Before taking the plunge into
Windows 8,
there are a few questions you should ask yourself. We've summarized
some of most useful ones here, and by going down this checklist, you'll
end up with a much better idea about the right path for upgrading
existing hardware versus buying a new machine, and figuring out all the
new styles of
tablets and touch-screen hybrids hitting store shelves alongside Windows 8.
Do you want to stick with Windows at all, or would another OS work better for you?
Microsoft has two new operating systems,
Windows 8 and
Windows RT.
For traditional desktop apps, if you're already on Windows, chances are
you'll stick with it, although not necessarily the most current version
(we still know a lot of people running Windows XP). Anecdotally, we do
hear about people switching to Apple's OS X after years as Windows
users, but rarely the other way around. (You could also go with Google's
Chrome OS or even Linux, and both have advocates who I'm sure will be
happy to weigh in via the comments section.)
If you're looking for a pure tablet-style experience, that's what the simplified Windows RT OS targets. That said, iOS and
Android
have been serving that audience well for a couple of years now, and, in
the case of Android, through a wide variety of hardware at some very,
very low prices.
Should you upgrade an existing PC or start with a new one?
Previous generations of Windows have seen midnight launch events, with
fans lining up to buy boxed copies and install the new OS on their
current machines. I expect we'll see less of that this time around, in
part because people are much more used to downloading software, and so
many new laptops lack optical drives.
At the same time, upgrading a recent PC purchase should be a relatively
inexpensive procedure this time around. Anyone with Windows XP, Vista,
or 7 can upgrade to Windows 8 for $40, no matter how old that PC is. If
you have a new PC purchased after June 2, 2012, the upgrade is $15. Rich
Brown has a
detailed explanation of the upgrade plans and details here.
But just because you can upgrade,
doesn't mean you should.
In previous generations, layering a new version of Windows on top of an
older has often led to trouble, with driver problems, incompatible
hardware, or unstable systems as a result. We've installed Windows 8
over many
Windows 7
laptops and desktops over the past several months, and while we've run
into occasional problems, it's actually been a surprisingly trouble-free
experience overall.
That said, if your PC works well now, there's certainly no pressing
reason to risk an upgrade (and please, back up your important data if
you do try it). The way most people will end up with Windows 8 is that
they'll simply wait until they need a new laptop or desktop, and
whatever they buy will come with Windows 8 preinstalled.
Choose your OS: Windows 8 or RT
Besides Windows 8, Microsoft also offers Windows RT, a new OS designed
for tablets and hybrids. It shares the same tile-based interface, but
runs on ARM CPUs rather than Intel or AMD. More importantly, Windows RT
systems can only run apps acquired through the built-in Windows app
store.
With purportedly amazing battery life and some cool-looking hardware,
Windows RT is certainly interesting. The main risk factor here is price.
The RT systems we've seen to date run around $500 to $600 for the
tablet component, plus another $100 to $150 for a detachable keyboard
dock. That makes RT products only slightly less expensive (if at all)
than full Windows 8 hybrids. We've got more on the
differences between Windows 8 and RT here.
Do you need a touch screen?
Make no mistake, Windows 8 is built around touch. So much so that we've
seen several examples traditional, non-transforming clamshell laptops
getting touch screens added to them.
As in the case of the
Acer Aspire S7,
it's actually a pretty useful addition, and adding an occasional screen
swipe to using your keyboard, touch pad, or mouse, feels surprisingly
natural.
Using Windows 8 on a nontouch device is frankly a pain. Navigating the
traditional Windows desktop is fine, but using the tile-based interface,
formerly known as Metro, is especially annoying, as you have to
maneuver very carefully around the edges of your touch pad to replicate
basic navigation gestures.
What style of new PC should I get?
In addition to traditional laptops and desktops (including all-in-one
PCs), every PC maker is releasing a collection of machines that blur the
line between laptop and tablet. Some have screens that swivel or fold
to form tablet-like shapes, others have screens that fully detach.
For the sake of clarity, we call systems with screens that rotate, fold,
or otherwise move around convertibles. Examples include the Lenovo
IdeaPad Yoga 13 and the Dell XPS 12. We call systems with screens that
fully detach hybrids, such as the
HP Envy X2 or
Acer Iconia W510.
Scott Stein has a great breakdown of the
different laptop/convertible/hybrid categories and subcategories here. And Eric Franklin has a breakdown of the
different types of Windows RT devices here.
Where can I find reviews and previews of all the new Windows 8 and Windows RT systems? All the latest reviews and hands-on previews of Windows 8 and Windows RT systems can be found
here, in "Windows 8: The complete new PC launch list." That page will be updated with new systems and new reviews as they get posted.
