Windows 10 FREE????

mark08 · Post by **mark08** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 9:06 am

I had windows vista and a lot of problems

. so my son convinced me to change to windows 7 pro

. I have had no real problems with 7, just different. I am an old dog and can learn new tricks. But slowly. NOW WINDOWS HAS OFFERED A FREE UP GRADE TO WINDOWS 10!

Whats up with this? Free? I was always told there are not any FREE lunches. I know some of you can enlighten me as to accept or not. And why?

milton · Post by **milton** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:22 am

You better do some searching concerning this! To the best of my knowledge Windows 10 is free for a while ,then after a trial you have to pay!

mikld · Post by **mikld** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 11:05 am

Free until June 2nd?

41 Redhawk · Post by **41 Redhawk** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 12:51 pm

The notification I got is very specific in saying it is a free full copy of Win 10 and not a trial

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 1:26 pm

We got the same notice. Wife said it says a full free upgrade.

Joe

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 2:28 pm

Remember when they did this with that other horrible clunker - Vista - from XP?

I purchased a terrific, powerful Dell XP with an automatic future free Vista upgrade when it was made available, right around the corner. Never installed it, because my XP Professional with its various software applications did everything I needed. I then went to Win 8.1 when M$ finally dropped all support for XP - patches and other things to thwart off malware and such.

I love Win 8.1, with just a minor amount of nuisance learning the significant changes, and I created shortcuts for all those things that I used to pull up from the main uncluttered screen of Windows 8. That is not too hard to do if you research it.

Anyway, and "meanwhile, back at the ranch..."
While I was still using my XP box in a console computer and after the Vista free update became active, I purchased a new Vista notebook computer for my daughter in college. That was what was being offered at the time. What a pile of junk! Problems too many to list here. It was so hard for her to deal with the changes in MS Office and the problems with the O/S that she would just come over to our house and use the console XP device to produce her reports.

So I bought a brand new (at that time) Windows 8 computer for the girl and inherited her buggy, sluggish, undependable Vista notebook. I suffered with it as my traveling work computer until I could find a buyer, provide a fair and proper warning to him, and unload the piece of junk at a steal of a price. Since he mainly uses his system for e-mails and other very limited uses, nobody was hurt and it was good riddance.

I suspect that M$ is once again putting out a product, too early for the bugs to have been found and fixed, and luring folks into the system so that they force the aftermarket applications programmers to tool up for the new platform. Then, of course, all earlier M$ platforms will again be obsolete.

Vance Packard called that "Planned Obsolence" way back in 1960 when he wrote "The Waste Makers." You can Google that for more info on the subject.

My take, as a long-time Windows user (I started using and programming with the TRS-80 and CP/M systems, around 1982):
Be wary of Greeks bearing gifts, especially a Trojan Horse.

Watch the market for a while and don't upgrade a perfectly good box with something that is new and most likely buggy.

As I recall, literally every single Windows x.0 release was full of holes, bugs, and problems, and most definitely Windows 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, NT 4.0...

On the other hand, if you want to be one of Microsoft's thousands of unpaid and unwitting Beta testers, then go ahead and upgrade your perfectly good Windows 7 or 8 to their unproven new system.

CowboyTutt · Post by **CowboyTutt** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 2:41 pm

Might be worth reading this before you upgrade. There are some nice upgrades to 10 but it also won't have Windows Media Player anymore so you will need to find different software. It is already out being tested and de-bugged and isn't ready for prime-time just yet but probably by August. Even then I would take John's advice and wait a year until its debugged and fixed. -Tutt

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technolog ... cid=TSHDHP

Old Time Hunter · Post by **Old Time Hunter** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 3:15 pm

Sitting here with computers up to my arm pits...3-laptops with Windows 8.1...one lap top and one PC with Windows 7 Pro, one lap top and one PC with Windows XP Pro...

Gave the laptops w/8.1 to the wife and kids.

Windows 7 Pro...they work properly with Office Pro and no server problems with work. Can not use "cloud" stuff for business...must be on our computers or company server. Not only rules...but there isn't full functionality on the cloud. I need that. Also...Windows 8.1 does not run the engineering programs, nor does well with design programs. Hangs up with STEP files (unless you put them in a cloud...which is verboten)

XP Pro...still works! Not the quickest with the internet...but for excel, word, power point, and access...works better than all the rest. Just does not like all the flashy junk.

