Need Win 8.1 Experienced Users!

[Pacheon]

First of all, this has been written with a tablet, which includes more than 5 languages. So don't mind my typos!

Hello everybody! I am currently thinking about switching to Windows 8.1.

A simple reason, my new high-end rig has some special features related to it, which involves faster booting from SSD, faster read/write procedures as well on the SSD, speeding up regular HDDs, etc.

I have some conditions about the "must be check before can switch".

First of all: performance. There are a lot of win7 vs win8 vs win8.1 comparisons out there, about gaming performance, engine quality, OS stability due developer environment (SQL, C++, PHP, HTML5, CSS3, WEBPHP, etc.), abd so on.

I am pretty busy with Photoshop as well, taking it right next to the stuff mentioned above. Did anyone made experiences on those?

Are MSSQL 2012 Server clusters with ODBC working fine on Win8.1?

How about server hosting via apache/zend/etc?

How are codes written in C# based on Win7 SP1+ and higher working on Win8.1? I know that vice versa, running simple shutdown parameters on Win7 will crash the whole OS lol.

How about gaming?

I did just tested warframe on my new rig. Hilariously fine. The particles, effects, even never seen light effects e.g. if a mag casts her pull nearby, it will flash a bit. Just awesome. But is it the same on... You guessed right.

My specs are as listed here (shouldn't be that hard translating the headers from german to english):

http://www.sysprofile.de/id188977 (sorry if there are any ads or such. Regularly using ad blockers, so, don't blame me) ;)

Anyone feel free to answer, but don't mock on anyone. If you have nothing real to say, just please spare it and leave this thread in peace, thanks.

[Nah_NotReally]

Beware of the people who fear change.

 

Windows 8.1 is pretty good, but Windows 10 will be coming out relatively soon so I suggest just waiting for the free upgrade to see if you should just skip to the newest version. Supposed to be available as a free upgrade for a year. I'll get a source in a bit.

 

Edit: Source

 

Info is slightly different. Have them send you that email for more.

Edited May 20, 2015 by Joenorthrup

[Gale47]

From personal experience, 8.1 is much faster in games at the time of writing than both 7 and 10. It's also fairly reliable and every possible program works on it. I'm quite happy with it, and have installed a shell that removes the dreaded tablet interface too.

I do recommend it.

[paul62626]

i enjoy both 7 and 8.1 but i will go ahead and warn that windows 10 is free to upgrade from 7 or 8.1 so you might just wait for that

[8LJR2]

Tried photoshop in 8.1: works fine

hosted an apache server(haven't tried others): works fine 

overall, 8.1 is faster and i love the metro UI.

[Pacheon]

Ok. Could give the 8.1 a shot, might being able to get a share licence from my buddy.

So overall, it isn't that bad, as people experienced Vista... Was pretty disappointed from it. Win7 could have been a free upgrade for Vista, IMHO.

Any else recommendations about Win8.1 features, which Win7 lacks in?

Besides of the UI. :P

[Sixty5]

8.1 does everything 7 does, and does it better for the most part.

I can't advise on the specific examples, given that I haven't tried all of them enough to say for sure, but unless they run on Net Framework 1.X they should run without issues, though older programs may be forced to run in windowed mode rather than full screen.

Programs on net framework 1.X are the only things I have seen issues with, but you can get around them pretty easily with a cleaning program put out by Microsoft.

Though on a fresh install of 8.1 that shouldn't be a problem.

More so the problem comes about if you are upgrading.

Also if you really can't stand the UI, you can install something like Classicshell that will give you the windows 7 start bar.

Personally it isn't an issue for me, since I typically use run, or a shortcut to get to where I want.

Edited May 21, 2015 by Sixty5

[(PSN)Pharen]

First of all, this has been written with a tablet, which includes more than 5 languages. So don't mind my typos!

Hello everybody! I am currently thinking about switching to Windows 8.1.

A simple reason, my new high-end rig has some special features related to it, which involves faster booting from SSD, faster read/write procedures as well on the SSD, speeding up regular HDDs, etc.

I have some conditions about the "must be check before can switch".

First of all: performance. There are a lot of win7 vs win8 vs win8.1 comparisons out there, about gaming performance, engine quality, OS stability due developer environment (SQL, C++, PHP, HTML5, CSS3, WEBPHP, etc.), abd so on.

I am pretty busy with Photoshop as well, taking it right next to the stuff mentioned above. Did anyone made experiences on those?

Are MSSQL 2012 Server clusters with ODBC working fine on Win8.1?

How about server hosting via apache/zend/etc?

How are codes written in C# based on Win7 SP1+ and higher working on Win8.1? I know that vice versa, running simple shutdown parameters on Win7 will crash the whole OS lol.

How about gaming?

I did just tested warframe on my new rig. Hilariously fine. The particles, effects, even never seen light effects e.g. if a mag casts her pull nearby, it will flash a bit. Just awesome. But is it the same on... You guessed right.

My specs are as listed here (shouldn't be that hard translating the headers from german to english):

http://www.sysprofile.de/id188977 (sorry if there are any ads or such. Regularly using ad blockers, so, don't blame me) ;)

Anyone feel free to answer, but don't mock on anyone. If you have nothing real to say, just please spare it and leave this thread in peace, thanks.

Wait for 10. My experience with 8 has led me to call it vista 2. Due to it's incredibly bad stability. Start up failures: multiple, random crashes: tick, Hanging processes: tick. Worst OS ever.

[CelticMoss]

Wait for 10. My experience with 8 has led me to call it vista 2. Due to it's incredibly bad stability. Start up failures: multiple, random crashes: tick, Hanging processes: tick. Worst OS ever.

