Are you ready for Windows 8? I’m not and here’s why…

For those of you that are just now finally getting out of Windows Vista and moving to Windows 7, you are probably very happy consumers. Windows Vista (the operating system that was a problem for many folks) is done with, finished..over! We are all happy! Right? Well, you could see Vista’s annoying little brother coming up soon, aka…Windows 8. The technical people in my circles have all been doing previews and giving Windows 8 only bad reviews. What they are saying is that the “next” version after Windows 8 will be the best, like Windows 7 (ok, what year? 2013? haha!)

From what I have read, seen online and heard so far, this new operating system is unlike any other operating system and it will be hard to learn for the average person. That’s the review in a nutshell. No joke. Oct 26 is the release date. I will tell you that I have yet to download and test it, but am doing so here shortly so I can be prepared for launch date. My techs have downloaded and tested it though and have told me that there will be a huge learning curve and for everyone to prepare. Looks like I have some homework to do before you all start calling in with problems!

Even without testing Windows 8 myself….when you buy a new computer with a new operating system, be prepared for stuff to not work, quite yet.  Here is a list of things I came up with based on my past experience with upgrading operating systems.

If you are a home user with just basic needs, internet surfing, pictures, music, etc. You will have a learning curve no question.

If you are a business owner, then I would stay with Windows 7 for now because none of the bugs that need to be ironed out for the new operating system with all the software we use are even starting to be tested yet. Microsoft just now is getting the OS finished, that means we are a year or two away from everything working right. Just think of all of the software we use: printers, smartphones, Quickbooks, ACT, outlook, all of the proprietary software you need for your industry, yep…not much of any of this is quite yet compatible probably.

List of software problems you may encounter:

• Printers won’t print
• Scanners won’t scan
• Quickbooks/ACT and all of their plug-ins and add-ons
• Industry software may not work until they have upgraded the software for you
• Smartphone/computer applications
• Cloud applications may need to be upgraded
• Antivirus programs may need patches or full upgrades
• Online backup programs

So, if you buy Windows 8 you may get lucky and everything will work fine, or it may not. I’m not ready yet because my current computers are all fine with Windows 7 and I need everything I have installed on my computer to work NOW and it cannot wait for the company to figure out an update for Windows 8.

I will be posting a review next week about my experience with Windows 8 from a consumer point of view. And of course, installing Outlook and testing email is my first priority!

Tags: Computer Help Minneapolis, St. Louis Park MN Computer Support, Windows 8 Help, Windows 8 Support, Windows 8 Tips

Category: Call That Girl's Tech Blogs, General