I Need Your Prayers. Windows 8 is Coming.
I have a 4 and a half year old laptop. It’s been a great laptop. It’s been toted all over the country and into more meetings than any person should have to endure. It gets pounded on, eaten over, coffee spilled, and had a squirrel attack it. Seriously. A squirrel. Most of the keys have fallen off and you have to hit the space bar with a hammer to get spaces between words.
Santa brought me a new computer. It’s still in the box because it’s Windows 8. Windows 8 scares the bejeebers outta me. We have 154 kinds of snakes in Texas and 152 of them are poisonous. I’d rather dance with the snakes than fiddle with Windows 8.
Now, I know that I can live a perfectly happy life with my iPhone and iPad and that I really don’t need a laptop. Look, I have tried. I have really tried to write without a real keyboard. I cannot do it. Some wacky people pay me money to type words for them so I need a keyboard. Mainly because I need money. Money to buy laptops.
I have successfully downloaded everything I want off this computer and later I’ll wipe it clean and donate it for Democrats to use for phone banking. That’s kinda like putting it out to stud.
I will spend this weekend trying to get my new computer working. I will also keep this computer running just in case I have problems with email, which I always do.
If you open the window and hear cussin’, it’s me.
May the Heavens provide you a bug-free experience with Windows 8.
1Know what you mean Juanita Jean. Know what you mean. I’m still using VISTA – ya’ll don’t laugh – it works for me. But my systems on it’s last leg too. I dread saying goodbye. Best of luck to you. Oh, and before I forget “Happy New Year!”
2Oh, dear. An intervention is in order. Friends do not let friends use W8. The remedy is an iBook.
3Texas has poisonous snakes and Republicans? That’s just sad.
4I got a new ‘puter for Christmas, also. Windows 8. From this old handmedown that runs Vista (badly, with a randomly self-actualizing cursor that makes me a self-actualizing curser)
Juan in a Million has been installing all that I want and I’m trying to get my courage up to transfer the e-mail/amazon acct/banking/etc. Hope we both learn to love 8.
5Uh….we all have MACs (have for years) and IPads…..love them. It’s just what you grown accustomed to, I guess.
6Oh, Juanita……my carry case for my IPad has a keyboard. You can’t make comments very well without out it I’ve found……
7You can always get a keyboard for the iPad. Just a thought.
…and if you absolutely need a laptop, still, consider a Mac. Maybe a bit more expensive, but completely worth it, if you factor in how hassle free they are.
8I have been “told” you can set Windows 8 to emulate Classic Windows interface. The issue is you have to reset it every time you reboot the computer. This will be a pain but better than messing with Windows 8 screens. By the way, I work for a major software company. We are still using Classic Windows screens. For the most part, it’s because that’s how our customers operate. Of course, most of our customers are accountants :>)
9Here you go.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1118119207/askwoody-20
This guy has a website that is just the best.
10http://www.askwoody.com/
I have followed his advice for years and have saved a lot of money not buying useless anti-virus software (use Microsoft’s for free) and not doing the upgrades they send until he tells me it is okay.
No problemo. Buy a copy of Windows 7 and install it. That’s what I do for people
11Know what you mean. I have been recommending that everyone “upgrade” to W7 or better yet… XP. However, I don’t think XP will work with new machines (driver problems etc). I am lucky enough to have the knowledge and skills to shop eBay for replacement parts to keep my old XP box purring even after 9 years! Like it, I don’t have too many years left so I will attempt to time it so we both go at the same time.
12I just got a laptop with Windows 8. There are some really good feature s including virus protection. Yhou can download programs that will make Windows 8 look like Windows 7.
13I have Windows Vista on my eMachine and, for the most part, it works great! The only time I have to call the Computer Guy is when something snarky has snuck past my Avira Antivirus Premium program … and a Malware freebie and the CCCleaner … another freebie! Plus, a couple years ago the Computer Guy added more memory to my machine, so I’m hoping it will all last me for a few more years!
Don’t make 8 any tougher then necessary … you’ll probably love it once you get into it!!
14Windows 8 is actually pretty nice. However, do take some time to learn the keyboard shortcuts, and the corners and the gestures you need to make to activate certain things.
15This is a keyboard for the iPad which works through Bluetooth. Just DO NOT order it from Cellphoneshop.net! Worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. They take your money and don’t ship the product.
16If you want to learn more about Windows 8, go to http://www.computoredge.com. Yes, that’s the correct spelling – for them.
I’ve been reading for almost 20 years and they do a great job. Comes out once a week, on Friday, and you can search their back issues.
Try the Macbook Air- my 13″ weighs the same as my iPad. After buying it sold my 3 year old Macbook for $450.
Once gone Mac, can’t go back.
