How different is Win8/touch from Win7?

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Mar 2, 2014 | 2:24 pm

#16

Internaut

Join Date: Jan 2003

Location: Manchester, United Kingdom

Programs: Hilton Gold, Priority Club Platinum (until December), FB Explorer, BA Blue, M&M Pleb

Posts: 8,616

Quote:

Originally Posted by Condition One

My laptop is on its last legs. Was looking at a new one today, and it had Windows 8.1 on it. Still have no clue on how to use it. Do I still need Classic Shell or Start8?

No - Google Windows 8.1 hints and tips. I think it is better to adapt to it than change it. With 8.1, you can do pretty much everything with the mouse, though I tend to use a combination of mouse plus touch. It helps if a laptop has a decent trackpad, with gesture support, or if you use a touch enabled mouse.

Mar 2, 2014 | 3:24 pm

#17

nkedel

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jul 2000

Location: in the vicinity of SFO

Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)

Posts: 19,784

Quote:

Originally Posted by Condition One

My laptop is on its last legs. Was looking at a new one today, and it had Windows 8.1 on it. Still have no clue on how to use it. Do I still need Classic Shell or Start8?

Yes, if you want to use a start menu, or not to have to jump back to the start to use the Search-then-run functionality.

Having paid for Start8, it's pretty good, but I don't think it's enough better than Classic Shell to be really worth paying for.

I got the combination of Start8+Modern Mix, which is really nice and does not have an open source equivalent -- Modern Mix allows you to run "modern" apps in a Window, and makes them a good deal more useful if running on a regular laptop or desktop. One of the two upcoming Windows 8.1 updates (not sure if it's the coming soon Update 1 or the end-of-the-year Update) is supposedly going to have that functionality built in.

Mar 2, 2014 | 6:13 pm

#18

cblaisd

In Memoriam

Join Date: Jun 2000

Programs: Honors Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle, National Exec Elite

Posts: 36,111

Get Classic Shell. Revert the interface to Win7 or XP. All the positives of Win 8 and none of the annoyances.

Mar 3, 2014 | 7:30 am

#19

ajGoes

Join Date: Jul 2013

Location: DAY/CMH

Programs: UA MileagePlus

Posts: 2,474

Quote:

Originally Posted by Condition One

My laptop is on its last legs. Was looking at a new one today, and it had Windows 8.1 on it. Still have no clue on how to use it. Do I still need Classic Shell or Start8?

You never needed one of those utilities if you were OK with spending the time it takes to learn your way around Windows 8. However, if you felt better with one of those shells in 8.0, you'll still want it with 8.1.

I recently got my first Windows 8 machine (through work), a Microsoft Surface. Using it has revealed what problem MS thought Windows 8 was the solution for*, but I don't think the MS solution is very successful.

*The problem: how can we keep selling desktop-oriented software in an increasingly tablet-oriented world?