Lol! I forgot all about Windows 2000! I didn't realize that at all. Then again, there have been "8" versions of Windows, so Windows "8" would be "9". Never thought of that.
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that's not quite right tbh. Yes, there is nothing wrong about win7, and personally, I'm going to stick with it till the end despite having a free key from msdnaa.
There are however multiple improvements win8 brings to the "legacy" UI, like the new task manager, rewritten network stack, new file transfers and for some, the new explorer. Oh and about 10 sec faster boot.
For me however, it doesn't outweigh the inconsistency between metro and aero. Ever tried having your taskbar other than in the default position? It's really ridiculous how you sometimes click on an icon on the left of the screen to see the metro panel open on the right.
They should have made metro run inside aero, not vice versa.
I've been using Windows 8 since the consumer preview and I have to say that I hate it.
I installed the RTM over a month ago (got it from MSDN) and I still hate it.
Let me count the issues:
-- two versions of IE
-- jarring switch between desktop and metro
-- fullscreen ONLY metro apps
-- start screen full of garbage after installing apps
-- unintuitive menus
-- longer mouse movements and more clicks to accomplish most tasks (such as shutdown or control panel)
-- touch UI doesn't work for mouse/keyboard
-- additional security features that will drive you crazy. try linking to an office 365 account. It will try and take over your PC
-- no way to exit metro apps
-- removed media center / media player - have to pay extra to put it back in
-- Microsoft requires OEMs to use UEFI/Secureboot
I tried to get used to it for months - usually with new OSs, I come to tolerate or like it after I force myself to use it for weeks on end. But not Windows 8. The more I use it, the more I find to dislike about it. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone for desktop/laptop use. But I'm sure it would be wonderful on a tablet or phone.
You also clearly never used any version of Windows before Win98. Win 3.x was good for one thing. Playing Solitare. Cuz that's all people could figure out what to do. People stuck with DOS until Win95 was released. Win95 was the product that finally could actually compete with Apple's MacOS.
Win95 changed PCs like Final Fantasy 7 changed console RPGs.
This is off topic, but people who bash these things are also the people whom never used it or learned anything about it. Windows 7, for example, is Vista SP1 with a tweaked taskbar and other goodies. Vista was a major step forward. Windows 8 is also a leap in the right direction. Metro works very well with a track pad or touch sensitive mouse. And it puts everything the users wants right where it's easy to find on the start screen. I dunno why I'm trying to explain this. Everyone seems to have their mind made up already.
It's an easy formula!
1 good Wildows followed by 1 bad one. Here's the example (ignoring the server line like NT and win2k)
Win 3.11 -> good
Win 95 -> bad
Win 98 (SE aka second try) -> good
Win ME -> wtf microsoft srsly?
Win XP -> good (at least after SP1)
Vista -> bad
7 -> good
8 -> i will give it a try but got a bad feeling about it
9 -> yaaaay?
Not being a Microsoft insider, I can only speculate. But I have come to the conclusion that Microsoft releases on a Tick-Tock release schedule similar to Intel's (for those not familiar). But instead of Die-shrink->Architecture, Microsoft does Innovation->Refinement.
The only problem is they really don't seem to be able to innovate without completely botching the thing up.
Windows 8 is more for touch screens. Not really mouse/keyboard friendly. I will stick with Windows 7 since I have had no problems with. I rather have a desktop with my icons and a start menu. Windows 8 is gonna be another crappy version like Windows Me and Windows Vista was, so please don't waste your money on.
PS, They need to get rid of Steve Ballmer, he is driving Microsoft into the ground.