SO...what will Windows 10 do for me...gotta keep all my Office Pro functionality without the cloud thingy.

markinalpine · Post by **markinalpine** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 5:59 pm

CowboyTutt wrote:Might be worth reading this before you upgrade. There are some nice upgrades to 10 but it also won't have Windows Media Player anymore so you will need to find different software.

Try VLC Media player: http://www.videolan.org/
Mark

mark08 · Post by **mark08** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:31 pm

Thanks for the input. Also seems that 10 seems to track you(NSA) I think ya'll are right and to wait and see. Since win7 pro does all I want with no problems yet. Thanks folks Always get good advise here.

Post by **David** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:10 pm

All I can say is once you go MAC you never go back

mark08 · Post by **mark08** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:23 pm

David that is what my son said

He also said it is the most invasive windows yet. Wants everything on a cloud,, I ain't quite ready for a cloud..... yet

Post by **David** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:37 pm

mark08 wrote:David that is what my son said He also said it is the most invasive windows yet. Wants everything on a cloud,, I ain't quite ready for a cloud..... yet

Windows (any version) is just a pile of poop, for many reasons some of them no fault of Microsoft but regardless...

I used to fix my mothers windows box at last once a year, since I bought her a mini I didn't have to touch her machine for 4-5 years until I bought he a new mini. The cost of the mini was a LOT less expensive then my time. There's no such thing as a virus on a MAC the only way you can get one if is someone sends it to you and says run this! Yes a mac laptop will cost more but if you consider a virus protection software with a subscription (that works in arrears - that's how they work) and you value your time at all it's a lot cheaper. Plug anything in and it just works!

I've walked at least a dozen people to a mac and every one of them would never buy a windows box again.

I manage a group who run in excess of 20,000 computers NOT A ONE of them is a windows box, one person can easily manage thousands linux boxes, the windows team has a person for every ~50 computers and they are struggling to keep up.

CowboyTutt · Post by **CowboyTutt** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:51 pm

Linux looks great to me but many programs are not developed to work on that OS. My school district uses both type computers (Mac and PC), but most of the time the Mac's have issues with the scoring programs we use in Special Education test kits. Also, the cost difference between the two computers at purchase time is huge. We can buy 2-3 PC's for one Mac. Our tech department handles both. If I could really have what I want, I would go with a PC and Linux but then I wouldn't be able to use all sorts of software I need. Regards, -Tutt

CowboyTutt · Post by **CowboyTutt** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:54 pm

My district has also tried using the "virtual box" Mac program that was designed to allow the use of PC programs, but it is pretty flawed as well. I think the end user really needs to look at the end result of what you want to do, what software you need to run, and what OS offers the most benefit to you. Regards, -Tutt

FWiedner · Post by **FWiedner** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:36 am

Free OS from Microsoft?

I have confidence when I say that means that you will be beta-testing the bugs out of their newest Frankenstein, for FREE.

... While they make money off of it.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 9:35 am

My latest laptop is loaded with Windows 8.1, and once I set it to run like a Windows 7, it ain't bad... I just didn't have time to learn the new layout and how to get it to work like I needed it to. But, I have all kinds of trouble getting updates installed. easily half of the updates fail, and until very lately, I haven't been able to get any to "take". Even as I type this, I'm trying to download and install an update. Frustrating. I know that Windows 10 is out in beta testing... and should be better than either 8 or 8.1. But like others, I don't necessarily want my stuff out in the cloud.

mark08 · Post by **mark08** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 11:06 am

Well!!. It seems windows has it's followers but they are not that happy with windows. Mac world followers are happy and wonder why the rest us don't wake up? Life was simpler without computers but then I would not have the benefit of this forum!!!!!!

Seems like should wait for the bugs to be fixed in this model before you even think about a 10.

Gaucho Gringo · Post by **Gaucho Gringo** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 5:21 pm

Heck, I am still running XP Pro that runs just fine for me.

Post by **David** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 5:58 pm

If you've been around long enough to have witnessed the history of computers there's a very clear pattern of what rules and what dies this includes the old IBM, Dec Vax, etc, and the "pc" market, the writing of the next chapter is already complete. Go to a college campus and look what the majority of kids are using and what colleges support best and recommend....

