Windows 7 or Windows 8?

[Alison556]

Don't laugh, but I'm still running XP but sadly, there are things not working now cos XP is so out of date.

I've totally resisted having to change OS but realise I need to now. I was going to just pop up to Windows 7 - I believe support will be available till 2020 but it was to get an opinion.

The most I've had to do with Windows 8 was setting up my niece's laptop when she got it and frankly I thought it was horrible.

Which was better? Windows 7 or 8?

 

[alan333]

I was in the same boat recently and went for Win 8.1. Like you I found it horrible and couldn't find my way around it, but if you read lots on t'internet and get your head round it, you can customise it to be a bit more like the traditional "desktop look" of XP rather than the "tiles look" of Win 8. However with Win 8.1 (and perhaps other versions?) comes an optional free upgrade to Win 10, which looks more like XP, and which I find much better and much more familiar/intuitive. I can now find all the settings etc that I knew where to find with XP (a bit different, but at least I can find them). I did the Win 10 upgrade myself which took a couple/few hours, including re-installing a "clean" version so I could get rid of all the crap bloatware free programmes I didn't want.
Bear in mind I'm no computer expert and I only use the pc for light home use but I find it really good.
Hope this helps

 

[Alison556]

Ahh thank you. It's this whole tiles malarky that I hate - I hate touchscreen phones as well. Everything seems to be getting "upgraded" to tiles and being idiot proof (allegedly) - even Paypal.

Better go and check if my lappy would take 8.1

 

[katoosh525]

The windows 10 upgrade is thoroughly recommended, have been using 7 for years as 8 / 8.1 was so 'bloody awful'.
Are you getting new hardware to run this on? I can't see any machine old enough to have been supplied with XP actually handling a modern OS at any sensible speed. New hardware is 'pretty cheap' anyway, and rather than buy an expensive copy of an OS to fit on your old computer I would really recommend just buying a new computer with the new OS on it (and yes, your upgrade from 7 or 8 to 10 will be free). For my sins I am a computer professional amongst other things.

 

[empip]

One thing is for sure, if you stay with an OS due to lose it's support, whilst there is the chance of a free upgrade - Then you are heading for problems.
I have been around all this stuff since before 'Windows' - arrived through Win 3 - 95 - Xp - And all the trials and inevitable tribulations - Be ready for and accept change - It happens and always will !! 'Experimentation is often quicker than research', some may say !!

-0-

 

[Alison556]

It's a Dell Latitude E6400 I have. I've bought a solid state drive for it. I love my lappy LOL I could upgrade the memory as well - there's room for it. It originally came with a choice of XP or Vista - it was a no brainer which one I went for LOL

Which would be easier to change to? 7 or 8?

 

[katoosh525]

10 is actually a nice OS, 7 if you don't want to go that far.

 

[alan333]

A quick google for "dell latitude E6400 windows 10" shows that they're not doing Win 10 drivers for it. Personally Id look at a newer machine.

 

[Astra99]

The major problem with Windows 10 is that an Administrator is not a REAL Administrator. To get things to work the way they did in XP/7 you have to either set up the shortcuts to always run as Administrator, or right click and select Run as Administrator. Damn nuisance! I too have been using (and supporting) PCs since the days of DOS and the command-line, and gone through Win 3.1,3.11, 95, 98, Me, NT4, 2000, XP, 7, 8/8.1 and now 10.

 

[Alison556]

I vaguely remember using DOS in one of my first office jobs. Then went to 3.11. I hate the way they're trying to make everything look like smart phones - all these boxes and tiles - even Paypal has done it.

 

[JBR]

Personally, I wouldn't touch Windows 8 (or 8.1) with a bargepole.
I would definitely go for Windows 7, although I'm not sure whether you can still get it any more. Windows 10 is still a bit of an unknown quantity as far as I'm concerned. I have been trying it on my 'other' laptop and it seems OK. I, too, hate the tiles but, as I understand it, you can easily get rid of them if you don't like them.

Also, as Katoosh said, you need to find out whether your old machine will run W7 or W10 at a reasonable speed. I don't know, and I don't know how you'd find out without installing them.

 

[Alison556]

I think I can get my hands on a copy of Windows 7 OK. I ran the compatibility thing and it said I could run 64 bit no problem.

If I just go for Window 7, how do I know which drivers I'll need from Dell? I've had a look on Dell's website and I'm not sure if I need all the drivers listed or only some of them

 

[JBR]

I'm afraid I don't know about drivers. Perhaps a regular on the Software (or Hardware) forum might know.

 

[Blimey]

Install Windows 7 and then go to http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/product-support/product/latitude-E6400/drivers
and click on detect drivers.

 

[Alison556]

Fab, thank you