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Thread ID: 136925	2014-05-01 04:43:00	Another nail in the XP users Coffin	wainuitech (129)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1373939	2014-05-09 05:29:00	Me personally I argue against the "windows 8 is crap" posts which are often little more than 2nd hand opinions or the result of 5 minutes of frustration on the first attempt. But as to the advantages or need to upgrade from 7, that's a whole other debate. Windows 7 is a good operating system, there is no compelling reason to upgrade a perfectly functional system to windows 8. Same goes for XP to a lesser extent if you are using it for dedicated functions and it's working perfectly (not so true as a daily PC online for reasons mentioned earlier in this thread). If however you get a new machine and it comes with windows 8 or there's a choice between 7 & 8 then there's absolutely nothing wrong with windows 8, certainly it's not the reincarnation of Millennium some people would have you believe. 4 separate arguments that seem to keep getting lumped in together; 1. is window 8 bad (no IMO) 2. should you upgrade from XP to 8 (maybe) 3. should you upgrade from 7 to 8 (probably not) 4. Should you chose 7 or 8 for a new PC (8 all the way :p)	dugimodo (138)
1373940	2014-05-09 05:31:00	It's very unlikely you will upgrade a Win XP PC to Win 8 as M$ will not allow it. They crippled it being installed on some older PCs..	paulw (1826)
1373941	2014-05-09 05:40:00	Oh true there's some CPU function you need or something yeah? I remember the original test version ran on a pentium 4 ok but then the last RC would not. Core 2 duo onwards works though and a athlon x2 socket AM2 system I tried worked ok as well. Anything older than that is getting ancient by PC standards (much like XP itself) Upgrading from XP if anyone feels the need would probably be safest using the 32 bit windows 7 while it's still available. It has the greatest chance of compatibility I think.	dugimodo (138)
1373942	2014-05-09 06:05:00	I don't know about you but Metro is one reason I upgraded ;) Maybe for you it's great but Metro just doesn't do it for me, I grew out of Playskool toys years ago... :p it's not the reincarnation of Millennium some people would have you believe. Yeah, Vista took that crown.	Agent_24 (57)
1373943	2014-05-09 06:30:00	. . . going by that its NOT the actual OS thats the problem its the programs mentioned are designed for an older OS and again have not updated to keep up with OS Developments, or if they have the people may not have upgraded the programs they brought many years ago . Not exactly, the programs were purchased to do a job, that is what they do . The OS that makes them tie in with the hardware is just a cog in the system, my days of regarding the OS as an object worthy of attention in it's own right were over pretty much in the days when MSBasic was trying to compete with proper Basic . The program is there to let me do the job, the job is the important thing . For me, the OS is like the power cord, necessary but working best if you can ignore it . If it needs attention, it has failed . Maybe that's why I like Linux . A 5 ton digger can drive nails with great force and authority, but grandad's old hammer is easier to carry up into the ceiling where the nail needs to go . reliable operation of Mach 3 on a computer with low power requirements running Win 8 How low is Low? If the computer is struggling to run a basic operating system to start with then of course other programs may give problems . Electrical power . Low enough so I can carry a lead-acid battery to feed the machine and laptop for a day in one hand . I have worked long and hard to reduce the machine's consumption, I refuse to cut it's performance to pander to something that would actually hinder the whole process almost to a standstill while giving me more work to do . With a vintage laptop on XP the system purrs along happily, It is not struggling to run an OS or the programs that do the drawings or the program that controls the 3D mill . It just works, that is it's job . The OS can be hi-jacked by Mach 3 to give priority to reliable and precise timing and drive pulses to operate the mill . Win 7 and W8 do not take kindly to this treatment (nor does XP if you ask it to multi-task to any extent while running Mach 3) :D Running a computer is not the aim, in this case the aim is (or seems to be) producing shavings from either wood, plastic or metal while