I didn't recommend a Linux "Redhat" desktop although last I checked 87% of every computer on the internet is now a linux box which includes google, amazon, and pretty much everyone.

The MAC is a version/variation of "FREE" linux which unquestionably has more development then Windows and contrary to what you would think having an operating system that everyone in the world can read the source code for makes it a LOT more secure. MAC also has the advantage they they control every component and they are not dragging 20 years of history and support along. The also don't have every Tom, Dick, and Harry that manufactures some piece hardware components and supplying software (driver) that Windows has to "accept" and hope to heck doesn't blue screen the OS and guess who gets the blame

Also most people don't understand how virus protections work (that MAC's don't need), in short someone gets infected the virus companies look for a "signature" to identify it and work like ... to get that to everyone else as quickly as possible before they get it

There's a reason why Bill is getting out of dodge and the future of Microsoft is real bleak. (lots and lots of layoffs) I know people still programing in COBOL but it's clearly not the future.

I'll get off the soapbox now.

wilko · Post by **wilko** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 6:03 pm

It is free yes.... Capturing market share is critical for microsoft and they figured this would be a way to get people to move to windows 10. I know i will....

CowboyTutt · Post by **CowboyTutt** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 7:42 pm

I'll have to look at the Redhat option again. Its been a while but at the time I couldn't find software to run a printer on it even, so would need a partition and two OS's. Also some of the software I have probably won't work on Red Hat. Since I upgraded to 8.1 on my laptop, this set-up has worked well for me. Its stable, I added a 3rd party start up menu that works fine and I have no problems with updates failing. My Toshiba lap top is not a touch pad though. I prefer Android to anything really. I find it about the most amazing thing out there but I am far from some computer expert. My Samsung TV and smart phone are both much smarter than me! -Tutt

Post by **David** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 7:49 pm

I wouldn't look at redhat I'd just do SLF or CentOS. Same thing but you don't pay for it.

CowboyTutt · Post by **CowboyTutt** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:09 pm

Thanks David, I really appreciate that and in particular what you do around here for this forum. I am no computer expert but I do have access to our school district tech department guys and they work on both Macs and PC's. Our district allows us to choose which computer to purchase. You can buy two + PC's for every Mac. Because I am more familiar with PC's that is what I have chosen to use so far. I don't find the Mac's very intuitive to use after using PC's for so long and the delete button on a Mac drives me crazy in particular. As more and more companies are making products for Android, I hope someday I can have all my tech products on it: my TV, my phone, and my laptop. I came JUST SHY of buying a tablet instead of a PC this last go around, but some of my critical software I needed is not on Android yet. So I bought a PC again. Might very well be the last time though the way things are going.

Thanks again for your expert advice.

Regards,

-Tutt

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Wed Jun 03, 2015 5:26 am

I've got a Windows logo that appeared on the lower right hand side of my screen a few days ago. If I click on the icon I'll get a free update from Windows 7 that I'm using now to Windows 10. I've read a lot about Windows 10 and it all sounds favorable, a great improvement over Version 8 & 8.1 that so many people didn't like. I think I'll still wait for a while to see what other people are saying about it.
Win 10 has been in Beta test for a while now but I haven't heard anyone say if it's good, bad, or better.

Post by **David** » Wed Jun 03, 2015 6:22 am

Tutt - thanks but I don't do a lot around here except updates and if someone yells for help, I run a dozen or so websites for gun collector organizations on my time and dime, its the way I give back to the gun community. I've been doing computers for a long time, I actually started writing operating systems/drivers back when they rolled in a disk drive the size of a washing machine and a stack of technical books plugged it in and said "make it work" loved it, oh the octal days

All I'm saying is yes a MAC costs more, it's a little different at first, but it won't get viruses, won't screw up, and anything you plug into it will just work. It has the advantage of a newer (and better) OS not carrying around baggage and anyone with a soldering iron's hardware.

I don't want to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas fixing my mom's (or anyone else's) windows box, put her on a mini swap it every 4-5 years and all I have to do is eat turkey. If you hand you kid a MAC laptop for for college they will graduate with it and it just won't be one of the problems they need to solve in school, that's just simply not true for a windows laptop. My daughters even (surprised the ... out of me) clicked OS updates and did it all themselves. Lions to Tiger's to Bears or whatever it is...

