Microsoft announce three versions of Windows 8

I have been beta testing Windows 8 on my touchscreen desktop computer and although some items and programs are good in windows 8 - I feel that unless you want to go down the road of Apple supporters where only their products can be used on their tablets, phones and computers and run on nothing else, then stick to windows 7 and don't bother paying a massive price to line the pockets of Microsoft's shareholders for a new operating system which will be frustrating to learn and use and is of no use to many people.  This is just a way of getting regular money out of purchasers as Apple do all the time with regular upgrades and expensive add-ons.  Many popular programs on XP and windows 7 are missing in windows 8 and unless you use a Microsoft compatible phone and a Microsoft X-box this will be of little use to you unless Microsoft reinstate many of the favourites they have removed.  Many XP and windows 7 programs will not run in windows 8.  I'm sure that you will hear this over and over again from many other people so please listen and read the comments carefully.

So I would lose my Media centre unless I upgraded my version of "7" first, and for what? I have already tried the "test for compatibility" mode, and yet again, a lot of what I have will be obsolete, and this for a top spec PC only 18 months old! Will doing all this change my life for the better. No! So I will stick with "7" until I absolutely have to change, it's quite a rip off for Microsoft to continually bring out new systems that really are no improvement on XP Pro!

Tried the Windows 8 Consumer Preview and have to say didnt like the look at feel and as others have said, the absence of the old start button and programs was a real nuisence.   Did find a trick to add it to the taskbar, however seemed too fidley for me.    Will stick to Windows 7.

Windows 8, good for tablets but not for pc's.

I'm hoping Microsoft has something up thier sleeve. Windows 8 is not a business tool! No real multi-tasking (everything in full screen...?!) and a pain to move around in quickly with a mouse. I can only assume that Microsoft have decided to forget PC's, and that we all must use tablets, if we like it or not. Guess what, I already have a tablet and have no reason to buy a Windows one. You're too late MS. However, I want a DESKTOP OS, on my PC, so I guess Windows 7 will be around for a long time.

Even the server version of windows 8 says 'Tap here to add features' So IP KVM's, rack monitors and RDP will all be touchscreen soon will they Microsoft..?!

I'm normally an early adopter of new Microsoft OS's, this is the first time in 15 years I have thought that they have got it all wrong. If anyone from Microsoft reads this, please remember that it's workstation users with keyboards and mice, that actually create things for business! Try designing an engine with CATIA or AutoCAD on a touchscreen.. we don't really want to have our arms up in the air, poking a screen 8 hours a day.

So Media Center is an economical  add on!!. Sorry but it looks like its for Pro only so I first have to upgrade to Pro then get Media Center. I'm afraid that unless there are major improvements to media center (built in BluRay support ) then I will stick with Windows7.

 

I hate the Beta with a passion its horrible I will not be buying it!

wish I could go back to Windows 98. XP was good but after all the updates became as slow as a lame donkey, Vista was just a mess that wasn't compatable with nearly everything. 7 was the bandaid for the Vista mess but has since had that many updates that its turning into a lame donkey also. I'm now so sick of windows products taking over my PC and telling me what I can and can't do with it that I won't be getting version 8. It's an OS, it's a platform/interface that other software, Business, Games, Educational, Entertainment or Whatever I choose to run on it, not something that dictates what it will allow me to run. I have two PC's and a laptop One PC is an old dual core with XP, the other PC is a quad core with Win7 and the laptop is a pentium with Win95, the difference in boot time for them all is within half a second, a far cry from the faster to load boast when each got released.

Ubuntu 11:10

i have not seen anything from microsoft to better xp so i will stick with that