Something is wrong with your install i had my computer not crash with software for 2 years i have crashed with my hardware.

[Pacheon]

Wait for 10. My experience with 8 has led me to call it vista 2. Due to it's incredibly bad stability. Start up failures: multiple, random crashes: tick, Hanging processes: tick. Worst OS ever.

Well actually that was what I heard, too. But you were using Win8 instead of 8.1, if I comprehend it correctly from your context?

[elixze]

Or you could wait for next month or the month after and get a free upgrade to windows 10? I tested win10 myself, goes very smooth, but it had many bugs back then, well that was last year!

[SHIR0B0N]

I enjoy 7 much more than 8.1. I have weird issues with 8.1, such as some installed programs not working after SP1 and explorer hanging. Yes you read that, explorer.exe itself, hangs. It is faster than 7 but I still prefer 7. Heck, when Win10 comes out, I'm ditching Win8.1. Within a heartbeat.

Edited May 21, 2015 by SHIR0B0N

[Pacheon]

Actually, I need to know as well about the version upgrading.

I am using Win7 Ultimate (32/64bit doesn't matter in this case) for years now, and wondering about the upgrade to Win10 will it be some kind of version linked/privileged upgrade?

For instance

Win7 home = Win10 A-ish

Win7 Prof = Win10 Advanced

Win7 Ulti = Win10 Galleon

?

I am exclusively using only the "highest" version of the OSs out on the market, due to its features like covering regular issuing, server stuff, bitlocking, etc., and I am not even sure in what Win8.1 equals about the tier of Win7's Ultimate. Is it the Win8.1 Enterprise?

Kind of confusing... If yes, hell... that's quite expensive, still...

[Sixty5]

Actually, I need to know as well about the version upgrading.

I am using Win7 Ultimate (32/64bit doesn't matter in this case) for years now, and wondering about the upgrade to Win10 will it be some kind of version linked/privileged upgrade?

For instance

Win7 home = Win10 A-ish

Win7 Prof = Win10 Advanced

Win7 Ulti = Win10 Galleon

?

I am exclusively using only the "highest" version of the OSs out on the market, due to its features like covering regular issuing, server stuff, bitlocking, etc., and I am not even sure in what Win8.1 equals about the tier of Win7's Ultimate. Is it the Win8.1 Enterprise?

Kind of confusing... If yes, hell... that's quite expensive, still...

Enterprise is typically the buisness version of windows

With 8.1 the choice is really between 8.1 and 8.1 pro.

Pro gives you the bitlocker stuff, remote access capability and additional admin controls.

With the change to 10, I am fairly sure that you'll get the equivalent version to what you are currently running on, so honestly, if you don't need to upgrade now, I'd say wait for 10.

[Pacheon]

Well, since the Win10 will be a free update, let's settle down this one.

Already saw some features, like the HoloLens (wasn't aware of it before) and other neat features of the OS itself. Seems a quite good operation system which it will be capable of any good what Win7 and 8.1 offers and merging them together.

Prolly a neat almost flawless OS? Let's see...

[Sixty5]

Well, since the Win10 will be a free update, let's settle down this one.

Already saw some features, like the HoloLens (wasn't aware of it before) and other neat features of the OS itself. Seems a quite good operation system which it will be capable of any good what Win7 and 8.1 offers and merging them together.

Prolly a neat almost flawless OS? Let's see...

From personal experience, the first release I played with worked great, subsequent ones added more features and a lot more bugs.

The biggest advantage it has is that it is extremely lightweight, so you have more resources to use on other stuff.

Hololens etc are more gimmicky in my eyes.

[(PSN)Pharen]

Well actually that was what I heard, too. But you were using Win8 instead of 8.1, if I comprehend it correctly from your context?

Sorry 8.1 pro, I don't consider them to be different since 8.1 is a free upgrade to 8 and only adds minor features to it, hardly a new OS.

 

Something is wrong with your install i had my computer not crash with software for 2 years i have crashed with my hardware.

I've done every single thing that the "experts" have told me to do with it. 8.1 is simply unreliable.

Well, since the Win10 will be a free update, let's settle down this one.

Already saw some features, like the HoloLens (wasn't aware of it before) and other neat features of the OS itself. Seems a quite good operation system which it will be capable of any good what Win7 and 8.1 offers and merging them together.

Prolly a neat almost flawless OS? Let's see...

Free for 12 months of upgrade. Then it will lock and force you to pay for it.

Edited May 22, 2015 by (PS4)Pharen

[Pacheon]

 

Free for 12 months of upgrade. Then it will lock and force you to pay for it.

That is the point I needed to know.

[Sixty5]

Free for 12 months of upgrade. Then it will lock and force you to pay for it.

From what I have seen, you have 12 months to upgrade, and if you do you get it for free. You still have to pay for it for a new install, or if you wish to upgrade after the 12 months is up.

 

If you want more clarification, I have a guy from microsoft coming into the place that I work on Wednesday and I can ask then.

[Pacheon]

From what I have seen, you have 12 months to upgrade, and if you do you get it for free. You still have to pay for it for a new install, or if you wish to upgrade after the 12 months is up.

 

If you want more clarification, I have a guy from microsoft coming into the place that I work on Wednesday and I can ask then.

Yea please. That would be great actually.

The point with the price would be really interesting, other than that, about the reserved system RAM, different versions and their profits, any new features not just for the kind of "Gimik", more likely supporting a better ODBC handling, better C++ code rendering/compiling, etc.