As for Android (another variation Linux) if I were to look into my crystal ball I think eventually EVERYTHING will be sort of a Android thing. Every computer will have a "cached" version of the OS and pull updates or a complete replacement from the net. Your buy a hardware device and it may not have a OS on it initially at all but it'll just know where to get it

maybe kind of the VM model but not a guest.

mark08 · Post by **mark08** » Wed Jun 03, 2015 3:38 pm

David thanks you for all you do around this site. I only know PC so that is what I have done. But as others have said it has it's problems and wait a while for the exterminator to get the bugs.. A little side story,,,, a few years back when I bought this thing a friend bought a MAC at the same time... I thought it cost a lot. After all the trials. I purchased what I used. Low and behold His MAC came with all the extras i had to pay to get. End result His MAC was cheaper.... Before His MAC He ran Linux and has always said He would not have a MS product. Thought He was crazy. Maybe because he only has a single shot rifle and a single shot 12 ga. Can't kill it with one shot then the with it. His advice may be spot on for puters!!!!!

Post by **David** » Thu Jun 04, 2015 4:20 pm

CowboyTutt wrote:My district has also tried using the "virtual box" Mac program that was designed to allow the use of PC programs, but it is pretty flawed as well. I think the end user really needs to look at the end result of what you want to do, what software you need to run, and what OS offers the most benefit to you. Regards, -Tutt

Another thing to look at is libreoffice (openoffice) does everything Microsoft Office does, even writes/reads compatible files, runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Ubuntu you name it. cost $0.00

If you do some wild a.. pivot tables or something you might find something it won't do, but I haven't.

King of the free sh*t guy here

People just don't realize how much (GOOD) software is available open source (free).

I even started a 501(c)3 took me several years of work but if you want to donate guns and write it off, I'm your guy

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Thu Jun 04, 2015 11:10 pm

Another thing to look at is libreoffice (openoffice) does everything Microsoft Office does, even writes/reads compatible files, runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Ubuntu you name it.

OK, I appreciate a lot of the good information here, but I think we are going a little overboard, now, as supported by hard empirical data and real world experience.

The Mac may indeed be a terrific choice for many home users; perhaps most home users. But the statement that an Apple or its ilk, or especially "Libre Office," can do literally anything that a Windows platform can do, and equally as well, is just not correct. We are now misleading the readers.

For several years, I have tried to find a database application (for home and small office use) as powerful and intuitive as MS Access. I landed on Oracle and similar products as the only choice available, and not one of the Apple applications would fill the bill. I worked on trying to learn and master Oracle. Forget it - that is for somebody who makes a living full time doing just that - coding Oracle. It is extremely deep, obfuscated, complicated, and yes, powerful. It is traditionally supported by a TEAM of full-time professional programmers to keep it running, updated, and operational. I have worked with these folks in the past, and believe me the home user does not want to mess with that headache for, say, tracking relatives, garage storage, or (in my case) keeping track of handloads.

It would be like launching an interplanetary space ship to travel to the next town.

Can anybody use an Apple-compatible database to provide computed data for a screen like this?? Note that as you enter things from dropdown source tables and a small amount of data, computations are created by the database on the fly…

(There is more; view was truncated)

So let's look at some Mac databases offered (that do more than just hold data like a glorified spreadsheet):
File Maker Pro, “probably the best known database application for the Mac” per several sources, has some nice features but it doesn’t code, run, collaborate or export anywhere near as well as Access when one starts creating serious, decision making databases. The “form” takes precedence over coding. I know; I have worked with this program, tried to port it to Access, and have created databases with it. It's data entry screens can be made to look real purty, though.

A similar database, Bento, is a simpler type employed by "entry level" users and is no longer sold, since 2013.

Open Office / Libre Office is a valiant attempt. I have experimented with these utilities, and especially the database. They are pretty cute, but come on - they do not stand up to the power, or versatility of Access, Excel, or Word.

For instance, the database logic must be coded in a much more difficult language than Access Basic. Access Basic runs for a graphical user interface and gives you drop-down choices, hints, help files.

For database decision making where one data entry affects other data in a record, the Open Office db's full-blown coding can only be done by a full-time coder or hardcore programmer type of person using a separate language like like C, possibly HTML (not sure of this with certain choice options), Perl, or other arcane avenues of data manipulation. And you cannot export data between the database, word processor, and spreadsheet to create something as simple as a Christmas card list with a few choices (e.g. family selection, Zip Code selection, other choices).

