Want a new laptop but do I want Windows 8?

[Bird]

Bird,
Just click on the "Desktop Box" in the Metro View and it will take you to a view that looks just like W-7 with a taskbar at the bottom. There is a folder icon in the taskbar. Open it and you will see the folder and Library view you are used too and there will be a header bar at the top to Minimize, maximize, or close the Window, just like before.
The metro view hides all that and is full screen so the folks that have touch screens and think it is cute to pinch windows and do other commands
while getting grease from their hands all over the LCD say, OH, isn't that neat!
Other than that, all they have basically done is hide some of the paths a little more to places that folks who are new to computers shouldn't be going anyway. There are plenty of "tutorial videos" on You tube to show how to work it since it has been out a year now. Plenty of videos for 8.1 as well. HP probably has some on their site too.
Once you go to 8.1 and get a "Start Button" back you will be very comfortable with it. A right click on the Start button is really a quick path to about anywhere you might want to go, even with administrator privilege.

If you are serious about sending it back though, it might not be a good idea to install 8.1 yourself, as they may not want it back then. Who knows.
All they would have to do is fumigate it, test it, and box it up, for the resale outlet.
Hope your feelin better soon.
Ron

I cheated today. My son-in-law came over, finished what I'd started on the set-up, downloaded all the updates, and got the printer to working wireless (I had tried the instructions that came with the printer and it didn't work except when hardwired to a computer), and he cleaned out some trash that I have no use for, and finally started the 8.1 update. Apparently my cable Internet service speed varies widely, depending on which computer I check it with, and time of day. And Charter installed a "dual band" router. Son-in-law described some of what that means, but I won't try to do the same. Charter claims up to 30Mbps, but when I checked speed on the hardwired desktop I got 15 to 17Mbps one morning, then less than 8 in the late afternoon. Well, with the wireless laptop this morning, we got over 30Mbps, but this afternoon, it was down under 20. So I'm not sure of the exact speed when we started the 8.1 download at 12:35 p.m., but it took 2 hours and 20 minutes to do it all.

I do have to install Microsoft Office and Quicken and get all my "favorites" set up; have to change a few usernames and passwords. But there's no hurry on that.

 

[dragoneggs]

I cheated today. My son-in-law came over, finished what I'd started on the set-up, downloaded all the updates, and got the printer to working wireless (I had tried the instructions that came with the printer and it didn't work except when hardwired to a computer), and he cleaned out some trash that I have no use for, and finally started the 8.1 update. Apparently my cable Internet service speed varies widely, depending on which computer I check it with, and time of day. And Charter installed a "dual band" router. Son-in-law described some of what that means, but I won't try to do the same. Charter claims up to 30Mbps, but when I checked speed on the hardwired desktop I got 15 to 17Mbps one morning, then less than 8 in the late afternoon. Well, with the wireless laptop this morning, we got over 30Mbps, but this afternoon, it was down under 20. So I'm not sure of the exact speed when we started the 8.1 download at 12:35 p.m., but it took 2 hours and 20 minutes to do it all.

I do have to install Microsoft Office and Quicken and get all my "favorites" set up; have to change a few usernames and passwords. But there's no hurry on that.

Sounds like you are making good progress and that you also have decent speed. It is common for cable ISP speeds to vary depending on the 'load'. You will probably see that during given times during the day/night you get slower speeds than you find as normal. Although I am paying for 30Mbs download speed, my typical seems to be about 18Mbs.

 

[Jim Shooz]

Internet speed tends to drop mid to late afternoon. Just after schools out.

 

[pacerron]

I cheated today. My son-in-law came over, finished what I'd started on the set-up, downloaded all the updates, and got the printer to working wireless (I had tried the instructions that came with the printer and it didn't work except when hardwired to a computer), and he cleaned out some trash that I have no use for, and finally started the 8.1 update. Apparently my cable Internet service speed varies widely, depending on which computer I check it with, and time of day. And Charter installed a "dual band" router. Son-in-law described some of what that means, but I won't try to do the same. Charter claims up to 30Mbps, but when I checked speed on the hardwired desktop I got 15 to 17Mbps one morning, then less than 8 in the late afternoon. Well, with the wireless laptop this morning, we got over 30Mbps, but this afternoon, it was down under 20. So I'm not sure of the exact speed when we started the 8.1 download at 12:35 p.m., but it took 2 hours and 20 minutes to do it all.

I do have to install Microsoft Office and Quicken and get all my "favorites" set up; have to change a few usernames and passwords. But there's no hurry on that.

That's good Bird.
I don't remember if you are using a pinch screen, touch pad, or mouse?
If you would like to go to the desktop on start up first instead of the Metro screen first, there is an easy adjustment.
While in desktop view just right click on the taskbar and select "Properties" then the "Navigation Tab" Put a check mark in "Show desktop on start up, click Apply and then reboot.
If your going to be using the laptop from home you can eliminate the sign in routine every time, too, if you want to save time.

 

[Bird]

Ron, I'm using the touch pad, but I'm pretty new at it, slow and clumsy, so I've been thinking of getting a mouse to use. My son-in-law prefers just using the touch pad, but then he gets both hands up at that pad and he's faster that way than I am, even with a mouse.

