Windows 8 (2 of 2)

Welcome back!  In part 1, we looked at the new features that you will be seeing in Windows 8.  Today, we'll have a look at how Windows 8 will be available.

Let's start with upgrades.  Microsoft and its resellers are offering upgrade licensing for Windows 8 from as far back as XP.  The idea is that, you can run the upgrade to 'convert' your PC from Windows ___ to Windows 8.  Some of you may remember, they offered this type of upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7.  Those of you may also remember, your PCs ran a little strangely afterwards, and never quite as well as PCs that came native with Windows 7.  That is exactly what we are after here.  While the technical capability exists for varying forms of 'conversion' from one copy of Windows to another, we do not recommend this in almost any situation as the background architecture of Windows 8 is never fully deployed.  It is the rough equivalent of getting new walls, flooring, and finishings in your house: it will look and feel newer, but it still resides on the old frame and is subject to weaknesses from that frame.

So how do we install Windows 8?  The only method we feel comfortable recommending a Windows 8 install in which you are least likely to encounter problems down the road, is from a freshly formatted hard drive using a System Builders License.  Using our house analogy from above, you'll be building everything from the frame up, so the entire structure is brand new and laid out exactly the way it needs to be.

But what will be the best way to get Windows 8, without needing to format your hard drive and install Windows?  Quite simply, purchase a Windows 8 computer, tablet, or notebook.  The companies who build computers have been working with Microsoft for the last year or so to develop computers that are truly designed to run Windows 8 and take full advantage of it.  The prime example of this will be touchscreens, which have largely never been a mainstream Windows thing, as the mouse & keyboard have served for decades as the primary input mechanisms.  Windows 8 was designed to work with touchscreens seamlessly, so it will be worth getting a machine with a touchscreen to take advantage of this.

The reality of Windows 8, however, comes down to a few simple ideas.  First, if you already have Windows 7, there is really no need to get Windows 8.  If you have Windows XP, it is probably time to replace your old PC anyways as it is certainly more than a few years old.  For those of you on Vista, talk to your IT provider for a recommendation.  The bottom line is, it is not worth buying the software itself to upgrade on your existing hardware, and if your existing hardware is ageing then a new PC is in order.