SQLite can be employed, but coding gets hairy for all but programming devotees. There is a GUI interface available – “Base” – but now we have another application to learn and deal with. I have not tried this. By the way, SQLite is still more difficult than MS-Access for similar results.

As for the parallel type software purported to work on Mac that runs MS Access, you are back to using Microsoft products(!). In another life when I was working for a living, we had an avid Mac worshipper in our shop (it seems like any Mac user is almost religiously devoted). She repeatedly tried to convince me, and thus my whole agency, to switch over to Macs. She was a brilliant programmer herself. But more than once, after showing us something like 4D as a database demo that ran on her Mac and while running a large projection screen demo, she would try to show us how Mac runs Microsoft. More than once, with supervisors and a Deputy Commissioner looking on, her machine crashed and the demo was over as the higher level folks filtered out to take care of more pressing business. Eventually, her work was respected, but nobody would put up with listening to her impassioned attempt to "bring us into the light," so to speak, with Macs.

And I keep reading that this scenario has not changed. Devotees keep insisting that the world is out of step with them. But at least for those who expect a little more from their computers than just opening e-mails and writing non-integrated documents, Macs should run Mac stuff. PC boxes are made to run Micro$oft products, as annoying and flawed as they are.

I hate all the updates and problems that plague Microsoft. But, as one can see by checking any statistics of national or worldwide use of computers in the typical office, there is a reason why Microsoft still dwarfs the footprint of the Apple family.

Apple cleverly saturated universities and schools with cheap or free Macs to gain the loyalty and familiarity of the academic crowd. That, and not the brilliance of the virus-free Mac, is why so many students use them. By the way, Mac viruses have been successful; its O/S is just not attacked as much largely because the payoff is higher with the business oriented PC world.

Admittedly, Mac and family's hardware is great for certain artistic and musical applications, including many serious medical applications. Maybe even their ridiculously expensive iPads are better than my cheap, perfectly satisfactory Android LG tablet.

But this mantra that Apples will rule the world, soon, and that its software does everything that Win boxes do – something that has been uttered at least as far back as 1998 – is apparently a fervent but unrealized dream of Mr. Job’s disciples. In the final analysis, it is just not true. And no, Open Office does not equal MS Office.

Post by **David** » Fri Jun 05, 2015 6:44 am

Well all I can add, I have been using open office/libre office, our entire company of many thousand employees has moved to libreoffice with limited copies of office when a problem does arrive and other then people do wild a... stuff it does AT LEAST 95% of what Microsoft Office does and 99.9999999% of what most normal people do especially those in the home. Do I respectfully disagree that it can't do what most people need, write letters, spread sheets, or presentations.

My experiment (oh of something like 100 collaborating nations, 10,000+ experimenters) DUMPED Oracle and now use mysql. So no maybe some people can't use mysql or postgres but most of the world already does, i.e. this board is running on mysql and yes we just had problem and it was quickly fixed, but I've had Oracle and is has problems as well and not always quickly fixed either.

I'll stand that 99%+ of everyone reading this can do anything they need to do with free public domain software, including the OS.
This site is running on a (free os) linux box and last I check 87% and growing of EVERY computer on the net is.

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Fri Jun 05, 2015 11:38 am

Well answered, Dave. My State law enforcement and regulative agency was only at around 1,000 users, a bit more now. But Access worked well for payroll, criminal investigations recordkeeping and analysis, trend projections, and rather complicated payroll tasks
We moved to Oracle and some other high end closed network SQL solution as bandwidth demands grew. But what I programmed in a couple of weeks in Access took a team several months to do, with many conversions I created with Visual Basic and Access, when we moved into Oracle and other applications.

It might be that trend analysis, computations on the fly, and what if decisions at data entry points aren't used as much at your shop. I don't know. But only 4D, which I think might be out of business, approached Access for speed of development and power, on networked/standalone systems.

The 999.99% description, to me, seems argumentable; so my considered advice as a power user and programmer is NOT to listen too much to anybody's hype.

Instead, do some reading, questioning, experimentation (e.g. Open Office is free to install and use) with what YOU want to do with a spreadsheet, database, word processor, mail merge application. For me and my demands (which now are just personal home use), nothing can touch a Windows platform with Microsoft Office.

