Anyone used Windows 8 yet? I am ordering a new computer and I keep......

[PanhandleVol]

having people tell me to stay with windows 7. I'm no computer whiz like many on this board, but I have not heard anything good about windows 8. And no I will not be buying a MAC, so let's not get into that discussion. The VA is purchasing this computer for me and I pretty much have the choice of what I want.

Most likely it will be a Dell. Are there any certain options,upgrades or additional hardware I should make sure to get? Thank You in advance for your help. Feel free to go to the Dell website and configure a desktop and e-mail me your configuration along with printer and any other ancillary devices.

She is also going to have my bathroom remodeled with a budget up to 6,800.00. Remember I did not ask for this. I even tried to refuse both and she explained they are required to identify safety hazards and provide up to date technology. Thanks again.

[Tnphil]

Read an article the other day that said W8 was getting bad reviews. My father in law has been in the computer network field for 50 years...He told me to wait several months until they get the kinks and bugs worked out.

I have 7 now and will keep it.

[73Volgrad]

Running Windows 8 on three PCS and laptop. My experience is it is more stable than Windows 7. It starts faster and closes faster. 
Is it the best OS ever designed? No. Is it the worst? No.  It just adds a start screen with apps that is different. You will still use the old desktop to access any program.
I am getting more used to it everyday. It allows better networking between machines. I have two 32-bit machines and two 64 bit machines.

[Black Diamond Vol]

Most folks who haven't tried W8 are scared away by the start screen that you see in all the store demos- the one with the live tiles.  Like many, I thought that had replaced the traditional desktop as the new interface.  And that is the first thing you see when you boot up.  But from there, you can go straight to your desktop, and then it behaves just like Windows 7.  Maybe a programmer or someone who works with PCs for a living could tell you all the differences, but for a casual user like me, it's pretty much the same.  And the only time I do a full shutdown/restart is to install updates, so I almost never see the start screen.  It's not so bad. 

I still prefer my Mac, even though I'm having a harder time justifying the price discrepancy anymore.  It was worth paying the premium for OSX when the alternative was Windows XP or Vista.  But MS has really closed the gap with the latest iterations. 

[Creek Walker]

I still prefer my Mac, even though I'm having a harder time justifying the price discrepancy anymore.  It was worth paying the premium for OSX when the alternative was Windows XP or Vista.  But MS has really closed the gap with the latest iterations. 

I've been disappointed with the past couple of OSX releases. I have more freeze-ups and crashes now than I have ever had with a Mac in the past.

Still, I much prefer a Mac to a Windows-based machine and in fact I just finished ditching my last PC entirely. For the first time ever, I'm now working exclusively on Macs and never touch a PC. That's a freedom that could only be surpassed if IE ceased to exist as a mainstream web browser tomorrow. 

[Orange Rampage]

I have worked in IT for years. Our users are almost all on Windows 7. It is a solid OS.  Haven't supported or used Windows 8, but most people I know think it's fine. What I can say from experience is that almost everyone that I have migrated from XP to 7 really like it and transition easily.

Any reason why it has to be a desktop? What kind of budget is there for the computer? What is the main purpose of it?  (work,  games,  research,  streaming por... Media? 

Dell is probably ok, but they take much better care of business or large organization users than home. Pretty much anywhere you go,  you get what you pay for. I am partial to Asus, but that's just my opinion.

I bought an Asus Nexus 7 tablet last year and almost never use my other PCs/iMac/iPad. It has limitations,  but I love it.  For a couple hundred bucks, it has more than paid for itself.

Anyway, plenty here know as much or more than I do, but I will be happy to help if I can.

[Volznut]

Windows 8 is better and faster. Just don't be scared by the different initial screen.