Windows 8, 8.1 & 10 versus Windows 7

I have been a power user of Microsoft Windows based desktop operating systems for 20 years, starting with Windows 3.1. I will be honest and state immediately that I strongly dislike Microsoft's most recent OS releases, which obviously includes Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 (Technical Preview). In terms of daily usability, I find Windows 7 to be greatly superior; for me Windows 7 is, by far and away, the best Microsoft OS release. Perhaps my opinion is shared by the overwhelming vast majority of Windows users, since it presently holds a hugely dominating market share compared with all other Windows operating systems.

After installing the latest Windows 10 Technical Preview on a virtual machine, my initial impression is that Microsoft is endeavouring — a bit too much — to compete in the mobile-centric computing market. Furthermore, I dislike its design and the superfluous features. As regards the extraneous features, it appears to me that Microsoft is dumbing down the interface. For example, the system applications, including the Control Panel, are becoming increasingly obscured with each new release.

To users who presently utilise Windows 8, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 installed on a desktop PC or laptop), what do you feel are the benefits of these operating systems in comparison with Windows 7?

I think Windows 8 or 8.1 used with the Classic Start Menu run a bit better (quicker) than W7. It is a pity that MS did not put the performance improvements into W7.

MS want to have common user interface across phones, tablets and PCs. I have already learnt how to use Android on my phone and tablet which are much more portable devices. I don't think that having a common UI is that advantageous.

Hi there

One feature not often mentioned but BRILLIANT is the STORAGE SPACES feature in W8 onwards, You can use ANY combination of HDD's (different capacities etc) to create aggregate Storage spaces and also it IMO works far better than standard SOFTWARE RAID which requires volumes to have the same capacities / geometries.

The storage space feature is great too if you want to have a large multi-media library - you can span this across several HDD's all of different sizes (excellent use for older HDD's).

A lot of programs that access multi-media libraries have problems if the library needs to be larger than the original HDD. With storage spaces simply add another volume.

http://betanews.com/2014/01/15/windo...raid-for-good/



Cheers
jimbo

@Windows
I think I've heard it all when first Vista and then Seven came along from XP fans. So nothing new.

Thanks for the link to the page about Windows Storage Spaces, Jimbo; it does seem like a useful application. I think ReFS is superior to NTFS, the former of which is not supported in Windows 7 (which is a shame). The main feature I like with ReFS is the fact that CHKDSK is obsolete.

Machare, I have viewed a few benchmarks and it does seem to be controversial as to whether or not Windows 8+ does, indeed, run faster than Windows 7; I have seen conflicting results on different benchmark tests. I agree that Microsoft seems to want OS uniformity across all hardware devices, which is fair enough. Microsoft made a major strategic mistake by releasing a tablet operating system (Windows 8) for desktop PCs and laptops, which resulted in an appalling reception from consumers. Windows 8.1, however, appears to be a vast improvement over Windows 8 and, thus, has now overtaken Windows XP in terms of market share.

Alphanumeric, I concur that the Control Panel will eventually be superseded by Settings. Personally, I do not see the point in this. As millions of people are extremely familiar with the Control Panel, why not simply improve upon it in subequent releases? Settings is clearly not a spectacular innovation.

It is clear to me that the majority of experienced Windows users probably choose to upgrade their OS based on specific technical features, such as ReFS and DirectX 12 (in Windows 10). Therefore, it is seemingly a case of prioritisation. For me, I prioritise familiarity, simplicity, user interface design and general user interaction over the aforementioned new technical features (I must admit I am fond of ReFS, though). As such, for me, Windows 7 Professional (x64) reigns supreme in these regards.

alphanumeric said:

Apps already have their own set of Settings and other aspects of the Modern UI are already in Settings. I would think its easier to just move everything into the one UI. I think its easier to just move stuff from Control panel to settings than the other way around.

I can see where you're coming from. However, I cannot help but feel that Windows users are being forced into this mobile-centric market in which "tablets", "smart phones", "apps" and "the cloud" dominate proceedings. Personally, I have zero interest in "tablets", "smart phones", "apps", nor could I care less about "the cloud". Moreover, it is abundantly clear to me that Microsoft, with Windows 10, is creating overly simplistic and superficial programs that obscure the core system applications of Windows, hence taking more control away from the user. I feel that it is primarily designed for, and marketed toward, the casual user.