simultaneously wearing out expensive cutters as slowly as possible . As a by product, raw materials change from what somebody wanted to sell, to a new shape somebody wants to use . Usually a shape nobody else wants to sell at an affordable price, or often at any price . Ye olde wooden knobs for radios with the manufacturers logo carved on the end for instance . The manufacturers stopped supporting those radios in maybe 1920 something . I have no interest in producing dozens or even tens of elaborate knobs with sailing ships on the end by the way . I am completely over that phase of my life . If you wish to try Draft Choice for Windows, this is the version for Windows ( . com/download/DRAFT%20Choice%20for%20Windows%202 . 0/?id=10092" target="_blank">vetusware . com) 3 . 11 or 95 . It works just fine on XP . Beware, this is an entire CAD program, including the manual by the size of it, so it is pretty bulky . It used to all fit on a floppy back in the day when it was a DOS program, so you can see what the windows bloat did - 2 . 6 MB . The manufacturer, Trius released it into the public domain years ago along with a serial number . I begrudged that, having forked out the coin for the DOS version then had to fork out again for the winderz version . Bah . 2 Doubloons, gone forever . ;) Fortunately XP has been upgraded to unsupported so they won't be fiddling with that anymore . To get a free version of Photoshop Elements - well, it's Adobe so I guess not likely . There is no version number in the "about" file, the number quoted is on the . exe file title . Can't remember what it cost, but it was after decimal currency so quite a bit I guess . For Mach 3, there is a trial version available free that does limited size files, but you may find that a compatible output device is quite a few shekkels plus a bit of time . If making your own, be prepared to spend an aeon or two fiddling but much more sourcing bits . HINT NZ prices for some bits are more than 30 times USA prices, which can be a few times more than China prices but better supported in some cases and more consistent . Sensible answer to building - Don't . I agree with all you say about Apple, but more strongly . Of course advising SWMBO of that is not to be considered, she is a great hulking brute prone to savage fits of rage when roused . I have to be careful here, she's sitting on my knee . ;) Btw, I still think W8 is a sucky crock of bloat . ;)	R2x1 (4628)
1373944	2014-05-09 06:37:00	What are you guys going to do when your Motherboard craps out running XP, & new hardware wont support it ? Xp is unsupported so it floats so gently through the silicon that nothing can go wrong. XP uses gentle, smoothly rounded electrons, W8 has coarse, jagged fast electrons so you you're inviting disaster there. Should a volcano smite the PC, then it is just a matter of upgrading a newer bit of hardware to XP. :devil	R2x1 (4628)
1373945	2014-05-09 07:22:00	But if it aint broke ....why fix or replace something that is working just fine?	beetle (243)
1373946	2014-05-09 07:46:00	I'm running Win 7 at home and have to use 8.1.1 at work, there is nothing wrong with win 8.1.1 but so much that could be better. The whole mixed up interface really lets it down and I know you don't have to see that screen but its there waiting ready to pounce just when your doing something important or looking for something in a hurry. If Win 9 goes the same way with the dumb dual interface for desktops then I will be looking for an alternative when Win7 is no longer supported. Win 8 could be so good if MS had tried not to be so clever.	gary67 (56)
1373947	2014-05-09 08:07:00	Well, a duck has to do what ducks do, just as obfuscation, marketing, complication, bloat, marketing and trying to be clever is what MS do. Win 7 was amazingly stable for an MS release, just reaching toward widespread acceptance so what do they do? W8 for it - - - Actually, there is a position screaming out for MS's skill set; they are looking for super-heavy elements (www.nzherald.co.nz), this is child's play, simply commission MS to make some hydrogen. ;)	R2x1 (4628)
1373948	2014-05-09 08:08:00	Well hopefully people will be happy when the start menu comes back. Some say it'll be later this year. It'd also be good if MS updated 8.1.1 so you can do what a program called Modernmix can do it'll come in handy. Run apps in a window But I'm happy using Start8 for now.	Speedy Gonzales (78)
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