing I found was PowerShell is installed by default which is great. I 'almost' have a *nix shell before going to cygwin.

Everything else is kinda a pain though. Had to set windows media player, the old one, as default. The touch pad mouse didn't support a scroll wheel out of the box, but does have multifinger support like pinch to zoom.

Other crappy config stuff, but meh, what OS doesn't? Driver issues did ensue for 3rd part stuff due to some new signed policy or something, but there are workarounds.

Will be a learning process I guess.

All in all, 6 out if 10. Win7 is by far much much better.

[Snayler]

I've had Windows 8 as my main OS since christmas. Have been trying it to make myself used to it, as I'm going to need the experience for work, most probably. Last week I've finally reverted to Windows 7 (+ Linux), as I couldn't stand W8 anymore. IMO it uses up way too much RAM.

[silenthunder]

I've had Windows 8 as my main OS since christmas. Have been trying it to make myself used to it, as I'm going to need the experience for work, most probably. Last week I've finally reverted to Windows 7 (+ Linux), as I couldn't stand W8 anymore. IMO it uses up way too much RAM.

THANK YOU. Win8 uses up SOO much RAM. This why I have so much trouble playing games anymore, I have to disable sooo much background shit to get it to run like it did with Win7, and some games still don't play smoothly. Win8 was made for the average user who wants everything handed to them (here have a free xbox account), not us people that like everything clean, organized, and fast. The Win8 user settings are BS, personal configuration has been minimized, thank the Nine they left powershell in. I use it as if it is Win7, so there was no point in my upgrading. The only reason I won't switch back to Win7 on this laptop is because I've got some parts for a gaming computer coming in the mail and I'll have a nice Win7 desktop to play all my games on. I'm gonna plug it into my tv and use it strictly as a console.

[Mordred]

At my job I sometimes have to troubleshoot certain issues when the tech team doesn't manage. This is for various companies in the building, and recently I've been confronted with Windows 8 problems. Only one conclusion:

[silenthunder]

Did you actually post an image? it shows up on the quote thing but I don't see an image..

[techb]

I don't see the image either, even when I hit the modify button.

Anyway, the one thing to remember about Win8 is win+x. That key combo will solve many many things. I haven't taken a look at the RAM usage mostly because it isn't mine nor do I really care about it. The most intensive thing fable will do is facebook+youtube at the same time.

[Snayler]

The most intensive thing fable will do is facebook+youtube at the same time.

Well, if she uses chrome with multiple tabs, 4Gb won't be enough. I always got warning messages whining about high RAM usage. Firefox is ok, though.

[techb]

Well, if she uses chrome with multiple tabs, 4Gb won't be enough. I always got warning messages whining about high RAM usage. Firefox is ok, though.

Haven't had that problem yet, but time will tell.

Also kinda irrelevant but here is the windows command to get le serial key.

Code: (bash) [Select]

wmic bios get serialnumber
And a vbs script from microsoft:

Code: [Select]

On Error Resume Next
Dim strComputer
strComputer = InputBox("Enter the name of the computer:")
Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:" & "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & strComputer & "\root\cimv2")
Set colSMBIOS = objWMIService.ExecQuery ("Select * from Win32_SystemEnclosure")
For Each objSMBIOS in colSMBIOS
MsgBox strComputer & ": " & objSMBIOS.SerialNumber
Next
would have used code highlighting, but don't know the code=*** for vbs? Also, are there any in-line code tags?

Found here, and the vbs isn't tested, the regular command does work though.

[gh0st]

ive heard win8 is aweful for gammnig take care

[Kulverstukas]

I'm still rockin' winxp as dual-boot. Best Windows OS, no doubt.

[rasenove]

yeah xp is very good at performing with ease and low memory but unfortunately MS will stop releasing xp updates in 2014 and is not making anything useful that runs on xp. E.G Visual studio 2012 doesnt work on xp, Office 2013 doesnt work on xp etc. they can release an update for xp with latest .net framework so xp can run those widely used softwares, but they wont. MS is slowly throwing xp off the cliff.

also wanted to say XP is awesome for running any game, it needs less ram for its self and leaves the rest for the game. unlike 7, Win7 is a memory hog itself.

[Kulverstukas]

I don't update my win system or use those crappy new office suites, so I don't really care

[KevG]

*cough* 8GB Ram *cough* 

[Corrupted_Fear]

ive heard win8 is aweful for gammnig take care

Not really, once you get past the horrible start menu, you can pretty much use the "Desktop" mode like you would any other PC box. Runs fine with steam, Starcraft, even older games from Spore to Emulators. Hasn't caused any problems to me.

[silenthunder]

Not really, once you get past the horrible start menu, you can pretty much use the "Desktop" mode like you would any other PC box. Runs fine with steam, Starcraft, even older games from Spore to Emulators. Hasn't caused any problems to me.

Try running I Am Alive or other cheap games optimized for windows 7...