That's why my buddy went back to Win 7 and that's also why I am staying with it.

It does everything I need, and I'm familiar with it..plus it's quite secure and pretty much rock solid.

Ian

That will probably be my choice also Ian.....

Now what kind processor, ram, sound card, vid card, HDMI, usb, and other specs do you people recommend, I know I need at least 1Tb storage.. I will have the PC built to my specifications as I do on all my desktops.?

As I am sure you know, you might consider an exterior HD rather than necessarily tying your storage to your PC. I have always had a USB HD to use anywhere I needed.

bernie I have a 1TB external here always for backup ....
having 500G-2Tb today is normal on a Pc..

I have two computers running Windows 8.1 and I enjoy using them.
I think most complaints come because they have changed how Windows works a so a learning curve comes into the picture. I know (I am 85 years old) people hate change but I find it to be challenging and interesting.
That said, I would buy an Apple computer next as I have an Ipad and love the OS. Lloyd

Donny, I was part of a class action lawsuit and got a new laptop with Win8. It Like to drove me nuts until I got the thingy that made the tiles disappear and gave me a more familiar look at the start-up screen thanks to inbetweengigs (Eddie).

A major pain in the A$$ for me is this:

The ;laptop came with a numeric pad. So, the mouse touch pad is more to the left. It's not in the center of the keyboard. Thus every time you go to move the cursor your finger will inadvertently touch the right side of the touch pad, and Win8 has some crap pop out on the screen from the right and the bottom of the screen, and you have to click it off the screen before you can click on what you were wanting to do.

Maybe without the numeric pad, which would put the touchpad in the middle of the keyboard it wouldn't be such a pain in the A$$ problem. Also in any situation to place the cursor in between 2 alphabets in a word, is another big pain in the A$$. It's weird no matter what anyone else tells you. I type email and type on Facebook everyday almost all day and after many months it's still a pain in the A$$ for me to correct spelling etc. I guess if you're not into Facebook or don't do email or any typing at all and just do BIAB and Cakewalk it's not that big a deal. If I didn't take Ativan, I would have lost it by now.

Do not get a laptop with a numeric pad or you'll regret it. Go see if you play with one. Now if you're crazy about challenges and have nothing else to do, get one. It sure as hell will keep you occupied trying to figure it out. Hey there's nothing wrong with challenges, but to me fighting an operating system on a new computer is not a challenge I look forward too. If I were a computer whiz it would be different.

Dnj,

I moved to Windows 7 from XP and its a great improvement in areas too numerous to mention here. Two pieces of advice are:

Run the Microsoft system compatibility checker to ensure that your hardware is compatable with Windows 7.

Secondly buy the Pro which I have or the Ultimate version as these allow you to run a virtual XP operating system within Windows 7. This could be useful for running older software or for running hardware, e.g. a scanner that has no Windows 7 driver.

The upgrade process from XP to Windows 7 is a breeze.

I'll not be upgrading to Windows 8 even if they paid me to do it.

Ian

Yeah, I hated leaving XP, which was the best system of all so far, but I did move to Win 7 and have gradually come to accept and even like it now.

I also have a Mac - my advise to anyone who has always been on a Window PC, don't get a Mac because it has been designed to be idiot proof and only idiots can survive them after having had windows.

I'm in line with Graham's views. I've only had mine for two weeks now, but everything seems to work seamlessly. I'm still occasionally using the mouse because the touch sensitivity on my screen and mousepad is very light and quick and a brush in the wrong direction will take you to a different program real quick. I toyed with going with the Surface Pro 2, but I feel the tablets have still a little way to go to compete with a laptop, IMHO. My new laptop looks and feels like my old one, so all I have to do is adjust to the touchscreen. Only drawback is that the screen constantly needs cleaning - curse and a blessing at the same time.

I think if you like Win7 and you're thinking of replacing it on your present equipment, I don't know where the advantage would be. Win7 is a pretty solid OS. I only went with 8.1 because I needed a new laptop. I hear MS is already looking to address issues with the start tile page vs the desktop - I like the tiles, but I miss the familiarity of the desktop and address bar access. I'm still learning and maybe some readers here can direct us neo's to a good source book or tutorial.

If you're going with 8.1 don't get anything less than 8gb RAM. I have a 1T HD and several USB for offsite storage. Check the I-core5 chips; there are two, 3373u(?) and 4200, which have some performance differences. If that's a biggie for you, read up and decide before you buy.

If you are using Window 8 or 8.1 just make sure to install http://www.classicshell.net/ which which brings back the classic Windows start menu. It is free but please donate to the developers if you like it. It brings back the traditional Windows desktop feel. If you need info on how to also bring back the Windows quick launch task bar icons just ask and I can tell you how to do that too.