17My Vista laptop died, so I bought a reconditioned HP desktop running Windows 7 — after shipping it back to get a video hardware problem fixed, it’s working fine. I’m a retired software engineer, and I just don’t need drastic changes to the user interface — the rule I lived by is that if you fool with a thing long enough, you’ll break it. I think Microsoft broke it.
18Get a neighbor kid to come over and help you. A 13 yr old is pretty good at that. And I don’t have W8 and don’t intend to have one any time soon. I get bad vibes from reading all these comments.
19Have you considered the speech recognition built into Windows 7 & 8?
20I abandoned Windows and Microsoft entirely, years ago. Linux works just as well, if not better, and it’s all free. I haven’t paid for software since I switched, and I haven’t found a single thing that I could do in Windows that I can’t do at least as easily in Linux.
I also have an Android tablet, an Asus Transformer Prime, which has an actual keyboard, and I find that I use it most of the time, rarely bothering to turn on my laptop. The Transformer is a laptop with a touchscreen, and it’s one of the best investments I’ve made. I’ve never owned an iAnything, and don’t plan ever to do so. YMMV.
21All you need to know is Apple and Mac and Safari.
22Maybe you can ditch the Windows 8-using gizmo in a garage sale.
Send it back. If you need to learn a new OS get Ubuntu. Firefox works the same, Libre Office replaces MS Office. And it costs a whole lot less.
23Duh, next time I’ll read the whole post. Whenever I see Windows my eyes glaze over.
I wish Santa would give me a new laptop for Christmas, but then again you’re a nicer person than I am.
24I bought my mom (83) a reconditioned machine at Best Buy that runs Windows 7 for less than half price. Got the hubby (62) a Lenovo Twist with Windows 8. After two days of fiddling with it, he loves it. Mom is happy with hers, and I’m hanging onto my own iPad and my work laptop until I retire. Good luck with that critter!
25I’m about to have to get a new PC. Right now, I am hanging onto Windows XP with all my might despite repeated warnings popping up to tell me that this and that will not be supported after 2013 and 2014. There were those who thought they would have to prise Windows 98 out of my cold, dead hands. My husband curses his Vista daily, plans to skip 7 and go straight for 8, upon which, I’m certain, he will get even more frustrated.
26Oh, well . . . . .
All Hail Satan! I had to get a Windows 8 laptop for work. It’s slower meaner and more unforgiving than my 4 year old MacBook. I got the MacBook when I ran the Vista upgrade utility and discovered that I would have to buy all new computers.
27You will hate W8.
28I use it, and I hate it.
Just like all the iPad IOS crap, anyone wanting to do any ‘real’ work will find the system utterly lacking and ultimately frustrating. Unless you have a touchscreen monitor, Win 8 is just bad makeup on a good system.
Here is what I suggest:
Get an “add-on” called “Classic Shell” available at no charge from: http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/
It allows you to setup Windows 8 so it starts to the desktop, has a standard ‘Start’ button, and the programs menus work the same as before.
The smart one of this duo had a problem with the random cursor action with her laptop. Purchased a cordless mouse, taped piece of paperboard (notepad backing) over the mouse pad thingy on the laptop. PROBLEM SOLVED!
29I still use my XP driven tower and hope to never change.
Juanita,
Thank you very much for the “keyboard” necessity. As an “old legal secretary turned paralegal about 35 years ago” I type about 110 wpm. I cannot text, or touch-screen anything. My laptop is connected to a keyboard. I have very long natural fingernails and I TYPE on a keyboard, I DO NOT “KEYBOARD” on any device.
30MacBook Pro, because you deserve it.
31Everyone who loves XP, me included:
Some things I have figured out – if you switch to Google Chrome, most of these “Microsoft-inflicted” issues will go away.
Another thing – if you get internet through your cable company, double-check with them on your modem – mine called me the other day and is passing out new modems due to the FACT they finally figured out it was cheaper to send new modems out that are updated rather than send technicians out or have service cancelled.
32I second the recommendation for Linux. Before you do anything else, why not install Ubuntu as a dual boot? You can use both for a while, then stick with the one you prefer.
33Get a mac, got mine 2 years ago love it won’t ever go back to a P.c.
34They make keyboards for i-pads!
35Sell that POS and buy last years Mac laptop, you’ll be much happier.
36Like JJ & Eykis, I’m a qwerty-shortcut typist (mouse slows me down). Laptop’s battery is kaput again & costs $84 to replace. Learned from tech forums that Win7’s OS is much faster than XP, so I’m getting a new Win7 laptop at rock-bottom prices. Might just load Linus & Ubuntu on the old laptop to see how I like them. Thanks much for all the suggestions & Happy New Year to all!
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