Windows 8 Is Here, Should I Upgrade..?

Windows 8 is finally here and the big questions is should I upgrade? You’ve probably seen some of the hype now since Windows 8 has been out since September but are you really ready to upgrade? I mean, most users are still using Windows XP and still considering upgrading to Windows 7. Now, we have Windows 8 roll-out and it looks like Windows users have a big decision ahead of them.

What’s New With Windows 8

Well for starters, the interface looks completely different. I mean, at start up you’re presented with all these neat colours and tiles; this definitely can be confusing. It looks like Microsoft is trying hard to catch up in the tablet race but as quoted by Apple’s vice president Phil Schiller, “we’re so far ahead of the competition, I can’t even see them in the rear view mirror”. If you’re a long-time Windows user, the tiles and colourful interface is already a big enough headache to deal with. We’re used to seeing our friendly desktop with our favourite programs, files, and folders. However, there’s no real reason to fret because the desktop is there – it’s just hidden and requires action to get to it. It’s obvious what Microsoft is doing here. They have released an operating system that is tablet-ready but could be used in a desktop environment.

Should I Upgrade?

If you’re a long-time Windows user and are afraid of change then the short answer is probably no, you shouldn’t. It’s maybe been two years now since I upgraded to Windows 7 and I really have no complaints. Windows 7 is everything that Windows Vista should’ve been but from what I can tell, Windows 7 is easy to use and very stable. If you’re software goes even further back to Windows XP than this is even more of a reason not to upgrade – at least not on your everyday PC. Should you take that kind of leap, the learning curve might be too much to handle at once. I will say though, if you’re curious about the operating system maybe purchase a tablet running Windows 8 or install Windows 8 on a secondary machine. This way, upgrading to Windows 8 won't have any interference on your everyday computing.

In Conclusion

Windows 8 is innovative and it's a real attempt from Microsoft to get back into the mobile market. However, because it’s new this doesn’t mean Windows 8 is for everyone. Personally, Windows 8 is not for me. I am too comfortable running Windows 7 where I just am not ready for change with Windows. Have you had any real experience with Windows 8 yet? Are you considering upgrading to Windows 8? Hopefully this post helps you with your decision. Thanks for reading!