Topic: Windows 8...to upgrade, or not to upgrade?

I have been able to get Windows 8 Pro via the DreamSpark program, but I have yet to install it due to "reports" of it being bad and such. I have heard positive things about it too, and had planned to install it instead of re-installing Windows 7 due to a slow start-up (because of the clutter that has gathered for the past year from my last backup/re-install), but I dunno. I would like to know if anyone here has dealt with Windows 8 and could shed some light as to what they experienced. Bring up positive and negative remarks at your leisure, but please, no exaggeration, speculation and what-ifs. Saying "it is the next Windows ME" without having actually tried it to make the comparison has no place here. This isn't just for me, but perhaps for anyone else that has wanted to upgrade to Windows 8 but were unsure as well.

I know of a few things like the Metro interface that many people did not like, but I also know that one click brings up the Desktop. How is performance in comparison to Windows 7? Compatibility? What things should people be aware of with the new OS?

Again, this is based on your experience.

I'm not going anywhere near W8. Especially not when developers like ValvE and Notch claiming it's crap. I'm staying with W7 until they make another good OS.

XP is still the best.

^ This. From what I have heard is that Windows 8 is great for touch screens like phones or tablets but when it comes to a PC with a keyboard and such it is just junk.

I use 7 but I may change back to XP soon.
I'm sure I'll will be a long time until I try 8. (probably until I need to buy a new computer and it comes with it preisntalled).

I'm staying very far away from 8, it just looks too cluttered and gimmicky, and since Valve say its horrible for games, no thank you. I'll just stick with 7.

I've been using the various Windows 8 previews for more than a year now, all on a laptop, and I have to say it's a significant step up from Windows 7 in my personal opinion. It's visually better, file management is more streamlined, it's quicker, the Start Screen is a vast improvement over the Start Menu since you can store and organise considerably more items, the Modern UI apps are fantastically designed... oh, and yes, I'm using a keyboard, mouse, and no touchscreen.

Please keep in mind that the majority of negative reports regarding Windows 8 came from the Technical Preview, which was released over a year ago, was pre-Beta, and wasn't at all designed for use with regular input devices. As soon as they released the Consumer Preview a few months later, that all changed - considerably more (and better, more natural) keyboard shortcuts, quick access mouse pointers in the four screen corners, and so on. Same applies for the Release Preview and, I'm sure, the RTM/final version.

That's just my opinion, but like I say, I've been using it for over a year now and I absolutely love it. Wouldn't go back to 7 if you paid me.

I'm yet to use it, but the remarks from Notch and Gabe are nothing to do with the useability of W8, but rather the Microsoft store that's embedded within it.

From what I've read, W8 itself is a good OS - it runs well, is stable, and the Metro interface can be bypassed if desired. I don't think, for the end user, that there is really an reason not to upgrade apart from price and/or inconvenience of installing a new OS.

I am going to buy a new laptop as mine is broken and if it doesn't have Windows 8 built in I will upgrade for 15€. As much as I hate Microsoft for destroying Rare -deserved off-topic-, the previews of Windows 8 latest version say it's quick, solid and good. It gets some time to get used to and it is nice to have a touch mouse to get the most of it, but it doesn't mean it requires any touch input at all. I will buy a touch mouse as well, there are lots of brands and models so we cannot say it would be too difficult to do so.

About the shop, as any other new stuff it takes time to take off. But I believe Windows 8 is more open to users than the only easy alternative, Mac OS.

Windows 7 is pretty good actually IMO... I've been recently trying to get used to Mac OS, so far it's been annoying the crap outta me. I'm sure once I figure out some stuff about it it'll be much better for me...

I read, & keep hearing the OS was designed from the ground up mainly, & predominately for touch devices(mainly handheld touch devices, but also for non-handheld touch devices). I can't give you my opinion on using Win8, personally, since I haven't used it (yet), but I'm going to hold off, until I see a significant reason to upgrade from 7.

Things like these are good to hear.

I tried the W8 beta and have to say it felt like an improvement over W7 when you got accustomed to it so if I was you I would upgrade and try it out for a month or so but if you odnt like it can always go back to W7

Reminder to those that didn't seem to read the OP. Express your thoughts based on your experience, not someone else's, because that someone else can easily have their own agenda to make something look too good or far worse than it actually is.

I'm typing this on Windows 8 right now. I got curious about it but didn't want to give up Windows 7 too so I am actually running both W7 and W8 on my laptop. I've got the recent W8 Release Preview and I have to say it's pretty good. My initial reaction to the Metro UI was of utter hate but once you actually use it you find it's pretty handy to have anything you want stored on the screen in an organised way. The desktop is one click away and then it's very similar to W7 from there. The lack of a Start button on the Desktop annoyed me as it seemed pointless to have a desktop without the Start button but thankfully there are apps on the internet you can download which integrate a Start button into your taskbar (and it is totally customisable! I'm using Classic Shell - I'd recommend it.) The Metro UI doesn't seem to like me putting a shortcut to Google Chrome on it however, it keeps disappearing on me. It's also frozen on me a couple of times but that might be a fault of my own by running W7 and W8. It's a bit hit and miss with program compatibility, some will work and others will have to be reinstalled. W8 is also very fast, probably more so than W7, which is always good.

BTW I'm using a regular wireless mouse and keyboard, no touch screens and it's still simple to use. I will keep using W8 now as long as it doesn't freeze on me a lot.

I have half my gaming library on Steam, if ValvE is against W8, so am I

But it's probably a good OS if you don't plan on gaming.