Windows 8

[Lona]

I don't know why everybody knocks Vista.  I've never had any problems with it.

I just got a new Samsung all in one PC from Santa and it is going back to the shop as I find it annoying and basic software missing like Windows Mail.  You either have to go online to outlook or use hotmail or gmail.  Microsoft has tried to cobble together basic pc with a tablet.  The young folk will love the touch screen and all the frills but I just want a system that enables me to have what I want.

[Simon]

I guess there's always the option of third party mail clients such as Thunderbird, but the more I hear about Windows 8, the more I'm being put off it.  Is Windows Mail not available as a stand alone download?

[Glenn]

Windows live essentials now includes Windows mail.

[Lona]

No Simon. Windows 8 does not support pop3 mail accounts.

It must be an age thing as my grand neice thought it was fantastic. She sat all night on skype chatting to her pals via webcam.  She loved the touch screen.  Give me a keyboard and mouse any day so really I would say these pcs are all geared for the young.

[pctech]

Agree Lona,

Give me a keyboard and mouse any day.

[pctech]

I don't know why everybody knocks Vista.  I've never had any problems with it.

If you had to support software running on it as I did, you would Lona!

It broke lots of stuff and if you upgraded an existing PC there was a severe lack of device drivers and any attempt to install ones for XP would just stall as the way they were installed changed in an attempt to make the system more secure.

[Simon]

Maybe you should go for an iMac, Lona?  I know they're bloody expensive, but if you want something that just works, without too much fiddling about, they might be worth a consideration, although, obviously any existing Windows software you may have will be rendered useless. 

[Steve]

Keyboards and Mice, I think a lot depends on whether the device is intended to be comfortably portable and I don't mean a 15in laptop, I would agree with anything not portable a keyboard and mouse/trackpad seems the obvious choice. Regarding the OS although I've not used 8 it comes across as a bit mixture of portable and non portable OS and not quite succeeding in either, Windows 7 does appear to be the current benchmark for the PC.

[Den]

I use Windows 8 on two desktops and one laptop. I don't have a touch screen and do not feel that I need one. I liked Vista and moved onto Windows 7 which was better. Windows 8 is such a big step further on and is superb and I'm not a young person Lona.

I use Outlook in Office 2010 and have no problem with any versions of emails so I think you should give it a good try before booting it out.   


You should give it a try Simon I think after the first few hours you would love it, it's just different but that's called progress.   

[pctech]

Maybe you should go for an iMac, Lona?  I know they're bloody expensive, but if you want something that just works,

Macs do have problems with some software

[Ray]

No Simon. Windows 8 does not support pop3 mail accounts.

Yes it does you need to download and install Windows Live mail which is the replacement for Outlook Express or another stand alone email client, I've been using POP3 mail on W 8 since I upgraded my main PC to it.

You can also still use your Mouse and Keyboard with it and if you go to the Desktop view it works in exactly the same way as any other version of Windows.

[Glenn]

I'm not loving Win 8, I have to start supporting it at work later this year.

[pctech]

Queries at work have been lower than expected, the big problem comes with the two versions of IE.

If you launch IE from the start screen it does not support flash or Java, you have to launch it from the desktop.

[Lona]

Yes it does you need to download and install Windows Live mail which is the replacement for Outlook Express or another stand alone email client, I've been using POP3 mail on W 8 since I upgraded my main PC to it.

You can also still use your Mouse and Keyboard with it and if you go to the Desktop view it works in exactly the same way as any other version of Windows.

I appreciate what you are saying Ray but when I tried to set up pop3 email a message came up saying win 8 does not support pop3 email.  I had join Microsoft  account and go to Outlook.com to receive my idnet emails.
I also found this statement online..............

It was silly for Microsoft to not include suport for POP3 using the default mail client in Windows 8, but short of Microsoft including a hotfix or someone creating a patch for the program, there isn't much we can do. I would suggest using another mail client. Windows Live or Thunderbird are great choices to use. If you're already using such a program on a separate computer, it should be easy to import your mail so your older e-mails are still present.

[pctech]

I'll have a 'play' on our test system at work on Monday Lona.

[Simon]

So that does at least confirm that Windows Live Mail is available as a download - doesn't it?

[Ray]

It is, Simon, it's part of Windows Live Essentials available from here: -

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows-live/essentials-other-programs

You can either install everything or choose which parts you want to install.

[Lona]

So that does at least confirm that Windows Live Mail is available as a download - doesn't it?

Too late now Simon. John Lewis is coming to pick up the PC on Monday.

Another annoyance was networking the printer to the laptop and the vista machine.  I had to install 32bit drivers onto the win8 machine as it had automatically installed 64bit drivers.  What a carry on I had but got them networked eventually.

I'm not saying windows 8 is rubbish but for me I was just using the desktop function plus the keyboard and mouse that came with the PC so really it's not worth paying a fortune for frills I will never use.  Touch screens are ok for tablets and iphones but for me, I can't see them being of use.

[cavillas]

Windows 8 does indeed support pop mail.  You have an email client on the Start Page and using the settings-accounts add account-other account options you can set up an account with Imap, pop or even exchange . It is accessed by using the charms setting on the right.  I have a few pop accounts set up that way as well as imap ones.

[pctech]

It would have surprised me greatly for MS to drop support for POP as that is what a good majority of home users are still using and maybe the only protocol some ISPs support so there would have likely been an outcry and considering a lot of these buy licenses for server products, well you get the idea.

[Clive]

I won't tell anybody that Simon has yet to upgrade to Windows 7 yet alone 8.     If you look at the prices of Windows 8 laptops you will see that they retail for £100 less than those using Windows 7.  That says it all.   

[pctech]

I ordered my current system back in July and opted for Win 7 Pro x64

I can in theory upgrade to Win 8 for 14 quid but I don't intend to.

[Simon]

I won't tell anybody that Simon has yet to upgrade to Windows 7 yet alone 8.     If you look at the prices of Windows 8 laptops you will see that they retail for £100 less than those using Windows 7.  That says it all.   

They know I'm an XP luddite!  It's still the best OS around. 

[zappaDPJ]

I won't tell anybody that Simon has yet to upgrade to Windows 7 yet alone 8.     If you look at the prices of Windows 8 laptops you will see that they retail for £100 less than those using Windows 7.  That says it all.   

and Clive.

[Simon]

It's about bloody time!