 

[Jim Shooz]

Go for a wireless mouse and then look for the setting which lets you disable the touchpad when there is a USB for a wireless mouse plugged in. Otherwise with not being used to a touchpad you will inadvertently touch it when you go to use the keyboard and the cursor will fly everywhere. (Don't ask my how I know)

 

[SPIKER]

This post is growing pretty fast. Bird your DELL experience is a lot like mine was my 2nd PC was **** too. I had probably 8 or 9 repair calls, had about 2/3's of that thing replaced except for the monitor which still works flawlessly & I bought it back in 1997ish. In 1995 I bought a Packard Bell PC, it came with Dos5 and Win 3.1, I updated it to Dos6 and then Dos7 with Win 3.11 and Win 95, which I promptly uninstalled formatted HD started over with Dos6 and Win 3.11 which it ran till I sold it. My **** er Dell came with Win 98 which got upgraded to Win98 SE after a bunch of problems. I ended up building my own system in 1998 or so after so many problems with the **** err Dell. I used the Dell monitor with all my own bought parts and it is still setting in the other room with Win 98se on it. It RUNS still BUT the Caps on the motherboard are bad now and the Battery dies when one is put in due to the blown caps... I fire it up and re-program the MB CMOS now when or if it need it. It has been a while tho as I been using this Toshiba laptop for 3+ years with Win7 pro installed. My womans OLD 1996 Packard Bell is still setting in the back room, I dont know for SURE it will fire up but would probably need a CMOS update and have to boot from floppy due to dead battery most likely... I installed Win 98SE on it back in the 1998ish it came with Win95 and it ran OK for her just as my 1st Packard Bell did for me...

I first tried APPLE products with Apple-IIs back in high school, so hated the things and found them to be almost useless at the time as nothing could be installed and run for any real use to me then. I did end up trying some while in College in 1995 in computer lab, only thing that was fun was I was able to hack schools network and APPLE TALK software and hi-jack other peoples screens lol. Ya would mess with people, played a good joke on one of the girls in class. I since it was mostly a IP Network address hack I didn't actually KNOW which MAC I was hacking into but know room location on campus so had to look around room and see who was getting REALLY confused lol... One girl was taking notes on it when instructor was talking I was typing on her screen (of course it was an EVIL MAC with a SIC since of humor.. ) I think I had about 2/3 of people in class thinking the room was haunted for weeks...

Anyhow I have to say that with Win7 it has worked OK but there are times when the security updates have made it worse... I've had to deal with Viruses several times on OTHER PEOPLES PCs so yes I have formatted maybe a dozen drives including formatting & partitioning NEW drives and setting up for compressed sections etc. This has pretty much been YEARS since I really messed with them as the new PC systems are pretty stable & I keep GOOD virus software on them (NOT McAfee / Norton stuff as it is WAY too intrusive usually use Trend Micro or something similar that is less intrusive.)

My woman got a virus using Norton on hers that wiped out the FAT (File Allocation Tables), pulled the drive and installed NEW drive as there is a LOT of data on the drive (Old pictures) but not sure if anything can ever pull it back off for low cost. I've hooked it up 2 times with PC Tools type software to try and fix it but only a 40Gig and so far Nothing has been able to restore the FAT so the disk see's DATA on the disk but can't determine WHAT it is...

Mark

 

[aczlan]

Just upgraded my laptop from Windows 8.1 RTM to back Windows 7 Pro (tried 8.1 for ~2 weeks). Got tired of trying to use a tablet interface as a desktop interface and the speed difference isn't enough to make up for the hassle of Win 8.
Yes, I has ClassicShell on there to get back a real start menu.

Aaron Z

 

[pacerron]

Ron, I'm using the touch pad, but I'm pretty new at it, slow and clumsy, so I've been thinking of getting a mouse to use. My son-in-law prefers just using the touch pad, but then he gets both hands up at that pad and he's faster that way than I am, even with a mouse.

Bird,
I always use a mouse. I tried the touchpad but am so much faster with a mouse. I use the "right click/context menu", the wheel, and
another button on a Microsoft 4000 series mouse as second nature. The sensor is so small it only sticks out of the USB plug about 1/4 inch. It automatically disables the touch pad when plugged in, which is all the time. The mouse has a switch on the bottom to turn it off, so the sensor doesn't have to be stored in it to save the battery. It will work on any surface.

Since you got a HP laptop it might be wise to feel underneath of it after you have it on and in use for 30 minutes or so. Hopefully they have good cooling now, but the big problem in the past was they got way too hot. Heat is a big enemy of laptops and electronics in general. That is why so many varieties of fan pads that run off of USB power are sold to put under laptops.
Ron

 

[dragoneggs]

Ron, I'm using the touch pad, but I'm pretty new at it, slow and clumsy, so I've been thinking of getting a mouse to use. My son-in-law prefers just using the touch pad, but then he gets both hands up at that pad and he's faster that way than I am, even with a mouse.

I have always used a mouse since they tamed them... and I bought a mouse for my Mac. Now I wish I didn't spend the money as it sits unused. Yes it took a bit to get used to the touch pad but now I never use the mouse. I am an older guy so yes you can get used to it. One thing about the Mac and I don't know if it is the same on Windows based laptops is that you don't have to 'click' on the pad. Just tap or slide or... I am finding now that I am faster with the touchpad/keyboard combo than using a mouse. Beauty is that it is one less piece of equipment to haul around, not to mention the extra batteries I no longer have to carry (road warrior talk). Again, not trying to sing Apple Tunes here... just saying that the touch pad is great and you can let the mouse go. Wondering out loud if this is the same experience with windows laptop users?