Post by **David** » Fri Jun 05, 2015 12:24 pm

I just haven't had a windows box in at least 15 years maybe 20 years, my mom writes letters and has a spreadsheet of he quilt club members the mac mini made my fixing her computer problem go away so I'm happy. Now why a 83 year old even wants a computer, just die happy (when it happens) but she doesn't like that answer.

However I also admit I'm a bit of a geek, I just wrote up the trick of how you "fix" your galaxy S6 only display contacts w/ numbers in your phone list (lollipop), when I look back at it all I can think is... There's a real twisted mind that figured that one out and if you can't understand what I wrote please don't ask

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Fri Jun 05, 2015 5:35 pm

Ok, won't ask!

mark08 · Post by **mark08** » Fri Jun 05, 2015 7:30 pm

Would it be mistake to ask FORD or Chevy?

I have more than I can chew. Swallowing and digesting will be the next issue. I thought it simple. But! I'll sit tight for awhile and let time settle what I do.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Sat Jun 06, 2015 3:31 pm

The problem with Open Office etc is it does not play nice when you are dealing with the majority of industry and other businesses when most of them use MS office. Office is the industry standard. If you're in a closed loop system then no big deal, but as soon as you start sending files outside that system there will be compatibility issues.

CowboyTutt · Post by **CowboyTutt** » Sat Jun 06, 2015 6:36 pm

I use Open Office on my home laptop and my work one has Microsoft products on it. I confess I have experienced the very incompatibility issues that Frank refers to when opening documents, even when I try to save the Open Office docs in a Microsoft format. Regards, -Tutt

Post by **David** » Sun Jun 07, 2015 9:25 am

I understand industry thats just the way it is, it's like Cobol I still know someone programming in it

When I run into a issue I just ask for copy in the doc vs docx, I'm sure Microsoft is doing it's best effort like the insurance companies are doing their best to deny your claim

Microsoft (as a company) is seriously suffering, it'll be a long road but I believe this is part of why you are now "renting" the operating system people are still running the older versions and like office if you have office 2000 why would you ever need a newer version?

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Sun Jun 07, 2015 10:27 am

I'll wait. Just after Vista came out my computer got soaked and cremated when a boiler mud drum door gasket blew out. No, I wasn't standing there at the time or I'd not be typing this.

Anyway to make a long story short, I needed a laptop at my next stop. There was a store that sold them across the street from that location. I stopped, bought a spiffy new computer. There were no XP machines to be had so I got a Vista machine.

The laptop is great. It's still my backup. But it sue as heck doesn't run Vista anymore. I did eventually beat Vista into submission, but they time and frustration was ridiculous.

I'm running 7 on everything but my tablet. It has 8, and only because I came that way.

I've always disliked the Mac interface, and here is Microsoft becoming more Mac-like with every new release.

I sure wish DOS was still viable, I could tell it to do anything I wanted and never a complaint from the machine.

mohavesam · Post by **mohavesam** » Sun Jun 07, 2015 10:45 am

still running 7 on my work laptops. It is all Boeing and NASA - MSC will allow (compatability with Sharepoint/Office, etc.). When those two go to Windows 8.x, I'll follow. Probably.

Post by **David** » Sun Jun 07, 2015 11:11 am

Please don't say sharepoint I'm eating...

One of the ways I judge a product is not reviews of the product but looking at quantity of products offered to "support/fix" a product to basically make is usable. There's are 1,000,000 products out there to try and make sharepoint work and consulting companies out the ying yang providing professional service.

Just this morning I jumped on pixlr.com to do photo editing, you can't do real elaborate stuff but I suspect most of everything people do at home can be done on that site for free vs buying photoshop. i.e. did I mention I'm cheap?

Old Time Hunter · Post by **Old Time Hunter** » Tue Jun 09, 2015 1:01 pm

mohavesam wrote:still running 7 on my work laptops. It is all Boeing and NASA - MSC will allow (compatability with Sharepoint/Office, etc.). When those two go to Windows 8.x, I'll follow. Probably.

Ditto...company does not allow anything in the "cloud" and requires compatibility with their own servers. Windows 7 Pro is it right now...same thing with Windows Office Pro (company supplies it). What we do not use (but I personally do) is the Outlook programs. We have some junk called "GroupWise". Causes multiple steps to send information from desktop, pictures, and such. Windows 8.1 does not allow for the company VPN and compatibility. Nor does Apple. In fact, they just allowed Explorer 10 access and Firefox(limited though). Our Zip files will not open on a Windows 8+ OS either.

