new laptop:

[Dark Knight]

Not being an IT geek...no offence, I have bought a new laptop, to replace the old tower system we had, it is a HP Pavilion G6?
now it is loaded with Windows 8, which is a bit new to me, is it any good ?
seems very slick and very techy this Windows 8..but is it a good operating system?

comments please

[oldbluefox]

Oh my goodness! I can't believe you have bought one with Windows 8. Everybody knows about W8. Whatever made you do it?

Not heard of any big problems but as with all new technology glitches have to be ironed out with patches and updates. I'm on Windows 7 and was offered Windows 8 but as I don't have a touch screen (and prefer a keyboard for typing) I declined.

[david63]

I think that Windows 8 is a "Marmite" moment - you either like it or hate it.

The first time I used it I could not get on with it at all - everything was all over the place but since getting myself a new lappy I have found it very good. It is far quicker than Win7 but it is designed for touchscreen and this is where it excels.

One thing that I have found that makes life easier is to get an add-on (there are several around) that add the old "Start menu" that you had in Win7 - and some will allow you to boot straight to the desktop.

Also there is an upgrade to Windows 8.1 due later this year which will address some of the current issues.

[Quizzical Bob]

Windows 8? If only you'd asked before you bought it.

[Romig1]

Even technomuppet me knew about Windows 8. Doesn't it take about 6 clicks just to turn the bu**er off?

[Quizzical Bob]

Even technomuppet me knew about Windows 8. Doesn't it take about 6 clicks just to turn the bu**er off?

Or one medium ball-pein hammer.

[david63]

Even technomuppet me knew about Windows 8. Doesn't it take about 6 clicks just to turn the bu**er off?

It might for some but I can do it in the same number of clicks as it takes on Win7 - which is 2

[Romig1]

Even technomuppet me knew about Windows 8. Doesn't it take about 6 clicks just to turn the bu**er off?

It might for some but I can do it in the same number of clicks as it takes on Win7 - which is 2

Smarta**e

[Silver_Shiney]

I've heard that 8 is only good for its touch-screen capabilities. If you don't need those, stick to 7.

I'm told you can restore the functionality of 7 to 8.

What I'd like is to get rid of the ribbons in Office and get back to the proper menu/toolbar system. Can anyone help me, please?

[Quizzical Bob]

I've heard that 8 is only good for its touch-screen capabilities. If you don't need those, stick to 7.

I'm told you can restore the functionality of 7 to 8.

What I'd like is to get rid of the ribbons in Office and get back to the proper menu/toolbar system. Can anyone help me, please?

Use an older version of Office or OpenOffice. Annoying, aren they?

[Silver_Shiney]

Thanks, QB, I've gone back to 2003 at home but I'm stuck with 2013/365 at work.

[royalprincess]

The only problem is when the OS is updated your existing software doesn't work with it and you have to buy new or rent it as is the case now. Not on your nelly. Will stick with Win7 until the computer goes and then go back to my old XP computer - Wish I could master a MAC have tried but cant get the hang of it.

[david63]

As far as I am aware any software that runs under Win7 will run under Win8 - although I accept that there may be a few programs that don't, but they are the exception.

[Quizzical Bob]

You need the right drivers. Check whether your version is 32 or 64-bit.

I spent last Friday afternoon trying to find out how to search file contents on a network drive under Windows 7. You can't, but you could under XP. I had to use a third-party accessory.

[david63]

You need the right drivers. Check whether your version is 32 or 64-bit.

I agree - but that applies to Win7 as well

I spent last Friday afternoon trying to find out how to search file contents on a network drive under Windows 7. You can't, but you could under XP. I had to use a third-party accessory.

Open Windows Explorer > Select the network drive > enter search term in the search box, top left > press enter

[Quizzical Bob]

You need the right drivers. Check whether your version is 32 or 64-bit.

I agree - but that applies to Win7 as well

I spent last Friday afternoon trying to find out how to search file contents on a network drive under Windows 7. You can't, but you could under XP. I had to use a third-party accessory.

Open Windows Explorer > Select the network drive > enter search term in the search box, top left > press enter

that only searches file names, not contents. We keep all our purchase orders, sales orders etc. as PDFs and I need to search for a word in the file.

[Orpheus]

I've heard that 8 is only good for its touch-screen capabilities. If you don't need those, stick to 7.

I'm told you can restore the functionality of 7 to 8.

What I'd like is to get rid of the ribbons in Office and get back to the proper menu/toolbar system. Can anyone help me, please?

Open Office & Kingsoft Office are both very good and free

[Dark Knight]

so far so good
takes a bit of getting used to stop stuff flying about the screen, but overall very impressive

[jacksparrow]

Tinny - I swopped mine old laptop for a mac and its brilliant...... I wasnt impressed with Windows 8.

[Silver_Shiney]

I've heard that 8 is only good for its touch-screen capabilities. If you don't need those, stick to 7.

I'm told you can restore the functionality of 7 to 8.

What I'd like is to get rid of the ribbons in Office and get back to the proper menu/toolbar system. Can anyone help me, please?

Open Office & Kingsoft Office are both very good and free

I know, but I have to use Orifice 2013/365 at work

[Quizzical Bob]

I've heard that 8 is only good for its touch-screen capabilities. If you don't need those, stick to 7.

I'm told you can restore the functionality of 7 to 8.

What I'd like is to get rid of the ribbons in Office and get back to the proper menu/toolbar system. Can anyone help me, please?

Open Office & Kingsoft Office are both very good and free

I know, but I have to use Orifice 2013/365 at work

You poor thing, I have the greatest sympathy for you.

[Silver_Shiney]

Thanks, QB, I'd like to make the move but I run a very complicated macro in Excel (written by someone else) and I wouldn't begin to know how to replicate it Open Office.

Once my domestic copy of 2003 goes down the pan, I'll probably go the Open Office route (but work is talking about putting 365 on my home PC so I can occasionally work from home).

[david63]

MS Office and Open Office are compatible - you can save/open MS Office files in Open Office. Not sure about your Excel macro - you would have to test it first but as Open Office is free to download that would not be difficult.

Whilst on the subject of MS Office a word [sic] of warning to anyone getting a machine with Win8 on it. If your new PC comes with a demo version of MS Office 365 then it is virtually impossible (no it is impossible) to install MS Office 10 on that machine. I spent three days trying and eventually gave up and installed Open Office.

[Silver_Shiney]

Thanks David. I know OO can read and write MS files, but it is not compatible with VBA. Actually there are two macros I rely on, one in Excel, one in Word. The Word one I recorded but it sends information to a new Outlook message. The Excel one, as I said was written by someone else long gone. No way could I rewrite it in another language when I don't really understand VBA.

Anyway, I think I've successfully hijacked DK's thread - sorry, Kev