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 12:23 am

Old Time Hunter wrote:...Windows 8.1 does not allow for the company VPN and compatibility...

?!?

Old Time Hunter wrote:...Our Zip files will not open on a Windows 8+ OS either.

But they open on 7... wh-a-a-a-t?

(My 8.1 Pro has no problems with an out of the box VPN or WinZip, WinRAR, etc.) - ?

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 5:35 pm

Interesting side note. Microsoft sends out a notice that Norton isn't compatible with 10. Norton fires back that it is. Yep, one more reason to let the dust settle a bit.

Post by **David** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 6:08 pm

What version of windows is somewhat irreverent to Norton. Norton is primarily a signature recognition software which hopefully catches this before it infects the software, fixing it is a secondary function and if they can do this (correctly) is Norton's call. Also fixing it is not a determinate out working because it's doesn't claim to be able to fix everything.
Norton like all of them is an after the other guy (you hope isn't you) is already screwed.

Old Time Hunter · Post by **Old Time Hunter** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:26 am

JohndeFresno wrote:
Old Time Hunter wrote:...Windows 8.1 does not allow for the company VPN and compatibility...
?!?

Old Time Hunter wrote:...Our Zip files will not open on a Windows 8+ OS either.
But they open on 7... wh-a-a-a-t?

(My 8.1 Pro has no problems with an out of the box VPN or WinZip, WinRAR, etc.) - ?

We do not use any "out of the box" VPN. Our IT in Germany as it's own protocols. We just adapted to Windows 7 Pro a little over a year ago. Prior to that, we could only hook up to out corporate server running XP Pro. What ever we run in the background...whether it is security or special code, does not allow for standard "out of the box" compatibility. Every time I get a Zip file from a customer, I forward to our IT department, they reformat and send back so I can open. That is the company rules. Like I said, we can not even use Outlook....because company demands using GroupWise.

On my personal computers...well that is different. But, gave the 8.1 laptops to the wife and kids, bought a new PC with Window 7 Pro...just so I could work on company files in the event something happens to the company computer.

To be honest...can not stand all the "flash and bang" when on Windows 8.1...just give me print, spreadsheets, formulas, and black and white...I'll be happy.

Post by **David** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 9:03 am

I don't blame your IT group, Windows is a virus magnet, given a choice I wouldn't let you unwind unchecked zips either.

41 Redhawk · Post by **41 Redhawk** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 12:29 pm

I no longer even let zip files come in to users via email. They all come to me so I can have a peek and them release them as I see fit. EXEs, SRCs, COMs, BATs, etc are rejected outright.

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 5:35 pm

David wrote:What version of windows is somewhat irreverent to Norton. Norton is primarily a signature recognition software which hopefully catches this before it infects the software, fixing it is a secondary function and if they can do this (correctly) is Norton's call. Also fixing it is not a determinate out working because it's doesn't claim to be able to fix everything.
Norton like all of them is an after the other guy (you hope isn't you) is already screwed.

Gee, after playing with computers for the last, well let's just say I remember when they didn't have hard drives. Anyone remember the Commodore 64? You'd think I would know that. Oh wait, I did.

I just get a kick out of how one software giant tries to slam another and they get slammed right back. Sort of like two bullies on the play ground. They really don't want to fight cuz one or the other would come out on top, and their not sure it would be them. But, they just love to taunt one another.

Post by **David** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 6:00 pm

I remember load next in octal and hexadecimal was the new big thing

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 1:04 am

jeepnik wrote:...I remember when they didn't have hard drives. Anyone remember the Commodore 64?...

But Luke - there was another...

Before the Commodore came out, I cut my teeth on the Radio Shack Color Computer with a whopping 4K RAM (memory), which I upgraded into a fire-breathing dragon by making it a 16k computer! 1980. Ran on color TV screen, memory from cassette tapes.

Then, went into the REAL world of computers with 64k memory (like the Commodore 64), two five inch floppy drive Morrow Micro Decision (CP/M Operating System)... The central processor chip (Zilog 64) was later used to power your desk mount dial (analog) telephone, as I recall. First languages were Batch files and M-Basic by - you might have guessed it - a foundling company called Microsoft.